Redtail Rise an acrostic

the whelping den's half done. she lingers upon the treeline, the forested area of the rise where the plains are cloaked in trees—but not enough to ascend into the mountains. hunting small game when she can, and checking their caches.

she's pregnant again. she knows it for sure now.

the ruddy wolf eats snow from the banks, seeking moisture. the stream isn't frozen over but still flows; still, she finds some comfort in the ice upon her tongue. she's grown so warm. . .

it's all normal. just like last time. she hears squirrels in the trees, far off, and licks her lips.

just a matter of catching them by surprise.

With the stream open and waters cold, the fish had become sluggish. They hid often beneath shelves of ice or by dark brown stones, but every now and again the current would set them drifting from their shelter. Their silverish sheen betrayed them- and Lilia had been drinking, with no intention of fishing, when she saw one drift from the darkness. She plunged into the cold waters and snagged the rainbow trout before it could dart away- even the attempts it made to bat at her face with tis tail were beleaguered and slow. 

Still, she considered it an excellent meal; it was over a foot and a half long, and thick through the middle. Its sides were streaked with crimson, and speckled with bits of blue and black. 

She was vaguely aware of the fact that Avicus was pregnant. She believed Prophet to be the father, not realizing that she had formed a relationship with the Haeland as well. Lilia didn't know what to think about having younger siblings; she wondered if they might be valued more by her father, and by Avicus, because they were of their blood. Part of her resented them for the attention they would get- but part of her fiercely wanted for the children to look up to her, as well. 

She figured nurturing them would be the best way to maintain her standings, so she brought the hefty fish to where Avicus' den was. She wuffed softly, and approached with a bowed head and lowered tail; deference offered not only for her leader, but for a woman who was bearing children.

Lilia came with fish abundant in her jaws. Avicus grins to see it, nods her head even as she is distracted, and begins to tug at the scaled being, trying to take the mass away from the girl.

goodh, she remarks, eyes creasing in a smile.

Lilia will yield. Avicus is pregnant. she needs the meat. she only yanks slowly, tongue yearning to swipe across her jowls, to catch the salt.

She released the fish when Avicus took hold of it, rather than letting it fall on the ground and get dirty. She could tell that the Wealda was pleased, so she took that as a sign perhaps her company might be tolerated for a bit, in exchange for the gift. Aside from that- she came bearing news. 

"I followed up with Thapphique," She stated. The news of the bear's presence had already been reported- but her meeting with one of the pack's leaders had shed new light on the situation. "They'uh in wough shape."

she's beginning to eat when Lilia speaks again, and her head raises, indigo eyes trained upon the girl and her words, confused and concerned.

rough? she replies, cocking her head. how?

fish scales are stuck against her tongue and teeth; she swipes them away, straightening and looking in the direction of their ally. who'd refused to help.

and now things were bad.

maybe they had been before.

*cackles* have to keep this somewhat vague because I don't know yet how much info she'll get from Sapphique XD

The messenger was impartial, despite the unfortunate news she had to bear. She'd keep herself neutral, until she knew how Avicus might receive the news of the other pack's misfortunes, though she secretly felt very little remorse. It was another pack- and her former beau? He'd ghosted her after she'd been kind enough to rescue him off a mountain, and keep him fed and warm for a night. 

"Th'cauthe of that bear attack," She said. "I gave'um thpathe when they told me there wath a wolf-killuh, but there were like...Five wolvth that were jutht runnin' away," She said. Of course, that was what she'd witnessed, anyway. "Tho I went back later, to thee for mythelf. Pack'th thtill there, but I think they lotht a couple wolvth." She said.

Avicus froze upon Lilia's report. bear.

and if the bear were there;

it could come here. 

soon.

her father's ghost, come to haunt.

she sucks in a breath. where bear? she asks, summoning calm. if Sapphique had suffered, it isn't her business. only that her pack is safe now. gone?

She nodded. 

"Gone, I'd thay." She greed. "Not much thent left in the area, or in a tholid kilometer radiuth of our pack." She said. Of course, the bear could always come back- "I only caught one whiff of it- an' it was bloody an' it threw up, tho it muth've been hurtin'." The Sapphique wolves had chased it off, at least for now. 

She glanced to Avicus, having given her report. "Tho....Whenya babieth comin'?" She asked.

her panic faded, gradually, at the news. 

still, she will remain vigilant for bears—her father's shade?—near her territory.

they don't need that.

she gives a weary shrug at Lilia's question. dunno, she replies laconically, glancing at her widening flanks. when i gehh' big, an' 'hhey pop ouhh'.

she didn't know much more than that. all she remembered was that she reached maximum capacity, laid down, endured pain, and then birthed her three current pups.

and oh, how fine they had grown!

How did she not know?? Lilia's mouth pulled into a frown which intensified greatly as Avicus described the birthing process. "They won't jutht burtht out of you, though?" She said, slightly horrified with that idea. She felt a bit concerned at the idea of it all, though Avicus didn't really seem to care much, so long as she was being fed. 

She wasn't sure she liked the idea of having kids, herself. Not if they made her get as fat as Avicus was, before popping out of her somehow. "D'you know what yuh gonna name 'em?"

Lilia's question surprises a very rare laugh from her maw. she quiets herself almost immediately, shaking her head, eyes still full of mirth.

kindha, yeah, Avicus replies. did she. . .not know? well, she supposes she hadn't known, before—

you lay down an' 'hhey come out from where you. . .poop. kindha. not really 'hhough.

as far as names. . .

nah. Prophehh' will name 'em. she's never been good with the names. her own trio have taken monikers far different than the simplistic labels she had attributed them.

Lilia's ears pulled back, tightening the skin on her face and pulling the corners of her eyes back. Her blue eyes, themselves, crossed slightly when she heard how the puppies emerged. It was disgusting! Had she come out of her mother's butt- or somewhere close to it? She was lightly confused, but she didn't want to ask for any more details. She wanted to know the truth- but she also did not want to know the truth at all and furthermore, she didn't want to seem like she knew nothing at all. 

Knowing nothing at all had been better ten seconds ago. She imagined knowing more would only get worse. 

Her features relaxed at the mention of Prophet's name, and she huffed slightly. It made her proud to know that Prophet had sired Avicus' next litter, and that he would be naming them as well. "He'th a vewy ektheptional Dad," She said, warmly. "An' tho'th Augur. I been....Kinda lucky I ended up here," She said, sounding somewhat surprised. She could barely recall it, now, but she could still remember the despair she'd felt when she'd had nowhere to turn, and no one to help her. She remembered the feeling of weakness, and starvation. 

"Thankth," She blurted, thoughtfully. She wasn't sure she said that word enough...If at all. "If you hadn'a let Prophet bring me in...I woulda thtarved."

her features grow soft and warm as she looks at the girl. 'thanks' had never been needed; they'd taken her in without looking back, and Lilia had proven herself more than adequately. and Prophet was—is—obviously fond of the girl.

goodh'uh have you, Avicus replies, a faint smile gracing her lips. Lilia.

the name is a little clumsy upon her mangled tongue, but still audible. and it doesn't matter, anyhow. they share a speech impediment; they are both fierce.

they are mother and daughter in all but blood.