Set to the 20th of November, the day after Casmir brings her back to the border! :3 Set in the Silver Creek forum just to get Silver Creek wolves -- she's technically still in King Elk forest, but she can likely be seen/scented from the borders.
On the way back from King Elk Forest, Casmir had explained the joining process -- she had to meet the other members and integrate her way into the pack, compared to the instant ranking she was used to in the past. It was odd to her, but at the same time, it was easier on her anxiety to meet everyone one at a time.
She'd found herself a temporary den in the tangled roots of a tree just outside the borders, and had just finished digging an equally temporary cache for the herbs and seeds she planned to retrive today: Hideaway Strath sure didn't need them, even if there had been wolves there who knew how to use them. Better to use what she's already gathered than to let her garden go to waste. In fairness, most of them had died in the first frost, and she'd been forced to salvage the seeds, but even those were wise to save come Springtime.
Rolling back on her haunches with a wide yawn, Grace watched the sun creep above the horizion. Never in a million years had she believed she'd be with the pheonixes again, yet here she was integrating into Silver Creek. All last night she'd debated if this is what she'd wanted, if this was what was best for her.... Was it? She'd not come to a real conclusion, guilt ridden over thinking about Saena and the pups. The last she knew of them, they'd been traveling as little bundles across the Teekons in the jaws of the maplewood wolves -- but now, Saena wasn't here, and thankfully niether was Luke: Shreya, Spring, Laika, and Casmir still were, but the other scents on the border were not ones she knew. Who she wished to talk to, the russet girl didn't know: talking to someone she knew could be nice, but it could also prevoke anger of her abandonment.
What to do, oh what to do?
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with each passing day, Laika's scent grew more and more faint. Casmir spent far more time than he intended to at the borders, gazing toward the deep forests from which she would appear, but the hope of that ever happening was becoming weaker and weaker. for the boy, who had lost his father, his cousin, his adoptive daughters, and the presence of his brother, all in a single year, it was too much, and he found he could not eat or sleep without being ridden by a deep anger.
and so he strove to physically exhaust himself, to seek slumber only when he had walked or run or hunted for hours. it occurred to him that he could go out and fight if he so chose, spar, attack until his muscles were weak. only then could he sleep. and soon, very soon, he had to leave, to go out and find his sisters and brother, and offer them apologies, seek their hearts, before winter trapped him in the hinterlands.
he sought out Grace instead, following the trail of her scent until he found her watching the sunrise. she hadn't yet been accepted, but he had no doubt she would be. "hey," he muttered gruffly, settling down not far from her. [/tr][/td][/table]
The fact that Laika's scent was faint didn't slip past Grace, but the yearling simply assumed she was out scouting, though she couldn't remember the pale woman ever having shown such an interest. Then again, she'd only truly been friends with Esaro back in those days -- the others she'd simply known of, been aquainted with as packmates -- so who was she to assume Scouting wasn't something Laika did now?
Casmir's scent washed over her moments before he came into view, settling on his own haunches just a couple feet away with a rough "hey" thrown her way: clearly, he wasn't in a good mood....
"He-hey, Casmir. Everything okay?"
Her front paws shifted nervously, her tongue even darting out to lick at her chops in anxiety a few times -- she'd accepted that the man wasn't going to hurt her, but she was still wrestling with her own guilt. Normally, while her stutter would have vanished upon realizing she was safe, it stayed, even if less noticeable -- perhaps this was because the fear of being rejected also stayed, the fear that not all could forgive her like the Beta had for turning her back on them in a moment of need. Sometimes, she rationalized that her bum leg would have just held them back, that she wouldn't have been a use, but to falsley admit that she was a burden wounded even her short pride. The truth of it all was that she was a coward: Luke's treatment of not just Nova but her had spooked her, and without Esaro to anchor her there, she'd turned and run to the only other support she thought she had, in Nova.
"I've gotta g-go back to the Strath and get my herbal store -- want t-to go for a walk? Y'look a little.... Pent up?"
Perhaps a good walk would ease his mind -- if not, she could go later herself and get the job done -- and the russet girl would be glad for the company. Even she with her gimpy leg could handle a large load of herbs, assuming she could find a pelt or leaves to wrap them all in.
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Cas noticed how leery Grace was around him, and wondered at it. she should know by now he wasn't going to hurt her -- he supposed she still bore emotional scars from how Saena had treated her. a threadlike tendril of dread drifted irratinally through him at the idea that his pale cousin would find out he was harbouring Grace, and become enraged, but the boy shoved it roughly aside. he ruled here, not Saena -- not any longer. the boy glanced toward the yearling, making an effort to soften his tight features, and contemplated where it was she wanted to go.
"that would be nice," he murmured, standing to his paws. it would be a slower trip than he would make himself, with Grace's injury, but they would be back by nightfall perhaps. the beta gave a wave of his tail as he waited for the girl to confirm and to lead on. [/tr][/td][/table]
Grace didn't notice the real effort it took, but she did notice that Cas was trying to be softer for her benefit -- that in itself spoke volumes to her, and had it truly been Casmir she was worried about, it would have quelled her anxiety -- and made a conscious note to try to be a little more confident as to not make him feel bad. She could trust him, after all.
His acceptance was a relief, and Grace pulled herself up from her sit with a genuine and bright smile.
"We've gotta go all the way up to the cedars to get into the valley, but from there its not too far."
At least, she had to take such a path, remembering with an internal wince her last adventure across the rocky grounds of Silver Moraine. Though she was unsure, she thought there were ways right up the point that would deposit them on the morrass, which was a much shorter walk than going up and around, but something her leg could not handle.
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her smile brought one of his own out to roost — Cas nodded. it would be the scenic route for them. he padded beside her in silence for some time, observing her shambling gait, before the curiosity got ahold of him. "so, hey, about your leg..." the Beta muttered, before his voice trailed off. he wanted to know what had happened, but couldn't remember, and didn't want to pressure Grace if she didn't want to talk about it.
Casmir took the pause to survey their surroundings, keeping himself on high alert as the scent of Silver Creek began to fade behind them and they moved into the no-wolf's-land beyond. too many thing could happen out here for him to relax, but he hoped his tension wouldn't spook his traveling companion.[/tr][/td][/table]
Cas' returned smile brought a wag of her tail, and she was content to stalk beside her friend, smiling all the way and keeping an eye out for anything she could grab on the way to bundle in.
The Beta's mumbles drew her attention, and it took a moment to process what he meant -- when she understood, a soft and almost sad smile claimed her maw -- before she answered quietly. It was a story she could recite without much effort, stuttering, or emotion -- she'd made her peace with the fact that it'd happened, and she couldn't change it, but people were still going to ask.
"My father, he wasn't so nice to women, believed they were good for breeding, raising, and being training dummies for sons -- this is what happened when I tried to run away, after my mother was killed for standing up for me. After that, my adopted mother found me, socket shattered and bleeding to death. She saved me and taught me all about herbs -- she's the reason I couldn't leave the Tiaga with you guys, not after she'd finally found me again."
Grace noted the care in which he surveyed the area around them -- it was much more comforting to be going away from Silver Creek with a friend by her side, knowing that should she run into trouble outside of howling range, she would still have help.
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Casmir listened, swiveling his single ear in the girl's direction and she spoke, but his impassive face did not reveal the turmoil and shock he felt at the revelation of her tale. the idea of what Grace had been through was wholly foreign to the Mayfair -- he had never known such things, for his father had not been a creature of that sort. he looked at the girl with new eyes then, wondering how she remained so positive, even chipper, at times.
he understood completely why Grace had left the Phoenix wolves, and felt a stab of pain at the idea that Saena had done this to her. but it didn't matter; he was here for her now. "that fucking sucks. but you're home now, okay?" the boy blurted, leveling his cold golden eyes upon the girl.[/tr][/td][/table]
The yearling couldn't pick up much from Casmir's body language or facial expression, and she didn't know if he was just trying to be polite by not making a big deal or he just didn't know what to say. The ebony mans blurted words brought her looking to him in surprise, but a more genuine smile took over her face when it sunk in.
"Yeah. Yeah, I think I really am. Thanks, Cas. I haven't really been able to connect with anyone, or anywhere, since the Maplewood. Nova couldn't handle Tavi after Warbone went missing, and went to Larksong to pursue a religion, but I didn't want to go. A couple weeks later, I left Marauders Keep with Trick and joined Redhawk Caldera, but realized I messed up and left -- I tried to help a pack in the Strath form, but everyone just kind of left. I'm glad you found me, Casmir."
This time, she believed she would stay -- she had a confidence in this home, in the wolves who had so readily allowed her to integrate back into the pack for a second chance. This time, she would not let them down. She already had one trade -- Nova would be proud of her for earning Caregiver, but she had a long way to go until she was a Medic, and she hadn't achieved Naturalist either -- and for the time being she was glad to be titled a Hunter and be useful to the pack.
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Casmir was unaware of how disconnected he'd become with regular emotions, and so he couldn't quite understand Grace's surprise. he meant his words genuinely, but maybe it was her gentle nature that led her to believe an aloof individual such as himself was incapable of being merciful or warm. some months ago, this would have stung the Mayfair, but he simply accepted it as being a part of himself. Grace spoke names, some of which he didn't know, but he listened to all of them the same.
"i'm glad i found you too, kid," he teased with a dry humour — surely they weren't too far apart in age. "are we close?" Casmir asked, switching the topic of conversation to their surroundings.[/tr][/td][/table]