This night ain't for the faint of heart

Ulric watched Lil begin to crumple as he insisted on her telling him if things got too bad for her to be around him, his ears falling back as she fell into his chest sobbing. His foreleg wrapped around her slim shoulders protectively, seeing her like this shattering his heart. He knew all too well the feeling of seeing someone he loves suffering. His mother, Lillith, now Eska... even his other children and sister to a lesser extent over the years. So much of his life had been spent just trying to hold things together for the wolves he loved and that didn't seem to be changing any time soon, but he had grown used to it. This was a new thing for his sweet daughter and he hated knowing that she was having to experience this kind of helplessness and heartache.

"Everything is going to be okay," he told her, giving her a gentle squeeze as he leaned down to kiss the top of her head again, holding her as long as she needed to cry out the emotions that were overwhelming her. "I know it feels bleak right now, but we'll all make it through this, alright?" It was something he continued to hope would be true the longer this darkness continued and he refused to give up on that hope. If he did it would only mean disaster for himself and those that depended on him. "It's a blessing to have someone you care about so deeply that the thought of losing them tears you up inside," he told her softly after a few moments, giving her another squeeze and giving her a sad smile. "And even though it feels like there's nothing you can do, sometimes just being there for them will make the biggest difference. I promise."

Ulric Adravendi