Turtleback Lake you make the stars fall down

This time Nova did not flinch away as she had before, her body drawing back towards his warmth like a plant seeking the sunlight. The almost violent rattling of her hysterical frame eased back to the smaller, steady shivers of cold skin.

His soft words soothed into her ears like warm honey, a thin salve for the seeping, bleeding, open wound where Camio had torn out a piece of her heart and taken it with him. Her wide yellow eyes blinked blearily at his question. "N-Nalda," She said, "Her name's Nalda." Nova's thoughts drifted, hoping Nalda was safely tucked within the borders of the Pines, collecting bugs or tutting disapprovingly at the other cubs or napping. "She's sweet as a fawn, sharp as a fox... Takes her father's looks, but she has my ears." She said with a slight wince, overly conscious of how much space her bat-like ears took atop her head. Of course on Nalda they were adorable, without influence of Nova's brutish brow or masculine muzzle.

"She's just learning how to hunt now." She said softly. How strange it was, she could remember a day when the girl was not much bigger than her paw. Nova went strangely still, her eyes distant again as her ears folded back. "I need to get back to her." She said, suddenly desperate.

There is a family of deer nearby. Hunt Opportunity

Gent was relieved that she accepted his proximity, even sidling closer to the warmth he offered, and he remained a still and solid anchor for the woman. His ears turned to catch her voice as she answered him, giving him first her little girl's name. Nalda, he liked that, actually. His eyes wandered over the landscape before them as she went on to further describe her as fondly as only a mother could, but as mention of her ears caused a physical response which was felt by the man, his gaze fell upon her once more, quizzical in nature. He recalled once more how unsure of herself and bashful she had seemed within the Keep, and he could only guess that she had not outgrown such traits. What a pity. It was remarkable to think that such a girl had been born of and raised by Naira, sharing very nearly no propinquity with the once alpha.

Her final statement roused Gent into motion once more as he was quick to try and comfort her once more. Raising himself back onto his paws, he nudged her shoulder with his own briefly before speaking.

"Then we ought to head back, no?" he more so decided than offered, a smile placed back onto his maw. "Let me take you there. Then I'll be out of your fur, promise." He wanted to be sure that she got back safely.

Suddenly the form beside her shifted. Nova blinked, looking up to male before standing up herself. She couldn't refuse his polite offer to take her home, where Nalda was no doubt beginning to wonder where her mother was. He was a kind man, and it was a shame they had not met under better circumstances. She couldn't leave her daughter waiting any longer, but was almost loathe to leave the companionship and warm touch of another. And she'd learned nothing of where Gent's life had lead him, but wondered if those questions were best left for another time.


"Yes, yes, thank you." She said, momentarily meeting his pale eyes and surprised to find them not as cold as they seemed. She wasn't even sure she wanted him out of her fur quite yet, but a flash of shame that her mate could still be out there kept those thoughts at bay. 

With a flick of her tail she turned, letting the man walk beside her as she headed back through the forests that brought her here, gladly leaving behind the waters that had tried to take her life. It had been a long day, and she longed for nothing more than a warm den and sleep, with Nalda tucked safely under her chin.

(This post was last modified: Dec 31, 2015, 12:52 AM by Nova.)