Wild Berry Meadow lower a row boat and grab an oar

Cedar Den.

It had been her camp for several days by then, but she'd not yet marked any wider perimeter. For the moment, her instincts were assuaged by the existence of a den site in general, and she was torn between keeping her location secret to all but those who passed near or announcing that the land was claimed and occupied to keep others away. If she'd had more than just herself and Sumac, perhaps she would have leaned toward the latter.

As it was, hunting took precedence over border marking. She found the highest hill in the meadow and stood upon it to howl for @Sumac, only to let him know she was still safe and well. Then she turned and trotted along, keeping her eyes peeled for prey.

Tag for reference!

*slides in* Tag for reference

The Mackenzie's steps were light, his pace fluid as he seemed race to his own shadow across the Flatlands. He'd just come from yet another jaunt at the coast, though this time, it was with great purpose. The briny scent of salted air still lingered in his fur, as did something else, something distinctive. He'd been spending this time with his new lover and partner, @Raindrop, and her signature hung about him, intermingled with the marks of the sea.

Tongue lolling easily from his maw, 'Mac couldn't keep himself from grinning like a fool as he made his way inland, once again on the search. This time, his mark was someone else, but someone just as dear. He came sliding to a halt as a distant voice carried on the breeze, ringing in his ears and registering as the one he sought - Easy. At last!

He paused a moment to fill his lungs with air and return her call with his own deep baritone. 

Unfortunately, poor Easy's hunting party was about to be crashed.

He turned his nose in the direction her voice had come from, and with a merry little hop of excitement, he proceeded apace across the plains. Within a few minutes, a familiar silver silhouette came into view, and he bounded toward her as if full of a pup's energy. 

"Easy! There you are!"

She was surprised by how close Sumac's voice seemed to be. As he grew more confident, he stayed away for longer, ranging further from her than before. Easy missed him, but she was glad he was getting out there and showing such interest in the world. She sang a song back, guiding him toward her, and was shocked again by the bounce in Sumac's step.

"Here I am," she agreed with a laugh, performing a playful bow of her own. Her dark tail flagged happily in the air for all of a moment before she pounced forward to tackle the younger wolf. "What's gotten into you?" she asked, delighted by his good mood.

'Mac laughed aloud as the black bear bounded into him, allowing himself to be pulled to the earth. He was positively giddy with delight, and playfully nipped at one of her ears in response.

"Oh, Easy, I've been exploring the coast. My Da grew up at the shore, and he used to tell me all these fanciful tales about the sea and its critters," he began, a dreamy, breathless quality to his voice, "The smells and - oh! The whales, Easy!" he rolled onto his belly and laughed. "You should hear them sing!"

His liquid golden eyes shone with an inner light all their own, and his tail noisily thumped at his rear. He positively glowed.

"And," he said, his eyes sparkling with elation, "I met someone there. Her name is Raindrop. She's... amazing, beautiful, breathtaking. I couldn't get her out of my mind."

Sumac pushed himself up to standing and walked a few paces, his tail pinwheeling.

"So I did it - I finally got the courage! I went back to the coast, and I asked her to start a family with me!" he exclaimed, his paws practically floating above the ground, "She said yes!" He laughed. "She actually said 'Yes!'"

Sumac's excitement was contagious — a brief tussle ensued while the coast was lauded. Easy laughed at this, unable to help it when he exclaimed over whalesong. Affection burned in her chest; he was like Arjun, she thought, but so very different, too.

Anurag.

She did not yet tell him that she'd spent plenty of time beside the sea, instead encouraging him to tell her more about his travels. They soon struck gold — there was a girl, and it was clear the man was smitten with her. So much so that he had to bound to his paws when he spoke of her. Easy followed, her gaze bright and curious even as a kernel of misgiving grew in her chest.

Who was this Raindrop? Was she good enough for Sumac? Would she hurt him?

These question were kept close to her chest, hidden away where they could not give Sumac cause to doubt his happiness. Whether she was the one for him or not, she believed that Sumac needed to pursue her.

And pursue her he had! The black bear was openly shocked, but her gape turned quickly into a smile.

"That's wonderful, 'Mac!" she replied, her tail whipping wildly. "Of course she said yes! She would have to be crazy not to." She believed this with her whole heart.

Sumac laughed again and turned to fully face Easy, his expression one of genuine warmth and pure joy. He forced his rump to the ground, fearing he'd float away otherwise. He cleared his throat, as he often did when he was trying to bring his mind back into focus.

"But, enough about me! What about you? How are you feeling? Is there anything I can do to help you out?" he asked, tilting his head to the side.

He was fairly familiar with pregnancies, as his mother had gone through a few after 'Mac had come of age. It usually entailed her requiring extra care and more help accomplishing her routine tasks, as well as many physical changes. After the birth, 'Mac had been trained well enough to leave the den alone until the pups were old enough to wander about, lest he suffer his mother's hormonal, maternal wrath. 

A frown broke the gleeful cast of his face, and he studied Easy for a moment.

"I worry about you when I leave, you know. I know you're perfectly capable of taking care of yourself, but... still... I worry," he admitted, wrapping his tail tightly around his haunches.

Easy huffed at him, though she could not truly be annoyed by his concern for her. "I feel like an old pregnant lady," she replied, keeping it succinct. "But if it will make you feel better, you may help me dig out the back of the den, while you're here. I want it to be just a little bigger."

She turned and headed back toward it, intending to show him exactly where she could be found.

"But you must tell me more about your lady love while we work," she added, doing her best to hide that she was still not convinced of said lady's worthiness of Sumac. Suddenly, Cedar Den seemed awfully far away from him — but she liked this spot, and she'd already done so much work!

Dig?

"Oh, I can do that!" 'Mac proclaimed enthusiastically, punctuating the statement with a bob of his head, "Just point me in the right direction."

The young male padded easily after the black bear, his steps still radiating some of his earlier exuberance.

"For sure," he acquiesced, "As I said, her name is Raindrop, and it's so fitting. Just being in her presence is soothing, like a cool summer rain. And she's so sweet, Easy! She laughs so readily; she's so smart and curious." He paused to lift his head, a dreamy expression in his eyes. "She loves the sea. Did you know I spent a full day looking for the perfect seashell to bring her? Haha! Anyway, her coat is a sparkling silver with copper, and her eyes! Her. Eyes! They're a clear, cloudless sky on a spring day."

Clearly, as was evident by his rambling, he was quite smitten with his new partner. His head swam through the clouds, galivanting along like a new colt on the plains until another thought struck him and halted him in his tracks: if Raindrop's den was on the coast, and Easy's den was here... What would he do? How could he reconcile both homes? He felt a knot growing in his stomach.

She had never seen Sumac like this before. The joy he'd expressed to her in the past had always been tinged with unavoidable sorrow. Every victory felt bittersweet in the face of so much loss. Hearing the unburdened way in which he spoke of Raindrop, the black bear felt tears welling up in her eyes. She tried not to let him see, still digging away on her own side of the den, but she could not hide the slightly wet sound of her voice.

"She sounds wonderful, Sumac," Easy told him, commiting herself then and there to loving Raindrop as well.

It was this love of the sea that clued her in. Sumac would need to stay up by the coast to keep his lady love happy. Easy supported this — she'd been hoping to see him spread his wings, and now he seemed ready to dive off a cliff to catch the breeze. It was heartening to see, even though she would miss him terribly.

"I hope to meet her someday soon," she said, wondering how best to make this happen. She was coming into the days now where it would be best not to travel, and she hoped that Raindrop would soon be in a similar way.

'Mac's sunny eyes brightened even more, practically glowing, as his gaze met Easy's.

"Oh, I'd love that! I'll have to bring her to meet you. Soon!" he exclaimed, the bounce in his step practically causing him to fly off into the horizon.

He nodded. "But, for now, let's work on that den, yeah? I just helped Raindrop dig hers out, so I've got some experience!" Sumac stated with a few notes of pride working their way into his melody, and maybe, just maybe, a little bit of chest-puffing.

Once more, he tried to push away the growing dissonance in his mind. He cleared his throat and finally, could stand it no longer.

"She lives on the coast. That's really where her heart is. But, I want to be close to you, too," the young man finally confided, his steps now adopting a more subdued pace. His tail lowered, faltering to half-mast while his ears drooped. "I don't want to leave you." His voice was laced with mournful tones. Truly, pure joy doesn't exist, 'Mac realized bleakly, there's always a sacrifice on the other end.