Gyrfalcon's Keep 5,000,000,000 years

The girl commented on her arctiform body, ripe and ready for childbearing. How could she not? It was an undeniable fact, and honestly — Olive liked talking about. She was already a proud mother, proud of what she had created… proud of what she and Dakarai created. She wondered what they would be like, what their children would talk about and what they would skilled in. Olive harbored a sense of hope that they would become naturalists like she was and proficient storytellers like their father, and that they would not mince words and wouldn’t challenge their liturgy and unabated belief in the universe. With all these hopes, Olive welcomed any opportunity to think about the unabated joys of life, instead of the all-consuming tragedies that occurred so often.

“Yes,” she said simply, despite the intense feelings she felt within. Olive swung her head down to look upon her belly and smile. Then, she looked back up to Kalika and canted her head at the unknown word. 

“Nereides?” she questioned, having never heard that sound uttered before. It was clear that this was Kalika’s pack or family, but Olive thought she already knew of all the packs in the area — or lack thereof. There had been Donnelaith, but the forest burned; there had been Blackrock Depths, but their leadership failed; there was a new group situated on the cliffs though Olive knew relatively little about them (she had been adrift in the wilds since their appearance on the coast). But the Nereides? How had a new group immigrated, and she knew nothing about it? Hopefully Kalika would explain further, but for not Olive would continue to exchange their pleasantries. “Olive, of Teaghlaigh. We occupy the forest just northeast of here.” Olive signaled with a flick of her chin, for there was no use hiding their residence. Kalika likely had already detected the borders at some point [since they were so very close]. The bleeding treetops were easily visible from their elevation, too.