The itch wasn't getting better but it wasn't getting worse either, it was just a constant in the back of her mind. Staying for too long in one area, alone, was a bad idea, she knew that and yet...It seemed as though she was attracted to water these days. There was something pure about it, how it could wash anything away, given time. Lenae liked the tarn well enough, Piety had chosen well, but it's size was a little intimidating. Why did everything have to be so vast? The little pools she had stumbled upon were just the right size. They were still mostly frozen over, but the constant flow of water ensured that there was at least a trickle of fresh water to quench her thirst.

In all honesty, she felt guilty for leaving once more. She had promised Cyril she would stay, that she wouldn't run off again but here she was, alone out in the snow once more. It wouldn't be forever, she would return once the hormones in her body were stated, it was simply a matter of waiting it out. Lenae-despite her fears- was still a social being, solitude didn't suit her well and after a week of being alone she was starting to feel a whole new sort of ache.

She was lonely.

A soft sigh passed from her lips as she pawed at the ice, poking away till she felt it crack beneath her paw. It had never been this hard back home- but then it had been far far worse after everything had happened. She stiffened at the thought as bile rose up her throat. Of all the terrors that lurked in the back of her mind, that was the worst. Forbidden and ugly, never meant to see the light of day. She tilted her head high and stared up at the sky, her eyes as bright and warm as the sun-  or at least they used to be.

The more Lenae sought out solitude, the more determined the world seemed to be to give her company. She dragged her gaze from the sky as she side eyed the dark figure in the corner of her vision. She wasn't anywhere close to her prime but Lenae was somewhat certain she'd be able to shake him off. That if she weaved and darted between the trees he'd stand no chance of catching up. But there was something familiar about his voice and the words that reached her ears made it all the more obvious they knew one another.

Part of her-the scared, fearful majority of her mind- didn't want to turn around, to confirm her suspicions. He'd been there on that day, hadn't he? Lenae couldn't really remember, it was all a blur of black, red and white. She didn't know him all that well but...he wasn't bad nor was she scared of him. Rather, she was scared of what he might say, what he might think of her. Would he resent her, call her a coward, a mooch? Would he press his teeth against her muzzle and try to shake some sense into her? Remind her of how much of a waste of space she was?

She deserved all that and more, and yet she hoped he would not for that was far more than her heart could take.

Lenae turned slowly, hesitantly, with her tail still between her legs and there he was,Odin Archer. He hadn't changed at all, or at least not outwardly. He was as tall as ever, large and broad, but his eyes weren't quite as bright as they had been before, nor did they shine with mischief. He looked rather...tired.Or maybe Lenae was just ditching her emotions on other's again, it wouldn't be the first time she'd done that.

"Oh." She said, as if she'd just noticed his presence. What was she supposed to say? Only one word came to mind. "Sorry."

For everything. For running away, for ruining his day, for smelling like she did...

Lenae swallowed thickly. That might be true but her guilt remained as strong as ever. It had been an awful day for everyone involved,no one escaped unscathed and yet, as always Lenae found a way to be the victim. Sometimes, she couldn't help but wonder if she actually liked it. After all, why else would she inadvertently seek out suffering the way she did? A whine tried to force it's way through her closed lips but she bit down on it, hard.

No matter what anyone said, she knew the awful feelings would still remain. That she would loathe herself, mind and body, but at least she had people in her life who were willing to try, who wanted her to get better and grow as a person. That was more than she could ask for, more than she deserved by a long shot.

The fact that Odin was-obviously- taking care not to spook her was appreciated. More than she could say really. Strangers usually picked up on her skittishness and tried to work around it, but having someone who knew her, flaws and all, and still didn't mind spending time with her...Well, she would be a liar if she said it didn't help. For so long she had been convinced that solitude was all that was left for her but the wolves of the Monadnock had proved her wrong, not just once but twice. Even now they hadn't given up on her, even Odin wanted to try, to help.

At his question she shook her head.

"No but...I'm not very hungry."It seemed as though she was getting good at this, telling little white lies. "It can wait. I'm just... it's nice to see a familiar face. I forgot how tall you were." She admitted, the side of her lips ticking up into a shy smile. She then stepped a little closer, slow and still hesitant, and looked up at his face, at the hole where his eye should be.

"Does it hurt?"She found herself asking, only to regret it once the words were out in the open."I mean-I...I'm sorry, that was rude." She dipped her head down as a grimace tugged at her lips.

When they'd first met, Lenae had simply assumed that Odin was a bully, big and brash and nothing more than that. Even if she hadn't known him before, gotten to know him as a fellow packmate, she would have soon realised that she had made an error in judgement. That she'd jumped to the wrong conclusion before even giving him a chance. Like Wraith- oh how she missed him- Odin was a bit of a gentle giant.

Her tail swished slowly behind her as he dipped his head. He didn't need to do that, it wasn't his fault he was tall and Lenae had never been one for demanding-or even asking for- submission, but his efforts were appreciated nonetheless. Not only that, but his smile was infectious, like that cough Lenae and her siblings had caught when they were no bigger than foxes. It wasn't attractive per se, maybe a little too slanted for that, but it had it's own charms. Like an old joke that was still funny even after being told for the twentieth time. She tried not to smile, pressed her lips tight, only to wonder why she was doing that. Lenae loved to smile, long ago her cheeks used to ache by the end of each and every day. But now? It was rare, marvel, like finding a four leaf clover.

And so Lenae smiled. Soft and shy at first, but then it grew across her cheeks till her eyes crinkled at the corners. It seemed as though a bit of encouragement from a friendly face was all she needed. She'd been healing under the care of Piety and Cheedo for sometime...maybe this was the little nudge she was needed. Not that it would wash all of her sorrow and fears away but... a moment of calm was always better than nothing. So she grabbed onto it as tight as she could.

"I'm glad." She said, tilting her head up as her tail began to wag with a bit more vigour.

Admittedly, she'd never really thought of him as such, but even at her lowest she wasn't the sort to turn down an offer of friendship.

"I...I think so. I mean...I'd like to be your friend, get to know you better. I'm so-"She clicked her mouth shut. He'd told her not to do that. "I suppose I never really got around to it before. My name is Lenae now...not that it wasn't before but... I lied. Wanted to be someone else."

Despite his reassurance she still felt as though she had committed a crime against the others, but more importantly her sister. Everly had never been the angry type- not like Askan was- but identify theft wouldn't be something she would have approved of, surely. Still, the prospect of starting anew was tempting, it was one of the many reasons she stayed by the Tarn with the others. It was nothing like the Lowlands or the mountains, it represented a new chapter in their lives. Hopefully one that would end well.

As if they were strangers Odin reintroduced himself, only to quickly move the conversation in a direction. Her bright yellow gaze lingered on the little pool with it's small, rocky slopes, before she looked back at her companion. She supposed his line of thought made sense, how was he supposed to know she was with the others before? The smell that now clung to her coat, her everything, no doubt masked it. She felt bad really, it wasn't as if she wanted to smell like this. She would have wished it away if she could. Thinking of it wasn't the wisest things to do. It was distracting, yes, but it wasn't world ending. The less she thought about it the easier it was to cope, focusing on it gave it power, made it hard to ignore. Foolish really, she was old enough to know better and yet it never got easier. Not even a little.

"I've been staying with them, I just wandered off, I suppose."She shrugged. There was more to it than that. "Where I come from it's rather...impolite, distracting, to wander about as smelly as I am. And well... I thought it would be best to hide, in case I imposed on someone." She was dancing around the topic, this wasn't something she knew how to talk about. "I'm so gross, sorry."