The young man's voice fell on idle ears. The agouti woman had been resting; something she was found doing now more often than before. In the days following her fight with the loner, it was simply good policy for Raela to rest and get her wounds mending as quick as possible. It wasn't an arrangement she was completely happy with, but for fear of running into another stranger all alone it wasn't something she was going to argue against. Still, the possibility that the white wraith was lurking around the mountain somewhere; curling up in the valleys and waiting for her pack mates to wander out unprotected haunted the Crest subordinate. So, she still conducted patrols, but with much more caution. She took a buddy with her wherever she could, and when one wasn't available the woman simply elected to  keep the array of surveillance equipment on her head set to high sensitivity. 

She had risen from the comforting confines of their den atop the timbers and had hardly taken a few steps forward when the boy she knew as Datura appeared, asking for her assistance. Her head turned swiftly; brilliant sunshine eyes softening as his nervous words stumbled out. She was about to answer the yearling; to relay just how glad she was to have something other than hunting and patrolling out on her own to do, when he revealed the reason for his approach. A smile slipped across the woman's face then, and her damaged ear pricked forward along with its unharmed counterpart. The nervousness of others did wonders to put the usually shy girl at ease. On top of things, she had a soft spot a mile wide for young ones. Quickly Raela moved to remedy the boy's stuttering. “Of course,” she answered warmly. “I was just about to do a little scouting around the territory. If you'd like to come with me I'll see what I can do to help you out.” Her sweet tone rose, delivering the words as a questioning invitation more than a declaration. It was quite the opportunity to bring someone along for security, especially someone bigger than her.

Though she could hardly blame the lad, it did sadden Raela that he seemed to nervous to even glimpse her face. The boy hesitated only briefly before accepting the offer, and a wider smile tugged at the woman's lips in return. Another awkward moment passed between them, with the youngster still avoiding her sunshine gaze. It was a pity he was so shy, but the agouti girl understood it well. She was a stranger, despite being a pack mate, and she was older as well. It was nothing to hold against Datura, but she only hoped he would open up some with time. His quiet voice slithered into the air once more, prompting the female to remove her gaze and focus on the path ahead. Yes, it was fitting that she lead. With no further ceremony the woman started off at a trot down the steep hillside. 

Her paws were nimble on the stone and between the gnarled roots of the timbers; but the effort of navigation drew most of her attention to the matted forest floor. Picking her way down the mountain had come considerably easier to Raela than the dodging of thorns had back in the Downs. For a moment thoughts of Aeus met her mind, along with his troubles. He never was very good with the blackberry bushes. I wonder if the mountain terrain is easier for him... she mused; her feet still skittering across the dead leaves and dirt. An ear cocked backward to catch the larger boy's haphazard footfalls. At times he seemed to stumble forward too fast, but she supposed anyone not used to the terrain would. His eagerness didn't come to light until she paused to scent the air. The golden wolf was so close he'd almost run into her. A sheepish smile crossed her face once before she returned to her intended task.

The Crest wolf's nose tipped upward; inhaling the pack's scent; now strong and solidified. They had established themselves quite well in a short time. Happily, it seemed that the scent she was truly looking for was absent. It was small comfort to know that the white witch was at least not upwind. Her worries would stay tucked away for now though; she had no interest in frightening the yearling and making him any more uncomfortable. The scent of deer however, managed to alert her just as she was about to keep walking. It was a target worth checking up on – the group's movements would be important for the pack to know, and it was a larger family unit she had already been keeping tabs on. Bright eyes sought out their companion again. “You smell the deer? We should head over and see where they're going.” It would be a blessing if this herd continued to linger in their land. Their fisc of meat could always do with fattening. 

A few more quiet steps passed in their new direction, and all the while Raela's nicked ear was poised to receive Datura's problem. He still had not mentioned what was bothering him, so eventually she made up her mind to kick-start the conversation. If she could help him, she wanted to do it as soon as possible. “So what's up?” Her voice was pleasant, casual, and hopefully not at all intimidating. Raela's eyes fixated ahead, as if removing her stare would make it easier for the squirming boy to relay his problems. She hoped it would, at least. 

There was, predictably, some more hesitation on his part. She wanted to look back, as if it would goad him further toward response, but she knew better. If anything it would only make him more nervous and more likely to retreat into himself. Instead she continued on the trail, pretending to be more absorbed in tracking the deer than she really was. Thankfully, his answer finally came. Her notched ear found him quickly, absorbing each syllable while her mind gathered a coherent train of thought. She was somewhat grateful that his problem was a minor one (well, at least compared to what it could have been). It seemed perfectly natural for a yearling to worry over their role. At least they got to choose their roles here – her family certainly didn't allow such a thing. 

The woman's face softened with concern at his last utterance. Now there was a familiar position. Raela craned her neck back to face him as they walked, stealing glances in his direction when she wasn't watching her footing on the mountain. The words came surprisingly easy to her tongue. “Oh I wouldn't worry about that.” Her voice downplayed any possible negativity as best it could. “All the roles are important. The pack might have need for a certain role at a certain time, and they might ask you to fill it in until someone else can – That's why Astraeus is the guardian right now. He didn't really want to be, but he was the best for the job and we needed one.” She let the summer air fill in the gap in her speech while the yearling took in her words. Hopefully. “Other than that it doesn't really matter what you pick so long as you enjoy it.” Her next question came naturally. “Is there one that sounds better than the others?”

The way the boy cut in to her speech had the woman glancing at him with some degree of surprise. It was a behavior she'd hardly expected from the awkward yellow pup. Interestingly, his expression seemed to state that he wasn't expecting it either. She made no remark, choosing instead to continue with her intended words. She could appreciate what level of worry the young one was facing; having to make one of the bigger decisions of his life up until this point; or at least she hoped it was. The outburst could easily be forgiven, so long as he didn't grow impatient with her. 

Datura hesitated again at her inquiry; which wasn't at all strange. Did he even have a preference yet? Perhaps not. Her question was answered with more questions. The yearling really did seem lost. Her expression softened with concern as he went on, finally mentioning his long lost mother. His soft smile had one of her own tugging at the female's lips. Poor boy. A part of the Crest woman longed to hear of his sorrows, but it would have to be satisfied with giving the advice Datura wanted today. The rest could come later; she couldn't bear to pry at such a tender, vulnerable moment. Instead Raela's tongue pressed against the roof of her mouth as the sentences formed. The first part was easy. 

Twinkling sunshine eyes drifted away as she spoke. “No, they won't be mad. I'm sure they'd let you change your mind.” The next thought brought her face back around to him. “You know, you can train for more than one role. If you finish training in one, no one's going to stop you from picking up another. The more you know the better off your pack will be.” It was true. “Gent doubled as a healer and a guardian at times.” But this wasn't getting at the heart of the matter. She needed to know what Datura was actually interested in. “What roles do you know of?” Maybe this one hadn't been informed of them all.