Though she was still gazing at the waterfall, Karina could sense her companion’s distress with the conversation in his voice and in his energy. Was it the topic that bothered Darrah, or something else?  The princess turned over her own shoulder to meet the prince’s eyes, which were brimming with concern. The girl blinked, realizing that it wasn’t the conversation that was bothering Darrah; it was the depths of her own misery that she had accidentally allowed him to see. ”What makes you think that?” the other yearling questioned, and she almost answered, ”I’m just not special anymore.”  Now that the empathetic girl had seen how much her sadness and self-pity distressed Darrah, she knew she couldn’t say something like that. Instead she took a deep breath in and plunged her head below the surface of the chilly water. When she resurfaced, she flung the water from her head and neck with a shake, tossing away her heavy feelings along with it.

Darrah had several suggestions for her once she was above water again, and she met them with a sad sort of smile. Those were all very good options for a wolf like Darrah who was groomed to lead, someone who had that capability and desire.. but not for her. She certainly desired a place of her own where she could fit in.. but the idea of carving that place from the flesh of others repulsed the delicate princess. She had no desire to shed the blood of good, loyal wolves just so she could assume responsibility that she didn’t want to begin with.  All she wanted was peace; a place she could be herself without judgement and perhaps receive some quiet recognition for her talents.

“Both of those are really good plans.. but they’re good for you, Darrah.” Those options had been on the forefront of her companion’s mind for a reason, likely because they were the courses of action he was considering for himself. He asked if she would rather be a medicine wolf, and Karina’s sad smile became a smile of surprise and genuine pleasure. He followed that with the suggestion that she would have trouble leaving home, and she shook her head incredulously. “You’re pretty perceptive, Darrah. You’re going to make a good leader.” Karina emerged from the pool and shook the rest of her body, turning to speak again before Darrah had time to direct the conversation back to her. “Will you walk me home? I don’t want to be on my own if I come across this pack I smell.” How could a shining knight like Darrah say no to that?

Her companion took the compliment humbly; another quality of a good leader. Darrah caught her attention with a “Hey,” and as Karina turned her soft gaze onto the dark knight, he attempted to comfort her once more. The girl shared a very small smile with him, the expression still a little sad, as if it sourced from shared suffering rather than pleasure. ”Don’t feel too bad,” he coached, as if Karina could shut off her feelings just because he suggested it. People were always saying stuff like that.. telling her what and how to feel. When she was younger, ”Don’t feel bad, nobody gets it the first time.” And now, ”You should be happy about your new sisters!”Always, ”Smile, princess!”  Karina knew by now that these words were more for the speaker and less for her, so that they could feel some sort of comfort themselves for having “comforted” her.  

Darrah revealed his own troubles then, not unlike those that Aleksei would have imparted on her, had he been around. Karina blinked as he suggested she try to “fake it until she could believe it”. And how long would that take, exactly? How long had Darrah been faking it, and was it working for him? “Yeah,” Karina answered slowly, “Each pawstep in the right direction helps, and eventually with enough steps you will reach your goal.” There, now those were some positive words! Karina was proud of herself for finding something to say that could be considered somewhat happy.  

The pair followed the River back up toward Karina’s homeland, and the girl's relief was palpable when the mystery pack’s scent fell away to be replaced by scents from her own family. The yearlings said their goodbyes, and as she watched Darrah disappear back into the trees, Karina was truck with the odd feeling that this was not the last time she would see the dark knight of Oak Tree Bend.