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Quietly, Eden padded up towards Leviathan, who was at his post guarding Raphael’s den as he rested. She didn’t know if Raph ever slept these days, to be honest, but Leviathan was often there to provide reassurance to Aryn’s Lord when he decided to rest.

“I’m going to speak to Lord Raphael,” she whispered to her grandson, who hesitated, and then dipped his head, brushing his nose against Eden’s shoulder affectionately. She distractedly rasped a tongue over his ear before walking towards Raphael’s sleeping form.

“Raphael?” Eden called softly. “It’s Eden. I was hoping to speak to you.”

She stopped at the entrance to the den, not wanting to encroach on his space without permission. She understood how threatened he felt, with the deaths of so many of his family members and Arynians. “May I come in?”

He didn’t respond right away. Eden’s ears twisted back against her head nervously. Maybe I shouldn’t have interrupted him at night. She hoped she hadn’t roused him. But his head was up, his posture stiff as a board, and she knew he’d been awake for a while.

“You can trust me,” Eden pleaded, her voice cracking. "Please." The blood roared in her ears with the fear that he would turn her away, that their friendship wasn’t strong enough for him to trust her. But the relief she felt when he dipped his head was unsurmountable.

“You can come over,” he mumbled, twisting his gaze away from her.

She wanted to rush forward, to press her muzzle against his fur like she would have when they were younger; when the community of Raphael, Storm, Lazarus, Seven, and Kane were there for her, as her friends, as her family when she lost hers - a time when Raghaalr was alive, and Athena and Alcatraz, and there was no war with Vektren, no pain and suffering like there was now.

Sure, that meant a time before she was a mother, before she and Kane were mates, but -

He flicked his ear, knowing she was still hovering, and she carefully padded forward, laying down close to Raphael, but their pelts not touching. “I just...wanted to speak to you, Raphael. I know things have weighed heavily on your heart.” She closed her eyes. “The losses we’ve faced are too great...the treachery has been even greater...but I want you to know that you can trust me.”

In her mind, she begged Raphael to look at her, to turn his so-serious gaze on her, with its depths of great intelligence and pain. He was a wolf who seemed to know everything. He was at once remarkable and terrifying, and she wanted nothing as much as to be close to him. The old him.

But the old him is gone. All she could do was try to find him again, no matter how deep and dark his mind and soul were.

She whispered, “I’m more than your Kashaf. I am your friend. And I want you to know that I could never, ever do anything to betray you. I am with you, always.”

Her impassioned plea could have fallen on deaf ears, for all the reaction Raphael gave her. But after several painful moments, he twisted his head so his muzzle touched her ear, tickling her fur as he breathed, “Thank you.”

Touched and stunned, she dipped her head and stood to take her leave. When she turned to look at him as she left, his gaze was turned on her, eyes glowing with gratitude and a million other unreadable emotions - belaying the turmoil in the Inquisitor's mind. She offered him a smile, and then padded out into the still night, feeling, perhaps, lighter than she had in a long time.
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Okayyyyy so first off, special thanks to WynBird who let me write this bit about her boy and Eden interacting! This would have taken place just after Storm's death and the Battle of Muckrun.

Raphael has always meant a lot to Eden. She practically idolized him in her youth, for his incredible wisdom and empathy, and as they aged, they were able to become friends. Now they're at a stage where they're both exhausted by the life they've been handed, and with all the losses they've faced, Eden needs Raph now more than ever.

What a shame he's driving them off a cliff, with all of Aryn in the backseat.

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+1 bone for Eden!
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Eden (c) LunarShadowCreations
Raphael (c) WynBird
Mentioned Characters (c) Respective Owners

Description
Quietly, Eden padded up towards Leviathan, who was at his post guarding Raphael’s den as he rested. She didn’t know if Raph ever slept these days, to be honest, but Leviathan was often there to provide reassurance to Aryn’s Lord when he decided to rest.

“I’m going to speak to Lord Raphael,” she whispered to her grandson, who hesitated, and then dipped his head, brushing his nose against Eden’s shoulder affectionately. She distractedly rasped a tongue over his ear before walking towards Raphael’s sleeping form.

“Raphael?” Eden called softly. “It’s Eden. I was hoping to speak to you.”

She stopped at the entrance to the den, not wanting to encroach on his space without permission. She understood how threatened he felt, with the deaths of so many of his family members and Arynians. “May I come in?”

He didn’t respond right away. Eden’s ears twisted back against her head nervously. Maybe I shouldn’t have interrupted him at night. She hoped she hadn’t roused him. But his head was up, his posture stiff as a board, and she knew he’d been awake for a while.

“You can trust me,” Eden pleaded, her voice cracking. "Please." The blood roared in her ears with the fear that he would turn her away, that their friendship wasn’t strong enough for him to trust her. But the relief she felt when he dipped his head was unsurmountable.

“You can come over,” he mumbled, twisting his gaze away from her.

She wanted to rush forward, to press her muzzle against his fur like she would have when they were younger; when the community of Raphael, Storm, Lazarus, Seven, and Kane were there for her, as her friends, as her family when she lost hers - a time when Raghaalr was alive, and Athena and Alcatraz, and there was no war with Vektren, no pain and suffering like there was now.

Sure, that meant a time before she was a mother, before she and Kane were mates, but -

He flicked his ear, knowing she was still hovering, and she carefully padded forward, laying down close to Raphael, but their pelts not touching. “I just...wanted to speak to you, Raphael. I know things have weighed heavily on your heart.” She closed her eyes. “The losses we’ve faced are too great...the treachery has been even greater...but I want you to know that you can trust me.”

In her mind, she begged Raphael to look at her, to turn his so-serious gaze on her, with its depths of great intelligence and pain. He was a wolf who seemed to know everything. He was at once remarkable and terrifying, and she wanted nothing as much as to be close to him. The old him.

But the old him is gone. All she could do was try to find him again, no matter how deep and dark his mind and soul were.

She whispered, “I’m more than your Kashaf. I am your friend. And I want you to know that I could never, ever do anything to betray you. I am with you, always.”

Her impassioned plea could have fallen on deaf ears, for all the reaction Raphael gave her. But after several painful moments, he twisted his head so his muzzle touched her ear, tickling her fur as he breathed, “Thank you.”

Touched and stunned, she dipped her head and stood to take her leave. When she turned to look at him as she left, his gaze was turned on her, eyes glowing with gratitude and a million other unreadable emotions - belaying the turmoil in the Inquisitor's mind. She offered him a smile, and then padded out into the still night, feeling, perhaps, lighter than she had in a long time.
____________________

Okayyyyy so first off, special thanks to WynBird who let me write this bit about her boy and Eden interacting! This would have taken place just after Storm's death and the Battle of Muckrun.

Raphael has always meant a lot to Eden. She practically idolized him in her youth, for his incredible wisdom and empathy, and as they aged, they were able to become friends. Now they're at a stage where they're both exhausted by the life they've been handed, and with all the losses they've faced, Eden needs Raph now more than ever.

What a shame he's driving them off a cliff, with all of Aryn in the backseat.

________________

+1 bone for Eden!
________________

Eden (c) LunarShadowCreations
Raphael (c) WynBird
Mentioned Characters (c) Respective Owners