Dragoncrest Cliffs Are we a thing?

Wildfire didn't have the energy for this. She could hardly rise onto all fours because she had become a planet. But, after so carefully choosing and falling in love with the redwood tree, her instincts suddenly commanded her to abandon it. Thur will be pleased, the Bandrona muttered in her head even as she dragged her bloated body out of the hollow tree. She heaved a huge sigh but didn't even bother looking back, instead obeying a sixth sense which pushed her in a familiar direction, toward the lake.

She arrived outside of Portia's chosen den and stuck her head inside only to discover it empty. "Dagnabbit son of a monkey spank—" Wildfire muttered, lowering her nose to the ground. But she didn't attempt to track the Fisa. No, she was searching for a serviceable den somewhere in the immediate vicinity. If there wasn't one, she would have to make one. Because her hormones and motherly instincts were abruptly demanding that she give birth as close to her sister wife as possible. Hell, they were clamoring for the she-wolves to share, though the Bandrona knew they would need some space to call their own.

A log wouldn't usually make for a good den, yet when Wildfire found a downed sequoia within a dozen yards of the burrow, she thrust her head into the opening to discover a spacious but cozy interior. It was a smaller version of the Hyperion tree. The far end was closed off by soil and other debris but there were a few pinholes that let in a decent amount of light. The she-wolf blinked and licked her lips as her eyes adjusted to the gloom. It smelled damp and a little earthy but, otherwise, it was actually kind of perfect. It was pretty serendipitous that she would find something like it at this point in the game, so near to Portia's chosen den. It was almost like someone had magically put it there just for her to find today...

Well, she wouldn't question in it. Slowly, carefully and wearily, Wildfire lowered herself into a sphinx-like position in the entrance. She crossed her ankles and stared over at the mouth of Portia's den. She wanted to wait for the Fisa to return and inform the woman of her new neighbor. Instead, the Bandrona collapsed sideways and fell fast asleep on a bed of damp leaves and wood.

With a gift of grouse clutched tight between her jaws, Tirgatao made her way to the site of Portia's whelping den with the intention of finally apologizing, once and for all, for her behavior earlier in the season. She hadn't felt a good moment come about until now with the pups, the snow, and the drama surrounding Heda's fall—Drageda was a bit of a mess, and she didn't want to add to the expecting mother's stress with her own attempts at making amends. Tirgatao, admittedly, wasn't even sure if their feud was something the Fisa considered consequential, but she also hadn't seen much of her since the blizzard ended.

She brought along the fowl as additional means of professing her apologies and extending an olive branch. But as she neared the site, she noted Portia was no where to be found and neither was her mate, Dio. Tirgatao crept forward to sniff at the den, but found no recent traces of the woman. What she did discover was a trail leading away belonging to none other than the Bandrona, their other expecting mother, Heda's mate and Drageda's Ambassador, Wildfire. She perked her ears and her eyes followed the sweep of her nose to the nearby mountain of russet fur and bulging sides. 

A smile whisked across her lips behind the bundle of feathers and she strode over with her tail dangling between her hocks, and her ears splayed submissively. Unfortunately, Wildfire was sleeping. Tirgatao sighed and stooped to place the grouse near the slumbering she-wolf when an errant feather shot up one of her nostrils, causing her to sneeze violently. She snorted, stumbling backwards and swiping at her nose with her ankles caught up in a sneezing fit as her sinuses tried to clear the invasive object.

It wasn't long before she started sawing logs, a recent development that could only be blamed on the pressure all the pups were putting on her lungs (or something). Her mouth fell ajar, her tongue lolling out like a wet sponge, drool pooling gradually beneath her cheek. She didn't exactly look like the portrait of a glowing pregnancy then... and especially not when Tirgatao approached, sneezed and startled an explosive fart out of Wildfire.

She blinked rapidly, cheeks warming when she realized what—or, rather, who—had woken her and that the other she-wolf must have heard that extremely noisy flatulence. Wildfire cleared her throat, then gave a dry, sheepish chuckle before zeroing in on the grouse. Mindless to Tirgatao and her itchy sinuses, the Bandrona swept out a paw, pinning the dead fowl with it and dragging it possessively toward herself. She did give the woman a this is for me, right? look before digging in like a starving bush pig.

The feather persisted and Tirgatao could only collapse helplessly on her rump as she pawed furiously at her muzzle, practically punching herself in the face to dislodge the offending fluffy down that was now likely stuck fast to her sinuses. Wildfire startled awake but she could hardly see the young woman between the violent sneezes that pinched her eyes closed from the sheer force of it. But the fart that rocketed out of her ass was definitely audiable, and she burbled out a strangled giggle before a few more fits seized her.

Finally, with one great inhale, the feather shot out of her nose and landed in a pile of goop at her feet, damn near leaving a crater from the speed in which it exited. She looked entirely, and uncharacteristically, disheveled now and it was hopeless to even attempt any shred of decorum at this point. Tirgatao looked towards Wildfire, one ear splayed awkwardly and her head tilted at a slight angle, and watched the Bandrona tear into the grouse like some sort of wild animal.

Tirgatao flopped down onto her stomach and continued to sniffle a bit while she ecked out a light-hearted remark: "I'm sure Heda would be really impressed with us right now."

Like a fighter jet precedes its sound wave, so too did the sound of Wildfire's fart herald a cloud of stench so dank that the Bandrona immediately threw up into her mouth. She went a little bug-eyed, holding the chunky soup in her bulging cheeks, then swallowed. It tasted exactly like it had when she'd first swallowed it all of twenty seconds ago. She paused, then shrugged. As the gas cloud dissipated, she continued feeding, avoiding making eye contact with Tirgatao out of embarrassment over her own behavior (the gas and the noisy chowing).

Only when the Shouna spoke to her did Wildfire pause, lick her lips and glance up at her. "What Heda doesn't know won't hurt her," she deadpanned before smirking faintly and resuming her impromptu feast. She polished off the grouse within another two minutes, then settled back with a meaty belch. Well, she had quite effectively demolished the illusion of delicate femininity today.

The fart was expected (if not funny), but the smell nearly bowled Tirgatao over. It singed her nose-hairs, and forced her to shove the sensitive insturment into the crook of her ankle until it passed. Wildfire, too, seemed rather disgusted by the scent and looked rather sick from it. She hoped the she-wolf wouldn't spew all over the fresh kill, because she didn't quite trust her own stomach after that assault. Thankfully, Wildfire didn't appear keen on talking about it, so Tirgatao simply let it slide and lay there with the same crooked smile on her lips.

She usually employed a decent sense of decorum but, for some reason, she didn't feel the need here. Wildfire was bloated, gaseous, and starving and Tirgatao was simply enjoying the company (and the slightly selfish glee she felt at gifting the grouse to the Bandrona). Wildfire's comment caused her to snort, "Truth." she remarked factually and rolled unceremoniously onto her side, paws outstretched, and head resting on the slightly damp ground.

Soon enough, there was nothing left but feather, bone, and other unsavory bits. She cupped her untrapped ear towards Wildfire, "Better now?"

Tirgatao seemed entirely unbothered by the Bandrona's less-than-prim behavior. Wildfire threw her a grateful smile and an emphatic, "Yes, thank you. And sorry," she added for good measure, "for being so..." She paused, trying to think of the right word to describe herself right now. It was obvious when it hit her; her chestnut eyes danced and widened. "Beastly."

Mimicking her pack mate, Wildfire stretched out a little, partially in and out of the log. "These are my new digs," she announced. "Thur—Heda should be happy. She wasn't a fan of the redwood tree. Plus, I'm closer to Portia." She lazily lifted a paw to point a toe toward the empty fox burrow nearby. "Which is why I decided to pack it up and move this close to d-day. It'll be nice to be within easy reach of one another."

But enough about her. "How're things?" she asked through a sudden, wide yawn. No matter how much she slept—and she slept like she was getting paid for it, lately—Wildfire never seemed to be able to shake off her exhaustion these days.

Tirgatao grinned at Wildfire's definition of whatever just transpired between them, and lifted her paw to wave away any doubts. She was used to it. Most of the wolves in Seageda often lacked the refinement of the Teekon natives. In fact, it was a welcome sight to see Wildfire so lax about manners. It allowed some breathing room when it came to conversation, and helped smooth over Tirgatao's anxieties about forming bonds with Heda's Hedonakru. She desired the security they brought, of course, but most of all she simply wanted lasting friendships. And if Thuringwethil put her faith in them, Tirgatao saw no reason not to do the same.

She rolled her front half to rest on her elbows and took a good look at the newly christened den, eyes bright with interest. "Indeed," she remarked with a casual tilt of her head as her muzzle lowered to point at Wildfire's half-smushed face as she addressed the heavily pregnant woman. "It's a nice place. Good choice." The advisor said with a warm smile and a thump of her otherwise limp tail.

Of course the conversation naturally turned on her, and Tirgatao felt a bit of a shiver threaten to escape her anxious heart. But, really: "I'm doing alright. Heda had me worried for a while, and I honestly spent too much time mentally flagellating myself for what happened even though it was a freak accident." She admitted with a nervous smile. "But she's healing, and you haven't killed me yet, so I think everything's alright?" Tirgatao often worried, but with how relaxed she felt so near Wildfire right now, it didn't suggest she was searching for any hidden hurts. Just being honest, as was her way.

"Sorry," she mumbled as the yawn abated, feeling rude all over again. She shook her head and blinked, trying to coax her brain away from the verge of sleep mode. Tirgatao's response to her question did a good job of rousing her a bit. Wildfire recollected how she'd looked at the woman that day, when she'd delivered a decidedly unwell Thuringwethil to Drageda's borders. Her lips pressed together when she realized that Tirgatao had apparently been beating herself up ever since then.

"But it wasn't your fault. I don't blame you, Tirgatao. I did think she'd been attacked at first," the Bandrona explained, knowing they were both thinking of the shade thrown at the time, "but I know it was no one's fault... except Heda's, I guess." She chuckled dryly. "But, really, nobody's to blame. Like you said, it was an accident. And she'll be fine."

Wildfire paused a moment, then said, "I do feel bad about the timing. I hope her ribs heal before the pups get big enough to start jumping all over us." She winced in sympathy for her mate's future plight.

A weight was lifted from her shoulders as Wildfire's response dissolved any of the anxieties and doubts she harbored about the incident. She hadn't been digging for reprieve, but it was a welcome comfort to know that she was still well within the Bandrona's good graces. The friendship she was cultivating with the currently rotund woman was something she cherished and she wasn't about to give it up so easily. Her untrapped ear began to retreat back into the warmth of her ruff—a more casual set reflective of her now current mood, and she smiled. 

Tirgatao lifted a paw and swiped it a few times down her muzzle to relieve an sudden tickle (likely left over from her sneezing fit) and sniffed. "Well, if they do start to irritate you, I'm always willing to keep an eye on them for a few hours to give you both a break." The kindhearted Shouna remarked with a friendly thump of her tail. She wasn't an official babysitter, or anything, but she'd been unfortunate enough in the past to be suddenly burdened with watching a hoard of children. Her stories were usually enough to keep their attention long enough for the parents to return, but Tirgatao wasn't afraid of putting them in their place if they got out of hand, either.

The Shouna's comment made Wildfire think: who would she trust around her children? Should she permit just anyone in the pack near them? Could she leave them under the care of any old pack mate? No, she thought swiftly, even shaking her head (perhaps confusing her companion). Just because a wolf was part of Drageda did not make him or her the Bandrona's bosom buddy. And not everyone was qualified to look after pups.

But she did feel comfortable with the idea of Tirgatao and a few select others sitting for them—eventually. "I'm sure Heda and I will take you up on that offer," Wildfire replied right before another yawn stole over her. "Gosh." She shook her head again, more rapidly now. "I hope Portia comes back soon. I want to tell her I'm here..." Her eyelids began to droop tellingly, though Wildfire fought hard against the insistent sleepiness.

Sorry for the delay. Wrap it up? Poor Wifi needs some more rest, haha.

As they sat in comfortable silence, Wildfire seemed to be fixated on something internally before shaking her head abruptly. Tirgatao wanted to make a joke about clearing cobwebs from one's mind, but she decided to sit on it for another time, instead chosing to not make mention of the out-of-context behavior. The fire-kissed mother-to-be was certainly not insane, so there was no need to worry about the occasional, and accidental, breach of what most would consider "normal behavior".

She could only hum softly when Wildfire confirmed that she would, indeed, be one of the few chosen to babysit whenever the pair needed some personal time. As another yawn burst forth and overtook her, Tirgatao pushed herself up to lie on her sternum, and stole a glance to the den that Portia and Dio called home. "...I could stay nearby and let her know when she comes around if you wanted to go back to... "catching zees", right?" Tirgatao remarked as she settled her attention on Wifi again with a kind smile. Truthfully, she didn't have anything better to do, and she couldn't imagine the Fisa would be gone too much longer.

Tirgatao offered to keep watch while Wildfire slept. The Bandrona opened her mouth to decline this gracious offer, only for yet another yawn to peel her jaws apart. She grunted, a little frustrated with her own inability to stay awake, and changed tack. "That would be awesome, thank you," she accepted simply.

Within five minutes, Wildfire had flopped to the ground, rolled partially onto her back with her feet in the air and begun snoring like a chainsaw again.