Redhawk Caldera singing, "all ashore that's going ashore"

She'd begun to wonder where Sumac had run off to, but this was no new thing to Easy. Her sons and daughters were always running off, and always seemed to turn up when they were ready, no worse for wear. She hoped that, wherever he was, he was having fun.

But that left the black bear with no social outlet — a state of affairs she'd left her mountaintop to avoid. So, with work on Cedar Den well underway and nothing else pressing to do, Easy set to find someone else to bother.

Her pregnancy, too, was well underway. She was approaching the halfway mark, which meant, to her, that it was becoming just a little uncomfortable. She was always just a little tender, unable to find a comfortable position in which to rest — but she felt strong, and she supposed that was what really mattered.

The scent of other wolves drew her to the border of a pack she did not know. Something about them was familiar, but she supposed this was to be expected, after the gathering she'd come across — but she did wonder if there was someone she knew among their ranks.

The black bear sang a cheerful, questioning call: Good morning! Anyone around?

Impending potential fatherhood had lit a fire under Killdeer's ass. No longer would he mope around the Hobbit Hole or trudge along feeling sorry for himself; he had to contribute, grow, be better. 

He was in the midst of a patrol when the call came out, and like a good pack guardian, there he went.

Hello! he greeted, tail flagging and all smiles. It was an older woman, pregnant—the thought made him think of Moonshadow, and the existential dread made a knot in his stomach—but not someone he knew.

Welcome to Brecheliant, Killdeer went on. What can we do for ya?

Maybe she needed a home. He started tallying up numbers in his head. Maia would probably have kids, Teya probably not, maybe one of the daughters. . .? Would they have room?

But he was getting ahead of himself.

Easy liked the young man immediately, and her own tail wagged in happy greeting at her hocks. She tested his scent when he came near, and soon determined that she did not know anyone from this place. Not, at least, any who he'd recently been near.

"Oh, nothing," she assured him. "I'm just poking around and I thought I'd see who else was in the area."

She looked back the way she'd come; Ourobourus Spine was not visible over the trees.

"My name's Ishara Morningside," she said, her attention returning to the young man. "I might settle down a few days north of here for the next few seasons. It never hurts to know the neighbors."

Here, she paused, hoping to catch his name.

He nodded, pleased to make her acquaintance. I'm Killdeer, he introduced himself in turn. And yes. . .totally good to know the neighbors. I've been a lot of places around here—whereabouts are you thinking for your pack?

The thought of traveling made him think of Fennec, and the all-too familiar guilt at separating with her set in. Still, now that he had mated with others living nearby—and had siblings here—he was more or less rooted to Brecheliant.

Maybe Easy would run into Fennec, one day? He should bring her up at some point.