Anyone is welcome to greet this old lady!
Mahler had been unusually kind to Hope, and while other wolves might feel suspicious of it, she did not. She felt warmth and gratitude and had began wandering into the territory right after she had been accepted with open arms. Hope had stayed in the territory for days and not met anyone but Mahler yet, but today she hoped to change that. She was one big smile as she began her walk in the morning, hoping to meet and greet others.
She followed nothing but the sound of her own heartbeat, she listened for nature's music and while it was quiet, she still found pleasure in it. She didn't exactly stroll around in the snow, her old legs wouldn't allow for a big old run through the snow anymore, but she liked the crunched sound of her paws landing in the snow. It brought back memories of a younger version of herself, who loved to play in the snow.
She never felt sad about age coming to her like this, it was a natural process, a part of life. Growing old was just her next step in life, and she had come to appreciate so much more in life now, compared to when she was younger.
She stopped for a few moments to feel a ice cold breeze and shuttered lightly as it went through her fur. She wondered if it was wise to lay down here in the snow, she might get lost and never find anyone else to talk to. She was a very social creature, she felt like it had been ages since she had properly talked to others.
She slowly began walking again, agreeing with herself it was best to press forward. She began walking toward parts of the territory she had not yet seen, hoping to run into someone, anyone.
he had been, silently, thrilled to follow the older man on a walkabout. eager to place the locations for blooms in his memory. Mahler surely heard the boy mumble the information back to himself multiple times as they moved through the territory.
only for them to approach upon someone else.
a woman. older. midwife.
his gut might as well have dropped out of him onto the ground with the pit of anxiety that had formed.
guten morgen,
he softly mumbled — the greeting he had absorbed quickly from his teacher — with a respectful dip of his head as he attempted to remain very still and small behind Mahler.
"guten morgen," Hope was a fast learner, she had spent enough time with Mahler to understand this greeting after some time, she was indeed familiar with it and she smiled as she saw him. Her calm demeanor didn't change when she saw the other male either. He was a handsome young, but shy, man. He seemed to almost want to crumble up behind Mahler and disappear. She gave him a small smile to reassure him he had nothing to fear from her.
"Good morning Mahler. How pleasant to run into you both. Mr?" She looked at the other male, waiting for his name if he would give it. The funny thing about Hope was that she said every word as if she meant it (which she did), she had been searching for others and here they were! The spirits had lead them all here to meet one another, and she found that it must have some meaning for her to run into this new young man today. Was she to expect great things of him? She was sure of it. She offered him another warm smile.
"how does the day find you, frau hope?" She turned her attention back to Mahler, still with a warm smile, which rarely left her. "As wonderful as always Mahler."
"hope is a veritable vellspring of medical knowledge herself. ve have been speaking about midvifery." She chuckled as Mahler spoke of her knowledge and she offered an almost apologetic smile to the young man he spoke to. "Mahler flatters me. I do have some experience though. An old lady like myself can hardly live this long without gaining some sort of experience in life." She let out a small laugh to ease the tension in the youngest, but he seemed a hard shell to crack. She watched him with soft eyes.
The spirits must have chosen him, so he was special. To walk alongside the alpha and be in his training was also a remark om his extrodinarity. "I am sure this young man is very capable in other areas, in which I am not." She began walking closer to him, wondering why he felt the need to become so small and hide behind Mahler. But great heroes often started like this, did they not? Either too insecure or too secure in themselves. She knew then why the spirits had led them together.
"Young one, I sense great potential in you. I thin Mahler senses it too."
mr.
it felt so formal, so much more than he deserved. it made him feel...old. like his father. or really a father, not knowing his own.
Ålesund.
he offered to her soft and mild.
although it wasn't long before she peppered him in praise with mahler's agreement. he didn't know what to do. it made his heart clench and his gut twist. uncomfortable but thankful. maybe she was not an angry mother. maybe she was a kind mother. yet he had seen kind mothers become angry.
thank you...i hope i don't disappoint.
he didn't even know what he'd disappoint in, he did not have a clear cut goal. his only objective was to absorb knowledge from mahler, and apparently now hope.
mahler thankfully asked a medical question and although it did squick the young pinne out, he also felt compelled to listen and learn. absorb the knowledge so that he might be prepared one day.
"Ålesund." She almost wanted to repeat it back to ensure she got it right, but she was slowly figuring out that this man was socially scared. The complete opposite to Hope. She wanted to help, soothe him and tell him of the wonders of life and being alive, to being with others. But now was not the time. These were things he had to unravel on his own too.
Just like she had.
"thank you...i hope i don't disappoint." Once again she wanted to ensure him that no such thing was possible. Expectations were not the me met, they were merely aspirations. But once again she offered no words but a warm smile. Mahler also offered assurance to the young male and Hope nodded when he told her, that Ålesund had helped him in the pharmacy.
"frau hope, i vas interested to know if you could explain vhat to do for pelvic pain during labour," She sat down with a slow motion in her hind legs and looked at Mahler with a teasing expression. "Oh yes mating season is approaching, isn't it?" Hope had never discussed her past with Mahler, or anyone else for that matter. Whatever she was a mother or not was not obvious to anyone in the pack.
"I know raspberry leaves are a very common to use doing birth, to ease pain. But if you want to be let in on a secret." She leaned forward and looked again at Mahler with a teasing expression, not because she expected him to be made fun of, far from it. Rather because she found his interest endearing.
"The females can do wonderous things. Like giving birth. In my experience they can do certain ah - exercises with their pelvic, before birth approaches, that supposedly eases the pain. So I've heard." She leaned back and looked at Ålesund with a beam in her eyes. "Sometimes we also have to believe that nature will do go its cause. Pelvic pain is certainly unpleasant, especially for first time mothers. But after that it will become easier." Or so she hoped.
he thought he might...be ill. gravely ill. both of the older wolves discussed the...wonders of nature so freely. the older woman mentioned pelvic exercises and Ålesund was positive his head had exploded on his shoulders — or maybe he had just wished it would.
he didn't wish to think about any of that and in that moment he knew very very deeply that midwifery would never be for him — not by choice, at least.
mahler lightened the load. slightly. discussed puppies still with the implication there would be more but the young healer opted to focus on the talk of medicine.
pup cough?