Stone Circle set the show

@Valette! I'm very excited for this thread <3

Ezekiel was possibly starting to get over his elongated period of mourning. Steady's death and Valette's distancing herself from her had been extremely hard on the young man, he'd felt even more alone than he ever had before. He personally excluded himself from the pack, avoiding its other members when he could, only leaving his den for mandatory meetings and hunts, patrols and to relieve himself. He had been through much death in his life, but for some reason, this was the one that got him.

But he was at last starting to move on, as he had many times in the past. He would never forget Steady, and he would always love Valette, but he had to keep living. He still had Krypton, and even though he didn't know most of them; this pack was his new family to protect. With or without his brother, Ezekiel was going to keep protecting them. Today, he was taking a rather large step in getting better. He was going to talk to Valette. Who knew how it would go, but he had to see her. She was probably just as broken inside at Steady's death as he, if not more so. They'd been mates after all.

It would be easier for them both, he believed, for them to at least be friends again, and maybe they could work through any troubles they had together. He wanted her to know that he would be there for her. She had to know that. And so after his dawn patrol, he wandered inland to find her, catching onto her scent trail quickly and following it.

Valette was up early like she was before she was with Steady. The huntress was likely to be up around dawn. She liked to watch the herd from the stones. It was exactly was she was doing now. The view from the stones gave an excellent vantage point to look over the herd. She could tell that they were in good health.

Being up earlier was easier for her now she didn't have Steady to be snuggled again. The den was cold and empty. The female started sleeping by the stones as she did before. She realized that she was falling back in her own patterns. Would that mean she was getting better? She didn't feel ready to get better yet.

The female's ears turned when she heard footsteps. She looked over her shoulder to see who it was. Ezekiel. She gave a brief nod in greeting before turning her attention back to the herds. He was probably just going to walk past anyway.

When finally Ezekiel caught up to Valette, she turned and gave him a nod, nothing more. He longed for the old days when she would've come to his side, and said hello, and his tail would've wagged and a smile would've been on both of their faces. He couldn't muster any sort of expression in the moment, because he didn't know how to feel. Without another word he quickened his pace until he was walking a few steps behind her. He slowed down then, matching her footsteps.

He had thought over some things he might say to her now, but he dropped them all. May I hunt with you? He asked permission, hoping she would say yes. This would be the first hunt, other than the pack hunts, that he wouldn't be alone since the death.

What she expected from the male didn't happen. Ezekiel approached her. Valette pushed herself to her feet and turned to him. She instantly shook her head at his question. "No. I was just watching the herds. I am tracking them. There are no sick or injured ones and I like to leave some of the fawns to grow up into adults," she explained to the male. It wasn't like she didn't want to hunt with him but there was no need for it.

"The caches are pretty much filled too," she added. "We don't have a need for hunting today." She glanced at Ezekiel. Food had been a given these lasts few months. Valette was back at her previous weight before the terror winter. Knowing that she was born in summer it wouldn't be long before she would be two years old. The age she was official an adult.

So sorry for the wait, and the shortness, Mar!

Valette shook her head, and at first he worried that she simply didn't want him around; that she was still angry with him and wouldn't have him even walk by her side. But she explained soon after that, that she wasn't hunting but tracking. He nodded, glancing away for a moment as he thought. Then back to her, he spoke, Then may I track with you? it was a simple question, but more than hunting and tracking he mostly just wanted to walk by her side. For some reason he felt he needed an excuse to do so.

Don't sweat it. I've been busy as well!

Valette glanced over the male who seemed eager to be with her. The alpha female nodded. "Sure, if your eyes can spot anything unusual," she pointed out to him. She liked this vantage point. It helped her watch over the herds without them knowing they were watched by the hunter. She wondered why Ezekiel was so keen on being with her now, before he moved away from her. She hadn't seen him again. Perhaps it was the death of Steady that played a role. She glanced to the side, Steady was his friend after all, too. She was still overwhelmed with grief, so she didn't pay that much attention to the herds. She liked to think she did.

Valette nodded to him, and Ezekiel was glad. He didn't respond again, but turned his attention to the herd. He would do as she asked, keep an eye out for anything unusual. He watched as the deer grazed, completely oblivious to their predators. Luckily, they had nothing to fear, for the two wolves weren't hunting them yet. Ezekiel kept his eyes on the herd, but his thoughts wandered. This wasn't the reason that he'd come to find Valette. He'd come to try and patch things up with her, be friends, at least console her for the loss of her mate.

He knew it was a touchy subject, but Ezekiel felt he should speak what was on his mind, even if he found it hard. Valette, I'm just gonna say it, because it's the reason I came to find you and I don't want to be a coward. I'm so sorry, about everything. About me leaving, about our last meeting, and about Steady. And if you ever, and I mean ever need someone to talk to, or just someone to sit beside you, please let me be there for you. Because I will, only if you want me to. That's all. He cleared his throats when he was done, then turned his head back to the herd to watch it graze some more. He didn't mind whether or not she responded with words, or simply went back to watching the herds as well. Now she knew, and that was enough for now.

Valette turned to the male as he started to speak, keeping her eyes of the herd for a moment. The male started to apologize about mostly everything. Not all was his fault though, like Steady's death. Val's ears fell to the side as he mentioned Steady. She remembered how much she missed him. It was almost as bad as the time when she waited for Ezekiel to come back to her. When Ezekiel went missing it was tougher as she didn't know if he would return or if he died. With Steady it was easier to grasp. He would never return.

Valette bobbed her head. "Thank you," she spoke, perhaps a bit stiffly. Though she did offer him a bit of a genuine smile. She turned back to the herd, and while looking at the deer frolicking around she wondered how it would be to be a deer. Would they have the same feelings? "I just have to accept those bad things will happen to me once I am happy," she spoke. It sounded so depressing but she meant it, not keeping her eyes off the herd.

Valette thanked him, and Ezekiel felt at peace for a moment. He'd gotten out what he'd wanted to say, and she'd accepted his apologies. A little bit of his pile of guilt was taken off and burned in the bonfire, it lit up and disappeared in mere seconds. He smiled lightly, for possibly the first time since Steady's death. She smiled too, and looked back towards the herd. The deer played, so carefree and happy. Ezekiel could never be that happy, he thought. Not again anyways. But he could get better, today had proved that.

Valette's next words didn't really sadden him, because they were true. For him and for her. Life gave and life took, and that was how it worked. Ezekiel's eyes remained on the herd just like hers, and he wore a small bittersweet smile. Yeah, they do happen. Every time. But we keep living, we keep living until we stop. We can't let the bad stuff cloud out the good stuff, because it all happens. He said thoughtfully, he sounded rather wise in that moment, even though he was just sort of speaking from experience.

Valette let out a sigh. "Currently I have a hard time stopping the bad clouds from misting my view," she spoke to him in a somber tone. She flickered her tail, it was too aggressive to be seen as a happy wag. It was like a flicker of discontentment. Valette didn't want to be so somber. She had to lead a pack, but in this moment alone she felt like she could at least admit it to one other pack mate.

"Somehow I always end up left behind. I'm sick of it," she spoke with more irritation in her tone. Her hazel green eyes flickered over Ezekiel for a moment. The female felt the wind tug on her fur, telling her that the weather was changing and perhaps, a storm was brewing. "I've seen enough of this herd. Why don't you show me what to do during a patrol," she stated rather sharply. As the only alpha, it was something she would have to do from now on.

we could fade here, or you could go ahead and have your next thread at the border and we could continue <3

The mood was cold and morbid between them, but at least they both got to say what was on their minds. Ezekiel didn't respond to Valette's other comments, but he did nod to acknowledge them. He understood how she felt completely, they were similar wolves in many ways. There was another pause, then Valette asked something Ezekiel hadn't been expecting. Sure. Patrolling is easy, and you're a quick learner. He said, picking up his feet and walking back towards the border, Valette not far behind him.