Swiftcurrent Creek love in my arms and the sun in my eyes

please allow @Cortez to post first!

If there was anything that Olive adored about Lily besides her perky personality, her beautiful accent and her dedication to her post, it was her fine-tuned sense of ingenuity. Elysium’s blackbird was always thinking of new ideas and traditions for the sanctuary, ways to inspire fun and laughter and light, because objects in motion always stayed in motion, didn’t they? The spring had been no different, and though Olive was gravid and round with child, she could not help but pledge herself to Lily’s cause with Cortez as an escort.

What was Lily’s cause? Well, the wonderful ray of light that she was, Lily wished that she might further improve their already-stellar interpack relations by delivering gifts to the new and expecting mothers of nearby packs. They were given free reign over the contents of their assigned pack’s gift, and as such, the Shakti siblings had labored over theirs endlessly. They hoped to weave together a little bit of what made each of them unique, from Olive’s love for herbology and Cortez’s penchant for storytelling, to the inherent beauty of the sanctuary’s willows. Some of her best and brightest herbs and flowers were wrapped up in a fallen willow’s whip, which she held tenderly between her lips. Cortez was carrying a small gift of his own, but i’ll wait for Cortez to post before making any assumptions :)

They arrived at the borders of Swiftcurrent Creek without much problem or issue; for being a week or so away from her due date, Olive was feeling lithe and ever-so energetic, like a venus or siren or something else that was endlessly vibrant. She traversed the landscape with ease, sometimes even out-pacing Cortez with her enthusiasm, only stopping to take a drink or a dip when the springtime waters were simply too jewel-like to resist. But they were here now, and soon she must return to Elysium to bear her own pups, so without wasting much time [for they also needed to stop by Diaspora and deliver a gift for their own keeping], Olive gave Cortez a sidelong glance, a curt nod, and tossed her head back to issue a call to the wolves of Swiftcurrent.

olive had brought herbs for the mothers, and he'd brought toys for the children. cortez often felt somewhat childlike himself, more connected to the babes than the adults that stood above them. pheasant feathers, tangled together wildly. bones too large to splinter and choke a pup, but not so large as to be overwhelming. this was all wrapped up within the pelt of a beaver, and he tugged it along, cursing his preparedness.

he could have just brought a carcass, or something. not an unwieldy bundle of knick-knacks that may not even be used.

still, he gave olive a smile when he dropped the bundle at the border, ears turning with her call. from his own investigation, there were mothers here; how they would receive the gifts was unknown to him. he hoped they would at least be appreciative. cortez thought he'd heard that swiftcurrent and elysium were close allies, if not all-out friends.

He had already been patrolling the borders when the call echoed across the territory, and so he wasted no time moving towards the sound to investigate. He was surprised when he came upon the pair of strangers, not because they were here requesting an audience, but because they each carried a bundle with them. The woman carried herbs and flowers, while the man carried a strange collection of bones and feathers held together by the hide of a beaver; it was not what he had expected to find. He recognized the scent of Elysium that clung to their coats, and he first greeted them with a dip of his inky head. Although he was familiar with Elysium, he had never met the two standing before him. 

I am Kavik, one of the alphas here, he began. What brings you to my borders? He was curious to know why they had brought these packages with them, but he would wait to ask until he knew the reason for their visit.

Their call was heeded swiftly, which Olive was grateful for — at Elysium, things happened at a much slower pace, if they happened at all. The wolf who greeted them was large, dark and authoritative; he introduced himself as the alpha, but this she already knew. Olive peered at him out of the corner of her eye, his virility palpable even from their respectable distance, and she felt one of her puppies roll inside of her.

The Shakti Woman turned her dulcet visage to Cortez to see if he wished to introduce themselves, but after a half-moment’s pause, Olive took the task upon herself. “We are from the sanctuary Elysium,” the druid explained, dipping her head respectfully; but not as a supplicant would. “We come bearing gifts for the new mothers of Swiftcurrent Creek, and for the mothers-to-be.” She dare not approach a man of such stature in any other instance, but she crept forward and gently placed her small bundle of herbs on the earth before him.

his gaze became slightly awestruck as the dark man approached, tall and muscled with a pair of verdant eyes that went right through him. cortez felt his knees wobble a bit, but nodded in greeting nonetheless, ears flicking toward his sister's voice before turning his attention once more to the handsome alpha male.

i'm cortez. i've brought, uh, some toys for any children here to play with, he explained, nearly tripping over his words. his tongue felt suddenly heavy, in stark contrast to its normally buoyant, playful nature. olive has herbs for the mothers. i hope breeding season has been good to you all, cortez added, smiling a little nervously.

no doubt kavik had fathered one or more of the litters here. he waited for the man's response, idly shifting his weight from paw to paw.