Hushed Willows i DIG rock and roll music

in keeping with the March theme of penance

The first--and truly, only--item on the agenda today was digging. Well, besides eating, but that was a given.

No, Lily had shuffled herself over to a place she'd seen and liked, where there was already a shallow depression in the earth, as if someone had made their den here before. Her objective was to dig it wider, and she'd been doing so for a couple of days. . .but it was grueling work. The ground wasn't quite frozen, but it was hard and cold enough.

She spent a good time digging and digging, clods of dirt flying past her face, face furrowed in single-minded concentration. When she found herself exhausted, she sat back on her haunches, panting, surveying what she had done. God help her if she didn't get this thing done before the babies came.

Being beneath the earth always reminded her of Vilkas. There were several formative encounters where they had met underground, starting with the first time they'd met. It was as mysterious an introduction as was his departure. He'd just disappeared into thin air, it seemed. No word, no trail. Gone.

And she still had to live with the guilt of laying with Barracuda when she'd all but promised herself to him. She would never get to apologize. It was stupid, right? He hadn't known of her infidelity. But she had, and it ate her up inside. In her darkest moments, she blamed that mistake for his choice to leave.

Strange, thinking of old lovers as you sit on the verge of motherhood, carrying children that belong to neither of them.

its ya gurr comin
happy 300th babyg 

The last time Aure had been beneath the earth was when the Dread Wolf had let her cheeks bloom roses with his claws. That was it, though — there was a difference between the cavern of her drowned innocence and that of Hougeda. In the underworld of Rhaesuial, the only thing the water had given her was fury and a fear of all but herself. Under the spires of Hougeda, it was winter light, not water, that’d given her some inner sanctuary to all the turmoil that had happened, and was still yet to come.

She felt it here, too, that timid tranquility; and she wondered whether it would affect @Opalia, the daughter of Dio that she’d brought along with her. Aure soon sighted Lily, all spent and wearied and rested at the site of a... burrow? Either way, the herbalist started on over, feathering her tail in a flourish of greeting with a chirrup of ”Doamna!”

As Aure wove a path to where Lily was, her thoughts flickered to why she’d returned to Elysium in the first place: it wasn’t just restlessness, brought on by the idleness of pregnancy — that much was certain. It was fidgeting on her own time, when she wasn’t founding a new apothecary or letting herself drift in the time spent with others.

It was from the bit of guilt she still carried from her quarrel with her cheka, from having pressed him past already-strained limits and thus drawing some unspoken curtain between them. There were no words to express how much she detested it, what she’d done, in some inkling, that no amount of consoling would diminish — her fault. My fault.

But... she hadn’t come here to go at length of her romance, long for him or not. No, the apothecary — these willows, and Lily was her priority now; so she let a smile pearl along her lips for the blackbird as she threaded nearer.

The word wasn't familiar, but the voice was. Lily turned to see Aure headed toward her, looking a good deal more pregnant than she had upon their first meeting (though still not as massive as Lily herself, luckily for the Drageda wolf). She smiled, giving a reciprocal wag of her tail. She contemplated rising to her paws but abandoned the idea quickly; it felt much too great to sit, right now, belly brushing the ground.

Hallo, darling, she said when the two had come within speaking distance of each other. Thoughts of Vilkas cast aside--for now--she gave Aure a soft but critical look-over, remembering how distressed she'd been when she had come to Elysium before. How are you? How is Drageda?

Since she had kept close to home after her and Dacio's attempts to scout the coast were thwarted by the winter (with her hopes a little soggy after that), she was eager for the opportunity to visit the willows, too, and accepted readily. Most definitely, she could guard, help keep an eye out, and all else.. plus, as well as she knew, it was not far and not a place she had seen before up close for herself Although it was meant to be a trek for the Skayona's business first and foremost, as they set off together, she might have been looking forward to it a bit, if not just for the change of pace.

On watch, the young Drakru trailed along off near the snow-furred healer's shoulder, eyes bright and scanning their horizons as they came, and went. Quick to a business-like sort of state, especially feeling quite responsible for herself, she happily took to this new routine as the willows drew near, and Aure seemed plenty comfortable with their setting. Some of her worries went to diffuse then, but as the other pack's scent strengthened her in nose, Opalia was still sharp and her eyes widened towards the dark woman of the woods.

She maintained her post beside Aure, and glanced curiously between the two pregnant wolves, wrethed in their respective scents—of family and pack and all else. Hei, she greeted officially, and dipped her narrow snout. She was going to let the Skayona field the questions most of all. Opalia wanted an observing role, as her protective watch, and perhaps towards her own potential as a Dragedan scout one day too.

How was she, Aure, doing? For the most part, she couldn’t even fathom; but for what she did know, well... she supposed she was better off than most young females. Those females, of course, who were on rocky terrain with the male they loved as well. Not that she’d think herself to condescend in such a haughty way, but her life hadn’t wound itself only about Verx, and not simply his — their — children, either. New apothecary, reforming new bonds, seeking new souls outside of those dreary cliffs... New. All new, with cheeks and determination aflush for spring.

Yet, there had been things that’d been said, where their quarrel had been concerned; things that needed healing, others that needed leaving alone, and might not mend for some time. As with spending time with Rose, with Blodreina, whoever — she made an effort to not linger upon it. Dragostea and herself, they... they would work through this, whatever “this” was, whatever “they” were.

She knew they would, together.

Other than that, the herbalist could say she was — well, yes? Yes, Aure mused to herself. ”Lily - I am well,” I must be well, yes? For ze kru. ”Drageda is healing. Slowly, but surely, we are sure. And you are... oh, you are making a burrow! A, er, a den for ze childs?”

Nodded towards what work the blackbird had done so far, and then started, a bit sheepishly, as if only just remembering: ”Ah! This is Opalia, a warrior from ze cliffs!” Obviously, Aure’d forgotten the notion that Opalia herself hadn’t come to be fully-fledged yet. ”I do think it would be more pleasant for others, instead of myself, to visit ze willows, no?”

A wolf of golden-cream--her pelt reminded Lily of Khali, and she smiled without meaning to--had approached as well, coming to a stop at Aure's side. Hallo, she said softly, dipping her muzzle in greeting, before her torchlight eyes shifted to the pale woman once more.

It's a whelping den, yes, she said, tail wagging slightly. It's quite brutal work; you should get going on yours soon, before you get any bigger. I'm exhausted, she admitted, laughing. Back to the guardian. Pleasure to meet you, Opalia. We're always happy to have visitors in Elysium. You two are welcome to come anytime you like.

She was happy to hear that Drageda's spirits were on the mend after the demise of their leader. Time healed all wounds. And how was Aure? Did she feel better about her place there? She said she was well--but that might well be a guise of pleasantry.

To the young gona, it is a lot to behold but her eyes are bright and mind sharp. She gave the conversation her ear (as well as she can when it's pregnant wolf problems like whelping dens even), yet tried to maintain some semblance of an outward watch, too, and that wasn't even mentioning this entire strange forest she has yet to take in fully. This is still one of her first solo, away from home Opalia-as-guard ventures, after all, so she easily finds herself tense about the whole thing since it is so very new—but, there seemed to be nothing here to set off any alarms.

(In this fleeting, momentary respite between the lines of work and learning all she can, it's good to feel faraway from the sorrows at the cliffs and to not hear the roll of the waves that claimed her mother, and later Heda.. if only for a while. But this is a very private thought.. not one she feels comfortable with at all.)

When Aure introduces her as a warrior, she stood a notch taller with a little nod, proud and eager for it to be seen that she took her duty as guard seriously. It was what she imagined Dacio, or her father, or the other warriors might do in her place—just not so young, and most of them a good bit taller than her too, but she didn't let it on. Nevertheless, her expression's seriousness kind of diffused as Lily spoke to her, extending the offer of visits to them and being nothing but welcoming to a strange face like her own. Although this confused the Drakru, enough to tilt her head subtly, Aure didn't seem the least bit perturbed as far as she could tell. Still, manners, though, and she definitely intended to be a good representative of Drageda no matter what.

As she looked gently to Lily, she nodded soft: Thank you, she said, suddenly at a loss as to what else to add when she didn't want to unleash a tidal wave of questions when Aure and Lily had catching up yet to do, and Opalia was essentially just companion and guard for now. I've never seen a forest like this, she remarked, tinged slightly with a hint of awe as she looked around, up and down beyond their small gathering, then swayed her slackened tail too. What's it like here? she asked, having to slip in at least something small since Lily appeared benign enough to humor her curiosities.

bleh reply sorry guys ;a; idk what i even typed but ofc i feel like this is turning into a botany thread lmfao-

It would be good of her to, in fact, take respite from all of this foraging to and seek out her own whelping settlement. There were many crevices in the sequoian hinters of Drageda to choose from; but she would have to find something vacant, it seems, to accomodate for Olive's arrival — and Verx's own visits, too. A bit of unease lingered in the pit of her stomach, and yet, it may have just been another quickening. Aure knew that with her delivery safe in Olive's paws, there was nothing to fear, even if complications should arise. She knew that Verx would visit, aversive of her or no, and there was nothing for her to worry of.

The truth, again, was that the skayona not well. Her heart was not well. However much she'd made up with dragost— her cheka, or hadn’t, it wasn’t the reason for her coming here. She hadn't arrived to lament of this ache of heavens-knows-what to the Shatki; and she'd rather convulse on poppies than turn to Opalia, a still-growing girl, of matters of her fragile heart. Maybe she had come here, in some part, to find a way to breathe through all the melancholy — and return to him realigned with herself, and soon.

But as she heard Opalia’s inquiries, her thin ears quivered with interest, and the silver soon returned to herself. How she felt at present — she told herself it mattered not. The kru came first, as it always had, always would. After all, she’d promised the blackbird and Blixen that she’d keep relations here nurtured, right?

”We once had willows, in my Rhaesuial. Never a grove such as Elysium’s, of course. Ze ones of our haven were quite shy, but a marvel, when they wished to be found.” A smile, faint but kindly, tugged at her scarred lips as she looked between the two she-wolves. ”I do wish there were some to be had upon ze cliffs this spring, but I may simply be wishing. I am still not all too familiar with, ah, ze coastal flora.”

It was a sentiment she'd heard expressed before, and Lily smiled to hear it. I was the same, having not seen them before, when I first found this place on a scouting mission, she explained, eyes lifting to the soon-to-be-green fronds. It's very peaceful. The wind through the willows makes this quiet sound--like whispers--and it brings along the salt from the sea with it, though not as pungent as on the coast.

Though perhaps Opalia was quite fond of that pungency. If she wasn't a transplant, she was a seawolf born and bred.

I get to live in the most beautiful place in the world with all my friends, she purred. It's wonderful. She had nodded at Aure's addition, herself not being familiar with coastal plants. She had only seen the ocean a handful of times, after all, the first less than a year ago. It was still as foreign to her as death.

Dirge. The name came unawares to her mind, as it sometimes did when she thought of the waves, and she swallowed, the light in her eyes dimming infinitesimally.

In all of her youthful inexperience, it was still difficult for her to fathom the wild depths of what could be beyond the cliffs. Born and raised right there, if she hadn't seen it herself, it was just up a fledgling imagination of the world entirely. Opalia, now given these true chances to see and feel more, could do nothing but soak it up. Her eyes roamed the limbs and trunks but vaguely enough, she nodded to both Aure and Lily; she was too young, born in the summer even, to remark greatly about coastal plants and how it differed. She knew them all in the autumn, then winter, so let the two more experienced wolves guide the conversation.

It was peaceful here, there was no arguing that, so she was busy taking that in. She had learned of her own peace at the cliffs too of course between the caves and the redwoods, but this, as she feels it newly for the first time, one is very different. Maybe that's because the sea isn't there.. she feels more landlocked, more secured away from.. well, everything there is.

last post from me!

If she noticed the dimming of Lily's eyes, she didn't let on. Perhaps it was the last of seasonal depression, perhaps it was a quickening of the womb, and perhaps it was something personal. She would not pry, but listen, if the blackbird ever needed an ear to talk into. But it was it a wry little smile that she added, "Perhaps I could give you something, to help with your den-making? Or a presence of moral support as you burrow?" The only thing rivaling her growing stores was her abysmal encouragement - or reprimanding.

For now, she took in the information given to the words on willows, and then, feeling that the two kru had lingered enough, "In any sense - Lily, would it be too much to ask my guardian and I of staying overnight? We'll be on our way in ze morning, although these willows would help us rest easy." Plus, it would do the herbalist good to check in with Olive, unless she was stalled by inquiries of insight and teachings.

The ghost of Dirge disappeared almost as soon as it emerged in her mind, and she was glad of it. Part of it she attributed to the Dragedans' presence here; it was always easy to keep the bad thoughts at bay with good company around. But. . .it was futile to think of him, anyway. Pups were coming. Khali's pups. Her pups.

Lily smirked. You could lend a paw, perhaps? she asked, raising her brows. I don't want to ask too much of you, of course; you're in the same predicament as I am. But some help might be nice. She cast her gaze toward Opalia, including the girl in this conversation, although she thought Opalia would rather not do boring manual labor on an exciting trip away from home.

Oh, goodness, of course you're welcome overnight, Lily responded to Aure's request, nodding quickly. Don't even worry about it. Like I said, you both are welcome anytime you like, however long you need to stay. It wasn't even a question. They were friends.

She listened, back and forth, and frankly soaked it up with a starstruck stare--although she tried to keep some stoicism on like a good guardian ought to. So they were going to stay? She was immediately warming up to this idea, and on her first sort of trip like this, too. In only knowing how life went at the cliff, seeing what it was like beneath the willows.. well, she'd be finding out, apparently.

She could help with this or that, and whatever else--especially when she was just glad to be busy, no matter what it was really, even if she still had to learn a lot. This helped, and she followed the lead of the older females to whatever they had in mind, a watchful set of eyes, all too eager to find a way to be involved somehow, in a way she could.