The next night Tally wasn't as restless but nonetheless she found herself drawn to that meadow, to that place. She wondered if she'd see that wolf again. But honestly she had just needed to get some fresh air, clear her mind, so that perhaps she could sleep without the nightmares.

Nightmares that were her own. Every time those gentle blue eyes looked at her and cried, Tally's heart broke. She lay in the grass staring up at the stars as she cried silently to the sky above her. She closed her eyes and let the chill night air settle over her. If she laid perfectly still and cleared her mind she could almost think that she hadn't been the cause of Alder's downfall.

Tally startled at the feel of a rough tongue licking at the tear tracks on her face. Looking up into blue eyes again she held a hand up and let the wolf come to her again as it nuzzled it's neck and face into her hand. And just as Tally had thought it was the softest fur she'd ever pet.

"Hello, again. I couldn't sleep again tonight. Nightmares of my own making keep me up tonight."

She sat up and hung her head with the weight of her guilt coming back to her, sighing as she reached out a hand pet the wolf again, "I'm glad you're here. You had me worried when you snapped at me last night. I most definitely shouldn't be out here like at all if I'm being honest."

The wolf sat and looked at her with an expression as if to say, "Really, you think?"

"Are you judging me? I feel like you're judging me which is unfair," the wolf just looked at her and Tally stood, "Geez, fine, okay. I'm going back now." But before she moved she bent down and kissed the wolf on the head.

This time the wolf did follow at her side, keeping it's ears alert as it followed alongside her. Before they reached the clearing back into Fort Salem the black wolf's ears perked up and it panicked trying to find the source of what was alerting it.

Tally stopped and watched to see what had the wolf on edge, "What?" Tally went to pet the wolf but stalled as she heard it growl at her.

The wolf went to nudge her to go but before she could do that she was turning around and lunging at another wolf coming right at them. Standing in terror Tally watched as the two wolves began to fight, the growling and biting illuminated by the moon shining through the tree branches. This wolf was brown and bulky yet the black wolf held its own with it. She went to howl for whatever reason Tally didn't know but before the wolf could let out a sound the other was slashing her across the face with it's bulky paw.

Tally heard a whimper as the wolf's blood coated the ground which knocked Tally out of her stupor, "Hey, leave her alone!"

The big wolf turned its eyes on Tally who went to sing a seed at it but before she could the black wolf was lunging at it and biting into its flesh. The black wolf looked at her and Tally swore she heard it's gravely voice in her head saying, "Go!"

Tally hesitated but turned and ran back into Fort Salem the noise of dog fighting behind her. When she made it back to her dorm she took a few breaths to calm herself before she snuck back into her room. Finding Raelle and Abigail still sleeping soundly.

Sneaking back into her bed she found it even harder for sleep to come to her that night. She worried for that wolf and wondered what the outcome would be for it tonight. She heard a howl in the distance and then a loud crack that followed after, like lightning striking wood. But Tally assumed that was just her hearing things.

The following day when she was groggily eating her breakfast she overheard some girls at a nearby table trying and failing to be quiet about overhearing that Alder had been injured and for whatever reason her biddies weren't healing her. Not even fixers were able to heal her fully. Where were they even getting this information?

Tally worried for her and made to get up and leave but Abigail grabbed her arm, "Where are you going? We have training soon."

"I'll be there, eventually, just tell them I had to go to the infirmary because I wasn't feeling good."

Abigail glared at her until Tally begged her and then she relented, waving her off to go do whatever.

Tally wasn't even sure where she was going, was Alder even in the infirmary? What about her quarters? She wasn't even sure she knew where that was. She didn't have an office anymore, she knew that for sure.

The best she could do was close her eyes, take a deep breath, and concentrate. She let her mind wander as she tried to reach out through the connection she swore had faded but she had to try. And there, right there, the faintest spark of something and she followed it.

She came to a small building that bordered on the edge of the forest, Tally was pretty sure she'd never seen this before. She pushed the door open and found a long hall with various doors on each side of the wall yet her feet took her to the very end where she found herself standing in front of another door.

She knocked lightly and waited. Hearing nothing she opened the door and was met with the sight of Alder in an attempt at putting her jacket on so it dangled off her shoulders. Tally stood like a deer caught in the headlights as she zeroed in on the deep scratches that marked her cheek and the bandages wrapped around her whole upper body. Her hair was down and her boots were off and despite being injured she still looked so beautiful to her.

Alder looked at her with wide eyes, "Craven, what are you doing here? You have a nasty habit of barging into places in which you have no right to be."

"I...I'm sorry. My feet just kind of brought me here. I heard rumors that you were injured and I wanted to see that you were alright."

Alder gave up on trying to stand dignified in front of the cadet but found she didn't have the energy so she sat on the bed behind her. On closer inspection Tally noticed the bags under her eyes. Eyes that despite her anger were still so gentle.

"I don't see why that concerns you. I am nothing to you."

Tally knelt in front of her and looked up at her with tears in her eyes, reaching up a hand to cup her injured cheek but stopping before her hand made contact as if to wait. Alder had tears in her own eyes in which she refused to let fall as her attempt at appearing strong in front of the young woman disintegrated around her.

She gave in and leaned her injured cheek into Tally's warming waiting hand, letting her eyes flutter closed at the contact. Opening her eyes to see Tally crying in front of her, "You were never not nothing to me. You were everything. But you would already know that wouldn't you. Because I told you the other night out in that meadow."

Alder's eyes went wide with the realization that Tally now knew she was that wolf from the last two nights, "Nobody was supposed to find out. Least of all you. I guess nothing can get past you for very long, knower."

Tally stood and dropped her hand, "It's not so much about knowing but I do recall you getting this injury last night before I ran away. But most importantly, I know it took me like two days to put two and two together but it's your eyes. Your eyes are always so gentle even as a wolf."

Alder choked out a sob and hung her head so as to not meet Tally's eyes but the redhead took a step closer and gently bent down and pressed a kiss to the top of her head like she had done the night before. Pulling back Tally was surprised by the older woman resting her forehead against her stomach as she wept. Tally offered her the only comfort she felt she could offer in that moment as she placed her hand on her head and slowly petted her and just listened to her cry.