---

After months of what felt like constant stagnancy, Oriana could confidently stride back to the small camp and feel like she could bring something of importance to the gathering. Although there was no discussed leadership, nor any real direction except finding Hircine, the ex-Queen couldn’t help but feel as though she still was wearing the shoes of leadership and was therefore responsible for her party. They did, after all, leave Saboro to come with her— and whether or not there was the argument of them not doing it to be with her, they were all still there.

In a stern pace, Oriana made her way back toward the gathering when she’d nearly bumped right into her litter sister, exactly whom she was looking for. Scindere, too, but she could speak to her later. “Naviti!” Oriana blurted out, perhaps a bit more aggressively than she expected. Or was it excitement? The golden woman was on a mission now and she intended to make sure it followed through. But for that, she needed to continue drawing her plan.

“Come, walk with me.” Forever holding that commanding tongue, even after months of no longer being Sabora. It wasn’t an option, clearly, and once she saw her windy sister following accordingly she began. “When you went off and you found Keanu…” Oriana paused, allowing Nativi to speak of the interaction if she wished; she never got any details, but that wasn’t why she was prying about that day.

“Did… she mention anything about a… Gemini? Or… ” She paused, feeling her throat tighten with anxiety and… something, she couldn’t pinpoint it. “Serrate?” Stopping in her tracks, green eyes swung to make contact with blue, searching for the same alarming, triggering reaction Naviti might’ve had at the name. Oriana was told of previous Saboras before, their mother giving her the history lesson. However, she wasn’t sure how much Naviti shared in that wealth of knowledge; so, she watched. And waited to see if this would work.

---

“Naviti!” Head popped up, glancing over her speckled shoulder to Oriana as the authoritative voice called her from her thoughts. A slight squint of her bright eyes, before a cheerful smile bloomed. "Come, walk with me." Ah, this was business? The hope that this would be a Sisterly bonding shrank, and so she huffed up to her toned legs and wandered after Oriana. "Hey Ori." She'd respond, trotting gently to catch up.

Course Ori had been told about her excursion to the grassy field, where Keanu was found. A lump formed in her throat at the memory, raw hurt and confusion being tugged back into her stomach and back of her mind. Was this about that trip? They'd never shared details, and the Sisters hadn't bonded over the turmoil it had put the oddly happy-go-lucky Naviti through.

“When you went off and you found Keanu… Did… she mention anything about a… Gemini? Or… Serrate?” Thoughtfully watching Oriana as she caught up to her left side, walking toe to toe with her. Head upward to glance at the treetops as they went, trying to recall anything that might have been mentioned. "Mmm, no. Never heard of a Gemini, that a place or person? I mean, there was a packland I could smell nearby, but I don't know which." The name Serrate was familiar, and her bright memory flew back in time to their childhood and the history lessons.

Naviti stopped walking, thoughtfully watching Oriana "Serrate... That was a name in our Childhood history stories, right? I could take you where I was?" Heart began to pound hard, would Keanu still be there? Would she care to see Naviti, after the confessed love and that she still hadn't come with her yet?

"I love you, please, please forgive me," Echoed in the voice of her favourite person, her heart felt shattered.

---

Having been too focused on her thoughts and purpose, she didn't notice Naviti's initial disappointment to the foreshadowing of what their little walk was about. Her mind was hard at work, trying to find the missing pieces to the puzzle that managed to land in her lap. Rolling her tongue over her nose in thought, she'd glance at her sister's face from the corner of her eye when she mentioned Keanu, not trying to inflict wounded memories to her.

"Mmm, no. Never heard of a Gemini, that a place or person? I mean, there was a packland I could smell nearby, but I don't know which."

"A home." She said quickly, ears flicked to attention when she'd mentioned that there was indeed a pack nearby. It would be all too coincidental if that was the one, but it was something. Oriana wouldn't risk her small group unnecessarily, although she did trust Naviti— Keanu on the other hand, she wanted to believe where ever she ran to was a good place, but there wasn't enough evidence. Assurance. Oriana would not make foolish mistakes again. "Interesting..." Her trail of thought continued, eyes seemed to express more of a distance as she seemed clearly distracted.

"Serrate... That was a name in our Childhood history stories, right? I could take you where I was?"

Eyes snapped back to Naviti when she repeated the name again. Oriana's heart also pounded, excitedly; anxiously. Clearly that name wasn't lost on her sister, and Oriana was glad for that. "Yes." She swallowed, trying to recall exactly what little Ori had told her. "I ran into a young boy, he was white and blue. He said his home was a place called Gemini, and his Queen was named Serrate." She decided to forego any unnecessary details. "He said she adopted him... and I made a deal with him to take me either if I helped him. I lost track of him, but I will find him again. He's young, too soft for this world, I'm sure it won't be long for me to track him down."

"Using him as a means to make sure we arrive safely is crucial. I'm sure this Serrate will be... forgiving that we brought her lost son back." Green eyes seemed to light up with potential. "We will give him a chance, hopefully, to lead us there. But I want you to keep an eye on the surroundings when we do go." A co-pilot to this new journey, one that she'd decided upon.

"The Serrate... that I know of, was Sabora before mother." That potential glowed with a twin of determination. "If this is the same one...." Do you remember the story?

History repeats itself.

---

"A home. Naviti had her striking eyes on the treetops still as her littermate answered, almost too slowly and too shortly for Navi to understand her in this moment. Chin tilted down in concern, swallowing her own pain to inch closer to the golden girl. Interesting...

Oriana's gaze snapped down to meet her own at their ancestor's name being repeated, her own heart beginning to race as she fed off the ex-Queen's clear excitement as the realization her sister too remembered the stories. "Yes. I ran into a young boy, he was white and blue. He said his home was a place called Gemini, and his Queen was named Serrate. He said she adopted him... and I made a deal with him to take me either if I helped him. I lost track of him, but I will find him again. He's young, too soft for this world, I'm sure it won't be long for me to track him down."

Squinting, she paused to roll this new information in her head. Uncertainty growing in her belly, making her feel antsy. Large eyes became wider and expressive. "Do you think finding another Ex-Sabora is a good idea? What if... they have the place tracked down." Could Crenate be one step ahead of them all?

"Using him as a means to make sure we arrive safely is crucial. I'm sure this Serrate will be... forgiving that we brought her lost son back. We will give him a chance, hopefully, to lead us there. But I want you to keep an eye on the surroundings when we do go."

Her mind was made up, and there would be not chance Naviti would allow Oriana to tread into some trap or pack without her. "I won't let you go without me, but I'm nervous about it. I want to be by your side the whole time. Where did you last see Ori, maybe we can track him." Navi said fairly firmly, ready to begin walking again in whichever direction Oriana motioned to.

"The Serrate... that I know of, was Sabora before mother. If this is the same one...."

What were they getting themselves into? The sun spotted woman grinned in support, remembering the story of the one who seemed to start it all. Who planted to seeds of possibility into the heads of unhappy Saboroans. "Let's find Serrate, and Gemini."

---

"Do you think finding another Ex-Sabora is a good idea? What if... they have the place tracked down."

Oriana snorted, but not at her sister’s words but more at the theory of it. “There is no way. I knew nothing of any of this when I was Sabora…. “ Which means neither did Crenate. Just as the thought rolled from her words she realized that things were kept from her, secrets and slander. Her ex-mate kept a child from her. Her ex-lover kept a child from her. If it weren’t for Crenate, she wouldn’t have known… He would have told her something like this, right? The golden rose grit her teeth. “Even if he does, there is no way he couldn't have done anything about it now.” Oriana spoke matter-of-factually, although it’s possible she was trying to convince herself more than Naviti.

“Besides….” Her voice felt distant, breaking the small pause in-between her lamenting. “If this is Saboro’s Serrate… then I think it may be a safe guess that her detaching from Saboro was for a reason that is in our better favour than Crenate’s.” They could speak from similar experience now— Leaving Saboro hadn’t been easy, but it had been better. Freer. Oriana felt more control over herself and her life in a way that she never got as Sabora. She intended to keep it that way.

A small breeze rustled through fur and Oriana found herself drifting toward Naviti, offering an affectionate nudge and a corner smirk— one of mischief and curiousness for a new adventure. “I do appreciate your concern, Naviti.” She didn’t want her dear sister to think she was debunking her fears, they were valid points, but one Oriana was determined to make sure there were no holes in her plan that could lead to problems. “We will take it one step at a time.”

"I won't let you go without me, but I'm nervous about it. I want to be by your side the whole time. Where did you last see Ori, maybe we can track him."

“Everyone has the option to come.” Pulling away, she hummed, tail swaying high and pridefully. “I won’t force anyone, but the least I can do is try to find somewhere better than shifting camps in the endless forests of nowhere.” Force is a strong word, but Oriana would do whatever she could to keep her loyal family and comrades close at her side. She always wanted to play perfect Queen and perfect Princess, only reminding those of her status when it was needed. Even now, she was a kingdomless Queen but dropping the title was no easy feat.

"Let's find Serrate, and Gemini."

“We can split up, but stay close. It’ll be faster to try and track him again that way. We can tell the others once he’s safe and in our care.” At this point, he was their sure-fire ticket to a safe arrival to Gemini.

Oriana would do anything to ensure his well being.

---

“There is no way. I knew nothing of any of this when I was Sabora….“ The silence stretched out, merely raising her eyebrows at the snort, hoping Oriana was processing or considering it all. Surely, it was reasonable to be skeptical. Saboro was twisted, even the ex-Saborako would not be surprised if the leaders kept secrets from one another...

That illegal child had been one afterall. “Even if he does, there is no way he couldn't have done anything about it now.” Finding herself nodding absentmindedly, seeing Crenate would be a wild card. Unlikely as it was, it was nerve wracking. “Besides…. If this is Saboro’s Serrate… then I think it may be a safe guess that her detaching from Saboro was for a reason that is in our better favour than Crenate’s.” That should be true, they knew no stories after Serrate disappeared, nothing was for certain.

"I hope you're right Oriana."

Naviti stood beside her, feeling the breeze tug her curly fur into her face as the Sisters lingered there, the nudge bringing a smile to her face. “I do appreciate your concern, Naviti. We will take it one step at a time.” Navi nudge back, forcing her nerves to felt away. "Least let me do what I'm good at. I was your Saborako," Firmly stated with an intense glance "I will see all while we are there..." I will always see all, remember all.

“Everyone has the option to come. I won’t force anyone, but the least I can do is try to find somewhere better than shifting camps in the endless forests of nowhere. Let's find Serrate, and Gemini. We can split up, but stay close. It’ll be faster to try and track him again that way. We can tell the others once he’s safe and in our care.”

A smirk, knowing she was quick as the wind, light on her feet, and a quiet mover. Feeling the sense of friendly competition between them, maybe it was just herself. Gleeful to have a task, eager to search and complete this next leg of their journey. "Call if you find Ori." Onward, we have some Family to find.

She'd bounce away, giggling as she did. There was the sunny self she'd been missing.