The journey back seemed to be much shorter than before. It felt as if she was being carried by the wind, as she ventured through the frozen woodland. There was not a sign of the small feathered dragons. The only thing that betrayed their presence was their small clawed footprints in the snow. But there was no trace of them to be seen or heard. And it made her wonder whether they were part of a test as well.

And while climbing the steep rocky wall did prove to be a challenge, Frêllian found she had enough energy left to continue her climb down without a break. She could feel the energy from the stone soar through her body, giving her the strenght she needed to carry on. Strenght she hadn't possessed before, now allowed her to carry on to meet Canwrîf again. She could pick up his scent already as the foot of the mountain came closer and closer with each and every step.

Lüna had already risen from her slumber and stood high and proud in the night sky as Frêllian finally made it back at their makeshift camp.

Following her nose, Frêllian found the light brown fur of her beta as he lay underneath a hangover. The ferian had been asleep, but woke up the moment she got closer. His initial reaction was to growl at the intruder, but upon noticing who stood before him, Canwrîf immediately apologised.

'My lady, you have returned at last.'

As Frêllian stopped in front of him, she shifted back to her human form. Her brows knitted in a frown as she gazed upon the ferian.

'At last,' she wondered out loud. 'My dear friend, I have only been away for two days.'

But Canwrîf shook his head in reply, before shifting himself. His deep green eyes tired looking as he stated she had been away for two weeks.

'I had wanted to leave today, as promised.'

Surprised to have discovered she had been away for two weeks, Frêllian quickly figured time had passed differently on the other side of the mountain. She had witnessed the magic that resided with the ancient wolves firsthand, but not once did she wonder whether or not there was more magic protecting the ever white landscapes. Not once did she even wonder why the ancient wolves had still been alive after millennia. She had been so sure that the direwolves she would encounter would be descendants of the proud pack that once roamed Middle Earth.

While she had been shocked when they identified themselves as the wolves of her ancestor's pack, she hadn't wondered how that could have been true. She just believed them. And why would she not? They were so sincere and wise, just as she had imagined them to be. Albeit much older. Yet direwolves did not grow as old as ferien did. They lacked the immortal soul of Selèna and only possessed a mortal one instead. It was that union between a mortal direwolves and an immortal moonspirit that gave ferien their long lifespan. So, had she then perhaps made it all up? Had the cold caused her to hallucinate? That couldn't be right, could it?

'I don't mean to pry, but I have noticed a different scent on you.' His voice snapped Frêllian out of her thoughts. 'It was the reason I had thought you to be a threat at first.'

That's right, she had the stone! The wolf who had brought it to her had a different scent on him as well while carrying it. Of course she would do so too. It was now that she was once again reminded by the small piece of rock she held in her left hand. The cocoon from whence Selèna had come.

'I have spoken to our ancestors,' she told her beta while holding out her hand. 'The pack of Dêrus.'

'That's impossible! They had died ages ago. You could not have possibly seen them!'

'And yet I did. Do not ask me how it was possible, but I have spoken to them and they granted me their blessing.' His jaw tightened upon hearing this, but he remained silent. 'And a gift as proof.'

And with that, Frêllian held out her hand, showing the ferian the piece of Selèna's cocoon. She watched as his eyes grew wide and his expression changed from tense to pure shock.

'It cannot be,' he whispered in disbelief. 'But how can it not be, when the scent is so strong? It smells like us, like home. Is it truly what I think it is?'

'It is all that Selèna has left us. Now come, my friend. We must return to Imladris, for there are things to discuss.'

And with that, Frêllian shifted with Canwrîf following suit. There would indeed be things to discuss and she wanted to do so as soon as possible. First she would inform her alpha pack. Then she would send out messages to the other packs. And of course she needed to send out a raven to her father.

She was coming home!

Loud murmuring was heard in the courtyard as ferien of different packs sat united with the alpha pack. Exciting voices, angered voices all mixed together as they all watched their queen.

It had been two months since Frêllian's return and now that all the packs had been united, she could finally share the news she had only shared with her beta and his mother. Canwrîf had immediately wanted to send out a raven to all the ferien packs, but apparently Gírla had done so the moment the pair had left. So by the time they had returned, some alphas had already arrived. The wait had been mostly because the pack from Ered Nimrais had initially refused to heed the call. But at long last they had come. The alpha and his beta had arrived yesterday morning and now the meeting could finally start.

As Frêllian watched each and every ferian as they sat down or talked with one another. It still felt strange being around ferien who were not traitors. Even after five years it felt unreal. Yet here she was, listening to a casual conversation between one of the alpha of a nearby pack and his beta, while she waited for everyone to find a seat.

'I will not waste time with pleasantries,' Frêllian began the meeting. Her voice loud and filled with authority, as she successfully hid the fear she felt within. A fear of being unable to properly speak to her people and what they might say or do with the news she needed to share. 'Some of you I have seen a handful of times, others I have never met before. And some of you wish I had stayed hidden from our people. The queen you never wished for.'

There was some whispering and as she looked around, Frêllian even found a guilty look or two.

'I know some whished for my mother to return, even after such a long absence. To reclaim the title she had denied before. But the truth is that I have returned instead. My mother passed away years ago, when I was just a pup. I was never brought up with the knowing of becoming the queen. Yet here I stand before you. As for those who wished otherwise, you'll have to make do.'

She drew in a deep breath, thinking of the right words to say. Words she was never taught. Lüna, how she wished her mother had taught her more about politics. How she wished her mother hadn't died when Frêllian was so young. There was still so much to learn, even after so many lessons spent with Gírla.

'And as I stand here now, as your leader, your queen, your alpha supreme, I have an announcement to make. As well as an proposition. I have sought out and found the wolves of the north. The ancient direwolves, for I needed their guidance.'

'Impossible,' a ferian, Mürloch, stated in disbelief. 'No one has succeeded in finding them, though many have tried.'

'And yet here I say that I have indeed met them.'

'My father once told me they were violent,' another chimed in. 'Their howls were often heard by our pack and they sang a song of war and anger.'

'No, they were of grievance, according to my grandmother. And she hails from your pack, Ulnár.' Then the elderly ferian looked over to Frêllian, her kind grey eyes filled with hope. 'If you have truly met them, your grace, then please do inform us of your findings.'

Frêllian nodded at the ferian in acknowledgement. She was indeed planning on telling her people everything and so she did. From the small feathered dragons, to the wolves of old, their ancestors. And finally she told them about the only artifact left of Selèna, the lunar stone which once had acted as a cocoon to the deity. Though she did not yet show the said item to them. There was one thing she needed to tell them first. Especially since there were a few that did not believe everything Frêllian had said.

'I know it might have been foolish for me to have gone on such a reckless mission,' she continued as she glanced over at Gírla. 'Yet I had to. I know you are all aware of my dwarven heritage and it was because of that that I needed guidance.'

She swallowed thickly. It was now or never. She needed to tell them why she searched for the direwolves in the first place. That she was hoping to find a way to both, be the queen her people needed and to be with the one she loved.

'Why would you needed guidance from a race that has deliberately choose to live in exile? What could they possibly know, no other creature alive could know?'

'Rules, Mürloch,' she countered with a snarl. Her blue eyes flashing gold at the brunette as she glared at him. She did not like his tone, nor the way he had been presenting himself from the moment they met. 'Rules, it seems, you are unfamiliar with, for you dare disrespect our ancestors. These direwolves had been here before any of us was born, they were here before Selèna even set foot on the world. And you dare question their knowledge?'

There was some muttering and nodding heads. While the ferian next to Mürloch shook her head in disappointed.

'These ancient wolves had knowledge of ancient rules, rules the world has long forgotten, but still stand strong when the situation calls for it. Which, in my case, it does.' She stopped, wanting to be sure she had everyone's attention once again, before she continued. 'For someone has captured my heart, who wasn't supposed to hold it.'

She was prepared for an angry outburst, but not for what she received. While there was indeed an outburst, it was not an angry one. Instead she found herself looking at cheering ferien. Excited ferien congratulated her, while others already spoke of heirs to continue the firstborn bloodline. Even the less trusting ferien seemed slightly relieved upon hearing this news. Though she knew that would soon change. But she could no longer delay any longer. She was getting more and more nervous with each passing moment and wished to be anywhere else but here. Wishing for her beta to be able to take her place and deal with negotiations and promises. Gírla had taught him well to one day take her place, if Frêllian had never returned. And for that she was most grateful, for he had proven to be the best beta she could ever ask for.

But alas, today he could not speak for her. This, she needed to do herself. Not only because only she had spoken to the direwolves, nor because it was her future that depended on it. No, she also needed to do this herself, to prove her worth as a leader. That she was more than what some of them thought she was. That she was strong and fit to be the leader of a fierce folk. And she knew a certain pack would be particularly difficult to convince. But as long as the others would comply, then she hoped they would follow suit.

'And who would that be?'

As expected, it was a ferian from the Ered Nimrais pack, the beta of Mürloch, to have spoken. While older than his alpha, his eyes were much softer. Though she could tell he was cautious.

'Who has captured the heart of our alpha supreme, that she felt the need to endanger herself for guidance? Could it be someone other than a ferian, that hobbit I have heard about perhaps?'

'That is a fair question, Bíorn,' Frêllian acknowledged with a nod at the silver-haired ferian. 'And to answer your question; no it is not the hobbit. While Bilbo Baggings is very dear to me, I harbour only feelings of deep friendship for him.'

A small smile graced her lips as her thoughts wandered to the hobbit for a fleeting moment. The memory of her last visit still fresh in her memory. Then she told them the name they wanted to hear.

'It is the king under the mountain, king Fíli.'

'A dwarf? By the mercy of Selèna, she fell in love with a dwarf?'

'Like mother, like daughter it seems. Did Cànna not leave us to pursue her drêgasen husband?'

'Will she do the same? Abandon us, because of her own desires?'

'No she will not!'

At the sudden outburst of their queen, all muttering ceased to stop. All eyes now once again on Frêllian as she clenched her fists. While this wasn't exactly as she had expected, she had expected them to be not fully agree to such a union.

'Then what will you do, your grace? He is a king, he won't be able to abandon his kingdom.'

'Nor will I leave my people,' she reassured them, though she felt like it was of no use. These ferien had been without a queen for decades and their trust in Frêllian fragile. 'Which is why I ventured so far to seek the direwolves. To see if they held the answer and they did.'

Frêllian paused, wanting to make sure each and every ferian present had their full attention at her. And then she continued.

'They gave me their blessing, as did Selèna.' She let out a warning bark when she was interrupted. 'Though it did come with a promise, my firstborn child.'

She then continued to explain what the wolves had told her. How she could be with Fíli, if her firstborn was promised to become the next leader. No matter if it was a boy or a girl. Then she showed them the lunar stone as proof. Allowing them to move in closer and to sniff the item.

'I'm still not convinced though,' said Mürloch as he crossed his arms. 'Lüna knows how long or even if you are able to give us this promised child. For all we know it could take years. And even of it didn't, it would still be old enough to lead us.'

'Which is why I will remain at my position,' she was quick to reply. 'Though not from Imladris. I have spoken to the alpha pack and we have agreed to find our own place.'

'We have overstayed our welcome for far to long.' Finally Canwrîf spoke up as he stepped forth. 'Lord Elrond has been kind to us and a wonderful host. But with Frêllian now returned, we need to find a place of our own. Connect with one another again. And what better place, than near the kingdom of Erebor.'

'It is indeed a wise place to settle,' Bíorn agreed, albeit a bit hesitant. 'It used to be the center of trade.'

'And because of its position, communication between packs and the alpha pack would be much swifter. And was it not where we used to reside before that firedrake came along?'

There was murmuring amongst the ferien, as they took this all in. And Frêllian could hear the doubt in their voices. Yet she did not miss the excitement some held either. It was common knowledge that the alpha pack used to live near Erebor. Enjoying the wealthy flow from the dwarves, but also keeping close contact with the different packs of ferien.

'Just yo make things clear, our queen will depart soon to gind her king. Whether you agree to it or not.' Canwrîf glared at Mürloch as he said this. 'And we will follow. I have faith in our alpha supreme, have you?'

And suddenly the ferien erupted in a loud cheer. Cheering for their queen, but also for the ferian who was so much more a leader than she was and Frêllian once again found herself saying a silent prayer of gratitude towards the sky. She has said it before and she'll say it again; she had an amazing beta.