The Sunspire take a bite of the apple in the face of god
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#1
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Time seemed to pass quicker and quick, despite the days lengthening. Both a blessing as well as a curse, Olive knew it was only a result her perception of things, for the extreme felicity and comfort that she found upon Sunspire nurtured a healthy mindset and time no longer dragged on as it once had. She busied herself by tending to the nascent shoots and roots of her garden, or luxuriating in Cassiopeia’s nearness, or relieving her constant need to urinate on their territory’s borders… but the more time she spent on these pursuits, she knew the more her secret would begin to unravel. 

Olive truly had good intentions when joining Sunspire. Being subversive was never her intention — the sylph had only wished to find the right approach when it came to coming clean, but time continued to lumber on and still no clear line of action had presented itself. The reappearance of Forrest counted for something, but the gracious midwife could no more solve her problems than could she. The sylph had begun to doubt that the right approach would ever come to pass, and the mother-to-be could not wait much longer, lest the news escape her and become tainted by passing through the mouths of her peers first.  She had to tell him.

A twist in her stomach, the ashen shewolf lowered her sensitive nose to the ground and followed the path she knew would take her to @Rannoch
and all my days are trances, and all my nightly dreams
are where thy grey eye glances, and where thy footstep gleams
in what ethereal dances, by what eternal streams

Ghost
he came and stole the wild
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Ooc — Chan
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#2
Weather: 22° F, cloudy.
 
For quite some time, Rannoch had been following his nose. The scent trail had led the Alpha away from the pack's common area, and up the mountainside. Although the scent was not recognizable to Rannoch, he assumed that whatever laid at the end of the path was edible. 

Rannoch soon discovered that an abandoned fox-hole protected the unsuspecting rodent— a pika, as he would learn once somebody told him — and he stopped in front of it. With his ears pinned forward, Rannoch ducked his head and peeped into the occupied cavity.
a crime so old as the sky and bone
he came untied, solid as a stone
all is almost lost and it starts to show
775 Posts
Ooc — Rosie
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During her short time with the Sunspire wolves, she  discovered the pleasures of leisure time once more. Now that her hours were not full up with foraging — it took so many roots and berries to sustain a wolf, especially during winter — and since she did not allow herself to go scouting, Olive relegated herself to exploring their mountain and finding all the best places to take a nap. In this way the sylph already knew this mountain well, and it did not take her long to navigate the nooks and crannies of the valley in order to locate her Alpha. 

She found the burly man staring into an emptiness in the earth. At a lively clip, she danced up alongside him and joined him in his silent inquiry. “Who lives here?” she questioned, certainly hoping he wasn’t planning on slaughtering whatever it was. For an innocuous moment, the shewolf forgot about the reason she sought Rannoch out and leant into the bliss of his friendship.
and all my days are trances, and all my nightly dreams
are where thy grey eye glances, and where thy footstep gleams
in what ethereal dances, by what eternal streams

Ghost
he came and stole the wild
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Ooc — Chan
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#4
At the sound of Olive's voice, Rannoch felt a rush of surprise; he had been too preoccupied to sense her approach. Quickly, he lifted his head and looked at his packmate with a smile. 

"I'm not sure," he admitted with an edge of excitement in his voice, "Do you know what this smell is?" Rannoch motioned to the temporary Pika sanctuary with his muzzle. "I've never smelled it before," he revealed.
a crime so old as the sky and bone
he came untied, solid as a stone
all is almost lost and it starts to show
775 Posts
Ooc — Rosie
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#5
The man appeared to be perplexed by the miniature cavern in the earth — a den much like the ones dug by wolves, but on a smaller scale — so Olive decided to try her naturalist’s hand at it. The druid, standing abreast from from Rannoch, pushed forward a step and lowered her charcoal-tipped nose to push at the dirt at the entrance of the burrow. It was occupied, for sure, and whatever was inside must be scared to death with two bloodthirsty wolves pawing at its door.

Fear not, little pika! Olive won’t let any harm befall you.

Lifting her crown back to its full height, the druid shook her head. The scent wasn’t familiar, but she did not often seek out small vertebrates for consumption purposes, or any purposes at all — Olive’s expertise much more leaned towards flora, rather than fauna. “No,” she began, then amended. “Oh, well, I am sure there’s a happy little rodent in there,” the shewolf chuckled. “One who is gleeful for the soon-to-be warming weather and spring’s certain abundance.” Then she pulled away from the tiny dwelling, hoping to draw attention away from the small prey animal that had the audacity to nest upon their lands. Perhaps she would shoo it away, later — for it’s own sake.

Olive smiled, settling into a good mood, keeping her purpose here in the periphery of her mind; she would not rush it. “As am I,” she commented thoughtfully. “Are you?”
and all my days are trances, and all my nightly dreams
are where thy grey eye glances, and where thy footstep gleams
in what ethereal dances, by what eternal streams

Ghost
he came and stole the wild
1,808 Posts
Ooc — Chan
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#6
Rannoch couldn't help but appreciate Olive's positivity. Although he had intended to kill whatever occupied the crevice, Rannoch was now distracted by his packmate's sunny outlook on the upcoming season. He turned from the pika-residence and nodded. 

"Very excited," he replied, "It'll soon be time to start my family with Liffey, and I cannot wait." His excitement was apparent; his eyes shone, and a smile stretched across his maw. To Rannoch, fatherhood couldn't come soon enough.
a crime so old as the sky and bone
he came untied, solid as a stone
all is almost lost and it starts to show
775 Posts
Ooc — Rosie
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#7
Lovingly posted from your couch, while petting your cute dog and eating all of your vegan yogurts ♥

Rannoch was sufficiently distracted from the tiny life that subsisted within the miniature den, so Olive let her attentions turn elsewhere. The sylph surveyed her alpha, her attention keenly aware of his positive outlook for the coming months. She had known that the man wanted a family, as most happily wedded wolves did — he really did nothing to hide this fact, but why should he? Ranch was the founder of Sunspear Sunspire, and he alone held the rights to breed and raise his children with the support of their pack.

She, however, did not.

This always made her nervous, when she thought about it at length. The reality of the situation was clear: her children would take resources away from Rannoch’s own, and when it came down to it, she was in the wrong. Not that the woman had the affair with the nameless man on purpose, just to spite her pack or to selfishly perpetuate her own genes — no, that she chalked up to hormones and the man’s uncanny ability to appear whenever she wanted him most. But, no matter the reason, the potential consequences were impossible to put in the back of her mind. 

Despite her and Rannoch’s upbeat and cheery interaction thus far, Olive’s demeanor fell and her gaze dropped to her toes. “Would you welcome another’s family, too?” She questioned, beseeching him softly. If Rannoch were anyone else, she might have transitioned into this subject with an auspicious comment of ‘aren’t puppies amazing?’ or ‘the more the better, right?’ but she suspected this approach might appeal to him, though he still did not yet know the full context of her question.        
and all my days are trances, and all my nightly dreams
are where thy grey eye glances, and where thy footstep gleams
in what ethereal dances, by what eternal streams

Ghost
he came and stole the wild
1,808 Posts
Ooc — Chan
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#8
As Olive's cheery expression dissolved, Rannoch felt concerned almost instantaneously; everything had been so pleasant until this moment. 

"Another family?" Rannoch repeated. He didn't understand what she was implying. "Most likely. It depends on the situation," he explained with evident curiosity in his voice. "Why? What's up?" 
a crime so old as the sky and bone
he came untied, solid as a stone
all is almost lost and it starts to show
775 Posts
Ooc — Rosie
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#9
Found a spare minute, so here's the shortest post ever! ♡

Somehow, Olive had thought Rannoch might understand her meaning from the few, sole words she provided. Unsurprisingly though, he did not and Olive found herself scrambling to produce words with a coherent meaning. “Well, I, um…” the sylph stammered, looking up at Rannoch and hoping he might nod with sudden understanding and save her from this embarrassment. This, what her moment of truth — she supposed. “I am pregnant,” she finally blurted out, immediately feeling as if a weigh had been lifted from her soul; only to be replaced with dread at her unborn family’s certain demise. Was there any other way around it? Could a pack leader be so altruistic as to offer her family hearth and home, when she had nothing to give in return? “I don’t know how it happened —” she uttered forlornly, as if her feigned innocence meant anything at all to him. Then she stopped, body tensed, and waited for his response. 
and all my days are trances, and all my nightly dreams
are where thy grey eye glances, and where thy footstep gleams
in what ethereal dances, by what eternal streams

Ghost
he came and stole the wild
1,808 Posts
Ooc — Chan
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#10
Olive's composure had noticeably waned, and Rannoch noticed. He watched as the woman struggled to speak about what was on her mind; Olive's pregnancy was revealed, and Rannoch took a moment to comprehend what the information meant in the grand scheme of things. Although it was unexpected, he did not see it being too much of a problem. Sunspire was established, and Rannoch gathered that they had the numbers to support Olive's unplanned children. 

Despite his optimism, Rannoch knew that he was not the only one that would determine whether or not Olive's children would live. 

Rannoch regarded his packmate with a softer expression, and his eyes found the gentle curve of her abdomen. "How long until they're born?" he asked and returned his eyes to hers.
a crime so old as the sky and bone
he came untied, solid as a stone
all is almost lost and it starts to show
775 Posts
Ooc — Rosie
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#11
Olive grit her teeth as she waited for the Alpha’s judgement, and her gaze fell to the earth beneath her paws — her averted attention was a submissive move as much as it was a desire to not look upon his face,  so she would not see his disdain and she might have a home for one moment longer. Her subconscious carefully ticked the seconds as they went by… one, two, three, four… giving herself something to focus on as those seconds turned to hours, and then to years, and then to millennia. 

Rannoch asked her a question, one that did nothing to assuage her fears — but when she lifted her eau-de-nil gaze and found his own, Olive found nothing but compassion within his depths. There was nothing of Arturo’s stern judgement to be found within the young leader. Unable to think past her own relief, Olive quickly calculated in her head and said “A month and a half… or perhaps two…” and hoped dearly that would be enough time to for the pack to prepare for two litters; one royal litter, and one a clear drain upon the other.
and all my days are trances, and all my nightly dreams
are where thy grey eye glances, and where thy footstep gleams
in what ethereal dances, by what eternal streams

Ghost
he came and stole the wild
1,808 Posts
Ooc — Chan
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#12
There was time to prepare for Olive's children; Rannoch breathed a sigh of relief. Exiling the midwife and her unborn children was not something that he wanted to do. 

"Although I cannot speak for the other leaders of Sunspire, I will do my best to persuade them that your children to be born here," he paused then, and looked her in the eyes, "I will vow for you under the condition that you will help Liffey in her pregnancy and during my children's infancy with whatever she needs." Rannoch knew that with this particular agreement between them, it'd be easy to leverage keeping Olive's children.
a crime so old as the sky and bone
he came untied, solid as a stone
all is almost lost and it starts to show
775 Posts
Ooc — Rosie
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#13
Finally, the burly alpha spoke the words that Olive had so desired to hear. There were others’ opinions to consider, but Olive quite suddenly had all the confidence in the world that everything would be a-okay. “Oh, yes, of course, yes! Oh, thank you!” the sylph's words came out quick, one right after the other, jumbled in her effort to extoll appreciation upon her leader. Oh, so is this what it was like to be subservient to a man worthy of her loyalties? It was a possibility that, until she happened upon Rannoch and Terrance that one fine afternoon, had seemed to evade her… but here it was, and it certainly felt good to be supported in her fumbles rather than chastised for things [that were now] outside of her control. 

A genuine smile radiating from her finespun maw, Olive nodded her head vigorously. “I would dote upon and care for your children as I would my own.” and she decorated the end of her sentiments with a sweeping bow, one leg outstretched and the other curling delicately into her breast. Here she remained for a moment, until her formality was certainly noted, and she restored herself to her accustomed position and posture.

Certainly, the topic was not done with. “Oh, Rannoch, I was so worried… I never… I didn’t…” with a sharp inhale, she stalled her stammering, and collected her thoughts until  cohesive words could be found. “I did not intend to place this burden upon the pack... but, to raise my family in safety, with a home…” It was over a year ago, but Olive remembered it as clear as day: hauling her day-old children across the wilds, only to be turned out and left to wander once more. Perhaps these children will turn out better this time, Olive mused sadly, though she knew this was not a fair call to make. Poor Sirius, Aries and Cassiopeia never had the chance for normalcy, and she mourned their lost innocence as keenly as she mourned her own.  
and all my days are trances, and all my nightly dreams
are where thy grey eye glances, and where thy footstep gleams
in what ethereal dances, by what eternal streams

Ghost
he came and stole the wild
1,808 Posts
Ooc — Chan
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#14
Olive's gratefulness was unmistakable. Rannoch felt her relief, and he couldn't help but sympathize with the midwife's situation, and he could only imagine the inner turmoil that must have plagued her before their conversation. "It'll be okay, now," Rannoch replied, his voice soft. He was satisfied with her promise, and he would see that he could get the other leaders to agree. "I will do everything I can to make sure that they are safely born at Sunspire." 

Rannoch was oblivious to the burden that an excess of children would bring to the pack. For now, all that he could think about was making sure that everybody was happy, and he had not taken time to consider what the addition of Olive's children would do to the pack in the grand scheme of things.
a crime so old as the sky and bone
he came untied, solid as a stone
all is almost lost and it starts to show
775 Posts
Ooc — Rosie
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#15
Had Olive been able to read Rannoch’s thoughts as easily as she read the stars, she would have been truly impressed with his magnanimity. It was the sign of a good leader, when one was able to navigate the twists and turns of leadership without absolutely derailing. Because Rannoch was so giving, she did not have to squander any want she had for herself, or for her family. Oh, she owed him so much!

“Rannoch, I am so grateful…” she began, dropping again into a bow — but this time with less pomp, and more sincerity. “Please let me reaffirm, right now, the pledge I made to you; to follow you in any endeavor, and to be a humble servant to the wolves in Sunspire, and to support our families in any — every — way my skills allow.”
and all my days are trances, and all my nightly dreams
are where thy grey eye glances, and where thy footstep gleams
in what ethereal dances, by what eternal streams

Ghost
he came and stole the wild
1,808 Posts
Ooc — Chan
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#16
Even if Rannoch had been a skeptical creature, there would be no logical ground to doubt Olive's pledge. Her every word pronounced her inner-most feelings, and Rannoch appreciated the sincerity. He trusted her, and would not question her loyalty to himself or Sunspire. 

Once Olive pushed herself up and stood, Rannoch reached forward and tapped her cheek; she was family, like the rest of Sunspire was to him. "Come on," he suggested, "You're eating for many more, now. Let's go and get you something to eat." 

The two wolves moved from where the poor pika had been hiding, and towards the nearest cache. It would take some time for Rannoch to fully comprehend what this meant for the rest of the pack and, for now, he relished the excitement that came with the prospect of new life.
a crime so old as the sky and bone
he came untied, solid as a stone
all is almost lost and it starts to show