Broken Antler Fen berryblade

Eljay smiled gently when Teya said that of course he should talk to Maia. The smile quickly dissipated when the subject turned to all of the wolves they'd leave behind. He nodded gravely as she recited the names.

What came next was unexpected for Eljay. Teya admitted that maybe it was her who wanted to leave the graves behind. He didn't fully understand why. Maybe it would be easier to see their deaths as a part of a past she would no longer live in?

He had some experience with it, though. In a way, maybe it was easier to not be around Wildfire and his parents' graves anymore all the time. But on the other hand, they were still with him. It wasn't the moment that he had left the Copse that that had changed. He shared eventually, They'll always be a part of you. It differs per wolf how much it matters whether their graves are here, physical, nearby. But leaving here will never be leaving them. Maybe it was not what Teya needed to hear — her motivations for wanting to leave the graves behind were a bit foggy for him, after all — but Eljay wanted to try and say something, anyway.

Thank you too, Teya, he said in response to her next words. I'm glad I have you. He wasn't sure what he meant exactly by it. Feeling a little self-conscious to have said such a personal thing, Eljay looked away, then looked back and smiled sheepishly. I mean — I'm happy you're here, too, thinking about what's good for the pack and — you're like... Like family. Which was exactly what Brecheliant was all about. It was hard for Eljay to express precisely what he meant to say, how much Teya really meant to him; it was far too easy to say too little, or too much.