Broken Antler Fen You lie awake

Kareja couldn't sleep. It was the middle of the might, not a sound could be heard except for the rustle of wind through the trees and the breathing of her pack mates around. The small girl wasnt sure what it was not letting her sleep, though it was probably her anxiety.

Getting to her feet as silently as possible for the clumsy female, Kareja tiptoed away into the forest until coming to a quiet spot. Taking deep breaths, she tried to calm herself. It felt as if there was a heavy weight on her chest that wouldn't go away, when she closed her eyes all she could see were glaciers coming down and water rising. Though she hadn't had nightmares for awhile, it was one of the tougher nights where Kareja's memory would not let her rest.

Could this go toward Aduin's Counselor trade?

Aduin shuffled about in his sleep. He had been sleeping soundly not long ago, but this itch he had. It had to be itched! Eventually the itch in his shoulder became to much, and he woke himself up. But the den, it was too small to scratch at this itch of his. So he quietly went out as to not wake anyone, then proceeded to scratch. His tongue even looled out a bit in pleasure as he itched at it.

But he stopped when he saw something just disappearing from the area the pack slept at. Curiously, he followed along. He stopped a fair distance away, seeing what looked like a sad wolfess. Aduin had seen her around a few times. Slowly, he approached. "Y-You okay?" he asked, voice full of concern.

of course!

Kareja's head snapped up, so hard she felt a sharp pain in her neck and wondered sardonically if she had finally killed herself on accident. She was clumsy enough for it anyways. 

It was the grayish male, the one mated to Brandy. "Oh, uh, hi. Um it's Aduin, right?" That's his name right? Okay calm down, Kar. Do NOT have a panic attack in front of your pack mate. 

Kareja tried to still the frantic beat of her heart, tried to slow the short breaths escaping her lungs. "Y-Yeah I'm fine, you don't have to worry about me." The small wolf assured, smiling though it probably appeared strained even to this stranger.

Aduin lowered his head toward her as he got closer, ears perked up as she spoke. One thing he knew from experience was how being nervous looked like. And the difference between being fine and something being wrong. And he wasn't the type to let it be. No, he wanted to help.

"Y-You sure? I mean, I'm here to talk to if you need to." He sat by, almost in a defiant way. With his new somewhat-confidence, he became more determined at things. And he wanted to help others.

He was a conundrum. Aduin, he hadn't confirmed his name so he was stuck with it even if it was wrong, seemed similar to herself. A bit shy, nervous but at the same time he was confident and almost defiant as he sat nearby looking prepared to pry into her problems. 

"Well..since you seem so determined..I have nightmares sometimes. I have anxiety usually so ya know, that's not new, but I have panic attacks sometimes too." Kareja rambled, nervously fidgeting where she sat.

Aduin had a face of sympathy. His eyes held recognition as she spoke of nightmares. He knew of those all too well. And who didn't have nightmares. But the panic attacks, that is what drew most of it out. The last time he had one of those..well, it felt so long ago. He knew it was in a small body of water, but the rest was hazy to him.

He shuddered as he remembered the cause of it. His ears flattened out against his skull. He didn't want to remember. "I know how that feels...all of those things. Believe it or not, I used to have panic attacks weekly." Used to. Right after that fire, he had them almost daily for the first couple weeks. Then that slowly became weekly. Now, he rarely had them. And he hoped to keep it that way. But recalling them, all he wanted to do was help her be rid of them.

Her eyes flicked over to him as he spoke, it was as if she were looking in a mirror. Not really, Aduin didn't look a thing like Kareja, but the emotions were there. She could see his fear, his will not to remember. 

"You survived a disaster too." It wasn't a question, she didn't expect an answer. "How do I stop it?" Kareja asked him, a hollow tinge of desperation making her voice crack slightly. Her eyes left him again, not wanting him to see her as weak.

Aduin nodded to her realization. "A fire. Took everything...Well, almost everything." He still had his life. And the fire had not taken his sisters. Something else took them. He just didn't know that yet. He wasn't even sure if they were still alive.

Her question brought back how he let go. When Sebastian told him his sisters weren't coming back, before they went to find Broken Antler Fen, he wanted so badly to see them. But the truth had hit him hard then. "You let go. You accept what happened, and move on. That's what I did. It took time, almost my whole life up until this point, but I got over it. Sure, I still have nightmares. But I have friends, a new family to keep me going." He gave her a nudge to her shoulder, one of comfort. "We are here for you."

It was a bit presumptous in her opinion. We're here for you. Kareja wasn't sure what this male's name even was but she was supposed to count on him? Kareja didn't have any friends here except for possibly Embry, but the arctic didn't bother retorting to Aduin's response. 

"I'll keep that in mind." Kareja murmured politely, forcing a smile. She was too nice to be rude, even to this almost stranger, and instead padded away into the darkened forest with the hopes of being left alone.

last from me I think! Sorry she's so rude :P

Thanks for the thread

Aduin felt that he had accomplished in what he aimed to do. He thought he had helped her overcome it. Feeling satisfied as she left, he too turned away. "Remember, we are here. If you need someone to talk to, I'm around." And as he said that, he felt more confident in himself. And then, he had in mind what he planned to do in this pack.