Broken Boulder things have changed for me, and that's okay
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Things were easier for her here.  Sunspire had been unbelievably suffocating, and it wasn't until they were out from beneath its shadow that she realized what fresh air tasted like.  

It seemed as if nobody had mourned Oaxaca's death except for Seabreeze and @Olive.  To the seasprite it was murder, for another canine to come and sweep away the life of a child, and she didn't understand why it had been taken so lightly.  She had been so caught up in heling Terance with his depression and Olive with her grief that it took the suggestion of leaving for her to question anything.  Why had it taken a second attack on her own child for something to be done?  And why had nobody stopped by their den to offer their condolences?

She was grateful that they had been kept fed and watered, but they caught enough of their own food to survive with the help of the pack, and more often than not Seabreeze had been kept up in finding extra roots and vitamins for Olive since she was nursing the puppies.  Was she to expect that being fed and watered was all it took to be an alpha?  To show you care?

She didn't think so.

Even with everything the Sanctuary was caught up in, it felt infinitely more like home.  Part of that was because of @Delight and his partner @Alarian.  Although the two were not official, she knew that glimmer in Delight's eye.  She had seen it once before with Mato, and she had to admit that she liked this new man more.  They were holed up together with what she undertsood were Delight's children.

Perhaps she should ask them if the children could all be homed together.  @Ibis and @Okeanos were happier when they had been housed with Rannoch's children, and she thought it would be beneficial not only for her lonely children but for the now motherless babies of Delight.

Sunlight poured in from above as she collected herbs, mulling over these thoughts.
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Times were different for Lily, and not for the better. Vilkas was gone. Other friends of hers had left for other ventures. Alarian was wrapped up in his new relationship with Delight. And she found herself tethered to the Sanctuary, tending to this and that, when all she wanted to do was seek out her lovers. Especially Barracuda, who stuck in her mind like food in the teeth.

She couldn't stop thinking of him--and she wanted to. She wanted to care more that Vilkas had vanished, but instead she found herself dreaming of the dark man with spiderlike legs, wrapped round her. Tighter and tighter, until. . .

In her misery, the blackbird stumbled upon one of the newcomers from the south, gathering herbs. Lily mustered enough happiness she held in reserve, very deep down, to flash the pale woman a smile, padding up to settle beside her. She didn't know much about plants, but she should at least offer to help. At the very least, she should try to make another friend--even if this friend left, like the rest of them had.

"Hallo," Lily said quietly, the chirp in her voice long gone. "I don't believe we've had a chance to meet, yet. I'm Lily."
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Honestly, she did not know much about herbs.  She knew bits and pieces from what Olive had told her, but truthfully she just wanted to help Alarian.  She was beginning to feel that thing again where she more or less considered herself a burden, and she found that busy paws helped.  

The girl is not quiet in her approach, and Seabreeze turns to look at her with a mouthful of herbs.  She drops them to the ground before she blinks a few times, clears her throat, and says, Hey, I'm Seabreeze.

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She felt suddenly intrusive, like she had walked in on a ritual of which she wasn't meant to be a part. Something in her had changed, these past moons--she was friendly, still, but guarded. Reserved, rather than open. Her gaze fluttered down to the ground, demure, before she gave a small nod and opened her mouth to answer.

"Pleased to meet you," Lily murmured. "I'm Lily." She dipped her muzzle at the assortment of green things laid out before Seabreeze, bringing her eyes to the woman in a question. "Would you like some help?" she asked, ears canting forward in slightly-feigned interest. "I'm not terribly good with keeping plants straight, but I can follow directions, at least."
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She introduced herself a second time and Seabreeze was not quite sure what to make of it.  Um, that would be nice, she said as she decided not to mention it, I'm not really, either.. but I'm just going off of what I've seen in Alarian's den, and what Olive has told me.

She cleared her throat and made room for the other girl to work.  Do you like children?

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"Blind leading the blind, then," Lily remarked softly, with a small chuckle. She nodded, settling in along Seabreeze and beginning to shift around the leaves. It was very peaceful, and smelled quite lovely. She could see why wolves like Zamael and Alarian spent so much time with the plants--there was a quieting air about this that brought her some measure of solace.

She nodded once more at the woman's question, glancing over at her with a gentle smile. "I do, yeah," she responded. "Yours are very cute--I've seen them around, here and there." It seemed a complicated family relationship, and she almost pried--but from what she had gathered, it might be a sore spot. It didn't matter where the children's father was: he wasn't here, and that was that.

"So if you're not really one for plants," Lily continued, "then what do you like to do?"
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Well, Seabreeze wasn't totally clueless.  She returns the girl's laugh and continued to pull up some of the herbs she recognized.  See if you can get me some of these, they're yellow with wide petals, and some of these.  They're white, small and clustered.  Stray just totally made up all that on the spot, so please don't ask what they're called.

She giggled at Lily's observation.  They are very cute.  I do not think Delight's children like them very much.  You should spend some time with them, if you are comfortable with it!  They need friends.  Eleuthera especially, that girl was a firecracker.

I'm a therapist, she says, People say I am, ah, easy to talk to.

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Lily stared hard at the plants, trying to memorize perfectly their appearance. God forbid she picked the wrong ones, poisoned half the Sanctuary. Once she was satisfied that she could select them from a greenery lineup, she nodded, and began to peruse slowly, her ear cocked toward Seabreeze so she could continue to hear what the young mother said.

"I would love to be their friend," she said, a little absently, but smiling nonetheless. The expression blossomed into a grin as Seabreeze spoke of her trade, and Lily looked up, tail wagging. "Me, too! I love trying to help others work through their problems." Even--she thought with some ruefulness of Ali--when they resisted.

She cocked her head, feeling a little better than she had before. She had felt so alone for a long time--it was good to have someone new to talk to. Another friend. "Why did you all leave your old home, if you don't mind my asking?" Lily inquired. "I've heard some things about it, but I've not gotten the full story." Little wonder, with how withdrawn she had been.
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Seabreeze used to feel threatened by other counselors.  She used to be unsure of herself, and would wonder how she would measure up in comparison.  Now, she felt.. old.  Tired.  She'd been put through the wringer, and as such she'd gained invaluable experiences that would make her a phenomenal counselor.

So when Lily explained that she was also a counselor, all she could do was smile.  That's lovely, she says, you have a very welcoming aura.  That sounded like something Olive would say, and the thought made her smile a little wider.

Lily would not get as much of the story as Delight did.  She didn't want to ruin the Sunspire's reputation, after all.  Famine.  The alpha allowed too many of us to breed, because while some of the litters had been without permission, she had offered to terminate and it wasn't entirely untrue.  One of Olive's children died from a coyote, and my Ibis was attacked by a bobcat.  My .. husband stayed behind.  Loyal to the pack.  I don't think he understood the reality of it.

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The compliment rolled over her like a gust of warm, summer wind, and she closed her eyes for a moment, touched. When she popped them open again, she knew they must be glowing. "Thank you," she replied, a delighted giggle in her throat. "That's very kind of you to say. Your. . .aura. . .is very welcoming, too."

Aura. It was the kind of word her mother would use. Seabreeze reminded her a lot of Mum.

Lily's face twisted into sorrow as she told her story, shaking her head in dismay as the tragedies were recounted. "I'm so sorry," she responded after Seabreeze had finished, frowning. "That's awful. No parent should have to lose their baby." She touched her slender dark nose to the pale shoulder, pulling back after a moment of silent comfort. "I'm glad you're all here with us, now."
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She comes quickly to the conclusion that Lily will be an excellent counselor.  It causes her to swell with pride for a reason she can't quite place.  She smiles at the girl before her until the conversation shifts.

No.  Olive, thankfully, is so.. earth-tied.  She is graceful.  She accepts everything that comes to her.  I am thankful she's handling it so well.

The girl's touch comforts her, and she offers a thoughtful hum.  I'm glad to be here, too.  The people here are so welcoming.  I never felt that at Sunspire.  Not since the beginning.

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