starting out in the white house

It had taken him what seemed like the entire day to get his grandmother back to the creek. Realistically that wasn’t true, but every second had been filled with the critical knowledge that she could just turn around whenever she wanted. If Viorel lost her again he was not confident that any of them would be able to find Katna, certainly not that they would find her in such good shape. He probably had not been the best conversationalist on the way here, though he had tried to attempt to make everything smooth and normal.

His heart rate didn’t begin to slow down until their paws had carried them back into more familiar places. The burble of the creek was the most beautiful sound that he had ever heard. Smiling brightly towards Grandma Katna he announced, ”Oh I hear the creek! We aren’t far now, and then I can show you all my practicing.” Which was deer shit he knew, but she didn’t have to know that. Quickly raising his muzzle to the sky he called for his Aunt Modesto, and anybody else who was close enough to hear him. Now that they were home he needed help. Glancing back at the tawny woman he explained, ”Well we’ll need more than one judge to see who is the best fisher, although obviously you’re going to know right away that it’s me.” Would she accept that explanation?

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Katna followed close by, not at top speed so if she ever did stray it would not be too far from him. She likely grumbled some odd things here and there. A collection of names that belonged to faces that weren't here. Although otherwise she was rather hushed. As if she had to be in deeply submerged thought about everything around them.

Ah, until they arrived and it was time to judge. Right. The creek, the fish, her children playing.

Her children.

Modesto is there in what felt like a heartbeat. Although Katna had truthfully fallen into some silence upon her arrival here with Viorel.

"Oh, Modesto." She hummed with a mother's fondness. Then sought to close in on the woman and embrace her as if she was a pup, not a full grown wolf.

starting out in the white house

It had taken longer than usual to get back to the creek because Viorel kept pausing whenever his grandmother fell too far behind. Despite his best efforts to keep her light hearted and distracted with conversations he had mostly been met with muttering and silence. It was alarming, that her mind was so much worse than he remembered it being. Had he just been young and not noticed? Or had she really deteriorated this quickly?

Thankfully they had gotten back to the creek in one piece and now Modesto was with them, and Viorel finally let out a sigh of relief. He looked away awkwardly when his grandmother embraced his aunt as if she was just a young pup. The Valle man had no idea how to act in this situation and was just so glad that there was someone else here.

But, it wasn’t just the three of them, Sharlee was quick to join the little ‘welcome home’ party. Shooting his cousin a quick side eye he tried to say as nonchalantly as possible, ”Ah yeah, she was up in the cave south of here. She was erm, sorting out the herbs I believe.” Hopefully she would pick up on the hint that Grandma Katna was not feeling her best. The last thing he wanted was to upset her and have grandmother take off into the foliage, it had been a miracle he had stumbled upon her at all.

you work for free, let's make that clear

Katna, so quickly submerged in a flood of emotions, would not be talkative. Taking a more instinctual role here. Once Modesto was tended to (and Katna was pleased to see she was growing so well!) another child had been ushered to her. One that greeted her with standard affection.

The eldest Valle would tilt her head, allowing the child to continue the affection along her neck if she so wished. All so that Katna could repeat the same prodding inspection she had placed upon Modesto.

Finally, when she did speak, it was a simple mumbled. "Feeding you well. Good, good." All that plump puppy fat! Oh how it made her miss when they were smaller, still stuck in a den by her side.

starting out in the white house

It was seriously relieving to have both his aunt and cousin play along with the same strategy that he had been using. At the very least he hadn’t made a total mess of finding her and getting his grandmother home, now there were a lot more eyes on her. It sent a shiver down his spine to think what could have happened to Katna had he not stumbled upon her in that cave, how long before she got further lost, or worse, someone or something else had come upon her?

Viorel had to turn his head to hide the smirk that he couldn’t contain as he watched his grandmother prod at Sharlee and make comments on feeding her well. It ran well within the Valle line to be built huskily, something that he had often heard the girls complain about back on the coast. He himself was built boxy, as was his cousin, and to hear the confused older woman point it out felt undeniably silly in this moment, as if Katna herself had not been a beast of a wolf in her hay-day.

Shaking his head at Sharlee’s comment he murmured back as quietly as possible, ”When I asked, all she said was that ‘she had always been here’.” Which it went without saying, was clearly not the truth. Ever the actor, he brightened up at the suggestion and played along his ‘pup’ role, ”Oh grandma please! I want to see how you organize everything properly.” Another lie, he couldn’t give two shits, but he wanted her further in the territory with all the others.

you work for free, let's make that clear