Stone Circle Sleep, pretty darlin’

Ragnar and Thistle had been stuff of legends and their relationship. Ah he loved and hated it. It had been all consuming and all bearing. They had loved each other of that there was no doubt, but his mother innately selfless and when it came to his father selfish to have what she could his father simply selfish and jealous. It had been heart breaking and sweet in equal measures.


Gunnar saw the ears and frowned in thought
How much would Skald understand. in my fathers culture it was considered okay to have more than one wife. And my father had another wife Nerian while he was married to my mother. She disappeared after father died. I don't know if she was pregnant or not.


Gunnar cleared his throat and looked down. Unsure how to broach this subject. For he had not not been Sanjas only liason and there was no telling if Skald and his siblings were his.

before i came back no. Skald did you know it is possible for wolves to have more than one father in a litter?

Gunnar shifted and closed his eyes. There is a possibility that you and your siblings could be mine. But no guarantee.[/i]

He wished he had broached this subject before now. But Sanja hadn't wanted male involvement not really. She had wanted to raise on her own.

Sanja wanted to raise you and your siblings on her own. But I came to Kvarsheim to be here regardless because I wanted you and them to know me if I was. I was fine with just being near. I hope you don't hate me for not speaking of it before now.

If his father had two wives, then had Gunnar grown up with two mothers, at least for a little while? This sort of arrangement had not occurred to him, though it did not chafe him at all. He did not judge simply because he was being told what was fact, and fact he could accept. The big takeaway from the situation was that perhaps Gunnar had half-siblings somewhere. It must have been sad to lose Nerian as well, in the wake of his father's death. He listened compassionately, learning as he did so. He wasn't sure if Gunnar carried his father's culture with him, and that he too would ever want two wives, but simply knowing it was a possibility was new, but something to consider. 

He wondered if one day, perhaps, Gunnar's half-siblings might show up, and know him as family. He hoped it might be so; more family always seemed like a more ideal situation. Perhaps they could make up for the long-lost years! 

Gunnar drew in a breath as though what he was going to say next was something he was reluctant to talk about. He was confused about litters having more than one father, from his very, very rudimentary knowledge of how children were even created. "I did not know," He admitted. But he wouldn't admit that he didn't know how litters were conceived at all, and was content to leave it at that as the whole conversation about that stuff made his skin want to crawl. 

It was hard for Skáld to read Gunnar's expression when he closed his eyes and spoke. He admitted something that took Skáld completely by surprise. What it implied was that perhaps, Sanja had had two husbands. He'd grown up thus far having absolutely zero clue as to who his father might be, but was encouraged now to know that not only did he have an idea, but that it was someone who was already in his life, perhaps the most fundamental part of it. "You...Might be?" He asked, tail waving. Of course- given the fact that Sanja did not possess the genetic trait that gave him his curly coat was a fairly strong indication that Gunnar might not be his father- but he liked the idea of it very much, nonetheless. 

Sanja had left. And it turned out now, that she'd kept his parentage a secret because she'd wanted to raise them on her own...Well, she'd barely done that. 

"She....Did not raise me." He said. "You did. You and Bjarna. We can say...Can we say, you are my father, then?" He asked tentatively.

Gunnar had chosen to stay away from Nerian. It had been his sister Gyda who had liked the small priestess. Gunnar had disliked that her presence made his mother cry. Gunnar was not built like his father, perhaps he had seen his mothers sadness to closely to do that to any woman.

Gunnar doubted any of his siblings were left alive. And if they were, they were far away.

Gunnar didn't know how many others there were. And he didn't care. It had been a personal choice of Sanja one that he had no say in. But what he did know was he'd take the boy anyday.

He smiled and nodded. Of course. But then that means you have little siblings coming.

i think this is set before babies, but taktuq is preggers.

Skáld felt safe, knowing Gunnar was content to simply claim the curly-coated boy as his own. Out of all the wolves he’d known, Gunnar had never come and left, like the others. 

Surprisingly, though, he would be having more children. Skáld canted his head. ”Who is the mother? Or…Other father?” After all, in Skáld’s earliest days he’d learned that fathers could give birth too. Ike had explained that to him.

Gunnar felt a small twinge of sadness when he knew someday probably sooner than he'd like. He would leave the boy, but not of his own volition.

Gunnar was struck speechless. Other father? Wel lhow would Skald have thought that. No it couldn't work then he remebered the wolf Ike was it? Or maybe ikes father?

Gunnar tilted his head. Men can't have children unless they are a special kind of man that was first a woman. That has female parts. They can adopt if two men who were born with men parts start a relationship and want children. But the other parent in this case is a female and it is Taktuq.

goodness i hopw that small description isnt offensive. If it is please let me know i will completely edit it out. I don't want to make it seem bad or anything :(

Skáld nodded, though he felt strongly that he might have learned things a bit differently. ”Ethan was a man,” He said. He’d noticed later on when he’d begun noticing the differing shapes of wolves that yes, Ethan had a different shape more like what belonged to a female- but he had insisted. ”So Ethan is Dad. To Ike,” He said, trailing off sadly. He missed his friend.

There was likely some history there too- Ethan and his family had left quite quickly. Skáld listened to the rest of Gunnar’s explanation, and all of it made sense. He was not sure for himself, of course, whether he would want a man or a woman to be his partner, someday…But he felt very much that he was a man.

His ears pricked at Taktuq’s name. ”Taktuq will be having babies!” He said, pleased. ”How soon?”

Gunnar nodded his head. Yes he was, he was a special man. And he was good. If nothing else Gunnar regretted that action. He had been surprised when Bjarna had sent the child from the packlands with pregnant belly. Ah Bjarna he missed her. Gunnar nodded. Yes he was

The older man nodded his head. She will yes. Probably a few weeks. Gunnar was new to this as well. He had only ever been around Sanja and his mother when they were pregnant and his memories of his mother were colored in a child's eyes and Sanja had been so secretive and silent, he couldn't remember her well either.

Skáld had pondered the departure of the small family, and wondered occasionally where they had gone. He wondered if he might find Ike again, come wintertime- so they might play the same games they had played when he had be a child…Though, perhaps by then, the both of them would be too old and self-conscious to even play.

Nevertheless, he did not ask more. He trusted Gunnar and his decisions whether or not Gunnar regretted them. 

He didn’t think to inquire about the relationship between Gunnar and Taktuq either- he’d seen so few partnerships that it hadn’t occurred to him that wolves would even be drawn together in such a way. He was more interested in the advent of having little siblings.

”How many? Will they be boys”

Gunnar didn't know where the family of Sanja had gone. Nor did he know where Bjarna was. The two little pups that had been here with Skald he couldn't even remember their faces anymore. So little when they had disappeared. He had wrongly assumed they had gone with Sanja only to find out this was not the case. But where they went and what happened he wasn't sure.

We won't know until they're born. My family has a lot of boys. So I imagine there will be more boys than girls. Both his mother's litter only had one girl each.

It seemed there was little to be known about the litter until it came. He pondered this, wishing there was some way to get answers to his questions all the while feeling fairly certain that puppies couldn’t be counted while still inside their mother. 

”I will be brother to all of them,” He assured Gunnar, so that he knew that all his children- no matter how many or what gender they were- would be loved by the growing boy.

[

Gunnar remembered the anticipation for his younger siblings. Though his memories were colored in shadows for it had been a strange time for him. And the circumstance of his birth had been unusual. He hoped Skald never felt that way. That he would know no matter his parentage he was loved, deeply.

Gunnar gave a soft chuckle. Good that's all I want is for you to love them and they love you.

Gunnar knew Skald would be a good brother, the best. He was a good boy growing into a good man and Gunnar was proud.

”What else can I do?” He asked, eagerly. Skáld could devote his time and love for the children, but children did not grow with kisses and kind words. He remembered so very little of his own youth, nor had he seen pups raised before, and so he now stood to learn the other things he could do to provide for the growing family.

He immediately thought of flowers- but was not sure they would be very helpful. His features fell slightly as he expected he would be told that food would be important. 

He would have to step up- and hone his hunting skills. But at least now, he had the motivation to do it.

Gunnar frowned in thought trying to remember how he had been raised. And what those sround him had done.

Puppies need to learn all sorts of things and one way they learn it is by playing. So you can plan games for thrm when they're a little older. You may even find onw that likes plants as you do. Fishing, stalking. They will have to have stuff to chew on like sticks and bones once their teeth begin to develop better.

Gunnar had no doubt that Skald would do anything he needed to for his younger siblings. And he had a feeling if he didn't know how to do something he'd ask forctheir sake. This was good.

Gunnar mentioned a list of activities, and Skáld listened. Their dietary necessities wasn’t mentioned, though Skáld knew that once they arrived, the kids would only nurse from their mother for so long- and then they would depend on the kindness of the pack to help feed them. 

He did like the idea of having a younger sibling to study plants with, though he felt he might need to start learning more, a bit more quickly, in order to seem at least somewhat skilled. 

Finding chew toys, however, seemed like something he could do. ”I think I know where to find some perfect sticks,” He said, then he paused. ”Are there any trees that would have a bad sap in them?”

Gunnar and Taktuq would take care of the children's dietary needs for awhile, but once they could eat meat perhaps it wouldn't hurt to have others help.

Gunnar had to think. His eyes glassy as he tried to remeber what his mom said. Cherry, Oak and Yew. Cherry has little red berries on it. Oak has pointier leaves and Yew is spiny leaves with very small red verries. I haven't seen many around here but there are oak.

looked up trees poisonous to dogs. There are a lot i just chose 3 ?