Thunder rumbled in the distance, dark clouds gathering over the ocean as the wind began to pick up. It whipped Caracal’s and
@Heda’s napes every which way, at least until they came closer to the plateau. The great shelf of rock cut the blustery breeze.
He remembered
@Rodyn’s and Samani’s scents from his brief tour here a couple months ago. He smiled, glad they were still here. He glanced at Heda, his single sighted eye catching hers.
The views up there are pretty spectacular. We could probably get a really good seat if you want to watch the show,
he observed, motioning first at the plateau, then the moody sky beyond it.
A moment later, he tossed back his head and called for Mr Ardeth.
as her pregnancy expanded, their going became slower. heda was still pleased enough to travel, though she found she had to pause more, rest far often.
eventually they came to the edges of the plateau swept by seawind and her face broke into a beatific smile. "it's lovely!" heda called over the wind to caracal.
she pressed close, her gaze lifting to her husband's one-eyed gaze before she too waited for the call to be answered.
Heph heard the call for Rodyn, while she was loath to take over business that might have been his alone or eavesdrop where she was not wanted she also did not recognize the voices. If the caller was not of Moonspear or Moonglow she did not wish to keep them waiting. Cutting a quick and straight path in the direction from which the sound had come she set off at a brisk pace but still had to travel a ways through the territory. There was a pair of them rather than only one. "As you can see I'm not Rodyn, my name is Heph." She introduced herself, and considered the pair. "What brings two such lovely faces to Moontide? I may be able to be of service." Her voice was curious but friendly, they had called at their borders and did not seem poised for battle. While she was sure Rodyn would answer the call soon enough she found her interest already piqued.
Rather than Rodyn, a she-wolf came to greet them, swarthy features dashed through with silver. She introduced herself as Heph. She didn’t explain Rodyn’s absence, though she insisted she may be of service.
Hi, Heph, nice to meet you!
Caracal said, glancing up at her but keeping his eyes respectfully lowered. My name is Caracal and this is my wife, Heda. We come from Sweetharbor, on the island north of here. I met Rodyn here a couple months back, while he was setting up the pack. We wanted to stop by, say ‘hi’ and see how things are going here. And maybe check out the storm from the plateau…
He looked over at Heda, in case she had anything she wanted to add.
Rodyn arrived soon after and smiled as Heph introduced herself. Then he moved forward give his friend a kind smile.
Caracal! How do you do? It's nice to meet you Heda!
A small bow in her direction. He saw the small swelling of sides and though he was no expert and he wasn't certain he made a snap decision.
YOu wish to enjoy the storm. We will find you place on the plateau to watch and rest. And we won't bother you during your date.
A small smile. He would retrieve them some furs himself.
The way Heda's post was worded. I am guessing she would be noticeably pregnant, but I can edit that if i Misunderstood.
she's visible!
a handsome woman arrived, and heda smiled sweetly at her. "hello," she greeted, and then her eyes were soft on rodyn. the hospitality of the moontide wolves was swift, as it had been in moonglow.
"we were visiting all the sister packs, and then the others on the coast, before i'm landlocked for a while," heda joked, though excitement was mounting in her with each passing day for the event where she and caracal would become parents.
Heph greeted Rodyn with a smile, glad to see him and also curious how he knew the pair. If they wished to see the storm then the highest point would offer the best vista although it would leave them exposed to much of the wind and rain as it rolled in. Nodding her head along with Rodyn's word she indicated her assent. The prospect of going so near the storm sounded exciting, but she was curious about where they were from. "Where are you from if you don't mind my asking?" It seemed as if being landlocked would not be as much of a problem if they were from the mainland as travel might be limited but one would tire themselves before running out of land if they travelled south from where they were.
When he glanced back toward Heph, he saw that Rodyn had come. Caracal’s tail broke into a wag, feathering Heda’s haunch on every other pass. It slowed to stillness at Rodyn’s remark about a date.
Oh, no! That’s really not necessary. We came to see you, the storm is just a bonus. I would rather you join us,
Caracal insisted. How are you doing? How’s Samani?
he asked in the next breath.
Heph asked a question. Caracal had mentioned the island, though it wasn’t difficult to lose track of a conversation that went four ways. He smiled at his wife, letting her speak of her beloved Sweetharbor.
Rodyn chuckled nodded. Alright then.
He was glad to see the male himself and his beautiful bride. He was happy for him. There was a sadness to his heart though, for he missed his own Peachy bride.
I've been alright. Learning to lead is all.
A small sadness lingered in Rodyn's eyes but he dipped his head. Samani has returned to Moonglow for a time. Her mother needed her, and how could I ask her to stay when her mother is in need of her time. She is doing well and I visit her as often as I can.
Mmm yes please please tell us about your home. As we walk yes?
He motioned for them to join them, deliberately setting a slow pace for the mother to be.
"sweetharbor, off the coast," heda said, pointing. "a few have come and gone. we're not truly formal, but we hope to be." and she smiled toward rodyn, nodding along with her mate's insistence that they had come for a visit.
"we've been to moonspear and moonglow, and now we're here in moontide. we've been traveling, but there's no place like home, oh! sweetharbor is so beautiful, it's quiet but filled with flowers and tide-pools, high hills, little caves, and even a gigantic turtle named psalm."
she sighed a little as they walked, thinking of it.
Heph grinned at the description. While she had not met many turtles and was not sure of her opinion of them the nooks and crannies sounded like a great place to explore and plenty of hills also meant plenty of vantage points. Besides if it was an island it would be a good chance to test her swimming skills and see if she could properly make the journey. "It sounds amazing." She could hear the approaching storm, sense it in the distance, but they would reach the vista with enough time to spare.
Her voice was friendly and open as she offered, not attempting to push but wishing to float the possibility. "If you're open to visitors I'd be happy to visit and lend you an extra set of fangs for a hunt." While she was not sure what kind of game they preferred she trusted in her skills and thought that she would at least have something to offer if they were amenable to company.
It caught him off guard when Rodyn said Samani wasn’t even living here with him. Her mother needed her, evidently, but that begged the question: why hadn’t Rodyn gone with her? Caracal wasn’t sure if it was too pointed a question to ask, though he couldn’t imagine ever parting ways with his spouse, not even for Towhee (sorry, mom).
Heda regaled Rodyn and Heph with a description of Sweetharbor. It made Caracal miss it all the more. He was enjoying their “last hoorah” before they became parents, though a huge part of him was so ready to settle down and raise his family on their little island.
I’d love visitors,
Caracal chimed in right as a thunderclap grumbled overhead, prompting a cry of, Oh, boy!
He glanced upward just to get a cold raindrop right to his bad eye. He blinked, though it was a wash as the heavens suddenly opened up with a downpour that could only be described as torrential.
Honestly it would have been Rodyn's first choice to go with Samani, but she had bade him stay. Raise up their claim. Make allies, make friends and build their home so she had a place to come back too.
Rodyn laughed at the rain and motioned for them to follow. Come quickly there's a den nearby.
"i would love that, heph," heda said with true gratitude, before she squealed and side-stepped into caracal. the rain was coming; her eyes were delighted.
she would happily move after rodyn, grinning between caracal and heph, glancing up at the sky. "storms on the island are much different than on the mainland, but the sea is eternal, isn't it?" she sighed, looking in love at the dark expanse and its holy mystery.
Heph grinned through the rain, letting it spatter against her muzzle and the ruff of her pelt. While it distorted her vision her coat kept her feeling warm and she let the wind wash over her like a wave. The water and wind both seemed roused by the storm and the ocean itself. It made her feel alive in the shifting eddies of water and air across the earth.
"Time and space it does stretch on." She followed Rodyn, content to reach shelter but in no hurry and letting the rest of the party set the pace. Both sounded friendly and amenable to visitors, both things she would be grateful of and she determined to see if she could visit sometime, perhaps after Marina's pups were born and well settled.
sorry for the wait! I'm graduating this week and have a bunch of family/school stuff so feel free to skip Heph :D
It was difficult to hear anyone over the downpour, though what was really challenging was seeing with only one eye. Caracal screwed his mostly blind one shut to help his focus, though it was still kind of a crapshoot. He thought he heard Rodyn yell something about a den. He felt Heda press against him. He smiled, despite it all.
They eventually managed to duck out of the onslaught beneath shelter of some kind, leaving the four of them dripping wet as the storm really picked up strength outside. Caracal resisted the urge to shake out his pelt, though he did turn and begin licking the worst of the moisture from Heda’s. He nudged her, coaxing her to take a seat and get comfortable.
It kind of felt like a double date as Caracal settled down beside his mate, though he knew Heph was merely Rodyn’s compatriot. He glanced over at them with a smile, water still dripping from the bristly fur on his chin, and then focused on the rush of rain billowing over the choppy sea.
Cocooned with Heda and the others, the tempest’s dull roar put Caracal into a sort of trance. Without being aware of it, his eyelids grew heavy and drifted shut, his wet cheek coming to rest on top of his wife’s head as he dozed.
Honestly a nap seemed just fine. And he'd offer that to anyone else. As he'd curl and doze himself. While the rain pattered calming on them.
i'm cool to wrap this! we'll say last for me here <3
it did feel a lot like a double date, which added to the charm of the cascading storm.
and it truly was fierce, a rushing of water and wind outside that bent the grasses and battered the edges of the plateau.
caracal grew soft, and heda soft against him, twining her limbs with his. her own eyes remained upon the storm, the beginnings of a hymn taking form in her heart as she thought of god's eternal and powerful love.