Sanguine Cove can you fit me in your plans?

The world had so suddenly turned bleak to the girl who had only stars in her eyes.

A girl her age had died on the lake. It was horrible, really. Even if they didn't really know each other. Adora had still been left with the lingering sadness. Found that it would not go away no matter how much she tried.

Was it the girl who died or was it this place?

Mama? She offered softly as she peered into the den that evening. Can I...tell you something? It was not often that Adora asked to speak and share, but perhaps her mother had already noticed her wilting. Losing the shine and radiance she had carried for so long!

(This post was last modified: Mar 01, 2023, 10:20 PM by Adora.)

Woya had not stopped thinking about the perished girl either. It could have far too easily been one of her own precious children, and the worries she'd already had about the mountain had only grown in response to that reality check. If it weren't for the coming heat, she might have even marched them all right back down the slopes and taken off after Adelard and the boys early. That wasn't exactly safe either though, was it? She was stuck, at least for the next month, betrayed again by her own damned body.

Hearing Adora's uncharacteristically small voice, she raised her head from her paws where it had been rested to look upon the growing girl with fond, empathetic eyes. Her poor, perfect little darling.

"You can tell me anything, love," she answered easily, patting the space next to her with a paw.

She sighed softly and quickly folded herself into the space. Feeling the comfort from being away from other eyes and ears. Just her and her mother, for now. Yet still it felt like her voice was stuck in her throat for a moment. Yellow eyes fluttered, looking around the den.

I don't...like it here, anymore. I don't think. Her voice grew smaller and smaller with each word. Nearly a whisper by the end. I like the other girls but...it's so sad here, Mama. Did it make her bad to wish to be elsewhere? To take Magg and Di and go see the world? Not that she thought they'd both instantly go with (if she even did go!) but...the feeling was there. The want.

Is it bad? To not like it here when it gets so sad?

This was not the first kiss of sadness in the Cove that she had witnessed either. Merely the newest.

ᴠᴏɪᴄᴇ || ᴛʜᴇᴍᴇ

Woya'd had her assumptions about what Adora needed to talk over, and while it was a small relief there was nothing else wrong she hadn't known about it still saddened her that her own brood had to be so affected by this loss. She adored their tender hearts, wanted them to be able to stay that way forever, but as an adult familiar with the hard ways of the world? Sometimes Woya saw that empathy as more of an affliction than a boon, one she almost wished she could take away from them. These tragedies may lessen in less harsh terrain, but they would never dissipate altogether. Death was a constant no matter where one went.

She set to grooming her daughter as she listened patiently for her to get all of her words out.

"... I don't like it here either," she replied honestly. Never had, but; "It's home to our family though, and sometimes we have to make compromises to keep what's important to us."

That was why they had come here, regardless of the heights and their dangers.

"You're never bad, Adora. You have every right to feel the way you do."

She was both comforted and jarred. Why did her mother not like it? Was it for the same reason? That thick sadness that seemed to be frequent around the Cove.

Family. Were they the...only reason for all of this? Did she have to trade off happy days for the sake of family?

She squirmed softly, tucking herself tightly against her mother. Overcome with all of the emotions and this well of knowledge that she was not alone in feeling them!

Maybe we should...maybe we should try to help them make a home...elsewhere? I mean! It's just...they've been so sad all the time here. It's starting to feel unsafe.

ᴠᴏɪᴄᴇ || ᴛʜᴇᴍᴇ

Woya smiled as Adora tried to propose a solution. Had she known that Nash's own brother would be approaching him about this very matter, she likely would have teamed up with the wolf, worked on convincing @Oksana of the same thing. As it was, she felt that both Eastfall and Vuesain families were content with living this way. Otherwise, wouldn't they have made such a choice on their own? Her daughter could hope, though. Hell, maybe she actually would be the one to lead the next generation somewhere more hospitable to canine life.

"That would be nice, wouldn't it?" she chose her words carefully, walking a tightrope between discouraging and preparing the young girl.

"Some wolves don't let go of their territory so easily, though. Not everyone is like us, where our home is each other."

It had been easy for her to leave the Chasm, but generations had lived and died here. If that mattered more to the Cove wolves, nothing the Macieo-Gerau clan had to say would convince them otherwise.

"... we can talk about it with them though, if you want."

She always did struggle with telling her offspring 'no.'

She didn't understand! If everybody kept getting lost, or worse, then what home was there? If family constantly trickled out and sadness took the place of them, what did the land matter any? It seemed selfish, to stay here just because of the land.

Yet it was not Adora's place to say nor was she even a child of a leader. Just extended family - and a young girl.

If they say no? Her voice a soft meep.

Would that be that? She'd suck it up and move on? A compromise, as her mother had said. Her happiness traded to keep family.

ᴠᴏɪᴄᴇ || ᴛʜᴇᴍᴇ

Again, Woya had to give her child honesty. So many life lessons were still needed, and there was so little time for her to impart them much less successfully convince each pup of their veracity. Many they would simply have to learn the hard way, in their own time and on their own journeys.

"Then we'll have to come to terms with that," she answered, looking down upon Adora as she cuddled close.

"We can't make other wolves agree, even when it feels obvious to us what's right. They have to live their own lives, just like we get to choose for ourselves."

Woya would be disappointed right alongside her, though.

They couldn't make anyone agree, but nor did Adora have to agree with them.

Yet...choices! What choices did she make if they stood staunchly upon cursed grounds? She was young but on the cusp of young adulthood.

What would you choose? If you went and told them this and they said no. What do you do next, Mama? Adora asked as she draped her head over her mother's legs. Looked up with tired and worry etched eyes. How grateful she felt to have someone she trusted to talk to about these things first.

ᴠᴏɪᴄᴇ || ᴛʜᴇᴍᴇ

Again Woya felt that familiar, torn emotion. Wishing Adora could experience the ease of selfishness while thanking her lucky stars to have a child who valued her family. It was the one thing that had always been important to her, and something she had hoped every day of her pregnancy would be passed down. Now, she had to hope it never held them back or endangered them.

"Do you remember when we said goodbye to your père and frères?" she prompted, her own thoughts going back to those last few moments the Chasm could be considered a pack.

"We told them we'd see them again? That time is coming close, hun. When it does, regardless of whether our cousins want to move or not, I'm going to choose to be with your father again."

She felt bad, plans being so vague for so long. Woya would have rather they had stability, but it would work out in the end. It had to.