Grouse Thicket I just settled all my lawsuits - fuck you, Debbie!
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@Raven — in her personal timeline, set before this thread 

The forest was lush with new growth, fragrant with the sweet-sour tang of apples.  It was intruiging — she was a predator, and she did not care much for fruit — but she picked one of the fruits up anyway and took to gnawing at it.  It was mushier than flesh, and packed a powerful flavor profile.  She thought of everything it could pair well with (and lamented at how difficult it would be to prepare such a feast) before taking another apple in her mouth and gnawing away.

Weird.

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Sorry for keeping you waiting! I've been binge-watching Game of Thrones and it's hard to tear myself away from the TV long enough to keep up with my posts. XD

She was nearing the halfway point of her pregnancy already, hard as it was to believe. The symptoms had definitely begun to manifest, too. Nausea plagued her every morning that she woke, and she had a seemingly insatiable appetite as well. No matter how much she ate, she always felt hungry. Her teats hurt and occasional cramps made her cranky. Best of all, though, was the subtle swelling of her belly. Seeing that made her so happy. She had yearned for children of her own for a long time now, and that tiny bit of rounding in her middle somehow made it more real.

She wandered through the shady expanse of Grouse Thicket now, a place which was rapidly becoming one of her favorite haunts at their new home. In a month's time, when the greenery filled in nice and thick, this thicket would be overflowing with a wonderful assortment of medicinal plants that she could put to good use in her trade. She wended her way between the trees for a while before she came upon a most curious sight: an unknown yet lovely silver-clad (wtf houkie she's red) wolf nibbling at one of the strange fruits borne by trees in this area. She cocked her head and watched with a grin, curiosity getting the better of her. "Is it good?" she asked, having not tried them yet herself.
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The red-hued firebrand continued to gorge herself on the sweetsour fruits until she was interrupted by what seemed lIke a friendly stranger.  Though she kept her guard up, she took the time to finish her mouthful before she responded.

"Yeah, actually.  Nothing like meat.  Think it would go good with some though."  She grabbed an apple with one paw and batted it towards the stranger. "Want one? Mind the core."
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The stranger answered her question and Raven suddenly found herself interested. A gentle bat from one of the she-wolf's paws sent one of the weirdly round fruits rolling toward her. When it came to rest she reached out and, holding it down with a forepaw, gingerly took a small bite. Its tartness surprised her and made her wrinkle her nose, but underneath it there was an interesting sweetness. Swallowing it, she grinned and commented, "It is good."

Taking another bite, she looked up at the she-wolf while she chewed and asked, "So what's your name?"
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When the stranger moved, Ceara could see the full roundness of her belly -- like the apples they were eating.  Suddenly, she was no longer hungry. She smoothed her tongue over her muzzle and rested on her haunches.

"Ceara Blackthorn."  Her lip curled in a lopsided smile.  "And you? Hey, you think this would pair well with rabbit?"
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Blackthorn. Raven’s eyes widened as the name sank in and she looked at the newcomer with renewed interest. She didn’t look anything like the Blackthorns Raven had grown up with, but a quick glance at Ceara’s back revealed the characteristic black ridge running the length of her spine. Ceara asked another question about the apples and Raven answered a little distractedly, ”Uh, maybe?” There were far more interesting things to discuss. ”You know, half my pack is Blackthorns. Do you know a Finley Blackthorn?”
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Stray wasn't really sure if Finley was supposed to ring a bell or not.  There were really so many of them though that it was probably easy to get them mixed up. "Think so.  Really? Do you guys have a Tadpole?"

What were the odds that half of Blackthorn clan had decided to settle here?  "I'm not too close, am I?" She finally thought out loud, worried about offending her family now.  "I was justum, interested in the apples."
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She shook her head at Ceara's question -- she didn't know anyone by the name of Tadpole. To the she-wolf's next question, she answered, "You are pretty close, but I'm not too worried about it. Clearly you're more of a threat to the apples than to my pack." She grinned and wagged her tail to let her new acquaintance know she wasn't in trouble. "We live at that plateau over there beyond the trees," she continued, gesturing in the direction where the shoulders of her pack's home rose above the thicket's canopy. "Are you part of a pack nearby? Or are you on your own right now?"
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No Tadpole.  She worked the inside of one cheek, but ultimately she had not expected to find him here anyway.  She had just thought...  Well, it didn't matter.

The smell of the orchard had diluted the pack-smell; honestly, she had not thought she was that close.  She seemed started by the information despite the stranger's lack of concern.  Oh, sorry.  The apples are strong right now, I thought you guys were further out.  My bad.  She cleared her throat.  No, I'm alone.  Ceara rolled her shoulders and one of her ears flicked back.  But if there are really as many Blackthorns as you say there are...

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She grinned at the she-wolf’s words, clearly unbothered by the loner’s proximity to the Redhawks’ claim. Her pack was large, strong, and thriving. If one wolf really meant them harm, they wouldn’t get very far before they were swarmed and torn apart by Redhawks. No such thoughts crossed the healer’s mind, though, as Ceara spoke.

Raven understood the unasked question in the newcomer’s last comment, and she grinned again as she nodded. ”Why don’t you walk back with me and hang out for a few days? Track down your family, get to know them. If you like it, you’re welcome to stay as you contribute to the pack and don’t bring trouble.” Realizing she had never given her own name, she chuckled a little at herself and added, ”Oh, and I’m sorry I never gave you my name. I’m Raven Redhawk, alpha and healer of the pack.”
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Sounds like a real good deal.  I'll get to work soon as we get there, but what do you say we bring some of these apples back to the cache for snacks?  Unless, uh, you're full up already.

She gave a lopsided grin, but her gunmetal gaze was alight.  Thank you, Raven.

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Last one from me! Let’s thread again soon! <3

”That’s a good idea,” she replied with a grin, pleased that her newest recruit was already taking initiative. The apples were somewhat small, so Raven was able to carry two in her mouth as they made their way back toward the plateau. Unfortunately, it rendered conversation impossible as they walked, but the silence was relaxed and companionable. Reflecting on the day’s events, the alpha felt good about what she’d accomplished. She wondered if Finley and Colt would be pleased to reunite with another of their kin.