@Mahler <3 part 4 of ingram's "be a good father" task
he knew little of the grim-faced gargoyle that had first met him upon the borders, but ingram knew him to be a man invested in caretaking -- or at the very least, invested in the care of diaspora's whelps. for that reason, ingram sought mahler today, on a day that seemed as cheerless as the kapitan.
he was nervous as he approached. mahler was a man of high command and good standing within the pack, and his reticence daunted the eyjolfur. it was only his sheer investment in being a
good father that ingram forced himself into mahler's company, giving the man a timid smile and a wave of his tail as he caught the man swinging for the borders.
Casually invading your thread; feel free to see this as a cameo if you wanna ignore her, but obvs open to attack as per the rules for trespassing! She's sneaky but they know their territory better after all.
The girl didn't go very far after departing from Ingram's company, even if she'd meant to. After an hour of hiking (during which she was on-edge and expecting the pounding of hooves to meet her ears again) she'd climbed up one side of the canyon wall and somehow gotten turned around. It was there, in the dim light of the early evening, that she saw a trick of the light - a shimmering - which she did her best to ignore; it sent a shiver down her spine as she turned from it, and it felt like there were eyes watching her as she veered back along the ridge towards where she'd left the boy.
Sullen, she tracked him. It didn't take long for Inka to catch his scent or to trail him through the winding trails, although he made better time than she did. When she eventually spotted him again she knew she should be careful - the air was ripe with the scents of other wolves (and no horses, thank god), which meant she might've been crawling across a claim. The spider was skilled when it came to lurking in the dark or sneaking around but she knew she was taking a risk by chasing after Ingram now — this pack would not take kindly to her visit if she was found out.
But she thought of that shimmering figure. That feeling deep in her bones -- there was something ethereal here in the mountains and she could not avoid it. The dead only came to her when they had messages to convey, and this one appeared to be tied to the boy.
ingram slowed as he came across mahler, presently bent to sup water from the stream. at the present he was entirely unaware of the shadow that lurked behind him -- he had not forgotten inka, but truthfully diaspora was the last place in which the sootfurred boy would have expected her company.
his attention focused on mahler, and he noticed the male seemed hoarse of voice and guarded in a mien different than usual. his tail fell, but he did not lose his verve. "i came to ask you of something." ingram started, realizing it would be rude to simply launch into a battering of questions. "but, are you okay?"
skipping
@Inka hope that is ok? <3
ingram surveyed mahler carefully, doing so in a manner one servile might inspect his master; the man looked sickly, tired -- but if ingram knew anything, he knew the kapitan was tough and would pull through. a brief glance of concern doused his features, washed away as the man's hoarse voice overcame him -- tired, sure, but not lacking in strength.
"is there anything i can do?" ingram queried quickly, hoping if there was some task that he could be of use. following the man's question, his gaze fell and he momentarily seemed to lose his composure.
"i've come to ask you what you think i should do to prepare for the birth of my puppies. i... i have never done this before." he knew the man to be a seasoned midwife, and wished for any sort of advice mahler would impart.
no, ingram was not a skilled healer -- so unfortunately for mahler, he would find no balm to ease his discomfort.. not unless he counted the tincture of time, which ingram was powerless to dole out. ingram was many things, but a skilled healer he was not -- he did notice, however, the softening of mahler's lilac gaze.
he felt relieved to witness that. a part of him had been concerned that perhaps he would be met with jest; it was neither manly nor strong in many wolves' eyes to be soft, or to put oneself at the aide of a woman.. but ingram was soft, and he was willing (and did not believe it beneath himself, either) to do whatever it took to help bloldreina. "water..?" ingram paused, wondering how he could carry water -- "oh.. right. in moss?" he nodded eagerly at mahler's instructions, vowing to remember them. "how will i know if everything is okay?" for not even being the wolf whelping, ingram had a lot of uncertainties -- and he was worried things might go wrong in a way he could not repair.
fade for a new up to date one? <3
to ingram there was no greater horror than not knowing. he kept his jaw shut, but if he had not fought for composure, he would have appeared slackjawed and shocked. he nodded dumbly, accepting the man's word as gospel though he dearly wished to know and learn otherwise.
in other words,
time would tell -- but ingram was impatient and fidgety. knowing that mahler was there should they need him smoothed some of his worried creases.
"you'll be there if we need you?" he lifted his eyes hopefully, nodding in acceptance of that.
"that... i.. i would like that."