i'll tell you my sins, you can sharpen your knife

after the birth and between the meetings, she had not been able to spend much time with Acere as of late. she knew he was terribly busy but she did miss him. they never seemed to be able to be in the same proverbial room at one time. with her nursing five children and him running Winterfell, both had a busy schedule. though she accepted this when they became one, it did not stop her from wishing they could spend every waking moment together. Heloise left the children in the care of Avalon, who offered to watch them for her while she sought out her mate.

with the five pups fed and groomed, she was free to roam. peeking into each room aboard the ship, she would see idle signs of the king. a scent here or there, a piece of his white-black fur in the gentle breeze. she finally opted to go above deck, hoping to see him in the distant pines or just outside. the woman hadn't left her birthing den in what seemed like forever. she reveled the cold air, breathing in the crispness of winter. Heloise was gladdened they would not be forced to flee the area due to the eruption. though she also wished to help those affected.

sitting down, she began to groom her alabaster fur while waiting to see if Acere would show up. licking clean the scent of lingering birth and grime she had acquired, Heloise soon felt better. the five children she had brought into the world had taken a toll on her, and she had felt exhausted. but they were healthy and she was still breathing; it was a blessing. some mothers were not so lucky. she also realized she still needed to speak to Acere privately about some manners. especially their spat about the Hjarrandi and her leaving for a few days to train in private.