Moonspear morning sickness, xyz

All welcome!

If there had been any doubt before now, it was gone.

Her belly had dropped but a measure; none but those with a keen enough eye would recognize this (the near-entirety of her family). Her desire for food had spiked; she was insatiable, and her hunger seemed endless. She suffered bouts of morning sickness, but that seemed to be dwindling as of late, a fortuitous thing. This morning, however, it presented itself to her again moments after she roused. She could not find it in herself to be miserable by the whole ordeal—in fact, she took it as a sign of strength.

With a sigh, she pushed herself to a seated position and gazed down upon her belly. Within grew little warriors; the mountains next generation of strong and capable wolves. She—with the help of Dirge—had done this, and to think of what was to come made her proud. Now shifting to a stand, Hydra looked around her with a cursory sniff. Dirge was likely fetching her something to eat, but perhaps she ought to find him so together they could bring down larger fare...

Why not both, though?

In the meantime, Hydra would not grow soft; she wanted to find out what her body was capable of doing in the times of its change, and would test herself.

ignore or come, up to you!! He's not trespassing <3 so this can be a cameo

Gannet had found happiness he had never dreamed of in Lost Creek Hollow, raising Ashlar with Mona and learning the trade of healing. He had grown immensely, but in that time, something still weighed on him.

It did not suit him to carry burdens, and he wished to shed this one. So this afternoon found him standing on the mountain verge, staring at the side with his muzzle poised. He loosed a friendly howl, a question. If Hydra was there, perhaps she'd come? This time his hopes were not too high; if she didn't, he would simply depart. But it would be good to see his friend once more.

The voice was a familiar one, though it was not one she had thought to hear here ever again. Her imagination was not so clever as to conjure his voice to such accuracy, and so Hydra was given pause as she contemplated her next course of action. Gannet had left, and when he had returned she was the last to know—she had thought them better friends than that. Who he ran with she did not know, and as she stood there, debating, she wondered if she wanted to know at all. 

Yes, she did. Of course she did. Knowledge was power, after all. 

It did not take her too long to arrive, though she had not been in any particular rush. With expert ease did Hydra descend the mountains lower ridges to meet him, until at last she stood in front of him with an assessing eye. He looked well, frustratingly enough. She had almost hoped to see him here with jutting ribs and nutrient deficient, helpless on his own... but he had found a pack out there, she could smell a number of wolves upon him, and one in particular caused her nausea to return (though she could not yet place it). 

Gannet, she greeted, I did not think I would ever see you again. Her features did not display whether she was pleased by being wrong, or otherwise—she herself was not so certain, herself, how she felt.

It didn't matter how she approached; as she descended swiftly and surely to meet him, it was clear that Gannet was immensely pleased to see her. His eyes shone and a huge smile lit up his face, and he greeted her with a happy exclamation. Hydra!

He'd promised he would, but he supposed he couldn't blame her for thinking he had lied. It had taken a long time. I stayed with Whip a while, and then until spring with the Hollow. he answered, guileless as always. He found no reason to lie to her or to hide anything; it didn't occur to him yet she might be upset he hadn't returned to live with them, just as Charon had been.

He explained himself; the way he phrased it, she imagined he was no longer with them. But the Hollow rang a bell, and she remembered as she sifted through her memory why. Does Terance still lead? she wondered, interested in his wellbeing. They had made amends, at least. And now that he was here... are you here to stay? she could not withhold the optimistic twitch of her tail.

Gannet nodded. Terance still led in part, but not completely. With Treason and Rannoch. he added. Her second question was a fairly easy one to answer also, and again, he felt as usual it was good to be upfront.

No. I have family there now, he said, smiling as he thought of Ashlar and Mona. I'm learning to heal, and to teach. And to help. He felt more fulfilled than he ever had before, and it rested in him with a quiet assurance.

Treason... that was not a name she had heard of. And Rannoch... I thought Rannoch had been terribly injured, she started, and then, and that Terance led the Hollow? She pondered this, then, Treason? A good name, and what Rannoch deserved—

He had family. Ah. Well, that explained that. He should have just come back here, but he got himself mixed up in what he did. He didn't seem unhappy, though. Maybe someday he would understand the pain he caused her by doing as he had. Ah, Hydra responded, acknowledging his words without really doing so. She could not lie to him and pretend to be chipper over what she perceived to be abandonment, but neither was she miserable with the path he took. Life happened before he could return to her. Maybe that was it. 

Hydra shifted her weight. Well, I may soon enough have my own family here, too, she allowed herself to say, curious if he cared at all himself.

Gannet didn't recall any of that - it had all happened before he joined. So he just shook his head. Rannoch and Terance lead. With Treason of course, but he'd already said that.

She did not seem excited for him, and once again he deflated some, reminded of Liffey's response. So far, not a single friend had shown enthusiasm for the path he was so happy to be walking now, and it hurt more than he would ever let on.

Well, that did not mean he could not be happy for her. He smiled as she spoke of a family of her own, genuinely pleased to hear it. You're having pups?! he asked. When!? He had no doubt she would make a great mom, and that the mountain would provide for them. If he'd learned one thing while there, it was that they looked after their own. He'd just never felt like one of them to any but one.

Hydra would have felt guilty for his deflating, had he joined a band any other than the one he had. But how was she supposed to feel happy that he went to join the fold of the wolf she detested the most? Did the woman have any redeemable qualities? She was as selfish as they came. Somehow, Gannet still did not realize that—and though Liffey did not lead then, it was still the founding principle of their leaving at all. It was still her thoughts. Still, Hydra was not a woman without mercy. She lifted her head a measure and admitted, It is only that I had wished you could find your family here someday that I react as I do, Gannet. You had always been a dear friend to me. I am envious, and sad, to not share with you our journeys, her ears flattened atop her crown as it all came out at once, and she was shocked to feel a great and overwhelming sadness overcome her—

The hormones overtook her for a moment as she fell into the emotion that she had always been able to push away swiftly. It did not leave so quickly this time, and Hydra herself was an open book for once. Hydra did not understand it at all, and she shook her head, horrified with herself, but finding no regret in her at present. It was selfish, even she understood that much, though at least now he might understand. In her way, she was happy for him; simply disappointed, at present, that she was not the one to witness the happiness and the life he had found. Will you tell me about them? she inquired, voice soft and imbued with sadness. 

Hydra responded to his other question with a watery smile, still solemn from her admission. The hormonal coup had yet to be beaten back, and she was unaware, entirely, of what transpired that was well beyond her control. My mother tells me it should be some time, but that you can sense it with your nose that the change has begun, she informed readily.

She read his expression easily enough, of course - he had never known the point nor the practice of wearing a mask. His shoulders dropped as she said what she did, though he also felt that old familiar warmth of affection light in him for her. She was still his best friend, and no amount of distance would change that. He took a step forward and, if she didn't move to avoid it, pressed his forehead lightly to the side of her neck. You're family isn't mine, but you are. he said, and the last words came out firm and warm. We always share. It didn't matter if those journeys didn't cross, that didn't mean she wasn't walking with him.

He brightened gratefully as she asked, and accepted the olive branch enthusiastically. He got to talk about them so infrequently, but he loved sharing, and he couldn't wait to hear of hers as well. Mona, and Ashlar. He didn't have a father, so now I am. Gannet's tail lifted proudly, and he stepped back to give her room once more. He is always learning, and he is happy. The wonder that pups always saw the world with was Gannet's favorite thing about them.

He couldn't believe that she was going to be a mom as well, and he knew from his time there that any pups she had would never want for family. They would be happy as well. I'm glad. They'll be happy too. He said, clearly thrilled for her.

Hydra warmed at his words, bittersweet though they were, still overcome by her morose mood. Perhaps one day we all can be, she could not help but hope aloud. When the dust settled. Who knew how long it would take? But Hydra held onto the idea, and smiled. Perhaps one day he would return to her, her idea in tow. She leaned into his companionable touch, sighing into it; she had missed her friend dearly. We always share, he said. We should not take so long to, she rejoined with a snort. 

That he did not have a father did not concern Hydra in that Gannet had stepped in; she assumed that only death would keep a father from their children, and did not stop to think that Gannet would not care whether or not they were a bastard or not. All Hydra knew was that Gannet was a good wolf; Mona was lucky. Ashlar, too. I demand when you all can travel that someday, you visit me. I would like to meet your son, and Mona, too, she decided, quick to adopt the idea that someday her thoughts would come to fruition. 

Abandoned by his friends, all but her anyway, and forgotten by the family that had run with him, once—well, not her. Family is welcome to visit, she hummed with a bright look, and thought to call him, dear cousin. Her sadness broke to happiness, and a sappy grin took over her features.

He didn't understand because to him they still were. They'd never stopped. It was not worth arguing, though. He agreed with the second point whole heartedly.

Especially when she was happy for him! Were he not Gannet he might have cried to hear her say what she did, but he was, so he simply beamed. I'll bring them. Ashlar should see mountains. The Moonspear was a proper peak, too, impressive to look at. He wanted his son to see so many things and meet so many, so that he would know too what family meant. So that he would never be alone.

He was held to silence on the last words, though, because he had nothing to say to them. For so long he had yearned, while he was here, to be recognized beyond Redhawk. Charon had never given him that, and while Hydra always had, hearing her acknowledge it with words meant the world to him. There was nothing he needed to say.

Finally he thought of something, outside of what was already said. She wouldn't know, he had not spoken with her in so long. I'm learning to heal, he said, looking at her with, if possible, newly minted affection in his silver eyes. If you ever need, call. He would come if he was able.