Hideaway Strath Home, Home, I Love It So!

For @Zaavier ;)

Grace had never before felt so comfortable anywhere-maybe it was because all she'd been through, maybe it was because she'd found the place she belonged. Either way, her confidence came in great waves-ones that never seemed to ebb. The yearling was beyond happy, and often she was found prancing through the valley with a smile on her face - the only thing that would make this better was if Esaro and Nova were here.... Nova, she knew, was happy being a Sister of Larksong, and she didn't dare think of drawing her mother here for selfish reasons-at least the girl knew where to visit Nova. Esaro was another story: he'd vanished a long time ago, and for the longest time Grace had been resolute in her decision to dedicate her life to her work if only because she was afraid of another heartbreak. Now, though, it seemed she had other things to influence that decision-namely, the presence of a possible mate, and the hormones that came with maturity. The want of pups was both instinctual and personal, but Grace had more than one problem barring the way of that. The lack of a mate, permission from Zaavier, an official pack to protect her young and, most importantly.... A den!

Today found her remedying the least of those issues, the only one she could really work on right now: looking for a proper place to dig a den. She'd never actually done this before, for in the maplewood she'd shared Esaro's den, and the Keep had a communal sleeping area. It was a task that should have been relatively easy, but instead left Grace wandering around aimlessly till nearly noon.