Redtail Rise you did not order invisible pie, you hate invisible pie

Referencing Saena's old densite behind the waterfall! Making the assumption they were accepted and ranked without issue.

In the days following the merge between Ursus and Redtail Rise, Aventus spent a lot of his time hunting. Despite feeling like this was the right choice, he continued to grapple with a lack of direction. It wasn't that he feared the wrath of the bear spirit the way his mate did. Avicus was living proof that the whole thing was an elaborate madman's scheme. Aves felt lighter than he ever had, but he did not know how to live his own life.

@Arielle became his key motivator. He hunted long hours for her, exercising skills and patience he had rarely utilized in the valley. It was frustrating how often he failed, but it gave him an outlet that kept him from spiraling. He brought his occasional kills back and did what he could to provide for her, making up for the time he wasted moping in the valley. It would never be enough to excuse how poorly he had treated her, but it was a starting point.

He was following the trail of a muskrat when he was drawn by curiosity into a spacious cavern behind a small waterfall. There were signs that someone had lived here once, a very long time ago. He had been thinking earlier of Mosskeep and how Arielle must be missing it, and considering ways he might be able to bring her medicines back to the Rise for her. This was no Mosskeep, but it might be similar enough to make her smile.

Aventus lowered his head and sniffed around the perimeter and in the darkest corners, ensuring there were no venomous creatures hiding there, then loped out from under the falls and retraced his steps up the mountain to where he had last seen his mate.

It was difficult to dwell on the immense guilt she felt over abandoning the bear when she could see such a vast difference in Aves' mood. He had been hunting and bringing her food, which she appreciated now more than ever; she had very little energy most days. His coat was no longer matted and dirty like it had been back in Ursus towards the end. He seemed happy, and that was why she had done this. The guilt was still there, under the surface, along with the fear that she would be made to pay for what she had done—the fear particularly liked to plague her at night when she tried to sleep; it often tainted her dreams so that she couldn't forget it even then. She had kept this from her mate because she didn't want to give him a reason to be upset. Not now that he seemed so much better. 

He would find her in the shade, waiting for her herbs to kick in and soothe the churning in her stomach. She had found a cool place in the rocks, and she closed her eyes to try and ride out the nausea. 

Arielle heard her mate's approach and slowly opened her eyes, a tender smile curving her lips when he was closer. Hey, she greeted softly. She would sit up then and wait for him to greet her in return, reaching up to kiss his cheek if he came close enough.

Aventus ducked into the shadows, only realizing the sun had already dried his fur when he felt the heat abate. Seeing Arielle lying there, he felt a little poorly for intending to rouse her, but she lifted her muzzle and greeted him. Not asleep, then. He was surprised. Arielle seemed to be asleep more than she was awake lately, to his unobservant eye.

Hello, he said, resisting the temptation to flop down in the shade and nap with her. He placed a swift kiss on the side of her muzzle and tried not to glance at her swollen flanks. It was easier to treat her the way he had before when he wasn't busy thinking about how their lives would soon be turned upside down.

I have something to show you, if you're up for a walk, he rumbled quietly, knowing he should be saying something more substantial about what a horrible mate he had been lately, but still unable to coax the words onto his tongue.

He had something to show her. Surprise briefly lit her expression. She slowly got to her feet, ignoring the dull ache in her lower back; it had started a day or so ago and was almost constant. A walk sounds nice, she told him. 

She wondered what he had to show her. A dull spark of excitement flashed in her stomach. Arielle liked the attention he was giving her now; it made things more bearable. She smiled a little. Lead the way, she told him. Then she would start to walk beside him whenever he moved, keeping close so their sides touched because she missed the closeness.

He felt his brows crease a little at the sluggish way Arielle stood; was she even physically fit for a walk? Then he thought of Avicus, attending them at the borders a day before giving birth, and knew his mate was strong enough for this. She was as strong as his sister when she wanted to be. If he had to place a bet, he would wager she was stronger still.

He ducked to bump his muzzle encouragingly under her chin, then began a slow pace back to the waterfall. He led Arielle on the easiest paths, detouring here and there when he thought the going was too rough. Thankfully, this side of the mountain was awash in shade this time of day, so the heat wasn't so oppressive.

When the nearby roar of water announced the waterfall was just around the bend, Aventus paused. I thought you would miss Mosskeep, so I looked for a similar place. It'll never be the same, but I hope you like it. He stood aside so she could go ahead and see the cave hidden behind the water.

She was thankful that their walk was slow and the terrain was easy. She would have tried to go wherever he led, easy or not, but it seemed she would catch a break today. That or her mate was careful to take them on a route that she could walk. Either way, her mood was a little better now. 

She also appreciated the ample shade on their path. The sun only made her nausea worse for some reason. It wasn't long before she heard the sound of rushing water. She was instantly curious, and she followed eagerly as they got closer to the sound. Then Aves paused and she stopped with him. She looked up at him, her expression slowly changing from confusion to surprise as he spoke. He had been looking for a place that might be like mosskeep. It might never be the same, as he pointed out, but she didn't care; it was enough that he had done this for her. Thank you, she said softly, nuzzling his jaw. 

She moved forward carefully, going around the curve in the path until she was standing in front of a waterfall, her eyes drawn to the opening of a cave just behind it. She walked inside and looked around. It had likely been a den at one point, but it had clearly been vacant for some time. It was much cooler in the cavern, which was a relief. She was most excited about the proximity of the waterfall; it meant remaking all of her tinctures would be easier. 

After taking in the whole cave, Arielle turned to her mate, assuming he had followed her inside. If not, she would walk back outside to him. I love it, she told him. It's perfect. She kissed his cheek, a grin finding its way to her face for the first time in a while.

Aventus followed on ginger paws, as though the sound of his claws clicking and scraping on the stone would detract from the cavern's appeal. He stopped just inside the entrance where spray gathered, glittering, on the ends of his fur. His gaze followed the dark form of his mate in the gloom and met her eyes when she turned back.

I'm glad, he rumbled in response, accepting her kiss with some turmoil. On the one hand, he wanted to lean into it and seek her comfort, and on the other, he knew he did not deserve it and recoiled from his own selfishness. His eyes drifted unconsciously to her flanks, drawn there by that same feeling. She had been left so alone with her suffering.

It might not be suitable for... For children, he said with a quiet clearing of his throat. But maybe after, it could serve as a place of healing. Or... A home, if you prefer.

She didn't miss the way his eyes traveled to her rounded sides. They never talked about it, yet the pregnancy continued to progress; the children continued to grow within her, and soon there would be no ignoring the reality of their situation. For now, though, she didn't want to bring it up; she just wanted to spend time with Aves without any of the usual despair that seemed to follow them wherever they went. 

To her surprise, he was the one to bring up the children, though she could see the discomfort he felt talking about them. Probably not, she agreed. It looked a bit dangerous for small pups. But I think it would be a good place for a new healing den. She would be able to replace most of what she had to leave in the valley. A home would be nice too, eventually. She wanted desperately to feel like somewhere here was home. Right now, she felt like an intruder, about to add more mouths to feed to a pack that knew nothing about her. She worried what that would mean for the safety of the pups. Hopefully the fact that they were related to Avicus would award them some protection. 

Your sister had her children, Arielle said after a moment. Have you met them yet? She had wanted to check on her when she heard the news, but Avicus didn't know her, and she didn't want to upset the new mother. Plus, she knew Ashlar was most likely taking care of things from the healing end. It was still difficult being a healer here, where no one trusted her. She hoped they would all come around with time.

I will look for a suitable place, he promised her, letting his silver eyes linger tenderly on her sulphur yellow and swallowing back the guilt that begged him to look away. Eventually he did tear his eyes downward and wet his lips in a rare show of nervous energy. Suppose she never felt at home here?

Truth be told, Aventus didn't know if he could come to call the rise home, either. He felt awkward and cowed in his sister's presence. It was difficult to let go of distrust. He worried what would become of Arielle and the pups she carried if Avicus was merely biding her time, waiting for an opportunity to plunge the dagger in his back.

He could not allow himself to entertain such thoughts — this was the only hope he had left — but mention of his sister's children inevitably brought them to the forefront. He frowned. Avicus and I did not have the best relationship growing up. I do not want to test the bounds of her hospitality by approaching so soon. They were his nieces and nephews, but he had no right to see them. He barely had the right to see his own offspring when they were born.

Perhaps you will accompany me to visit, when the time is right?

Arielle smiled. She was glad that he was so invested in finding a home for them. If she hadn't been so intently focused on his expression at that moment, she might have missed the nervous way his tongue swiped across his lips. She wanted to ask what was on his mind, but things were so nice and light, and she didn't want to make him feel worse about whatever was bothering him. Thank you, she told him, tentatively touching her nose to his cheek. 

Aves did express his worry over testing his precarious relationship with his sister by visiting her pups too soon. Maybe that was what his worry was over. She could definitely understand, given they needed some sort of safety with her being so close to having their own children. Her mystery of a husband never divulged much about his past, so she was surprised to hear that he and his sister didn't have a good relationship when they were younger. Maybe when they are older, she won't mind you seeing them, Arielle offered. She wanted to ask about his history with his sister, but again, she didn't want to put a damper on the mood. 

When he asked her if she would join him, her expression lit up. Yes, I would love to, she told him. 

But she couldn't push away the questions about his sister and they finally bubbled up. You said you and your sister didn't have the best relationship growing up, she started a bit hesitantly. What happened? Arielle looked to him with concern as she waited for his answer.

Yes, he thought. Eventually, he should be able to visit his nieces and nephews. He had placed his trust in Avicus by bringing Arielle here — he tried not to think much about the others, none of whom remained — but it was a tentative trust. He suspected his sister's trust in him was similar. Surely neither of them wished to test the volatility of the situation by approaching the other's pups too early.

They were all pack, though. There would come a time where they would all have to meet, and hopefully get along.

He was pulled from his thoughts by Arielle's question. Had she not been around for the challenge? He couldn't recall; he had been injured the first time he met Arielle, but perhaps she had arrived in the days following. We were a team once, but we had a misunderstanding. I believed she wanted me dead after Nyra's attack, and our relationship splintered. She did not take kindly to Merrick elevating me. She challenged me and we fought. I won. She left. I do not know if I would be alive today if I had lost.

It felt like a hundred years ago, and it felt like it had happened just this morning at the same time. When our mother was killed, we reconciled, but these things take time. I do not believe Avicus means any harm for me or you or... them... I would not bring you here otherwise. But I do not want to put a foot wrong by becoming too familiar too soon.

There would be time for meeting later, for feeling out his relationship with Avicus, and hopefully, for growing into an integral part of the Rise. Now he asked after Arielle's siblings and her relationship with them, unwittingly planting the seed that would blossom into her desire to search for Lilitu once their cubs were born and independent enough for her to leave for a time.