Chimera Fields We're on our way

Backdated to around the 30th of April. Void and @Meylodi are traveling towards Thunder Dome to settle there for their pack, Midnight Scar (linked in both our signatures). If you OC is interested in joining, feel free to have them approach the pair and inquire!

Void and Meylodi had been traveling for a few days now with little break. Only quick breaks where they alternated sleeping and he hunted for her. So when they came to an area suitable for a quick exploration, some open fields, Void decided they should stop for a bit. A day or two at least, to fully recharge. "Let's take a few day's break here. You need rest." He said to his pregnant wife.

The world hadn't spun for a bit, and despite being full and Void's generous offerings of food, she had yet to satisfy a craving she couldn't quite understand. Meylodi had never liked fish before, but the she-wolf craved it terribly. 

She nodded, sitting down in the cool grass. Migh' be a good idea like. Thar be a lake 'round 'ere? Could use a bit o' a drink.

"I can scout one out. Be right back, you stay here." Void told her and he loped off, searching for a water source. He soon found a small pond in a nice spot under the shade of a tree, and ran back towards Meylodi. "Found a pond, lemme lead you to it." He told her, resting his tail gently on her shoulder as he walked, slowly this time, to the pond.

They soon reached it and he gestured for her to take a drink first.

Hi @Moor ! You can post after me :)

 

Meylodi scanned the water's surface for a fish's darting movements. A breath of a whine made itself known for half a heartbeat before it was replaced with a small gasp. She crouched, ears swerving forward, stalking on soft paws. The fish was right there- just a little bit more. It hadn't noticed her. The dark wolf watched and waited, her patience growing thin with each half-moment that passed.

After several tense heartbeats, the fish's scaled back surfaced near enough to the water's edge that she thought she could take it. She the water's surface with a splash, her nose angled toward where she wanted it to go, teeth bared. It found itself in an unfortunate situation: clamped in a set of jaws that hauled herself out of the pond and set it down. 

She quickly put a paw over it to keep it from flopping around while she delivered the final bite, and ate a good chunk of it. It felt awful on her tongue, but at least now, the pups growing within her had their first taste of the creature. Maybe they'd like fish more than she did.

Once her muzzle had been reddened, she trotted to the water's edge to drink. An' that be 'ow ya catch a fish, she said with pride. Han' on-

Her nose, however, twitched. Did she smell... another wolf?

The erne had been traveling for months, by then. At six years old she was beginning to feel brittle in the colder season, but the warm weather suited her just fine. She was thinner than she would have liked, but that was what happened when one ranged inland. Moor was craving fish as well, and so when she caught the scent of it on the wind, she naturally drifted in that direction.

With the scent of fish was the scent of wolves. In particular, the milksweet scent of a fecund female. Something that drew her in just as naturally, as she had spent most of her life attending to pregnant she-wolves and their young.

The dark woman prowled through the underbrush at first, but as she drew closer to the water, there was not enough vegetation to hide her large frame. She rose from a hunter's crouch to reveal herself, leathery nose flaring as she took in the scents of the two strangers.

"Peace be," she said, addressing them both bit gazing at the female in particular. "Is this your water?"

Void caught the newcomers scent too and she soon made an appearance. He immediately got defensive. Pelt bushed, he padded in front of Meylodi. “No it is not our water but we’re fishing and drinking here right now, taking a break from our travels. Who might you be?” He asked in a low tone. She didn’t look to threatening, as she was older and slim, but he had to make sure she wasn’t a threat before he allowed her near his wife/mate.

'ey - I can protec' meself just fine, she sighed, the hint of a growl in her tone. She did not like being treated as a princess, even though he was her knight in her eyes. One who could protect her, in the unlikely scenario where she may have need of a strong wolf to come and rescue her or their children from whatever danger she'd managed to get herself into. 

The slightly smaller black wolf side-stepped her hulking figure of a mate and grinned to the stranger, hopefully showing she wasn't a threat - though traces of the fish's crimson still lined her muzzle. Me name's Meylodi, t'is be me mate, Void, she said in a friendly tone, playfully thumping her tail against his shoulder. I've some fish lef', if ye'd care fer it. No' a big fan o' it, ya know.

The bristling was not unexpected. In her youth, Moor might have reeled back or hackled herself, but the seasoned warrior saw no threat in the pair. An expecting mother and an overprotective father had no reason to attack her if she didn't give them one. And, scarred and wartorn as the erne appeared, her body language was friendly enough.

"Keep your fish," she insisted, eyeing the leftovers with an almost critical air. "It is good for the babies. They arrive healthy and strong when you are fat with fish."

Her burgundy gaze trailed toward the warier of the pair.

"I am Moorhen," she told them. "Moor. Traveling also. But you are með barn. With baby. Do you travel far?"

The woman's concern was evident, but not overbearing. She had no wish to direct the pair, nor scold them for being adrift when she thought they should have settled long before — but she saw a chance to offer support and she took it.

Meylodi seemed alright with the older women and she seemed to not be a threat, based on her words. Void replied to his mate first though. "I'm protecting you cause you got our children. Can't let anything happen to you." He told her. "Though I'm very aware you can fend for yourself." He said to her with a wink.

He then dipped his head to Moor. "Greetings, Moor. Sorry I got defensive. You seem kind enough." He told her. Then she spoke 2 words in icelandic, a language he recognized. "I know Icelandic." He commented.

"We're traveling to the Sunspire Mountains. Planning to start a pack. We need members, so far its just me, Meylodi, and our unborn pups. Would you want to join us? The planned name is Midnight Scar, based on both of our appearances, and we'd be a pack strong in battle, but also hunting and healing." He told her.

Do I smell like I got pups in me? Already? She shuffled her paws uncomfortably. Meylodi didn't feel like she was carrying children yet, and the thought of being recognized as such this early made her uneasy. It was a big world out there, after all. If she got injured, her body would be nurturing their children and trying to heal itself. The fur along her spine stood up momentarily at the thought before laying flat again. See, Gran? I go 'be a la'y' like e'eryone told me to in ta end, an' me abil'ty ta do things withou' consequences ta anyon' but meself gets compromised - She sighed, trying to push that line of thinking until Meylodi actually needed to. S'pose I only gonna get ta do anythin' on me own fer a while is if I go doit meself.

Being doted over felt like ants crawling through her pelt. Whatever her feelings on the matter would be, she would bring it up to Void later.

But no' opposed ta a peaceful solution ta conflicts when we can, she continued, nodding her head. Being led by a pair that uses teeth over words would only lead to the disbanding of a pack as well as making the whole look like fools - it had almost happened to her natal one as Rofis took over. Meylodi wouldn't let that happen to her own if she could help it.

Ya seem ta know a t'ing er two 'bout welves that be... expectin'...

They were an odd pair. The erne had trouble understanding the female's accent, but the male claimed to know the language she still defaulted to in her mind. "Já?" she asked, looking toward him with bright eyes. That pretty much decided things for her, even if she was a bit confused by his description of the pack. It didn't yet exist, but Void seemed to know a lot about it anyway. She was a little concerned that they were cultists, as those sort of folks always seemed to have big ideas and strange doctrines, but they seemed nice enough thus far.

Nice enough for her to stick it out and see what happened.

"Já," she agreed with a little bob of her head, to Void and Meylodi both. Yes, she would stay and yes she knew much about pregnancy and childrearing. "Ég hef sjálfur átt tvö got," she told them, and then for Meylodi's sake, she puzzled through the same sentiment in English: "I have borne two litters from my own body. I have seen my grandbabies into the world. I was doula for many women in my home pack."

But her most beloved were now either out in the world or out of their childbearing years. Moorhen was ready to dedicate her skills to a new people.

"Where in mountains?" she asked them, glancing up toward the misty spires with a doubtful look in her eyes. She would follow them regardless, but she hoped they would not be too far from the coast.

"Your experience with young will be greatly helpful and appreciated when it comes time for Meylodi to bear ours." Void told Moor with a polite dip of his head, showing gratidude.

Then to answer her question. "They start just a little bit north from here, you can see them, but the mountains over there are claimed by a pack already, one I don't want to mess with." Void explained. He hadn't even told Meyl this yet so he hoped she was listening. "So I think if we go more towards the East, there is an open area near my home mountain, which is called Lone Star Mountain. There is a pack slightly south from there but they are much more passive and we wouldn't be in their way if we settled in that area." Void told her.

"I've been planning all this since I first moved to these areas and everything's finally coming together." He added, as to explain how he had so much planned already.

Meyl listened as she ate the rest of the fish, as Moorhen had suggested. Forcing it down her throat was harder than it seemed, but the older woman seemed to have much more experience with pups than she did. After all, this was her first litter, and she wanted to do what she could to help them thrive while they grew inside her. So be it if Meylodi had to hold her breath and eat the nasty creatures swimming in lakes. 

The dark she-wolf was thankful that she spoke in the common tongue. Maybe she should learn this 'Icelandic' and teach Void some words from her homeland. 

Aye - mount'ns be a nice place. she finished her meal, and turned to the dark brown she-wolf. We'll both be glad ta have ya.

The erne gazed between the two in quiet bemusement. She had never had a conventional partnership the way Void and Meylodi seemed to. They both spoke so smartly and seriously; it made Moorhen wonder if they didn't find her uncivilized in comparison. But her skills were useful to them regardless of what they thought of her, so she was content to set aside such worries until they proved to be a problem.

"Pack?" she asked them, her ears lifting in question after she had sorted through their words. "They, um. They hear already? That you will claim the mountain?"

Moorhen had never fancied herself an ambassador, but she thought it was important to talk to any packs they'd be settling nearby. It was always good to have friends in other territories, and aside from that, Moorhen wouldn't want to surprise anyone with their presence. More than that, she did not want to be surprised if nearby packs came asking questions.

Void nodded. “Not near our mountain though. Different mountain. There’s enough space in between though, i know many packs closer together than ours will be to them.” He assured her.

“If you want to come with us, i’m going to make a quick temporary den for me and Meylodi in this area while we rest for a few days and you’re welcome to stay with us if you don’t have your own den.” Void said, trying to wrap up this conversation.

Tell me when ya've buil' it- Meyl yawned, bending down to the pond for another drink, less hesitant to catch another fish. 

She had been walking for days with little sleep. Void had insisted they make substantial progress, though he always stopped and found her food when she asked. Her eyes wandered to him for a moment, the stare of a young wolf in love... or one in over her head dancing in her golden gaze. 

Gran would've liked him, she thought, nodding once. That old woman would've fought him relentlessly, making sure he was as tough as her granpup was. He would've fit right in with her family. She guessed... this was her family now. He was. Their pups, whomever they would be. 

And now the tiny pack was of three, not two, if she'd heard the two discuss properly. The dark mother's head turned back to the dust-colored woman in curiosity, trying to get her tongue to get the wolf's name right.

Mar'n? Nah - Mar? she growled lowly, turning her head away as to not offend her with her voice. C'mon, ye ol' tongue - an féidir leat riamh ainm mac tíre a fhoghlaim i gceart?!

Can you never learn a wolf's name correctly?!

Moorhen dipped her head in acknowledgment, but what she said was, "I thank you, but I will give you privacy. I sleep beneath stars."

The pair made a charming young couple, she thought, although perhaps she was inclined to think this when any two people were in love. She supposed also that they could afford to be kind right now, but that things might change in the future. Only time would truly tell what sort of spirits they had. But rather than worrying herself about it, Moorhen decided she'd make herself useful:

"I will scout ahead," she told them. "You will see me again in the mautains."

Void dipped his head to Moor and he started on the den for him and Meyl