Arrow Lake We meet again, at last

It was early in the morning when Aviana decided to visit the spot where she had met @Howl. She didn't honestly think he'd be there, but she wanted to try. It had been a chance meeting, a wonderful fluke that had changed her life. She was hoping that it would happened again. Though, she wasn't sure how Howl would even respond to the news.

She kept herself on the west side of the river, not wanting to get wet crossing it. When she came close to arrow lake, she put her nose to the ground, trying to find any scent she could that might indicate Howl had been here. She caught a few old scents of some other wolves, but nothing that reminded her of him. She sighed and sat back on her haunches, wondering what to do next. She couldn't very well go trapezing all over Teekon Wilds looking for him.

The last few days had been rough for Howl. He learned from Brynn of Cebra's death and officially, on his end, left Easthollow. So many things were running through his head. What was Cebra thinking when she passed. Had she been successful in the rekindling of her relationship with Mawk, or had things not worked out, and had she been waiting for Howl's return? Would his presence by her side have changed her end result? All the possibilities and regrets loomed in his mind and he wanted them out. He could have gone to Cinth, but he had been terrible at keeping his promise to visit her and the thought of going to a current lover to talk about the death of an old one when so much had happened with those relationships just seemed so wrong to him.

With all these thoughts racing through his mind knocking into one another and leaving him without peace of mind he thought to take a more physical approach. Cold water that he could dunk his head into, to hopefully slow things down or snap him out of it. It wasn't quite winter yet, but the change in the seasons was definitely apparent. He was confident that if he found a large enough body of water, aka anything other than a puddle, it would be deep and cold enough for his head to be dunked into.

He made his way to arrow lake from the east side of the river. When he first arrived he didn't think about the presence of others simply the idea of dunking his head. As he made it closer a scent hit his nostrils that seemed familiar but he couldn't place it. When he had been with Aviana last she had been in heat and had smelled vastly different. Moving closer to the river a figure appeared in the corner of his eye but he continued to the water before dunking his head in and holding it there for a few moments. It was quiet with only the slight sound of moving water. It was cold but it made him feel lighter, like the things weighing on his shoulder for a moment were lighter with the water.

He lifted his head out of the water and shook off before getting a chance to look up and towards the figure. They weren't too far away, a female wolf on the opposite side of the river. At the time he had meet Aviana it had been during the night and now that it was morning and the sun was out it took him a moment to connect the dots. When it hit him, with his currently clear mind he greeted her saying "Oh... Dear Aviana. Come to find another worth male?" he said lightheartedly trying to suppress the thoughts in his mind.

---

Sorry for the crap late night post.

It was as if he appeared out of her mind, a ghost in the early morning that drifted to the other side of the stream. Aviana watched in silence as he drank the water, unknowing she was here. 

After a few moments, he looked up and spotted her. She held her breath for what seemed like ages, and for a moment, she thought he didn't recognize her. When he finally said her name, she released the breath she was holding. A smile formed upon her maw, and she released a nervous chuckle. Oh, no, she confessed. I found mine that night, she said, referring to the night they first met. Her expression sobered, worry filling her heart. I've been looking for you, she said softly.

It seemed that his playful remark went over well as he saw a smile come across her face. She wasn't looking for anyone new, just looking to cross paths with him again. A part of him felt complimented that she wanted to see him again. But seeing as how she came back to the same place they meet, a part of him assumed she was looking for another adventurious evening. Somehting he surprisingly wasn't in the mood for. "Really? Well I'm afraid I'm not up for recreating any magic today." he tried to say politely.

Another chuckle came from her maw as she shook her head side to side. Oh, no, that's not what I was looking for you for, she responded, not at all offended he had thought that. I wasn't sure if you'd want to know if anything... came from our coupling, she said, watching his reaction closely. She knew she was beating around the bush, and decided to just come out and say it. We have a daughter. She went quiet then, wondering if he would care.

So she hadn't come looking for him hoping to reenact their first meeting. That made Howl released for two reasons. One was that he wasn't in the mood for that at the moment, and the second reason was that assuming a female wanted to have sex with you usually didn't go over well when you were wrong. Luckily for Howl, Aviana took it well. But that only made Howl more confused as to why she had wanted to see him. If she had come looking for him hoping to make something more of their relationship he wasn't sure what he would do.

Her next statement only adding to his confusion. With the thought of her possibly wanting more in their relationship it was the only thing to enter his mind, though it was a rather weird way of saying it. He was looking at her quizzically before she made her next statement.

He thought he heard her say they had a daughter. Him and her. But that couldn't be right. "One moment."  he said shaking his head. He must not have heard her right. They were separated by the river, perhaps the running water had distorted her words. He made his way through a shallow section of the river. Very unpleasant with the temperature change, but he had to know what she said. He shook of her fur before walking up to her and asking, "I'm sorry. I must have heard you wrong. What did you say again?"

His reaction wasn't one of the reactions she thought she'd get. If she was honest, though, she really had no idea what to expect. Her gaze followed him as he crossed the river and she turned to face him. 

He asked her to repeat herself, and she obliged. We have a daughter, she said again, smiling dispite the fear she felt that he would turn and run.

So he had heard her right. His initial reaction wasn't relatively good or bad, just shock. He wasn't ignorant. He understood how one becomes pregnant and the rest. But in the past when he had mated with girls in their heat he had never seen them again, except for Heartha. It was possible that he had other children but it wasn't something that crossed his mind. 

He sat down looking at the ground for a moment, just thinking, still in shock.  "Are... are you sure...?" he asked in his shocked state. "That it's... she's mind?" 

He looked in shock, which Aviana could understand. She'd pick shock over refusal or dismissal. She thought then she probably should have asked if he had a mate, or other children... It could upset his life if he did, and claimed Faye at the same time. Her ears perked when he asked if she was sure. That she had a daughter? Yeah, pretty damn sure a creature came out of my vagina. She didn't say that out loud, though. 

She didn't like Faye being called "it" and she opened her maw to correct him, but he did it before she could. It was a fair question, she supposed, seeing as how they didn't know much about each other, and she could have mated with many males around that time. Yes, I'm sure. You're the only I mated with, she confessed. I know this is sudden, but I just thought you should know. I won't force you to do anything you don't want to. Like have a relationship with her. Faye hadn't begun to ask questions about her father yet, at least not that Aviana knew about, but she expected it at some point. What she would say, though, she had no idea.

Sorry for the late reply. Finals have been hectic.

---

There were so many things racing through Howl's mind at this moment. The first was that simply he had a daughter. Last year he had lost all of his offspring in childbirth, and the pregnancy was planned. Now through an accident, he had a living daughter that until now he had no idea about. Through the shock was joy. Joy to have a daughter and life from him. A young pup that could grow and become anything she wanted to be, she had him as a father.

He wasn't so sure that was a positive thing anymore. He would do all he could for her if Aviana had asked, but leaving it up to him made him wonder. With all that had been going on recently, how he had treated those around him, the promised he had broken. He wasn't so sure he was worthy of the role anymore.

Maybe it would be better if he stayed out of her life. But then again life without a father could lead to all sorts of things happening to her physically and mentally. For instant who was watching her now. He was sure Aviana had figured something out but wasn't it right for one of her parents to be looking over her.

"What does she think of it? Our daughter? Does she want to know me? I know she must be young but..." he asked trying to weigh his options.  "I would be more then happy to enter into her life... but only if I thought it would be beneficial to her or you. I truly appreciate you telling me, even if it is a bit after your pregnancy, though I'm sure it wasn't for lack of trying."  he mentioned thinking that she probably came to see him earlier but with him traveling didn't get a chance to catch up to him. "I just don't want to force myself into your lives if it causes either of you hinderance."  he said honestly.