FFUUU-

Why was he- No. Dumb question. Of course he'd be the first one to greet her. It was like there was some alarm in his brain that triggered whenever someone new - or, well, old - entered the deserts. I guess I shouldn't be surprised by him being the first to spot me. From as far back as I could remember, he was constantly patrolling the borders. Protecting the family.

Protecting our family. The one I had abandoned. Through it all, from thick to thin, he was there. Always selfless, always seeking to protect the herd. Not just because the WildFire was the crowned Sultan of these lands.. but because he was a caring father. He always showed it in his own ways and-

All the resentment faded away. For a moment the layers peeled away and I felt so exposed. His rough voiced was soothing and warm just as I had remembered it. He hadn't forgotten me. At that moment I looked nothing more than a petite porcelain doll that threatened to crack under the weight of all these emotions at any moment.

I forced myself to stand tall and strong though my body was weary from the journey back to the land where I had taken my first breath. "Sultan.." Formality rung in my voice but I - I couldn't do it. So much for showing just how much I had grown. At the end of the day I was still his little girl.

"Daddy!" My sprained foot completely forgotten, I could feel the wind fluffing out my feathers as I ran to his side. My daddy's side. My gaze flickered to Mara and Vorsa and the warm sense of familiarity melted the cold I had fear would not leave my chest. "Mara! Korsa! I've missed you both so much!" Goodness Korsa had grown so much. It was yet another reminder of how long I had been gone. "Have you all been well? Where's Ma? And my siblings?" Rapid fire questions probably weren't going to help this already emotional situation but I couldn't keep them in anymore. Did I have a right to ask such questions after being gone for so long? Guess I'd see.

At last I dared to meet the warrior's stormy blue eyes. "I-I am sorry I disappeared again. I'm sorry I left my family behind.. I abandoned you all. I.." My words got caught in the lump in my throat. For a moment all I could do was rapidly blink my eyes and force my self to swallow. No. I wouldn't cry. I was a warrioress. I was Gaucho's first born. I shouldn't.. I shouldn't..

Soon enough my cheeks became damp and my vision blurred. So much for not crying. Dear Sun Lord when had I reverted back to my foal years?

I didn't speak until I knew my voice wouldn't crack. This time when I looked up at him my eyes would show him not tears but burning flames: he would see my passion, my resolve. "Let me prove myself as a warrior of the Dragon's Throat. Let me prove myself as a true family member. One who won't run away anymore." I wanted - no, needed - to do this. "Send me against one of your finest warriors. Through that you will see my new found conviction." And hopefully, when the spar was over, I would be able to give him a reason to be proud of me.


@Gaucho