Kajika had left her to sleep, the emotional toll of their conversation leaving her exhausted. She’d slept restlessly, waking up frequently from her nap before drifting off again. This happened frequently for her and was another reason that she hadn’t been getting as much rest as she could. She made a mental note to ask for some Soloman’s Seal for her sleep as well as Wild Ginger for her abdominal pain.

During one of her waking periods she’d been staring lazily out the medical den, curled up against the cool air that drifted in through the opening. She wished she had taken better care of the den when she’d still been there. In the beginning she’d been very diligent and during her depression as well, but once she’d gotten better it had been put on the back burner. Luckily, even though the Cove wolves were bound for hard times the hard times rarely meant physical injuries that needed to be treated. No, usually they were disappearances or death.

The dark form of Moonshadow appeared and she lifted her head, offering a tired smile. ”I am here, feel free to come in,” she said, shifting over much as she had done for Kajika.

Her large dark friend moved halfway into the den before settling down and Namid extended her neck to press her nose affectionately against the younger woman’s. Though she was back under back circumstances she was still glad to be home, with those she loved and Moonshadow was no exception to a loved one. The pale woman had watched the woman grow the past few years from a yearling to a thriving adult, watched her become a mother and handle many struggles and bear many things that she shouldn’t have had to. Not to mention she had saved the Cove from ruin. There was much to admire about the tenacity shown in Moonshadow and Namid felt happy and honored to have met her.

Mismatched gaze followed as she nudged the squirrel toward her, her stomach rolling but she kept a tired smile on her face anyways. She grasped the tail in her teeth and pulled it toward her, setting the prey item next to her paws. “I am alright, thank you for asking. I have been better, of course, but I am happy to be home with all of you,” she replied.

She quietly looked at her friend for a moment, mismatched gaze searching Moon’s silver before she quietly asked “And you, how are you doing?”

She waited patiently for the dark woman’s reply, a gentle smile falling onto her lips as Moonshadow sighed and looked at her paws. Her chest ached at the sorrow she saw there and she was reminded that her friend had never asked for this. Nonetheless, she had stepped up to the plate and been completely selfless in doing so. Not many could do what she had done and done so well with it. Again, she found respect for the one in front of her.

She mentioned that she was doing a little rough with the absence of both her mate and her pup. Namid could understand both very well, a sympathetic look given her way. Just another reason to respect the new Cove matriarch. The silvery woman couldn’t have asked for anyone better. When she asked how she did it so well she chuckled, shaking her head. “Well, sometimes I did not. You are a testament to that if anything. Sometimes I would go off alone and just sit, look up at the stars and wonder if what I was doing was right. If I was making the right decisions. I would pray to my Ancestors for guidance, pray they would make me strong, but faith can only take you so far. I believe my biggest downfall, was not asking for help. I tried to hold the weight of the world on my shoulders with the worry of burdening others, and eventually it became too heavy,” she replied.

Her mismatched gaze turned on her friend, offering a friendly bump to her shoulder. “I will not say it will be easy my dear. Leading others, it is a job for someone with patience and strong willpower. You will give more than you receive sometimes, and sometimes it will be the other way around. I believe, though, that the rewards are always worth it. To know that you are keeping your packmates safe. That you are saving some who may not have had a home otherwise. That you are changing lives...it makes life worth it. But you must remember, you are not alone. Ask for help. There are wolves here who love you, who would love to take some of your burden. Allow them to. There is no shame in it. Promise me,” she said, her expression somewhat serious.