Northstar Vale of forgotten things

maybe @Zosime? :)

the mourning that had made a home in her chest still felt so fresh. she thought on it now, finally finding a moment to breath as she traversed the vale. there was no place she wished to reach, she just walked.

so much was happening as there was no shortage of puppies in the vale. helping here and there quieted the sorrow, but there was no avail. there were no great words she could get out to explain the simple fact she missed antigone.

zulema needed her sister's shoulder, knowing perhaps zosime needed hers. just as they both simply needed their brother. zosime didn't seem to feel any better than her, the grief that resided in her was not hidden from zulema's eyes. she knew, or at least she thought. where was the ruddy girl anyways? though calling for her was effort zulema didn't have, she did.

basing this off on the hunt being the 24th of february and this being the 21st of march! he'd be too pregnant in current times to do much at all as he's due in exactly a week from today!

Ethan saw the girl he had taught to hunt, or well, went hunting with about a month ago, looking quite down. He wasn't fully aware of the situation but had heard a little. He wanted to make sure she was ok though, as she looked quite down. He was quite heavily pregnant now, much more than he was a month ago when he hunted with her. "Hey Zuelma." He said approaching her quietly and speaking softly. He sat down beside her. "You need some company?" He asked kindly.

also sorry if this makes no sense i frankly have no context on why shes mourning ;-;

her brother has left in the midst of drama for context lol, she didn't get a goodbye ^^

her frown dissipated, but surely any knowing wolf could see the suffering in her blue eyes. for there was no living without pain. not who she'd called for, but ethan was a kind presence for a moment like this.

❝uh, sure.❞ zulema's glance towards him shifted away, looking out over the trees.

the birds sang and the sound of the streams moving filled the silence that unsettled her. it was a nice afternoon that she couldn't seem to enjoy.

He sat down next to her, knowing what losing kin felt like. “I know how you feel.” He said. “Ike and my unborn pups are all the family i know of that i have left. Ike had a sister, my daughter from that litter, Mya, but one day she just disappeared and i never saw her again.” Ethan said, looking off into the distance with her

she sighed as he explained. it didn't make her feel any better, but maybe he knew how to cope with it.

❝and how do you deal with it?❞ zulema's voice quivered.

surely it didn't have to always hurt.

"Well, I have Ike, and now my new babies to look forward too. Looking to my family that I have around me helps. It makes me feel less alone." Ethan said. "And now I have the whole of Epoch around me too. You do as well." He said hoping to reassure her that she wasn't alone. "But know its ok to hurt. Its ok to never forget. It shows you really love and care. Hold on to his memory." He urged her. He knew he would never forget Mya.

she would do that. zulema would look to the family she had around her; thought it didn't seem like much in spite of her siblings disappearances. there was still the prospect of the bond she could have with her little brothers. she only took a small moment to process it, but the desperation to find meaning again and feel okay made it happen.

❝thank you, ethan.❞ she thanked him, genuinely.

with her brothers, there was a seed that was planted and only she could chose to water it. perhaps things weren't going to remain so dreadful. there would always be an absence, that remain solely for zosime and antigone and no one else. someday, zulema would learn to accept that; today she got closer to accepting it.

❝you know soon i'll need some more hunting lessons soon.❞ the ruddy girl's voice, while shaky, still held a genuineness.

she was misty eyed as she looked to him, but a smile that didn't falter showed.

"You're welcome. I'm always open if you need to talk, or even just sit in silence and chill." He told her with a smile.

"I'm a bit too pregnant right now to be doing much hunting, im due in a couple of weeks, but maybe a month or so after that, I could teach you some more? Or, if you don't want to wait, I've trained my son Ike in the ways of hunting so he knows a lot, and hunts like i do, so he could be a suitable teacher for you, perhaps only temporarily if thats what you'd want." Ethan replied to her comment about hunting.