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Tayui felt a silence wash over her as Alaine received her words. She felt awkward when the other woman’s face lit up after she attempted the foreign word and uncomfortable when she realized how important it might have been to the other canine. She had wanted to comfort the other woman with her words, but it seemed as though Alaine wanted to exactly the same thing for Tayui. She did not know what to do with this kindness – should she reciprocate it somehow, or play along? It had taken her some time to recognize the other woman’s intentions, having initially taken it at face value. But now that she saw Alaine’s desire to help her, it made her feel like she had something to live up to, even if the collie would have never intended that.
She glanced down to see Alaine place her hand on her shoulder. For a moment, it calmed her knowing that there was someone else out there who was just as real and physical as she was. However, the moment passed and this sense of peace was replaced with a shallow feeling of unease. Again, her mind would race to the same moment with Aurèle and the same revelations. These memories always left her feeling hollow and cold, but somehow, Alaine’s touch warmed her just enough to bring her back to the present.
At the woman’s words, Tayui nodded her head in agreement. A walk sounded wonderful and Tayui desperately needed to stretch her legs. Tayui received Alaine's second suggestion readily with another nod. She began to move with the other woman as they departed from their meeting place and delved deeper into the woods. Yes, it would be good for her if she could remember the good moments of her daughter and the time they had spent together.
“She was so innocent,” Tayui replied, before taking a moment to pause and collect herself. Then, she continued: “which made her death that much harder to bear. She was young. Not that my other children weren’t as well, but she would always be young. She was kind. And strong – she protected my one son,” she continued with a small chuckle. “Claudius. She protected Claudius. He was naive where Noir was just innocent. They were a pair, the two of them.”