Heart made of glass, my mind of stone
Tear me to pieces, skin to bone

Time seemed to have passed quickly in Indigo’s company, much quicker than it ever did when she travelled alone. Of course, it helped that she didn’t have to walk and she was able to give her aching limbs some much needed rest, but she’d have walked all day if she had to just to spend more time with him. Her time travelling alone had been miserable, and while there had been other opportunities for her to find a new place to call home, but she had clicked with her new friend in a way that she hadn’t with anyone else before. This was the first time in her short life that she’d ever felt so certain about a decision.

They approached a large, looming structure and she could smell the tell tale indicators of pack lands. "Is this it?" She was in awe, it was like nothing she’d ever seen before. There wasn’t anything like it where she came from, nor had she stumbled upon anything similar in her travels.

"Speech" || Thoughts

As soon as the towers came into view the rest of the castle followed swiftly. It didn’t seem like they had been walking for very long, and she really was light as a feather. His heart warmed despite the cold, she’d called him her friend. Maybe fate was real, she’d just happened upon him in the woods. What if he hadn’t gone to the falls today? The what ifs were an infinite loop he could dive into, and it was better just to be thankful for having her on his back now. Her voice touched his ears, simple and full of awe.

”It is.” There was a smile in his voice, something that hadn’t appeared there since moving to Auster. He almost hesitated at the border then, but instead continued forward towards the castle. Cosette was no threat to the Hallows, Resin wouldn’t want him to disturb her for something as trivial as crossing the border with a loner on his back.

Indigo continued forward, Resin had been working on their new pens for their new livestock. That was where he went to find her now. He made his way to the castle stables, making out Resin’s figure with ease. ”Resin?” Indy called out as he approached, assuming she would see the girl in his mane. Again Rue flashed in his mind, but he tried to press the feelings down so his nerves wouldn’t show as outwardly as he felt them.

The fence was mostly constructed save the separation between the two fields. If they were breeding these beasts, they would have to keep the males away from the females until the necessary time. Then again, maybe not. Resin wasn't too knowledgeable about the creatures that she had in mind. Perhaps the males would be friendly with the females and children. Next she and those helping would have to clear out the stone sleeping place so that the creatures would have a safe, warm place to sleep. A voice from behind pulled the woman's attention away from her task. A single golden eye rested on the giant purple form of Indigo and on his back... a girl. The woman's brow furrowed for a moment as she looked at the boy that she called grandson. "Indigo," she said in greeting. He kept bringing girls home. The first one had died. She could only imagine that he would ask to keep this one as well. Casting her gaze to the girl resting upon Indigo's back, the woman raised her scarred brow. It was a little rude to not meet someone for the first time on your feet. If the girl wasn't injured, she would most likely be a little disappointed. Silently, the woman waited to see what the pair wanted of her and thought about her answer to the question that she knew would come. "Speech"

Heart made of glass, my mind of stone
Tear me to pieces, skin to bone

Cosette perked up at his confirmation that this was in fact the Hallows. She lifted her head higher to get a better view of the scenery around her, and with her better vantage point, she was able to quickly spot his grandmother when the woman turned her attention to them at the sound of Indigo’s voice. Almost instantly, she realized what he had meant when he warned her that his grandmother could be intimidating. She wasn’t quite as large as Indigo, but somehow her presence seemed much heavier than his, and the weight of her gaze as it fell on the tiny girl was enough to make her want to shrink down and hide in the plush fur of his mane.

She swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat and waited for Indigo to stop walking before she carefully slid off his back. The impact from her less than graceful dismount sent shockwaves up her stiff limbs, but she bit back the impulse to wince. She wished she had asked more questions about his grandmother before they came, to have a better idea of how to not get off on the wrong paw but it was too late for that now and all she really had to go on was what she had learned about authority from her old home. She didn’t know how well it would translate here, given that it seemed things were done much differently than she was used to.

She dipped her head, keeping her gaze low, her toes digging into the cold ground. Normally, she would introduce herself, but it somehow felt wrong in that moment. Should she wait for Indigo to explain? Or would it be better if she took the chance to speak up? "I’m Cosette…" Her voice was quiet and uncertain, and as much as she wanted to look to Indigo for reassurance, she made herself look to Resin, hoping that she might make a good enough impression now to be given a chance here.

"Speech" || Thoughts

Resin quickly looked up to give her attention to Indy and his companion. The nervousness didn’t abate, he still felt like he was living in deja vu. While his grandmother hadn’t forbidden him to bring anyone home this was the second small young girl he’d found and brought to her. Indy lowered his head slightly as she greeted him by name. Her hard eyes gifted quickly from his features to Cosette. She slid down his back, though he’d felt the tension in her limbs before she let go. He meant to bend down to allow an easier transition but she’d dropped without warning. He hoped she hadn’t hurt her sore paws.

She lowered her head and offered her name but Indigo took the reins in explaining. ”I was scouting nearby when she found me.” He started simply, ”She doesn’t have anyone else, I said I could offer her a big meal and a place to sleep.” He looked to Cosette, she hadn’t stated so clearly but he’d already assumed she wanted to stay here. Indy lifted his bright blue gaze to Resin’s golden eye, unsure how he could communicate how much Cosette had helped him already, just by needing him. ”I want to help her more than that though.”

Both children lacked confidence. That much was evident. The girl did get to her paws which was good. She managed to meekly give her name and Resin almost laughed. Deja vu indeed. Hadn't Rue been just as nervous? The situation was different this time. There were no other packs around to force the predators inward. The castle was fortified. There would be no hyenas or bears to snatch this multi-hued girl up unless she went out on her own. Cosette was the girls name. Once she'd spoken, Indigo launched into an explanation. It didn't matter what his explanation was. He'd brought another young girl home. Almost like she was a pet. Just like the last, Resin laid out the rules of the pack. The ash and onyx woman fixed her lone eye on the girl. "I am Resin, Aegis of The Hallows. You're free to stay the night and eat your fill." The brow above her missing eye raised as she continued to speak. "If you wish to become a member of The Hallows, you're expected to pull your weight. Contribute where you're able. Work on whatever skills you have until you're an expert in that skill. Everyone is also expected to do patrols with a partner." She added that last bit for Indigo's benefit. The girl wouldn't be off running amok like Rue had. "Speech"

Heart made of glass, my mind of stone
Tear me to pieces, skin to bone

The girl had gotten so caught up in her rapidly developing friendship with Indigo that she’d forgotten it had started with nothing more than an offer of a meal and a warm nap. For the briefest moment, she worried that’s all it would be, but she remembered his promise to never leave her behind, and the end of his explanation to Resin reaffirmed that. Of course, none of that would mean very much if Resin turned her away. An alpha’s word always trumped any promises that were made.

She held her breath, feeling a bit more hopeful as the scarred woman’s gaze fell on her. It seemed staying the night would be free, but staying permanently came with expectations, which didn’t come as a surprise. If there was one thing her mother had successfully instilled in the small girl, it was a desire to earn her place. She wanted to prove herself useful, and she nodded eagerly. "I’d like to stay. I used to help the healers in my old pack with gathering herbs and things. I promise I’ll work hard and learn more." She hoped her limited knowledge would be enough to start with, but she was determined to show them that she was worth keeping around.

"Speech" || Thoughts

This was all too much like when he’d brought Rue home and Indigo knew as his blue eyes fell on Cosette that if anything happened to her he wasn’t sure he’d be able to recuperate. Asla helped get him through Rue’s loss, and he did try very hard to dismiss the nervous feeling in his mind. He felt a strong urge to protect the tiny she wolf, she’d called him friend and Indy would do his best to live up to that title like he promised. He felt a sense of relief as Resin accepted her presence in the Hallows, and appreciated the addition of pairs patrolling.

Indigo tried to again ignore the thought of Rue as she wandered by herself and came to her untimely end. Bright blue eyes turned to Cosette as Resin finished, and instead of seeing the girl he hadn’t been able to protect he saw something brighter. He saw a new beginning, and he found hope in the little purple flower. She was eager to prove herself with her words, and vowed to do just as Resin asked.

”She can help me, Resin.” He offered softly, feeling a bit of excitement knowing she had experience with plants. The only one he’d truly shared his love of all things green had been Iolaire. ”I’ll make sure she never patrols alone.”

Cosette assured the Aegis that she would work hard and went on to say that she had helped healers. Another future healer, eh? Well... Indigo's interests lay in the same direction, so perhaps it would do them both some good. They would be able to work together. The girl would grow and Indigo would hopefully heal with time. Resin wasn't sure what was going through the boys head lately, but it was very obvious to her that he had been suffering. If this was what it took to get him out of his own head so that he could grow and thrive, so be it. Indigo insisted that Cosette would never patrol alone. She could see it in his big blue eyes... he was begging her to let the girl stay. There was a bit of room left before the ashen fae would feel that the pack was over capacity. Yes, they had an entire castle, but there were very few hunters. Too many mouths to feed would be detrimental to all. This girl was small though. She wouldn't eat much. There was a determination in her as well, despite how outwardly timid she was. After a time, the giantess nodded. "Welcome to The Hallows, Cosette." She then directed her singular gaze to Indigo. "Help her settle in. Show her everything. She is your responsibility." Putting him to work might very well be what the boy needed. "Speech"