Northstar Vale Through the Hurt

A very pleased smile oozed onto his muzzle as she responded, and Shale blinked softly at the woman, shaking his head as she went on to apologize. "Pema, it's okay," he assured her in a low, gentle voice, touching the the tip of his nose to her shoulder. "Really--you did what you had to do in some unfortunate circumstances. We all would have done the same."

A pang ran through his stomach at the thought of the boy, so vibrant the last time Shale had seen him, and now gone. He had tried very hard not to link Burr's face with the blood and remains he'd found by the lake. . .but had failed, and now the images haunted his nightmares. To think such foul wolves roamed the earth. . .

"But it's good you're coming home now," Shale went on, looking toward the southwest. "We're going to leave the plateau, soon. We've had intruders--multiple wolves and a lynx--sickness, that war down south. . .it's time to find better ground." There was a lot for him to catch her up on. He would wait until she asked specific questions before going into further detail.