Wild Berry Meadow we get it on most every night

It was bittersweet to leave even as he heard the hunting calls ring behind her — but Easy knew it was long past time for her to head home. She needed to see if her little Lights had gotten back safely, and if they'd turned around and gone right back out again. She needed to check in on her homebody children, too, and speak to Charms about her newest pregnancy. She had no doubt that her cousin would be pleased to welcome them — but it was only polite. If she didn't get a move on, there'd be just no time to prepare!

She moved swiftly now, a large, dark shape cutting through the yellowing vegetation. Crows took to the sky ahead of her, taunting and jeering in a language that was strange even amongst birds.

Easy ignored them, slowing anyhow as the scent of another wolf reached her nose. Social as she was, she spent a moment sniffing around before lifting her head to howl. It would be rude, she thought, not to at least offer a hello.

Milan had remained in the flatlands longer than she initially expected. They were quiet, and she was finding that benefited her.

She should have smelled the stranger, but the call reached her first. Milan paused, considering her options before returning with a howl of her own; it felt rude to ignore it.

When she did smell them however, she was immediately interested. The stranger was pregnant. Without thinking, the smaller wolf bee lined through the grass in search of them.

Once one got close enough, Easy was not a difficult wolf to find in such open landscapes. Tall as she was, she saw the grasses swishing long before the younger woman appeared. Thus, she had time to soften her stance just a little, not wanting her size to seem too intimidating to the stranger.

"Peace be," he said to the wolf when she appeared, her tail wheeling in welcome. Her nose twitched as she took in her scent. A loner, it seemed like. Small and quick, but with a sweet face. She reminded Easy of her littermate, Lavender — and that was all it took for her to take an immediate liking to the woman.

"Are you out here on your own?" she asked, curious about the stranger's circumstances.

What she found on the other end of the scent trail was an older woman far larger than herself. The dark coat reminded her of her father's line, for better or worse.

It was hard to ignore the familiar, prickling nerves in her chest. This woman seemed friendly enough, and that did something to help. I am. She responded.

She wasn't quite sure if the other was in the same boat. Milan couldn't hear any signs of others close by, but there were scents of strangers on her pelt. Are you a pack wolf? It seemed like the reasonable explanation.

Easy laughed at the question, thinking back over the many packs she'd lived with, and her time on her own, and her time on her mountain, and now...

"Sometimes," she replied, her tail whisking. "I'm on my way back to my family," she explained, sniffing delicately at the other wolf. "They're far from here — but I have a little more time."

She smelled healthy enough. Easy liked the look of her, and her soft sweet voice.

"My name is Easy," she told her. "What are you called?"

She must have been here visiting someone then, Milan supposed.

My name is Milan. She responded, offering a respectful nod. I used to live east in the valley, but it's been a while.. She trailed off, eyes moving in the direction of the mentioned territories.

But, there were more important things to question. You're pregnant, aren't you? It was pretty obvious between the scent and swollen belly. Is someone waiting for you at home?

Sorry, I know I'm being nosey. It was hard not to be - stranger or not, it was exciting.

A brilliant spark lit in Easy's orange eyes. "I was born there," she enthused, her tail spinning to find this commonality. She wondered what had caused Milan to leave — but perhaps that was not a conversation to have right off the bat.

Then again — it seemed Milan was just as curious about her.

"Yes, I'm pregnant," she replied with a laugh, though she didn't think that this had been what Milan was truly wondering. Sure enough, there came a follow-up. "My family. My children are even further east than the valley. But they're grown, now. My two youngest are just about yearlings."

No mate to speak of — but Easy had decided long ago that she didn't want one.

Not if it wasn't Aditya.

"Where is your family, Milan?" she asked, searching the woman's face for signs of distress.

Milan couldn't help but smile. It's a good place. I liked the pack who took me in there, they were good wolves. Bearclaw Valley had since moved on. Milan could still see what she gained from them, though. She was a good advisor now, and a better midwife. They had built her confidence too.

I dispersed from my family last year. It may have been longer now.. She wasn't quite sure. Milan had considered going back after Bearclaw Valley fell, but she knew better. No matter how she looked at it, her father had been a bad man. I'm not so sure where I'm going now.

Finding another pack was her best option, but Milan needed more than that. She needed another chance at building meaningful realtionships.

Easy considered pointing the woman back toward Dawnspear or Moonglow. But the former had plenty — too many, perhaps — young, eligible women, and Moonglow... Well. It would likely be a good place for Milan. But Easy was feeling selfish.

"Well, you should just come with me," she suggested. "The place I'm going isn't much different than the valley."

It was colder, actually, but Easy had never taken much notice with her thick pelt.

"It's called Round Valley," she explained, rising and setting off once more, as if this was a done deal. "We hunt elk and caribou. Bison, sometimes."

Lucky for Easy, Milan didn't take much convincing. Well, alright. She wasn't one for hunting such large prey, but she liked the old woman, and there were puppies on the way.

Milan followed without hesitation. It felt unusual to be so sure of something. My mother was a midwife, and she taught me. If you'll let me, I'll help you along the way. Travel had to be difficult when she was this far along.

Maybe she was being selfish too, because Milan couldn't help thinking that this would be good practice.

"A midwife!" Easy noted, as if this were a rare profession. It was among her own family, at least, if only because they were raised to prioritize other practices. But Easy could admire a healer, even if she would never encourage her children down that path.

It was good, then, that other wolves saw fit to learn.

"I hope I don't need it, but I'll be glad to know that someone with such skills is nearby," she agreed, her tail swishing peaceably as she thought. "Your mother, hm?" she asked, curious about the younger woman's family. "Have you seen many women through their pregnancies?"

Last year's dalliance had blasted as much. He'd been quite a sideshow attraction amongst the family for the time that he'd stayed with them. None, however, had left to join his traveling practice.

She was glad when her offer was accepted. Hopefully they could build the trust necessary for when the time came.

Just my own family, mostly. Her older cousin had been the first she had seen through; Nance was thouroughly against her children being born in the pack of Milan's father, reasonably so, but she had been in such bad shape near the end of that pregnancy. I'd like to have my own children someday, but it hasn't happened yet. She thought it would, the cards looked right, but it just hadn't worked out for her. She knew that it wasn't something she could do alone. 

You said you have children already? How many litters? Milan thought she should be envious, but she was never one to grovel in someone else's success.

That made good sense to Easy; more sense than the traveling physician role that Aureli had so proudly touted. She smiled in amusement thinking about the fussy younger man, but had no such judgements for Milan, who seemed a sweet but sensible sort.

"This will be my fifth litter," she told Milan, supposing only then that it was a rather impressive number. "Every woman should try it, if they have any mind for it," she encouraged the young woman. "The hard parts are fleeting — though some might say the hardest part is when they leave, and that can last a lifetime."

She stole a little glance at her new traveling companion.

"How many years have you seen?" she asked.

Fifth! She could hardly imagine it.

I've been unlucky in love, unfortunately. I'd like to have a mate to have them with - I just don't think I could do it alone. She had only been able to start looking for a partner after leaving her parents. If she had stuck around they would have found a man for her, but there was no romance in that. I guess I'm a bit stuck in tradition. Maybe it was the way she was raised, maybe she just wasn't brave enough to take the risk.

This will be my third year. She responded, only now realizing how much time had passed her by. I still have time. Did she? Milan still wanted to be young when she finally had the opportunity for children. Her mother had waited, and then her uterus collapsed after only two litters - the second being Milan alone.

That struck Easy. She opened her mouth to say that she had been as well, but then hesitated, wondering if that was true. In the end, she supposed that luck had little to do with her romantic history.

"I loved a handsome wanderer when I was your age," she told the girl. "And a long time afterward, too. My first two litters were by him — but I did do it mostly alone, and that was hard. I think I'm stronger for it now, but tradition is there for a reason."

She offered Milan a kind smile.

"I think if you really want it, you'll find a way to make it happen," she said. "You're still plenty young."

Milan imagined that it must have hurt to love someone so much, have their children, and still raise them alone. To be able to do that twice and keep going, she knew Easy was stronger than her. Maybe she would absorb some of that strength from hanging around her.

I hope you're right. She responded, returning her smile. Sooner or later she would figure it out, she had to.

But for now, she had a distraction. A new friend, someone to attend to, and puppies to look forward to - even if they weren't her own.

Did you want to fade out here and we can start a new thread?