Roma watched patiently as Oliver finally explained exactly what was going on. She could tell that Oliver cared very much for Galley by the loving expression in the raven wolf's face. She could easily relate to that feeling and hearing of Oliver and Galley's relationship brought back memories of her and her old mentor, Art. Art was the wisest old she wolf that Roma knew and she had been the one to pull Roma out of her dark place.
As Oliver continued his sad story, a single tear welled up in one of Roma's icy blue eyes and though she tried her hardest to pull it back, she couldn't prevent it from falling. What would she have done if someone killed Art? And worse, to find out that the murderer was in her new pack, part of her new home. The thought of the feeling was unbearable. "Oliver." Roma only spoke his name at first, making sure to collect her self and keep her voice steady before she spoke anymore. Noticing the blood still dripping from his forehead, Roma slowly brought her muzzle closer to Oliver, hoping not to frighten him. Then, with a gentleness completely unexpected from a wolf as large as Roma, she let her pink tongue side across the dark fur on his forehead, washing away the blood and cleaning the wound. After her work was done, she pulled back and met his brown eyes with a kind, loving gaze.
"I can't say I know how you feel, but I will say that I can imagine how hard it must be. I had a mentor once and I looked up to her more than anything. She lived long enough to see me off, but I would have fell to pieces if she had been taken from me before." Art, what would you say to him?, Roma wondered trying to conjure the raspy sound of her mentor's voice. "Sometimes, killing is the answer." Roma's statement was simply and blunt. It was how she truly felt and no one could dissuade her. Monsters like her father deserved to die. But was the man who murdered Galley a monster or had he made a horrible, irreversible mistake? Roma didn't know the whole story and it wasn't for her to decide. "This man, your pack mate, took something from you that no one can ever replace." Roma paused, letting that part sink in. Oliver had to understand that Galley was gone and nothing could ever replace him, not even the voice in his head. "Now you need to let go of Galley. You need to believe that you can live without him. Then, you must face his murderer." The man's fate was in Oliver's paws. If Oliver truly believed the man was a monster, then Roma would stand by him. She wouldn't make the same mistake she had four years ago; she wouldn't let another monster go free to hurt other people. If this man was a murderer and Oliver couldn't kill him, then Roma would. But for now, the ball was in Oliver's paws. This was his past and his monster and he would have to make the decision. "Look into his eyes and then decide what his punishment should be." Roma paused and hoped that he would understand, hoped that what she had said would help him somehow. She couldn't bare the thought of losing Oliver or of failing him.