Quaking Vale skinny love

@Castel though anyone can join if they wish but please keep replies short. I haven't posted in awhile and I would like a gentle casual return to writing.

Every day she told herself she was going to try. The sun would rise and fall and she wouldn't move much. Laurel didn't need her to be in this den anymore but the loose roots held her down. Some days she got as far as the outside, and she blinked at the sun. Afraid. Confused. She loved the little boy so much, loved them all so much but somehow that didn't make a difference.

It was the milk.

When it let down, however that worked, some switch went off in her brain and it felt like she couldn't breathe anymore. Her breathing quickened and she just wanted to scream, for it to be over. The young half-mother tried to tell herself it was all in her head. Nothing was wrong with her, after weeks and weeks of feeling like the walls were going to cave in or her body would fail her the thin milk still came and no one died and eventually they all stopped bothering her. That was what she needed.

Even after he stopped nursing, somehow it was all different. Her breath was short and noises outside of the den would give her heart a stutter.

But today she told herself she would take five steps outside.

And she did.

(This post was last modified: Sep 12, 2017, 12:43 AM by Sahalie.)

Cas knew that Sahalie wanted to be alone, but when had Cas ever been good at following any sort of instruction? The young alpha couldn't help but visit the chocolate wolf's den every few days or so. Not to talk or pester or anything like that - just a confirmation that Hal was still there and that she wasn't going anywhere. The silver-brushed girl wasn't sure exactly what was wrong with the other; all she knew was that something weird happened to her and caused milk to let down.

She thanked any and all higher powers that the same had not happened to her.

With the milk came a change of personality, and also the shift in leadership. Quaking Vale was an unsteady pack, at best, but Cas had been doing her absolute best to keep it together. The red-and-gray wolf had tried team building exercises, hunting, patrolling... even fighting off wolverines at their borders. Fortunately, things were quiet most of the time, which gave her plenty of opportunity to rest and make sure she didn't hurt herself.

Today, she'd decided to check in on the former alpha of the pack, and hadn't actually expected to see the other girl fully out of the den, basking in the sunlight. Or, well, the filtered sunlight, as it was pretty cloudy. The sight had the blue-eyed girl's tail wagging as she approached, setting down the rabbit she carried in her jaws. "You're out and about today," she greeted, stopping two wolf lengths away. It was probably best not to overwhelm Sahalie so early on.

There are several fresh rabbit tracks in the mud. Hunt Opportunity

btw I was looking at your profile, and wanted to note that we can't actually change LP stats. Think of them as a total capacity and not a reflection of how fast your wolf can actually or always move at a given time. That's what the health bar is for: to decease fighting stats/physical condition

It was weird to be unlike herself. Looking back on her young life, Sahalie could see great upheavals and events and the ripple effect of changes it had on her environment, but somehow even the months of self-doubt in the winter seemed like such a small disturbance to the core of her self compared to this. Whatever this was. Perhaps, since Sahalie didn't understand it she found it the most troubling. How could she formulate an action plan when her own body, her own mind felt like the enemy? All plots were discovered and exposed. The girl could hide nothing.

This was who she was now, there was no way around it.

Her knees locked at the sight of little Castel, a scent that haunted her every now and then--as they all did, checking up or keeping watch or hoping to speak with her--but a sight she had not seen in a long time. Did Castel always look.... so unwell? Sahalie felt so consumed by her own emotional turmoil that she couldn't remember. Maybe this was normal. There was nothing to comment on. Instead she tried to calm her fluttering chest and widening eyes. "For now," she said, warily, staring off into space.

"I was taking a walk," her gaze sweeping across Castel and settling on the other side of her, far away, training on the yellowing trees. Five steps could be a walk, she assured herself.

I was young and dumb then xD I'll edit it out eventually.

Though she was not surprised that Sahalie was nervous at her approach, Cas couldn't help but be a bit disappointed. Because she loved the dark wolf before her, and she did not want to frighten her - under any circumstances. Besides, Castel was probably one of the least scary wolves out there. She wasn't used to having someone freeze up at the very sight of her like that. Unless, of course, one counted Niles, the first time she'd met her mate.

The russet girl had not always looked so unwell, no, but she felt better than she used to. Gaining weight back, bit by bit, over the summer months had been good for her. However, now that autumn was approaching, the young alpha was beginning to anticipate the decline in her health again. Although she did hope that it would not be as bad as last year's nightmarish cold season, because she was stationary now, Cas was under no false pretenses. There would certainly be a decline, and her health would certainly plummet. She only hoped that she would be able to continue working for the pack in the meanwhile - she cared so much about Quaking Vale now.

"I see that," she said, a smile creeping its way onto her maw as she studied the other young wolf. "Nice day for it, actually. Do you mind if I hang out for a bit?" Because, if Sahalie so wished, she'd be gone in an instant.