Stone Circle And I'm still scared of growing old

Guilt haunted Oryx, who had noticed Arlette's absence at the funeral. She also realized that she had not been summoned for an additional funeral, and had mostly kept to herself in the meantime so it was a surprise for her, when she caught the scent of decay on the wind, and realized that Arlette had not parted with the bodies of her loved ones yet. She was not sure if this meant that Arlette had been fed or tended to- as she'd elected to give her grieving packmate space...But it occurred to Oryx now that perhaps it was time for her to check in, and see how the kindly female was doing, though she did not have high expectations. 

While she still struggled with the realization that the females in the pack were expected to hunt as much as the males, she was a surprisingly capable fisher, and managed to chase down a fairly large salmon. She brought it with her, hoping that she might offer it as a gift...And she brought with her, as well, the twisted roots of valerian she had unearthed and stored weeks ago, knowing that at least now, it would be safe for Arlette to consume it.

She didn't expect Arlette to appear as frayed and filthy as she was. She might not have recognized Arlette had she not been curled up alongside the bodies of her deceased mate and stillborn children...And it was nearly impossible to discern her scent from that of the dead. Oryx's gaze lifted to the humming of flies which whizzed overhead, undoubtedly drawn by the scent, and she felt her heart sink. The bodies were an attraction for disease; it would be dangerous for them all if Arlette did not surrender them to the ground, where they might rest in peace, and be enveloped by nature. 

She crept toward Arlette, but did not approach at a beeline; instead, she wavered in her path, moving this way and that, not wanting to approach the small cluster of bodies as she feared for a moment that Arlette too might have perished, if not for the gentle rise and fall of her side. The closer she came, the more she lowered herself, until she was crawling forth on her belly, and set the fish on the ground, releasing both it and the small root with a flick of her tongue. She left a few feet of space between herself and Arlette, and set her muzzle on her forepaws. She uttered a soft, pleading whine, but said nothing else.