Roza made her way around the edge of the pack's claimed lands with her mind in a thousand different places. She couldn't help but worry over Philomena and Ganta. Of course she had to make herself believe that they were both perfectly fine and they would be home any day now, but her mind wouldn't let go of the "what ifs" and the "could bes". She did her patrol on auto pilot. The path was well memorized by now and she would periodically stop to strengthen the scent markers whether they needed it or not. She kept a sharp eye out for anyone lurking near the border, but that was about the only thing she did consciously. She heard Abbey trilling up above her and she glanced up for a moment to see the tan-hued cardinal making smooth loops through the sky. It was nice to have a second set of eyes for a lookout in the sky. She saw Abbey drift off back over the territory, back in the direction of the den, and she smiled a bit. Abbey had been a great help with keeping an eye on Ulric while she was busy with pack duties. Roza turned her gaze back down toward the ground, her blue eyes drifting over the landscape while she continued her patrol. Talk Abbey Others

I've Been Waiting All Along

Jynette had worked as best she could since the meeting started though she was not nearly as efficient or quick as she wanted to be. The new territory she'd made her home in took time to get used to and the hunt for the herbs she needed took longer as a result. Effort by effort though she stocked her den with a rich variety of herbs. Summer would wane soon so she knew she had to work hard now while the plants were still green.

Climbing out of the little storage den she licked at her muzzle, carefully remove any extra strands of plant debris that had gotten stuck in her fangs. The evening was hot and humid and while the sky was still clear the air smelt of rain. She was certain it would rain in the next few days. Rain was good for the plant life but it also meant she'd have to keep an eye on her den and make sure her flooding precautions were up to date. Drat. She would need a few more sticks. Sighing to herself the little fox got to her feet and bounded into the weeping woods in search of suitable sticks when she saw the alphess out on patrol. Jynette felt a pang of pity for the woman. She couldn't imagine what it was like to be missing a child but she felt confident that Ganta and Yale could bring the girl back safe and sound.

She trotted over to the woman. "Good evening, Roza. How goes your patrol?"

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The soft sound of paws moving across the ground caught her attention, first making her ear twitch toward the sound before her head turned to look. She saw their fox healer heading in her direction and she gave the woman a small smile and her tail wagged gently. She had quickly taken a liking to the healer and company was certainly a welcome distraction from her own thoughts. She slowed her steps a bit so that Jynette could fall into step beside her. "It's been incredibly uneventful thus far so I'd say it's going pretty well," she replied with a slight chuckle. No news is good news when it comes to patrols it seems." She left her gaze drift away from Jynette so that she could take another look across the lands around the border before she brought her eyes back to the fox again. "How are you, Jynette? Herb hunting going well?" she asked curiously. While she wasn't very familiar with the elements of being a healer, she would much rather talk about something other than herself for a moment. Her missing daughter and Ganta's absence were hot topics around the pack right now she was sure, but she spent so much of her time worrying and stressing over her family that at the moment any other topic was a nice reprieve. Talk Abbey Others

I've Been Waiting All Along

Jynette's ears twitched as she caught the sound of thunder in the distance. A late summer storm was brewing but she did not know which way it was moving. She ran through a list of things she'd need to do to prep for the storm to make sure her herbs were safe. Roza greeted her and stated that so far her patrol had been uneventful. Jynette nodded. "That's good to hear." Uneventful was good especially with all the bad that had happened recently. Suspicious activity on the borders would only increase the pack's anxiety. She said nothing as the alphess got a far away look in her eye. What could she say? "If anyone can find your daughter I'm sure it's Ganta and Yale." She didn't much care for the other male but she was sure Ganta had chosen him for a reason.

"I'm doing well, these terras are a wealth of herbs. It's quite exciting, I'm getting some good stores put together while the weather allows it. Do you need any help with patrol? I'm not strong but I am quick."


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Roza looked down at Jynette with a small, grateful smile when the fox mentioned that she was sure Ganta and Yale would be the ones to find Philomena. Roza sometimes had her doubts and worries, but to have someone else reassure her that the men on the case were capable did make her feel better. All she could do was look for Philomena whenever she could and hope that Jynette was right. She was happy to hear that the herb hunting had been going well. If there was one skill she wished she had paid more attention toward learning when she was younger it would be healing. They were lucky to have their resident healer looking out for them and making sure that they were prepared for the colder weather to come. At Jynette's offer of joining her on her patrol Roza was quick to nod happily in agreement. "Absolutely! I would love the company if nothing else. Patrols get a bit lonely and boring after a while." She chuckled softly and went on about the patrol for a little while, pausing every once in awhile to make sure the scent markers were still strong. "What brought you to Dragoste, Jynette? I don't think I've gotten to really hear your story before," she asked curiously to make conversation. Talk Abbey Others

I've Been Waiting All Along

Jynette took Roza's smile as a good sign, or at least she hoped she was able to reassure the woman even if it was only a little. Part of her wanted to do more to help. She was small and unassuming, it was possible she could cover quite a bit of ground though she'd be no use if she were caught. No, it was best she stay here in Dragoste and do what she could to take care of the pack.

Jynette fell in step, more or less, with Roza as they continued on patrol. Her large ears swiveled as she tried to pick up any potential threats. "Happy to help! Do you frequently patrol at this time of day? If the work needs to be spread out during the day let me know, I'll see if I can help."

Roza asked her an interesting question and she wasn't quite sure how to answer it. "It's a difficult question. I guess… I'm quite far from my family and tired of living on my own. It seemed like wolves have the right idea and I thought, well, maybe they'd allow a fox if she has useful skills." A rumble of thunder shook overhead and Jynette frowned. "Sounds like rain. How much farther do you have to go on your patrol."


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Roza nodded in response to Jynette's question, adding, "I do try to get around to patrols around the same times, but it depends on Ulric. I try to work around him when I can... I hate to leave him alone for too long. Not that I think he'll run off or anything will happen, but I'm afraid he gets lonely with Philomena missing." Perhaps it was more information than she really needed to include in her answer, but it wasn't often that she got to confide her feelings with others. She hadn't seen her siblings or father in a while and she hadn't really made any close friends yet otherwise. Ganta was really the only other wolf she was really close to. Hopefully Jynette could be that close friend she wanted. Roza tipped her head in Jynette's direction to listen as the healer explained what had brought her to the pack. It was as good a reason as any. Having a home to offer others was Roza's favorite part of leading a pack. It was important for her to have a place for her family to live, but in a way it was even more important to be able to open their doors to everyone that needed a place to belong. She opened her mouth to respond, but the thunder interrupted her and her eyes turned toward the sky. "I think we've probably done enough for now. We're almost to the end of the willow trees anyway." She gave Jynette a smile and added, "Thank you for joining me. We'll have to talk some more sometime when rain isn't threatening to soak us." She chuckled and turned to head back toward the den. "I'll see you later!" Talk Abbey Others

I've Been Waiting All Along

Jynette nodded as Roza spoke. That made sense, as a mother she'd have to be constantly maneuvering around her children and with Dragoste lacking in extra paws she didn't really have the option to stay in the den. Though, Jynette imagined some peace and time away from the kids was beneficial. She couldn't imagine what it was like to have kids, especially dealing with the constant worry for their well being. It was almost enough to make her swear off kits entirely.

Soon they reached the end of their patrol. "Take care Roza! If you ever want to talk some more feel free to look me up."

-exit-

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