Stone Circle c

Alone, the wait likely would have been dreadful. However, as he stood there alongside his granddaughter, he was more at ease. He kept his eyes on her and listened to what she had to say, before turning his head to look into the direction she’d pointed out. The stones themselves were marvelous in size, being visible even from where they were, but what truly stood out to him was their use as a burial site. During their time together, he had not once imagined his former wife passing away, nor what he would have done with her bones in the event of such. As he gazed at the mighty stones, however, he believed she was where she needed to be. “I think your grandmother would’ve liked it there,” he noted absentmindedly, voice just above a whisper. Perhaps she would have liked the location as a whole, even.

Kove was snapped out of his thoughts by the sound of approaching steps, towards which he turned his head to glance at the wolf—who was the very same that he’d called for, albeit much... larger than he remembered. Her sides were rounded out, telling a story he knew all too well: children were coming. How far along she was, he could not tell, but the markers of pregnancy were obvious enough. Had things been different, perhaps he might have inquired about it, but now most definitely was not the time to do so.

“It’s alright,” he said to Arlette, noticing her hesitation. He hadn’t expected to receive a favourable greeting, though he did wish that the child hadn’t been there to notice. He looked to Valette as soon as her child returned to her, a weary smile replacing the wonder that he wore previously. “I would never hurt her,” was the first thing he said to her, the way in which she moved forward having not gone unnoticed; Kove was many things but, despite his former place of residence, he was not a killer—and especially not of children, whether they were related to him or not. “I met your daughter in our old home, the valley,” he continued with an explanation. “She offered to bring me here and I agreed. I am only here to visit you and... Scarlett, too, if you’ll allow me.” Knowing that she was there made it difficult to resist the urge to find her, even if the only thing he’d find would be bones.

But perhaps his being there wasn’t a good idea. He was not trusted, that much was obvious, and years worth of damage was not so easily repaired. “I can leave, if that is what you’d prefer,” he added, a dullness in his eyes as the words left his mouth. He’d followed Arlette on a whim, after all, without taking into consideration what his sudden appearance might mean for everyone else involved. It was only fair that he now listen to his daughter’s wishes, even if they countered his own.