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The god of penance did not know how much time had passed since that fateful day. A day, a month, a year, it all felt the same. His friend was gone, murdered, the only mortal he had ever trusted, his best friend. He had warned Ciro about hat pale lion, had told him so many times Kristanf could not be trust, why hadn't Ciro listened to him?!.

Judeau looked up, only barely registering the other raven. If she was expecting some snark or gruff comment, none would come.

"There is nothing there now."

The raven had done as he said he would, he had told Ciro's children what had happened, that he had perished on their last viking. Now, he could no longer bring himself to stay in the lands. It reminded him to much of what had once been, and once he had lost. And then there was....him...

Tears streamed from his eyes, why hadn't he listened...

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"I'm afraid I do not."

Ngaule smiled, she understood Ciro's frustration. It must be difficult to not remember, to know that a piece of who you once were was there, waiting, but not knowing where.

"But I am sure we will find him soon."

"Thank you."

His voice was quiet, almost a mutter, though the words were genuine. Lost though he was in his own sorrow, the gray raven was grateful to the other, even if they had not exactly gotten along in the past.

He watched her for a moment, a thought that he should tell her she did not have to leave, but the words never came. His head lowered, wings tucked tight against himself. What was he supposed to do now, where would he go? Judeau had never felt so completely...alone, alone and lost.

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"Don't be such a cub, it has not been forever."

A playful chuckle as she spoke, a flick of her tail at his nose. Ciro was still thinking of time as a mortal did. He would soon find that time moved differently for deities, and times that mortals thought long often seemed as only moments to to the gods.

"Do these lands bring back any memories?"

Ngaule could see they grew near to the lands of the storm, the familiar rumbles of thunder in the distance.

"Hmm, no, he is not purple, not the last time I saw him. However...."

Her voice trailed off, her gaze shifting toward something else, a familiar shade of gray on a nearby tree. She raised a paw, indicating in the direction of the tree.

"...he is gray."

Ngaule nodded as they drew closer. A gray raven near the stormlands, it was most likely the raven god of penance.

"I would guess that's him. Should we--"

....go over and say hi to him. The goddess shook her head, she hadn't even gotten the words out before CIro was off. She had hoped to be closer when Ciro was reintroduced to his old friend, she was not sure how Judeau would respond until he realized who the dark raven now perched in his tree was.

The scruffy raven raised his head, a half-hearted glare shot at the dark avian, his every intention to tell the stranger to go away and leave him alone and let him mourn in peace, he was not interested in making new friends.

"How do you know my name?"

Something had made him pause, he did not remember ever meeting such an avian, and yet... Blue eyes narrowed, focused on the familiar flame marking on the raven's chest, Ciro's marking. But how was it on a raven? It could not be his child, though were he not in such a depressed state, Judeau would have thought it not past Ciro to try.

And then a flurry of feathers before he had the chance to ask who the raven was.

"Saki! What--"

Ngaule had quickly closed the distance between them, reaching the group as the purple raven charged. She might have interfered, were she not trying so hard not to laugh.

"No one is going to harm him, I promise you. Judeau, you've gotten better at making friends."

"You must be a good friend to defend him so fiercely."

Ngaule smiled at the purple raven, an attempt to reassure her. She was pleased to see Judeau had others who cared for him, she only hoped the scruffy raven saw that himself. At least he wasn't hiding in a cave somewhere all alone, though he did seem scruffier than the last time she'd seen him.

"If Ciro had any intention of harming him, I would not have brought him here."

Judeau's eyes narrowed, his gaze firmly fixed on the dark raven, a raven who was not what he had originally seemed. To the raven god, it was not so unusual to see an avian transform into a god, he himself was a god after all. What was surprising, was how much the god looked like...Ciro.

"Who are you? You look like someone I know, but he died."

The raven's head tilted, his gaze shifting between Ngaule and the dark god who looked so much like his friend. Ciro? But, how could that be, he had seen his friend die, had watched the life drain from him despite his pleas,. He had done his best to avenge him, but in the end he could not finish it.

His wings outstretched, Judeau fluttered toward the god, settling to perch on the top of his head, his own head twisting to look into the god's eyes, a curious peck at one horn. A hop down to 'Ciro's' back, just strode down his back, as if searching for a sign of his friend beneath the new hide, not quite daring to believe he was who he said he was.

"It is really him, Judeau, he came back. I cannot explain how, but he is here."

She could only suppose that someone must have thought he deserved another chance, that he had more life to live.

Ngaule gave Judeau the best reassuring smile she could. There was no doubt the god was the Ciro they had once known, even without his memories, she could still see the old Ciro in him. Judeau need only need truly look to see that himself.

"It really is you?"

The raven flew from Ciro's back, settling back on the top of his head, nestling into his mane as he had done so often in his past life. Hmm, it felt like....home, like something that had been missing had returned.

"You're still a fluff-head."

A smirk touched the raven's beak, the first since the day his friend had fallen. Feathers ruffled as he burrowed himself into the new Ciro's mane, reclaiming his favorite perch. Somehow the lion's mane was fluffier than he remembered.

"Watch it fuzzy, I can peck your ears from here."

And don't think he won't Ciro! He should peck you right now for getting yourself killed and leaving him alone! Huff! Ciro and Judeau, together again, and seemingly neither of them had missed a beat.

"Reborn, yes. He has changed, but he will always be Ciro."

The goddess chuckled to herself. It was good to see them together again. Perhaps with the friends reunited, Ciro would find more of his memories and the answers he sought.

A soft smile, Nguale brushed against the dark god, a flick of her tail. New memories, old, they would find and share them together.