Hearthwood River can you blame me?

Her thoughts, the ones that had her in this conversation to begin with… they weren’t just going to go away with a few encouraging words. They’d buried themselves deep inside her, and at a young age, and she’d let them fester for too long. Perhaps she shouldn’t have called him..? She felt like she was just making things awkward, and she seemed to have a pretty nasty habit at doing that. The fact that he’d startled her hadn’t gone unmissed. As she started to relax again, unfreezing her limbs and managing to actually take a breath, he stuttered out an apology. It wasn’t his fault that she was a mess – he had nothing to apologize for.

She couldn’t tell if it was pity or guilt, actually, and it made her even more uncomfortable. His nose pressed against her cheek as he swore he’d be there to help her. How could he be? She trusted him, sure… but how could he actually help her if he admitted himself that he had no idea what he was doing? Were they completely and royally fucked right now? She didn’t know, but she managed a soft and reassuring smile on her features when he offered a hunt, or a patrol… the tension was so thick, she felt like she could bite through the situation with her teeth.

“Ah… Ah… Ah guess..?” She sounded incredibly uncertain, but she was also open to the idea… a patrol wouldn’t be bad, but she was a huntress at heart and given the fact that winter had fallen upon them… “A h-hunt might be better?” Now she was stuttering. Yup, they were screwed.

He blinked, slowly, absolutely dumbfounded by their situation. But he would make things right; if there was one thing he was kind of good at, it was rectifying situations. Mostly because he was too stubborn to let things go and he did not like being at fault.

A slow smile managed to work its way onto his paw male as she agreed to join him on a hunt. The ghost ignored the uncertainty in her voice because, even though she was reluctant, it was still a step in the right direction. Progress. He would be there for Lilya, when and if she needed him, just as Anastasia had done for him. And Capella… and Bastet… They had all helped him in their own ways, and although they were no longer a part of his life, he was still grateful for their impact. Even if they had all abandoned him…

He dismissed the thought quickly, repressing their memories into the dark corners of his mind. Now was not the time to dive into his past; he had more important things to attend to.

His expression softened as he bumped his shoulder, playfully, into hers as an encouraging gesture. Perhaps a hunt was what she needed to get her mind off things. It was the best form of distraction and despite it only being temporary, it was better than nothing. Lilya needed something, anything, to keep her threatening thoughts at bay.

Without waiting for a response from the blue-eyed sparrow, or giving one, the ghost launched himself into the trees. The tundra would be the most ideal place for them to hunt, as prey seemed to take a liking to the land between Kingsfall and the monadnock...