Blackfoot Forest A Strong Mind, But Weak Heart

Looking for gaining a thread for the counselor trade, anyone welcome to help

Samuel had been thinking lately about his life choices, what did he want to do? He was already in a pack, a nice pack and made a few friends. He was pretty happy with himself, but he felt a strive to be better. If he had no use, what good was he? So, in turn, he would strive to obtain a trade, whether it was fighting or treating wounds, outriding or just speaking; he would take one up.

However, that was for another day. He quietly sat in Lover's Grove, observing the blooming flowers. Their color represented the rich blood that went around in everything living, while the pink represented the sunrises and sunsets of the days. Observing them closely, he leaned forward to smell one of them, the sweet aroma intoxicating him softly.

He sighed breathlessly, smiling gently and withdrawing his plump nose from the bud.

*snatches Sam threads*

She was finally able to run without pain in her shoulder, seeing as the fox bite had fully healed at last. It no longer ripped down the center when she moved and had healed fabulously. Now if the fur could just grow back over it and hide it she would be happy.

She was enjoying her new found running, having spent the day chasing off foxes. Maybe not a smart idea since she had only just healed from her last run in with foxes but no matter.

She slowed to a stop outside the Lover's grove. As the wind shifted, she caught scent of Samuel. She would never admit it but she had maybe, just maybe, a teeny little crush on him. He had quickly become her favorite wolf in the pack to talk to. They just seemed to click in her opinion. Even if they ended up mating other wolves she would be content being his friend.

With a wagging tail she trotted into the grove. She soon caught sight of him amongst the roses, sniffing at one with a smile on his face. She smiled warmly at him,"Hey Sam!"

While enjoying the calmness around himself, Samuel was at peace. Everything was okay during the pack time, though he needed to meet more of the females to see if they were compatible mates. That could happen later though, right now was his own time to just think. However, a voice calling out to eh large boy made him tune into the world and look around. The voice was feminine and familiar, Samuel continued to search from around the roses and spotted the owner.

It was Liri, a friend of his that he met not too long ago. He smiled warmly towards her, seeing that she was making her way over to him with a trot pace. His tail thumped against the ground, showing his content with her presence. Liri was a wolf that he could stand, she was kind to him, not to mention just how beautiful she was to him. Though, Sam needed to keep an open mind. What if they weren't paired together? Well, he was going to meet the other women, one way or another.

"Greetings Liri, what brings you to the grove this fine day?" He asked, head tilted the slightest.

Her tail wagged where it hung low in a relaxed manner. She had never been one to enforce submission from those lower in the hierarchy no matter where she went, Sam was no different. She sat by him giving a small shrug in response to his question. 

"I was chasing foxes, but they're gone. Then I smelt you so I thought I would say hi." She glanced down at her scarred shoulder before turning to him with a smile, the tip of a canine poking from between her lips. "So, hi."

"What are you doing?" What was he up to in the Lover's grove anyways? Maybe he had been waiting to see someone, he probably had yet to meet Amara,Maja,Amma,Madi,or Claudia. Maybe he had been going to meet someone here. 

"Oh no, I didn't disturb you did I? I can go if you want," she offered. She could be a self conscious one and the last thing she wanted to do was barge in on him.

Ah, Liri's answer was a good one, chasing foxes. Samuel didn't care for the feisty balls of fur, waste of space to his honest opinion since one of them got him good when he was a yearling. Damn thing gave him a scar on the bridge of his nose (that had faded fairly quickly).

However, she quickly looked around and started to apologize. Did she think Samuel was meeting someone? He smuggled a chuckle by biting his tongue and smiling at her even wider. "Don't go friend, I was waiting for no one" He spoke gently, his grey eyes closed themselves in a content smile towards her. He liked Liri to say the least, the best of all for the time being. "I merely came to admire the roses that grow here". If there was one thing that Samuel admired, it was the world's beauty. I stupid thing for any man to think if you put it in a stereotypical way, but Samuel enjoyed viewing nature at its best.

Hopefully Aaron would see that he and Liri somewhat clicked from their first meeting. However, he still had to keep an open mind about the others that he still wanted to meet. He let out a happy sigh and the sight of the roses before turning to Liri. "You should smell one Liri! They smell quite nice" he offered to her, leaning in once more to smell a bright red rose.

She nodded somewhat awkwardly, she was so socially inept it was funny. She gave him a shy smile when he assured her she could stay. Now that she knew she hadn't ruined any plans he had, she relaxed. 

She had to bite her tongue to hold in a laugh at the sight of the big brute sniffing at a red rose. It was comical in a somewhat ironic way, Samuel was just so big. To see him smelling a rose was just funny to her. He was a gentle giant though, he seemed too kind to hurt a fly. 

She had been intimidated by meeting him at first, wary that he could put his much larger size to his advantage. He had never hurt her though and she didn't think he would. 

She moved over to one of the pale pink roses, her favorites of all the roses in the grove. "It is beautiful here. It makes you feel as if you have to be quiet and not move around too much. Disturbing it would be a crime," she wasn't sure if he was listening or if he could even hear her as her voice came out hushed. The serenity of the place always made her feel as if she would mess it up, so she tried hard not to do that.

If Samuel could read Liri's thoughts, he would've been a blushing mess and giggling like a giddy school girl. It was true though, the large boy looked as if he belonged to a pack of large brutes who had the power to do anything within their paws. Seeing someone his stature smell roses did seem odd, Samuel even admitted that about himself before. But that never stopped him!

He withdrew his nose from the sweet-smelling rose and turned towards Liri. She had chosen a light pink rose, one that truly complemented her white fur. His smile grew towards her, she spoke about the grove with kind words. Truly, it was a beautiful place to be at, with the sweet aroma to the flowers. She was right, it seemed that disturbing the hidden place would be a crime.

"Truly it would, I'm happy to see more of the flowers coming back since its the end of winter" he said, looking around once more to the grove. "What have you been doing lately Liri? Anything exciting?" He asked curiously, large ears pinned forward.

Liri was not a very interesting wolf, not in her opinion, she was like any other she wolf. She gave a noncommittal shrug," I went hunting with Aaron. That's how I got this." She stopped to gesture at the bite scar on her shoulder. Her pale fur had yet to grow back over it, leaving the shiny pink scar bare for all to see.

She smiled brightly as she thought of something,"Amma is teaching me about medicinal plants." Her tail wagged happily as she thought about her friend, the two had gotten along swimmingly after first meeting.

She turned to him,"What about you? What have you been up to?" She wondered if he had met anyone else besides herself and what he thought of them. The females she had met were all pleasant and most of the males. Gotham could be a bit off putting but he was nice enough.

Liri's story of what was going on intrigued the boy, however the showing of a scar made him a bit saddened. A shameful scar on a beautiful wolfess like Liri, would it fade? She told him of other events, meeting with a healer to learn and such, partaking in a hunt. It sounded so exciting, he almost was jealoud of her. She soon returned him the same question, Samuel thought back before replying.

"I haven't done much actually, I met another wolf, I think her name was Maja, though she didn't share too many words with me" he spoke to her, trying to think about what else he did. In all honesty, he really didn't accomplish things that Liri did. He was so aloof that he just stuck to himself and ventured around the territory. "Though, I did visit other places of the territory and practiced on more of my counseling trade".

She smiled,"I too have met Maja. She's a bit quiet." She too had been around the territory, another favorite being a small cave housing a crystal clear spring. The water had been very cold when she touched a paw to it though, causing her to squeal girlishly before pulling it away.

"That's good to hear. How do you practice as a counselor?" She was curious about his profession, she wasn't sure how exactly one became a counselor or how you practiced to become one.

Liri too had met the quiet red one, acknowledging that Maja did have little words to exchange. He nodded to her, ears perking up towards her question. How does one train to be a counselor? He gave her a thoughtful look before smiling once more. "Well, you mostly practice with situations. You always have to put yourself in the other wolf's paws and walk in them for as long as they have" he started off towards Liri, grey eyes flickering around the grove.

"Being a counselor means being able to help others with their mentality and morale" he said, looking at Liri once more. "Care to help me out?" He asked gently, hoping she would say yes. He wouldn't dig deep with her past, but maybe if she shared some personal things with him, he could help heal her scars of the past.

She nodded hesitantly, unsure how he was going to put himself in her paws. It was metaphoric of course but she didn't want anyone seeing much about her. She had run away for that exact reason, to leave the old Liri behind.

"What do I need to do?" She was willing to help him even though it was clear she was unsure. She had buried her past and didn't want to dig it back up.

Liri was a bit hesitant to accept Samuel's question, but she did it anyways. He liked that about Liri, she soon asked about how she was going to help him. His tail thumped in thought, his gaze lifting towards the bright sky to figure things out. "Well-" he started off, looking towards her. "Give me a problem. Anything, it doesn't matter what it is. Make one up if you want! It just has to do with the mental state" he replied.


She could do that, right? However, the boy wasn't aware of Liri's past, though he had heard small pieces of it. Hopefully, he wouldn't dig too deep into her, he didn't want to cause any involuntary pain towards the ghost colored wolf.

She had many problems, mostly thanks to Remo. Her recurring nightmares for instant, her anxiety, the scars that littered her body only visible when wet. Her fear when people raised their voices was another good example but the biggest was her aversion to touch. 

She could not begin to explain the flesh crawling sensation of being touched, the way she would flinch if it happened suddenly. She was reluctant to say any of this but she had agreed to help him. Deciding to keep it simple, she replied monotonously. "I'm afraid of being touched."

In a stable voice, the white countess replied to Samuel's request. She doesn't like to be touched. He nodded his head at Liri's statement before looking towards her with pale grey eyes.

"Hmm.." He started off, looking towards her. "Is it severe?" He asked gently, almost nervous about how deep he was digging into her past.

"If it is, would you mind elaborating about what sets it off to you."

Was it severe? She truly didn't know. She flinched away from touch with a fear that was unnatural. She supposed then that it was severe,most people weren't afraid of being touched the way she was. Some might be uncomfortable but none she knew jerked away. She nodded in response to his first question.

"I have not known a gentle touch, so to speak. My father raised me and my siblings but we weren't very close as a family. There was no warmth there between us, only a sense of duty to raise the pups he sired." Her brother had been the same, abandoning his two sisters on a cold stormy night when they could not track him. Ameta had just been distant, quiet, reserved. They did not share much warmth either.

"My last mate he was a cruel man. He liked causing pain in those who could not defend themselves. I suppose I have just grown adverse to it," she wrapped up. She was nervous, ears flat against her skull and eyes averted. 

She did not want to see what he thought of her now. Perhaps he thought her weak for not defending herself. Perhaps he pitied her. She wanted to see neither on his face so she refrained from looking at him.

With her reply, her look gave her feelings away. Nervous. She did not connect eyes with the large boy, she almost shied away from him. Her backstory pained his heart, her troubles were deep and scarring. He wanted to wrap himself around her and hold her like a child, though he refrained. He now knew of her fear of touch, and would not push any grounds with it.

He let out a small breath, then looked at his paws. "I see-" he started off, looking ahead. "It may seem hopeless-" he said, staring at the bright red rose. "but there is a way I can help you, Liri" he spoke to her, shoulders square and slouched a bit.

"How about we start with therapy?" He asked her, tail hugging his hind legs. "We can start off slow and build our way up." He turned towards her to see if she was listening, hopefully she was even with her ears folded back against her skull.

"All I have to do is get you used to the feeling of touch, and we can start out as slow as need be, from a simple touch on the shoulder, or bumping paws" he offered to her, hopefully breaking the ice walls she put up. "It will all depend on your comfort level Liri, never be afraid to tell me if you feel unsafe or uncomfortable."

Her ears twitched as she listened, the sound of his voice was not muffled even though her ears were flat. They rose some though her stance remained cautious rather than carefree this time. She let out a humorless chuckle," I told you I would end up coming to you for therapy."

She had to admit she would like to not shy away from physical touch. She was to be mated after all, she was bound to touch her mate sometimes. Maybe they wouldn't consummate her marriage even if she was Delta within the pack. The pack couldn't afford all the pups that would run rampant if every wolf lay with their mate. But still she would be expected to physically touch her mate would she not?

She nodded, taking a deep breath. She squared her shoulders," When do we begin?"

Her chuckle lifted the mode after her statement, she really did come to him for therapy. He let out his own little laugh before nodding his head slowly, watching her ears perk up the tiniest bit.

Her thoughts were quite true, when a wolf was mated, the wolf was supposed to be able to touch his or her mate. It was kind of showing the others that their mate was claimed and not for others to tamper with. He watched closely as the white one straightened her body before taking in a breath. She then asked when to begin, he silently howled for glee with his heart.

He wanted so badly to help her, and he was given the chance. "We start today" he replied cheerfully, eyes closed in a content smile.

He craned his neck towards her, though a nice distance away from her face. "How would you like to start though? What is your comfort on feeling?" He asked.

She thought about it, she had tolerated Aaron's friendly nudges whenever they met up within the territory for whatever reason. She had allowed him to smell her when first joining, knowing if she snapped at him it could result in her removal from the pack. But had she initated or even wanted Aaron to touch her? No.

She was not close enough to Aaron to want him to touch her but she refrained from revealing how much she didn't want him to when he was around. He was her Alpha and her friend and she wouldn't be rude to him. 

She trusted the large male in front of her more than any she had met amongst the pack and thought therapy with him would be easier than with anyone else. She moved forward slowly, sitting closer to him where her fur almost brushed his. 

They were not quite touching but it was enough to make her acutely aware of his presence and just how large he was. She gave an awkward little scoot and effectively leaned her shoulder against his side. "That's about it," she told him, referring to her comfort level.

Liri had scooted closer to Samuel, her fur slightly bristled against his. She was warm to his chilled body, he happily accepted the contact. Soon after, she put some weight on her shoulder against his, almost as if she was using him as support.

Her reply was that this kind of contact was her comfort level, and she would probably not want to move past it for the time being. The boy nodded his head and turned towards Liri with a soft smile.

"If this is your comfort, then we will work from this, however the first step in your therapy is to go slow. Every day, I want you to come see me and just do this for a few seconds, or a minute or two. It will build up your immunity to the fear of being touched."

This excessive with Liri would get her used to the feeling of being touched, and it would be very gentle with her. Samuel wouldn't push her far, but every so often he would raise the bar and continue with raising her courage about touch.

She nodded, unsure what else there was to say. She was taut as a bowstring as she sat there but his voice distracted her. Slowly the tension melted from her small frame, leaving behind loose muscles and the warmth that Sam gave off.

She would apparently be seeing more of Sam, which she didn't mind, as her therapy sessions continued. They were supposed to do this everyday until they began working up to other touches and so on. She felt gratitude towards the brute for his willingness to help her when she hadn't even known had to help herself. "Thank you."

Fade?

Liri was slowly adjusting to the contact, her weight against him felt more pronounced. He stayed still for her, not dating to move a muscle and freak her out.

She gave him words of thanks, he smiled and looked off towards the roses. "It is my pleasure Liri" he said, keeping his body still.

yeah sure

She said nothing else, just sitting in silence with her friend. The grove was quiet and peaceful, making her feel calm as well. Sam was steady against her side and she began to think that maybe she would get better.