Oak Tree Bend Hangin' On Another Day

The slowness of their movement would have been infuriating, had he not been so focused on her bony shoulder pressing into his, careful to time his steps to follow her, shorter ones. Ember eyes shifted back and forth between her and the path ahead, making sure she didn't get over exerted and there was nothing on the ground she could trip on; She just had to concentrate on walking. As he glanced over her face, he noticed the weak smile and nodded lightly, softly curling his own lips in return. He couldn't know what was going on in her head, but he had an idea, even mustering half a smile was a victory. So was walking to the cache, and when they reached it she didn't hesitate to lower herself into a sit, visibly exhausted from the short walk. Drestig watched her for a moment, still pressed against her side, a wrinkle to his brow; Perhaps it was too much… But her attention was on the food, and his worry cleared when she spoke.

The raven man tilted his head, glancing down at the recently disturbed dirt that marked the small cache. He knew there wasn't much in it, more than enough for the two of them sure, but still, it was important to conserve as much as possible. His lips pursed, eyes drifting back to Jessie, who was watching him expectantly, one dark brow cocking slightly. Finally he nodded faintly, almost to himself, rumbling neutrally; "I could eat." She still had an air of embarrassment about her, and he didn't want to add to that discomfort by – physically or virtually – stuffing food down her throat; I AM hungry anyway… With a last look at the grey lass, to make sure she was ready to sit on her own, Drestig slowly removed himself, stepping up to the cache and started digging, eyes still sneaking constant glances in her direction.

Once he'd uncovered the stored food, he picked out a decent piece of meat, knowing from experience that one shouldn't eat too heavily on a starved stomach. He pulled the meal over, sitting down across from her, and now it was his turn to stare her down expectantly, waiting for her to take the first bite before he started eating as well. The meat was dry and a little stale, but as nourishing as any fresh kill, and the chewiness would help assure that she paced herself. For a moment he considered instructing her to, but considered against it, she would know; Or she'll find out. Either way, he had given enough commands for the day, neither of them would benefit from him continuing to boss her around. Instead he ate silently, keeping an eye on her in between bites. Finally he spoke again, voice low and unemotional, eyes focusing on the mostly cleaned bone at their feet; "You can't do this again. I have other things to do, I can't stick around you all the time to make sure you're eating." His gaze shifted up then, trying to gauge her reaction. Of course if he had to, he would; But if she can do it herself, that would be better…

Word count: 530

"Speech" Thoughts

I MAKE BELIEF I'M IN CONTROL

Drestig Avalon

     AND DREAM IT WASN'T ALL MY FAULT

She felt a rush of relief flow through her with his agreement to eat with her. Having someone else watch her while she ate just felt wrong. Jessie did not want to have to be pup-sat, but with her current state she had to acknowledge that she didn’t have much choice. The grey woman was quick to settle down, watching Drestig closer as he followed in suit. Jessie was careful with her portions and took small slivers, making sure her stomach would be able to handle the flavor and sudden intake of food. After her parents had died and she had gone into depression, she hadn’t eaten for days. All she remembered was retching after she ate because of the rapid intake. Currently, she had no recall as to when the last time she had eaten. The pepper-and-salt colored woman could infer that it had been awhile, as her bones were protruding out her sides. Whether she had been conscious of it or not, she had let her circumstances carry on for far too long. The Avalon man was quick to acknowledge this. Her ears swiveled forward to catch his words, not daring the meet his burning amber gaze. Disappointment was, no doubt, easily recognizable in his eyes and Jessie wanted to see no more. She already felt pathetic. Nodding her head, she continued eating, slowly and decided that she was done when she felt like she was nauseous. It would do her no good to overeat and then later regret it. She looked up at Drestig then, her voice gentle, ”I have let the pack down… How long… how long has it been since his death?” Her tone was hollow, monotone, something that she was used to. It wasn’t like the pack needed her. Truly, she was sure that half of the pack members didn’t know she existed and if they did, it wouldn’t have been long before they disappeared and their presence would matter naught to the Second. Truthfully, she had no idea how long she had been out of it, nor if the pack had endured any more losses after she had gone into her emotional induced coma.

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@Jessie

Jessie seemed well aware of her condition, and what would happen if she gulped down too much meat right away. Her restraint, frankly, was shocking, as the dark man was sure hunger would be burning in her stomach after the very first bite. Still she ate slowly, stopping before her body protested too much against the sudden intake of food; And probably long before she felt full. When she leaned back, Drestig grunted lightly, cleaning the last meat off the bone himself, before raising his own head. She finally met his eyes, the same emptiness in her dark emeralds as he had seen earlier. Her voice too was meek, the words eliciting a sigh from her dark pupils lips. His brows furrowed and for a moment anger flared in his eyes, then he shook his head, grumbling: "The only one you've let down is yourself." He looked straight at her, mouth tightened into a frown. Another sigh wheezed between his teeth. "Only a few weeks." He answered her question flatly, studying carefully for her reaction; It probably feels like months to her… With a reluctant grunt, the raven male got to his feet, shuffling over to his grey companion, bending down to put his eyes only inches from hers. "Jessie, you know he wouldn't want this…" He struggled to find more words to comfort her. Throughout his life, the dark wolf's only method of coping had been to forget, but that didn't really work here. He certainly didn't want to forget Silver, at least not entirely. Not that that could even be possible, the entire forest was alive with echoes of her, every turn bringing back painful memories; This place is toxic! He kept that sinister thought to himself though, as it wouldn't exactly help the situation. Instead he reached out, unable to console her with words and so, opting for physical expression instead. He leaned down to touch his muzzle gently to hers, knowing all too well what she was feeling, and desperately wishing he could take that pain away.   Word count: 341 Thoughts ”Speech”

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There is a moose carcass that has been scavenged by coyotes nearby. +15 Health

Do we want to fade?

The Scout forced herself out of the pit and back to staring at Drestig’s large black paws. His clipped words brought her gaze back up to his face. His amber eyes blazed at her but she could not make herself give a response to him. As it was, there wasn’t very much of her to let down at the given moment and she was sure that he was aware of that. He answer to her question lightened her spirits slightly, relieved that she hadn’t been in oblivion as long as she thought she had. Perhaps it meant she actually had a shot at getting better and putting her life back together before she died. Jessie just didn’t know what she was living for exactly. The pack itself, was almost in ruins. The pepper-and-salt colored scout watched her friend’s approach and did not move from her spot. Emerald eyes tracked his movements carefully and she released a breath due to his proximity. Jessie had never been comfortable with physical contact unless it was of the utmost importance, and she had to remind herself to stay steady with Drestig’s small gesture towards her. The lady would not flinch away from his attempt at comfort and, once again, she could not respond with an answer that would justify his claim. Especially, when it was, more than likely, true. Again, Jessie remembered the hardships that the dark man had faced after his own love’s death and she contented herself to stay there with him in silence with the comfort that he did understand what she was going through. And for that, she could be eternally thankful.

Tumana-stock @DA, Burtn @DA & Dawnthieves.de