Dragoncrest Cliffs If it's meant to be, it'll be, it'll be

When was the last time she'd been truly alone with @Thuringwethil? Wildfire couldn't remember but, then again, she could hardly think as she loped swiftly back toward the tree where the commander slept. She held a fat rabbit in her mouth as she hastened back to her mate's side, her heart thumping heavily in her chest. She was worried for the Heda, as well as the others injured during the war. But it was so good for everyone to be back home, together, at long last.

She exhaled shakily after depositing the dead rabbit beside the door. Wildfire had invited @Artaax, @Blixen and @Bobby to swing by as soon as they could. She had a feeling that they understood their mothers' need for some privacy first. She was grateful. They did need this: a few quiet moments alone to catch up and start moving on with the rest of their lives together.

"Thur?" the Feisripa whispered into the tree's dim interior, her figure back-lit by the setting sun.

Kids' tags are for reference! Mommies and me thread coming soon!? :)

lunch phone post~

It is the smell of fresh blood that causes her to stir, nostrils flaring repeatedly before she moves. Saliva begins to pool in her mouth. One ear swivels on her head, listening to the distant sounds of footfalls as they get closer. Her mind is still lost in a light slumber, trying to ignore the world for a little while longer, but a few hours of sleep isn’t going to cure the exhaustion that has settled in her bones over the last few months.

As she hears her name, however, she grunts and shifts, taking a few seconds to stir awake her head and realize who is here. She doesn’t even remember talking to Wildfire a few hours ago, tucking the faint memory into a dream instead.

Instantly, her eyes find the rabbit and drool slips from behind her teeth and she quickly licks her lips. ”Hey,” she says, her voice quiet. Thuringwethil attempts to move but everything hurts when she pulls. Instead, she stifles a pained expression and sits up and appears more zombie than wolf. Maybe another 72 hours of sleep will help.

The commander woke and moved slowly and stiffly. Wildfire bit her lip, then nosed the rabbit closer to her so she wouldn't have to exert herself. She was tempted to cram into the tree alongside Thuringwethil, but she didn't want to jostle her injured mate. Instead, she folded herself into a sphinx-like pose, forelegs stretched partly into the little threshold.

She momentarily arched forward to nuzzle the other woman's cheek, whispering, "Welcome back. It's so good to be back here with you." She settled back, eyeing the commander fondly. "This is probably a dumb question," she said, "but how're you feeling?"

Thuringwethil watches as Wildfire moves the rabbit closer but she doesn’t go after it right away. Instead, she listens quietly to her mate as she speaks. She leans into the tom muzzle, closing her eyes and feeling as if she’d fall asleep if she kept them shut for much longer. ”I’m okay,” she says, opening her eyes and clearing her throat. She anticipated having much more to say now that they were home but there’s an eerie silence lingering in the back of her mind.

After a few silence, Thuringwethil shuffled awkwardly back to the ground. She’s closer to her mate, gently touching her nose to her neck and breathing in her scent. It has been so long since it has been in Drageda. ”You’re never leaving again,” she says quietly, jokingly. Maybe. With a hint of a smile as she pulls back, she breaks into the rabbit without a lot of reserve and devours it within seconds.

Wildfire rumbled her approval of the commander's words. "No, I'm not," she readily agreed, inching backward to give Thuringwethil room to enjoy her repast. As the Heda ate, she took the opportunity to elaborate. "I know you don't really mean that, but I want you to know that I don't plan on leaving our territory anytime soon. I've had my fill of wandering." There was a thread of distaste in her tone as she said those last few words, though she quickly moved on to add, "I want nothing more than to stick close to home, to you and the kids. I'm not kidding when I say I'd be happy if I was 'stuck here' for the rest of my life."

She took a deep breath. Speaking of their kids reminded her of something she wanted to address right off the bat. "I know you must be upset with me for leaving the group," Wildfire said, "and Blixen. But I talked to Raven and we reluctantly agreed that it would be safer for both me and the group if I headed home. I know it was a risk, but I made great time and I didn't even cross paths with anyone on my way." Wildfire licked her lips and looked beseechingly to her mate. "Just please don't be mad at Blix. I really didn't give her a choice in the matter."

No, I’m not.

Relief fills her quickly but the rabbit masks any visual signs so she closes her eyes instead and nods through a bite. All she wants now is a little peace, however short. They are together again and all the children are in one piece. Most of them are bruised and battered as warriors but they are home where they belong, some having been gone much longer than others. She comforts herself by saying she’d have done the same thing for any of the others in Dragedakru but the heavy title they share leaves things to question.

Thuringwethil realizes she’s hardly thought about Wildfire leaving the other party other than a flash of what she should feel. “I’m not upset, I’m not mad at Blixen,” she says, licking her lips to wash away the last bits of rabbit left over that’s nothing more than a mutilated corpse of bone and other indigestible bits. “I wish she’d have come back with you,” she adds in a softer voice.

The commander was quick to reassure her and Wildfire felt relief sweep through her, though there was more anxiety in its wake. "Are you mad at me?" she pressed, voice lowering too. "As I told the Fos Goufa—Ajatar?—it was a calculated risk. And I wouldn't have let her come with me. I didn't end up drawing any attention," she said in a quick, hushed whisper now, "but if I had..." She did not want to think of luring randy male wolves to herself and her equally petite lookalike.

Sucking in a deep breath, the Feisripa said simply, "Everyone's back together now." They shouldn't dwell on the past. By some miracle, nobody had perished in the war or the treks back and forth from their homeland. There was a lot to be thankful for, which prompted Wildfire to say, "Thank you for doing all of this, Thur. I heard we won."

“No, no, I’m not mad at you,” she reassures, shaking her head. It’s over with and, as her mate says, everyone is back. They’ll move on now. They’ll put the war behind them—though she knows that’s never the case—and the spring will bring them a new year. The winter, as most things, has gotten old. It was where she’d grown up, once upon a time, where days were are more often cold than they are not. “Yes,” she says a moment later, shifting her weight and lowering back to the ground. This time, she’s a little closer to her mate, despite the weird discomfort it puts on some of the sore parts of her body. Another shift and it’s better. “I’m glad it’s over,” she says, leaning in o the fiery woman and resting her head across her front legs as a child would their mother in need of comfort.

A final small knot in her chest loosened when Thuringwethil insisted she wasn't angry with her. Wildfire exhaled, staying still as her mate situated herself. When the heavy weight of her great black head came to rest on the Feisripa's forelegs, she bent and licked gently, comfortingly, at her ears.

"Me too," she agreed between passes of her tongue. "Let's focus on the present now. And the future," she added thoughtfully. She paused, deliberating for a solid minute. Thuringwethil was so tired, she wasn't sure she should raise the subject right now. But perhaps it would lift her battered and bruised spirits? "Last year, my heat returned after about a month. Perhaps," she said slowly, "we have that to look forward to?"

Thuringwethil hasn’t spent a lot of time thinking about what the future holds for either of them when it has been so messy. Her primary goal has just been getting to this so they can breathe easy and have less to worry about. Eventually, she needs to get her wolves together and make sure those that remained are still around. Her trust in Ajatar is enough since she is on of their own, from Trigeda, but she knows so little about her.

The licks upon her ears cause them to twitch a little for only a few seconds before she can relax and feel the intended comfort. It’s hard to hold on to, but it’s enough that, if allowed, she’d drift back off to sleep but she is not given that luxury yet. A part of her wishes to remove the crown entirely so she does not have to worry but the commanders will not leave one living vessel for another until their time is up.

”Mmm,” she grunts, though there’s no sway in meaning. She’d hardly considered when she’d been told of the situation. Puppies certainly hadn’t been the first thing to cross her mind having blindly (and poorly) raised the children since the end of the summer. She can’t find the answer in the moment whether or not she wants to do it again after everything that happened. ”Perhaps,” she says slowly, though she doesn’t really know what to say. ”I’m just glad you’re finally back. Ai hod yu in.”

The commander gave a noncommittal reply, which didn't surprise Wildfire. They could discuss it later, when Thuringwethil wasn't so weary and they'd each had some time to settle back into a routine now that they were both back home.

"Me too," the Feisripa answered simply, a small smile playing about her lips. "Ai hod yu in," she echoed. "Would you like me to call for Portia or anything?"

She is thankful that she doesn’t have to talk about it for the time being. Nothing changes in Wildfire’s tone to make her think otherwise but it still sits in the back of her mind, knowing it’ll come up later. Maybe, when things have returned to normal, she’ll have a better answer, one that makes both of them happy.

After a moment, she releases her breath. A brief shake of her head—awkward given the position—and a quiet “no, not right now,” is all she has to offer.

Wildfire was a little torn. On one hand, she thought the commander ought to be seen by the medic. On the other, she was relieved to have Thuringwethil to herself for a little while longer. She deliberated only a few seconds before nodding acquiescence and settling as close to her mate as physically possible.

"Let's just..." she said quietly, her lips tracing over the shell of the Heda's ear, "be."