Dawnlark Plains the truth be told you need it more than you thought

he wasn't sure what brought him to dawn's den that day. surely, he'd be best suited as far away as possible? she didn't want him around, and he didn't really want to be around. but old habits, as they said, always died hard. he was only half-conscious of his steps as he padded toward her sleeping place, a recently-dead woodchuck clutched in his jaws.

adi smiled through the mouthful, depositing the kill near enough for her to reach, stepping back and watching her gnaw on the skull for a moment. "thought you could use something a little more. . .fresh to chew on," he said, his good humor, at least, still intact. he settled onto his haunches, wrapping his long tail around his paws. "how are you healing?"

he could have sent kitten or loir with the woodchuck, but he had come, himself. why? it felt deeper than the obligation of a leader to look after the rest of their pack. he could not deny that he had once, indeed, had a deeper bond with dawn than comrades; while the core of it was gone, the edges, the memories, would take longer to fade away.

perhaps it was those lingering feelings that brought him here, today. damned if he knew what to do with any of it.