She had felt better after being tended to in the Brook, and while it had taken some days for her appetite to come back, Asterin managed to find her energy again after some effort. But, it had come with a cost. She had noticed he was gone, Valhalla. It came as a surprise to her at first, she remembered leaving the medic den and wobbling tiredly to try and find him, longing for the comfort only a father could bring, but when she reached the den he usually stayed in, he wasn't there. Even his scent had been faded. Memories had rushed her of when her mother had left her, abandoning her in bushes and never returning- it was the same time Valhalla had took her under his wing, cared for her, raised her... so what had she done wrong? She remembered sobbing in his den, crying her eyes out until there wasn't a drop of water left in her body and she had put herself into a pitiful sleep, curled in the space with a saddened look draped along her brow. Memories of them played through her head, how he brought her to the Brook, how they went to the festival together and danced and ate, how he fought another lion over a land... Ever since Asterin had refused to leave his old space. Days turned to weeks, and the girl had retreated to her ways of eating whatever insects crawled into the den to keep some type of food in her, but beyond that she didn't care to eat, didn't care to drink water save for the droplets of occasional rain that would seep into the den. It was enough to keep her alive, but she had to think... for what? Her mother didn't see a worth in her to stick around. Valhalla left her, and maybe it was because she was too much to handle? She never saw him again after the incident with the poisoned rabbit. Had he grown tired of her? Gave up on trying to raise her, seeing that she only managed to find trouble? Her thoughts were dark and she even felt like she was ready to give up on herself. She had the Brook, but they weren't family like that to her. Valhalla had brought her here, and each time she thought of Nymeria or Talisa, she only saw his face, and remembered his absence even more. Her head pressed down onto her skinny foreleg, and she blankly stared at the entrance of the den with a stale breath from her lungs. She was lost, and she didn't know where to go from here. @Walthari "speech"

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He had steered clear of the child thusfar. He was happy she was getting back to normal, but wary of getting too close, showing too much involvement in her treatment. In fact quite the contrary, he found himself outside the Brook most of the time now. He was wrapped up in his little explorations and talks with Sidonie, a perfect little distraction from the judgemental stares, and the sight of a child struggling to return to normalcy after almost being unintentionally ended. But today he was here, back within the camp and slowly starting to make himself known again. To push through the fear and want to flee and instead work to try and change those negatives perspectives he may have gained. At the end of the day, he hadn't meant to harm @Asterin. In fact, he had saved her life. The longer it went through his head and the more it seemed she would be okay, the less regret he felt about it. A mistake yes, but he had fixed it. God had allowed this. He had noticed something else, though. Perhaps for a while he simply thought the red male that was her father avoided him for obvious reasons. But there were whispers... Concerns... And the lack of his scent around the den-site anymore. It didn't bother him so much as it brought him relief to not have to encounter him, therefor he simply didn't notice the effects his absence had on his adopted child. At least, until he caught a glimpse of her within his den as he passed by silently. He thought of continuing past but... Something pulled him. Something felt off about even that small glance. After a moment of paused hesitation he backed up and peered into the darkness, and his heart twisted as the forlorn little thing he saw. She was curled up by herself, staring into the void. And Valhalla was still nowhere to be found. Not even the smell of him here... Was he really gone? Would he really leave after such a traumatic thing had happened to his child? Why did no one say anything? He knew parents did this. Abandon their children, as he and his lover were both abandoned and so were many, many more out there. It was all he knew personally, but it still rubbed him the wrong way to think it had happened here. It didn't seem fitting for a man of the Brook. A lot of questions, and silent judgments. Another moment of hesitation, before he took a soft breath in and opened his maw to let out a very quiet chuff. He didn't want to startle her, God forbid he do anything else to unintentionally harm her. "Little one. Why so forlorn?" Though as he took a step closer, he was alarmed to see her somewhat withered. Yet he didn't say anything yet in regards to that, just waited for her response with a clear look of concern on his face.

She often wondered where her Mother had ended up. She always hoped the best for her, still loved and adored her, but the curiosity was never ending. Had her Mother made the right choice by leaving her? Asterin had begun to thought it was a path of fate, after all, it had led her to being found by Valhalla. He had been her new beginning, the light to her darkness, he cared for her, brought her to health and even provided a pride that would protect and nurture her for years to come... So why did he leave, too? The question plagued her, like a disease that was slowly eating away at her sanity. She didn't want to sleep for the nightmares were enough to keep her awake, but being awake was almost as worse... The sound of footfalls nearing brought her ears to perk to attention, and her heart skipped a beat. They sounded just like the ones she often imagined hearing in her head, envisioning Valhalla would be returning back to the den with a smirk on his face and telling her a joke about how silly she was for thinking he'd actually abandon her. But, it wasn't Valhalla. Ears lay defeated on her skull, a breath of air escaping from her lips as her eyes clearly showed her disappointment. Her heart cracked some more, and if she had any tears left to cry out, she was sure her eyes would be tearing up from the pain in her chest. It wasn't the same pain the poison brought, no, this was worse than the poison. While it wasn't Valhalla who stood at the den entrance, it was a familiar face. Her Savior. His voice was an odd comfort, and it brought a confused furrow to her brow, head tilting slightly at his question before she found her tail curling around her back paws. She hadn't seen him since the incident, either, she had only been surrounded by medics and healers and while she appreciated them no doubt, they weren't the same warm comfort she longed for. She wasn't sure how to respond to her Savior's question, dare she burden him with her troubles? The thoughts that caused her to wither away slowly? She wanted to, only on the slim hope that maybe, just maybe, he could save her from this pain like he had from the poison... "I don't know what to do anymore." The words were hoarse from her lungs, voice cracking as she spoke, an obvious sign she had been quiet for some weeks now, not uttering a single word or sound to anyone else. Her statement was true, and her paws managed to press against the dirt and bring her torso up from the ground, positioning herself in a sitting position with her head pitifully bowed. "He left me, too." She whispered, but she knew the words would reach her Savior's ears. They had to. Speaking all this into existence made it all the more painful, but telling someone else was oddly...relieving? "And I think it was my fault. For getting ill. He never came to me, I heard him when we first got to the Brook... but after that? I was alone." Her ears pinned back against her head, and her claws unsheathed into the soil under her to rid herself of some of the torment in her body. Why did she have to be the one to go through this? @Walthari "speech"

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She began to speak, and dutifully he did listen. The poor thing seemed like he needed that, for someone to allow her to voice her troubles. It would hurt, yes, but it would also help. Slowly he entered the den more, and came to sit comfortably a little ways away from her with his tail wrapping around his font paws. He left me too. Ah... So she was not Valhalla's daughter by blood? Or perhaps her mother had left her first, then her father? The schematics of it mattered little anyway, didn't it? The point was that it was true- Valhalla was nowhere to be found and this child believed she was abandoned. What's worse? Abandoned because she was sick. His heart twisted at the thought, that guilt rising back from where it had started to fade but he suppressed it still. Instead, it was replaced with a twinge of anger. Indeed? Valhalla had not come to see her past the moment they had returned to the Brook? It was hard to keep his brows from furrowing with the rise of injustice he felt, but he must suppress that too. What an odd mix of feelings to be faced with this time of day. Even in the face of them though, his voice remained quiet and soft. "Child... It's not your fault. It was an unfortunate accident. He should have been happy you were alive after that. Elated to see you well. I'm not sure where he went, or why... And that is concerning in itself... But please, do not blame yourself for it all." Because that would only hurt more, to know that he'd brought this child a similar pain to himself. Had he not learned his lesson enough? He had to fix this. And how ironic it seemed for the boy who referred to himself as a curse to be telling her not to take the blame on her shoulders? But he was different. He was different. "You should not have been left alone. Not by Valhalla, nor anyone else for that matter. Why don't you come, take a walk with me outside?"

Her brows scrunched as Walthari told her it wasn't her fault. That it was an accident, and Valhalla should of been happy she was alive and well. It caused her to shake her head slightly, because the feeling in her gut told her otherwise. "It...it feels right to blame myself though." Se responded, a confused glint in her eyes as she thought over it all- if it wasn't her fault then who was at fault? He vouched for her on how she shouldn't of been left alone, and then invited her to come with him on a walk outside. Her gaze moved to the outdoors, and the thought of leaving her Father's old den after so many days and weeks of waiting, caused a pain to sear through her heart. "B-But he could come back still." She shuffled her front paws naively, the words coming from her lips in a manner that barely she even believed them herself. "What if he's on his way right now? I.. I should be here?" There was a small panic in her eyes, a dimming hope, she wanted to believe so badly that Valhalla was coming back to her- but hearing her words aloud made even her doubt them too. @Walthari "speech"

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It feels right to blame myself, though. Of course it does child, of course it does. Because it was what children did it seemed, take things they did not understand onto their shoulders. Reasoned it to be all their fault. Make themselves their own personal scapegoats... He looked pitifully upon @Asterin. She was so very afraid to leave for even a second. "He could." He agreed, he didn't want to outwardly disagree. For her sake he hoped Valhalla would eventually show back up... However... "But he wouldn't be happy to see you like this, little one. You need fresh air, sunlight. And you need food. How long has it been since you've eaten?" She was slender, more than it seemed a cub should be at her age, even with awkward paws and limbs that had yet to fill out. And that was true at least, he knew if Valhalla did return to see her in such shape, he wouldn't be happy. And God forbid if it's him who's the one closest by... But he put that fear aside. "We don't have to leave if you don't want." He comforted, giving her the option of an out. He would not force her to leave, only suggest it for her best interest. He would, however, persuade her further to get something in her system. So softly, very gently, he would try. "But... You may not get rid of me until I see you eat something."

Part of her didn't like the way he looked at her. There was pity in his eyes, something she remembered seeing when Valhalla first found her. She remembered that day like it had just happened, her fear, how weak she felt, how alone she felt. She felt it all the same, now. Ears flattened on her head at the points Walthari made. No, Valhalla wouldn't be happy to see her in this state, she knew she'd be scolded endlessly. "Maybe being in this state will get him back here." She huffed, countering his argument with a brief spark of anger in her eyes. Not directed at Walthari, though, but rather in the thought of having to do something so drastic to try and get Valhalla back. She gave a long sigh from her chest, before her back legs rose off the ground and brought her to a standing position. "We... could look out there."She found herself opting into the idea of leaving the den. She wouldn't go too far, though, even if Valhalla wasn't there the den was still a comfort to her. She took a few wobbly steps forward, her muscles getting used to her weight again after she'd spent the past couple weeks just laying around. Turning her head to him, she gave a light shrug. "I can show you some tasty bugs." If he was so adamant on getting her to eat, then with her being so stubborn, she could at least try to get it to be something she thought of first. @Walthari "speech"

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The man grinned, giving a soft chuckle to her suggestion. He let her prior counterarguments roll off his fur, all that mattered was that he'd gotten her to get up and out of this dank, abandoned den. "Yes, perhaps it would be good for me to know where these tasty bugs are." A muse, he absolutely had no plans to rely on bugs as an emergency source of food. Perhaps once she ate something small she would hunger for more, her instinct would override her downward spiral of emotions. At least, he hoped it would. Either way, he'd entertain the fruitfulness of her showing him the bugs in an attempt to spark anything but sadness. Slowly he turned himself towards the entrance of the den, he would wait for her to reach his side before moving forward. Though he had to slacken his pace considerably to not surpass her in one giant step of his lanky stride, he was patient enough to do so without a fuss. And he would remain quiet for now, allowing the cub to take the lead wherever she wanted to go. Physically and in terms of conversing. @Asterin

Hearing that he was open to letting her show him some of the bugs she'd been helping herself to, Asterin perked up some. As he lifted and moved so did she, her muscles a bit weaker, and she found herself having to stretch out a good bit, even wincing some from the pain. She had been resting for far too long, cooped up in this dark and lonely den. Maybe Walthari would be her savior again? Finally she padded outside of the den, her eyes narrowing to block some of the light, before shaking herself out and moving forward a few steps. "You gotta look under the sticks-" She explained, rounding to near a large log, her front paws roughly pushing against it until she moved it upside down. Worms and beetles crawled out from underneath, her other paw swiping down to pin a worm under it. "- these aren't bad! Slimy, but you can find them a lot." She gestured her head down to the paw before looking back up to him. "You wanna try it?" It hadn't really clicked to her that bugs weren't 'normal' food, or that some might find it disgusting. She was just proud to show off something she knew. @Walthari "speech"

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