Jakart gave a yawn as he set foot at the edge of the gully and bowed his front in a stretch. They'd traveled across a good portion of the land to reach here. Callisto and him making the trek in relative silence between them. And there it was. Home. Donostrea and his sisters just a little ways away, the plains on the horizon, the beach off in the distance. Jakart looked back at Callisto. The healer would love it here. Plenty of plants for one such as her to gather and stockpile. "We're here." He strolled back to his flagging oncemate. "You can make a den a ways away from ours if you want." The grey male churned his toes into the fertile soil. "Also, there's a pack over there," Jakart jerked his head in the direction of the pack of giant wolves. "Donostrea, and if anything ever happens just run there and mention my name." The male yawned again. He'd find her a suitable den then head off to sleep. It had been a long journey.

Walk | Talk | Think

Callisto was well and truly tired by the time they reached the Fern Gulley. Too much had happened in too short a time span, and she felt as if she needed an entire week to sleep off the effects of it in order to feel even remotely like herself again. She tried as best she could to keep her thoughts from returning to the children she had abandoned in the north, the children that had vanished either with or without their demon father's help, but still they stole into her mind like thieves, assaulting the little shred of morality that caused her guilt to make it worse. But it was a little easier to consider now, though only just. They were gone, the matter was out of her hands, and there was nothing further to be done about it.

She was half conscious of Jakart as he led her further south, and less conscious of the cat who traveled silently behind. The dark feline was strangely silent and kept her distance, and somehow it was even more nerve wracking than dealing with her constant commentary. She must have had something on her mind in order to be so quiet, and surely it must have been important? Eventually Callisto was going to have to dig it out of her, though she hoped more that, in keeping with her silence, the cat would depart without a word and never return.

Somewhere along the way the scenery had changed and it was only now that her guide spoke up and interrupted her thoughts that she realized they had reached their destination. Her trudging gait slowed to a stop as Jak backtracked over to her, and immediately she began to look around. She noticed first how much greener this place was than the new forest she had been staying in. There were so many more plants here, so much more variety, that, though she had had her doubts, Callisto was forced to admit Jakart had been right. Even from the little that she could see, from what she could smell, this place was like a healer's paradise teeming with plants and herbs that she could put to good use.

Only half aware of what he said - something about a den, and did he mention a pack? - she turned in a slow circle where she stood, finishing her quick inspection of the gulley. If she had felt up to it, she would have begun searching through the plants immediately to locate what she could recognize and make mental notes about those she did not, but, despite the excitement of the eager healer inside of her, she knew there would be time enough for it later. "Are there any open dens around here?" Callisto asked as she rounded her gaze back on Jakart and then away as if to begin searching herself. As much as she liked the idea of carving out her own, building it to her own specifications, she currently did not possess the energy to.

Jakart gave another yawn and looked over Callisto with a single flick of his eyes from paws to ears. She'd made the journey intact, the trek having been steady but unrelenting in it's pace. The last time he had slept fitfully was... he could hardly remember. Had it really been back when his sisters had moved to Donostrea? Callisto however interrupted the subject on his mind with an inquiry about an open den. Open dens... well there were a few around. Jakart's gaze swept over the gulley to pick out any familiar spots. To be honest this was about as new to him as it probably was to her. "I..." He began, trying to recall anything that resembled shelter. "Maybe one near where we're camped out? I'm not sure to be honest." Jakart frowned and looked out ahead in the direction of the plains. "Gotta be a dugout or a coyote den somewhere along the river if I remember correctly."

With a wag of his tail Jakart took the lead with a grunt, crisscrossing his way down the side of the gulley and past the small creek with a single bound. And there was a den with an ideal entrance, Jakart poked his head in and noted it went back a ways. He ducked back out and checked his surroundings. Actually, this place did seem familiar, kinda close to his families den. Jakart sucked in a cheek and looked back at Callisto with a tired sigh. "Here good? Kinda back away from the river a bit but it's got room..." The grey wolf trailed off with another yawn. He'd get her all situated in the gulley then retire for the night.

Walk | Talk | Think

He was helpful, as ever, when she asked about dens in the vicinity, though it did not look like he knew very much about where they were. His mismatched eyes looked with the same searching stare that she made as he glanced around at the thick forest, joining her as she tried to locate one nearby that could be put to use. At least I don't have to search alone, she thought to herself, trying, oddly, to be positive, he's more apt to find something than me. If they were going off of luck, anyway.

With a better sense of direction than she currently had, Jakart set off once more, and hoping he might be on to something the black and grey healer followed. As she moved she found herself becoming distracted by the plants around her, silvery-blue eyes seeking out the ones she could potentially use, and it took a bit of effort to keep herself looking for potential dens and not herbal remedies. Callisto's priorities were already set, and deviating from them was proving to be a challenge.

They crossed a stream before her grey companion stopped to poke his head inside of an empty den, and as he drew back to look around at the location Callisto stepped forward to peer inside. It did go back a ways, offering plenty of room for herself to lounge in, and though she was sure it would suffice she was also sure there was more she could do to it to make it perfect. But that could be saved until a time when she did not feel already dead on her feet.

She backed away from the den and turning her head to peer over one shoulder as she heard a slight rustle Callisto saw the cat trotting silently over toward them. Turning her attention back on Jakart, she answered, "It's better than sleeping out in the open." She had done enough of that in the Redbud Nook, and she hated feeling so exposed to the point it was hard for her to sleep. Thinking about that now, her expression seemed hesitant, reluctant for a moment though as she finished her internal debate Callisto asked, "Where's your den?" The thought of spending the night in a new place should not have bothered her, but considering everything that had happened, and the dangers she had put herself in, it seemed a little too important to brush away as unnecessary worries.

Jakart blinked his blurry eyes and gave a shake of his pelt as Callisto took her turn examining the den. The grey wolf fidgeted on his paws. He was hungry, dirty, dead on his paws from the forced march he put himself through to get home where his brothers were. Callisto spoke, Jakart giving a nod at her words. "Open ain't much around here. Shrubs galore below where we're at. Flowers and the like are further up the hillside above us."

And the comment about where his den was. A slight smile given as he dipped his head in sheepishly, he knew of several dens. Some more familiar than others, such as Nako's, this den. Now he knew where this den was from and where he knew to find it. It was his old one. The males breath hitched as he gathered himself up before resuming eye contact with the healer. "This was it. Haven't been here in weeks." Jakart trailed off and looked out over the top of the bushes, the waters on the opposite side of the creek just visible above the thicket. he ducked inside and gave a tired murmur as he lay down in the confines of den. There was a certain level of implication that they would both have to share a den for at least the night. Even as he crossed his well wore paws and eyed the healer to see if she would decide on sleeping with him he remained optimistic about what she'd do despite their past physical bonds.

Walk | Talk | Think

It did not occur to her why it was Jakart smiled and laughed and looked rather embarrassed when all she asked was for the location of his den. If she had been any more perceptive she might have picked up on the suggestion his reaction made, but it took him spelling it out for her to realize that the den he offered her was in truth his own. Callisto blinked, puzzled. Why had he offered his den and not an empty one? Just vaguely she wondered of the lack of use he had given his lodgings lately, though as she recalled he had been waiting for her back at her own chosen densite when she had returned from her northern trip. Had he really been away from his home for that whole time with the anticipation of being there when she returned?

All of her thoughts were silenced as he moved, not away as if to offer her privacy in which to sleep, but toward the den and within its shadowed interior. With an uncomprehendingly blank stare, she stepped forward to peer inside and watched as the grey wolf settled himself down onto the earthen floor of the structure, looking for the world like he intended to stay there until he had gotten his rest. We're sharing the den? The thought immediately put her off. The last wolf she had shared a den with had unwound every effort she had made at trying to reestablish a comfortable, stable life, all with three little words. A cold dread spread within her stomach as she suddenly feared a repeat of those same events. There had been enough signs, right? Bad idea. All of it, a bad idea.

Callisto was torn, stuck between wanting the quiet, secure place to spend the night and the potential to have her day ruined further by a wolf who could very well have been intending to follow in her mentor's footsteps. No matter how sleepy she was, though, there was no warring with the dread, the sense of entrapment, that came from the thought of entering into the den being offered to her. "No," she muttered, shaking her head and then repeating herself again but louder, "No." She could not - would not - place herself in a situation like the last time. Callisto retreated a step, and then another, and turned with a shake of her head to see the cat staring at her, wordlessly but ever observant. Avoiding her gaze, the healer began to step away from the den, intending to find her own arrangements for the night elsewhere.

He settled in, kneading his toes into the dirt and giving a content rumble. Already he could feel the encroaching sensation of sleep. It collapsed over him like a heavy blanket, soothing in it's presence as he finally could relax. Eyes would close, ears anticipating the footsteps that would mean Callisto had come in. Instead he heard them retreat away, along with a muttered breath as his off was denied. Jakart eyes opened and he immediately took to his paws. She was heading away from him, the single words the female had muttered were repeating in his head.

It was fine then, they didn't have to share, thoughts racing as he sought to catch up to her. The fact that their journey had completely wiped the two of them physically. He wouldn't argue with Callisto, figuring that his own patience when seeing a safe place to rest after such a venture would've been taxed even under the best of circumstances. Sleeping alone must've been a comfortable norm for her ever since leaving Ebony. He understood that as he managed to head her off. The grey male would stare at her, questions buzzing around in his head. But he would only nod as a decision was made. "You can take my den. I'll sleep with my brother's." And with that he quickly left before she could deny his offer, making his way up the hill and into the den of Nako. He'd check on her in a few days, hoping that would be enough time for her to make herself comfortable in the Gully.

-Exit Jakart-

Walk | Talk | Think

Even as she walked away she still continued to shake her head, half in denial of accepting the space Jakart was offering her inside of his den and half at the absurdity of it. Twice - twice! - she had been offered a den to stay in, both times by males who had made efforts to befriend her and offer assistance when she desperately needed it. And both times the males had meant to draw her in, get her closer, for what she assumed now was all a ploy. Was she really so stupid as to be taken in a second time in the same way that she had been fooled the first? Callisto had always thought herself smart, cunning, capable of seeing through the flashy shows that others put on to cut to the heart of things, but here she was on the cusp of repeating events.

She should have expected it, but the sound of Jak's scrambling movements to catch up to her nearly sent her running as a panic flared up within her. Freezing in place, she turned her head quickly around to fix him with her silvery blue gaze, determined to see what was coming rather than simply wait to find out what he intended. She had not gotten far and it took him only a few strides to reach her, though he did not say anything at first. He looked confused almost, but there was nothing about his expression to suggest that he would force any answers from her. Still wary, standing tensely in place, Callisto waited until he stated he would find sleeping arrangements elsewhere with his brothers.

He gave her no time to react and left almost as soon as the words had left his lips. The black and grey healer turned to watch him make his hurried exit, a little stunned but relieved at the same time. Space. She would have space tonight. And a den all to herself. They were luxuries she felt she had been deprived of for too long, and though she still felt off because of the whole situation that had unfolded she conceded and returned to the den. It still smelled faintly of Jak as she crept inside and curled up toward the back of it, facing the entryway. The sound of small, soft paws caused her ears to perk but it was only the cat. With a single glance into the den, the thin black feline stepped just inside the den before turning to take a seat there at its entrance, a small, dark sentry barring others from getting close. It was silly to think the cat would hold anyone off, but at least there was someone watching over her.

Callisto curled up more tightly on the earthy floor of the den, resting her head on the warm ground, and though it took her a while to slip into slumber she eventually drifted off to sleep.

-Exit Callisto through sleep-