After bathing and feeding her children, Ibis set them up for their naps. It was usually better to do that in reverse but she hoped the milk would make them drowsy. Jasmine and Roswell were piled together already, and Diantha had taken all she was willing, although Ibis did not worry for the smaller girl's behavior; she was pleased to see her eating at all, considering it a victory.
Once finished, Ibis pulled herself from the den. She had some thoughts weighing on her mind. They concerned
@Teya and
@Maia; for which Ibis howled, and then sat to wait. It hadn't occurred to her that Maia had given birth just yet - or that she hadn't seen
@Eljay since the previous morning.
The breakfast he had left for her sat nearby, and she settled near it, picking at the meal absently.
teya was eager to answer. kynareth's offer sat temptingly within her mind, as much as the rest of him; remembered. she gave a low shiver and went to attend the auspex.
she found ibis pensive, plucking at meat but not quite eating it, and combed her teeth through the fur of the other's shoulder as she arrived. nothing more to be said. teya settled near to wait for maia, though brecheliant seemed to hang today with a steady, silent expectation.
bails herself out
Bridget wasn't much of a "caretaker" in the nanny sense of things, but she had made a habit of occasionally checking in. And today, she'd happened to check in just before Ibis' summons sounded. Bridget grinned at
@Eljay, poking out of the den entrance, and gave him a little gesture with her muzzle to head back in.
I'll check on what they want, and let them know the good news. You hang here, papa bear.
By the time she showed up, Teya was there too. Despite not being called for, she didn't show any real reluctance to inserting herself in this meeting.
Maia had her kids this morning. Two of them, apparently. I was just talking with Eljay, and I don't think either of them are goin far today.
She grinned, then looked from one to the other, not bothering to dismiss herself just yet.
There was Teya, roaming quickly across the fen. Ibis welcomed her touch with a nosing of her own, and then there was Bridget — and Ibis smiled. She realized after a moment to think that she'd forgotten the other Raven. A guilty sweep of her eyes across the two women concluded as she tilted her chin to call for
@Wraen, except, the sound didn't erupt from her throat.
Maia — already?
Bridget's news surprised her. It was good news, though. The woman forgot momentarily about her aunt and smiled, feeling a wave of giddiness sweep through her.
Well, that makes sense. Maia is usually such an attentive Raven. I hope they are all doing well — maybe I'll check on them later. Hm.
Ah, but the point —
You will be a proxy for her, or them, then. I wanted to ask about... My position. I haven't been attentive to Brecheliant lately.
At this Ibis' ears swept back, an apologetic look upon her face.
I wanted to request... A new vote. For a new Auspex. I suppose for additional Ravens as well, now that I think about it; with Maia now a mother, things are changing.
Ibis then looks to Teya, glancing from her to Bridget and back.
What do you think?
teya found it odd to speak in their council without maia or wraen. but at least the new mother had a proxy, as ibis had said. there was no one here to represent wraen, and with a start, teya realized she had not seen much of the pleasant older woman since burying tambourine.
a shiver. ibis was asking something of her.
of them.
she nodded slowly, disliking this portion of leadership. why could ibis not just come back once her children were older? where was wraen? would maia be stepping down? she frowned, then brow smoothed. "who do you have in mind for new ravens, ibis?"
Proxy? She could do that, though she didn't really know much about either woman. Probably didn't matter much so long as she went with the decisions that made the most sense, yeah?
Except the decision wasn't exactly an objective one. If she was being asked to choose a new Auspex, she was inherently biased towards the one Raven she did know, though selfishly that would throw their newfound travel plans to the wind. And as for new Ravens... it was probably more important to find someone who wanted the job, right?
There wasn't much about the job that appealed to Bridget. If the role had a different feel to it, more of a challenge, maybe, but here in Brecheliant it seemed mostly to be meeting and collaborating on decisions she didn't care much about. There's always Eljay.
That was really the only one who stuck out to her; Bridget knew Akavir had returned, but hadn't met him, and Arcturus hadn't been interested before. That probably hadn't changed.
She was glad they were focusing on that second question because the first was going to be a challenge. Bridget shot Teya a look, one she may or may not be able to read, but didn't say anything else.
Wraen did not arrive but Ibis presumed she was resting, or busy elsewhere. She would find her aunt once everything was resolved here and get her cousel; she was always there to talk and share her wisdom.
Teya and Bridget shared a fleeting look which made Ibis hesitate. She suddenly felt like a third wheel.
Bridget did mention Eljay though and Ibis latched upon that.
Actually, that's what I was thinking.
she clarified. I want to nominate him as our new Auspex. I know he is a new father right now, so we can give him time to think about it.
Ibis gathered her own reasons in her head, and when she shared them she watched for the other two wolves' reactions: He is connected to our allies the Redhawks, plus he has extensive medical training, and is well liked by everyone. With help from a counsel of Ravens I think he would do well for Brecheliant.
bridget looked at her. ibis spoke of eljay. teya wanted to know why she herself had not been nominated for auspex, and jealousy simmered lowly in her. yet the girl recognized her unfairness, recognized that she did not even want the role, she only wanted it to be one of the women who gathered with her now.
but eljay was kind, perhaps one of the most skilled among them.
she nodded.
"eljay help me at the borders, to greet kynareth." the name of the saints' leader rolled from her tonguetip purringly, despite her attempt at formality. "he will be good auspex."
that left she, maia, bridget, and ibis as the choices for ravens. but her red-masque companion had never uttered a word toward wanting such, and the other two were mothers now.
teya looked to ibis. "will you — come back?" she inquired, wondering if this change was to be permanent.
Bridget was surprised and it showed, but she couldn't think of a good reason to disagree when Teya confirmed that she liked the idea. It felt a little odd, elevating a new Raven to the position immediately in favor of the two who were already there, but she shrugged and nodded. If you two think he'd be a good choice, I'm okay with it.
She imagined Maia wouldn't be bothered by her husband being given the role, right? She seemed happy enough just kind of vibing around, and she had kids now to take care of. Bridget would have argued for Teya maybe, but selfishly, she'd hoped her friend wouldn't be interested. If he steps in for you, that solves it, yeah?
An Auspex and two Ravens had served them pretty well so far, and the pack was mostly kids at this point.
Teya mentions a name that she doesn't know. There are likely many things that have transpired which Ibis has been too busy for.
Who...?
Ibis begins to ask, but her soft voice is overshadowed by Bridget. Was it a new recruit? Ibis had not sensed anyone new since Akavir's return...
It was good that they were on the same page at any rate. Teya agreed, and then Bridget, so Ibis was content.
Will you -- come back?
queried the girl a moment later. Ibis sighs.
Maybe someday. I have my children to look after now. A husband to... figure out. My focus should be on them.
She feels a stirring of something odd, like guilt almost, as she expresses this. But it is the truth.
Ibis hadn't been acting as a very good auspex before, nor a good wife. This was the first step, in her own mind, in fixing that.
I will go visit Eljay and Maia then, and.. Give them the news. Let them mull it over for a bit.
a tense smile spared for Teya, a glance to Bridget - and the woman excuses herself.
"kynareth deagon, of saints. over mountains," teya explained, though she could not help the emptiness that flew through her at ibis' pronouncement. it was not that the delicate woman meant to look after her children — it was the direct reference to akavir that haunted teya.
so. ibis would go no further until she had decided things with the dark man who was not the father of her children.
teya, masterfully, kept her expression from shifting. "i see you later," she said softly to the lovely features, meaning to stop by the den with more food or a chewing-toy for the puppies.
when ibis was out of earshot, teya's countenance fell visibly. "if eljay not want auspex, i will be. and he will be raven with me," she decided, though coolwater eyes flicked with less melancholy to bridget. "you do not want raven?" she asked, letting amusement sweep the unexplained hurt from her face.
Bridget fell into comfortable quiet as the two of them finished, Teya explaining the name and Ibis dismissing herself. There was something in the air that she couldn't place her paw on, but she let it roll off affably. It had nothing to do with her, and she assumed mostly was because of Ibis' choice to step down.
Teya seemed oddly discouraged, though, as Ibis left. Bridget's eyes settled on her, sharpening with consternation, but she listened patiently rather than immediately interrupting. You'd make a good one, if you wanted it. If you don't, you shouldn't have to.
She replied, interpreting the wording she'd given it. I will be. Did she want it? Not really. These kind of talks aren't really my thing.
Then, without much pause - Ibis stepping down bothers you, doesn't it?
teya shrugged, the wide gesture of an overwhelmed young individual. "i do not know what it is like to have baby," she said honestly, wanting so dearly to be fair with ibis. even though she felt that ibis had not been fair with herself, and by extension, teya.
she would sort out the selfishness later.
"but if i was auspex and had baby, i would use pack for baby and keep auspex."' an arch of her brow. a twitch of her mouth. "but if i take auspex, i not able to leave when i want." a good enough reason, she suspected. "do you think maia will also stop being raven?"
That didn't really explain the fall in her features, but Bridget took it and wouldn't pry (yet). Not unless it looked to be something deeper. Keeping your feelings to yourself was fine, but only so long as those feelings didn't fester. Bridget had seen it happen before and wasn't interested in allowing any wolf she could stop from following suit.
I don't see any reason she should. I don't think having kids stops you from being able to have conversations.
Bridget said with a small smile. Honestly it was probably about the only job they could do, for a while. If it wasn't the day of, she might have suggested they take this little party to Maia's den, but she imagined the new parents wouldn't have thanked her for that.
I'd be disappointed, if we couldn't. But I wouldn't mind if it was what you wanted.
It felt like the decision was made, but she wanted to say it regardless, just in case Teya was still mulling it over. She'd mind a little, for her own sake, but she'd never hold it against the other woman.
teya agreed with a nod. "but she also has akavir." to figure out, and this time the bitterness did flit into her heart, lodging there like an ugly wound. but bridget — she was afraid to tell bridget everything, lest the cardinal feel betrayed in some way.
she did not feel less for the red-masque. it was only different between them. for instance, the woman before her now had never made her feel unwanted, much less for a man who had been absent and remained absent.
"we will see what eljay says," she decided, standing to her paws and dusting earth from her coat. she smiled at bridget. "i have what i want."
she meant to urge bridget off now, perhaps for a swim in the blue-crystalline waters of the clearer fen; teya wanted to exist outside of it all, but not alone.
Bridget didn't catch an inkling of the true feeling behind Teya's remark on Akavir, though she also didn't understand it. She wasn't aware of their mate ship or the complications of his return. She didn't know much about Ibis in general, in fact.
I have what I want. The words took her by surprise and, for a second, caused her breath to catch in a way that was completely unexpected. She smiled back, pure warmth, but chose not to push forward into the suggestion she might have laid. A part of her wondered at that, but for some reason, she just... didn't want to rush into this. Whatever feelings she had for Teya, whatever feelings her friend had for her, what they had right now was enough. And there were feelings there, budding slowly. She could acknowledge that now.
C'mon.
She pulled away, encouraging Teya to follow, and they left together. She'd accompany her wherever she wanted to go, and together they could forget about whatever troubled her for a while.