King Elk Forest don't pretend

He didn't soften, which indicated to Niamh that he did not trust her. Perhaps if he wasn't so weak and starved, he might've tried to fight back or run away from her. Like a fawn left in the tall grass, he seemed to understand that the best thing for him to do was simply lie still while in the grasp of something that could potentially destroy him. It had been a while, now, since she had had to be tender toward a young one; her own children were growing like weeds and accustomed to her strict ways. This child, however, was in very poor condition- she'd noticed the wounds on the side of his face, and sighed. Hopefully Alyx had managed to fare better than the dappled boy. 

Feeling guilty about having wrangled him to the ground, she spent a few more moments fussing over him, gently  cleaning the fur around his ears and the back of his neck, running her tongue gently down the bridge of his muzzle hoping that it might calm him. But she couldn't simply hold him and coddle him- he had wounds that needed to be tended to, and a belly that needed food. 

Eventually, she sat up, releasing him- though her posture was still somewhat tense, as she was prepared to chase him down again if need be. She wasn't going to let someone else's beloved child die in the wilderness, when she had the chance to help make him better. Somewhere, she hoped someone else was doing the same for Alyx. "It's not too far," She said, though it wasn't exactly close, either. But she didn't want him to worry or feel dismay. "Come with me," She said softly, and stood up- expecting the child to do the same.