Stone Circle Why do they leave?

AW!

Valette was often found in the stone circle. She often napped with her back against the sun warmed stones, and she had a grey view onto the meadow below. She didn't mind sleeping under the open skies, but the fact that she didn't have Ezekiel to keep her warm made her sad. Where could he be? It had been more than a few weeks, at least that was how it felt like, and slowly she came to terms with the idea that he might have passed away. She was not quick to cry but now she felt like crying. She had really liked him and he was gone too. It wasn't like she hadn't been faithful, she had waited for two days around their meeting spot and returned to it once they moved there every day the first week.

Even the positive Valette would give up eventually. She looked out of the meadow below and sighed. Hunting helped to keep her mind of things, and hopefully before a new mission would come from Steady she would have her hunting specialty. However that didn't make up for the loss feeling that was swirling inside of her. She didn't want to be closed off again like she had been before. She didn't want herself to grow bitter. So she should not distance herself, and surround herself with warmth of her friends. A howl came from her, it sounded a bit sad but it was a call for a pack mate, a friend, someone. She hoped that @Steady might respond seeing he helped her last time when she was all alone and distancing herself.

The howl wasn't an unfamiliar one; Grayday had heard it often enough on Silvertip Mountain to know that it was a member of his pack. If he'd thought more about it back then, he might've been able to match voice to wolf by the memory of her voice. Now he knew because there were few others it could really be. Not Althaia - he wouldn't recognize her howl. Not Niita, who was gone. Not Anita, who he'd travelled with. Certainly not Addie. He'd know her voice anywhere.

Day's den was away from the stone circle - hidden in the trees and near to Althaia's - but the howl came clearly enough. No longer sleepy, he rose from his little dug-out and padded silently toward the standing stones, nose twitching as it confimed that the sad wolf was, indeed, Valette.

"What's wrong, Val?" he asked hoarsely, speaking low to keep their conversation a secret, should she wish it to be. He wouldn't be turned away, though - and to show it, the older wolf laid a few feet away from her, situated so that they could see each others faces as they spoke.

Day thought he could guess what was eating at her.

Valette hadn't expected Grayday to come forward to her howl, but perhaps them bonding would be a good thing. She smiled kindly at him in greeting. She studied his face and how he laid down close by but not next to her. She inhaled softly and shrugged lightly. She felt kind of foolish to feel so hurt and upset. But she just couldn't help it. Valette was a rather private wolf, not many knew her background. In fact she was pretty sure only Steady and Ezekiel know of it.

"I just miss Ezekiel. We were pretty close, not dating or anything. Mostly because I was not ready for that and well... He would wait. But then he never arrived at our meeting point finding this great home. I waited for days before returning to Silvertip but I still feel bad... I know I can't wait there forever, but... yeah. It is just bitter sweet being here. And I am not sure what I am suppose to feel... Did he leave me? Or did he got injured? Or you know he--," she couldn't finish that sentence. She didn't want to say it.

The fact that she didn't know was the worst part. She couldn't be angry with him if he would be dead, could she? But then again, if he would return she would be mad for leaving her, or even being as stupid to get injured. "He was a well seasoned warrior. I don't understand...."

"I miss him, too," Day admitted, remembering his first, tumultuous meeting with the man. That was in the past, now, and Day had a lot of respect for the beta. Ex-beta. His heart went out to Valette, who'd clearly know the man even better and had love him better for it. These were the times that he wished he could tell the future, but Day just didn't have all the answers.

For now, though, he figured he knew just enough.

"What's your best memory of him?" he asked softly, hoping she would play along. "Your favorite. I want you to think real hard about that and then tell me when you have it, okay?"

There were a lot of things that could happen to one wolf in the big, wide world. There were a lot of ways to get lost or hurt. There were a lot of good reasons that someone might not come back - but he knew for sure that one of them was out of the question, at least in this particular case.

Valette didn't expect that Grayday would miss Ezekiel, but she then realized that he was just as much a friend and packmate to Grayday. Of course he would miss him too. His question felt really personal and she flushed lightly, though that wasn't seen because of her fur. She thought about their moments together. There were many moments. Where she thought he had a girlfriend but it didn't seem to be the case and they bonded. Or while they were traveling together and having fun. It had been very playful. Or the times she made Ezekiel be all flustered himself.

She didn't know which one to pick but then she knew what to pick. "When I came home from my travels to the taiga and he had been waiting for me as promised. I didn't expect him to be there and he was." It felt as a really intimate moment. "He have me his bed to rest on because I was so tired," she then admitted, which felt a bit weird telling Grayday. But that had been her favorite moment because it had been sweet and intimate. It made her hope that he was not like the others. She then looked away with a light frown on her face. Because now that memory was a bit tainted wasn't it?

He hadn't meant for her to actually tell him the memory, but at the same time, he wasn't going to stop her if she was in the mood to share. Day listened intently to her quick description, glad the he knew, at least, that his next words would go along with what she'd thought of. He'd been fairly certain it would be fitting either way, but it was good to know.

"That wolf you're remembering - I think we both know he would never just leave," he said gently, giving her a sad but earnest smile. "I know it hurts that he isn't here, and it may not help to ease your pain right here and now... but Val, don't ever forget that. Zeke, wherever he is, is a good and loyal wolf. There are a lot of things the could've held him up, but you know better than anyone that he wouldn't abandon us for no reason."

He was sure that, in her heart, Valette knew this as well as he did. It was easy to lose sight of such things in times of sorrow. 'Losing the forest for the trees' was what his mother had always called it, and the expression seemed apt for the situation. "If Zeke is alive, then he'll come back to us, and he'll be happier knowing that you've been happy here while he was away," he continued after allowing his words to sink in for a moment. "And if he's not... then he died loving us, and knowing that you loved him," said Day, voice softening toward the end, but strengthening as he went on. "I think it'll always bother us not to know what happened - but it's not over 'til it's over, and he could come running home tomorrow or two years from now, or we'll meet him in the King's Forest. One way or another, the truth will be revealed - and we'll be with him again."

It was maybe a bit much, for a young friendship, but Day had never been good at just letting things lie. He cared about Valette, and he didn't want to see her hurting.

Valette's ears teared up. She was not sure if it was because she was touched by Grayday's words or because she realized that Ezekiel could be dead. Perhaps it was both that mixed together that made her feel such emotions. The young female slowly nodded. Gray was right that Ezekiel would never leave her. He promised. Something really bad must have hold him up, or something that was more important than them. And if not, well then he was now resting in his final place somewhere. She slowly nodded.

Grayday's words did help, they brought some clarity and most of all, a perspective. It was easier to think about it now knowing that another pack mate was certain that Ezekiel would not have left. The same would count for Niita. She would not have left so suddenly either. She nodded slowly. "That helped. Thank you Gray," she spoke and offered him a sad smile. She was young, ambitious and driven, but young. Even if she had been through a lot already that didn't mean it made it easier when she lost someone she loved again. In fact it made it harder.

"Lets hope he will return soon," she spoke. "And if he doesn't that we may find his body and bury it here amongst the stones as his final resting place looking up at the sky." She liked that idea, if such a terrible thing had happened to him. "You should be a counselor," she spoke with a smile. "You are good at this."

Grayday, for his part, was just glad that his words had helped instead of hurt. He wouldn't be pressing his luck by trying to be a counselor, but he was glad he'd been able to ease Valette's saddness, if only a little bit. It helped him, too, to commiserate with another. Valette had known Ezekiel far better than he had, and it gave him a bit of perspective to know that some were more troubled than he.

In times like these, it was more important than ever to be strong if you could stomach it. There were those that weren't always able. Day would support Valette just because she was a part of the family, but - well - it was in his best interests if she remembered this when he was the one not feeling his best.

"I'm glad I could be here for you," he said sincerely, bumping the tip of his nose against her paw. "But I'm sure someone else could've told you the same things - you're just lucky I managed to get it out alright. Normally when I speak more than a few sentences at a time, someone gets offended."

He didn't mean them to, of course. Day generally tried to be kind and peaceable. He just wasn't good at getting his point across.

"Still, I'm glad I could help you," he reiterated, trying to stay on the subject at hand. "Is there... I mean, do you want to talk about anything else?"

Valette smiled at the other and shook her head. "Nonsense!," she instantly disagreed. She was pretty sure this was all Grayday and his good and logical thinking. The female would not have been able to think like that. "You said the right things, and even though it might have been a guess you shouldn't talk yourself down," she returned to him, back with full on positivity.

The female shook her head. "I'm feeling much better already! Thank you," she smiled at him. "Hopefully Ezekiel will return soon and if not then there wasn't anything we could do about it." She knew now that he would never abandon them. There must have been an accident or something way worse.

Insistent little blighter, he thought fondly, resting his head on his forepaws and listening with a bemused look on his face as she defended his honor. Insistent and... nice.

"Well, you must just understand me better than most," he allowed, giving in to her easily, now. There was no reason to argue, and things were just better when she had her way. He'd usually be annoyed with someone so heavily opinionated, but Valette fought for things that Day could appreciate. If she wanted to see the good in things, he wasn't going to stop her. "You know," he continued with a teasing grin, giving voice to his thoughts, "you're not so bad yourself. If you keep being so nice to me, my ego's going to crush us both."

But he liked it. She was nice that way; giving everyone a confidence boost. She should definitely be a counselor, but maybe Day's few kind words were a little overdue. All wells ran dry without rain, after all.

Valette squinted her eyes a bit and then looked at him tilting her head. "It sounds like you thought I wasn't nice before," she pointed out, maybe teasing him a bit. She didn't blame him for thinking that, sometimes she could come off a bit strong, mostly unintentionally. She just liked to get things done well and right. Especially with hunting.

She was just trying to understand him though, maybe he thought differently about her in a way. The young female liked to learn how to read others better, so she could also try and read strangers better.

Whoops. Day ducked his head when she hit the nail right on the head. Maybe he hadn't thought she was very nice at first - but it'd been more him not thinking nicely than her doing anything wrong. Either way, he didn't think that anymore and hope he wouldn't be penalized for it.

"I think I just didn't give you the chance," he said diplomatically. He wasn't going to lie. "But I like you, now. I like that you're a positive thinker. Sometimes I have trouble staying positive," he explained, tail swishing in the grass behind him. Not so much trouble now as he'd had in the past, but that could change - and if it did, he'd be glad to have Valette around.

Valette wasn't offended at all really. If someone didn't like her she rather wanted to know it instead of having someone talk behind her back. It seemed Day liked her now though. She smiled warmly at him and wagged her tail. "Oh good," she spoke. "It is alright Grayday. You can't be close to everyone within our pack. Sometimes it needs to grow. I think we just did," she chuckled happily.

The girl nudged with her nose against his shoulder. "Well then I shall remind you to think positive," she spoke with a hum, after all her helped her out by making her talk. She could do the same for him by helping him that way. She was rather a closed off person. Sure she was happy and positive but she didn't share so much of her own feelings or what happened in the past so maybe it was good to have this type of open connection with Grayday.

"Good," he said quietly, unwilling to break the privacy of the moment by speaking at a higher volume. Burnt-umber eyes sparkled with silent mirth as he regarded the dark-coated shewolf. He found himself wondering how someone so selfless and kind had been able to disguise herself as someone Day had considered arrogant and even rude.

"You know, you remind me of my sister like that," he confided, resting his head on his paws and wagging his tail a little wistfully. "Her name's Sunspot - and she looked pretty much the opposite of you. But you two have the same heart."

Valette smiled at Grayday and quirked up her lips. She was surprised to hear that she was like his sister, but then again there were a lot of young females that might be kind like her or like her mother. Her mother taught her well how to behave and how not to behave. While with her mother wolves would run over her she did not have that problem. "It does sound like your sister is my type," she smiled.

"Is she around? I'd love to meet her one day," she offered. It did sound like they would get along pretty well. She knew that she could make nicer connections if she was polite and kind too. People would want to be more helpful if you were helpful, at least that she realized on her travels.

Turthfully, Grayday hadn't seen Sunspot in years. She could be any number of things and Day would never know; but he liked to believe that she was alive. Liked to think of her leading her own pack these days, with a good mate and a mess of kids and maybe thinking of her brothers from time to time - though Shale was probably with her, if he was anything by now.

"She's out there somewhere," Day said with a wistful wag of his tail. "If she ever shows up, I'll be sure to introduce you - but I imagine she's got better things to do than look for her pouty brother."

His head cocked to the side.

"What about you, Val? Got any family?"

Valette had to laugh lightly. "Pouty brother? No,"[b] she disagreed. [b]"Helpful pack member and honest man," she returned to him. In her eyes she was. He admitted that he didn't like her at first but corrected that, a very honest move. Plus he helped out greatly with the pack. Valette liked that a lot. She could respect that.

Valette looked at him and then battered her eyes away. "Um they are gone," she was quick to say. She didn't talk about herself in that way often. She rather kept the past to herself. "I was actually born in Bearclaw Valley, here next door," she did tell him. It was a harmless fact really.

Day's heart warmed at Valette's words. Though he knew her now to be a kind soul, it still felt like high praise from his packmate. Not quite knowing how to articulate this, he simply beat his tail upon the ground and shot the young woman a fond gaze.

And, sensing her hesitation, he pulled back from his line of questioning, instead choosing to comment upon her own words. Far be it from him to force such an issue. Though he couldn't imagine not wanting to talk about his family, he knew that not everyone had been as blessed as he had been. As he was.

"Bearclaw Valley, huh? I don't know if I've ever met a native," he commented, perhaps a little less PC than he could have been. "You're a scout, aren't you? You must know all about this place," he went on, perhaps praising her a little more than he might another wolf; he still felt a little bad for treating her so poorly. Besides, she'd been charitable enough toward his own ego that he thought to give credit where credit was due.

Valette shook her head a bit and chuckled. "Well not that native," she spoke and shrugged. "We moved away when I was very little so I did not know about this place," she admitted and then looked at him. She didn't went to tell him that she lived in the maplewood after that, which was in the same region. Oh well. "But I can understand why my parents picked to live here," she spoke with a quick smile, wanting this topic to be over.

"I only became a scout more recently. I've always wanted to excel at being a hunter though. I hope to get my specialities soon." She was really driven but somehow the scouting was easier to gain a mastery in compared to Hunting.

Day took a moment to silently give thanks to the Cat and Calf. He was glad that most of his life had passed with very little strife or contention. The only real bad thing that'd happened to him was the fires, and even that had been a muted blow, drawn out over the course of years.

He didn't really know that Valette had suffered any worse than he had, but something about the reluctance in her eyes made Day want to just cover her with a blanket and hide her from the world.

"Well, call on me any time you need an extra set of teeth," the male offered, because it was really all he could offer the girl. Wolves, unfortunately, did not generally have blankets.

Valette ws glad to have spoken to Gray about this all, and even though she was a bit more reluctant as she was before she still liked Gray for being there. "Oh I most definitely will. You are part of my hunting crew now," she spoke with a grin. The female then stepped forward and gave him a friendly nudge. "Thanks Grayday," she spoke with a smile and then turned around to go in her own direction.

She did not really have a nice past, not a nice past at all, but it had made her stronger. She knew where she stood and she learned a lot of independence from it and other important qualities she liked about herself. If she did not have any hardship then she wouldn't have grown out the female she was now.

- end -

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