Moonspear for the realm

His attention shifted at the sound of her approach, any notion that he had ever been lost away in his thoughts gone without a trace. He offered her a smile, took note of the fact that today she seemed to carry herself better than she had in days past. Perhaps grief was a measurable thing, but what did he know? She was every bit as capable of putting on a show as he was, and he would not have been surprised if that was what she did today. The Queen was out, best have a brave face on and all that.

”Do they now?” he murmured, his gaze trailing face her face to the curve of her belly. He held it there gingerly, awash suddenly in a mix of emotions that he found he did not want. It was as though the realization that they would be here soon had come to him once again; he had hoped such a notion would have evicted itself by now. Instead the reality, the gravity of it all was jarring. Just as jarring to know that they were right there, so close and yet so far out of reach.

But Hydra was there and in the present, a more pressing matter.

Aware of such, he opted to hide his face away against her nape, a comforting gesture he could easily pass on. They had been apart however briefly; he could play pretend of missing her even as he found he really had. When he parted, he launched to the trivial quick and painless—he answered to her, after all.

”I'd ask how you are, but it seems you're holding together well. The borders are quiet for now, at least, though I can't say I've covered all of them. I wouldn't risk going far right now.” He was but one wolf, though he knew he was not alone in checking up on them. Jarilo had been lurking he thought, if not Arcturus as well. Maybe even the three-legged fellow, Nikai too, for all he knew.