follow the echoes

Once more Ragnar’s lack of knowledge on his infants’ development was exposed to Thistle though the Viking didn’t mind because it wasn’t as if it could be helped. He might have been older than Thistle, more experienced than his fawn colored Shieldmaiden but this …they were exploring together though so far Ragnar realized and recognized that Thistle was much better at it than he. Perhaps it had something to do with the fact that she had actually carried and given birth to the children, maybe, the Viking considered, her body was telling her things that his simply couldn’t. “They will be two months when they are weaned?” It was less of a question and more of a rumbling statement of confirmation. In that case, Thistle had some time to go before she could truly be free of the den for long periods of time without having to come back for feeding, but at least after the Rites were performed she would be able to get out of the den and could leave the children in Julooke or Gavriil’s care for a period of time. While they were on the topic of children Ragnar inquired, “Do you think you will be ready in your next heat cycle to have more children?” her body would be and Ragnar desired to have lots of children but he understood that wasn’t a choice he could make for her; and was only as good as if Pump gave them permission but Ragnar knew that he might not be able to stop himself if she was in heat around him. He had done a very piss poor job of stopping himself the first time and they hadn’t even been mates back then.

At least next time they would be a little better prepared and could enlist the assistance of their three children already to help in rearing the newest ones, both as their duty as older siblings and to teach them about infants in the hopes that it would better prepare them for their futures as parents so they did not have to stumble so much as Ragnar and Thistle did.

The noise that left his wife’s mouth as she chewed a small chunk of the venison he had presented to her caused him to grin at the lovely sound, studying her with savage passion and feral love in his eyes. Fierce and unyielding. It was a unusual thing how something so simple could seem to give her so much joy (as Ragnar assumed) but also her joy was infectious. It reached out to grasp the Viking in it’s warm embrace until he felt joy just because she did; and perplexed Ragnar if only because he wasn’t sure what to make of it — feeling things because she felt them. Perhaps it was apart of the couples’ experience though he doubted that if only because he had never felt anything his previous wives had felt before; or maybe it meant that some deeper force was at work.

“I have been using it more with others, too,” Even though Ragnar understood that the chances of any of the other wolves understanding it was extremely slim. He had began to use it more for the sake of his children so they might know both languages fluently as he did, but he was also giving Thistle and Julooke lessons in it, as well. “It means,” Ragnar gave a pause here, lowering his muzzle towards her ear so he might whisper it’s meaning lowly so only she could hear it to enhance the effect of his words and because it left the clever Viking feeling conspiratorial by calling Thistle a title that by all claims technically belonged to Pump. “my queen.” He pulled back then, shifting his weight on his haunches slightly, leveling his stare at her so he might see her reaction.

Pretty much what I feel happens every time Ragnar comes home injured :P