Unseasonably Warm [Atreyu]

Valkeyrie’s face showed an appropriate level of compassion towards the young girl as she told her story. It sounded horrific, a scenario she would not wish upon any. She stood and walked closer to the girl, leaning her body against her in the semblance of hug. Hoping the physical comfort would make her feel somewhat better. ”I’m so sorry that happened to you” she said softly, her voice filled with compassion. She supposed from afar it would look quite funny, this small black wolf trying to comfort a giant.

Quite frankly she wasn’t sure what else to say. What do you say to someone who has lost everything? She almost chuckled at this thought, she herself had walked away from everything. She felt a pang of guilt for her own actions, she had walked away from her family and abandoned them yet here stood someone who had theirs ripped away. Why was she not as sad as Atreyu? Why didn’t leaving her family make her feel like this?

She momentarily considered telling the woman her own story yet then she decided against it. No, what would she think? Atreyu would think that Valkeyrie was an ungrateful monster, that’s what she would think. With that in mind she decided to keep silent about her own past, telling others would not serve her well.

Once the girl had calmed Valkeyrie stepped away and she smiled sadly at the Atreyu, the woman’s eyes were now filled with hope and that made Valkeyrie rather curious. She did not expect the offer that followed. Without thinking she took a small step back, ”I-I can’t” she said, doubling the word to hide her stuttering. Internally she cursed herself at the panic that she had felt at that request and what it implied.

”I can’t belong to anyone again” she said, her voice taking on an unnecessarily stern tone. A tone that was clear to see came from panic more than anything else. She had surprised herself at how harsh the words had come out. ”Sorry” she added, her voice now gentler as her ears fell flat to her head.

”Why don’t we grab that meal you spoke of?” she said, changing the subject and motioning towards the creatures. The youngling that Ateyu had been eyeing earlier seemed to have wondered off from the herd. Far too comfortable with the Wolves’ presence to remain as cautious as it should have been.