Valkoinen stopped as Ynnarah grabbed his arm.  He shook his head.  “No, I should leave - your family is much more important for you than explaining things to me,” he said.  It seemed that his words were sincere, but there was a sadness to his voice that gave way to the fact that he truly did not want to go away from her.  He paused, seeing the anger in his eyes.  “Don’t be angry on my acc-” he began, but was cut off as Ynnarah turned to chastise her parents for their behavior.

He grew silent, listening to the things that she was saying.  He did not smile outwardly, as he feared that would give Ynnarah’s mother and father reason to be more upset, but internally he felt a bit of pride as her words painted him as her protector - something he enjoyed feeling, as he wanted to protect Ynnarah - but he was glad to hear that she seemed to think of him in the same light.  

While he was feeling great about the fact that she wanted him around, he also was a bit surprised at the tone that her voice had taken on.  She was outright yelling at her parents, which gave light to the fact that she truly was upset.  When she grabbed his arm once more and began to pull him back through the crowd, he stopped her after a few feet.  “Ynnarah… your parents were trying to speak as we stormed away,” he said, and gently took her by the arm, urging her to head back to her parents.

When they were back before Toya and Blaine, Valkoinen stood mostly silent, hoping that Ynnarah would not be upset with him for coming back.  He did not want to be rude to her family - he felt the need to make a good impression on them, though it seemed that they had already made their first judgements on him without even speaking to him.  When Toya thanked him for bringing her home, and Blaine said something that he assumed was an apology, he nodded.  “I’ve made it my task to see her home safely, and I have done so,” he said.

He glanced at Ynnarah.  “We can stay… if you want,” he said.  “But if you want to leave, I will accompany you to wherever it is you want to go.  You just say the word, and that is what we will do,” he said, looking at her, his eyes soft and warm.  He coupled his warm gaze with a smile, and waited for her to inform him as to what they would do, still feeling a bit weary of the hopefully empty threats that had been made to him by his companion’s parents.

Even when Valkoinen tried to stop her verbal tantrum, it was a bit too late.  And it was quite clear how much of a Rose and Wintercrest she truly was.  She quickly felt better once her parents backed down, and it was good to see them with each other.  Once her anger was spent, Ynnarah was quickly back to her usual cheerful self.  There was a flush on her face when Toya called her beautiful, it wasn't what she was expecting to hear.  But it was good just to be home.  There was something of a Queen on her mother's voice finally, and Ynnarah was glad for it.  Her face lit with a smile at the idea of a celebration, and seeing her twin again.  She chuckled, knowing which aunt her mother was referring to.  "I think Aunt Angela might enjoy a fight…  Just be careful," she finally said with a laugh.  Ynnarah knew that it was impossible to stop her mother from doing anything once she set her mind on it.

And her father calmed down quickly too, and she tackled him in a quick hug.  She took after him, after all, and she had missed him quite a bit.  "You're right about reasonable, Dad…  I guess I just didn't expect that the first time seeing you and Mom after awhile," she said, finding amusement in the situation.  And in the same way, she was still like her father, eschewing any sense of titles.  If the time and place was bad enough… then maybe.  But Ynnarah didn't really care about fancy words.  "Please stay, Valkoinen.  I think you'll like Arri.  I want to see more of the world of course… but not just now.  I want to see my family for a bit," she said, hoping her friend would feel here.  She did hope he would feel at least somewhat at home here.

A sly smile crossed her face, and she turned her attention to her mother again.  "Mother, I remember you telling me a story about the Rose Knights.  Would it be acceptable to make Valkoinen a Knight of the White Rose Court?  It would be a good reward for protecting me," she said, finally sounding somewhat like a princess.  But another thought entered her mind suddenly when she was thinking of seeing all her siblings again.  "Mom, Dad, where's Jayden?" she asked quickly, her face falling.  He was the only sibling they hadn't mentioned.

Toya crossed her arms and laughed. “I’m always up for a fair fight as long as the woman doesn’t use her god powers against me.” She smirked at Blaine. “But for now I will settle for being good since I’ve grayed your father’s hair enough for at least a decade.”

Watching the father daughter reunion made her happy and she found herself laughing. “Good for you two. I suppose that it was your father’s way of being protective.” She gave her male friend a smile before nodded. “Please stay, it would be an honor to have you in our house. We do get a bit playful and my husband is protective as always with our family. We’ve lost much and gained few.”

She tightened her arms to her chest as she stared at one of her twin daughters. “I remember, I use to tell you the stories of the Rose Knights when you would have nightmares. I would put you in bed with Keira and tell you both stories before Blaine made me leave you for the night. I swear I could tell those stories all night if he let me.” She chuckled a bit. “I can knight him. We can make it a proper ceremony but you must talk your sister into a dress.” 

Finally the tension rose. “We should go home before we talk about that one.” She nudged her mate and gave a frown. “Things like that are best left in privacy.” He was a prince after ll and she did not want the people of her court overly worried about him.

Walking the path was easy enough. The White Court Manor was towards the edge of Sularia, away from the others. It was where she liked it best. The white rock it was made out of sparkled in the sun and the white roses and lilies were in full bloom around the house. Once they got inside Toya found a seat in the entry.

“Jayden is missing. We’ve yet to find him. I suppose that’s why we were on edge when we seen you with Valkoinen. We’ll catch wind of him eventually as he is a strong and stubborn man like his mother.” There was tone of sadness to her voice. “We’ll find him and bring him home if I have to put all of Revaliir on fire to do it.” She realized that Valkoinen wasn’t use to her and she sighed a bit. “I’m joking, at least I think so. I would if I had to though. I’ve lost one son and I’m not going to let death have another. If I have to go beg Angela for help I will.”

Blaine hadn’t been in the best of moods as of late. He still had one child still missing and he had to bear the heavy truth that he’s never see one of his siblings again. Worst off, he still had to tell Krystopher about it as well at some point. So between Toya’s little habit of picking fights on the streets and the misunderstanding between Ynnarah and Valkoinen, he was off the edge. Perhaps he didn’t have anything to worry about after all, though his wolf was thinking otherwise. But he would put aside his suspicions and feelings for the time being, he was just glad to have all his girls corralled into one place. This world was far more dangerous than any of them thought it was. Patting Ynnarah’s head gently, Blaine sighed and became more relaxed.

As far as this White knight mumbo jumbo went, he didn’t offer a say in it. For one thing, that was  a Rosenite thing and two, he didn’t really know a hill of beans about it. All that he could recall was having to drag their mother out of their room whenever she got too involved with storytelling, otherwise they wouldn’t be able to go asleep until the crack of dawn. Valkoinen seemed a bit squeamish but he suppose that he must have the right qualities for the stuff if he had been risking his own life for his daughter’s. It was for that reason, as well as his daughter’s approval of him why he seemed okay with him around her.

The moment Jayden was mention though, his peace of mind was shattered and he held a long frown across his face. It was going to be painful to tell her but both he and Toya thought that she should know the truth. Fortunately his wife was a step ahead of him and they went home to discuss it. He was silent until they arrived inside and he poured himself another glass of rum. It was usual that he would have to be the one to calm Toya down whenever she exaggerated because she was upset, but this was about their child, their firstborn nonetheless. Heaven knew he would likely promise the same if it meant finding any of their children. “I can only hope that we do hear word”, he sighed before downing the alcohol. Turning to the couple, he leaned against the table and poured himself some more.

“I don’t know if you are of this world or the one we came from, Valkoinen, but I wish to tell you both to be careful.” Lowering his eyes, his fingers tapped lightly against the glass as he sought to find the words. It felt as though his throat was on fire as they were finally spat out. This would likely be news to Toya as well since he hadn’t even shared it with her yet. “Sweetheart, your Aunt Paige had came sometime ago and informed me that your Aunt Misty…well…she’s dead. She died after coming to this realm. ” 

As Ynnarah pleaded with him to stay, he could not help but give her a smile.  “If you wish for me to stay, I cannot rightly say no, an I?” he asked, chuckling softly.  “I do not want to leave Sularia just yet, as it is,” he said, looking around a bit.  “You’ve not given me the grand tour, after all, and what kind of host would deprive her guest of that?” he asked, cheerfully poking fun at her again.  It was clear that he understood she wanted to spend time with her family.  “If you need me to take leave while you visit with your family, please send me anywhere you like,” he added.  He would happily remain for all of it, but if Ynnarah wanted to see her family in private, he would not be offended.

Valkoinen stayed mostly silent while Ynnarah, Toya, and Blaine conversed about the various aspects of things that had occurred while Ynnarah had been absent from Sularia.  As the three spoke, he realized that his gaze continuously found its way back to Ynnarah, the girl who had been his companion for the past few weeks of travel.  He was realizing how much there was about her that he did not know, and how much of her personality still seemed to be hidden away - it was fascinating, and he found himself wondering what else he would learn about her in times to come.  

The mention of becoming a Rose Knight bounced around his head, as he wondered what such a title entailed.  He was a bit surprised that Ynnarah seemed to think he needed a reward for protecting her, as he felt he had not once expressed a need for repayment.  He opened his mouth to protest, but snapped it shut again as  the thought then dawned on him, a small slice of hope, that perhaps it was her way of making sure he would be able to keep protecting her, in a way.  

He gave Toya a nod, as she also asked him to stay.  “I’ve no plans of leaving as long as Ynnarah wants me here, and my presence is allowed,” he said, giving Ynnarah a sideways glance.  He fell silent again, falling into step behind the three as the headed towards the castle, deciding that he would stay quiet unless asked a question or spoken to - after all, they were speaking of family matters, and he did not want to intrude unless requested. 

When Blaine spoke to him, he answered him quietly.  “I am from the same world as you,” he said, glancing at Ynnarah.  “I do not remember it very well, but I have told your daughter what I do remember.”  He grew silent once more as Blaine offered some terrible news, and bowed his head in respect for the dead, even though he had never met this person.  It was clear that the transition into the different realm did not go well for some.  He looked to Ynnarah, prepared to offer her any sort of support should she need it.

There was a flush on her cheeks, but she was pleased that they would both be staying in Sularia for a time.  It was a safe place to stay for awhile too, and Ynnarah was a bit tired of being in unfamiliar places or on the road.  Ynnarah smiled, it was those stories that had carried her through some of her hardest times.  It was the thought that there were good people still in the world, and her friend was definitely one of those.  Since he was alone in the world, Ynnarah wanted to give him a sense of belonging.  "I think I can manage that, Mother.  Especially if I'm going to be wearing one too," she said with a slight grin.

The young woman could only guess at her brother's fate as they headed for the manor, and Ynnarah was mostly silent as they went.  She relied on Valkoinen's stolid presence to keep her calm, and it worked.  At least until her mother told her that her brother was indeed missing, and it sounded like no one had heard anything of him.  Then her father chimed in, and it was a double sided coin.  Her face fell and a few tears slipped past her cheeks.  There was something in her father's voice that told Ynnarah that something had happened to her aunt Paige as well, something that was the reason she wasn't here too.  "Wh-hat happened?" she asked, sounding forlorn for a few moments. 

Taking a few moments after her father explained, her hands dug into the bag she always carried.  Pulling out one of her sketchbooks, she flipped through the pages rapidly, clearing looking for something.  "Mother, I need your help with something.  You've always told me about the Himiria crystals, and what they can do.  I want to make an astrolabe with some of that.  I think it will help me find Jayden.  I'm going to bring him home, and I won't rest until I find him," she said.  Pointing to a diagram, she showed her mother a delicate construction of crystal and silver.  There were still tears on her cheeks, but a stubborn set in her eyes.  It was very clear that the stubborn streak was coming out here, and Ynnarah knew it.  But she couldn't stand to see her parents so sad, and she knew she could find her brother.  It was just a matter of having the right tools.

Toya was quick to make it to her husband. She put her hand on the bottle and gave him a somber look. “Only a little. After this sad moment lets try to put our minds at ease with what we do have.” It was different from the typical seek and destroy attitude that the Queen use to possess. The fire in her eyes was clearly lit but the therapy that Angela had given her appeared to work as well. “As for your sister, we shall see. She is stubborn like you are.”

The bad news was soon to come and Toya kept an eye on her husband. “When it comes to your Aunt Paige, I don’t know. What I do know is that Jayden got separated during the rifts. We all did, but the first one I hunted down was Aurora. Unlike the rest of you, she can’t protect herself very well. You are all my independent children but she has much to learn.” She moved to Ynnarah’s drawing and tilted her head.

Taking the book Toya flipped it several times before sighing. “I’m going to your damn aunt. I can’t make heads or tails on this. Angela would be best I fucking suppose.” She had a sour look on her face. “I’ll offer up part of my himiria stone, don’t say I don’t do anything for you.” There was a tease in her voice as she tried to lighten the mood.

Her sun-kissed digit came up and wiped the tears from her daughter’s face. “Now… now, no more tears. I know it is hard but we are strong. You have the blood of a wolf and dragon in you.” Toya wanted her to be strong. “Tears won’t find your brother and they won’t bring back your aunt. It’s tough I know, but we’ll get through this together.” She hugged her daughter and smiled before kissing the top of her head.

Keira rounded the corner. It was a mirror image except with shorter hair. There was a more wild, wisdom filled look in the girl’s eyes. Her body adorned with traveling clothes as if she never stayed put. “YNARRAH!” The halfling launched herself onto her sister knocking her to the floor. The mother moved out of the way with a smile.

“I was so damn worried about you! I knew you were alright, I could feel it.”

Blaine still wasn’t fully comfortable talking about his little sister’s demise. The whole facts still eluded him since Paige didn’t wish to get him the details, but the news alone was enough to stir in him. Even if he didn’t bear it all to the company at hand. He wasn’t surprised when his wife came over to him. She didn’t want him drinking himself into a stupor, although he had taken into that particular bottle of rum on nights where he couldn’t sleep because of that. The wolf could see in his daughter’s eyes the pain and suffering it brought onto her as well, no words were needed. Valkoinen offered his respect and Blaine nodded back; the rift had different effects on people, and none of them so far seemed to be good terms. He sipped at his drink and upon Toya’s request, settled it back onto the table. “I don’t know what happened. Paige wasn’t very clear on it but I can tell when someone’s hiding something and despite her changes, I know her well enough to know there’s something she’s not telling me.” If she knew whose fault it was, then she would have known that he would have likely hunted down the person of interest and at best would have tried to pry the truth from them.

And at worse, kill them, slow and cruelly.

Jayden was brought up again, and he could only agree to what Toya was saying. The boy had to be somewhere in this forsaken world, just not in the parts where he had searched tirelessly. He slumped against the table while Ynnarah took to one of her books. He wasn’t quite sure about what she was hoping to find until she brought up those crystals her mother would always talk about. Blaine himself never truly paid it any mind up until now, but it seemed as though their girl had a plan. And Toya did as well, one that actually made him chuckle a bit. He was sure that Angela would have a field day with her sister begging her, at least for a bit before she would let her understanding of the love between a parent and child come over her. He pushed the drink aside, knowing that his wife was right. There was no need to be drinking himself stupid if there was work to be done. “Fine. I’ll take your Uncle Krys with me and we’ll likely search up north. He needs to be let out of his house and actually do some work with his lazy self.” Even if he had to pry him away from Moliira, he would do so- if memory served him correctly, Krystopher was also looking for his daughter as well.

As Keira came out and greeted her twin, Blaine looked to the young man for a bit before making up his mind about this. It was obvious that he wasn’t going anywhere that didn’t have Ynarrah in the picture and as much as he didn’t want to admit it, he couldn’t protect her on his own. “I don’t know what to make of this White Rose Knights business, but I do know one thing. My children are very important to me. I doubt that my wife or me will be needing protecting. Toya, especially. But Ynarrah is still young and I should have some say in all this. So your first and foremost task among task will be to protect her and be by her side. Especially once she goes out in the wilds to search for Jayden, her brother. Think you can handle that?”

The smile that graced Ynnarah’s face transferred to Valkoinen’s, as he found himself feeling happy at the fact that she seemed happy.  When Toya mentioned Ynnarah having to wear a dress, a quick thought popped into his head, that he would like to see that.  He nearly said it aloud, before remembering that he was in the presence of not only her mother but her father as well - couple with the fact that he had not said anything remotely like that to Ynnarah, and found himself unsure of how she would react to such a comment.

His smile quickly faded at the moment which brought sadness to Ynnarah.  He could sense that she was upset, and moved forward to place a hand comfortingly on her shoulder.  It was not a gesture of anything more than letting her know that he was there for her should she need him.  

Valkoinen listened closely as Ynnarah conversed with her parents, speaking only when addressed.  He caught a brief glimpse of the document she showed her mother, but couldn’t make out more than a few parts of the diagram.  From what he could see he was impressed, but he found himself eager to see more of the blueprint at a later time.  

He watched the interactions between Ynnarah, Toya, and Blaine, and he felt a part of himself pining for his family.  He would never know what became of them, and it was something that saddened him - but also made him want to assist Ynnarah in finding her brother.  

When Keira rounded the corner, however, a momentary look of confusion crossed his face.  It was very clear that Keira was Ynnarah’s twin - the only thing that looked different between the two was the light in her eyes.  It seemed more world worn than those that Ynnarah had.  

He listened to the exchange between the family, coming to attention when Blaine spoke to him again.  “You have my word, sir,” he said, casting a glance towards Ynnarah.  “I would gladly give my life to allow her to keep hers,” he added, bringing his eyes back to Blaine.  “I’ve no intention of leaving her,” he added.  “I can most certainly handle it,” he finished, looking proud, but avoiding an air of arrogance.  He looked back to Ynnarah, the prospect of spending another extended period of time with her bringing a smile to his face again.  “White Rose Knight… I don’t know what it is either, and I’m apparently going to become one,” he said, chuckling slightly, and hoping that Ynnarah’s father wouldn’t be offended by his slight joke.

She was at least glad to know that her little sister was safe, that was something good at least.  When her mother offered part of the precious stone that would make her instrument, Ynnarah tackled her for a moment in a tight hug.  There were no words needed.  And she knew that even if her aunt Angela couldn't figure it out, she would know someone who could help.  It was a short cry, just enough to let off some of the emotional tension that had been building.  Both her parents were right though, and she had to smile about her father finding Uncle Krys.  That meant he was alive and well, too. 

And the tears vanished in the moment her sister came around the corner.  She tried to brace herself for the incoming tackle, but they ended up on the floor anyway.  "I knew.  I could feel it too, Keira.  But it's different actually seeing you!" she said, picking them both up from the floor.  "Keira, this is my friend Valkoinen.  He's from Daeluin too, he's been protecting me.  Valkoinen, this is my twin," she said, clearly brighter in mood now.  There was an amused grin on her face, and it was clear he was slightly confused.  She hadn't gotten around to tell him everything about her family, but that was alright.  There would be more time with their travels.

She managed to stay quiet while her father laid a charge on her friend, having the feeling it was better that way.  And even if she she didn't want to admit it, her father was right.  But her cheeks flushed a little when he said he could give up his life to protect her, that wasn't something that she expected to hear out of Valkoinen.  And she prayed it would never come to that.  The guilt would be unbearable.  "Mother, you said we should have a ceremony for Valkoinen and a party, right?  Keira, we're both going to have to wear dresses.  I will if you do," she said, issuing her sister a challenge.  That was one way she had learned of getting her twin to do something.