Luneshale Pass but i'm the furthest thing from choir boys & altars

leto had borne children, and her attitude soured with each joyful update.

instead of attending to her packmate, which she ought to, fiamma instead paced among the seedlings—growing slowly but steadily, with better weather. 

in lieu of her own pups, these were her offspring. if she dwelt too long upon it, she found the situation pathetic—

thus, she did not dwell long.

she was a mother. a mother of plants, sure. . .but a mother, nonetheless.

one sprout in particular was thriving, and today, she lay nearby and watched it. not as if she could see it grow in real time, but she was still fascinated by the progress it had made even in the last few days. a bit of rain had come, and that, paired with their careful irrigation efforts, was yielding results.

and she still had yet to taste the green,

but she knew its success was their success.

its life was their life.

Kemal had learned to grow comfortable in Verapaz territory, and yet there was still so much he did not understand. Some from the language barrier, others from his unwillingness to question things as they were.

Careful paws taking him through rows of seedlings, the sight of a woman unfamiliar to him caught him off-guard. She was not doing anything wrong necessarily, but to him it was a bit strange that she lay next to a plant and simply watch. Maybe now it was time to ask questions - something a bit more innocent to fulfill his curiosities.

Approaching with a posture that would be relaxed if he was not so consistently tense, he blinked down at the plant. Why do you watch it? It felt like a strange question upon leaving his throat, but Kemal knew little of plants. Maybe it made them grow faster.

she was soon joined by one of the largest men she'd ever laid eyes upon, and she turned slowly, almost reverently, to face him. she was no tiny, fragile thing herself, yet she felt that way in his presence. he asked her about the plants, and fiamma's mouth curved into a half-smile.

i feel. . .protective of them, the woman explained. they are important to verapaz, and so, they are important to me.

her head tilted slightly sideways, icy gaze taking in the long lines of his frame. you're a new face, fiamma remarked. her tone and countenance were clear enough—she liked what she saw. what brought you to us?

whatever that was, god be blessed for it.

It was nothing to do with the growth, then. She was protecting them. He could understand that; it made sense for a pack to protect their resources.

My brother. He responded to her question with ease. He was here because home had nothing left, and Leandros had chosen to come to Verapaz. Kemal had followed; he always had been a follower. He has interest in the man who leads you. While his brother may not have stated this explicitly, it seemed obvious to Kemal.

Keeping a respectful distance, he lays down between the rows of plants and gives one a sniff. He is unsure of what they are, why they are here. Medicine, he assumes.