Lost Creek Hollow llevar

akavir had seen everything. one of the only wolves she had not meant to know anything of this, and his golden eyes — well. she did not know what he had seen. but surely. her days blended together, milk and suckling and sleeping and eating, and eventually she stopped talking hardly at all, dazed and blinking at the sunlight more often than not, robbed of all dignity.

As much as he didn't want to, Kel knew he had to talk to Silvertongue at some point. They'd never even had a full conversation, and now Crowfeather had withdrawn into caring for his children full-time. Kel couldn't help but recall their conversation about children — and he wondered if Crowfeather was happy with his decision.
He couldn't bring himself to ask, though. Instead he brought a freshly-killed rabbit with him to visit Silvertongue. And he did his absolute best to swallow his anxiety. Hello, Silvertongue, He greeted softly when he'd found her, noticing as he set the rabbit before her that she seemed... in a daze. His voice lowered a little out of habit. Thought you might be hungry.

men, men, men! "gracias," silvertongue murmured, returning to herself with a blink and a straightening of her back. "kelsier. you have been in swiftcurrent," she observed, though not with any malice, or indeed curiosity. "i am not hungry, but perhaps i should eat all the same. sit with me." the star wanted a companion that was not crowfeather or a child for once, loathing the scent of milk clinging to her fur no matter how many times she bathed.

Yeah. Trying to help. And failing, He smiled tiredly, a little sardonically. Kel hadn't missed the lack of questioning to her tone, and so he did not elaborate. Part of him resented the whole experience. But looking back, he saw that more of the blame fell on him than he'd initially realized. Akavir hadn't given him all the facts, but he hadn't asked, either. He could have blamed it on how busy the man was, how ready he'd been to end their conversation, but it was a poor excuse.
Kel did as he was told, although he felt a little unsettled by the casual way she said it. For the first time it occurred to him that living under the authority of women might be a problem, even now, even after all the work he'd done. You can call me Kel, He added, outwardly as mild and unmoved as ever. Hearing his name in full made him uncomfortable, particularly from her. Riverclan changed quite a bit while I was away.

"it did." silvertongue had no heart for small talk. "what were you doing?" and now her glassblue eyes sharpened; now she took in the cast of his handsome features and inclined herself more warmly toward him. she must resume after all. the tilt of her head encouraged him to go on.

He felt a shift in the air, a slight warming of the temperature between them in a way that suggested friendship. At least, that was how he interpreted it. Kel tried to relax. Found some guy, a member of Swiftcurrent Creek, hurt pretty bad. Got him home, but he... was still unwell. Turned out his partner was too, so I offered to help, but...
Kel trailed off with a frown, then started again. It didn't work out. He'd felt comfortable sharing the details of his failure with Faun — not so much with Silvertongue, his leader and an intimidating woman besides.

another time she might have eagerly pressed for the juicier bits of a fragrant story, but now the sharpfang only nodded. "you tried and that is what matters. you represented us well," silvertongue added, for as far as she could see, they had become a nation of healers. "do you feel that you did well?"

Kel nodded slowly, finding himself unexpectedly eager to make a good impression here. His lack of confidence certainly wouldn't do him any favors there. For the situation, yes, He said, growing in surety as he spoke. But failure is failure. Sucks even when it's inevitable. Especially then, he thought. There was just something sad about it all, another reminder of the inevitability of life itself. Everything kept moving, always, even when moving meant falling apart and away forever. But there was always someone there to help; someone to stand against it in futility if only for the possibility that their resistance might ease someone's suffering.
He often thought he wanted to always be that person. But right now what he wanted was a little bit of peace. Is there anything I can do for you, Silvertongue? He asked very seriously, simultaneously closing the subject and seeking some kind of connection to her, to Riverclan. Kel had done enough to try and help others outside of Riverclan. Turning his focus inward, to his home, would at least help foster the stability he craved.

he sought; she evaded. the deputy of riverclan turned into herself and became a proud shimmer of something untouchable. "i am well," her voice sounded with soft insistence, a smile that invited him no closer. "but riverclan needs a garden. we are now home to more healers than our allies, i believe. i need those who can specialize. medics. midwives. those who know the young."

Specialize. He could do that. Kel nodded slowly, a little disappointed with Silvertongue's avoidance of his attempt at a more personal connection, but simultaneously relieved by it. He still wasn't quite over feeling intimidated by her.
I'm learning herbs from Faun, but I'm more of a, uh, counselor than a medic, He said slowly. Have been for years. Anyone needs counseling, you can send them my way. And here he promised to himself that he would not repeat his mistakes with Reverie and Lestan. He would only help those who really wanted it, who could truly benefit from it. Otherwise, he had learned, it didn't feel much like helping at all; things were quite different here from Willowspire or The Evergarden.

"counseling." silvertongue turned the word over in her mouth, her mind. "it is useful to us." there would be others who needed him, though she was too proud to admit she might be one of those. "how long have you been learning?" the sharpfang wanted to move as they talked, indicating this as a few butterflies rose from the tall grass.

Years, He answered easily, obliging her unspoken desire for activity. Kel directed them a bit hesitantly toward the outskirts of the territory, figuring a walk along the border would be prudent if nothing else. Two birds one stone, or something. Started off counseling victims of war. Expanded to other types of trauma about a year ago.
He thought it best not to mention that he was in need of his own counselor, particularly if he was going to take up working again. But it lingered in the back of his mind as he inspected the fresh trail of a fox. Kel glanced to Silvertongue once before he started to follow it, to ensure that it led out of the territory and not in. I'm used to helping people who don't want help, He admitted. I'd like to try something different here.

an allusion? her mouth twitched a small moment. suppose she allowed him to — no. why would he — how — could he help? assist her in this transitional phase of letting go of crowfeather as if she were peeling a strip of her own skin? silvertongue did not know how she could share this. "have you worked with children before?" she asked instead, thinking vaguely of how such might benefit the pups of riverclan one day.