Umbra Copse On the outside, always looking in

"Things" had already happened. The happening had little to do with Alastor though, whether he was there or not. Wolves died, her brother vanished, her father and her fell out of touch, Larkspur's kid sucked the life from her. Things happened—apparently for a reason. Maybe Alastor just meant he would protect her from physical harm. That, at least, he could do: he was big and she was small. Serach and Aponi were not needlessly violent creatures, though, and while they might be upset neither of them had ever been known to just suddenly escalate to an altercation. (As far as Sahalie knew, anyway).

"I think this is more than a rough patch. I think its a whole forest." A forest like Spectral Woods that was dark, murky, and impenetrable. "But..." She wasn't apologizing to hear him go on valiantly like some romantic hero, even though it was Alastor. This is what Alastor always did: he reassured her, he was steadfast, and he had a lot of feelings. But right now it felt like a lot of bullshit. (Especially the best friend bit. It might be true, and he might believe it, but it wasn't what she wanted. "Thanks, I guess. That was all I was trying to say... or well. " She stopped. She sighed.

"Look I was only... trying to bring this up,"—this being what Draven had told her—"Because of what's coming. Like... I know what time it is... remember... last year? Uhm. I just wanted to say that I'm probably going to be more on edge. And harder to put up with." Actually, it was worth nothing that probably everyone everywhere they went would be, too. "So I just wanted to give you the heads up. Just so you didn't think... think it was me." But it was her. This was her life now: irritable, tired, miserable, useless.

A small, not-so-threatening rain cloud.

If I ever leave I could learn to miss you

She sighed and he nearly sighed with her. He was just…trying, like he usually did. Was it working? Who knew, he wanted it to but it took a lot to break through that storm cloud. He’d managed a few times, but then the fog had rolled back in and he was left to fumble through the dark for her once more.

Kino had expected her to stop, to end the conversation there and for them to move on. But, instead, she’d continued. Into territory he hadn’t thought they’d venture into and he felt heat travel up the back of his neck. She said that she might be harder to deal with this time around and that made him want to cringe. She’d been pretty snappy the year before, was it possible that she could be worse? He really hoped not. Before, he’d had the distraction of forming a new pack to help out with her pushing him away and snapping at him but now that they were alone he knew he’d be the one taking the full force of the blows. He wouldn’t leave her of course, and without a bunch of other wolves to keep an eye on her he’d definitely be more protective because the thought of her being swept up by some other male...he felt rage pooling in his chest. He swept it away.

“I know it won’t be you. It’ll be your…hormones,” he said, the corners of his lips pulling back in a grimace. “Just try not to kick my ass too hard,” he joked, trying to keep her mood light.

With sentimental boy as my nom de plume

Would hormones really be any worse than the wolf she was now? She wasn't sure. Last year everything felt so different and so alien. Heat had turned her into a completely different wolf. Yet now she was nasty all the time, and just as unpredictable. Perhaps Alastor would even find it a nice reprieve from all her sullen moods and un-charming back-talk. There was also a small—and alarming—possibility that she might enjoy being in heat, too. She'd be forced out of her head (but into her body) and maybe that was what she needed, or something closer to what she needed. Just anything to take back whatever she felt she lost, whatever Laurel took from her as he pawed all over her body. Sahalie tried to tell herself that she chose to raise him, but the aftermath felt so unlike what she had expected.

"Sure," she said, trying to smile, "But I'll probably kick your ass just a little bit." Without another word or fleeting facial expression she walked towards the nearest tree and began to turn in circles until she found the most comfortable way to settle. They could look for Quaking Vale, Laurel, or Oak Tree Bend tomorrow. Little else would change about the situation in a day.

"I'm going to rest now."

If I ever leave I could learn to miss you

Kino watched as she tried to smile in response to his statement, appreciating the effort she put into it. He knew none of this was easy for her. Hal felt things in ways that he would never be able to understand, felt things with an intensity he would never feel. He thought, perhaps, this was a part of the cause of her depression. Like any great artist who threw themselves into their work, the Tainn threw herself into those around her. Other wolves were her art. She mended them, twisted them in a way that made them a better version of themselves. He’d always been worried about this, because it felt like everytime she did that she was giving a part of herself away. Her self-sacrifice for Laurel had been her breaking point, the last piece she had given away that had been the wrong piece in her game of jenga. It had caused other parts of her to fall down, and now they were both trying to stack the pieces up again. There might be a little less in the long run, but he hoped that for her sake they would be able to fit the remaining pieces back together.

He watched as she went to go rest. He wanted so badly to join her, but he also wanted to look around a little bit. “Okay, I’m going to look around. See if I can maybe find anything to show how long it’s been since they left or something. Howl if you need me,” he said, offering her a small, reassuring smirk before he turned his large body around and disappeared into the thin trees.

Fade

With sentimental boy as my nom de plume