Aimee marveled at the mangalasutra as Elann presented it. She’d never been gifted something so extravagant. She nodded along when Elann said she thought Noah picked well, it was something that looked like it would draw Noah’s attention. It was simple yet seemed to speak a lot with the two baubles for charms at the end. “It’s pretty,” Aimee managed to say before thinking back on Elann asking how she could assist Noah.

The Benshira was right in her assumption that he would much rather act as if the sickness wasn’t happening. It may have been seen as pride in the human sense of the word, but it was ill-advised to show weakness in the wild, especially when you had a huge stake of land at risk if some other roving predator moved in to challenge you. Even though Noah didn’t have a demesne at that time, the behavior was long instilled.

“If you really want to help him,” Aimee said, “ask what you can do for him. He might say nothing but at least you’ve made your willingness to help all the more known to him.”

She pressed a smile towards Elann when she rose in order to lie down. Aimee didn’t watch Elann go about her preparations, instead sticking her nose back into her book and soaking up the story held within the pages and words. She smelled the telltale scent coming from Elann, telling she was about to go through the monthly routine, something she loathed herself.

Upon her coming to lie down with Noah, the male turned to face her, half-asleep in a daze but awake enough to embrace her as she stroked his hair. He had his eyes closed the entire movement but it didn’t prevent his hands from finding the places they readily rested when they did lay together. He felt the dull and familiar prodding of her monthly pain, adding to what was already compounding on him. He lovingly held her caressing where he could as he began to fall back to sleep.