Moonspear ornamental and quite divine

Rain notwithstanding, she had to get out for a while. With having coaxed and secured Charon into full puppy duty for the time being, and Floki loitering nearby on guard often, it was wise of her to take advantage of that (and relative quietude in the den) and go for a walk, a jog, or anything. Just to refresh. They'd understand.. because she really didn't give them the option not to. She'd been cooped up so long, it seemed, and she needed a break that consisted of more than just to the creek and back. That was only where she started.

After a long drink and thorough rinse, she set out off from the creekside down the mountain a bit, not minding the dampness since her coat was soaked anyway. She didn't intend to be gone for long -- exhaustion drug heavy on her bones and being away from the litter still felt inherently wrong on many levels (she'd never really gone far from them because she didn't have to), but she wanted to make the best of it, despite a looming mindset that suggested see head back soon. It was feeling almost as wrong to notice the subtle fade of her own scent on the mountain away from the den's immediate swatch.

Discontent started to pool suddenly as she hovered between the two, still unwilling to go back to the den yet not determined enough to make a full patrol out of her rounds yet. She shook that off with a kick of her heel and loped slowly onward through the drizzle, then eventually onto a trail that warmed enough to pull her interests out, and onto something more as the flickers of the routine began to alight.

Though it had been some time since he had joined the wolves of Moonspear, Aesop was still wary. He figured that if Charon was going to change his mind and chase Aesop out, he would have done so by now. That didn't mean he was going to play with fire and go anywhere near his kids without express permission. So he had yet to meet Amekaze, for as far as Aesop was aware, she hadn't left her den since he'd arrived. 

It was raining again, a light drizzle that had started when Aesop was only halfway through collecting herbs from beyond the pack's border. He swore a bit about the situation, since he couldn't dry the plants now, and who knew when the sun would shine again? His newest acquisitions to his growing collection might mold before he could dry them, and a full morning's work would be wasted.

Still, he would try, so he gathered the plants up in his mouth and trotted back through the rain. As he crossed into the territory he saw a dark shadow darting through the trees. Thinking it was Dash, Aesop barked to catch the wolf's attention, the sound morphed by his cargo.

She rounded her back and kept her gait rolling, slow, and almost thoughtful down the dampened mountain path where in truth, it's with a distracted mindset at best. Focus comes and goes, she can almost swear she hears puppies whining, whimpering, grunting about in her head -- she's been so surrounded by only them, so conditioned to attend just to them in the very few weeks since she's had them. That realization left her feeling a little funky, out of place, and perhaps more determined to stay out to clear her head until something came to contradict that. Or, maternal instincts just become too much to ignore.

For now, she's coping well enough and covering ground, so when a bark vies for her attention, she's sharply back on the point -- a brand new one. Ears tall and a pointed look lead her right to an unfamiliar scarred face. 

Which alone rises her hackles but her nose knew better, even over the din of petrichor. Vaguely she decided to recall Charon mentioning him having accepted a new male -- a wolf from Stavanger, one she might have even heard of in the past, but she didn't really go so far as to collect many details at the time. She'd been too tired to be hassled with it then. Seeing him now, he was a unexpected addition and she narrowed the distance between them with smooth strides in the next breath after, interested in finding out more for herself.

Ame arced her tail and was not shy with a good long look over the whole of him -- in which she spied the bundle in his jaws. "Busy?" she asked, gesturing towards what he carried, and punctuated it with a curious sniff. She stayed in motion just subtly so.

this post makes me wince im sorry

Very quickly it became clear that the wolf wasn't Dash. She was larger and, more notably, a she. Embarrassed and, for a moment, sheepish, Aesop almost turned away to play it off as a mistake. The woman had to be a Moonspear wolf, or a talented tresspasser-cum-actor. Her hackles raised, then just as quickly flattened, and in that tim Aesop had only stepped a few feet back. Then the woman came closer, and Aesop got a better look at her. And good sniff, to boot. 

He dropped the spit-laden bundle of plants at his feet and shrugged. Not once I get this somewhere dry, he said. He gave her a moment to look him over, wondering what she saw and what she thought. You must be Charon's girl, he said, both a statement and a question.

Unaware of his mistake and looking to sate her own curiosities, she was plenty content to proceed with the encounter regardless. Not knowing much about him at all, her expectations were blank, and she wanted to change that somehow.. but not hold him up if this was somehow time sensitive. "Somewhere specific in mind?" she quipped. She eyed the plants on the ground, certain there was a purpose in this -- how specific, she couldn't discern, not knowing what all he knew in turn yet.

Her ears flicked outward for a second before she straightened them at his observation.. or question. She decided confirming it with a nod was someplace to start.  "Ah, I am." she snorted softly, albeit with a smirk. That was the short of it, although it was a little more mutual than his phrasing implied, and just girl felt a bit misplaced on her. Then, eying him again, she straightened and looked to fill the spaces until she at least could know what he was up to with these plants.. if this was an independent activity, or what. It was definitely something. To her, it was a distraction at the very least. He wasn't squeaky puppies. "You are Aesop, yes? Formerly of the Bay. I know little else, though." She'd been preoccupied. He probably didn't need her to tell him why.

Absolutely not, he said, cracking a quick grin. He glanced quickly around the area for somewhere suitable to shelter his plants, but found nothing. Burying them would do no good. They'd get wet anyway, and he'd probably forget where they were after the rain had washed all scents away. There was nothing for it, really, and he was thinking of just abandoning them. The grey slab of clouds didn't seem interested in dispersing any time soon, and the plants would be useless if he couldn't dry them out in the sun.

He smiled anew when she confirmed his suspicions. Nice to meet you, then, he said genially. Man, you're a catch. Well, so is he- never think that Aesop's weird uncle affection had died- but wow. You look good for having just popped a litter out. Speaking of, he wanted to meet the kids. He wouldn't bring that up yet, he felt like he had to earn her trust first. Luckily, she asked Aesop about his favorite topic, himself. That would bring her closer to trusting him, probably. Well, I also happen to be an expert with kids. I mean, just ask Charon. Or... maybe don't. I think I taught him how to swear. I'm a novice healer, but I'm working on it- here he gestured to his plants, which looked very sad and bruised in the rain. And I love getting caught in the rain, he finished. Now what about you, Amekaze?

While he glanced around, she joined him a beat later. She thought of Pyx's stores, but doesn't know where exactly the nearest, most relevant one is to suggest it on whim. "Some small caves are more north a ways, if you are interested in a little hike.. but it is pretty soggy down here," she mentioned, although knew it was not the most glamorous or ideal of suggestions.

While she's no stranger to flattery, this helping of it curves in a way to include Charon too which is an unexpected twist. Her expression lifted, the smirk remaining firm -- because she has to agree, on all accounts. "Well.. thanks," she nodded. Although, she didn't really feel like she looked good at the moment, maybe her insistence to keep moving somewhat up until they were born had helped. She still felt.. all off, but reasoned it by reminding herself this was entirely new, and very different from her usual. On Charon, at least, she could agree on full considering how valuable he was to her.

"An expert? Big words. You are very conveniently timed, then." she smirked, humor touching lightly on her words. A quick look around could have surely suggested that puppies weren't exactly something the Moonspear had seen a lot of with her in charge of breeding rights. As evidenced by Althaia's ousting, she wasn't open to changing that standard beyond her own contributions very soon either -- especially not without her blessing, and not when her litter was to be everyone's priority. Nevertheless, soon enough, he could prove his expertise with them, and she didn't know how to think about that quite yet. They had only been exposed to immediate family, and were still too small for her to make any good guesses on how they may receive new company besides doing what they usually did when something changed: fussed.

That aside, she picked up his key points and kept them for later. Good with pups, aspiring medic, the rain. If he had taught Charon how to swear, she knew it had stuck with him. As for what it was, exactly, she couldn't say but there was something almost endearing about that. "I suppose it depends on what else you know already," she wouldn't want to bog him with redundancies. Her tail swayed thoughtfully. "Plus what you would like to know.." Ame said. She fancied herself a beast of many interests and decent experience, after all.

Amekaze directed him to a group of small caves, a piece of information he filed away for later. He would probably run right there once they were finished talking, but he was quickly losing hope for the woebegone herbs he had so valiantly gathered. That'll work, he nodded. Do ya'll have a healer? I'd love to compare notes. He also didn't like being redundant, but he could deal with that a bit better.

She accepted his compliment, albeit awkwardly, and he nodded firmly. I just call 'em like I see 'em. And was it weird to think that Charon had gotten hot? Because he totally had gotten hot. Aesop wouldn't actually tap that, but if it wasn't Charon he would totally tap that. Maybe he was just proud, in the way that all relatives are secretly proud when a kid turns out pretty.

Big words for a big guy. I can handle a bundle of kids, if ever you and Charon want to get away from 'em. Which, if you don't already, you definitely will, he added conspiratorily. Children were exhausting, and if Amekaze or Charon wanted to get away for a bit of real sleep, it would be no skin off of Aesop's back to watch them for a bit. How many are there, anyway?

As keen on avoiding redundancies as she was, he was quick to provide all that he knew. Well. I know you're Amekaze. I know you're Alpha here. You and Charon are mates, and you have kids, so you two have fucked at least once. But that's about it, he said, unaware that his crass reference to her and Charon getting it on might be unwelcome. As for what he wanted to know? I dunno, he drawled, shrugging. What're you into? Besides Charon, of course. What's your favorite meal, stuff like that. Let's get superficial.

"Pyx does not have the title officially but is very knowledgeable, and well on her way to the distinction. She is probably your best bet. Another wolf, Judas, had been helping her with plant stocks, although he is more poisons-focused personally." Of course, her news may be a little dated, not knowing exactly how their collaborations had panned out recently. So long as resources were fine and everything went smoothly, she didn't need to worry. She then had to wonder if he'd want to get going soon, but his words seemed to suggest otherwise. At the least, she appreciated his confident straight-forwardness with a curiously amused look.

She was already feeling overwhelmed by them sometimes, namely when they were so much noise and neediness. Thankfully that was not all the time. Just most of it. She didn't want her frustrations towards them to be the next thing out of her mouth, though. "Four. Girls, three of them are identical." she answered, figuring that Charon hadn't given those details yet either. "The pack can meet them soon. The full moon marks their.. first month," Roughly (although as specific as she'd ever hope to be), and only because she was immensely grateful for a good eye on the moon for all of her life did she mention this. It was giving her some scale to measure them against when her own understanding of what to expect was so fuzzy. She was hoping by then she'd feel more comfortable with letting more of the pack visit them -- a personal goal point of her own, essentially.

"Well.. favorite meal? Keep it simple and I cannot deny a good deer. But a good one. You know the sorts, the ones that put up a good fight. Second? I guess I have always been pretty fond of fish too. But I hate duck. Greasy," She wrinkled her muzzle, not a big fan of eating birds anyway. He'd asked, so she'd answer well enough for a first encounter. Him being steeped in Charon's history made her a small bit more open, truthfully, and to her, he seemed easy enough to be around. He was appealing to her (read: her needs) well enough too. "Otherwise.. I suppose hobbies include.. sky watching, sparring.. swimming. I have been a warrior for all my life, and interested in the weather -- patterns of nature, stars, myths, those sorts of things too." She'd partially borrowed his formatting, keeping it circulated around her skills recognized formally among the pack. A decent place to start for understanding her. Next part came in her homes. "This is my second mountain, yet my favorite so far.. Third, if you count where I was born. I have known the Teekon for a long time, too," she added.

Pyx. Judas. Got it, he said. But whether he was comitting to the names to memory as possible partners or possible competition, Amekaze would never know. (jk it was possible partners.) He would be glad to not be the only healer among them, pleased to be free from having that responsibility placed solely upon his shoulders. 

Four children! Four girls, even. Though not the largest litter he had ever seen, Aesop was still impressed. It must have taken a lot out of her to carry so many, let alone birth them. And now she and Charon had to watch over them. Children took a lot of looking after and were exhausting even if they weren't yours. To be the primary caretakers of four kids had to be a handful. Oh man, I don't envy you, he laughed. I mean yeah, they're bundles of joy, but it can be a lot to handle, can't it? Aesop had never had children of his own, or if he did he never knew of them.

Aesop listened to her description, though his mind wandered once or twice, especially after the mention of a good deer. Birds are too much of a hassle, he agreed, thinking of their feathers. He wasn't too fond of fish, either, though. He was a small game kind of guy, though he wouldn't say no to any meal. I fancy myself a stargazer from time to time, Aesop said. He often had his eyes turned to the sky, though he was mostly looking for signs of inclement weather. Even if he didn't mind the rain, he still liked to know if it was coming. Don't think I've lived on a mountain before, myself. Or, if I have, it definitely wasn't such a big one. The Moonspear was aptly named, after all.

She'd not exactly planned on four girls, yet here she was. But in retrospect, she supposed she hadn't really planned on anything like that and girls, boys, in either case, it was what she'd intended by the blood. They were her future, the mountain's, and so precious to her -- handful or not. Ame was learning, she knew. "True, they can be a lot. Especially now that they are starting to learn their voices, and get sharp.." she snickered softly. This was just one thing of many. But, they were growing. She was proud of them.. already, disgustingly so. "But, I am eager to get them out when the time is right, including seeing the pack more.." She was still truthfully a little prickly about offering it so freely, but was already finding a clear link between trusted pack wolves visiting = tired puppies. Therefore, she'd allow more of it.

Ame listened, nodding here and there, from birds to skies. Most notably, he was a stargazer too. Perhaps he was pivotal to Charon's interest in the skies? Well enough. She was glad he'd come around here in time be someone like that to her daughters, too. But on mountains, she could only shrug. "Impressive, right?" she laughed softly. It had been natural for it to catch her eye, even with her prior perch being an impressive mountain itself. "I came from the Sunspire before here." Charon she had managed to convert into such a lifestyle despite her early fears that the beach wolves may not like it very much considering the contrast. "I figured why settle for any less," she gestured vaguely around. Not to mention, the second time her preference for mountains had inspired packs to claim them -- but this one was far more personal to her, and a far greater prize in the end.

Like most mothers, Amekaze seemed to enjoy talking about her children. This was an interest Aesop was willing to endulge, because he, too, liked kids. They were fun. He chuckled with her, sympathetic for her situation. There was no mistaking their vocal abilities. Once or twice he had heard one of the girls singing, her little body conjuring up strength in song. I'm lookin' forward to gettin' to know 'em, Aesop said. And really, if you're comfortable with it, I'm up to babysit whenever you need it. It wasn't like he was doing anything else.

Most of what Charon knew were his own findings, but Aesop would claim to have some influence in his interest. Their talk turned to the mountains, and Aesop nodded in agreement. Though he'd never thought of them as particularly hospitable places, there was no denying their majesty, and the feeling of power they instilled in the wolves that lived there. The mountain was just as likely to turn on them as it was to protect them, though, flinging boulders from their heights and sending mudlisdes down the slope. Certainly seems to live up to its name. A fine place for a fine pack, Amekaze.

"Good to know," she nodded sincerely, moving on to assume he'd likely be a short howl away. She was still feeling stingy about who could see them, but that was fading by the day it seemed. Having the pups be less... fresh seemed to help her feel better about it. Charon and Floki were doing enough so far, since she was practically always needed at the den anyway with the pups still plenty young and especially prone to squawking at her absence. But she had a good idea once more independence came around, she'd been harder to keep cooped up. It was right near the top of the list of things about mothering wee ones that did not suit her preferences one bit. "Not many here have much past puppy experience, so you are one of the first I would call," she chuffed lightly.

"Ah, yeah," she agreed fondly towards the mountain. She was predictable in her landscape interests, at the very least. "Where else have you seen? Besides the Bay," she asked, curious about the roads and the places that had passed beneath his feet. She did find it interesting that he had eventually looped back to the Teekon. Then again, she'd meant to do a similiar circular route regarding her homeland once as well, but either the goal was abandoned or it was far in the future still. She was much too cozy here.

sorry this is short! i wanted to give you some kind of reply <3

Just as it was expected for her to brag about her kids, it was expected that she would be protective of them. Charon certainly had been. Hell, he had barely let Aesop join for fear of exposing his kids to some danger. Nevermind that the potential danger was him. Aesop knew he was safe to be around, but Amekaze and Charon couldn't. And he was something of a bad influence... He nodded but said nothing to Ame's response, not wanting to push the issue. He wouldn't want to seem too interested, after all.

She asked about his previous homes, a topic so wide and varied that he didn't know where to begin. I'd never seen the ocean before I got here, Aesop said. I'd always been inland. Closest thing was a huge-ass lake. But I've seen everything, I've been everywhere. I'm a well-traveled guy. I'm just interestin' like that.

aa it was just fine! i have been slow and need to wrap up some older things really badly anyway <3

As much as her puppies meant to her, and how remarkably easy it was to marvel at their little yet important place in the world, she was quick enough to let the topic glom onto him more. She was still learning about him, with a first impression just starting to grow into something better, so she was eager to help that along in any way.

Like him, she had first encountered the ocean upon coming to the Teekon too. However, well-traveled was relative. She had covered a lot of ground before officially joining anything that was not her birthplace, and for it, she believed herself better for it in the long run. Perhaps the same could be said of him. "I see," she smirked. Interesting, indeed. She'd hold him to it, although she debated on what else she could and should ask right away. "I first met the ocean when I came here too. I almost settled near it with a pack -- Horizon Ridge, but they dissolved before I could bring myself to do it," she snickered. Akhlut's had interested her, once, but he'd faded away so she'd roamed on with herself because she'd still been self-sufficient enough to not need the pack's cushioning. It had been for the best. "Glad to know the seaside life worked out a little better for you. It was awfully tempting," she smirked. Briefly, she wondered how different it could've been otherwise.

But, she stretched and shook out her coat lazily. "Ah, nothing against the company, but I fear they will start looking for me if I stay away too much longer," Amekaze sighed. "So I will see you around? Stop by sometime later, whatever suits you.." she said, and gave her adequate enough farewells before making her way back to the brood. Duty called.