Broken Boulder may it follow you forever

When Ioa was buried and Alarian had finally washed the scent of the mountain from his fur, he sought @Xahi. He had been thinking about her coming to greet him, wondering if it meant her seclusion was finally over; his grief drove him to act on his thoughts now. There was a time when he had resented her— twice, actually. When Lennon had first brought her, and when he had disappeared. It had been easy to fault the beautiful green-eyed girl in some way.
He knew better, now. Carrying a weasel from one of the caches, he followed her scent through the territory. Perhaps they could bond, now, over their mutual hurt— maybe he could trust her. Truth be told, he needed that more than anything; he thought often that he might never have it.

    Xahi had been feeling...better. Things were still a bit rough, and mention of Lennon still made her ache deeply, but Alarian was home, and had brought new family members. The boy had been her introduction to a new life, and now he had disappeared so suddenly. Xahi had wondered over the past few weeks whether the mountain wolves had ever felt something like this when Ezimette had left her pack. Maybe her mother wasn't as perfect as Xahi believed... 
    It was these things that Xahi wondered of as she wandered through the territory that day. She walked aimlessly, within her thoughts as she trotted. However, the girl was tugged into consciousness as a familiar scent touched her nose. The girl turned her head, looking for the source. "Ali," she called, "are you there?"

He paused at the sound of Xahi's voice, relieved he had found her quickly. Yeah, The boy called back, turning to follow the sound and scent of her. It didn't take long to find her. As he approached, he swung the weasel forward gently so it landed at her feet, and offered a weary smile. Tired as he was, he could at least afford to fake it for her. She didn't deserve to carry his burdens, too.
How are you? Alarian glanced over her, tail swishing slowly. His tone was gentle, careful; part of him believed the girl might still be delicate. Sometimes, he still was— sometimes, he couldn't get Lennon out of his head. But many ghosts occupied the space there, and he had learned to deal with them long before meeting his latest failed lover. He worried that Xahi did not have the experience to numb this hurt, though; he worried that her wounds were deeper, and would take longer to heal. It had been that way for him, the first time, and he wondered if it was too soon to warn her there was more to follow. There was always more to follow.

(Mobile)


    The sight of Alarian alone sparked a flutter of happiness in the girl’s heart. The dark-masked woman returned his smile for one of her own, though it didn’t quite reach her eyes. She acknowledged the weasel with an appreciative grunt and settled into a comfortable position to eat the offering. Xahi beckoned him over with a motion of her snout, a slight smile still on her face. As she began to reach for her meal, a question was asked. Xahi’s ears flicked to Ali, her eyes and head slowly following as she prepared to answer. The woman’s maw parted oh so slightly, “I-“

"Forgive me, but you really are breathtaking, love."

A strangled whine sounded in Xahi’s ears as the memory of his voice curled around her, it took her a minute to realize it was her own throat the noise had rung from. The sound was eerie, and so utterly not Xahi. When the girl finally remembered that she was speaking to someone, her gaze snapped back into focus. “I’m well,” she spoke, attempting to add conviction and confidence to her voice,
as though nothing had just occurred. “You?”