Thistle’s pregnancy was progressing Ragnar watched with equal mixtures of fascination and pride as her sides grew rounder what seemed to be each day. With each sigh of discomfort that left his young wife’s lips Ragnar felt the anticipation for something bad to happen rush and slam against his chest like someone had their teeth wrapped around his heart and lungs. Not having any other pregnancy experience to go off of aside from Dagmar’s which had gone so wrong left Ragnar seeing doom signs in small, normal signs. Despite this he did not fuss needlessly over Thistle, trusting for her to listen to her body and to tell him if something felt wrong. Or, he recalled, maybe she wouldn’t after hearing that he had blamed Dagmar for his miscarriage and then promptly shipped her off to the neighboring pack’s Alpha who had had his eye on her for a while. Ragnar cared for Thistle - not just the babes growing within her womb - there was a major difference between the two girls’ marriage to him. Regardless, he hunted for three now (giving two hares to her since she was feeding more than just herself) before he went about his patrols.

It was during this usual patrol that a call rose up, breaking Ragnar free of this thoughts. The Viking warden wasted no time moving towards the origins of the call, slowing when he came upon the ebony cloaked woman at their borders. Icy, Caribbean blue eyes assessed her once as his leathery, black nostrils widened as he inhaled her scent. It was a scent he knew only because it was very similar to the scent laced with Crete’s musk that had clung to Thistle’s fur after their coupling fresh into her season. The Plateau. Ragnar found her presence here curious and wondered, perhaps with a sneaking suspicion if this was about their Crete. “What can I do for you?” Ragnar greeted her lowering his head as a sign of respect because he was not sure what their standings were with the Plateau but they were neighbors, nevertheless. Ragnar had never been one for alliances but he respected his immediate neighbors. The far off ones that they targeted come raiding season: were a different story, of course.

He was not, initially, there to make judgments based upon the Plateau’s delegate random and rather sudden appearance at Horizon Ridge’s borders, and yet judgments and assumptions were being made, regardless. What else would cause her to be there if not for the secret and unlawful tryst between Thistle and the Plateau’s Crete. His name was still thought with razor edged spite that still caused envy to rear it’s ugly head within Ragnar’s chest though he tried not to think about it. Yet, the Viking could not help it. Thistle and his mateship was not founded on love, and the savage was left wondering if she was thinking about him - her one night lover when she was silent, her eyes distant. Perhaps she wasn’t, but there was always the chance that she was and that bothered Ragnar more than he cared to admit. The ebony Plateau wolf returned his greeting and the Warden was silent and stoic as she introduced herself and got straight - a quality he admired - to the point of her visit.

And like a viper that finally rose and struck out at him there it appeared. It. His name. Crete. Tail flicked errantly behind his hind haunches in controlled irritation. There was no part of Ragnar that felt any measurable sort of relief that his suspicions were proven correct. However, it seemed like such a long ago thing - why was the Plateau only now sending out a envoy on the Crete’s behalf? “I have never seen him, no,” Ragnar told Blue Willow giving her a heavy lidded look as he sighed. “But I have heard of him.” He admitted shortly after his sigh, wondering if it was wise to share with her what he planned to do to Crete if the ex-Plateau wolf ever showed up at their borders. “I know of him because he slept with my wife during her heat season.” Of course, Thistle hadn’t been his wife at that time - in all reality he wouldn’t have even considered them friends at that point but that didn’t matter anyway. Thistle was Ragnar’s wife now and that was what truly mattered. “She may be pregnant by him, or by me. It is impossible to know.” Ragnar admitted figuring she had a right to know that Thistle wasn’t the only guilty one in that whole thing. It took two to procreate. “Even if the babes are his, if he comes back to you, he is not welcome to see them, or her and you can tell him that if he has a problem with it he can come see me personally.” Nevermind that if that were to happen Ragnar would slaughter the mute.

Again, that was not something Blue Willow needed to know. Ragnar’s discontent was not with her - nor her pack - just Crete.

The ebony female let out a sharp intake of breath of what Ragnar assumed to be surprise at the Viking’s words. Granted, they were not precisely true and perhaps it was wrong of him to stretch the truth such as he had but he wanted to smudge Crete’s name because he did not want to see the Plateau male get off scotch free even though Thistle had not been Ragnar’s mate at the time and that it had been consented on both sides. Why should Thistle and the babes bear all of the punishment while Crete got off on a Get Out Of Jail Free pass because he appeared to have vanished off the face of the earth. In the truth of things, Ragnar doubted Pump or any of the Ridge’s members cared either way in regards to what happened to Crete and in a way Ragnar himself did not care but he wanted some kind of vengeance even if it was out of nothing but his own jealousy and spite that Crete had claimed Thistle before Ragnar had staked his own claim. Of course, unlike her mute one night lover Ragnar had every intention of staying with Thistle but that was his gain and Crete’s loss. “He should not have came near her. It was her first season, her first time experiencing it.” If Crete hadn’t…it could have very well been Ragnar’s seed that had taken. It didn’t matter to the Viking - the babes were his even if they could not claim biological blood. Family was family and Ragnar planned to be the only father they knew.

“She is handling her pregnancy well,” Ragnar spoke in response to the Plateau woman’s well wishes. “With all due respect I intend to be the only father they know of,” It was his right - as she had stated - and he would love them endlessly. “But to show that I hold nothing against the Plateau or his family I will make a trip to the Plateau to let them know of the possibility,” While Blue Willow seemed hesitant, Ragnar did not share in her trepidation. He would have no issue with going to Crete’s family and telling them what had transpired and that his children may be blood related to them, though the Viking had yet to know if he intended to let them around the babes or not - besides that was only as good as if Pump approved of it given the finality and non negotiable dictations their hybrid leader had set down upon the babes. “Is there anyone in particular I should call for when I make that trip?” He inquired of her next.

Watching the Plateau woman’s expressions dance across her face, muted anger, irritation and maybe even disbelief was a small satisfaction to the Viking as he saw how his words ruined the saintly mute fool from the Plateau. Part of Ragnar’s desire for revenge and vengeance on Thistle’s behalf was his jealousy but also because the more he thought about it the more he came to realize that while Crete had not taken Thistle without her consent he had taken advantage of her and then bailed knowing that babes would be the outcome of it unless one of them were infertile which did not seem to be the case. “I don’t want this to cause any trouble between our packs, my vendetta with your Crete is only personal and does not extend to anyone else. I am not sure where the Ridge and the Plateau stand,” There hadn’t been much time to talk about it with Pump and even then Ragnar wasn’t sure she knew. Perhaps his visit to the Plateau would be better if made with their Alpha Male (who also doubled as Crete’s brother, nicely). Of course, Ragnar was in no position to offer an alliance or even a friendship for he was not a leader of the Ridge but as the closest neighbors they should be made aware of the events that had recently transpired.

“I do not know that I wish to drag Thistle into that if she may face scrutiny from them. Even though from what I know it was consented on both sides he still took advantage of her. She was confident that it would not even result in pups and denied it up until the obvious signs showed. She is young,” Younger than his three going on four years, and perhaps, not as educated as Ragnar had first assumed she had been upon their first meeting. “Without her I guess I have no proof of my claim but it is not something I would lie about,” The Viking murmured in a softened, thoughtful tone. “You claim that they may not listen yet, you take my words for the truth that they are without a question. Why is that?” Because if she knew something that would be beneficial to him for that visit it was worth it to know.

Ragnar never often considered the experience or in Thistle’s case her lack of when it came to his mates because he had no true preference as to if they had known another man intimately or not. Except in this situation, given his rapidly growing affection for his fawn colored shield maiden (and his fear of therefore) he almost wished that he could claim that he was her first. However, he could not and there was no way to ever erase Crete’s initial claim though Ragnar was determined to try. To erase it from her body and her mind because her mute lover was never going to come back to her, did not deserve too even if Ragnar had to see to it himself. The Plateau male’s life meant nothing to him and would only prove to be a rather good sacrifice should Crete ever have returned. “Many things have changed that I believe you as our closest neighbors should be aware of, the past is a distant one now,” Rather told the Plateau female elusively, figuring if she wished to know more she could either be present at that meeting or inquire upon it further in private with him.

“I see,” Ragnar drew thoughtfully when Blue Willow revised her wording. No doubt this situation would be needed to handle with delicacy and Ragnar was suddenly grateful for his time as Jarl, allowing him to know diplomacy though it had been a while since he had found the need to use it. He had never been perfectly diplomatic, of course, for there was nothing overly diplomatic about catching a pack off guard by raiding it while they were least expecting it. It was something Ragnar would have gladly done if Pump were to allow him and a team too but the Ridge was too small and he could not do it alone, though he had the intentions of teaching his and Thistle’s sons to raid when they reached the appropriate age. Ragnar gave a pregnant pause for a moment as he considered his options, before he spoke to her again, “Would you mind waiting at the edge of Ravensblood Forest,” He gestured with his muzzle, “For me? I would accompany you home …but I must speak with my wife first. If she will not go with me, would you mind staying to verify my words in case they are not believed?” Ragnar understood it was a lot to ask the Plateau woman, especially since she had strictly told him she did not want to be the messenger but he did not want to go without some kind of proof be it Thistle (whom he dearly hoped would refuse his offer but somehow he doubted it) or Blue Willow’s testimony. "Of course your presence would be welcomed even if she does come. They might still not believe it even if they see her." Yet, there was a chance Blue Willow might be able to convince them that his words were true if they didn't believe initially.

Ragnar was not very big on alliances, had never been very accepting of the idea that other wolf packs seemed to cling too like a small, frightened child clinging to it’s parents’ leg. It was stupid to form an alliance with a pack only to know that in a few months time you were going to be intruding upon their land, slaughtering and taking hostage their wolves in a raid. Her lack of knowledge given the disappearance of the boy king whose name Ragnar no longer remembered, the ascension of Pump, and the landslide did not exactly surprise Ragnar given that no one had really been out of Horizon Ridge since then and even so they had not sought to spread the news. “Many things have changed,” Ragnar confirmed quietly, reluctant to share more unknowing that he was speaking to the Plateau’s Beta Female (Tokio is not sure if she was Beta at the time of this thread or not). “I will explain later if you wish to know.” The Viking promised her.

It would be a promise he intended to keep, however, he needed to seek out Thistle, now. She, at least, needed to know where he was going and why and he suspected that she would likely wish to tag along though he was going to try to talk her out of it. “I will meet you before the sun sets, this should not take me too long.” He was entirely confident as he said that but setting a time constraint would make him less likely to give into his wife if she should convince him otherwise. With those words, Ragnar turned back and headed into the heart of the Ridge.