Morningside Cuesta Where To Go From Here

The old mother left the group to wander around the place they had stopped at. She had things to think about. By things, it was everything. The loss of their old pack, Eden's death. But over everything hanged the shadow of her guilt. Of losing her children. Again, she lost her own children. Her own flesh and blood. Despite having Sylvas and the young who came with them, in her heart she had no one.

She sat down on a rock, overlooking a small body of water. Her reflection showed the disappointment she had in herself. The reflection beckoned to her. Despite what her mind said about her promise to protect the young, Sylvas's children. But her heart said she had done all she could. A small whine came out from deep within. "Why...Why all this pain?" What had she done to bring all this pain to herself.

@Akuti

Akuti had decided after her talk with Grayday that if she was to stay, she would make her time with them worthwhile. Of course, that was hard to do without knowing the wolves who she would soon share a home with. Wandering around the territory, she came across a peppered woman kneeling over a large puddle. Akuti approached, albeit a bit apprehensiely, and barked once near enough. Heartha, right? she asked, a slight accent to her words. I don't think we've been formally introduced. I'm Akuti. A smile came across her maw as she took a seat beside the large femme and took a moment to examine her expression.

I, um — I heard you just now, talking. Anything you want to talk about?

Heartha's tail stood up a bit out of surprise when someone called her name. Her head turned to the wolf who said her name, her eyes meeting with a female, one of the other wolves that had joined with them. She foreced a smile to her face, and a wag of her tail. But her eyes still held her sadness.

"Yes" she replied, turning away from the water. Her ears fell, as did her face and she looked away, feeling embarassed that someone had heard her talking to herself. She felt so much pain. "It's...It's nothing." But anyone would easily be able to tell that she did have something on her mind.

Seems like a whole lot of nothing, if you ask me. Akuti gave a sheepish smile to the woman and reached a paw out to her, though this put her in a position very near to the ground as she had not the reach of her purebred counterparts. You can tell me. We might have more in common than you think. And indeed they did, though neither woman would know that just yet. Their tales were quite similar, once beaten down to the nitty gritty, and getting to that point was just what Akuti intended to do. They were packmates now, and she knew how important it was to trust your closest neighbors. No one wanted to feel unwelcome, nor did she want to make anyone feel that way.

Heartha's smile was completely gone by the time Akuti caught on. So she hopped down to Akuti's level, a somber look in her eyes. She felt the pain rising. And she had to let it out. Akuti had just given her permission to do so. Her eyes started to water up, her lip trembling. Before she knew it, she burst out into tears. 

"They're gone!" She leaned right over to Akuti for comfort, wanting to stuff herface into her shoulder in an attempt to hide herself. "My children are gone...I lost them..."

It was obvious that this was something which needed to be talked about, whether Heartha liked it or not. Akuti watched the large woman break down, bracing herself for impact should one choose to nestle into her shoulder. The loss of children was something which she could relate to, despite what it seemed Heartha believed. Akuti had left her own babes only days after they had been born with no further word on how she would ever get them back or if she would ever be able to see them again. Though she knew it was for the better, it surely hurt like a bitch.

I've lost mine, too, she whispered, though it was moreso to herself than to Heartha. What do you mean you've lost them? God forbid the whelps had passed, as that was something which Akuti couldn't help her with. But perhaps if they had some sort of common ground.

Heartha sobbed heavily, trying to speak through her cries. Her eyes wet, as well as the fur around her eyes dripping wet from tears. "I..I..I don't kn-know!" It had been her sole duty to protect them, from death or otherwise. "I d-don't know wh-what to do" she hiccuped, not even wanting to loon anyone in the eye.

"Akuti. Wh-what do I do?" she said, finally. She moved her head up to look to Akuti, looking for advice from her. Anything, truly anything. Any words, as long as they comforted her.

What do I do?

It was something Akuti had been asking herself more and more lately. There was never a right answer — leave and go back, go get them and bring them, disappear altogether — and she had retired to believing that there never would be. Honestly, she began with a deep breath, I don't know. She bit at the inside of her cheek as she listened to the woman sniffle, then thought to speak again, What do you think you should do?

Akuti's response shocked heartha, as she had expected an answer. It got her to stop crying, and it made her think. She had been thinking that already, but getting someone else to ask that, it made her think more. 

"I..." She took a breath, trying to calm her breaths more, her gaze toward the ground. "I need to live...I need to keep going, for them..." She looked back up to Akuti's face. "I need to keep going."

Then I guess you don't need me to tell you that, huh? Akuti gave a sheepish smile and approached the woman to plant a kiss upon her forehead. They are with you, Heartha, she whispered, Every step of the way. Akuti turned and began to walk away, but not before leaving another final kiss on her new packmate's shoulder.

Heartha put a little smile on, nodding slowly. "I..I guess...Thank you" she said back, her tail gently swaying back behind her. Here with her. She could learn to believe that. Akuti started to move away, and Heartha put a paw up qhuickly to stop her. Only to withdraw it. She had taken enough of her time. She went back to laying down on the rock, to think of things.