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The trip had always included a good, soul-soothing stop at Ichorwood, but Raisa never expected to find anything worth bringing back let alone her Mother! It'd been amazing, all around. Being able to show her mate how beautiful it was there in all its springtime glory, walking him through her old favorite places, it was more than she ever could've asked for. She was ready, now, to settle in at home. Home - Northfall. Where her kids would grow up, hopefully find a sense of belonging and purpose. She never wanted her babies to feel... as lost and untethered as she sometimes did.
She was ready to help Bo find his place, settle in. To ready their den, prepare for the pups!
To finally settle in, herself. To stop thinking about the past and look forward to the bright future ahead.

It'd been deep, deep in the night when they returned and she'd settled them into the ravine --which was even more beautiful thawed-- and marked the area in her scent. She didn't want any night-wanderers to think a bear had settled in by accident, and resigned herself to mostly keeping watch as opposed to sleeping. Come morning, once Shreya was up and about, she mentioned calling Wardruna for a proper meeting. It seemed only smart to do it as quickly as possible; Raisa would personally beat up the being who spoke to Shreya wrong, and she needed it known the bear was welcome here.
Not that she really worried about her Mother being rejected. She'd just been... twitchy, lately. Jumpy.

Now that she was back in the ravine, with her den to get settled, she didn't really want to leave it again. Nor did she want anyone outside her kin snooping around here, not while she was readying the next stage of her life. While she and Bo were worrying about themselves, their children.
Wardruna, at least, was okay. The thought of her coming here didn't make Raisa want to grind her teeth. She'd given the Rodion so much; if there was anyone in the pack she could already trust to be within her personal bubble, it was the Queen.

She awooed a soft melody for her friend. A new joiner, a new expansion to Raisa's family, new strength to the peaks of Northfall. She thought herself a pretty good hunter, bringing home food and other members alike!

Raisa tried to meet the sovereign at the top of the ravine, to predict where she might come from, but man... she was getting fat. She was tired ALL the time and she felt heavy; ankles swollen, legs stiff, back aching. Wardruna and Sreda, she thought, were lucky to have had a tree do this part for them.

Still, Wardruna wasn't stupid.

She was lighter on her paws than Raisa was, and the former monarch turned to greet the surprised Queen as she slowed on approach. Raisa offered a cheeky grin. Apologies, War, she hummed, tail wagging, holding back a laugh. 'I take it you know this bear?' The blue Rodion bobbed her head in ready agreement. Shreya is as good as a mother to me; the last living parent I have, finally awake now that winter has passed. She didn't want to admit she hadn't been sure she'd ever see Shreya again; her adoptive Mother, her nanny, her teacher, her advisor, her friend.
Raisa had never been so desperately glad to be proven wrong.

Got back too late last night for me to think calling was acceptable, she rumbled, motioning for the Northfall leader to come further down into the ravine to meet Shreya herself -- and drink from the cool mountain-water pools that gathered where the river ran its way down to the ocean. But she would join me here, make a home for herself as well.