Heron Lake Plateau We are old and our son took the dog away

Niamh actually surprised herself- this tactic actually worked. She'd just done what she would have wanted had she been in Screech's place- so she made a mental note of it, now that she found out that it worked. He calmed visibly as he spoke, letting go of some of the pressure of having a story that others hadn't bothered to hear. Other wolves might only see his story as an excuse or a lie- some way to cover up the truth. 

It wasn't hard to pull on Niamh's heartstrings- and she did truly feel bad for Screech when he told her his involvement with the Blackfeather wolves. No wonder, then, why he did not want to go to war with them after having been kidnapped and tortured by them. Now she found herself developing more questions for the Caldera wolves- how could they judge him for bailing on a war after having been kidnapped and broken? "I see. I think...I think had you gone to war with them, you would've been a target, anyway." She said. Surely the Blackfeather wolves would have gone first for the wolf that brought war to their doorstep; plus, he was wounded, so he could have been considered an easy kill. 

He went on to explain about conflicts with a pack called Moonspear- and how he got the blame for anther wolf's death...And that was shocking. "Did they not like...Check her over to see how she died?" She asked, and listened to him as he continued. It seemed like everything had been stacked against him. Elwood didn't believe him about Casseiopeia, and the Moonspear wolves didn't believe him about Galaxy. 

When he finished, he looked tired. Not as angry anymore, but just sick and tired, and put down. Niamh was an empath; she could feel the heaviness of a wolf who just wanted to be seen as he felt he truly was. She wasn't sure how she could make the others see this- unless she had them sit and experience the exact same story he'd just told her, but that wasn't a problem for right then. Right then, there was just her and Screech, so she found herself sweeping toward him, pressing her chest against his and resting her head on his shoulder. Perhaps a bit too much contact, but from all she could feel, it was what she would have needed had she been in his position. "I don't think they understand you. I think maybe, none of them knows the whole story- or is willing to believe it because they've judged you wrong." She said, warm breath brushing against his fur. "I'll do what I can to help you. And I'm sorry, Screech."