Sex: FemaleGeminia sensed that her arrival had come at a particularly tragic time… there were the young girls, clearly going through some form of internal hell and the whispers that a mother had died while giving birth… it was all quite sad, but she lacked any form of emotional attachment to get involved… and did the girls really need a practical stranger speaking to them and trying to comfort them in their time of loss. She had to assume that the mother lost had been a mother to both of the girls as well based on their reaction. She did not know the history that mired the pack she had chosen to establish roots in.
For now, she was patrolling the borders. She had a wandering soul, but with more puppies on the way, and tragedy afoot, it felt like the wrong time to go off scouting. Instead, the tawny woman pressed forward with the duties of a guardian. She could not say she would be of much use to them should there be an actual conflict. She was a petite thing, and not much of a fighter as her family had raised her to be a pacifist, and avoid conflict for the sake of peace… but it would not stop her from putting in the effort and training to do her best.
Enera didn't travel far except to collect water for Woya. She moved only between the leader's densite and the place her mama had died and was buried. She didn't know what else to do. Marrah seemed just as depressed and Enera couldn't bear to see her like that; not when she herself was dealing with the grief of losing her mama. At least there was a chance that Saga or Huddy might come back some day, and Marrah had Woya; Enera had nothing - not until her sisters were grown more. For now, the yearling could only mourn and do everything she could to help Woya stay healthy.
It was time to collect water anyway, so with dragging paws and tail Enera made her way toward the territory's border to find something to carry it back to Woya. She heard a sound and her ears twitched, head raising just enough to look ahead of her and see their new pack member treading along their borders. She knew Geminia had been accepted, but given her clouded head Enera hadn't taken the time to introduce herself like she might have done before. "Oh," she said, stopping, her voice dull. "Sorry. I didn't mean to get in your way. I'm just going for water."
She was going to figure out a way to help… she did not know these wolves, but loss could strike deep. She’d experienced a loss or two, otherwise the girl would not have ended up here herself… at least here there were agemates, some semblance of a family… that she could very well work with.
Geminia caught sight of the young girl, a yearling about her age who just looked so… sad. She frowned at the apologizing and shook her head. “It’s okay… what is your name?” She asked as her head tilted to the side and she looked the girl up and down. “I’m Geminia… but it can be a little bit of a mouthful so most call me Gem. I’m new here… perhaps I can help you with getting water?” Two wolves to transport water would be more beneficial than one, right?
“I don’t really know much of what’s going on… but I heard about it… I’m really sorry for your loss.” She had not visited the collapsed den. She didn’t feel it appropriate since she did not know the woman who had died.
Enera did not feel like herself, and she knew she wasn't acting it. She didn't know that there was anything she could really do about it though; there was a piece of her missing, like part of her had died with her mama. Having Sovanya and Adonya in her stead didn't... it didn't really help. At least there was a piece of mama left, but they had been the ones to take her from the world in the first place. The yearling was trying hard to banish that thought; mama had made her decisions, and Enera knew her mama wouldn't want her to blame her sisters.
She'd promised to take care of them.
She stared at this new girl, slowly processing her words. "I'm Enera," she said, voice still dull. Her ears flicked back and she looked away as Gem apologized, giving her condolences the same way everyone else was. She never knew how to respond. None of them really knew, did they? None of them really knew what it was like. She'd loved her mama so much. Mama was practically her whole world. And now she was gone, and she was never going to see her again. How could they apologize for that?
In the end Enera merely shrugged. "You can come with if you want," she said. "I'm going to Turtleback lake. It's the only place really left, unless you want to go up the mountain." She wondered if they'd been up there, next to that cool lake with those nice wolves, if mama might not have died. Had it been the water vanishing that killed her in the end?
Enera. She committed the name to memory. It was nice to have age mates, even if everyone in the pack seemed to be… mopey. It wasn’t the write word, given the tragedy, but she could not think of a better one either. They were grieving. She didn’t respond to the condolences and Gem honestly hadn’t been expecting a response. What did one say to that anyway? She just knew that condolences were something offered, even if they didn’t really help in the process.
She shrugged and offered to let the girl join but she frowned. “How many are going?” She asked with her head dipped to the side. “I’m not sure now much of a help I’d be… I can’t really carry things well because I’m so small.” She offered with a frown on her features. She could go for moral support but something told her that Enera might need the alone time. “I… think I probably ought to stay and watch the borders while you’re gone.” She decided finally, though her stomach still churned uneasily with that decision.
What even was the right choice in this situation?
Enera watched Gem as she shrugged, the now-eldest Rayvne girl returning the gesture. "Just me," she said. "Woya's taking care of my sisters, so I gotta take care of her."
Gem declined the offer to join her, instead saying she needed to watch the borders. Enera nodded mutely, gaze drifting back towards the border and the trees beyond. "Good idea," she said. It wasn't like she watched the borders when she was here. She wouldn't be any good at that; mama had never taught her how to fight, and Enera wasn't interested in fighting anyway. Better to scout out water or food.
Just her. Geminia found herself wanting to go with the girl, but she had already made up her mind. “Next tip I’ll go with you?” She offered softly, in hopes that might help a bit. Woya’s taking care of my sisters. The realization hit her… this girl was the daughter of the dead woman… she wanted to once again offer her sympathy but the girl had seemed to brush it off the first time.
“And you’ll stay safe out there? How far away is it from here?” She worried about the girl, even if she really didn’t know her. To go through loss and burden herself with so much responsibility? She wanted to help however she could, if the other girl would let her do so.
Enera could see it in the girl's face, that oh-so-familiar look that she hated. She'd never hated anything before, but she'd never known that anyone would look at her like that. She didn't want it. It wouldn't bring back m- it wouldn't change anything. It wouldn't change anything and it felt like they were cutting the wound deeper with each reminder, and that look reminded her very much.
But Gem didn't say anything about it and carried on the conversation, for which Enera was grateful. She contained the urge to snap at her new packmate and simply shrugged again. "I won't be long," she said, glancing back out into the trees beyond their borders. "It's only like... a day or two out, and then back again. I've been before."
She couldn't promise safety - who could? She'd never trust safety again. They were supposed to be safe here after all, but she'd lost the one she loved the most in the most safe place. Nothing would ever be safe again.
Gem was at a loss for how she might help. In fact, she was almost certain that she could not. She knew neither this girl nor her mother. She had no idea what kind of loss she had endured and she had never felt it herself… it left much for the girl to contemplate while her packmate was out fetching water.
She sighed softly, but then nodded, trying to wipe the sympathetic look off her features. “That’s not too bad, I suppose.” She offered, thinking in the grand scheme of things and how scarce water seemed to be. A day or two would not be bad at all.
It was in that moment she thought of how she could help. “What are your usual daily responsibilities? Maybe I could help see to them while you fetch the water, in addition to watching the borders?” She asked, just wishing to figure out how she was supposed to fit into the grand scheme of things within the pack.
She was growing tired of the conversation, paws itching to get on with her journey, but Enera knew better than to be rude. She had a reputation to protect - her mama's. So she simply shrugged and nodded, thinking ahead to the time she'd be able to be by herself and wouldn't have to keep up her mask, where she could let go and scream at the world if the desire struck her. It hadn't in a while, but the ability to do so was always nice.
When Gem offered to take on her responsibilities, however, Enera had to admit a level of gratitude. "I take care of Woya," she said. "She's nursing my sisters, so I make sure to bring her extra food or anything else she might need." Knowing someone was here, looking after the pups while she was gone, would make the journey a little easier. Speaking of...
"I really need to get going," she said. "It was good to meet you." Enera paused long enough to allow a polite response before turning and jogging into the woods beyond their borders, mind on her task and trying desperately not to think of the hollow pit inside her.