Stone Circle I am here

@Nikai

Valette was worried about Nikai. It wasn't a secret, really. His wound was what caused the most of her worry at first. Luckily, then Pema showed up and could offer them some help. Hopefully, some of her packmates would ask her something about the art of healing. Valette caught a small meal for her son and trotted towards him. She didn't mind putting in the extra hours to hunt for Nikai as she wanted him to live, thank you very much.

Valette carried the dead raccoon. It was not as fatty as she liked but that was probably why it was out of its den to search for food. What was also a worry for her, was how Nikai would deal with the death of his sister. It was probably not easy for him to deal with. She felt that she need to talk to him about it. Or at least let him know that she was there for him.

Nikai hoped that the wound would heal, but it was difficult to get to because the infection was inside of his body rather than superficially on the wound itself. It was harder to treat it that way. He was glad that his pack mates were taking care of him, though he had thinned somewhat (most noticeably since Keoni's death) in his time of injury. Nikai just hoped he'd be able to make it up to them. He had practised hunting on three legs but between learning to walk again on a leg less and feeling dizzy and feverish still it was hard to get the hang of.

When Valette sought him out that day Nikai was glad for the company. He wished that he could be the one to help her out in these trying times after losing Keoni, but found it hard to talk about the loss to anyone other than Keoni herself. It was frustrating to not be able to be the one in the coaching position now, but he just couldn't bring himself to it right now. Nikai had been resting near the den and looked up when Valette approached. He smiled as she approached with a raccoon and said a soft-spoken "hey." From the tone of his voice it was clear that he was glad for the company.

Valette smiled when Nikai greeted her. She placed the raccoon by his feet and then licked his cheek. She glanced at his wound. Luckily, it seemed that Pema had some good effect on it? Still, she was certain that it wouldn't be healed quickly. Valette felt terrible for Nikai to be stuck in one place. "How is the leg today?," she asked him. Valette went to sit beside him. "Just so you know, you can take as long as you need to heal. I don't want you to feel any pressure that you need to heal up fast or anything like that."

Valette could understand that Nikai would want to do something instead of laying around. She might need to think of things that he could do, or what would make him happy. She was digging in her mind what she knew about Nikai. She knew he liked traveling but that he couldn't do. Valette thought deeper. Then she remembered he told her about a girl!! "How is that nice girl doing you told me about? Would you like to see her?," She asked then.

"Thanks," said Nikai when Valette brought him the raccoon, though he didn't instantly start eating. He'd wait until after she was gone, he decided as he pulled the food closer to his chest. As Valette sat down and asked The Question (that one question he'd heard a lot lately) he grimaced. Before he could respond she added that he could take all the time he needed. Nikai knew that Valette wouldn't mind even if he'd be useless all day, maybe even forever... But he cared, because he wanted to get out there again and the thought of never spreading his wings and getting out in the world made him sad.

With the grimace still on his face Nikai said, "Pema said there's an infection in the leg. It's on the inside, it seems, which makes it harder to treat..." He glanced at his leg and sighed. "I still can't put any pressure on it at all without pain." His mouth remained open for a moment as he thought What if I never get to use it again? but easily let himself be distracted by Valette's mention of 'the nice girl'.

Alya had crossed his mind several times but he hadn't allowed himself to think too much on her, considering his predicament. "Alya..." He felt another pang of regret. He doubted she'd be very impressed with his current state, though he fondly remembered their trip to the ocean. Things had felt so right then, but Nikai didn't think that Alya or her sisters had spent much time thinking about him since. He sighed and said, "She said she'd visit, but I guess life got in the way. The last time I saw her was somewhere last.. summer, probably. I took her to see the ocean then. I wish there was some way to go see her again." But it looked like his leg would keep him from doing that for some time to come.

Valette whined softly when she heard that her son had an infection inside of his leg. She knew such a thing was hard to treat. "Did Pema tell you wat to do? I can help!," she offered. Perhaps some herbs would need to be found or chewed? The female would help where she could with her son. And perhaps seeing this girl would cheer him up.

"Ayla, pretty name!," Valette complimented. "Where does she live? She must be worried about you! I am a ranger I could visit her and tell her," Valette offered to her son. Maybe that would be good for Nikai to focus on. Valette wanted to make Nikai's life better. "I can ask if she wants to stay with us for awhile? Would you like that? I wouldn't mind getting to know this Ayla! She can be a guest in our pack. If that makes you happy."

"She gave me some herbs," Nikai said when Valette offered her help. "I hope they'll work." He wasn't too sure about it, because he knew that Keoni had also treated his wounds with herbs and that hadn't worked so far. He did not have as much fate that anything Keoni'd tried might work now, but then, he knew nothing about medicine.

He was eager to move onto the subject of Alya, something much more pleasant to talk about. Nikai'd been feeling like a mooching bother of late because of his situation, so he was happy to think of better things. "It is. She's got two sisters too, Hydra and Lyra, who look exactly like her. I've never seen wolves who look so similar." Nikai thought it the most fantastic thing about her, though it'd always been Alya who had stood out for him.

When Valette offered to give Alya news of Nikai he smiled appreciatively. "Thanks," he said, though he gave it a few seconds thought whether he should ask such a big thing of his mother. Valette then suggested that Alya could stay with them a while and she could bring Alya the question if that was what she wanted. It seemed like a good middle ground and Nikai nodded. "Yeah, that'd be great! I mean, if you can be missed and if it isn't too much trouble... She lives at Moonspear, it's to the west across the mountains. Then there's a valley and it's the large mountain in the ridge beyond that valley that she lives at. It's quite a way though, so..." He trailed off, leaving it open-ended whether Valette would wish to do such a thing for him and Alya — he knew it was a big thing to ask.

Valette was glad that Nikai has gotten some herbs. She hoped just like him that they would work. She didn't want her son to be in pain. No mother wanted that. "I hope so as well," Valette spoke. She truly hoped so. Then Nikai started telling about the girl. She had siblings that looked like her, oh that was going to be tough! Though she would try to do her best.

"I think I can. Nanook is beta and I trust her. Plus I am a ranger. I can go out for scouting once more in my life," she offered. "I think I heard about Moonspear. I wouldn't mind giving them a visit. Are they friendly towards strangers?," she asked. Maybe Nikai knew if they were. "I would do it for you Nikai. I don't want you to feel like this is a prison or be unhappy here," she spoke. It was actually a worry of her. She would do anything to make her children happy.

Nikai smiled as Valette confirmed her offer to go and look for Alya. Hopefully her sisters wouldn't play any tricks on Valette, but Nikai was pretty sure that it was Alya he'd spent that day at the beach with too, so surely they wouldn't; especially when finding out that the subject of the visit was so serious. Hopefully Alya'd be able to visit him, though he worried a bit what with spring on its way. It was usually a time to stay close to home.

"Thanks," Nikai said with a soft smile. "They're friendly towards strangers, I think — I visited only once and howled for Alya at the borders then, and nothing weird happened." Surely they wouldn't act poorly towards his mother, who was also an Alpha of another pack, and very friendly to boot. He couldn't imagine it.

Valette smiled. "No problem, Nikai," she returned to him with a smile. "I will leave in the morning. Will you keep an eye for me on the children?," she asked. Valette didn't think they would do anything weird but it gave her more peace of mind that some wolves would keep an eye on them. Even though they were getting older.

"Is there anything you want me to tell her? Or maybe not want to tell her?," she asked curiously. "Oh good! Well then I don't think I will have a problem if they were friendly to you as well," she spoke with a bob of her head.

"Of course," returned Nikai as he was asked to look after the pups. He'd love to do so, as he always enjoyed spending time with his siblings. "They're barely pups anymore now, right? They're getting so big!" Even though he lived so close to them Nikai was still amazed every time he saw them again.

"Uhm..." he murmured in thoughtful pause when Valette asked if there was anything she should say to Alya. "I guess just ask her if she wants to visit me. Maybe say her sisters are welcome, if she prefers to bring them..?" They didn't often seem to be far apart, and part of Nikai hoped she would bring them because part of what made them fascinating was that they were with the three of them.

Valette blushed a bit. "I know," she muttered. "But they will always be my puppies," she spoke with a smile. "Just like you," she then teasingly cooed at Nikai. She couldn't help herself. She would always think of them as her children. Though, just like with Nikai she wouldn't completely smother them. She would allow them to do their own thing.

"Alright. I will ask that then. It seems she is close with her sister so that could be a good over to convince her," Valette spoke with a bob of her head. She was eager to travel again. It had been quite a long time.

Nikai chuckled at Valette's teasing. He thought again about how he'd wanted to leave, with Keoni, before the pups were born. It seemed unimaginable now how different their lives would've been if they'd gone, then. Maybe they'd live with Rannoch in Northstar Vale if they'd gone that way. He wondered idly if Rannoch still lived there; maybe he should give him the news of Keoni... Then again, he had never visited Easthollow, so it was likely he'd either moved or had forgotten about him and Keoni.

As Valette agreed to the task, Nikai smiled softly. "Thanks. I miss travelling..." He glanced at his injured leg. "I hope that... It'd be nice if I could walk properly again some day." The words were shaky, because as he said them out loud for the first time it somehow made his fears that much more real.

Valette looked at his sadly. She could imagine that the boy with wanderlust would want to travel. "Of course you will!," she spoke determinedly. "You are strong and a fighter. I know you can handle this infection and if not, then we will explore and travel together," she spoke with a nod. She would do all in her power to make her son feel better. She hoped as well that her son would recover. She as a mother could not doubt. She had to believe to give her son courage as well. At least, that was how Valette saw it. "Where would you want to travel the most?," she asked curiously.

Part of his worries was also that Nikai really wanted to be a part of a different pack some day. He didn't really want to admit this to Valette though, because he didn't want to seem ungrateful for everything that she had done for him and Keoni, whom she'd taken in and treated as her own. Nikai smiled uneasily as she asked him where he wanted to travel the most and then sad, "There's just a lot left to explore. I'd like to see the rest of the world, I guess." Nikai didn't realise just how big 'the world' really was, or he might've laughed at his own suggestion of seeing it all. "Visit Moonspear and Alya, go to the ocean, climb the mountains, visit Rannoch and his pack who live in the mountains to the west..." There was just so much to do — he didn't really have time to do it all, even if he would've had four working legs, Nikai felt, and now precious time was trickling away.

Valette didn't even realize how much Nikai wanted to leave Easthollow and live in a different pack. She also couldn't tell that by just looking at him. She thought that he was at least happy here. Well, not happy enough to her liking, hence why would would make the travels to Moonspear. She wished that he would smile more and maybe this lady friend would be giving him that.

"All very nice places, and can you even imagine what other places you will see once traveling," she hummed. "We will make sure you will walk better, Nikai! I wouldn't want you to be stuck in one place and be unhappy," she admitted. "I will bring the best healers to look at it if needed."

Nikai smiled as Valette promised that they would make him walk again. He knew that it wasn't a promise that she could keep, but maybe that made it extra special to know that she offered it anyway. His tail wagged softly and he said a soft-spoken, "Thanks, mom." He didn't often call Valette by her title of mother very often — usually just Valette — but it felt right to do so now. "For everything."

Valette's heart was instantly warmed when Nikai called her mom and thanked her. She smiled at him and licked the top of his head. "You are welcome, Son," she spoke to him. Her voice was full of love, a mother's love. She really loved Nikai as her own. She would travel to the end of the world for him. Nikai was proof to her that her time with Steady had been real. "Thank you for still being here," she then spoke. With that said, she lingered briefly before preparing for her travels.