Stone Circle Misstep

For @Skáld! <333

The Protector had noticed Skàld's distain when she howled upon Gunnar's death. 
The tension between them now, it sat sour in her gut.

No hatred, no anger. 

Only an earnest desire to set right her wrong...
Or try, at least. 

And so she attempted to find the boy.
She called for him as she went, the worry in her tone genuine as she set forth an honest effort...
But ultimately she knew she could not force the younger wolf to come to her, nor would she attempt to...he would come in his own time, when he was ready...if he ever was. 

The Norsemaiden stopped calling then, and would halt somewhere within view of the Stones, though not in the immediate vicinity of them. She did not want to offend a second time.

Ulfhild would instead start trying to look for something to hunt, to even begin to offer an apology to Skàld.

Words only mattered if met and followed by action.

tag for reference <3

Now was the time to think as Gunnar did, and do as he would have. The pack was missing an integral part of their family unit, and thus there were roles left behind that would need to be filled. While Skáld had begun learning caretaking and puppysitting long ago, he now tasked himself with border patrols whenever he could find some spare time away from the two families with children. For @Taktuq and the children, he hunted and left spruce grouse for them to eat, knowing that they must eat in spite of their grief. 

A worried call sung out for him, and he exhaled softly, ears flicking back as he discerned the tone. Ulfhild- normally a highly focused, dedicated guardian for the pack, who summoned him now. His first thought was that she might want to apologize, and he intended to ignore that summon for a while- but then he realized that if she'd learned her lesson and was now calling with urgent news that wasn't to be broadcast...he'd better go. 

He made his way toward the Circle of Stones, to see her sniffing about, hunting possible. He wuffed softly to catch her attention, flicking forward one slightly floppy, ear, wreathed in curls, to see what she wanted.

After a time, she heard a soft whuff somewhere behind her.
The guardian lifted her head from the dying grasses to see Skald standing there. 

Ulfhild was quiet for a long moment, ears slanted back slightly as she took a breath...

"I apologize...for not handling Fadir's death in a better way..." She began, softly.
"It was not right, that I broadcasted his death...I know that now..." She tried to keep her voice steady as her eyes glistened with raw emotion in the form of tearr

"I only ever wanted to do right by Gunnar, and it is clear, now...I have failed, by creating this rift between you and I. And by not behaving in a better manner, to make room for everyone else's grief..." Ulfhild breathed, genuine sorrow in her amber gaze as she looked at Skald.
She felt her thick, strong forelimbs quiver slightly, the quake in her chest and her ribs as she fought to not cry...now did not feel like an appropriate time to cry...
And her body betrayed her as drops began to roll down her face.

Ulfhild turned her head downward in a bow, with obvious shame, and a defeated sigh...

"I understand if you do not forgive me." She uttered for him, ears fully flat.
She anticipated he wouldn't, but she was not so disrespectful as to turn away when she was talking to somebody, even if she assumed something.

just going to tidy this one up <3

She certainly looked as though she was sorry, but her pain would do nothing to ease the suffering that she had put the children through. He was stern and calm as he watched her, unmoving and apathetic to her suffering. Her apology certainly was dramatic, but it did little to soothe Skáld's ruffled opinion of her. 

"I am not one who need apology." He said, simply. "I do not forgive, yet. Get forgiveness from the children." He stated. After all, they were the ones who had had to hear of their father's death via a howl. 

He made his discontent fairly obvious, and turned his shoulder toward her, to show that he wanted nothing else said. Pleading would fall on ears that would not listen; he stalked away, hoping she might at least try to remedy things with Gunnar's family.