only birds can fly

Zee's focus remained set upon the woman for the entirety of the story, her gaze only drifting off of her face long enough to ensure that no pack members would wander over to interrupt Tamsyn or make the she-wolf more uncomfortable then she already was. As she listened she found herself empathizing more and more. She did nothing to hide the expression upon her face that showed how very sorry she was.

After her long-winded story was finished, Zee offered her a sad apologetic smile. There was no doubt in her mind that it was a difficult life to live, and Zee was not entirely blind to the lifestyle she described. She lived the live of a slave, once. It would be a time she'd never be able to forget. "I'm so sorry, Tamsyn." The queen said after a moment of silence.

She let the apology hang in the air for a beat, sighed heavily, and continued. "Although your story is different then my boy's, I can still gleam some understanding from it. For that, I thank you. I think the thing you both share is the thought that something is wrong with you, that this world would be better if you were not in it." Slim paws held the meat between them and she stared down at it, turning the chunk absentmindedly as she thought on the woman's story.

Zee's lips pressed into a thin line, not knowing how to express the feelings within her. "You're not alone, you know." Soft blue eyes lifted from the meat to pierce Tamsyn's own, willing her empathy to reach across them somehow. "I had what you'd call a normal life growing up, but I found my way into slavery as an adult. Only a year ago, in fact. It was hard." Thinking on her history was not easy, though it was even harder to find the line between how she felt about it. She'd hated her treatment as a slave in Ashen's Empire, though could not ignore how it'd shaped her life for the better. If she'd not found herself enslaved, she'd not be standing here a queen. "I know it's different, but in ways it's the same. I rose up, earned better for myself. You could, too."

Another heavy sigh, and another pause for thought. "Our pack, we've more than one wolf here who would describe themself broken. We look after them, my husband and I. We also train them to look after themselves." Zee's gaze softened, and she cleared her throat. The pair had their meal in the communal area of the pack, where around them lay vacant dens for visitors or those who hadn't decided yet to move.

She gestured with her muzzle towards a few of the den entrances visible in the low-light. "You can stay the night in any of those, they're empty. No one will bother you, I promise. You're safe here, for as long as you choose to be." Zee let the offer go unspoken, recognizing the she-wolf's hesitance and not willing to push her on it. If she decided now or a season from now that she seeked the comfort of a pack, the Armada could be a safe place for her.