I'll show you how a heart can never fail

Things had been so chaotic and on edge lately that Rory felt as though he hadn't had a moment to calm down. He still felt tense with Jewell's attacker in the territory, and he was still eager to figure out what to do with him. His talk with his father hadn't entirely helped out either. Taking away the man's baby makers was certainly an idea, but he doubted it would really serve a purpose other than making sure he couldn't procreate. Would he learn from his mistakes if Rory would do that to him? Could wolves like him even be reformed at all or was he lost cause? A part of him didn't feel comfortable killing him either. It seemed like an easy way out, but at least he wouldn't be around to bother anyone ever again. Why did this problem have to be something that didn't seem to have a simple solution.

Mostly he was just worried about how Jewell was doing. Faite had taken her in as one of her own kids, basically promised her safety, and now it was up to Rory to ensure that she was safe, along with all of the other members of Lirim. Was he failing them? He didn't like that thought in the slightest. He didn't want his mother to come back and see this strange male and to learn what had been done to Jewell. What would Faite even do? Knowing his mother's temper it probably wasn't going to be anything good. It wasn't as though he didn't want Faite to handle the situation for him, it would have been far easier, but he wanted to be proud of something. He wanted to fill his mother's very large (proverbial) paw steps and prove he hadn't failed her. If he could handle just this one thing then he could prove he was worthy carrying on her legacy. So why couldn't he figure out a solution?

For the time being he had some free time. Morning patrols were done and the prisoner was being watched. It'd been some time since he'd spoken to Jewell and he felt a brotherly kind of protectiveness over her. It was hard for him to let her out of his sight considering the trouble she could get herself in to. She seemed more wary about leaving now, but with danger lurking within the pack lands he was even more reluctant to leave her on her own. So as he came to sit by the water's edge he rose his head and let out a howl to summon her to him.

"Speech"

She had been giving lessons to Torin in french recently but today she had taken a break. Her english still left something to be desired but it was probably a little better. She still hadn't the courage yet to leave again. nor did she plan to except to find Faite. But there was a little feeling right now when winter came she felt kind of funny. Maybe she should of went to a healer but she wasn't sure. Would they laugh at her becuase she had some kind of itch she couldn't scratch? Had Ariet done something to her when he hurt her? A howl for her from Rory rang out and she lifted her head to west of her. He wanted her and she didn't know why. Had he found out she was teaching Torin her language? Was she even allowed to do that anyway? She wasn't certain. She stood from her spot. She had been trying to do her best and use a deer hide to make a cloak for herself. She felt it would help. Though her head would still be exposed. She pulled it over herself and hurried towards Rory. When she got there she slowed herself until she was standing beside him. She was very political and she ducked her head quickly to him. "Morning greetings Rory. What Jewell help with?"She didn't know how weird she probably looked with a more natural pelt draped over her. It had been taken when the hunters brought a kill down, not that they had many of those. She had asked nicely and had her reasons. Maybe if she looked more normal she wouldn't bring trouble and pain upon herself. It could also provide protection from the elements if needed. She turned her gaze to Rory and tilted her head. She didn't even realize that her scent had recently changed and how it might even affect the males around. Her tail wagged slowly as she stood beside Rory. Walk, "Talk" Think

I'll show you how a heart can never fail

Jewell hadn't wasted any time it seemed and Rory's face lit up slightly as she approached. His friendly smile turned into more of a confused look as the first thing he noticed was the deer hide draped over her. It was amusing to say the least considering she was a pretty tiny female. A part of him couldn't help but view her as pup sized really considering she hadn't grown anymore. They were two now, two, and it was something he couldn't quite wrap his head around. Either way, she looked considerably more tiny with the deer hide on.

"Good morning Jewell." He said as his tail waved behind him.

He was about to say more when her scent hit him and more confusion was brought on his face. She smelled ... different, but he couldn't quite figure out what it was. Maybe it was the deer hide? Yeah, that had to be it. He blinked a few times to try to remember what it was he was going to say at her, but finally it came to him. "Oh yeah, I just wanted to see how you were doing. I know it must have been pretty hard on you lately."

"Speech"

Tiny as she was she didn't let it stop her from moving forward. Only she didn't know how much other's looked at her like a handicap. She was working on getting better at everything, even at using english better thanks to Torin. Though she had yet to dare to move beyond the borders just yet. Rory made her feel safe at least and protected, even if he didn't try. Did he know the impact he had made on her yet? She had yet to tell anyone but then again she feared doing so, as she was nothing special. She was just the child Faite had taken in because she pitied her. She had inadvertently caused Aldric's death, and then found herself kidnapped later. She was nothing but a burden. She was not stupid, she knew it and figured Rory did too. His smile then confusion caused her to cock her head to the side. But then it occurred to her that he had yet to see her with a deer pelt draped over her. She smiled at him to reassure him that this change was okay by her. She'd be less noticeable if she used this every day. He greeted her anyway though, then he stopped. Like he couldn't concentrate. Was it so strange? Well of course she had never seen another use a pelt like this. She reached back and gently grasped the pelt, pulling it off herself and setting it before herself. She didn't know it wasn't the pelt but her scent that had Rory distracted, and that this would not help him. Faite had never explained such things to her. He finally spoke up once more and she gave him a soft smile. No one needed to know of her nightmares, not even Faite. "Jewell is being good. Not leave home no more, teach Torin tongue. Miss Faite still, but Rory do good as alpha too. Keeps friends safe, make Jewell safe here." She gave him a brief rundown of how things were for her but made sure to leave out enough that he wouldn't be too burdened by her. She had yet to face her attacker since she came back but that was no problem hopefully. She averted her gaze for a moment, before she tilted her chin and aimed a small lick at Rory's cheek. She didn't know why but it felt right to do in the moment. "Jewell thanks Rory...." Walk, "Talk" Think

I'll show you how a heart can never fail

Rory watched as she pulled the hide off to reveal her bright coat. He studied her colors for a moment and he wasn't sure why, but he was still some times amazed that wolves could have such brilliantly colored coats. He briefly remembered when he'd first met his uncle, the second wolf he'd ever met that had such a vibrant pelt. If he ever had kids would his uncle's colorful gene be passed to his own? It was an interesting though, but something that automatically made him nervous. He still felt like a child and a child having children was just not something that he could think about so he shoved it away from his thoughts.

"Jewell." He paused for a brief second as he tried to gather his thoughts. "If you ever want to leave the pack lands all you have to do is ask someone to go with you. I don't want you to feel as though you have to stay here in the pack just because you don't feel safe." It was the best solution he could come up with if she wasn't wanting to learn how to defend herself. Maybe if Faite came back she'd have better luck convincing Jewell to learn some defensive moves.

The words had fallen from his lips quietly and he found his thoughts stopping as she licked his cheek. If he had the ability to blush through his fur he would have. He didn't take compliments well and he certainly didn't take compliments from girls very well either, even if she was his adopted sister. "You don't have to thank me. It's my job to protect you while Mom is away and I'm happy to do so. I'm just sorry I couldn't do anything for you sooner and I'm sorry I brought that awful guy home with us. I'll do something about it really soon, I promise."

"Speech"

She listened to him speak and couldn't help the sigh that escaped from her. She didn't feel the need to wander or explore, hadn't felt it since her incident but she did have to be honest with herself. She needed to prove to herself that she could go beyond her comfort zone. She aimed to lean against Rory gently. "Jewell need push farther, but Jewell scared find more Ariets out there. Comfort here with self. Not happy though. Want world back." She wanted her world back, she wanted that innocent thinking that no one would hurt her. That she was too sweet and childlike to be hurt. She knew deep down somewhere she was truly depressed but she hated to let anyone know she wasn't that little ray of sunshine she had always been. Her smile fell to it's true self in that moment. A sadness that called itself a smile captured her lips. It wasn't forced this way, but she didn't know the haunting look to her eyes as she looked over their lake had joined it. She remembered the pain and the feeling of him taking the innocence from her, ripping away everything in one day as he had. He called it a game but she knew now it was no game. She had no term for it until she'd heard it fall from the mouth of those two strange wolves. "rape...." It was whispered as she was lost in the thoughts and memories of it. It was like she was a pup in that one word again, so quiet and filled with question. Why would someone ever want to hurt her? She had no answers but she knew who would. Ariet. But did she dare face him? She didn't know yet. Rory's words brought her back and she looked up at him. She shook her head when he apologized. There was no need to do that. She was fine, safe once more. That he had cared enough to save her had been enough for her. Though now Ariet wasn't there at his island, she did want to go back, there had been two other scents and she needed to know that the two of them were safe. She would have to bring them back if they were still there to give them safety but where would she find them? "Rory not need feel sorry. Jewell is safe now. Jewell need go back though. Find two smells, need make sure they not hurt too." Would Rory care if she brought two others back if she did this? She had taken so much onto herself and now she needed to do it once more. She had three souls she needed to find. Faite, to bring her back. Then those two that were on the island with her. They had carried Ariet's smell but under it had been something else. Did she know they were family to Rory? No. She looked up, a determination setting itself in her eyes again. She spoke, this time needing to be honest as possible with Rory. "Jewell like Rory lots. Like Torin not as much as Rory. Like Rory most all." She admitted to him, trying to convey to him the feeling but would he accept that? To her he was more than just her brother, of course she also knew she was not truly his sister either. Walk, "Talk" Think