The Sentinels More than a lot

When Osprey was not actively looking for the safe place to deliver children or eating, she was resting. If weeks before she would have felt bad for being the lazy one, then now the exhaustion came on like a spell she could not fight with. A potent one too - feet heavy as lead and lids hard to being kept open. Therefore she did not resist for long, rather spending the last minutes of the awake time, seeking a comfortable spot to sleep at. 

On a perfectly sunny April afternoon, she had nested in the soft moss under a bush, lying on her side, eyes closed and her muzzle hidden between forepaws. Now and then her eye-lids would flicker, tail give an occasional wag and she would let out a muffled bark. The dreams were rarely unpleasant, rather a kaleidescope of several small, happy events, flickering and merging into a colorful image - a beautiful sight to see and feel. She froze, when one of the kids kicked her in the ribs and then the moment passed, she sighed and sprawled out in the soft bed she was sleeping at.

Mind if we double up and use this for rank things? :D If you want it to happen in timeline though we can start a new (or simply behind the scenes assume <3) and I can edit this

Dante had heard tell of Saena's visit, just by dint of being closely aligned with all who had met her, but was not sorry to have missed the encounter.  It may have been nice to see her after so long had passed, but their last parting had hardly been amicable (from what Dante remembered), and it was probably for the best he had been tied up elsewhere.

In speaking with @Lasher, however, other subjects had come up.  One that involved his mate rather directly, in fact.  This was why he sought her out, though he wasn't positive how she'd react to the offer he was going to make.  In this Osprey could be a pretty closed book - her views on rank and responsibility were one of those unpredictable things he had never really needed to sort out.

That was about to change, wasn't it?

She was sprawled out when he found her, and he approached slowly.  "Lazybones," he teased in greeting, grinning and coming in to bump his muzzle lightly against her side.  Her pregnancy had made her moods unpredictable at times, and they had argued a few times as a result.  But right now this matter was too important to worry about disturbing her, at least to his mind.

ooc: it's ok. We can bump this to the present timeline.

In the days that followed after the attack of the hungry insects that had stripped the lands of all of the greenery, nothing too big had yet happened. It was harder to find shade and shelter now that there were no trees or bushes to hide under, the small and big critters, that usually fed on grass and leaves, seemed to be more affected and desparate and though part of Osprey believed that this was a promise for plenty of cadavers in the future, the other sensed danger looming over their heads as a dark cloud. 

And the uncertainty of the days to come had tainted her joy of giving birth to her children in a weeks time, therefore she gladly escaped to the dream-land, where no such worries existed. She was woken up by a gentle touch on her side  and she blinked sleep away from her eyes, as she lifted her head up that much to see, who it was. "Well, hello, stranger," she greeted Dante, getting up to lie in a sphinx-like position and hear, what he was going to tell her.

ok!

it was still a shock to behold, all the empty land where once a lush forest thrived.  The sentinel trees still stood, of course, but all of the greenery that had lived above and below was replaced with dirt and empty sky.  It could have felt as though winter struck again, though there was no snow to hide the devastation or explain it.

Dante fought to remain positive despite the meaning in this; that food was scarce and the landscape bleak.  "I hear that Saena visited," he began conversationally, lowering himself as well.  "What do you think of Aria?"  He had not been given too many details of the conversation between Lasher and his niece, and hadn't wanted them.  But it seemed a natural segue since he had heard they departed together.

"Oh, she did," Osprey replied, recalling that after that she had not sought out Lasher to find out more about the problems her grand-niece had encountered and, what those two had agreed in terms of help and support. Though... given the situation now, when the land was barren and there were more troubles looming around the corner for all of them - she did not see a way, how could they help each other. "Long story short - her mate turned out to be a cheater, her pack got on bad terms with two neighbouring ones and they had to leave the place with little kids in tow,"  she was wondering, how the girl was doing now. Most likely she had found a way around the problems. She was a tough cookie after all. 

"Aria? So you have changed your mind and plan to marry her too?" she asked innocently. "Nice girl, ambitious one too, but I don't think that with the kids coming we will have a den spacious enough for all of us," she pretended to ponder about the practical matters, "and I couldn't stand the thought of any of you living outside. Especially, when it's raining."

omg I stayed out way later than I intended.  But I wanted to at least respond to this one <3

Dante nodded, though he didn't offer much by way of response to Saena's plight.  He was glad she was well and making her way from a rotten hand, but her troubles had little to do with their own now.    

He cracked a grin at Osprey's response, appreciating the teasing humor.  "Is that permission?  I could ask, if you are so set on it.  The den can be widened." The thought of the three of them was so wildly ridiculous that he could hardly keep a straight face as he said it, and it took a moment or two for him to get back on track.

"Really, though... Lasher is going to ask her to join him as alpha, since Blue no longer wants it." He watched, wondering when she would catch what came after.  "That means, if you want, you could claim her place." He had no idea of her ambitions anymore.  The responsibilities would perhaps tie her down some, and at one point it had seemed she disliked that notion.  But things changed.

"Go for it, handsome!" Osprey winked at him and then reached up to give him a peck on the cheek. It was a very good thing that her mate had a sense of humor and, what was more important, understood her jokes and did not take them personally. She wondered, what would Aria think, if she knew, what these two were discussing occasionally.

"It's high time I gave it a try, eh?" she asked him, smiling yet her tone was serious. "I think I have deserved to abuse the privileges of being the second most important person after alpha." Who knew, when the next pretty and ambitious girl came around - she might as well claim the spot for and indefinite time.

He laughed at her agreement, happy too that she knew and trusted him well enough to know he was joking.  A crazy idea for a mere confidence boost, though some would do it.  

"No arguments here," he said with a smile, taking amusement in her choice of second place (and the fact that he could, if he wanted, assume that meant he got third).  No arguments at all.  He was honestly rather pleased with that answer and his tail rose happily at the news.  "I think it suits you.  Someone has to keep the rabble like us in line."    He leaned in to give an affectionate nuzzle, obviously happy she's agreed, though he would have understood if not.  It was exciting to have her afforded the regard he had always held her in though.

"Do you really think I am able to keep anyone in line?" Osprey asked with a chuckle, looking first her mate in the eyes and then attempting to grab his muzzle in her jaws lightly and letting it go almost immediately. There wasn't much drama going on at Donnelaith usually, therefore the newly appointed beta did not expect to have too much of work.

"I might cause some trouble," she pretended to seriously contemplate this, "you know, to stir the things up a little. What do you think?" 

He pulled his muzzle back slightly, playfully avoiding (failing to avoid, really) her grab before responding with light and loving nips to her cheek.

"Sounds like a great idea, things have been far too quiet around here lately.  What did you have in mind?" He looked at her conspiratorially, as though it were the most normal thing in the world that she suggested.  A truly good idea.

Truthfully, a good harmless prank could be fun.  Even if he was terrible at such things, and even if he thought it likely she was moreso kidding.

"Ahm...." Osprey drawled, feeling caught off guard by her mate's readily given permission to cause mayhem. She had been teasing him for the sake of having fun, no serious thought behind intended. "Well, that's a pickle - I hadn't thought that far," she shrugged, looking at Dante expectantly, in case he had any good ideas. 

"I don't think that even if I tried to prank anyone, they would understand. I have a feeling that people here are quite serious," for their own good.

"Hmm."  He mused on it, never having had much experience with pranks himself.  His family hadn't had the sense of humor hers seemed to hold, at least from meeting Peregrine and hearing tell of others.  "I'd agree.  But laughter is the best medicine."  Not only did a prank require a method - it also required the perfect target.  And he was having trouble bringing anyone to mind.

"I suppose the best pranks can't be rushed, can they?"  He finally said, defeated in creativity.  Unless she had one, he was at a loss, which was alright.  Besides, once the kids came, they could always leverage that source.  Minions in pranks.  Yeah, that's exactly what children were for.

"I suppose they shouldn't," Osprey agreed, feeling a little disappointed in her lack of creativity in this matter. During her childhood... frankly speaking, she had always been the one to join a ready plan, adding some ideas to spice it up a little and helping in carrying it out. It struck her that Peregrine had been the one, who had a knack for jokes and harmless pranks.

"We can wait for the right timing then," she left it at that and yawned. "Now, I could kill for a good nap. So, I will shamelessly leave you to the leader-business, dear mister Beta," as she said this she reached up and gave a lick on Dante's cheek, then settled down, lying on her side, stretching her feet and arching her back. This felt really good. If Dante had something more to say, she would have one ear open. For a little while.