Life in a pack was something that she felt was...strange. She wasn't accustomed to it. She had been on her own for a long time, and she wasn't sure if she could get used to it. She was glad she had come here with Esarosa, but now that her friend was settling down and seeing all the kids running around...well, it made her feel like something was missing. She knew what that something was, but would she ever have it? The red marked creature sat at the base of a pine, olivine gaze serious for once. Her whole demeanor was different today, and as she sat there with her tail wrapped around her paws, she couldn't help but think about it.

She could definitely feel it now, as she sat outside her den looking at the trees, enjoying the warmth of the sun on her back. Something was stirring within her body. She hadn't gained any weight yet - or had she? Esarosa glanced at herself. Well, maybe it did look like she'd had a few good meals recently, though it wasn't anything overly noticeable or cumbersome yet. But she knew it wasn't just the abundance of prey in this warm season. She and Steel had succeeded in their intentions. Smiling to herself, she got to her paws and set out, ready to begin another lazy, summer day. She skirted around the clumps of pine trees, her nose to the air. She was hungry again, despite the full meals she'd been enjoying. But instead of the scent of prey, she caught the familiar scent of her friend. Changing her direction, she followed Valentina's trail, wondering if she'd want to do something together today. Her mood, cheery as always, was dashed when she saw Val leaned up against the base of a pine. Something about her demeanor was off... really off. Trotting over to the red-marked woman quickly, she waved her tail in the air as she approached. "Hey Val!" she said, trying to sound pleasant but not wanting to be ignorant to Val's mood. She came close to her friend, reaching out with her nose to touch Val's shoulder. "Is everything okay?" she asked, pulling back and tilting her head, "You don't look like yourself today." She wondered what could possibly be getting her down. "Speak" "Listen" Think

She was so lost in her thoughts, that she didn't hear the initial greeting from her friend until she jumped slightly from the touch on her shoulder. She turned her head to look at Esarosa, tail thumping the ground lightly as she smiled. Though for a moment, she felt like her usual smile felt...forced. Esarosa had just found her, was her mood that obvious? "Ah, hello darling," She tried to cast it aside with her usual teasing humor, but even that felt like it wasn't going to come today. What was wrong with her?

She opened her mouth a couple times, trying to think of some sort of excuse but none came. She usually always had something to say, and yet...nothing came. The woman sighed, her tail laying still upon the ground. "Ah, who am I kidding..." She turned away, instead turning her eyes to stare at the branches above her, seemingly avoiding eye contact with Esarosa. "I just...I miss her..." Her. She missed her mother. She had never told Esarosa her past, nor anything much about herself. And even with the amount of time she'd known her, she felt like she couldn't open up. She never had before, not since she was forced away.

Noticing the way that Valentina didn't even flinch when she greeted her, she frowned briefly. She jumped a little when Val startled at her touch. She hadn't realized her friend was so zoned out, clearly lost in her own thoughts. She'd never seen the woman like this before. She was normally spunky and sassy, Esarosa had never imagined she could ever be down. Even her greeting was lacking in its usual tone. Her dark brows pulled together, emerald orbs brimming with concern as she watched her friend struggle for words, for something to fill the silence. Not knowing how to fill the silence herself, she merely waited, her gaze scanning over her friend's downcast face and eyes, scanning over the unique markings upon the woman's face. Finally she spoke. Esa tilted her head, blinking slowly as she seated herself closeby to listen, pressing her side against the same pine tree as she faced Val. "Ah, who am I kidding.... I just.. I miss her..." The woman draped all in ebony tilted her head the other way, confused. Who was Val talking about? A friend? A sibling? She leaned forward again, brushing her muzzle along Val's shoulder, gently caressing her neck in a comforting gesture. "Who... who do you miss?" she asked, her voice unusually soft, "You can talk to me, Val." She hoped that the red-streaked woman would open up to her a little, hating to see the unhappiness in Val's olive green eyes. "Speak" "Listen" Think