(Backlogged; 577 Words)
The circumstances of Mairead's litter had always been somewhat of a wonder; Na'ira had carried them unknowingly back with her across the veil, not knowing that it would be the last time it opened for hundreds of years. They were born and raised in their mother's lands with no first-hand knowledge of the magic starved wilderness that existed beyond the gate or the father that had given them their other-wordly features. All they had ever known were their parents and, though they had never lied about the true heritage, their world was that of Irithyll - magic, twilight and crystals.
The funny thing about curiosity, though, was the way one always sought out the things that weren't common to oneself. All the magic and mystery of Irithyll itself meant very little to Na'ira who had always been so interested in the duller, quiet world that she had been capable of visiting time and time again. How was she to know that when her pups were born they would need to wait one hundred years before they could ever set foot upon the soil of their father's lands? She had bided her time with stories, tales of all her adventures, and she and Dul had showered them in love and praise.
Perhaps, then, it was her fault that all of this had come to pass in the first place. Had she given her all-seeing daughter too much curiosity with her tales or had she simply imparted that to her through her genes? For the first time in her life, Na'ira saw her rampant curiosity through Dul's eyes; it held so much danger that she had not considered for herself. Now, as she blindly fought her way back to the stone circle, she realized his fear every time she did this. Only, this time, she had not dived through blindly out of her own need to explore - she had done so in Mairead's footsteps, desperate to get a hold on her daughter. She had not been quick enough, though.
For what felt like weeks, Na'ira followed her daughter's trail, bumping into soul after soul that said yes, they had seen a brilliant red she-wolf with a seer's eyes pass through but each time it had been a little longer since they remembered seeing her go. Each time the trail got a little colder until, at last, no one remembered seeing her at all. For weeks more she continued blindly, hoping, until she knew that she could not any longer. The circle would close. It always had.
With tears stinging her eyes, Na'ira now fought her way back frantically to the gate. If she got stuck on this side she would be separated from the rest of her family for who knew how long. She might find Mairead, yes, but she might not. The alternative was to go home and hope that the next time it opened she could find her - if it opened soon enough that her daughter had not perished of age. The thought struck her hard as her lithe feet trampled through dense, prickling undergrowth. Each step toward home was a step away from Mairead, away from the fact that she might never see her again or never know what had happened to her brilliant girl, but she had to have faith in her now more than ever.
When she reached the circle, she did not look back, knew that she could not. She had to let go.