Sleeping Dragon is 'i love you' a fact or weapon?

Even with Magpie and their hormone influenced actions, Thuringwethil hardly felt her future would be different. With Magpie gone, little had changed. Since Wildfire had come to her, there had been change happening the younger leader hadn't really noticed. Their absence, however, hit her like a brick wall, and Wildfire's confession only repeated the blow once the words have hit their mark. Assuming feelings had been one thing but love? Heda's love has always been reserved for her wolves, all of them, and equally.

She knew the history of most heda's over generations and she is to learn from their mistakes and perfect where they have faltered. Love, over and over, has been weakness in some form. A lesson they never seemed to learn, a lesson she'd been sure she would.

"I..." what?

Thuringwethil swallows a lump in her throat and she takes a few steps forward. Words might not be easy in that moment, uncertain of what she wants to say, but Wildfire feeling like she doesn't care is the last thing she wants. Love stays tucked away, hidden behind the teachings of Heda, but Thuringwethil lets herself out, if only enough to assure her companion. Her nose reaches out and touches her chin, lifting her snout to hold her dignity with higher esteem.

"It'll be okay," she murmurs into the girl's fur, not quite pulling away as she buries her nose into the fur of her neck. Thuringwethil breathes in sharply, making up for the days and nights apart. The fear she might not see her lingers, but her eyes squeeze shut as she presses herself into the smaller wolf and searches for the comfort she'd gotten used to.