Bearclaw Valley dusty flowers

normally indra might have been groggy for a bit immediately after waking up, but laurel's tone was serious -- and it jolted her consciousness immediately. she blinked slowly, but met her sister's gaze a moment as if to say i'm listening.

laurel's thoughts were very much in line with indra's own -- though indra never had the gumption to utter them, she had often thought of how different life would have been if she and laurel were on their own, leaders of their own pack - she couldn't ever imagine being without laurel, but wanted so much to experience a different reality than the hellish one they were currently living.

she nodded as laurel continued, and admired the determination in her sister's voice. indra knew laurel deserved every bit of it -- and so did her children -- and indra wanted dearly for them to be little kings and queens in their own right. it pained her to think of any other scenario.

but xan -- xan troubled things. indra's lips pursed in thought, and a solemn expression played her features. she did not think that the alpha had done right by them or his children, but she did not think it would be right to expel him either -- the children needed a father, and that was a role neither she nor laurel could employ. indra's gaze fell to the ground as she thought, while a worried line creased her brow. "i've been thinking the same -- not about xan -- well, i mean, about xan -- but about you, and your puppies and their future.." she started, already feeling her voice quiver a bit. she hated to remind laurel of the past, but she couldn't let go of it either. "xan fucked you over, laurel. that will never change." she intoned coldly, gravely, a long sigh drawn from her muzzle. "but he is their dad -- and marten and nunataq's too. he might not deserve to be in the picture at all, but they deserve a father."

for her own reasons, indra didn't want to see laurel give xan a third or fourth chance -- but maybe she was wrong, and maybe, magically, things would turn around... but she just couldn't see it.