Stone Circle there are shooting stars behind your eyes

As the days go by, Noma still struggles. Wardruna has frightened her when he’d snatched the food from her, only proving to be a constant presence even when she thinks she’s alone. When his teeth came awfully close to her face, she felt a fury she hadn’t before. He may have been trying to give her food that she ultimately rejected, he is also quick to prove he can take it away. She does not turn her nose up at any other prey he brings her but eagerly eats each time. After a few meals, her stomach is swollen and she looks worse. Eventually, the rest of her body will catch up.

Keeping warm in the cool months is proving difficult still. Her body has a lot of mending and the outer portion will take the longest. Her coat has been slow to grow in for winter, leaving her thin and skin bare, victim to the cold wind the whips around every now and then. Now that snow is a real threat, she can’t afford anymore loss. Tired, and still low in energy, she finds herself pressed into the fur of her captor if only to keep warm. The den is warm, kept so by the brute, and she is content to simply exist in the same space.

When he moves, she tucks closer into herself and remains curled up on the den floor, absorbing what heat he left behind. She does not realize how much time has passed since his departure but she shimmies out of her stiffened curl. She slinks out of the den, shaking our her fur and trembling at the new bite of cold. All the warmth has evaporated long ago and she needs to stretch out her legs anyway.

Valette happened to walk by when the other came out of the den. The alpha glanced over the female that came from the ground. She looked so familiar. Valette was almost certain. If only she had Steady to confirm, he would know. He would always know. The female looked like she had been eating at least but due to malnourishment, her coat looked bad and not very fit until winter.

Valette also caught a whiff of Wardruna. She didn't know that they were so close. Valette offered her a kind smile. "Don't go outside for too long. I wouldn't want you to suffer,' he spoke. Oh, why wasn't Krypton here? She was a healer. She would know what to do. She wondered if they had been to Keoni or not. "Are you settling in well? I see you and Wardruna are close," she commented, trying to make friendly talk.

Noma’s heart lunges into her throat as soon as she spots Valette. Her ears droop back and she lowers her head, gaze averted, in an attempt not to draw too much attention. The less the leader was around her, the less likely she’d recognize her, and she an already feel the shame heating up her cheeks. It won’t be long, she tells herself. By the time she gains weight and fills out once more, Valette will see through her. She sighs, lifting her head a little as the woman speaks to her.

She nods a few times when asked how she’s settling in well, afraid to speak any more than she has to. If she’s already skeptical of what she sees, her voice will only add to all the suspicion. Noma licks her lips, slowly lowering her rear to the ground and curling her tail around her feet.

Valette wasn't sure what made the other so shy. She stepped closer as the female sat down. Her head tipped curiously as the other quietly looks at her. The female did nod when she asked if she was settling in. Valette sat down as well. "You must have gone through something terrible," she spoke softly.

"You can always talk to me if you want that. I lost my husband and had some other difficulties." Valette smiled kindly at her and wagged her tail. "Do you like kids? You can watch mine if you like that," she offered.

She only feels the knife dig deeper into her chest. Valette has always been kind, even if she hadn’t spent a lot of time with her before. In a way, she regrets it. Perhaps things would have turned out differently if she had. She realizes she has a lot of regrets.

Awkwardly, Noma looks away when she mentions what she must have gone through and she inwardly sighs. She glances away from the ground, ears tilted back as she focuses on their outer surroundings while Valette continues to engage, offering her a shoulder to lean on. An invitation for more information in the form of prying, but in a way that isn’t prying at all. She knows she means it. Noma thumps her tail on the ground a few times, and is surprised by the next offer—to watch her kids—and her chest tightens, having forgotten. As much as she wants to shake her head and remove herself from any connection—and the fact she only assumes (very incorrectly) that they are Steady’s children—causes her head to nod without much control. She whispers: “I would like that.”

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Valette smiled when she booked some success with Noma. She patted her tail on the ground. It made Valette feel better that she was doing okay with Noma and approaching her. The female quirk up her lips into a bigger smile. Valette wasn't surprised that she triggered Noma to talk when she offered to watch her babies. Which female didn't like puppies?! Everyone did.

"You should meet them then," she nodded. "So they know you are not a complete stranger but a good wolf. An... Aunt!," she spoke. She didn't realize that Noma thought her children were Steady's young. There was some recognition in her voice but Valette pushed that thought away as the other had clearly stated that her name was Noma and not anyone she was familiar with.

Valette brightens a little and Noma can’t help the smile form upon her features. She goes on, suggesting she should meet them and the pit of her stomach rolls over. An aunt. The smile begins strained on her features and she forces it to remain, worried if she lets it fade it will become too obvious. She shifts awkwardly in her seat and nods her head. She wants to meet them. They’re cousins, at least, and siblings at most, and she struggles not to break right then and there. It’s me! Adeline! she wants to scream but she bites her tongue as shame fills what’s left of her small frame, a small tremble running down her spine. Instead, she remains silent and nods her head a few times in agreeance but does nothing to push the process along.

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Noma looked so timid. Though before she seemed happy with the offer. "Okay, well come along then," she spoke and quirked up her lips. Valette nudged her in a friendly matter to get to her feet. A whiff of her fur made something familiar pop into her mind. Silvertip. Weird. She was far too young to be in Silvertip, right? Valette looked at her. "You still look so familiar to me. Are you certain we haven't met before?" She asked curiously.

The one thing she hadn’t expected was for it to happen right now. Briefly, her dull green eyes widen and she frantically tries to think of a reason to get out of it. She swallows the sudden lump in her throat preventing an even breathing. She glances away from the woman and looks for Wardruna, wishing for him for the first time to actually show up and save her but he is nowhere to be found. His scent has long since been vacant since that morning. What will he think when he returns and she isn’t here? She droops a little bit but moves when the woman touches her, carefully picking herself up off the ground. The question catches her a little off guard and she bites the inside of her cheek, shrinking back a little so she can better follow Valette—and attempt to get out of the sudden spotlight—and all she has to offer is a twist of her lips and a shrug of her shoulders.

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Valette sighed softly, missing the brief panic coming from the female. However, she did study her curiously when the female stayed rather silent when Valette pried once more about knowing the other before. She did seem so familiar but why couldn't she place her? Valette shook her head softly. She then started to walk towards her den. She didn't really want to force the other in telling her. As they came closer Valette howled to @Steph @Ezra and @Clary. She didn't expect them to be at the densite. But if they were close she hoped they would come and meet Noma.

For timeline purposes, this takes place before Steph is attacked

Steph was laid out on her back in the den, not having started her day yet. She was content to stay in the warm den, all stretched out. But, the call from her mother is not something to be ignore. So, she turned, however slowly, to rise to her paws. She shook the dirt from her fur before walking out and seeing a stranger with her mother. Her tail wagged, always happy to meet others.

She walked over to Valette, rubbing her shoulder against her front legs as she looked at the other female, wondering who she was. She had so many colors to her coat, and her eyes looked a brighter green than Steph's and her mother's. She thought the stranger was pretty, but wasn't confident enough to say so.

The rest of the walk is in silence and as awkward as it is, Noma prefers it that way. She doesn’t try to get her to talk any more than she has to. The last thing she needs is to say one thing too many and everything falls apart and she’s more afraid of Wardruna might do if she’s found out than Valette.

Noma stiffens as they approach the den, the woman calling out for her children, and she wants to close her eyes and hide away. The last thing she wants to see is Steady’s children—her siblings—but she can’t avoid it anymore. A small little black wolf emerges, greets her mother, and then looks at her. She knows there’s no way for the girl to know who she is but she shies away anyway, giving her only a little smile in the meantime.

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Valette greeted her daughter with licks and kisses. She smiled at her. "Hi Steph," she hummed and then looked at Noma. It wasn't the expression she expected. Noma looked... afraid. Perhaps she wasn't truly afraid that she seemed to shy away from the child. Valette thought she liked the pups and wanted to babysit them. If she was afraid then she wasn't sure if babysitting was a good job for her.

"Noma, are you alright?," she asked. She nudged Steph closer. "Say hi to Noma, she is new in our pack. It is important that she feels welcome," she spoke softly to Steph. For Valette, it had always been important to be nice to others and not be rude to them. Her hazel eyes fell on the other female, wondering why she would be shying away from a cute pup like Steph.

Steph had learned rather quickly in her short time that a lot could be learned by simply watching. Now, for example, she watched as the new female shied away from her instead of greeting her. It was something Steph had never experienced before, since she was the one who was usually nervous. Valette encourage Steph to say hello, and Steph decided to do just that.

Taking a few steps forward, but watching Noma closely, she wagged her tail, her ears flattened to her head and her eyes wide, knowing she looked the most adorable doing this. She whined happily before sitting on her haunches before the stranger. Hi, Noma, she said softly. Her head was bowed and her shoulders haunches in a display of submission, hoping to entice the other female into feeling more comfortable.

She doesn’t realize how visible her thought process—even if they don’t know what’s going through her head—and it is the careful approach of the puppy that makes her take note. Green eyes search the little girl’s face as she sits down and greets her. Noma offers her a smile and a wag of her tail but her submissive posture doesn’t change. She doesn’t register Valette’s question as the puppy throws her off course, but she does ease up a little. The little girl looks healthy and happy and she struggles to fight the pinprick feeling behind her eyes. “Hi, Steph,” she says with a soft voice. The urge to give the girl a kiss or scoop her up in an embrace is hard to suppress but she stiffens a little, though her tail still wags, in the meantime.

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Both seemed to be a bit timid in their reactions. However, when Steph introduced herself it seemed to help Noma. Valette truly wondered what happened to the female. Her tail was wagging though and that seemed to be a good sign. "If you want to play with any of my pups you can," Valette offered quietly. "Wouldn't you like that, Steph? Someone to play with!," she offered to her daughter. She hoped to keep the conversation going. She didn't know the inner turmoil the girl was feeling. Valette looked at Noma, if Noma did want to play with Steph Valette wanted to be there the first few times. Just because Noma could be so timid and she didn't want her kids to completely overrule her. She was mostly thinking of Ezra that was sometimes rather aloof.

Steph's tail wagges when her greeting is returned by the new female, and her head bobbs up and down quickly to agree with her mother. Yes, I do love to play! Then, she remembered. But not with wolv-rines. They are bad, she said matter-of-factly. 

She grinned, But you aren't wolv-rine, so we can play! Her eyes scanned around while she tried to think of something to do. Then, she pipped up, We can play hide and seek! She looked to Noma to see if that was acceptable.

Noma wiggles a little—she can’t help it—and her knees and elbows bend to lower her a little closer to the ground. Not out of submission but an attempt to keep on the level of the child as she speaks. As long as she’s not a wolverine and well, she’s got that covered at least. She smiles and wags her tail, loosening up a little. Her nose moves forward an inch, as if to reach out and touch her, but she withdraws before it is obvious. “I like hide-and-seek,” she tells the girl. Maybe she’ll get to play it soon, though the thought of losing the girl hangs a little in the back of her mind but her voice is so sweet she couldn’t say anything but yes.

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Valette watched the two and went to lie down. She would let them figure this out together. She didn't want to keep interfering between the two. Valette was just watching to see how things would go between the two. Not that she thought something would go wrong but because she thought both Steph and Noma could benefit from this interaction.

Valette will be in the background, only when you tag me I will respond here! :3 <3

Sorry for the confusion on the wolverine. I can't remember my own timeline lol

Noma agreed to hide and seek, and Steph smiled brightly, glad she found a game the girl liked. Lifting a paw, she lightly hit Noma's foreleg, You're it! she deemed her. Count to ten, and I'll hide! she explained. She then waited for Noma to close her eyes so that she could find a hiding spot.

When she wasn't looking, Steph bounded off into the brush, but not too far. She was a few yards in when she decided to jump into a small bush to hide. Her tail wagged unconsciously, and she didn't notice the noise it made rustling the leaves. She waited to see if Noma would be able to find her.

I hope you don't mind if I end it here? <3

It surprises her a little to find out they want to play now. Valette takes a step back to give them room and Steph has already decided on who is who. She rushes forward and pumps her leg and she doesn’t flinch or move away. She smiles, instead, a little awkward, but she does nervously look at Valette before she moves in one way to turn around and begin counting. She hears the light crunching of steps behind her and her ears swivel in that direction. Once she’s somewhere comfortable, she begins to count, announcing the end, and together they play a little while after.