I need you now

[Hotaru]

Another crippling wave of depression and grief had hit the female, causing her to stagger into bed and remain there for what seemed like eternity. The overwhelming grief clawed at her broken heart and ate into the very recesses of her soul. Hotaru's breath came in shallow gasps as the weight of her grief pushed against her lungs and made it almost impossible to breath. Both graves stood behind the house, silent testimonies to the two lives that had once grown inside her. She could still feel their soft fur against her fingers, the heat of Aiden and Aysun's bodies as they slowly slipped away from her. Clenching her fists, Hotaru let herself slip into depression and waited still as the grave for the feeling to pass.

It seemed as if she would never be allowed to grieve in peace. If it wasn't one thing, it was another. Taliesin's howl for the pack forced the grieving mother out of her self pity and into her council position. If Taliesin was calling a pack meeting, then she had better be there. It was her job and her responsibility to be there, even if all she wanted to do was crawl into a hole and never return. Rising, Hotaru grabbed her walking staff and made her way to Skye's house where the call originated. With each step, the grey wolf composed herself and sealed her troubles away behind a mask of cool reason.

With her tail and posture relaxed, the Overseer approached Taliesin and Myrddin. "You called? "