It was kind of funny how things could turn upside down in the span of just a few days. Ever since finding Memento he had spent quite a bit of time building out the den he had started and making it big enough for him to share with his family. Eventually they could all have their own dens wherever they wished, but for now this was the easiest solution. He had spent most of his life caring for his mother, but after he parted ways with his family he hadn't had anyone to look after. Now that he was reunited with them - with one notable absence - it had greatly shifted how he spent his days. His wandering had nearly come to a halt and he had begun putting in the work that would be needed to make this place their permanent home base. As he began to wash the dirt from digging out the den off of his paws in one of the Mangrove's many streams, he began to think about Philomena and her sudden disappearance. He hadn't let himself think about it too much - instead keeping himself busy and blocking that portion of his thoughts off into the farthest reaches of mind. Now that it was just him and the silence of the mangroves they began to creep in and nag at the back of his mind. Guilt weighed heavily on him and he sighed as he sank down onto his haunches. There had to be more to it than just how their fight had gone that had driven her to leave. He knew she had been in a rough spot before then, but to just leave without a word... A sound pulled him out of his own musing thoughts and it pulled his eyes up toward the brush and bushes that dotted the ground around the thickly growing trees. A scent followed the sound, a scent that had held firm in his memory after their chance meeting. "Farrah?" he called, getting to his paws as he began to scan the trees and bushes curiously for the small, pale woman. "Talk"

it was indeed she, rustling around in the brush. she could walk around like a normal wolf, but the short prickly bushes were an odd comfort for her. plus, many things hid within it. mice she liked to seek out in order to stomp on. small animals thinking that sneaking away within it was going to keep them safe. she was in her own zone, moving along the line with a newly won prize clenched between teeth. truthfully, she had began exploring away from the the comfort of the falls. off in another direction, then this one. at the edge she thought she picked up his scent, but it was brief and her mind was otherwise distracted by the rush of trampling through brush after something small and fuzzy. the call of her name made her head shift, lifting as ears perked. clueless to the fact it was him, as she waited for ru to speak again. who else would call her name? backing out of the brush, she tugs her mangled bunny along. it still had some kick to it, her frame lowering to place a paw on it. it had no means to escape, but still had kicks of reflex within its back legs. will you always be coming out from under something when you see him? her ears drooped slightly in question, a flare of nostrils would provide the answer. her head jerked upwards, twisting off in the direction of his scent. staring at him with curious gray eye, the other still neatly held behind the security of eyelid. excitement rose within her, she knew that smell. that face, she liked that face. abandoning now limp bunny, she proceeds directly into his personal space. a bubble she was careful to avoid bursting before, seeking to press her nose against his cheek in greeting. a wiggle in her frame suited to express happiness to see him again. she couldn't of looked any better, new cuts along her limbs from where she roamed. small, and easy enough to manage as long as she cleaned them. in the very least, she hadn't gotten any thinner since he fed her. even if she only returned to the deer once.. ulric. ulric. ulric. [thinks][speaks][ru]

He waited patiently for a moment to see if she would actually appear at him calling her name and eventually his patience paid off. She emerged from the bushes, holding something he couldn't quite see because of how she was turned away from him, and seeing her made a relieved smile pull onto his lips. He had been partially convinced that he was never going to see her again after that night and he had wondered often about how she was doing. He hadn't had the chance to look for her himself since he had found Memento shortly after that and had gotten caught up in the matters of taking care of his family, but that didn't keep him from wondering about her when they were eating their meals. It seemed like she was at least in the same sort of state that he had seen her in last time. When she turned to look at him he caught a glimpse of the rabbit she had drug out with her and he wasn't quite sure what to make of the state of it, but he also tried not to linger on it too much. He wasn't really given much time to think about it anyway since she quickly came toward him, clearly happy to see him. He chuckled softly and leaned down to make it easier for her to reach him and so he could press his nose to her cheek in return. What a change this was from when they first came across each other, but it was one he liked. "I'm happy to see you too, Farrah," he said with a lop-sided grin - the scar that crossed his left cheek keeping it from spreading evenly on each side of his muzzle. It was something he had grown used to and hardly thought about any more. He still wasn't quite sure what to make of his little friend. She was in a state that he had never seen another wolf be in and he still hadn't quite figured out why she kept her eye closed all the time. Either way, he was still happy to see her again. "Have you been taking care of yourself?" he asked as he lifted his head again, tipping it slightly to the side with curiosity. He felt a bit like a parent checking on a child that they hadn't seen in a little while even though there was no arrangement for him to do such a thing. "I have some food saved up by my den if you'd like some. My mother will probably be there, but she's just as nice as me if not nicer. She'd love to meet you." "Talk"

her nose pressed to his cheek once within range, ears perking at the touch of his against her cheek. she didn't hate it, but it was new. her hind dropped, settling herself within the spot. remaining a comfortable means within his bubble without being all over him. her eye scanned him, checking him out. she was curious to how he had been, though she couldn't bring herself to ask. he was big, and surely capable. she expected nothing over then for him to be fine. her head bobbed along to his question. she was fine, she took care of herself. she always did, even if she appeared so rough around the edges. ru reminded her to eat, nagging her to drink water. she functioned just fine thanks to him keeping track. he was to offer food again, her head tilting along with his in its own cute fashion. would he always offer her food? because you are thin. he pities us. but that was fine wasn't it, if he being kind was out of pity.. she was fine with it. the word mother made her ears twitch backwards. she remembered he had family, that he had fought with them. that he was sad. so surely he had a mother near enough to him. but the offer to bring her along was interesting. she would find herself easily swayed, if ulric says someone is nice. they would be nice, because he was nice. an innocent and clueless approach to the limited creatures she had expressed care for. her hind lifts, carrying herself back towards the bunny. gripping it by a leg she carries it back to him, a slight puff to her chest as if a child showing off a successful trophy. upon closer look, it was pricked from its escape within the brush. looking much like she after being prodded by thorns. it had escaped, leaving fresh marks along its back and now within its leg. setting it down in front of him, she nudges it closer with her nose. fed her, now she feeds him. even if the rabbit was small and he big, she wished for the gesture to matter. taking several steps away her legs spread to brace the rough shake she gave, tossing the loose strands of decor within her coat. [thinks][speaks][ru]

Ulric watched to see what her reaction would be to the idea of meeting his mother. He had half expected for her to reject the idea, but she didn't seem to have an adverse reaction to it other than a twitch of her ears so it gave him a bit of hope. His silver gaze watched her curiously as she got up and went back to the rabbit that she had pulled out of the brush with her. It made sense that she would want to bring her prey with her, but what surprised him most was the fact that she proudly brought it to him and presented it to him like it was her gift. It reminded him of how he would bring some of his first solo kills to his mother when he was younger and would give them to her in his own puppy-like efforts to care for her. Even though the rabbit was in rough shape from the beating it had taken in the thorny bushes, it still touched him and made his expression soften with appreciation. If he hadn't already intended on bringing her back to where his den was to make sure she ate then he would have refused it and made sure she ate it. However, since he was already planning on making sure she ate before they parted ways again, he accepted it gratefully. It was her gift to him and he recognized how proud she was of it. "Thank you, Farrah, that's very kind of you." Once she had finished shaking out her fur he rose to his paws and gave a nod with his head in the direction that the den he had made was. "Follow me, my home is just a little further this way." He picked up the rabbit that she had given him and carried it with him as he lead the way through the twisted mangrove forest. It was just a short walk, maybe a minute or two at most, before the den came into view and he saw his mother laying outside of it near the entrance. There wasn't any sign of his nieces around, but that was to be expected. The girls tended to go off and do their own thing during the day. Sometimes his mother would as well, but for the most part she lingered near their home base. He kind of wished she would get out more and perhaps try to live her life a bit more, but he understood how hard Philomena's disappearance had been on her. Once they were close enough he sat the rabbit down off to the side before glancing toward Farrah with a reassuring smile and nod. "Farrah, this is my mother, Roza." Glancing back up at his mother he added, "Mother, this is the woman I was telling you about the other day, Farrah." "Talk"

Roza laid on her stomach on the slightly sandy soil of the mangroves, her bright blue eyes looking up through the leafy canopy at the bits of equally blue sky that peeked through the leaves. It didn't seem to matter how much she tried to just let things go, she just couldn't get her mind off of her daughter and her sudden departure from them. She had noticed how withdrawn Philomena had been after her fight with Ulric, but she had never imagined that Philomena would just disappear without a word. What bothered her the most wasn't the fact that Philly had left - it was the fact that she saw too much of herself in her daughter. After Ganta's death she had done her best to fight through her own emotions in order to take care of her children, but in the end she had fled Boreas to get away from her own pain. Of course Ulric and Philomena had been old enough to take care of themselves by then, but it was still far too similar to how Philomena had left to not make her feel some sort of guilt. She had left a bad example for her children and she couldn't let that sit well with herself. The sound of paw steps made her gaze shift down from the trees to the wolves that approached her, her eyes landing on the familiar form of her son and a new face of a pale wolf that was far smaller than Ulric was. Curiosity touched her expression as she looked over the woman at his side, her eyes immediately picking out the fact that she was terribly thin and had quite a few small cuts around her legs. The mother in her was of course concerned for the woman's well being almost instantly, but she held herself back from rushing over to check on her. Instead, she looked at them both with a warm smile. As soon as Ulric began to introduce them to each other it clicked in her head who this was. Ulric had told her all about his encounter with the quiet woman so everything made perfect sense once she knew who this was. "Oh! Hello, Farrah, I'm so glad I get to meet you," she replied, her tail wagging behind her as she shifted to sit up on her haunches. "Speech”Think

she found herself simply pleased. glad that he accepted the rabbit despite it not being anything near what he had given before. she had gotten so wrapped up in wanting to give it, she had already forgotten he was to take her somewhere. where was it? his mother? his home? hesitation settled as she watched him begin to move away. her feet would carry her forward before her mind had a chance to object. she would smell her, the scent of another wolf as he came to a stop. she however, left some distance between them now. curious eye watching him with ears tucked back in alert. partly, she knew he wasn't likely to lead her into danger. but with the bumps of her very self she took on a careful manner. she watched as he introduced her, providing the name he had been given in the dark of night. the flight in her stirred as the women spoke to her, wagged her tail in what could be nothing more then friendly means. should she speak? ulric had already provided her name, but did she still need to speak? was that the right thing to do within this moment? he spoke for you, they don't want to hear you. a steady step backwards would pull conflict across her features. she followed because ulric invited, but now she was unsure. social situations were not her strong suit. in the end, with her mind running ru would provide the answer. to him. go. quiet steps would bring her to him side, giving him her left side but keeping herself near his rear. using the comfortable distance to peek around him at the women who sat in greeting. [thinks][speaks][ru]

He noticed the hesitation on Farrah's features and the way she began to step back away from them once his mother began to greet Farrah directly. It made his ears flick with worry. He hadn't wanted to move too fast too soon for her, but since she hadn't given him any negative sort of response before hand he had assumed she had agreed to the meeting. He was about to stop her when she seemed to stop herself. He watched the small wolf come to his side as if she was hiding behind his much larger frame. He smiled a little when she peeked around him at Roza and was just happy that she hadn't gone running. He still wasn't sure what had made him so immediately attached to the quiet, sporadic young woman, but he couldn't deny that he was. It was a protective, fathering sort of attachment - a completely different feeling than the one he had for Azariah. It was much more similar to how he felt for his nieces if he had to find a similarity for it. He settled onto his haunches as well, giving her an encouraging smile before looking back to his mother. "Have you seen Meme and Nausicaa since this morning?" he asked curiously. He was partially wondering if his nieces would appear during their little meet and greet, but he also was hoping that getting the attention away from Farrah for a moment might let her relax a bit. He hoped that maybe it would give her the moment she needed to orient herself and decide for herself that his mother wasn't a threat. He also just wanted to make sure that his nieces wouldn't come running up with their boundless energy and scare Farrah off either. They were a lot on their own at times even for him and he had lived with them long enough to get used to their energy. "Talk"

Her ears fell back with a bit of guilt when she saw how she ended up startling Farrah with her greeting. Ulric had told her how timid the smaller woman had been during their first interactions, but she didn't think that she knew exactly to what extent that was. She remained where she sat and waited for Farrah to settle or flee, hoping that she hadn't messed things up unintentionally. She was very happy to see Farrah linger near Ulric's side and she relaxed a bit once she was sure that the pale woman wasn't actually going to run off immediately. She could see why Ulric had been so interested in her in his stories about the night they met. She had raised her son to have a big heart and he was very much a soft one - much like herself. She had always been drawn to wolves that needed the love and attention they might not have gotten elsewhere and Ulric had taken that from her whether he would admit it or not. When Ulric asked about her granddaughters she let her vibrant blue gaze lift from the girl at his side to his pale eyes. It wasn't hard to see what he was doing so she let him do it. "No, I think I heard them say something about going a bit further south to the delta to try their hand at fishing so I'm sure they'll be gone for the rest of the day. Knowing them they won't come back till they have enough fish to feed us for days." She chuckled softly at the idea and imagined the two young wolves carrying a load of fish between the two of them when they returned. "I think Azariah might have gone with them as well. She said something about looking for a particular kind of saw fish or something - she seemed very excited about it, whatever it is." She dared to give Farrah another glance, offering the young woman a warm smile. It was nice to have something to break up her day and stop her from thinking about Philomena's disappearance for at least a short time. "Farrah, I don't know if Ulric has offered already or not, but you're more than welcome to visit as often as you'd like. I'd be happy to share my den with you if you ever want a place to stay." She hoped she wouldn't be over stepping a boundary with the woman who was still a stranger to her, but the mother in her refused to let Farrah go without at least making sure she knew that she had a home here if she wanted it. Her door was always open to anyone that genuinely needed it and she knew Ulric wouldn't disagree. Talk Others

her odd moment of fuss subsided, mostly because the attention drifted away from her. he was smart, she wouldn't notice the smooth way he behaved. while she made an effort to listen, curiosity got the best of her. after only a moment longer of linger at ulrics side would she move away from it. forward, further in the area that she being welcomed into. she wouldn't approach roza, but she didn't seem overly sensitive when she spoke.   what fish could they mean? have you caught anything like that? these topics ru enjoyed the most, pulling the pieces only he desired. it was his interest, and his means of offering her help between the times he made fun of her. she didn't know the answer, so she wouldn't pause her steps and twitching nose of interest. slow and careful steps to guide her around, while still managing to avoid heading closer to roza. she was like this towards ulric too, but he had just sat around and waited. was this women like this too? gray eye slid her way, focusing on the words spoken with slightly pricked ears. an offer to visit, a place to sleep. she couldn't remember the last time she slept in a den, though surely the holes within dying trees could count in some kind of way. this would send her attention away, gazing off towards the treeline, was there hollowed holes nearby? could she find one to laze away in and visit as the women suggests? what are you thinking? making plans to move in because they tolerate you? a droop of her ears, the tip of her nose lowering at the harsh tone given. ru was right, they were being nice. like ulric was nice and fed her. they pity you. ru was right. always right.   ulric.. name from parting maw was a surprise even to herself, head rolling in his direction. silent and staring for a moment, before her nose would point towards the rabbit he had placed down. ro-.. a wrinkle within her nose, unable to wrap the women's name within her head. words were hard, even more so when they were new. thus she settled into the old, words she surely could manage. mofher.. presseent..? an expression that held question. can that be given to her? should she get another one? would a present help her remain disliked. would a present be needed to come visit? these nonsensical questions she wanted to spill out, the golden answers towards social conversations. even if ru was right, even if it was pity they had to offer. did she need to give something in return? would they like presents? [thinks][speaks][ru]

He let his gaze glance toward Farrah as she began to shift away from his side and drift across the open space between him and his mother. She was such an interesting wolf and sometimes he struggled to know how to help her or interact with her in a way that was going to be the best for her, but he was trying and he hoped that was enough. He would tell from how his mother reacted that she felt the same way he did and that was no surprise to him. If she could have had a hundred children she would have and he had no doubt that she would have had enough love to go around for all of them. It was something that he appreciated about her because it made him see the value in compassion and affection, but it also frustrated him at times. It was that unending, undying love that made her still so in love with Ganta despite what he did and so endlessly forgiving with Philomena even though she had put them all through so much. The most shocking thing was when he heard Farrah speak. It made his ears perk to catch her few and broken words, giving her his full attention. The only time she had actually spoken around him was to tell him her name and that had been very close to the end of their interaction the last time they crossed paths. It was a bit disjointed, but when his eyes were directed down tot he rabbit that laid by his feet with her pointing he was able to put it together. She wanted the rabbit to be a gift for his mother. The thought made him smile and his tail have a few slow wags. "Of course! It's your gift to give - it can be for whoever you want." He picked it up again and moved the rabbit closer to Farrah, giving her an encouraging nod. "Do you want to give it to her?" he asked, his voice a little softer to show that he was speaking to just her. "I know she'll love it." It was less about the fact that it was a rabbit, which was valuable prey in its own right, but more about the fact that it was a gift from her. It was just like when he and his sister would bring their mother all kinds of little odds and ends that they caught or found when they were really little - everything from bugs to shiny rocks to the largest clumps of mud they could find. A gift was a gift and it was the thought that counted. "Talk"

she was concerned of course, unsure if he would understand what she couldn't clear say. so within those brief moments between her words and his answer, she could of swore she forgot to breath. he didn't become upset about giving away his present, and she had already decided that she would bring him another present. a bigger present, since he was big. when he lifted it to bring her closer, her eye locked onto it. sizing it up again, it was beat up but still fresh. would she like this present? he had liked it, she should like it to! she focused on him as he set it down again, then as he spoke to her. encouraging her to give the gift, this made sense to her. if she was going to pick out a present she should deliver it. thus it would take little from him before she lifted the rabbit. head turning to look at roza who still had moved, who still hadn't made any feelings of being unfriendly. her steps now almost seemed shy, only a few taken before slight hesitation. how is giving it to her, any different from giving it to him? her ears pricked forward at the idea, and more confidence gathered her frame forward. stopping in front of her, she wouldn't get so close that she could be touched, but plenty close enough to set the rabbit down. to nudge it with her nose to guide it closer to her. she wouldn't retreat either, her ears fully pulled forward. a gently tilt of her head as if waiting for her to collect it, for her to decide if she would like it. her voice would rise again, she had already said it. surely they had heard it, knew her intentions. thus it couldn't be said again. her body lowered, flattening her stomach to the ground as she peeked up at her patients to wait. she wouldn't care if she ate it, whether it now or never. but excitement rose in her, ulric had been pleased at the present, that stirred within her some means of longing to see it again. excitement over the giving of gifts. [thinks][speaks][ru]

She couldn't quite decipher the expressions that flicked across Farrah's face at the offer to let her stay with her in her den and she began to worry that she had crossed some kind of boundary again, but then she was surprised and delighted to hear Farrah speak instead. It made her ivory ears perk with interest and a bit of shock. She listened just as closely as Ulric, but her blue gaze shifted back and forth between her son and the slender woman while she tried to make out what it was that Farrah wanted to do. Mother present? She followed Ulric's gaze to the beaten up rabbit that sat at his paws and still hadn't quite gathered what she meant until she saw Ulric pass it off to the woman. She hadn't known that the rabbit had been a gift from Ferrah to Ulric originally so she hadn't had that context to go off of. Her son's voice was just quiet enough that she couldn't fully hear what he said to Ferrah as he passed off the rabbit to her. When she saw Ferrah pick up the rabbit from where Ulric had placed it and watched her turn in her direction Roza began to figure it out. A present for her - Ulric's mother. Her eyes widened with surprise and she watched Ferrah move closer and stop when she was just out of reach, placing the rabbit between them. For a moment she felt like she had been teleported back to four years a go or more to when Ulric and Philomena were still pups. She remembered Ulric bringing her a rabbit or some other kind of small prey that wasn't in much better shape than Ferrah's was - back when Ulric had been a clumsy and unskilled hunter at best. He'd gotten in trouble a few days prior for something that she couldn't even recall now and had brought it to her as an apology. He'd looked so pitifully apologetic back then and it was hard to look at him now and not see that same little pup. She was pretty sure her children would always be children in her eyes. Looking at Ferrah now, she couldn't help but feel the same sort of over joyed excitement that she was pretty sure all parents felt when their children brought them their first kills. It never really mattered how well they had been killed or how intact they were - it was just the fact that they had done it and she was proud regardless."Thank you, Ferrah!" he said with a wide, proud smile as her tail wagged behind her. "That's incredibly sweet of you, thank you. This means so much to me." She hadn't realized the emotions her memories had pulled to the surface until she felt the lump forming in her throat. She swallowed past it and quickly tried to blink away the few tears that had begun to form. It was so silly for her to be getting so emotional over something like this, but it was hard not to with everything that had happened recently and now being reminded of what had once been. She smiled and leaned forward to take the rabbit and set it beside her in order to officially accept her gift and to give her a moment to collect herself. She could tell that Ferrah had purposefully put herself out of her reach so she didn't try to lean closer to give her any affection or physical sign of thanks even though it was very much in her nature to do just that. Roza was quiet for a moment as she looked at the rabbit again, that smile never leaving her lips. "Ferrah... If you need a home you have one here," she said as she lifted her gaze to the woman's one eyed gaze again - not realizing that her sapphire eyes were shining with tears. It was less of a question or an offer this time - now it was a statement. She had a home here if she ever wanted to take advantage of it. "I had always dreamed of having a huge family with so many children, but fate didn't allow for that. I have Ulric and... and I had Philomena and I'm proud to have them of course, but... if you ever need someone to be your mother, I would be happy to be that for you." Talk Abbey Others

she watched the whirlwind of emotions the women displayed, tied into them with strong curiosity. she had been along for so long, all of the twists and turns of communication seemed so odd to her. it was terrifying, and exciting all in one go. but as the rabbit was moved to roza's side, it didn't seem as frightening anymore. a obvious shift of her frame, like she had settled into the idea of being allowed here. ru.. what does it mean? she listened, pulling in every word roza had to say, but still she desired the answer from ru. do you want a mother, farrah? the question pulled the tips of her ears back, taking the quick moment to remember to gentle women who cleaned her ears. who hid her away when trouble came calling. this women in front of her was not she.. but could she still be her mother? she was offering, or somewhat, deciding that was what she was going to be. farrah's head turned, looking towards ulric in question. would be care? was some part of this going to upset him? would her concern of upsetting him upset her? eye tugging back towards roza, but frame unmoving. that was until a wiggle set into her hind, too overwhelmed by the fluttering within her stomach. a display of happiness on many levels, for many things. that her present was acceptable. that she was being welcomed and offered space to take over. ru we can stay here? right? right?! her body stood, paws pattering against the ground waiting for both an answer from him and trying to decide what to do with herself. ... we can visit, sure.. the hesitation was clear in his tone, but she displayed no negative reaction as her body surged forward. to take into the similar action she had greeted ulric, seeking to press her nose against roza's cheek. but it would only be for a moment, turning herself around to puff out her chest. making her way back to ulric as if to say. i did it. mother liked my gift. [thinks][speaks][ru]