His eyes held hers until he broke their eye contact, gazing upon himself, seemingly seeing his true form for the first time. All of a sudden, he shrinks into himself, looking as if he is pitiful and scared all at once. Still, he stood, showing his soul to the world, showing how brave he was. I want to go with you. Halina smiles softly at him before nodding to him. She would take it upon herself to protect him… in time she would come to care for him and love him and think of him as her son – her first son. But whether he actually became his son was up to him. She did not jest when she had told him that he did not need to call her mother – if his birth mother did return, Halina would release Ace of any bonds that she held over him, seeing as it was his wish to live with his mother. Truly, his future laid in his own paws – he would be able to choose it. Where he lived – be it in Abendrot with her or elsewhere with another. Whether he slept in her den so she could keep him warm and safe from the dangers of night.

Slowly, as to not upset him, she too rose to her feet, her haunches coming beneath her first as her muscles tensed and then pushed against the earth, coming to her full height. She was tall for a femme, taller than some brutes as well. As her gaze fell upon him, she smiled and resisted the urge to call him ‘son’. “So, Ace, are you hungry? Shall we go get you a meal?” She turned away from him and sighed, thinking of the easiest place they could go to grab a meal – she did not want him hunting himself until he was older, stronger, and in full health. Nor did she want him to be in any area in which he could get hurt. Ergo, there was only one place for them to go – to the river. The meal was decided – it would be fish. It was not dangerous, but perhaps it was more difficult. It required more skill as one needed to understand the way that the liquid’s surface refracted light, thus altering the image of the prey. The fish, therefore, was not in the location that it seemed, so hunting required that knowledge and the swiftness to catch them.

“Tell me, Ace, have you ever tasted fish? Once you strip the flesh off of it – the scales I mean – it is quite delicious and filling. An acquired taste to some… I enjoy it immensely. Come, follow me, Ace, and I shall lead you to the river. Your stomach shall be full in no time.” Smiling at him briefly, she looked away and then began to stride of, her direction the river.


The trip from Adoption Meadows to Romance River did not take long – the river ran through the center of the terra and thus was never far from you, no matter the distance. It was just a single stop along their eventual route to Abendrot. She wondered how he would respond to having pups in his terra – she would teach them well and bring them up nice and strong. They would make good additions to the pack and would be able to hold their own. Kershov, she decided, would be alright with their existence. Pausing, she held long enough to glance at Ace, sitting at the shore of the river. It was here that she had met Ygritte… perhaps she would see the ess again. “Ace, come sit by me. I’m going to catch you a meal…”




OOC- None :3