Stone Circle Bobcaygeon

She was surprised at his sudden apology, and opened her mouth to reassure him when he continued, so she quietly, politely, let him finish. She felt relief, when she realized that he did not judge her for not being religious. She'd been worried and frightened that she might be seen as a bad influence, or perhaps simply someone who'd come to the wrong place if she didn't openly admit that she would be willing to accept whatever religion it was that the Easthollow wolves had as her own. So to his question, he received a thoughtful look, and a slight nod. She wasn't sure, still, what- or who- he believed in...But morally, he seemed to be a kind, considerate and respectful man. A man who openly admitted that he had fears- but who would move quickly so as to chase hers away. Perhaps...Maybe she needn't be so suspicious...

She was given a moment to wonder, though, what would follow once he claimed to have been a pacifist before coming to Easthollow...And a moment was just enough for Oryx to fill her mind with anxiety, wondering what had happened to make him abandon those principles. A war? An argument? A fight? A change in beliefs? Perhaps his religion wasn't as harmless after all- but yet again, he dashed away her swift, irrational negativity by simply implying that he would do whatever it took in order to protect his family. She assumed this meant his children. This was something she could understand. He hadn't willingly allowed violence into his life- but he would use force in order to protect the lives of those he cared about. Her expression softened. She told herself to stop projecting her fears onto him; it wasn't fair for her to jump to conclusions, when Greyback presented himself clearly as a warm, caring and loyal individual. She drew in a breath, and sighed softly, releasing a bit of the tension she hadn't realized she'd been building up.

That is, of course, until he posed a question that made her stiffen, and stare at the ground with a somewhat sharp, yet vacant stare. She flattened her ears, as though admiting to a fault, like a child found cornered, guilty and ashamed. 

The only thing she had in her possession to protect was her own life...She had tried to destroy it. 

Unwilling to speak, she shook her head the tiniest bit, and it weakened her, so, to admit that she still did not feel that her own life was worth protecting. She felt bad knowing that she was presently a waste of resources; that she had nothing to offer. She did not have a means to repay Valette for giving her somewhere to stay and heal, without even knowing what had happened to her. Perhaps Valette might have turned her away, if she'd only known that Oryx hadn't intended to survive in the first place- and perhaps Greyback might see fit to judge her unstable, and unworthy of their protection. So in a tiny voice, trembling lightly, she spoke. "I will repay my debt." And admitting that presently, the only thing she felt was worth keeping herself alive, was to repay the kindness that the Easthollow wolves had offered.