Stone Circle oh, it feels like ages though you say it's only days

@Valette, if you have time?

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She hadn't seen the alpha for since the girl's death, though today had gathered her courage and spent much of the day searching for the perfect hare, and six attempts had cumulated in the current prize hanging from her jaws. She'd inspected it a time, worrying it inadequate or wrong, before finally scooping it in her jaws and trotting carefully towards Valette's den, wincing at the pain of her cracked scabs and the odd smell that began to radiate from them. 

When finally she found herself before the woman's den, she paused a good distance away, wavering a moment before barking softly, calling, "valette? ma'am?"  Suddenly she worried if her presence would be wanted or welcome, but swallowed past her worries and remained rooted as she waited to see if the woman dwelled within.

Valette had been more with Steph, especially since Keoni had left her and wanted to spend time with the children she still had left. Valette tried to be active with new members and meeting them at the borders but she hadn't done much herd watching. It would mean that she had too much room for thinking about Keoni. At least, if she fussed over Steph or Nikai, then her mind would be occupied.

Valette looked up from her paws when she heard someone approach. The footsteps were far lighter. The female raised her brows. When she heard the female's voice she knew it was Poppy. Valette slowly pushed herself to her feet and then popped her head from her den. "Poppy," she greeted, though her tone was a bit sad. "Is something wrong?," was the first thing the female could think about.

Valette's head popped out from the den, though the rest of her remained inside. Her tone was sad, and she seemed to be preparing for more bad news. Poppy shook her head, nerves settling. It was far too late to turn back now, anyway. "no, I - brought you this."  Carefully, she placed the rabbit a little closer to the woman's den, blinking at it once and hoping it satisfactory before looking back to the female. "I can't - I don't know how it feels, to lose a daughter. But-" She blinked, a bit of frustration at her inability to express how she felt having her shift her weight.  " I didn't know her well, but she was very kind, and very good." She said at last, gaze blinking at the woman.  "and you know that, but - I'm sorry."  She finished at last, shifting again as nerves began to resurface. This wasn't going anything like she'd planned. Still, sincerity rang in her tone and her gaze, alongside the odd flicker of nervousness.

Valette's eyes fell on the meal the female brought for her. The alpha female didn't think that Poppy would have it in her to take down a prey like that. Valette glanced at her sadly when Poppy tried to express that she felt sorry. She started with how amazing Keoni was. Valette only became sadder because she had to miss Keoni more now. "Hopefully for you, you will never know what it feels like," Valette spoke with a sad tone. She wasn't really hungry but appreciated the offer.

"The meal is very sweet and that you come to pay your respects," She spoke to Poppy. "Though, nothing really will make it better. It was like when my mate Steady died," Valette sighed. Now Keoni was gone she could remember better how it felt to lose Steady as well.

If you prefer me not to join send me a PM and I can delete - figured it would be nice for Nikai to meet Poppy, too!

It was an odd sight, the tiny wolf that was with Valette as he hobbled into sight. He approached slowly, his back left leg pulled up and healing poorly still, but he was learning to get by on three legs better and better. His grief over Keoni didn't help (and neither did her being his medic, which meant he hadn't tended to his leg much since she'd passed) as it made him feel like his leg was the least of his problems. Keoni was all he had left in terms of biological family and even though Valette and her pups were, to him, as much family as Keoni, he still felt a void at the death of his sister, with whom he'd always been close, and regret that they had never been able to do all the fun things they'd wanted to do together.

As he approached Nikai chuffed to announce his presence. He looked at the food the small, funny-looking wolf'd presumably brought briefly. Nikai nosed Valette's chin with a brief wag of his tail in greeting before turning to look at the small wolf. "Hiya. I don't think we've met before, have we..? I'm Nikai." He glanced at Valette briefly before looking back at the other, hoping he wasn't intruding on anything.

Her chestnut gaze fell on the woman as she began to speak, head dipping a fraction. She was relieved that the woman accepted her offering, peering up through her lashes as Valette spoke again before lifting her head again. Her eyes widened in the slightest, however, when the alpha revealed that this was not her first loss. For a moment she was silent, her maw opening slowly. She had not been expecting this, though was saved from what would likely be an awkward response by the arrival of a boy.

He walked a little oddly, and her gaze flickered to his injured forelimb before darting back up to his face - brilliant green gaze, dark-furred, and with a smattering of freckles - like the healer. "hello,"  She greeted, though the boy was spared her usual enthusiasm by the somberness that clung to the meeting. "nice to meet you - I'm Poppy." Her muzzle curved up in a small smile, tail wagging softly behind her as she peered up at the boy's striking features.

Nikai is always welcome <3 <3

Valette glanced up when her son arrived. Though his walk didn't look as smooth as it was supposed to look. It worried Valette that Nikai was still limping. His wound didn't look so good. Valette swallowed thickly. She greeted Nikai with a soft chuff. "This is my son," she explained to Poppy. "Nikai, Poppy is a sheepdog. Murdock brought her in," she explained to him. She was kind of glad for the distraction.

However, she was curious how Nikai was holding up. The poor boy. He only had her now. She hoped he wouldn't become bitter and angry with life. It was all so unfortunate. "Is your leg doing okay?," she asked, her tone sounding worried.

The unique-looking wolf managed a small smile on her face and Nikai smiled back at her. "Hiya Poppy, nice to meet you," he said with a friendly tone. "You're very pretty. I mean — you look unique, it's brilliant." Nikai grinned sheepishly, hoping that she wouldn't take this any strange way; he didn't mean anything by his words, just thought it'd be nice to give a compliment.

Turning to Valette quickly as she went on to explain who Poppy was, he nodded, then, as she mentioned his leg, he shrugged. "It's a stubborn bugger," he admitted, as he made no secret of the poor healing process and was beginning to lose hope he would ever be able to walk again slowly. Besides, right now the loss of Keoni was on the forefront of his mind, not his dumb ole' leg.

valette was quick to introduce the boy as her son, and poppy blinked at him. he must be the brother of the dead girl, then. like valette, poppy too was glad for the distraction, and the heavy feelings his arrival had waylaid. she grinned at his compliment, adding after a beat,  "I like your spots,"  she was distracted then by his leg, and glanced at it. she stared a beat longer than she meant to, for even though she knew it was terribly rude, she hadn't seen a wound like his before, and felt a dull pain in her chest.

Valette smiled as the two connected. It would be good for Nikai to have a friend and perhaps Poppy could be one for Nikai. The leg was still a big concern for the mother but she couldn't show her worry too much. She didn't want Nikai to think his leg was never going to heal. Though it was taking a really long time. They needed a healer, badly. Perhaps she could scout for one. "Hopefully soon someone will join who is a healer," Valette commented.

Nikai didn't care overly much about his leg; it was really just a faint distraction from the grief he felt in the wake of Keoni's loss. He was glad for this distraction and happy that Poppy didn't pick up his compliments weirdly. He knew he could be forward sometimes with these things and that not everyone was like that. Nikai smiled as she complimented his spots and said, "Thanks."

Valette went on to say that she hoped a healer would join them soon, though Nikai didn't care much. He looked at the leg only briefly before turning his attention back to Poppy. "Maybe we could go hunting together sometime." As an afterthought, for he'd forgotten for a moment, he added: "I mean — When my leg's better." Nikai direly needed more friends, for he often felt that the only wolves he truly knew within the pack were his family; maybe Poppy could be one.