Sura grew agitated, clearly upset by something Colibri had said. She frowned, not intending to frighten the poor thing; she had forgotten how easily puppies could misinterpret words. Still, it couldn't be all bad if she had impressed upon her the value of their plants. Maybe this meant she wouldn't go digging them up again. "It's all right, honey, we can fix them. You just have to put them back the way you found them, and they'll get better. I can help you," she said, hoping her calm tone would ease the pup's manic energy. She wasn't in any shape to go chasing her around, after all. She gathered more of the strewn plants into her arms, willing to carry them if Sura was willing to dig the holes. As she did so, Sura was chattering on about something else, and she tried to reply in kind. "Colibri was my grandmother's name. I was told it means 'hummingbird' -- have you ever seen a hummingbird, Sura?" she asked, not entirely certain what floppy ears had to do with her name. She knew very little about dogs, having been deeply immersed in the world of wolves for most of her life.
Sura's words were like a babbling brook, falling over each other in her eagerness to speak them all at once. But despite her childish innocence, she had struck a chord with the older wolf; how long would it take for her broken heart to heal? She knew the little girl couldn't possibly understand the true significance of what she recited, and yet Coli had been rendered quite speechless. Blinking back a sudden mist of tears, she managed to respond, "I hope my heart gets better soon." She didn't know how much longer she could keep going back to her empty house and pretending she was better off single, or that being mangled by a psychotic loner right on the borders of her pack was something she could forget about and move on from. But those were grownup problems, a dark and twisted world that Coli prayed the little girl would be spared from as long as she could.
Colibri brightened visibly and even chuckled a little when the pup scurried off to pee. It was just too funny to see the clumsy little thing falling over herself with enthusiasm. Coli slowly rose to stand, taking care not to lock her knees like last time lest she collapse again. She was unsteady on her feet, but she was standing. Now they could go to the garden together and repair the damage those puppy antics had wrought. When Sura came rushing back, she had much more to say, and Coli listened to her prattle with interest. "Your new home is happy because it has gardens? I'm so glad you like it here. I hope you grow big and strong here," she said pleasantly, a tinge of concern in her questing eyes. Had Sura come from a bad situation, was that why she spoke so much about evil and sadness? It hadn't occurred to her before, but of course it was possible. There was so much darkness out there. "Of course you can have your own plant and water it. Maybe one with pretty flowers that match your eyes? Then you'll both grow right up to the sky!"