Silvertip Mountain Don't let me get me

@Chaska perhaps?

Steady emerged from he and Adeline's den, stretching his body before shaking the earth from his fur. It was late afternoon, and he was just getting up. His usual sleeping schedule had been thrown off, but he figured it didn't much matter as long as patrols were done and everyone was happy. 

He sat back on his haunches, letting his mind wander as he glanced about the grassy clearing. He was beginning to think a little more rationally about Krypton's departure, and he wandered what to do next. While she said she would be back, there was no time frame given, and he wasn't sure if he should try and find another wolf to be his Beta or not. He sighed, his ears taking in the silence around him. He figured most of the creatures of the forest were probably napping off the afternoon heat.

Chaska had been saddened by Krypton's departure. Although he was comforted in the thought that she had a family to go to. Better reason than anything else to leave friends behind, when a family is in need. Sure, questions on whether her family were still around lingered in his head, but he was certain she would be fine.

However, there was one other thing that remained in his thoughts. He felt he should see how Steady was doing. He had taken it harder than Chaska. When he saw the Alpha, he paused, still remembering how he snapped. Suddenly, he grew hesitant about approaching.

A movement caught his eye and Steady turned his gaze to find Chaska at the edge of the clearing. Steady's tail wagged briefly in greeting, expecting his friend to come forward, but Chaska stayed where he was. The same memory that had Chaska staying put was the same one going through Steady's head right now. The dark wolf frowned, hating that he had put that doubt in Chaska's mind that he couldn't approach him. 

Steady stood and walked to Chaska, his expression apologetic. Chaska, I'm so sorry I snapped at you. I was... so unprepared for Krypton's departure, and it caught me off guard. I was hurt, and angry, and I'm sorry I took that out on you. His voice was soft, and he dearly hoped his friend would forgive him.

Chaska flinched a little as Steady approached, only just noticing the alpha's expression of apology. The grey wolf straightened up, and listened to the apology. It was completely understandable now. "I understand." He nudged his friends shoulder after accepting the apology. "She was a good friend to us all. And a great nurse." He gestured his nose to his mostly-healed leg.

Steady seen the flinch, and hesitated in his movements, before continuing towards Chaska, who after a few moments, seemed to realize that Steady meant him no harm. He nudged Chaska back, glad that his friend understood why he had snapped at him, and seemed to forgive him. He nodded in agreement with the other male's conclusion on Krypton's place here. Yes, she was. And will be again once she returns.

The Alpha was doing his best to come to terms with Krypton's departure, and one way he was doing that was by focusing on the fact that she would return. He may not have known when, but he certainly would not entertain the idea that she wouldn't come home. 

His gaze roamed about the clearing before settling on the opening of the den. I wonder if Adeline is getting enough social interaction, he commented, looking to Chaska to see what he thought. Steady did his best to spend as much time with her as possible, but since he didn't really keep track of the comings and goings of the other wolves, mostly because they were all welcome here, he wasn't sure who was visiting and when.

Chaska could only hope that she returns. One day. If she did not, well there would be no way of knowing of what happened. Or if she was on her way back at all. They had to put their trust in her, and time.

His gaze went to the den. "She is the only pup. It would be hard." With the others having left or died, she was left as the only child in the pack. "How is she doing? Does she seem okay to you?" He believed that if she ran, than they would have no young ones in the pack. That would tear them apart emotionally, knowing that they would have known. But Adeline gave them hope.

He looked thoughtful for a moment before answering Chaska. She seems to be alright. But, I guess I still worry that it's just her. She's got no one her age to wrestle and run around with. Steady had grown up with three siblings in the litter he was born into, and he wished he could give Adeline that feeling. 

I mean, I let her attack me whenever she wants, and we play, but I fear it isn't the same... At the end of the day, I'm still an adult with a different mindset. How would that effect her? It wasn't like she had always been alone, either. She did know just a month ago what it was like to have siblings, and now she was getting to know what it was like to not. Should I talk to her about it? He questioned. 

Chaska thought on it. Technically, Steady was the closest thing to a father she had. And she had no mother. Steady would be the only one that could talk to her in such a way. "Maybe you should. And not subtly. Ask outright if she is doing okay without a brother or sister. It would be the only way to help her."

Chaska seemed to think that Steady should talk to Adeline, and be blunt about it. Steady was usually a to-the-point kind of conversationalist, but he wondered if he could be that way with Adeline. He usually gave her what she wanted, not that she wanted for anything out of the ordinary. 

After a few moments of thought, Steady nodded. You're right, Chaska, he said, his gaze moving towards the mouth of the den before going back to his friend. He smiled softly. Thanks, friend, he said sincerely. 

Chaska nodded his head in a gesture that said 'you're welcome' with a friendly small smile. It was the least he could do. "Just don't go into bad details. Keep the conversation happy. Maybe get her distracted with something, like showing her some plants" he added. Should keep Adeline from being too upset, when the talk came up.

Steady sighed when Chaska reminded him not to go into bad details. It's hard... I know she's going to ask questions about why Odette and Stoic left so suddenly, and I don't want to lie to her, but I'm afraid to tell her the truth, too. She might try to run off like they did. How could he both tell her the truth and not lie?

He knew it wasn't going to be easy, but as Adeline's body was growing, so was her mind, and Steady knew she would begin to ask questions soon. And, if not to him, then to others. He didn't want to put any of his family in that situation to answer those questions.

"I trust you can get it done...And I'm sure Fitz would too." Chaska was hesitant on saying that next bit, worried he would open some old wounds. "And yes, sooner or later she will find out the truth. In what way, well that's up to you. And if it's too hard, any one of us would help, I'm sure." Chaska brought a sincere look to Steady after he said that. He put as much trust he could into those words. And if she ever ran away, they would search for her. Chaska brought a sincere look to Steady after he said that

Chaska seemed to have all the confidence that Steady didn’t. The Alpha smiled at the mention of his brother. He missed him so, and often wondered what he would do in the situations that Steady faced these days. But, as Ezekiel said, Steady and Fitz were different wolves, and it wouldn’t do any good to compare himself to Fitz. He had to find his own path.

Chaska reminded him that he had the support of the pack behind him. I appreciate that, Chaska, I really do. But, I think she’d want to hear it from me, considering I was the one who told everyone to do it… I don’t want her thinking I was never going to tell her. He just hoped no one got to it before he did. He just couldn’t stand to lose Adeline like he had Odette and Stoic. At the very least, Odette was alive and safe, but Steady still felt the loss. Maybe it was a good idea, though, that he have a little support there when he did tell her. I think it might be a good idea to have someone else there, though. Do you know who else she spends the most time with? He asked. She seemed to like rough-housing with Ezekiel, but didn’t seem to take him very seriously. Niita would be a good choice, but he still needed to ask Adeline how she felt about Niita moving in with them, so he didn’t want the possibility of Adeline seeing Niita in a negative light if she were there to help Steady break the news to her. He just wasn’t sure who else she was attached to.

Chaska nodded understandingly. "It is your decision." And perhaps the best decision, to have him go to her and talk instead of someone else. He was the closest as a father, and Chaska had not met Adeline yet. Nor knew anyone who had, except Steady. Maybe the others had, but he did not know exactly.

"I'm not sure." He looked up at the sky. It was getting late. He looked back down to Steady's eye level to go on. "But whoever you choose, I am sure it will be the right choice." With that, he dipped his muzzle in farewell and turned to leave.

Steady wished he had as much faith in himself as Chaska seemed to have in him. Still, it reminded him that his family here trusted him, and they more than made up for the lack of confidence he sometimes had in himself. He gave his friend a soft smile. Thank you again, he said. He returned the gesture, a dipped muzzle, and watched Chaska leave, choosing to stay where he was and get lost in his thoughts. He did have a lot to think about, and he needed to get those thoughts straight before he made any decisions.