Stone Circle she's got her eyes fixed on the floor

eyes shine feverishly bright with the gleam of stirring tears as she nods quickly, at least one of those rigid knots within managing to loosen and slip free from her soul. so unwaveringly munificent to the girl, the world was not deserving of a soul like valette's and she wished there was a way to express just how grateful she was as the matriarch addressed little alsek. but word's failed, throat so tight that she might have panicked and convinced herself that the world was strangling her had she not grown bitterly accustomed to enduring such a feeling in the past month. but valette's words had dealt a tender stroke upon her aching heart, or specifically one word; 'family'. because the truth was, she wasn't alone and she was so damn lucky to have the wolves of easthollow to call family, and now alsek had too. they may not have the same blood humming within their veins but was that really what family was? was it not wolves that looked out for you, that had your back and cared for you? and was that not exactly what easthollow had become for her in these months?

she was not alone. 

jaded look lifts to linger on the assuaging gaze valette offers, holding tightly to it when the woman speaks. silent tears glimmer upon damp cheeks under the touch of the midday sun. such melancholic determination, each word tickles tauntingly at the fringes of trembling ears. can she do it? is she even half as strong as the unwavering figure before her, she wants so desperately to be but...wishing for something did not grant you it, not in the slightest. jaws grit, gaze finally departing to find the floor; focusing on the way each blade of grass stood so tall and proud, even after being tread on day after day. that's what you do to get by in this place, you accept that you will get knocked down again and again but each time, each time you get back up to stand tall if only for a little while. 

pain is pain, it's how you deal with it is what matters right?

inhaling shakily, she blinks rapidly to displace eddying mist tickling at her eyes before fixing them upon the woman. "thank you...valette, for everything. and i'm so sorry about your sister i-" teeth grit hard, sending a dull ache through her jaw. she needs to say it, she has to be strong enough to talk about him, for papa. he deserves to be spoken of, to be remembered, she must beat this pain, this weakness so that he can get at least that. swallowing, she'd whisper "my papa...he's dead" 

how can such a miniscule, simple four word sentence carry so much weight? strike a blow so hard to her soul that she feared she might physically stagger. eyes flutter shut as she continues breathlessly "i didn't go to see him when i was travelling with west tyree because i was angry at him because of what i found out...but when i got back here i decided it was foolish to be mad and so i went to see him but..i was just too late, that's why i was gone so long i..i couldn't bear to come back yet" ears lean against her head as eyes finally reopen, straining to focus upon the ground but she fought it with what strength remained in her weary mind. she would face this head on, and so she looked right into valette's steady gaze; murmuring "i'm sorry" in the end it was these tiny phrases that meant the most wasn't it? the little things in life, they were the things filled to the brim with the most potent.