Post by crescendo on Oct 30, 2011 20:07:28 GMT -5
Curling Creek
Shawnee, f. adult wolf
Skahla, m. adult wolf
Spring has finally arrived in the lowlands, but where the creek is shallowest, it remains with a thin layer of ice over it. As he has done often this winter, Skahla is lying at the edge of the creek and licking idly at the thin ice. No matter that he could walk just a short distance in either direction and have fresh, cool water to drink. This is where he is, and what he is doing. As he focuses on his task, he keeps his ears perked, listening closely to all of the sounds of the land around him.
Shawnee has done a headcount of the available packmembers, come to the conclusion that everyone is around or accountable for and now she can take it easy for a moment - a very welcome moment. With Spring here, there's a lot to do and a lot to look forward to, not to mention a lot to think about. Still, it's better than winter and by any luck much better than the past few months. She's been following the scent of Skahla from the den and down to the creek, walking along at a slow pace. She's not in a hurry to reach him, but she intends to get there eventually. Not worrying extra about keeping quiet or hiding, when she catches sight of her mate, she's sure he's noticed her coming one way or another. Giving a small smile as she sees him lapping at the ice, she comes up right beside Skahla and presses her nose into his shoulder fur before proceeding to lie down, falling over onto her side with a light thump. "The flowing water's more easily accessible," she says with a glance over at him, the smile still at
the corners of her mouth.
"I wanted this water," the male responds simply. He is not overly apologetic for it, either. Not... overly. He is, however, quick to change the subject by turning his head to nuzzle, cautiously, at his mate, accepting her smile as, hopefully, a sign of how this meeting between them will go. None of the tenseness that was commonplace when his brother was missing, or, truthfully... for a long time before then, too. As such, with a light tone, he asks, "How are you doing, Shawnee?" After asking, he sets himself to grooming her, a casually intimate act that he does not engage in with any other members of the pack. No, with them he is forever too tense to be so relaxed, instead of the only occasionally too tense to be relaxed that he is with Shawnee.
Closing here eyes for a bit as Skahla turns his attention to her, Shawnee gives a small sigh. "Good," comes her short answer, before she's quiet for another little while. It is nice not to be on edge at times, especially around Skahla. The sound of the waterflow is relaxing as well and Shawnee rolls over on her back to get at an itch, then raising her head to again press her nose to Skahla's shoulder. "I'm good," she repeats, because she's pretty sure she is. "There's this funny feeling I have though, I'm not..." With a thoughtful huff, she breaks off her sentence and instead returns the question. "How about you?"
One thing, of course, has been ever on the back of Skahla's mind ever since he and Shawnee... "Have you told you sister yet? She's going to be so happy." Skahla, on the other hand? There is only one word that could apply to Skahla when he thinks of pups, and that word is "terrified". What does he know about pups, really? He'll probably wind up breaking them... or worse. There is, of course, the chance that this isn't what has given Shawnee her funny feeling... but Skahla is not so optimistic as that.
Eyebrows raising, Shawnee realises Skahla jumped to the puppy conclusion before she'd even made up her mind. Of course, that was the direction she was leaning, so she just smiles at him. "Have I told her I've got a funny feeling? No, I doubt that would do anything but worry her." Turning back onto her stomach, she presses her head against Skahla's chest. "I bet you're worried already," she states. She's not sure what /she/ feels about the possibility, but at least she's not feeling as averse to the idea as she did a year ago. "Crescendo would be happy," she muses, head coming down to rest at her paws. "But I think she might actually be leaving soon. I think Chewy knows what to do too, though."
Crescendo? Leaving? Who does that leave who might actually know a thing about pups, besides Wachiwa? There's Lupin, he supposes... but he, for one, is still not on comfortable speaking terms with Lupin, and he may never be. Heaving a sigh that he makes no effort to hide, he eventually says, It will be okay. We're not... not the first wolves to ever have pups. And... yeah. Chewy, she has been really... really good with my... well, with all the pups, really." Nevermind that Skahla is having to fight to not work himself up into a panic. What if... oh, there are dozens of what ifs he could worry about. What good will it do, really?
Skahla's sigh causes Shawnee to frown and she sits up, looking at him with her head tilted to the side. "Skahla," she says, feeling her usual sternness creeping up on her and into her voice. "Skah," she tries again, a little softer this time. "If this funny feeling /is/ pups, then I'm sure we can figure out a way to make it work. Mom once said that it's a lot easier once you actually have them, once they're not... just on the inside." Yeah, that makes her feel a little weird. Puppies inside her. She hmms, looking down at her stomach. Nothing looking different yet...
"You're right. I'm sure... you're right." After speaking, Skahla returns to grooming carefully at Shanee, at least for a moment, before asking, "What about... are you hungry, Shawnee? The snow is all gone, now. I can get you something to eat. And you... you can go talk to Wachiwa." Because, despite what Shawnee says... Skahla is only growing more convinced that he and Shawnee are to be parents sooner rather than later, and if that's the case... then Chewy really needs to know. They'll need all the help they can get from her.
Rolling her eyes, Shawnee nevertheless nods. "If it puts your mind at ease," she says diplomatically, giving his cheek a lick. "Bring food," she then orders, though her tone is playful and the words are accompanied by a tailwag. This was indeed a very short break, but perhaps she can sneak in another one after she's spoken to her sister. Of course, she could just continue it now, but if Skahla is so worried, she's doing them both a favour by finding Wachiwa now. Shawnee's not sure why she's not equally worried, but at the same time it's quite nice not to be. Not yet comfortable enough to express her feelings for the other in words, she instead wraps her neck around his in a hug, before she sets off walking again.
Shawnee, f. adult wolf
Skahla, m. adult wolf
Spring has finally arrived in the lowlands, but where the creek is shallowest, it remains with a thin layer of ice over it. As he has done often this winter, Skahla is lying at the edge of the creek and licking idly at the thin ice. No matter that he could walk just a short distance in either direction and have fresh, cool water to drink. This is where he is, and what he is doing. As he focuses on his task, he keeps his ears perked, listening closely to all of the sounds of the land around him.
Shawnee has done a headcount of the available packmembers, come to the conclusion that everyone is around or accountable for and now she can take it easy for a moment - a very welcome moment. With Spring here, there's a lot to do and a lot to look forward to, not to mention a lot to think about. Still, it's better than winter and by any luck much better than the past few months. She's been following the scent of Skahla from the den and down to the creek, walking along at a slow pace. She's not in a hurry to reach him, but she intends to get there eventually. Not worrying extra about keeping quiet or hiding, when she catches sight of her mate, she's sure he's noticed her coming one way or another. Giving a small smile as she sees him lapping at the ice, she comes up right beside Skahla and presses her nose into his shoulder fur before proceeding to lie down, falling over onto her side with a light thump. "The flowing water's more easily accessible," she says with a glance over at him, the smile still at
the corners of her mouth.
"I wanted this water," the male responds simply. He is not overly apologetic for it, either. Not... overly. He is, however, quick to change the subject by turning his head to nuzzle, cautiously, at his mate, accepting her smile as, hopefully, a sign of how this meeting between them will go. None of the tenseness that was commonplace when his brother was missing, or, truthfully... for a long time before then, too. As such, with a light tone, he asks, "How are you doing, Shawnee?" After asking, he sets himself to grooming her, a casually intimate act that he does not engage in with any other members of the pack. No, with them he is forever too tense to be so relaxed, instead of the only occasionally too tense to be relaxed that he is with Shawnee.
Closing here eyes for a bit as Skahla turns his attention to her, Shawnee gives a small sigh. "Good," comes her short answer, before she's quiet for another little while. It is nice not to be on edge at times, especially around Skahla. The sound of the waterflow is relaxing as well and Shawnee rolls over on her back to get at an itch, then raising her head to again press her nose to Skahla's shoulder. "I'm good," she repeats, because she's pretty sure she is. "There's this funny feeling I have though, I'm not..." With a thoughtful huff, she breaks off her sentence and instead returns the question. "How about you?"
One thing, of course, has been ever on the back of Skahla's mind ever since he and Shawnee... "Have you told you sister yet? She's going to be so happy." Skahla, on the other hand? There is only one word that could apply to Skahla when he thinks of pups, and that word is "terrified". What does he know about pups, really? He'll probably wind up breaking them... or worse. There is, of course, the chance that this isn't what has given Shawnee her funny feeling... but Skahla is not so optimistic as that.
Eyebrows raising, Shawnee realises Skahla jumped to the puppy conclusion before she'd even made up her mind. Of course, that was the direction she was leaning, so she just smiles at him. "Have I told her I've got a funny feeling? No, I doubt that would do anything but worry her." Turning back onto her stomach, she presses her head against Skahla's chest. "I bet you're worried already," she states. She's not sure what /she/ feels about the possibility, but at least she's not feeling as averse to the idea as she did a year ago. "Crescendo would be happy," she muses, head coming down to rest at her paws. "But I think she might actually be leaving soon. I think Chewy knows what to do too, though."
Crescendo? Leaving? Who does that leave who might actually know a thing about pups, besides Wachiwa? There's Lupin, he supposes... but he, for one, is still not on comfortable speaking terms with Lupin, and he may never be. Heaving a sigh that he makes no effort to hide, he eventually says, It will be okay. We're not... not the first wolves to ever have pups. And... yeah. Chewy, she has been really... really good with my... well, with all the pups, really." Nevermind that Skahla is having to fight to not work himself up into a panic. What if... oh, there are dozens of what ifs he could worry about. What good will it do, really?
Skahla's sigh causes Shawnee to frown and she sits up, looking at him with her head tilted to the side. "Skahla," she says, feeling her usual sternness creeping up on her and into her voice. "Skah," she tries again, a little softer this time. "If this funny feeling /is/ pups, then I'm sure we can figure out a way to make it work. Mom once said that it's a lot easier once you actually have them, once they're not... just on the inside." Yeah, that makes her feel a little weird. Puppies inside her. She hmms, looking down at her stomach. Nothing looking different yet...
"You're right. I'm sure... you're right." After speaking, Skahla returns to grooming carefully at Shanee, at least for a moment, before asking, "What about... are you hungry, Shawnee? The snow is all gone, now. I can get you something to eat. And you... you can go talk to Wachiwa." Because, despite what Shawnee says... Skahla is only growing more convinced that he and Shawnee are to be parents sooner rather than later, and if that's the case... then Chewy really needs to know. They'll need all the help they can get from her.
Rolling her eyes, Shawnee nevertheless nods. "If it puts your mind at ease," she says diplomatically, giving his cheek a lick. "Bring food," she then orders, though her tone is playful and the words are accompanied by a tailwag. This was indeed a very short break, but perhaps she can sneak in another one after she's spoken to her sister. Of course, she could just continue it now, but if Skahla is so worried, she's doing them both a favour by finding Wachiwa now. Shawnee's not sure why she's not equally worried, but at the same time it's quite nice not to be. Not yet comfortable enough to express her feelings for the other in words, she instead wraps her neck around his in a hug, before she sets off walking again.