Katyusha slowly roused herself from another night of uneasy slumber as the first tendrils of dawn began to peak into her den. With a loud huff the fae would stand, giving the small fae curled up next to her a soft kick in the ribs before pulling herself from the intricately crafted cavern she now called home. Without a word she stepped out into the light, a twinge of pain reaching her heart as she laid her eyes on that pile of stone that served as a crypt to her mate, the love of her life, just as it did every morning.

Without a word to the one who followed her, or even a glance in her direction, Katyusha moved forward. For the past several days the pair had been making the trek to the far reaches of the pack land for training. It was a place called Dragon's Breath, a desolate mountain side lake with a large isle in the middle. The place was generally useless to the fae, but the calmer water's made it a good place to train her young companion.

The whole journey Katyusha kept quiet, having nothing to say to the young one behind her, in fact, to any observer it would almost seem the Elite was annoyed by her daughter's presence, that it was a burden she was quite insistent on carrying with her.

When the two finally reached their destination Katyusha would turn to address her young companion "Same thing as yesterday, and the day before...and maybe if you put some effort into it today we won't be back tomorrow." With that she would gesture to the sand covered in paw prints from the day before, off to the side was a fairly large pile of rocks, freshly unearthed from the lake's floor.

With her instruction done for the moment Katyusha would move to take her spot on a large rock overlooking the beach. Taking a seat she would watch her daughter's training closely, cold eyes showing no pride or reward for the work, only disdain and boredom.

A sudden jolt to her ribs was all the pup would feel, jerking her from a rather pleasant dream. By the time the fae opened her eyes all she would catch was her mother's tail dipping out of the exit to the den. Reluctantly Aleu would stand, huffing loudly her displeasure to her mother as she reluctantly left the warm soft comfort of the den. It hadn't been long that the pair had inhabited this humble hole in the earth, before that they had simply stayed at the caretaker's den, and then as things started to warm up outside. Every time Aleu had asked Katyusha why they didn't have a den she received the same boring vague answer "I used to." and nothing else.

There were a lot of things her mother refused to tell her. Where her father was, why she didn't get to meet him, especially if he was such a great wolf like her mother said he was. She also never explained why she wasn't allowed to go anywhere, or do anything without Katyusha's constant supervision. In fact she wasn't even allowed to go play with the other pups in the pack. Every day was just a kick in the ribs, and a new back breaking job to do. When her mother had actually decided to build them a den, she had simply watched and told Aleu where to dig, what to stack, and what rocks to push back to the clearing. Although the pup did have to admit she fell asleep before they were even half way done, and when she awoke the next morning they were in the warm comfort of their new den.

In their usual silence Aleu would step into the dim light of the morning, her heart sinking at that cold damp air, and light chirping that told her this wasn't just a bad dream. In silence she would watch her mother pause and look at the odd pile of rocks across from their den, wondering again why it was so important, and why her mother wouldn't tell her about it, always giving her the same stern growl and "Stay away from it.".

Sighing loudly again the pup would walk along behind the Elite, head low as she tried to show her mother just how upset she was having to crawl out of bed every morning before sunrise, but just as every other complaint she made, the older fae simply didn't seem to notice. Aleu began to wonder if her mother even had feelings. She never saw her talk to other wolves besides one male she trained as well. She never saw her smile, or even seem happy. And the longer this went on, the more the pup started to believe Katyusha was some demon sent to punish her for something she would do as an adult.

In the painful silence they so often inhabited Aleu moved along behind her mother, letting her mind wonder to all sorts of things. Long ago she had given up on trying to talk to Katyusha. Anything she asked would simply get a one line answer, and any conversation Katyusha started would be to ask if Aleu were hungry, or what her new form of torture in the name of training would be.

Before long the pair would arrive back at that familiar beach, with the familiar horrible water, the familiar horrible sinky sand, and the horrible pile of rocks. With the Elite's cold words the pup would sigh loudly, pinning her ears back and nodding "Yes Katyusha...." she muttered, dipping her head and walking towards the water.

With a deep breath she would jump into the frigid lake, making her way into the deeper water and diving under to find a decent sized rock. The coast of the lake was almost entirely sand, so the pup would have move out to the deeper water's to get an acceptable rock. When she finally found one, the little thing would spend an hour or more diving down to push it a few feet before she had to come up for air, working back and forth to where she could touch the bottom to catch her breath. And the most painful part of it all, was knowing no matter how many rocks she brought in, or how hard she tried, they would be here all day, and tomorrow would just be another new horrible form of training.

From the time the sun had risen to the time the sun fell, Samael hated his life. He hated the wolves he lived with. He hated the way they loved their new Alpha. A few wolves had gotten his attention. The first was Tundra. She was a gorgeous white wolf, and was very kind to him. She had allowed him to vent, to get the words he needed to say off his chest. It seemed she did not judge him. But how was he so sure to know. The other wolf he had met, a male named Pain, was a strange one. He did not seem to listen to Samael's words even the slightest, but that was his decision. The young brute had his mind set on so much more than just getting the know the pack. In the coming years, he would begin his elaborate scheme to get what he wanted. The next wolf he had met was Fel. She was the new beta, after the fall of Nyx. That was one of the worst things to happen to Erenyx, losing such a gorgeous gal. But there was nothing Samael could do to fix it. It was just better to move on and let it pass. With the thoughts of the Beta female, Samael was not sure what to think of her. He could not tell if she was being rude to him, or merely being factual. Whatever it was, Samael did not completely agree with it. He was going to do what he needed to get done. Nobody would stop him. But it would never hurt to get some allies along the way.

Wandering from the pack clearing, Samael found himself in Dragon's Breath. His bi-colored eyes stared to the scenery around him. Immediately the memories of the bear were rushing in his mind. The males had all worked hard to bring the huge creature down. Eventually they killed it, in the water, drenched with blood and chilled waters. He had been proud of the pack, though some were foolish in their efforts. What he had done for most of the timae, was watching the others. What was his pack capable of? Who was the best fighter? Who had the greatest speed? These were crucial questions, and ones he would need to know for his ultimate plan. As he walked towards the water, he saw two forms. One was a russet colored fae, while the other was a wolf he had only seen a pawful of times. She was close to a grey color, with splashes of white around it. He listened as the young fae called the other by her name. That was strange on many levels. From the scents of both females, he knew they were related, one a direct bloodline to his own. Why on earth would a pup call their mother by their name? Samael had always been taught to show the utmost respect to his mother and father. Approaching from downwind of Katyusha, he walked and stood beside her, watching the younger fae collecting rocks or something pointless like that. "Should a pup really call their own mother by their name?"

The multicolored fae gave a loud bark down to the pup, starting to seem a little annoyed at the pup's attempt to gather the rocks "If you don't wish to be back tomorrow again you will work a little harder!" she called out to her, rolling her eyes at the pup with a soft growl of annoyance. Settling back into her seat the Elite began to let her mind wander a bit. Today was going to be another long day for her, not only did she have to train Aleu, once done she had to do her own training up in the mountains in the dark. It had been quite some time since she had done night time training, and she felt with Teren's reach watching her every move it was smarter to train when spies would be severely limited.

Katyusha had been torn for quite some time about her state in the pack. She obviously disliked Teren for the brutal murder of her mate, and the threats against her pup. She could understand his torment of her, they hated each other, but it put her in a bad spot with the pack. She had since become a loner, carrying out her duties in the pack alone, always having to watch her back for fear of who may be after her. Because of this, the fae had begun to make subtle attempts to re-enter pack life, the first of which was, albeit roughly, submitting to their alpha for the first time.

Katyusha would be ripped from her thoughts as a voice spoke behind her, reeling quickly with fangs bared she would pause, smiling slightly at the sight "Hello Samael, do you really think it wise to tell a mother how to raise her pups?" she asked in an obviously playful tone, honestly happy to see the one wolf in this pack she trusted fully. "Besides, it teaches her to respect me as her trainer, and not feel so close as her mother." she said with a firm nod, turning back "Aleu! You may stop now." she said before turning back to Sam "How have you been? It's been quite some time since we've spoken." she said honestly.

Pounding at the water around her Aleu would throw herself above the surface, gasping out loudly and panting as she struggled to stay up, having gotten the rock below to the point she could almost touch the ground. Gasping she would prepare to go back down to complete her task she would be stopped by her mother's voice, the pup looking up at the hill her tormentor sat on, half expecting to see some new horrible task waiting for her. But much to her surprise a familiar looking wolf would be standing with her mentor.

Panting the pup would pull herself up to the shore, gasping for air as water dripped from her thick pelt. Shaking herself off quickly the pup would drag herself up the hill to the pair, clearly exhausted. As she reached the pair she would only dip her head to the wolf whom she had only seen around the pack before now, and never talking to her mother. With a nervous look between the two the pup would take her spot just behind her mother, looking up at the large black brute, untrusting eyes settling upon the other as she allowed the adults to speak, fearing Katyusha would punish her for any interruptions.

As she sat she would closely examine the brute, something about him seemed familiar. She couldn't tell exactly what it was, as they had never really spoken before since her mother didn't allow her much time for such things. The small fae would continue to let her mind wander over such things, as the adults talked.

[sorry it's not great, still working on a style for Aleu]

"It may not seem to be my place Katyusha, but she is my father's daughter and I know how he treated his young. We were taught to respect our mother and father, no matter what happened or who they were in the pack. Allowing her to speak to you in such a manner, to me, shows that she does not respect you." He looked to Katyusha, listening to her call Aleu over to them. "But it is your place to train her, I shall only watch from the sidelines. Have you even told her who her father was?" Samael looked to the Elite, then to the young wolf as she approached. He noted in his mind that she looked nothing like him or his father. She looked so much like Katyusha, but her eyes were bizarre, very bright and interesting. "Greetings Aleu, my name is Samael, a Warrior of Erenyx. I do not bring you or your mother harm, instead I am what you could say as 'family'. How is your training going?" There was not much he could say to her, unaware if she had known the truth or not. He believed that Katyusha would never conceal the truth from her only daughter, but then again she might have. If so, how would Samael be able to connect with a fae who did not trust him. The way he had grown seemed rather sinister looking. He was gaining weight by the week and growing into his paws. He would almost be considered his father's replica, only one eye was not like the other. It was the one green eye, which showed his relation to Esmeralda.

The Elite's usual stern outward appearance seemed to melt at the mention of Sam's father, the Elite nodding softly "In my pack it was the opposite. To call a wolf by their name was a sign of respect and admiration. To call one by the title of mother or father was over familiar...a term not for the one training you, but I shall reconsider my choice." she said honestly, looking up at him again, which was actually a little startling for her since when they had met he was still a pup. "No, I have been waiting to tell her. I fear all of the good things about her father I would tell her would be over taken and erased by the hatred the pack still holds, and I don't want her to think her father was some horrible wolf." she admitted, the Elite's soft tone as she spoke making it clear this was a painful topic for her.

Katyusha wanted more than anything to tell Aleu how wonderful her father was. How he was a great Alpha, powerful and regal. How he ruled over the pack like the king he rightfully was, but to Katyusha he had a sweet spot. The elite had been allowed to see a side of him most would never know, and she doubted even Samael knew the side of his father she had gotten to know. With a quick shake of her head the fae would push away such memories as that familiar pain in her chest began to rise. By now Aleu had joined them, and Katyusha would turn to the pup and smile, not sure she had ever done that for the pup before "Aleu, this is Samael...he's your half brother." she said, giving the pup a nod to allow her to speak.

Slowly the small pup made her way up to join the pair, apparently catching them at the end of a conversation as her mother was silent for some time afterwords. As the large brute began to speak to the pup the little fae would turn to him, then back to her mother as she spoke, her words causing the apprentice's jaw to drop "M-my brother?" she asked, looking up at the large black brute "Are you really my brother?" she asked, almost skeptically.

With her shock slowly passing the pup would smile wide, fidgeting slightly to control her excitement as she began to speak again, clearly giddy with the excitement of it "Hello Samael, warrior of Erenyx! I'm Aleu..Apprentice of Erenyx?" she asked rather uncertainly, trying to act noble and official for her big brother. Without really giving him a moment to respond the pup would continue "My training is uhm..." she'd pause to look up at her mother, then back at Sam "Good?..." she said, looking at her mother again. Without waiting for her to say anything the pup would begin her line of inquisition.

"So are you Katyusha's son? You don't look like her. And you look like really old. Not like, really really old, but like Katyusha old. And why haven't I seen you around much? Are you training too?" she asked quickly before finally coming to a stop, her eyes beaming excitedly at the large male as she awaited answers to the slew of questions she unleashed on him, although these were just the beginning. There was so much her mother refused to tell her, and the pup was hoping Samael could answer some of these questions, and if nothing else be her friend.

"Yes, I really am your brother." He could not help but to keep a slight smile upon his lips. She was overly excited to think a wolf, any wolf, was related to her other than her mother. He did not blame her. Part of growing up was being with siblings and often times, he missed his own. But this pup was very different from the siblings within his litter. They did not act in such ways. The were serious most of the time, even growing up. Ammolite wished to rule the pack, even though they all knew Samael would be taking their father's place once he could rule no more. Aleu had so many questions and he would answer them all. If anyone was to pass on his father's legacy, it would be Samael and his sister. As it was now, she was not acting like the offspring of an Alpha. And Samael understood Katyusha's reasoning for not telling her the truth, but before long she was going to find out. The other wolves in the pack all knew, it was only a matter of time before some bratty pup decided to rub such a thing in her face. Samael wanted his father to be thought of in as much good light as possible. "Aleu, your mother is not my mother. My mother was named Esmeralda, but she is long passed gone." Samael could feel the hurt of the subject filling him once more. His tone was gentle and soft, serene almost. "We are related through our father. I think you are old enough now to know the truth. Your mother did not tell you to protect you. And if anyone is going to tell you, it should be me." He rested his haunches to the ground, as he knew this was going to be a long story.

"Aleu, our father was a great wolf. He had a rough life growing up. His own father was betrayed by a member of their pack and killed, only because he wished to rule. Our father barely got away with his life, but he found a life in lands not far from here. It is now called 'Helidos'. There he was the Beta and he had quite the responsibilities. He fulfilled his duties above and beyond, but he was never recognized for them. Then he met my mother. Esmeralda was a beautiful ashen colored fae. Most of her coat was black, but had blended white fur everywhere. She was the most beautiful wolf I had ever seen. It's no wonder my father fell in love with her, and when he was fed up with living under a foolish butterfly king, he left to make his own pack, his own way. Our father became the Alpha of Erenyx, because he made it himself. His name was Alpha Steele. He gathered all kinds of wolves from all over the land, wishing to be better than Helidos, and actually be a real pack. Our father ruled with aggression and force. Wolves in the pack were scared of him. Even your own mother." Samael took a moment to look at both females, then to Katyusha more closely. He didn't know how much she wanted Aleu to know, but he was going to say all he knew. "Your mother was a wolf of Helidos. She was brought to our lands after a battle with Elite Tye, at the time, they were both just Warriors. And as she needed healing, our father heard of the wolf being brought into the pack. For his acts of treason, our father made Tye and Omega as a disgrace to Erenyx and he became the trainer for your mother. She was weak and needed to be strong. I don't know how your training is going, but I would make an accurate guess by saying it was much like her own training with our father. The most shocking thing to see, was how he acted when he was no longer around Katyusha." He moved his bicolored eyes to stare into her light brown hues. "Our father loved your mother, unexpectedly. And he wanted you to be born. The day he found out your mother was pregnant, he rejoiced in your honor, though only I was to see this behavior. Father was a wolf of dignity and pride, he rarely let himself loose. And this is where things get complicated..." He looked to Aleu, trying to smile, but it was no longer there. The darkness of his mind had swept over his features and would not allow the wolf to show any joy. "On one morning, father was doing the normal border patrol as always. When he met a large foe, there was a fight. This passerby had experience and skill far superior to our father's and because of this, he was overthrown as king. The beast brought father to the pack center, and killed him before the whole pack, taking his place as Alpha. The monster's name is Teren. As you grow old, and other wolves become aware of your presence, some may treat you ill or even cruel. It is because they did not like our father towards the end. He made some bad decisions which flipped everything upside down. No matter what they say to you or tell you, I want you to know that Alpha Steele was a great wolf, a loving father, and one who was devoted to his pack. If he could see you now, he would be so proud of all you have done. I know I am. I'm sorry you had to learn the truth this way, but I would rather you hear it from someone who loves you, instead of someone who would wish to hurt you." He looked to both of them, curious to see how they would react to such words. Would Katyusha be angry with Samael? Or would she be understanding? What kinds of questions would come from the young pup's mouth? Samael could only wait and wonder.

The Elite would allow the two to talk undisturbed, until Samael began to talk to her about her father. The young mother's form would shift as she listened closely, but surprisingly didn't interrupt him as he told her mate's story. Katyusha had heard it all before, but for some reason this time made it hurt. Katyusha had been so busy raising Aleu all on her own, she hadn't had much time to stop and think about how far she had come, and how long Steele had been gone. As Samael spoke Katyusha would listen to him carefully, ready to interject at any moment should she need, but he was doing a fantastic job. As he spoke about her relationship with Steele she could feel her cheeks start to burn, her heart racing slightly as the memories rushed back to her. Every night she missed him, longed for him, but very rarely did she have the time to stop and remember all of this.

As the warrior continued even Katyusha would learn some things she had never gotten the chance to know about him. With a soft sigh, she would nod as he finished his story, taking a soft gulp and giving a moment of silence to let it all sink in, before turning to face Aleu "I know that is a lot to handle Aleu...and you must have a lot of questions..." she said, pausing for a moment to look up at Samael "But for a moment I would like to talk to Samael in private. So use this time to think of what you would like to ask, and I'm sure we can answer it." she said softly, looking up to the warrior for only a moment before turning and walking down the hill towards the bank of the lake, not stopping until she was just a few short feet shy of the water.

Without looking back she would take a seat, looking out at the island in silence, waiting for the warrior to join her. It was clear his words had dug up emotions she had long ago buried deep, trying to hide them. But how had she taken all of this? Would she be angered by his intrusion into her methods, upset he hadn't asked her first, or perhaps something else all together.

Trying to sit totally still for him the little pup would fidget excitedly as he answered her first question. With a happy smile her tail would swish behind her happily, ears perked at Samael happily "Do I have anymore brothers or sisters?" she asked, her tail still whipping around behind her excitedly as she talked to her only other known family member, other than her mother who was just mean to her. As her big brother spoke again the pup would perk her ears, eyes widening as she turned to her mother quickly, expecting her to cut him off and silence him, but her mentor stood silent, and the story began.

Listening carefully the pup's grin would slowly grow as she heard the story of her father, a strong and brave wolf who formed their pack from the wilds. The daughter of an alpha, the little pup would beam with pride, tail swaying rapidly behind her as thought of finally meeting her father rushed through her head, imagining how happy he would be to finally meet her, and how they would play and have all the fun her mother never allowed her to have. But as he continued a thought started to creep into her mind. Why had her mother never let Aleu meet her father before? If they did truly love each other why did they never speak? Had he gone on some mission to help the pack in a far off land, or did they simply get mad at each other? Or maybe Aleu wasn't good enough for her father, maybe that is why Katyusha was so mean to her, because she had driven their love apart.

But soon the little pup would receive her answer. As her brother spoke the little wolfs ears would pin back, wagging tail slowing to a stop as she looked up to her mother quickly, almost unable to believe her father was dead. How could such a great and powerful wolf die in battle? As he finished his story the pup would look down at her paws, feeling her heart sink as the idea of ever meeting her father disappeared. Was that why Katyusha was so strict with her? Because she knew how the wolves would treat her and wanted her to be ready? Then a thought would hit her. What of her mother? To watch the one she loved be murdered, knowing she was carrying his pup, her, and would be utterly alone. So many things started to fall into place about her training and her mother, she would finally start to understand the Elite's isolation and cold attitude.

With a soft sigh the pup would nod as the two adults left to talk, a slew of questions swimming in her head as she tried to understand all that she had just been told. It was so much to understand, and it was so hard to accept, but she knew it was the truth. She could see the pain in her mother's eyes, and it was very clear Samael was telling the truth, at least to her.

He watched as both females reacted to his words. Both seemed to go through the same patterns of change in their features. Samael looked to them both, one not longer than the other. When Aleu asked about his siblings, he knew he should tell her the truth. "Sadly, all of my siblings are gone. Some followed my mother when she left us, but one did pass away. I am sorry there are no others to be with you, especially with the news that you know now." The young male looked to her, trying to smile. It was a rough subject to speak of, but it needed to be known. As she was sent away, Samael turned his eyes to look to Katyusha. Her expression and emotions were covered by a blank stare towards him. What was she thinking in that mind of hers? What was Aleu thinking at this time? But before she could begin, Samael stood up. He moved to be just an inch from her muzzle with his own, and he spoke quietly. "Katyusha, I know I might have said some things I should not have, or perhaps not in this manner... But it needed to be said. You can say what you want, but I'm glad she knows now and more than ever, I am going to be a part of Aleu's life. I will not allow any harm to come to her. Consider me a shadow, watching and waiting to protect her in her most desperate times of need." Samael was proud of himself. Had he done wrong? Possibly. But he was ready for whatever would come to him from his father's last love.

Once the pair had separated from Aleu, the Elite would let her mask fall, clearly showing her pain and exhaustion. It would be easy to see the last 7 months had been very hard on her, the loss of her mate, giving birth and raising Aleu alone, and having to live every day watching her back to ensure her or her pup wouldn't be killed. The Elite was exhausted, and with all of these memories brought back to the surface she could wear her mask no longer.

Taking a long moment to stare out at the lake she would take a deep breath, opening her mouth to speak in a soft tone, her usual cold bored voice now replaced with a soft shaky one, as if she had to force the words out. With all she had been through, and all that had happened it was easy to forget just how young the Elite truly was "I am not mad at you Samael...I appreciate you telling her that...she had to know, and I don't know if I would have had the strength to do it..so thank you." she began "But I must ask you this...and I want you to answer me truthfully, even if the answer is not what I want to hear, I need to know the truth." she said sternly, turning from the lake to look at the brute who sat so close to her "I hate myself for even questioning it...but after hearing everyone say it for so long I must know..." she said, fairly certain he would know the question to follow "Did your father really love me? I know it's a stupid thing to ask...but I must know the truth." she admitted, dipping her head almost ashamed of what she had asked.

(Go ahead and skip Aleu until the adults are done talking)

When she returned to him with words and an expression which showed it all to him, he stared. It was all coming to play, right before his eyes. She was not mad, she was not furious, she didn't even seem to be angered slightly. What he did see was hurt. Katyusha was hurt by his words. He never lied about anything, spoke the direct truth from what he knew and tried to keep all the facts straight. He looked to her, trying to listen to exactly what she wanted or needed. Samael listened to her pleas and he knew what he had to do. Being so close to her, he could keep his voice low and tell her what she needed to hear. "Katyusha, my father was not a wolf of feelings or anything like that. It wasn't that he told me he loved you, it was how he looked when he spoke about you. His eyes, which normally looked lifeless, were filled with a different light to them when he spoke about you. And I never asked him the words, if it was true. But the way he looked at you was the exact same way he looked at my mother. And I know he loved her. He was a different wolf before all that bad stuff happened. But I have a very good sense that my father did love you. And if he were alive today, he would love Aleu just as much. He would love her as much as I love her. If he were here, he would want the both of you to be happy, especially Aleu. See, he never really got to spend a lot of time with Ammolite. she was all about mother and never wanted anything to do with father, except for his rank. I can tell Aleu is not like that. In the short time she has been alive, I can tell she is humble." Samael smiled to her and watched as she took everything in.

The Elite would turn back to look out at the water closely, wrapping her tail around her paws as she listened to him speak once again. The fae wasn't hurt by his words, he had done nothing but tell her the truth about what had happened. It was the memories that had hurt her. In all of the business she had been through she didn't have much time to mourn, and heal. She had simply been forced to push her emotions deep down and carry on with life, any sign of her pain being quickly exposed and ripped wide open by the others in her pack. So she learned to hide it all, to shield herself in a shell of cold icy emotionless hatred for all that lived.

But with Samael she knew she was safe, she didn't need to hide it and with what he had just said she was grateful of that because she wasn't sure she could any longer. As the younger warrior spoke a soft pained smile would come to her lips, nodding softly "Thank you Samael...I needed to hear that." she said, looking up as the sun drifted across the sky "I appreciate any help I can get Samael...I know it isn't your responsibility to care for my pup or me, but the help is greatly appreciated." she said, pausing for a moment as she thought about her next words "These past months have been hard...And I just hope I can raise Aleu in a way that would make him proud..." she said and nodded "And I'm sure Aleu would be eager to spend time with anyone but me, with the way the pack treats us I don't think the other pups would accept her very well." she said honestly, clearly feeling pretty bad for the pup, since it was her fault.

"It is no problem at all, and I apologize for not being around more. I've had a lot of thoughts on my mind, and trying to work everything out. I will be around more, I promise. If you need my help, just ask me." He smiled to her and then looked to Aleu. "Well what all kind of training have you been doing with my baby sister? She is blood, so I will be around a whole lot more than before. In case you forgot.." Samael looked to her and then to Aleu. "I think it is safe to say that she can come back now. There's not anything else that we need to discuss without her around." He smiled to her and tried to look into her eyes. "Keep your head up Katyusha. Things could surely change for the better. You never really know what life will throw at you."

The young Elite couldn't help but smile softly at him, looking up into his eyes as he spoke "I do appreciate that Samael..but you have no reason to be sorry. My problems are not your responsibility, but I do appreciate your concern." she admitted, leaning forward to rest her neck against his gently in a soft form of a hug. After just a moment she would sit back up, smiling a little at the change of subject "So far we have just started her fighting training, but it is hard without a partner her size. Otherwise I have been building her endurance and stamina through exercises like the ones today. I'm doing a lot of the things Steele did to make me stronger. It's hard work for her, and I'm sure she resents me for it, but she will understand once she's older." she admitted, nodding as he reminded her the pup was still waiting.

Turning back to the little one she would call over "You may join us Aleu!" she called back to her, watching as the pup ran over to join them "So do you have any questions Aleu?" she asked, her voice much kinder than she thought the pup had ever heard before. It was a lot to take in and she didn't need to be cruel to her after that.

A lot of things would go through the pups mind, wanting to know all about her father, her siblings, even her mother. Katyusha never spoke of any of this so there were a lot of things she still wanted to know. When her mother finally called her over the apprentice would happily jump to her feet, running over to them so quickly she would almost fall on the slippery rocks. Scurrying up to the adult pair the apprentice would happily take a seat next to them, a long list of questions ready for the adults about her father and siblings. But for now she waited, tail lashing eagerly behind her until her mother asked her if she had any questions.

Quickly the pup would nod, taking a deep breath and start to speak so quickly the words would nearly run together, obviously more than a little excited to finally get the answers she had so long been asking for about her mother and father, and her newly discovered siblings "What-did-Steele-look-like?-Was-he-nice?-Why-isn't-Katyusha-Alphess-if-Steele-was-alpha?-Where-they-cute-together?-Was-Katyusha-always-this-mean-or-did-this-happen-after-Steele?" she paused for only a moment to take a deep breath before continuing "Are we going to be friends now?" she asked, looking up at Samael as she expected him to answer all of her questions, wanting to know everything about her mother and father and their time together, as well as her big brother.