Golden Glade Coincidence?

@Heartha heh sorry this is late. I'm looking forward to this though :D This ended up being forward dated due to some unforseen circumstances. New start date: August 22nd

Aspen nosed her way out o the tunnels venturing into the light once again. She had still had a few off days where she was feeling a little sick but at least it hadn't been as bad as those two weeks prior to this. She yawned and began to trail through the trees. She was a woman on a mission. She wanted to find Heartha and speak to her, ask her if she had any idea what could have made Aspen feel sick during those weeks. Or perhaps just to talk. 

Aspen let out a howl calling for her and she paused in the small clearing where she had first met Shalon and clambered up onto the rock that lay in its midst. After this talk she would get on with her scent marking. Right now though Aspen had deemed this slightly more important. She wasn't sure if Heartha would be able to give her the answers she needed but there was no harm in trying. 

So there she lay in the sun patiently waiting her tail tucked neatly around her haunches.

Heartha was alerted by the call, and headed over, using her nose to track down the scent of her queen. She wasn't sure what to make of the call, as this was the first time Aspen called her. She didn't know if it were for a nice chat, or something immediate. But with recent events, she was very, very afraid.

Once she arrived, she found her queen upon a rock. The older female stayed on the ground, looking up with a plain expression. "What is it that you need, my queen?" Her eyes were expectant as she waited an answer, her gaze looking over the queen.

Aspen smiled slightly as Heartha came quickly into the clearing and Aspen jumped down to greet her. "I wanted to ask you something..."

Aspen paused for a moment to gather her thoughts before speaking again. "Im not sure if you can answer this but I want to ask anyways. You see, a week or so ago I was waking up feeling very ill and not being able to do much of anything. It would ease off a bit during the day but by that point I was utterly drained and slept. I was not able to do my duty as Alpha and to be honest that frustrated me. I was wondering if you might have any idea what could have made me so sick..." she trailed off glancing around the clearing for a moment before letting her soft gaze return to that of heartha. 

Aspen was sure it couldn't be anything major....right? She was fine now but she wanted to know if it was something she could avoid in future.

Heartha was quite surprised by how she started. She wasn't good at the medical side of things as of yet. Though to her, it sounded like some kind of stomach flu. Or something else that came to mind. Pregnancy. She lingered on the first thought for it meant many things before skipping ahead. 

"Have you eaten anything bad?" she asked, trying to figure it out. "Anything at all?" She wanted to be sure first before going on ahead to the other option of pregnancy, which she was starting to think was the most probable more and more.

Aspen shifted back and forth on her front paws and her ears twitched as Heartha asked if she had eaten anything bad. Aspen gave a shake of her head. "I don't believe so...even if I had would that have made me sick for longer than a few days?" Aspen asked with a slight tilt to her head.

 Aspen knew Heartha might not be the right wolf to ask but aspen didn't really know of ask any other wolves that were in the court as of yet. 

The fact that it was so long was what worried Aspen, she couldn't help but wander through the wide range of possibilities.  Surely there was something she was missing here..

gahh my posts are so short....sorry they are from my phone x.x

The answer was a no. So that led to her second suspicion. And she wore a smile as she spoke, thinking it to be a good thing. "Aspen, I'm not sure how you will take this...but you may be pregnant..." She paused for a little, remembering what happened. She couldn't let it faze Aspen. She couldn't let her know. "Did you have a heat recently? And do it with Charley?" It was the only thing that seemed right. It had to be it.

Aspens eyes widened at Heartha's next words and she had to take a moment to process them. Pregnant....no....no way....that wasn't possible. "Uh. ..I was in heat....about 3 or 4 weeks ago....and yeah Charley and I did...mate..." Aspen trailed off. 

"That...that can't be it Heartha...I can't be pregnant..." Aspen said pausing every few words. She was still in utter disbelief the words repeating over in her head...

Heartha was not confused at all by her response. Having been a den mother, she knew very well that some mothers were worried about giving birth to a litter of pups. She did her best to encourage them that it was a good thing. She just hoped to god that she did not have some of her own.

"You should be happy about this! Another generation for the pack, children for the pack! Why not rejoice?!" Her tail started to wag at the possible news, her ears perked up.

Aspen let the thoughts mull over in her head more and more. The word pregnant on repeat. The idea began to seem more and more realistic the more Aspen thought about it. It explained everything she had been dealing with the past few weeks. From the sickness to the weight... though she wasn't quite ready to admit it. 

" I - I don't know Heartha, isn't there anything else it could be..." she stated looking a bit desperate at this point and in complete denial that this was even a possibility. Sure she didn't hate the idea that she could be pregnant. She did want to be a mother. Very much so. This was just....slightly unexpected. Though really it shouldn't surprise her, she mated with Charley. 

Heartha was right in saying that A new generation of RFC wolves was something to get excited over but for some reason Aspen wasn't excited. Instead her mind filled with all the possibilities of things that could possibly go wrong. If Heartha was right.....it wouldn't be too long now and Aspen wasn't sure she was ready. 

"If you're right...." Aspen let the words trail off her tongue as another thought came into her mind. A memory of her childhood and the way that she was raised. She knew that she wouldn't want to raise puppies like that but did Aspen even have the qualifications to raise puppies....no one had taught her really anything. "What...what if I am not ready Heartha? What if I don't make a good mother," she said beginning to look rather worried.

Heartha's face fell, her ears flopping down. This was a bigger case than she first thought. Aspen went on, and Heartha couldn't help but feel more and more down. "Aspen...I don't know what else this could be. I can see why you would be upset over this. But I am sure, you would be joyous about this. perhaps even Charley would when you tell him...you will tell him, right?" To keep something like this from her mate, she could never dream of keeping something so precious, so grand away from him.

"That's why I'm here" she said in reply to Aspen's worry of being a bad mother. "I will be with you every step of this journey, and will help to raise them in any way I can. I swear it." She gave a comforting nudge to Aspen's shoulder, then stepped back after.

Aspen could see the dissapointment in Heartha's face.  She began to speak saying that surely Aspen should be excited that she could be having puppies though she would understand why she might be upset. Aspen spoke up for a minute "No no....I'm not neccesarily upset about this Heartha. I do want puppies. It was something I had always dreamed of. I just....I'm just surprised and I guess I'm in sort of denial mode right now," she stated and let Heartha continue. Heartha went on to talk about telling Charley.  

Aspen nodded quickly. "Of course I'm going to tell Charley! I need to find the right time but I'm sure he will be happy but probably as surprised as I am. I promise, if this is true. I will be more excited when they are actually here than I am right now. It's just....surreal I guess," Aspen stated a rather neutral calm gaze returning to her maw. The thoughts were not so daunting right now and perhaps she would start to accept the potential reality soon but right now she just needed to think.

Aspen nodded when Heartha spoke once more stating that that was why she was here and that she was going to help Aspen every step of the way. The fact that this wolf had sworn to that Aspen knew she had done the right thing accepting the fae into their rankings.  "Thank you.....I just, I don't want to end up like my parents. I mean I wouldn't let that happen but I still worry I would mess up somehow...It's nice to know that I'm not going to be alone through this, that should I need something the help will be there. I truly do appreciate that Heartha," Aspen said with a warm smile and she dipped her head slightly in thanks as Heartha gave the silver fae a reassuring nudge. Aspen took a deep breathe and she felt herself relax. Perhaps a change of topic was needed. 

"So what's been new with you it's been a while since I've talked to most of you guys since I been...well sick," she mused.

Heartha sighed with relief. To know there would be another generation coming up, and that she would help protect that generation and teach them so many things. "That's good to hear." And she was even more excited to hear that Aspen would tell Charley about the pregnancy. Her tail started wagging.

"He would be overjoyed, I'm sure." To know that she would be helping with the Alpha pair's litter, it was a great priviledge for her. "You will be a great mother. I assure you that you will be a great one."

She froze. "I..." She felt the urge to tell. To let it all out. But that would be against Charley's word. She'd already gone against it once without him knowing. "Well, I haven't been doing too much. I have begun training myself to become a medic for the pack."

Aspen nodded when Heartha stated it was good to hear she had every intention of telling charley the news as soon as she was sure. The next week or so would prove whether or not Heartha was right in saying that Aspen was in fact pregnant with Charleys puppies or if it really had just been some flu. 

Aspen let out a breathe she didn't even know she was holding as Heartha seemed to have faith in her ability to mother a litter. At least there was hope, and Aspen had no doubt that if she needed advice, Heartha would be someone to talk to having been through it before. 

After Aspens question Heartha seemed to tense, which confused Aspen but the queen did not act on her thoughts because Heartha seemed to brush whatever it was off and proceed to explain she had been training herself to become a medical for the pack. " Medic trade is an important one for a pack to have, I am glad to see you taking the interest and pursuing it. I don't think I could trust myself to remember all the different herbs and what they do, I would end up getting confused and messing up somehow," Aspen mentioned with a small chuckle. Twas true, knowing her she would end up messing up and probably doing more harm than good. She was better off leaving that trade to a different wolf and leave herself to pursue the mercenary and counselor ones. Since they were much better suited to her. 

Aspen pondered for a moment before asking a question both relating to the trade side of things and the pregnancy discussion they had had. " So, if what you say is true, and I am having puppies, are there any herbs or anything I should know about? Like stuff I can take to help should I need it or something?"

Heartha shared her little chuckle, though she still had a nervous touch to it. It was bugging her, eating away at her. That she had let it all happen. And now she was before the mate of the one she did it with. It was only a matter of time before it would be revealed whether or not anything came of it. 

"It can be confusing. I've forgotten a little, but I'm sure it will come back to me." The mention of medical trade brought her back to something she should have discussed already. But before she could bring it up, Aspen went on after a pause between them. "I know a few, and can get them for you at anytime."

"I forgot to tell Charley or you about this, but when I went out to learn the trade, I came across a pack. I mentioned I was part of one, but said nothing more about where...The one I spoke with was the alpha, and she didn't seem to happy about it." It was something that needed to be addressed, as it could affect them in the future if any of their pack ever came near Silver Creek.

Aspen's ears twitched as Heartha mentioned knowing a few herbs and stating that should the queen need them she would be able to get them to her. "I appreciate that Heartha," the silver fae stated with a warm smile. Though what Heartha said next came as a surprised to the queen.

Heartha spoke of another pack one whom she had come across while out to train, the alpha had not been very welcoming to the news of another pack in the area. "Where abouts was this pack?" Aspen asked her head tilted. If this pack was nearby perhaps it was in the Queens best interest to pay them a visit and speak with them. Proving no threat to their society so long as the wolves remained respectful of all the boundries. Perhaps even form an alliance of sorts.

Heartha lifted her head in a thinking way, remembering the steps she took and retracing her path. It took a moment, but soon she recalled it's position in nautical directions. "Somewhat south-west. Called Silver Creek. The alpha is a female named Spring, and she seemed kinf at first. Then when I told her that I couldn't say where our pack was, she got a bit grumpy...Though I'm beginning to see why." What alpha would not be cautious about a pack that did not wish to reveal themselves?

Aspen nodded trying to shift her gaze in the right direction. Perhaps it would be in the Queens best interest to visit this Alpha named Spring at some point. Clear some things up. Prove they are not a threat to her pack by any means. "Thank you Heartha, I am glad to hear that you did not tell them any further information about us, though I do think that once Charley has recovered, or if I have some more leadership around here, I shall pay the wolves of Silver Creek a visit and sort out some details with their Alpha(s)," Aspen stated.

She knew little of the silver creek wolves but she decided it might be an idea worth pursuing at least knowing who they were, and whether or not they were any danger to the court, especially with the chance of pups arriving soon.

Perhaps speaking with Spring would clear both Alpha's minds of worry.

Heartha nodded. It was a sound idea. Maybe Aspen could make a bond between the two packs. She just hoped it wouldn't make things worse. "It was the right thing to do. I shouldn't have forgotten." She sat there in silence for a bit, unsure of what to say now. Her guilt was heavy, and she desparately wanted to tell her. "Is that all you need?"

Aspen nodded to Heartha as the woman stated that what she had done had been the right thing to do. Then proceeded to ask the Queen if that was all she needed. "Yes, thank you Heartha, for your advice and promise to help should I end up having puppies, I greatly appreciate knowing that I'm not doing this alone and I'll be sure to call should I have any more questions or concerns. Enjoy the rest of your day Heartha," Aspen said warmly.

She would probably stay where she was a while and relax. She needed some time to herself and to process what Heartha and her had just discussed. Aspen's mind also wandered to the possibility of Heartha soon finding her place in the inner circle alongside Ayla. Things were really starting to come together now for the court. They had one member of the inner circle and two more potential members that showed promise. Aspen was proud of how far she had come over the years and she had every right to be. Starting where she did.

Last post from me :)

Heartha forced a smile as Aspen made her goodbyes. "I will see you around, I guess" she said, then slowly turned away. Once a fair distance away, she turned a glance back, her eyes tearing up. She had betrayed a friend. And then tried to act like nothing had happened at all. "I'm sorry." Then she ran, ran as fast as she could to hide in her den.