Hidden Tree you'll never be out of reach

@Kerberos

The woman wasn’t too far outside the borders, close enough that she could still catch the traces of the Draw on the wind… she just wanted to stretch her legs, take in sights that were slowly becoming unfamiliar to her. Leadership, she thought, suited her well, and though it did come with its perks, it also came with its side effects. She couldn’t go out and wander like she used to. She couldn’t just run with the breeze in her fur – she had too many responsibilities back home, making sure everything ran smoothly.

Besides that, there was their dwindled numbers, plus the number of pups to train and watch over, and the threat of winter looming over their heads, just a month or so away before the first snow was likely to fall. She did well under pressure, had made it through when it was just her… had done even better when it was just her and Kerberos. She wouldn’t be her parents. She’d manage and keep the children fed if it was the last thing she did. She wouldn’t let them because her siblings… a sibling she’d named her daughter after… Maera just hoped she had not brought ill will over the pack with the decision to name the child after her Aunt Lacey.

She wasn’t normally superstitious, and she often believed the spirits to do only good… but she couldn’t help but feel that prick of insecurity… it was why she was walking in the forest beyond their realm, their home… to clear her head. She wasn’t sure if anyone would join her, or if they even had the time to, but she’d take the silence if no one chose to be her company. Her feet subconsciously led them to their old den - the one she and Kerb had shared in their first few months together before they had made the Wildwood their permanent home.

It was almost unintentional that he had trailed after the scent of Maera. Almost. He was slightly worried where she might be off too. Kerberos trusted she wouldn't leave without a word but things had been...perhaps ill lately. The male really didn't know what word to use in this instance. It seemed like the worst time for things to be crumpling apart. The Wildwood seldom saw visitors and their numbers kept dropping. The disappearance of Naira worried him. He often dropped gifts by for the Tainn children or made sure to keep a head count on them (Treyah included for he feared how much more the girl could take...) just in case. A part of him hoped that Maera wasn't going to fade too. Did she regret settling for him? Did she wish to be a rogue again like she had been all of her life before him? Guilt bubbled in his stomach but for once he thought nothing of it. The bubbling guilt was almost a normal feeling now.

He caught her shadowy figure and halted. Should he call out? Should he simply let her keep walking? Maybe she was out here to be alone. A frown dug into his features as his ears softly fell back. Who was he? Feeling bad about approaching his mate was such an odd idea but here he was with that very feeling.

"Maera." Kerberos called out hoarse and faintly. If she heard him and opted to answer than perhaps he would stay around. If she didn't hear or didn't opt to turn around (for he'd never know which it would be) then he would slink back home.

have you checked out my player preferences?

It honestly felt like whiplash. It was goods followed by bad followed by good and then bad returned to wreak havoc. She knew they’d get through it, and they’d survive, but that didn’t make the hard times any easier. That hope was hard to cling to, even though she knew that goods times were inevitable. After all, it was impossible to have good without bad first existing. She heard her mate’s course voice before she caught his scent, her head turning towards him, a weak attempt of a smile on her features. “Kerb.” She answered softly, turning herself around to face him.

“I just needed to stretch my legs a bit… the Draw feels cramped for some reason.” She responded, feeling like she owed him an explanation for her adventures outside the territory. She felt guilty for even this small break, this small liberty she had taken. What right did she have to do so as they prepared for winter’s cold breath that was about to breath down her back? She worked herself day in and day out just to break even… it, in reality, was what she had always done. It was second, maybe even third nature to her… she’d done it when she was by herself, even. Survival. That was what kept her going. They were going to survive this.

There is a deer that was killed by a lynx nearby. +10 Health

Her reason for leaving the confines of the Draw wasn't surprising. Although - just perhaps - it hurt to hear. The father, husband, and leader wanted the Draw to feel cozy, warm, inviting. Was it really cramping? Was that why Reiko left? Zerxes? Naira? He could practically feel himself trying to crawl out of his own skin.

"That's okay." Kerberos whispered softly trying to put on a smile for her. "I understand." His head gave a few gentle nods. If Maera felt like this, who else did? What about the children? His own daughter along with the Tainn children. Was this place still any good for them despite everything that was happening here? He bit his tongue before he asked. The Rigel felt like he would do more damage by trying to move them out of the Wildwood than he would by just sitting here picking up pieces.

He hardly noticed the silence that was between them when his mind was screaming so loudly. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have followed you out here." "Maybe I'm the thing cramping you. I wrangled you in and made you settle down. I'm sorry." The emotional baby boy that had entered the Lore and spilled out all of his thoughts didn't seem to be here anymore. In his place stood a man who crammed down his feelings and swallowed his own tongue.

have you checked out my player preferences?

It was nothing that her mate had done, nor nothing of the pack… something was wrong with her… she’d kept herself so close to the borders, so afraid her daughter would slip away from her… it was her own worries making the territory so restricting, tightening in her chest. She could see it on his face, though she wasn’t entirely sure what it was – emotions were still difficult with her, always had been… and in a way, she felt like she changed him. Like her indifference, her own difficulty with emotions, had caused him to change and put those emotions on his face.

She blamed herself, because he looked equally as worried as she did.

“Please, don’t apologize…” She whispered softly as she headed towards him, offering a soft nudge to his neck. “Please, don’t leave.” She’d had enough of wolves leaving her… she didn’t want him to walk away. She felt like she needed him more than ever, but she didn’t know how to word it. She didn’t know what to say to convince him to stay. What did she really know about any of this anyway? She’d never been a pack wolf, and now she was leading a pack? How did she think that she could handle this? “I need you.” She missed him, and she missed the way they used to be before responsibilities started pushing them into their own isolations.