I know that, she answers and stretches her nose to attempt to nudge her daughter's neck. Talisa knew that none of them would ever keep Nymeria away from Vermeda if she wanted to go back. They would never keep her against her will because they were family. The kind of family that might have significance distance but not enough to sever a bond as strong as theirs. The loss of Tormund was still somewhat fresh and she couldn't help but feel her heart twist in her chest, I think they did, too. Mummy is ... a wonderful part of me and she continues to teach me day in and day out the strength that I never knew I had. A gift that it seems my precious pulchra filia was given, too. (precious daughter)

As for Maua's prayers, it lifted her soul to know that she could teach @Cassandra something. It might be something small but sometimes saying a prayer could ease the soul and the mind. Repeat after me, she took a deep, relieved breath and let it out slowly. Maua. I pray for your protection as we begin this day. Under your wings, protection can always be found. Protect our family from trouble wherever we may be, and keep evil far at bay. Prayers were no solid guarantee but she hoped that Maua heard them and understood their desire for safety, at least. Talisa wasn't sure she could deal with anything tragic again for a while.

manip & table code by k'sariya

Cassandra Valour

The yearling still felt immense guilt over the knowledge that she had claimed her own family. Adding that to the guilt she felt over Tormund’s death and her newfound fear and anxiety over even going near the Brook again right now… she was a mess and a half. The soft touch of her mother’s nose to her cheek only served to weaken the girl’s resolve at keeping her feelings and guilt about Tormund’s death. Cassandra was so close to breaking down and telling her mom what she felt. She’d told Kvi - but he was the only one who knew how she felt regarding her baby brother’s death.

As @Talisa told her about how Morrigan was a wonderful part of her, the young girl could only think of how she felt when she was with Kvi. "“I… think I might actually have someone who makes me feel that way too…”" She said softly, flicking her tail as a slight smile escaped the Valour girl. Her mother would then agree to help her pray to Maua to protect those they couldn’t right now, and the yearling would dip her head to look at her paws as her mom began to speak. After hearing her mother’s complete statement, Cassandra would then recite the prayer back to her mother. "“ Maua, we pray for your protection as we begin this day. Under your wings, protection can always be found. Protect our family from trouble wherever we may be, and keep evil far at bay…”" The yearling said softly, lifting her head as she finished.

The prayer opened the emotional floodgate for her. Tears welled in the yearling’s eyes and she scooted closer to her mom, seeking comfort as her emotions overwhelmed her again. "“A-About Tormund’s death… I feel like it was somewhat my fault…”" She began, a soft sob escaping the girl as she spoke. "“If… if I had only been there, protecting my baby siblings like a big sister should do… I could’ve saved him… Could’ve kept you and Mummy from such heartache… Protected my siblings like I should’ve been doing all along…”" Cassandra said, paws curling agains her chest as a sob wracked her frame while she finally let out these emotions she hadn’t let free since her encounter with Kvi.

"“It’s my fault… its all my fault Tormund is dead…”" She sobbed, dark ears pushing back. She couldn’t even bear to meet her mother’s gaze at the moment. Couldn’t risk seeing the disappointment that Talisa must have for her.

actions. "speech."

Talking to the Moon

Art & Table code by Zodiac

While the silence that draped over them every now and then might have scared some, it only proved to soothe her. A moment where she could hear herself breathe and remember that she was still alive and so was a majority of her family. Life sometimes hit home -- hard -- but it only meant that you needed to keep enjoying what you could of life. Sometimes it was far too short and sometimes too long, but even then you could choose to have a life beyond what you started with. Oh? she asked, not quite prepared to hear that @Cassandra had found her own beginning piece of what her and Morrigan shared. Not prepared at all for her eldest daughter to have found love but certainly not disappointed but the opposite.

As their prayer wrapped around them and she envisioned invisible vines delicately twisting around their two bodies until they gave a tight squeeze of confirmation. A small feeling in her gut that told her that they would be protected and taken care of to the best of the world's abilities. Just so long as they kept their head up and continued moving forward. Though, she was quite taken back when daughter mentioned it being her fault that Tormund had been.. murdered. I will not have you believing that, Cass. His death is not on you. It is not on anyone and I don't want you thinking that you wanting to find your place somewhere else is the cause. I am thrilled to see you be the woman I know you to be in Caladan. So thrilled to see you rise up and find out exactly who you are, inside and out. End of discussion, for she saw no reason to dabble in what could have been when it had happened and despite there being so much magic in this world, they could not turn back time.

^{TABLE MANIP BY MONO, CODING BY DUSK}

Cassandra Valour

The guilt that had hung over the yearling for months now had finally be let out. She'd finally told someone how she'd been feeling these last few months. Sobs still wracked the yearling's body, dark ears pushed back as her mother spoke. @Talisa was insistent than Tormund's death had nothing to do with her, nothing to do with her moving to the Cove. She still felt like something to do with it was her fault - that if she'd been there she could've done something to stop her baby brother from being snatched out of the den and killed just past the Brook's borders. Despite her mother's words Cassandra couldn't seem to shake the guilt that still hung over her.

""I-It just feels like if I hadn't left... i-if I had been there watching over the four of them... I could've prevented it somehow. Protected my little brother like I should've done.."" The yearling said, her head dropping further towards her paws. She felt like she just wanted the ground beneath her to swallow her up. She felt like had she still been in the Brook, her little brother would have still been alive. She could've protected him like a good big sister should've. ""I should've been there for Tormund... For Renly and Nienna and Arden... I should've been there for all of them and I wasn't."" Cassandra sobbed. Ever since Tormund's death, she had felt like she'd failed as a big sister. Failed at being the big sister she should've been to them from the very beginning.

actions. "speech."

Talking to the Moon

Art & Table code by Zodiac

There were many things that Talisa wished she had the answer to but failed to construct. A part of her that simply did not know how to push forward and only knowing that they had to regardless. Death was painful even if it was near certain that life continued after death; for a grown adult, it was a lot less painful to see them go but for a child? Talisa couldn't quite wrap her head around it. She'd had another littermate once upon a time that she'd never fully gotten a chance to know but had never seen them in the Grotto. Sometimes it worked and sometimes it didn't. She could only hope that Tormund might be there, even if she was struggling to take the time to find out.

Just be there for them now, as best you can be. They'll need your love and support going forward. The loss of their brother would no doubt be confusing and she hoped that they wouldn't see here withholding the information as anything more than trying to protect them and save them from nightmares. Let's go see them, hm? See if we can make an adventure along the shores for an hour or two. Talisa didn't want to wallow in their grief for longer than they had to and by no means did she wished to push @Cassandra's valid feelings aside but she knew that they couldn't linger on the what if's forever. So Talisa tried to steer her eldest daughter so that they could round the girls up for a distraction that they likely all needed. exit talisa.

manip & table code by k'sariya