Heron Lake Plateau the talk™

Note: Set for 05/29/19

Rannoch stirred as sunshine began to trickle into their makeshift den. As he came to, Rannoch realized that he felt more exhausted than he had the night prior. The trip to visit their family had been strenuous both physically and mentally, and Rannoch focused most of his energy in keeping the family's spirits somewhat lifted—it was his duty as a husband and in-law.

Enjoying the momentary stillness, and taking a chance to himself,  Rannoch kept his gaze focused outside. The sun was rising, causing a delightful spectrum of pastels to brighten the morning sky. Although he wanted @Liffey to experience the sunrise with him, he knew she needed rest, and kept to himself for now.

Liffey wasn't sleeping. She was trying, as she had been trying each night since they arrived and learned the news of Wildfire's demise. Sometimes she succeeded, but it was a fitful, restless sleep, plagued with worry and anxiety and thoughts that simply wouldn't rest. So, when Rannoch stirred to watch the sunrise, Liffey knew, and after another fifteen minutes of attempting to sleep, she gave up and shifted beside him.

She dropped her head lightly upon his back with a yawn, her eyes bleary as she sought the few remaining stars in the sky so she could watch them fade out. She was quiet for a moment, letting her thoughts ruminate before allowing them to steal her voice and make themselves heard.

"What do you think of moving here?" Liffey asked without preamble, and also without any explanation of her reasons just yet.

In time, Liffey stirred as well and Rannoch re-directed his focus. "Mornin, beautiful," he greeted fondly, feeling her head rest upon his back. Liffey was quiet for a moment, and Rannoch anticipated her reply. When she did speak, she offered a concept that caught him off guard. 

Despite the abundance of thoughts that quickly filled the forefront of his mind, Rannoch was quick to reply. "I've always wanted us to be closer to your family," he revealed. "I think it'll be a good change for us, too," he wasn't sure how their children would take the news, and he hoped that they would settle quickly. 

Rannoch knew that this meant that he'd have to leave Terance behind, and that thought alone broke his heart. But he couldn't be selfish in a time like this; Liffey needed to be with her family now more than ever.

Rannoch took it surprisingly well, asking no questions about her reasons for wanting to make such a move and hopping right onboard with little hesitation. She peered sidelong at him a bit skeptical. Not that she believed he would mislead her, but more that she thought maybe she was just so exhausted she hadn't heard him right. His face told her she had though, so she didn't question it.

"I think they need us," Liffey added thoughtfully, her mind heading towards Eljay and his kids. She couldn't forget their faces when they had visited the Copse. She didn't ever want to see such looks on the faces of her own children. "I don't think the Copse could handle all of us, though. There are so many pups there already. But maybe Raven and Quixote would let us join them here. Rave has always been like a big sister to me, and I know I could never be Wildfire for her, but.. I just feel like this is where we need to be right now."

Liffey had once been repelled by the idea of staying with her family. She had once felt as though she didn't belong with them, and that there was a better place for her out in the world. Now that she had been out there, she knew better. With her family was the only place she had ever really belonged, and she wanted to be back with them now.

But...

"I know what I'm asking you to give up, though..." she added, guilt creeping into her tone.

Rannoch nodded in agreement, reflecting on the interactions they had experienced. The totality of the sister-packs was hurting, and Rannoch recognized the need for their residence. "I don't see Raven and Quixote having an issue with us staying," he replied; the plateau seemed barren in comparison to the last time that they had visited. "But just to make sure, we'll bring it up to them." 

When Liffey voiced her concern, Rannoch felt a sadness settle in his chest; he didn't want to have to say goodbye to Terance. "It's okay," he assured her, his voice softer. "This is what's best for our collective family."

Liffey saw the sadness flicker across her mate's face. She knew he was thinking of Terance, though she personally was thinking of his leadership role. Rannoch had worked too hard to fall back into a subordinate role. He was a king, fit to rule a kingdom. But she knew he wouldn't mind shelving his crown for her. And maybe there would be an opportunity to wear it once again, in the future.

Truthfully, the better answer might've been to convince the pack to relocate closer to her family. But one thought of Treason brought her back to reality on this front. That selfish woman would never allow it, and Terance would mindlessly follow whatever she willed. No, that was a pointless consideration, so Liffey kept it quiet. Happily, I might add, seeing as this move would also rid her of the bitch and spare her children from having to compete for resources with those lesser pups.

Liffey nuzzled Rannoch's cheek softly, incredibly grateful to have found such a selfless, sweet man to spend her life with. "When should we talk to them?" Liffey asked, seeing no point in continuing to debate a decision they both seemed confident in.

Rannoch leaned gently into Liffey's caress, forcing himself to suppress his dread for now. "Whenever they're awake, I suppose," he replied, seeing no reason for them to wait. "We can head back to the Hollow after we talk, and then come right back," Rannoch didn't foresee their visit to Lost Creek Hollow taking long, given the circumstances. 

"Maybe we can see if Quioxte and Raven want to meet for breakfast and then go from there?" he suggested, meeting his wife's gaze.

Liffey gave a gentle nod as she lifted her head from Rannoch's back. Breakfast sounded good, but they would need to hunt it. They often didn't have much luck in hunting together. Actually, they'd never once caught anything while hunting together before. Ever.

"You want to go hunt something for us and I'll track them down?" Liffey asked, thinking she might check in on her other siblings here if she had the time, assuming it might take Rannoch a bit to catch something.

Liffey devised a plan, and Rannoch nodded in reply. "Yeah, I can do that for us," he replied brightly; it'd be good for him to have some time to himself to digest their conversation. "You want to meet at the lake? I'm thinking that's the general area where I'll be," Liffey agreed, and their plan was set. 

Once on his paws, Rannoch leaned down to kiss Liffey's forehead. "I'll see you soon," he promised. Then, without another word, Rannoch turned from his wife and headed in the direction of the lake, feeling much more cumbersome than he had moments prior; Rannoch wasn't looking forward to returning to Lost Creek Hollow one last time.