Soon as the raven left she called for her own messenger, not a bird, but a lion. "Fetch my father." Her words were quick and no nonsense, fear had engorged her every being and her composure was suffering for it. When the messenger hesitated she narrowed her pink eyes at him and that was all it took.

The messenger was sent, the message wouldn't take long to deliver. Bjorn was home for the time being and his High Priestess wife was likely not far from him. The meeting wouldn't go unnoticed if they were sleeping and Bjorn was woken up to receive the request.

---

Bjorn was in the middle of an impressive dream when a paw shook at his shoulder. He blinked a few times, trying to remove the sleep from his eyes before he realized the lion that woke him wasn't Dione, or an adolescent returned home. No. The lion was familiar to him, but only because the lion was directly linked to his daughter - the Warlord.

"I'll be there soon."

The message had been delivered in hush whispers so that he wouldn't disturb Dione. If something was wrong the High Priestess would know about the situation soon enough and he was sure she would need her rest. Never had his daughter summoned him to her side and while the messenger turned to leave Bjorn decidedly sat down outside his den. He inhaled slowly and exhaled. Zjarri had just had a litter of cubs, his grand cubs, they were everything to the family and he suddenly couldn't breathe. Had something happened to them?

He found enough strength in his paws to lift himself and he began heading towards the den his daughter shared with those very cubs. The messenger hadn't told him anything, nor did he giveaway any emotional tip offs. Perhaps this was a social call - but the hour it was at was disconcerting.

---

No sooner had the messenger left that Zjarri found herself shaking slightly. The fear that she had worked so hard to control was taking over. Clenching her eyes usually did the trick when she panicked, but this time she couldn't rid herself of it even enough to sit in one spot for very long. Moving from place to place continued until she very nearly ran into her father.

"Dad."

She uttered the single word and without another thought thrust her nose, and face, into his mane. They hadn't been close, he had lost sight of his path and with the help of Dione - found his way back. Still the pair of them hadn't seen eye to eye for very long, Zjarri hadn't yet forgiven him, but she needed him. Sabia'deimos had been gone for so long, she had no other support. The twins were too young, and she had no way to contact Mkhai unless she screamed out into the world. The cubs were all she had to console herself with and they couldn't help, no, she had to do this on her own for the most part.

"The visions and rumors have come true."

Bjorn barely heard the words as he felt his daughter lean against him for support. His heart swelled, but the reality of her words tore the sudden joy down around him. "What rumors are those? Whose visions?" He pressed a paw against his daughters shoulder and encouraged her to take a step back so she could speak. "Talk to me Zjarri, I'm here."

Zjarri'fol stepped back easily and found herself numbly settling to her rump. Her eyes were everywhere, but on his face and her cheeks were damp. The strength that her title provided had drained from her completely and in that moment any on looker would wonder how she had gotten the title at all. "The visions lead to my demise." She was sure of this, so sure of it that the fear she felt now was only likely to triple. She hadn't taken a moment to consider her own strengths or to even ask if she could change fate. Timing was everything and it wasn't a friend of hers. Between the plague, her pregnancy and eventual birth as well as the monsoon that threatened the pridal lands.. she was weak, her home was weak.

"The twins told me in their own ways of what was to come." She wouldn't forget the retelling. Already the twins went through so much and to be tasked with telling her about her own future. Good or bad would be exhausting, bad just meant they were left with the same concerns she was. "Fate has me pegged for a short life." That was her take of what was foretold.

"But what does this mean?"

In all of her rambling she hadn't been able to make sense of it out loud for her father. Her father whose eyes appeared damp and alight with concern. Not once had his eyes left her and she briefly wondered if he had even blinked yet. "This means that I won't be around much longer." What that meant entirely was still up in the air. The summons had her shivering still, but not for the duel, that was a regular part of society.. but for what it meant in the long haul. "It means you may have to make a difficult decision. I need you to know that I will understand, no matter what choice you make." She turned away from him now and headed towards the cubs she was caring for - her own and the adopted group.

"We will be safe."

Mkhai would pull through for her. If fate was honest then she would have to put her faith in him. Bjorn was still standing there, dumb founded by what he was hearing, she was sure this would all seem entirely mental. A summons could mean any number of things, she was the Warlord, that meant handling ranks and situations as they arose. Her gut told her this wasn't an everyday event and the visions sold her on that feeling.

"Zjarri..."

"Leave my den, now." Having said all that she needed to say and with her fathers unhelpful silence filling the space she was growing unnerved. "We will be fine. You'll hear from me again." She couldn't give him a second glance, her hardened tone would falter and she'd break. "Leave!"

Bjorn simply stared for a moment and wondered how much of a fight he should put up if any at all. He hesitated to turn away from her, but she had made her request clear. There was no question. He gave her back a final glance before fully turning to leave.

"I love you."

He whispered quietly and that whisper was carried off into the winds. He hoped she knew how much he cared for her. All of his changes had been for her, whether or not Dione was the source of them. Bjorn closed his eyes to fight back tears he wanted to weep for even though his daughter said he would hear from her again.. he wasn't so sure.

WC: 1176