Stavanger Bay I cannot close my eyes.

Set for three or four days after the fire. @Rouge

The days charged on ahead, never pausing to allow the depths to pick up the pieces. Szymon ascended the throne while Doe still struggled to come to terms with her loses, even as she learned to bear this new mantle: Akhlut. It was a strange word, tasting like ancient seawater on her tongue - she was still learning to associate it with herself. Still learning to carry herself with the rank that it afforded. She was a queen, now.

But if becoming a queen was meant to be a victory, Doe found it to be a hollow one. Half her brood was dead or gone, her friends and family had been decimated, and worst of all, the peace and prosper that she'd enjoyed thus far had been ripped away. (There were days she still woke with a smile on her face, before the smell of smoke would tear that away, too.)

But the pain was only temporary. She kept telling herself that. The pain was temporary, but she could not simply wait it out. There was still work to be done, and the longer she tarried, the more troublesome it would become. So it was that, in the dark of the morning, Doe sought out the pack's scout.

Rouge could smell smoke in the air but it was more annoying then anything. She didn't know the pack's allied pack too well other then that time she delived them a message. She wouldn't speak of this allowed as she though it might cause discomfort for the others to hear her lack of empathy for them. The smoke in her nostrils seemed to burn and itch at moments, almost as if the fire was proceeding to burn in the air. 

She heard the foot steps of another walking towards her and she lifted her head towards them. It was Doe, the packs new female leader. Rouge bowed her head, still not completely sure if she was getting his pack stature down right. She was still just known as "Scout" to the other wolves, which reminded her of her loner days when few knew her real name. It looked as though Doe had something to say so Rouge waited for her to say it.

She did not know the woman's name, but to Doe, that was inconsequential. She had gone many months by another name, unable to recall her own. She did not need to know the scout's name to appreciate her, or even to trust.

"Szymon and I must take news and herbs to Teaghlaigh," said Doe without preamble, though she greeted the woman with an absent-minded wave of her tail. "We would ask you to go instead, but it seemed more respectful for us to see Arturo in person. So we are asking you to look after the territory while we are gone. Muses will take care of the children, but you are the highest rank in our absence.

"Is this acceptable to you?" she asked, wanting to know that Rouge had no reservations before authority was handed over for the weekend.

As Doe began to speak Rouge was sure she would be sent on another scouting mission to deliver said message and herbs to Teaghlaigh. But shortly after these assumptions were invalidated as Doe began to say that her and Szymon would be going. What she said next was shocking to Rouge. Lead the pack for the upcomming days. Even though this was over a short period of time, Rouge was still very surprised that she had been the one chosen for the task. It was true that she was the highest ranking wolf in the pack other then Doe and Szymon but that was mearly do to her completion of the tasked she had been asked to complete, Rouge thought.

It was at this moment that Rouge saw trust within Doe and Szymon. They trusted her to talk over the pack in their absence. It was then that she felt at home within the borders of the pack rather then outside while she did her duties. The thought of the abandoning her seemed to disappear from her mind as Doe spoke to her.

Rouge was relieved that she wouldn't have to care for the pups as that seemed to be an even harder task then running the pack. Even though Rouge was honored she was sceptical as far as how well she would perform this task. She hadn't interacted with anyone of the pack really, other then those high up in the ranks. "I am honored to be assigned this task, though I must confess that I have no real connection to those with in the pack other then you and Szymon. Yes this might not have been the best thing to say on Rouge's part, but she thought that the well being of the pack was more important. If still chosen for the task Rouge would be sure to meet and get to know the others of the pack better. "I would reach out to every member if nessasary, but I thought this would be something you would like to know."

Though Rouge was one of their only members, and therefore, one of the only choices for this task, Doe still felt confident that she could handle it. It was only for a few days, and there was food enough in the caches for that length of time. Mostly, Doe worried about intruders. There wasn't much Rouge could do if another pack attacked them, but hopefully, she wouldn't have to deal with that.

"There are few connections among us anymore," Doe admitted, sorrow in her eyes. "The old guard has left us, and you are among the last to remain. I wish I could provide a more stable home for you and for my children. My hope is that, with faith, trust, and dedication, we can rebuild what has been lost."

She smiled at the other woman and moved to lick her cheek. "Please do reach out - and not just for this time. We will have to rely on each other this winter, and through the next one. The relationships we build now will be important for many moons to come."

Doe spoke of how Rouge was one of the remaining few that had stayed within the pack, and how she was really the only one for the job. Rouge would have to stand up, even if it was for a short time to help her pack. The though of it went through her head as she now through of the pack she was in as her's. Not that she was the permanent lead, but that she was felt at home here. 
Rouge was a bit surprised as Doe came to lick her on the cheek. She though about how before she had been so confused as to how to address the leaders with submission. But it seemed without Rouge's even knowing she has become the highest ranking subordinate wolf, and didn't need to even think about it for the most part.
She spoke about the realationship that would keep the pack together through the winter and Rouge knew that was exactly whats he would have to begin to do with the other member of the pack. ROuge went towards Doe to nuzzle her face against Doe's "I am honored with the task about will do my best to do you and Szymon proud while you are away."