Stone Circle it's a nice place you've got here

@Steady and/or @Valette

Akuti was asleep in her den, oblivious to the light snow which fell just outside of the entryway. A small flake drifted in and landed on her nose, waking the light sleeper from her slumber. It seemed daybreak was upon them, so she figured it best to get to work early. Her agenda for the day (luckily) consisted of moe than just her routine she'd followed since her joining, as now she wished to collect herbs for her own cache. Though not many herbs survived in the cold of winter, Akuti had noted a plentiful lavender patch, to which she allowed her tiny legs to carry her. She sat to cease the leaking of her teats as much as possible, then bent her head down to pick at the batch.

Valette was up early. She usually was. Today was not any difference. She was keen on checking on their carcasses and make sure to take meat from their body and bring it to safety. Valette had already transported several chunks of meat, keeping up with their caches. She was about to return when she noticed the new female she accepted.

She watched her close to a bush with purple flowers. Or were it flowers? She wouldn't know. She was more into wildlife rather than plants. "Hello," she greeted the female.

Steady was quickly getting possessive of Valette, and he hated having her out of his sight. He had done patrols late in the night, and should have been sleeping this early morning, but the loss of Valette's heat from the den would not allow him to slumber any longer. Instead, he followed her scent, needing to be near her. Maybe a part of him hoped his affections and attention would spur her body into its cycle. 

He came upon her, and a new recruit. As he approached her backside, he attempted to give it a nibble, grinning mischievously at her as he came to stand beside her. His gaze turned, then, to the new member of the pack. This one had been approved by Valette, he knew, but he hadn't realized she was so small. Like, incredibly small. Was she a pup? If so, where were her parents? But, his nose picked up quickly the smell of her leaking teets, and it was not something he could ignore. Do you have pups? he asked abruptly. It was probably rude of him not to introduce himself, but he felt there was a more important subject at hand. He glanced to Valette, wondering if she had an answer, too.

Mara hadn't been doing much lately, besides hunting with the two new recruits - at least the ones she was aware of. She wandered about the snowy terrain, leaving footprints to shadow behind her. The sight of three wolves became clear in the distance as she wandered about. She tilted her head, pondering if she should approach or not. She was rather bored... say hello it is then! Fortunately, the others were ones she'd met prior, and not another stranger where she'd feel undeniably awkward talking to them. "Morning, Valette, Akuti, Steady." She gave each of them a smile, before glancing at the bush before her. 

Herbs were important to Mara if she ever wanted to gain the caregiver trade, especially ones you could see plainly during the year and not ones you have to search for.

I just realized I shadow posted Steady, quick edit!

Akuti watched as the small crowd of three poured into their small meeting space. Hello, she repeated back, momentarily halting her harvesting of the plentiful lavender. How are you? The obsidian male was to speak next, and based on his behavior with Valette, it was assumed that he was the Alpha male. I do, she began, but they're far from here. I had to take leave from my home, so they're with my sister. It was no secret that she was lactating, and with the presence of so many pups within their ranks, Akuti wasn't sure it would ever stop. It hasn't been more than a month since I left, so things are still returning to normal. I'm sorry if it bothers you. Beside her size, her motherly state was another of her insecurities, as she had the body of a mother and no children to show for it.

Then Mara spoke up, for which Akuti was grateful. Mara, she greeted in return, then turned back to continue developing her small pile of herbs.

The girl smiled when Steady joined her. She leaned against him and gave him a lick in greeting. Valette could smell the scent of milk too and let her ears fall back as Steady mentioned it. She didn't know about any pups and the girl hadn't mentioned that at the borders. She returned a questioning gaze to the female. "Why would you leave your pups?,' she instantly wondered. Not understanding. She would never leave Keoni and Nikai and they weren't even biologically hers.

Plus the female said that she was here to stay, right? "Are you going to stay with us? Or go back to you young eventually?" Valette was not sure what answer she preferred hearing. She did tell that she would be sticking around, which means this pup would abandon her kids? Yet still wanting to a midwife? Valette was confused.

She admitted that she did, in fact, have pups, but left them with a sister. But, she didn't explain why. Valette spoke the question he, too, had, and he waited for an answer. Amber's leaving was so fresh to him, and he wasn't sure he could understand any reason why a mother would willingly leave her pups. Althaia had risked her life to save her children, and here was a female in front of him that had left hers. It didn't sit well with him. Was this just a pit stop before she went back? How could she not go back to them?

Mara Susi showed up then, and Steady gave her a nod in greeting, but the majority of his attention remained on Akuti, waiting for an answer. This wasn't something he was going to let go easily, unless she came up with a damn good excuse that left him feeling better about the situation.

Mara, too, was unsettled with the idea of a mother of leaving her pups. In fact, she was almost offended. She wanted children desperately, and to see someone else walk away from those gifts and privileges was shocking. She stayed silent though, listening intently to anyone who spoke, curious the petite agouti wolfess's excuse for such an act.

Akuti was prepared for such a question to have been asked, though her heart still flittered with both anxiety and embarrasment knowing that she had to answer to all of the wolves before her. She chose to answer the easier question first; would she leave and go back? I won't be leaving, Akuti told them, her voice low and level with her ears resting flush against her skull, I can't go back. Their father didn't want me to nurse them, because he thought I was... Her voice trailed off as she thought of her once beloved and then to the man he had become. He didn't think I was fit. I gave them to my sister and asked that she raise them so that they would be safe. If I had stayed and raised them, we would have all been in danger. Akuti's husband had called her many a names — demon, jinn, sprite — and she knew that whether or not her children were his, he would never treat them as such.

Because he didn't think our marriage legitamite, he thought that our children were bastards. My sisters each took two of my four to raise with their own litters so that they would be safe. So in short, I won't be going back anytime soon. Akuti cleared her throat and looked down at her paws, waiting to hear their responses.

Valette listened to the information she had to offer. She had an abusing mate it seemed. Valette wondered how she could even allow him to breed her if he treated her like that. She knew that she would not let Steady have anything if he didn't respect her. She still found it a strange story. It almost made her think that this female went in heat and let someone breed her. It was almost a classic. Female in heat and the male she breeds with thinks it is a one time thing while the female assumes she found a partner. It had been the case with Amber. Luckily Grayday was classy enough to step up as a father and even fall in love with her.

Though, with her recent talk to Mara and how she made the female believe in herself she would want Akuti to feel the same. Her story also reminded her of her mother somehow. Kove was not nice to her mother mostly by leaving her alone. Even though he was not abusive she left too. Maybe they did love each other once, Akuti and that mate of hers, like her mother and father. "I'm sorry to hear what happened to you. No one deserves such a mate. It is very selfless of you to choose a better life for your children while you suffer without them. You must know you have a forever home here with us." Though Valette was not going to allow her to breed. She wanted that claim as she was the alpha female. But she assumed that Akuti knew that.

Steady listened as Akuti told her story, his ears swiveling as he digested it. Valette seemed to accept it easily enough, but Steady wasn't so sure. He just didn't understand, and he wasn't so quick to offer her a forever home here. If it was so horrible, how could you leave your pups there? If it wasn't good enough for her, then how could it be good enough for her pups? 

[indnet]He supposed he should show more sympathy to her and her situation, but he had a hard time believing her pups were as safe as she was right now. Valette said it was selfless, but Steady leaned on the side of selfish. It would take some convincing for him to change his mind.

Well, Akuti began, taking a deep breath, it was bad for me because I'd fallen from my mate's favor. I left them with my sisters because they were both seen better than I was in his eyes, and therefore, if he thought that my children were theirs, then they would be safe. She decided it was better to leave it at that and should either have any further questions, she would elaborate, though for the time being, she was glad to leave the air open.

Valette looked at the female, who seemed to explain a very old way of thinking. But one falling out of interest of her mate sounded that this guy was horrible. She looked at Steady wondering if he had any more questions for her. Valette decided to be quiet. She was glad that Steady wasn't like Akuti's mate. Was such a wolf event mate? Perhaps he was more like a master or someone that just used her. Valette disliked the idea.