Hushed Willows And we would both lose our jobs

I'm not sure, Nieve admitted. The guy who told me acted like it was her fault her mate was crazy. The whole exchange had really changed her opinion of Uaine Gorsedd, which up to that point, had been pretty positive. If there was nothing else she shared with her family and pack from this scouting trip, it would be to keep their distance from that pack. He didn't tell me anything about the mate, though.

Hearing the centre of the mountains referred to as a womb was strange to Nieve, but she'd keep the description in mind for future consideration. It brought a particular image to mind of what the valley looked like that might make it easy to locate. She had no reason to do so at present, but it was something worth thinking about if she went on another scouting trip. Speaking of scouting, she noticed the trees were starting to thin and they were nearing the edge of the territory.

I'm really sorry about your mate, Nieve consoled. She couldn't imagine losing someone so permanently. It was bad enough for her whenever her siblings wandered without a word, let alone someone she romantically loved. She couldn't blame Melkor for wanting to get away from any reminder of her. I hope this place works out for you. It's really lovely here. Anyone with eyeballs could see that the willows were secluded, peaceful, and easily defensible.

Thank you for escorting me, Nieve said as they arrived at the dried up creek she'd used as a path down to the willows a week ago. I'll let my pack know you're thinking about settling here so they know to keep away from this place in the future. With a few final parting words, Nieve headed back up the mountain toward home.