Looking over to Aipaloovik, the elder chuckled before nudging him over to Goldenscale. "Go on, better to ask questions and be refused an answer than to forever wonder," he said before laying his head down.

"Um... how do i ask this?  Uh, Is that really the Ahnah that was banished so long ago," Aipaloovik asked, scratching the back of his head.

Goldenscale laughed.  "Yes, she is.  I do not understand why anyone could banish such a trustworthy, loyal, and caring dragon though." she said with a sigh.

"She gave up her duties as a shaman. She's also not right in the head. Not so much in a psyco way, but she doesn't set a good example for younger generations," he said, taking a step back.

"There is nothing wrong with me. All i ever wanted was t be happy. So long as I stayed the shaman, i would never get that chance. I do nothing to change the way anyone is. I don't try to force my way of thinking onto anyone," Ahnah growled, turning around, ice forming around her eyes and neck in sharp shards, "You and father could never understand the pain I went through."

Goldenscale sighed.  "It is true.  If you think anyone is right in the head at all times, then you are sadly mistaken.  Everyone deserves to live with the most happiness they could, and you and your leader are blind for not realizing it.  There is nothing wrong with Ahnah, not even in the slightest bit.  She is a strong magic user, she is one of the most trustworthy people I know, cares for everyone's well being, especially mine because she was sworn to protect me, and I would gladly die to protect her because she is one of the best beings I have met in my life.  Your minds cannot comprehend how much she has gone through to make sure that she was happy in life." she said with a frown.  "I am a young dragon, and yet to prove you wrong, she sets a wonderful example for me."

"You can't be telling me she's natural. There's no way her kind is normal," Aipaloovik said before the elder struck him with his tail, knocking him to the floor.

"What's wrong with the way she finds love? Son, I know I taught you better than this. I expected you to be more mature than this," the elder said, lifting Aipaloovik up to his feet, "She's your cousine. I expected you to be more supportive where her father gave none."

Watching the elder, Ahnah stepped back and collapsed to her knees as she silently began to cry.

Goldenscale got up and slammed her hands into the ground, snorting angrily.  "I thought you to be a gentleman earlier, but now I see that you have the mentality of a child.  I am one, yet I seem to understand more.  I am merely 14 years of age, yet I seem to know more of life's lessons.  I may be a nature spirit, but I didn't know I was until a week ago.  In all my years of being abandoned over and over again, I seem to appreciate much more.  Meeting Ahnah is one of the best things that has happened to me, and if you think otherwise, go ahead and say I'm not natural.  Call me every name you want, but I will not tolerate you treating Ahnah as such.  She deserves to be respected and have support for all she has done.  You probably wouldn't even be able to cope with what Ahnah had to deal with all these years." she growled.  "If I remember correctly, you even said you never met her before she left, so how in the workd do you know her.  Learn to develope your own opinions, because you are taking someone's opinion and calling it your own because you are afraid of the truth."  With an angry snirt, Goldenscale walked over and Ahnah and curled around her, nuzzling her cheek.  "I'm sorry, Ahnah..." she said quietly.

"Son, you do not want to be the kind of person Alignak is. You do not want to be the kind of person who only cares about maintaining appearance," the elder said, striking Aipaloovik when he tried to pull away, "This young spirit is right. Before you knew who she was, you were fine with who she appeared to be. Given her current state, I would even go so far as to say you might have seen her worth as a mate. You must form your own opinions. If you only take on the opinions of others, you make yourself less of a person and more of a pawn. If you can't do that, I can not grand you your final right to adulthood. until you learn to think for yourself, I must withdraw my recomendation to give you your final right. Now, you are to go to the back sleeping chamber and stay there till further notice." Setting Aipaloovik down, the elder gave him a stiff shove  towards the door at the back of the room before walking over to Ahnah and Goldenscale and puling the blanket he had placed over Ahnah earlier over her again. "Rest easily my poor niece."  Stepping away from the two, the elder moved over in front of the front door and sat, blocking the door.

Goldenscale put her wing over Ahnah and whimpered softly, not knowing what she should do to help.  She gave her one last nuzzle before she rest her head on her paws.  She felt sorry for Ahnah, learning now that even her cousin didn't stand with her.  At least the elder did, and Aipaloovik was punished for his treachery.  She then closed her eyes and put one ear up in case she needed to wake up quickly.

As the storm raged on outside, the clouds and snow slowly blocked out the sky, leaving the firepit the only source of light for the house. When he was sure the snow had fully blocked the door, the elder moved over to the fire to add fuel before heading through the door Aipaloovik had.

"Why is it that people hate me so much? All I ever did was try to be happy. Is that it? Am I supposed to suffer for quitting? Is this Icewarden's punishment for not fallowing what was supposed to be my destiny," Ahnah ask quietly, staring blankly into the fire, "All I do is try to protect and help. How much more suffering must I endure before I am forgiven?"

Goldenscale looked up at her, her ears back in sorrow.  "I would say that is because they do not know what it is like to stray from the path, and they are afraid of punishment." she said quietly.  She then winced a bit when she asked how much more suffering.  "I didn't know you were suffering..." she said quietly, though even more so now.  Since she had become Ahnah's mate, she had thought she had made her happy, but now it seems that all she had done was in vain.  "I tried to help..."  She herself was lost now, and a bit hurt.  She rested her head back on her paws, her ears now down instead of back.

"You were the best thing to ever happen to me. I thought my suffering had ended when you had chosen me as an enforcer. I thought I had finally atoned for quitting the path of the shaman," Ahnah said, leaning into Goldenscale, "I thought I might have a chance to come back home. Now I know I will never be welcome here again. Not so long as Alignak lives. My only hope for happiness is to stay away from this place. All I want now is to give my mother one last goodbye. After we get the rune, I want nothing more to do with this place. Al it carries is pain."

Goldenscale sighed, but cuddled closer to Ahnah.  "Well, if its the last thing I do here,I will make him see how wonderful you are and how much he is missing by banishing you.  You are wonderful and you deserve to be able to come back." she said with a nod.

"Don't bother, he isn't worth the trouble. When the stom passes and the snow clears, just get him to break the barrier.While he's doing that, I will speak with my mother. Afterwards, I will meet back up with you," Ahnah said, her fur drawing close to her, making her look small and frail, "Once we have the rune, we should just leave. I don't want to let this place harm me any more than it has. The onl family I had here that cares will die soon anyways." Laying her head down, she closed her eyes, tears still flowing.

Goldenscale sighed and frowned.  This reminded her so much of when she first met Mayumi.  She acted like this, and even after experiencing that, she still had no idea how to help.  "I could try and heal her if she's dying of an illness..." she offered.  She couldn't just sit here and do nothing while Ahnah suffered.

"Age is an uncurable illness. We will allssubmit to it eventually. This journey is to extend the life of those you care about so that they can live as long as you will. At her current age, such a boon would be a curse and only cause her more suffering," she sighed, "If you want to try and convince my father to lift the banishment from me, go ahead and do so. I've lost faith in him ever changing. Should you try, I will wait outside the front gate."