It had been hours since her encounter with Arion, making it midday with a recapitulation of light rain. The warrior was fatigued by their spar; the male had proved a decent fighter, and his agility matched with Falwasi's own caused some moments of ho-hum.
She had reached a field contouring with the likings of rock and bordered by a small mountain, and though the area was much more encompassed, the feeling of tall grass brushing her lightened undersides reminded Falwasi of her times in Wapun Meadow. She reminisced for a moment, imagining the butterfly fluttering around her and tickling her muzzle, but as she looked around there were none in sight. The current conditions were not correct for species of the kind — they would drown whilst the wolves would breathe.
Falwasi strolled as if walking on air despite her recent activity through the plain before slumping casually into the grass, her body submerged but sheltered below the wild barley. Her golden orbs remained open as she looked through the meadow's floor, unprinted with the lettering of ownership.
It was rare these days that the Alpha of the Peak would stray from his borders, but the day had enticed him to do just that. Bazi was due within the next few weeks, and come the time when the puppies were born, his chance to explore the neighboring territories would be far less frequent than now.
So he had set off -- and as he passed the forest, the wind told him of a familiar wolf who had come this way not too long ago. Loping quicker now, Scimitar followed after Falwasi's scent, hoping to catch her. He had not seen much of her as of late, and it unsettled him.
He came upon the she-wolf further than he had expected to. She stretched leisurely upon the grass, and as his own creamy paws broke the silence as they swished through the green blades as well, his bright eyes remained captivated upon her, a rugged grin playing at the corner of his lips. "Had to slip away from Nova Peak for some peace and quiet too?"
With a few passive blinks she could see and percieve the steady thump of large cream paws approaching her, breaking the silence of the meadow. Falwasi made no upright movement, but instead wagged her tail gently as she closed her eyes for a moment, awaiting the burly male.
Seconds later Falwasi could feel the presence of the male as his body cast a shadow across her own lithe one. "Had to slip away from Nova Peak for some peace and quiet too?" Even though she couldn't see him, she returned his grin, her own growing at the corners of her mouth. "I'm not that much of a brooder," she replied with a smile in her voice. She finally opened her eyes and studied him silently.
The Blackfeather Woods battle had cost him. A long scar ran across his chest like a horse's martingale, and part of his ear was missing, leaving a jagged edge from where the white male had torn his flesh from. Falwasi did well not to linger over this area — she didn't want him to know she was looking. She didn't feel joy or pride when a wolf looked at her scar, and she couldn't imagine Scimitar did either.
Falwasi then sat up and shook her pelt to free the small water droplets and loose grass. She looked at her Alpha, this time without sarcasm. "You won't have much time for this when your kids are around."
It was hard to miss the key points her gaze landed on, even if for only a stolen moment. He had become accustom to this – his ear was now the attention grabber of any wolf, given its state. Perhaps, had he left a similar token upon the ivory Beta, he would have felt less irked by it.. as it stood, Scimitar’s vendetta with Blackfeather Woods had only been pushed to the backburner for now, pending the birth of his pups.
“No doubt,” he nodded, sidling up to her side, but remaining a certain distance from her. His eyes swept past her to look at the land around them. Their world would entirely change, and he felt a surge of apprehension on the matter. What if he wasn’t cut out to be a father?
“The size Bazi is now, I’d say there’s more than enough of them in there to keep us all busy,” he mused dryly. There was a pause before he canted his muzzle toward her, casting her a sideways glance. "Don't tell her I said that."
The cinnamon male joined her side and looked around the area. Falwasi's eyes trained on him as he did this; he didn't appear to be uncomforted by the possibility of change, but was that really how he felt? He cast a sideways glance, meeting Falwasi's gaze. "Don't tell her I said that." The chamoisee wolf looked at him and said with mock seriousness, "Don't dwell on it."
Falwasi took her turn to observe their surroundings, allowing a sigh to escape her as she did so. Seconds ticked by, but her thoughts were empty. Children weren't her area of expertise, and quite frankly she didn't think her Alpha should be drunken with pre-natal prep. "Arion's a good warrior," she said, reminded by the slight bruising on her side. Maybe she should have given him a more challenging defeat.
Her thoughts — now stirring — brought her back to her spar with Scimitar. Falwasi couldn't help but smile inwardly as she reminisced; she'd knocked him out with her last ploy.
Casting his friend a mock irate look, the regal shrugged his shoulders then, stealing the moment to stretch his large form down across from her, a respectful distance, but one that clearly indicated the two were mid-conversation. His eyes swept about him, studying the lands. It was refreshing to be in a place where bad memories were linked to – the freedom of it was something he could only hope to cling on to.
Falwasi brought up one of their newer members, though, and he blinked. Recalling that Arion was the darker wolf he had accepted not long ago, his eyes drifted to study the she-wolf before him, suppressing a small grin as his mouth shaped to a ‘serious’ line. “Did you goat kick him yet?” He recalled getting a rather swift kick to his own head once from her – the action something he had never seen before.. and one that had knocked him completely out.
The large male took Falwasi's place in the wild grass, his movement eliciting that of her own. Following suit — somewhat, at least — the tawny girl sat down, casting another glance at her surroundings. This time it was different; it was occupied with the sound of their voices, but calmed by the presence of companionship.
She scoffed at his question with a small smile, "I wish," she said, letting her thoughts roam for a few seconds as she decided on her opinion of the swarthy male. The slight vibes he projected, although not dangerous ones, did not mingle with Falwasi's conservative ones. "He seems like a dick," she admitted, before looking at Scimitar with light-hearted earnest.
"You're not wrong," he offered, though gave a small shrug. Arion had potential -- but if he could not utilize it properly than Nova peak would not prove to be a home to him.. whether by his own accord, or the wolves within its helm. "But we've had plenty of those before.. They never seem to last," he noted, a small grin teasing on his lips. There had been plenty in the past -- Shadow, Cadfael, Star.. There had been others, but as time passed, their names drifted from his mind.
Neither Scimitar nor Bazi held any issue with banishing a member from their lands. If they proved to be too problematic and without any form of benefit or use to the pack.. then they held little ground to stay. Yet with their ranks lower now, and puppies on the way, it was harder to make decisions such as this.. and thus, some of them crept through their forged bonds to eat and sleep amongst them.