His attempts to comfort her meant more than he knew. Just like she had grown to be a new constant in his life, he had grown to be a new constant in hers. Even while events popped up and wolves came and went he seemed to always come back and that was all she could really as of him. Piety needed him, needed and deserved his presence far more than the Archer child did. No matter how much she wanted him by her side it wasn’t his place. His place would always be in her heart, but his body and soul still belonged, rightfully, to the woman who had birthed him. The woman who had taken her in when she didn’t have to and kept her promise and delivered her back to her family despite the agony she had to have been in. Piety would always be one of the strongest wolves Adeltra Archer would ever meet.
A grateful nudge was given to him as he confirmed he would give a lookout for the girl. The more paws the better. They were already on the brink of war with one pack, they didn’t need it escalating with another. The sooner the red-headed Archer was found the better it would be for everyone. Her family was waiting. She let out a breathless laugh at his comment about how everything had happened in such a short time. No matter how she looked at it she couldn’t shake how crazy it was that they had been blinded from all sides in such a short time. This was a giant trial, she was convinced, to see if the Ridge would finally buckle. She was determined to find a way to strengthen the crumbling supports even if she had to place herself beneath one and bear its weight.
I know, it’s crazy. Here I thought that coming back home would make everything great again but it’s just...hard, she said. The constant reminder that her mother was gone, shown in the empty place next to her father and the empty place in her heart. The crumbling health of her father, the constant tension all around them. So much was different. Can I tell you a secret? she said, her voice lowering. She paused, head dipping with shame, Sometimes I wish I had stayed with you. Everything was...easier, she revealed.
Adeltra would never be sad about being home because she loved her family and she knew that her true place was within the Willows, piecing and stitching them all together as best she could. She needed to be there for the hardships they were facing but when she’d said easier she’d been talking about before she had responsibility. When she and Cyril could lay out under the stars and talk about everything or, during the more recent travels, nothing at all. When breathing was easier. But life wasn’t about breathing easy. It was about getting into the nitty gritty, about wading waist deep in a pool of quicksand and just as you were about to go under grabbing onto that vine you found in your hands and hauling yourself out. It was about facing the hard truths instead of putting your head in the dirt and it was a hard lesson to learn.
I’ll be okay though, don’t worry. I can defend myself, nothing gets past my might, she said, puffing out her chest dramatically with a grin. Really, with her small stature it was almost comical. Plus I’ll have everyone by my side, they won’t let anything happen to me, the girl assured, giving him the best reassuring smile she could muster.