Noctisardor Bypass die wilde jagd

Druid wasn’t particularly fastidious about her appearance, though she didn’t enjoy feeling filthy. During summer, she had always given the muddy area known as Earthen Rivulet a wide berth. But when she ventured there today, she found it frozen solid underfoot and realized she needn’t avoid it any longer. In fact, it could become a great new fishing spot.

She bundled her gray haunches beneath herself and perched on the bank. If she looked straight across, she could see The Pharmacy. Druid only blinked in that direction before lowering her mismatched gaze to the chilly waters. Despite the nearly freezing temperatures and the hardened earth, the rivulet ran. She bent closer to its glassy, rippling surface, eyes peeled for any sign of life below.

There was something in the air today. Sequoia didn't know exactly what it was, but she didn't wager a guess as to its origin. All she knew was that she was feeling feisty. She picked up Druid's trail easily enough and—with a spring in her step—she followed it along to its source. There, she spotted her daughter eyeballing the creek. For what, she could only imagine.

Hey! she called out. Sorry Druid, your hunting will have to wait for another day.

Come here! I want to talk to you. Sequoia wasn't entirely sure why she wanted to bring this up, but it felt like the right time. Maybe because winter was in full swing. Maybe because that's just is.

Her head remained suspended over the stream even as her eyes darted upward to see Sequoia approaching. Hi, mama! she replied, twitching her tail but remaining motionless a few beats longer. She hadn’t seen anything moving in the currents, so she sighed and rose, straightening.

“Come here! I want to talk to you.”

Promptly forgetting about her fishing aspirations, Druid raised her brows inquisitively as she obeyed her mother’s summons. She bounded clear over a narrow part of the rivulet and padded closer to Sequoia, reaching out to nudge her chin.

What about? she wondered, naturally.

melee, feel free to reference seq/witch having this chat behind the scenes if that's easier! or we can thread it out.

I was hoping I could catch @Witch at the same time as you, but I guess I'll have to track her down later, Sequioa said, looking around as if her other daughter might appear out of thin air. But I'm sure I'll see her soon enough.

Sequioa cleared her throat.

I've never told you about your biological father, because he doesn't really matter to me. But since he has family all around, you should know two things about him. One, do not trust him. Two, his name is Penn Blackthorn. I don't think he's around anymore, but I know you and Witch will be starting to look at young men this year, and I want to make sure you stay away from those Blackthorns. No kissin' cousins, okay?

Not that anything will happen this spring, of course. You won't get that until the next year.

She blinked, intrigued. What did Sequoia want Druid and Witch to know? And why was Heda conspicuously not mentioned? She waited patiently, certain that her mother was just about to elaborate.

Indeed, Sequoia said quite a few things. Druid stood there in silence, processing all of it. Roughly a thousand questions sprang to mind, it was just a matter of deciding which to voice first.

What came out of her mouth wasn’t a question at all. I want nothing to do with men, young or otherwise. It came out harsher than Druid intended and her ears swept backward almost guiltily, although she wouldn’t unsay the words, even if she could. It was the truth.

What would Sequoia make of it? Before she had a chance to react, Druid did raise one of the many questions on her mind. Will you have more pups in spring? She paused for half a beat. I’d love some more sisters, mama.

Well, that was... a relief? Sequoia laughed breathlessly at Druid's comment about wanting nothing to do with men. In fact, it reminded her (sadly) of @Kiwi RIP. While she hadn't fully realized it at the time, there was a part of her that had loved Kiwi. And not in an entirely sisterly way, either. Perhaps Druid would feel differently next year, though Sequoia held her tongue on that, knowing Druid was perfectly capable of making those choices herself. She wasn't that far off from being a full-blown adult.

The question that was turned back on her was an even more interesting one. Would Sequoia have more children in the spring? It would mean finding a suitor, and she honestly wasn't sure if she wanted to. Druid and Witch had been so absolutely perfect, who was she to ruin a good thing?

I hadn't given it much thought, she admitted.

You think anybody else in Rivenwood is gonna have kids?

Laurel had last year, but after what she'd said about Mahler... Sequoia wasn't sure how things would be this year. Would she even want to stay?

Sequoia replied noncommittally, though Druid let herself hope that somehow, her mother might bring her some little sisters. She didn’t have very long to think about it, as Sequoia posed a question that really stumped her.

She didn’t have any idea who might decide to bear young among Rivenwood’s ranks. Druid understood the basic mechanics of reproduction—thanks, in part, to majoring in ecology—but she knew nearly nothing about coupling. Romance was so far off her radar, she didn’t even realize that Mahler and Wylla were a mated pair.

But as she thought of the wolves in the pack, she thought aloud, Maybe Laurel? That made the youngster’s mind spin off on a whole tangent about who’d fathered and mothered the other young wolves in Rivenwood, like Abel, Indra and even Heda…

Although Druid knew she was too young to bear young, it was an innate knowledge rather than something she truly understood. What did you mean, when you said I ‘won’t get that until next year’?

Had it been Portia who had taught her this or Wildfire? The two were equally her mothers, though Sequioa had a hard time conjuring either of their faces when she thought of them. That made her a little bit sad, but she supposed there was nothing she could do about it now. She did wonder how Eljay was doing. He had always seemed to have a tough go of it.

Sequoia shrugged at the mention of Laurel. Besides, the other question was way more interesting. She knew that, eventually, she'd get to have this talk. In fact, she had been looking forward to it. And while she hadn't known telling Druid about her biological father would lead to this, she may or may not have hoped for it in a way.

Next year, around springtime, your body is gonna go through some ch-ch-ch-chaaanges! All the men are gonna get real weird and try to mount you. And I shit you not, your body will kinda take over your brain. My own mother taught me about it, so I knew what was happening. I want you and Witch to be plenty prepared, too. And hey, if you don't want any men around, I will fight them off myself.

Sequoia broached the topic with good humor, though Druid felt as if someone had thrown a heavy stone at her chest. Men would try to mount her? Her mouth went dry and she felt her skin begin to crawl. To make matters worse, it sounded like her own body might betray her good sense. Druid felt as though she might vomit. Her mother’s promise to help ward away suitors was of some comfort, though only a little.

I think I’m going to be sick, Druid croaked, right before she spun away, took a few steps and vomited into the running water of the rivulet.

Sequoia hadn't meant to make Druid physically ill, but she'd done an excellent job of it anyway.

Whoa, yikes! You okay? I didn't think I was getting that graphic about it. I'll spare you the more gory details, eh? Sialuk licked Druid's cheek, not bothered by the small amount of upchuck she ingested along the way. She was, after all, a canid. Have you ever seen a dog eat vomit? They love it!

I do mean it, though. I won't let any man near you if you don't want him there. Same goes for Witch and Skaig—I mean, Heda. Sequioa had a hard time losing Heda's old name. She gave Druid another smile, hoping that was of some comfort.

Besides, I'm pretty sure Mahler wouldn't let any of them near you, either. He seems especially protective of 'his women.' Sequoia snorted at the idea of being one of "Mahler's women," since it was pretty clear Wylla had him under her paw and not the other way around. Not that she minded. It was easy enough to stay out of her way and steer clear of the drama that those two always seemed to whip up for themselves.

You know, Wildfire—my mentor and a second mother to me—she was partnered with another lady for much of her life. Sequoia raised an eyebrow at Druid. Maybe it ran in the family.

She couldn’t help but notice her vomit drew a few fish out of the depths to nibble at the sudden food source. It amused her and turned her stomach all at once. Closing her eyes, Druid turned away from the water and felt Sequoia’s breath on her cheek. She sat, allowing her mother to soothe her and leaning into it.

Mama… she said, voice a little thready and her eyes still squeezed shut. I don’t want that, Druid whispered. I don’t ever want a man to mount me, or even touch me. She shuddered and felt a sudden urge to cry. Druid let her head fall forward, hiding her face against Sequoia’s patchy shoulder.

When she regained her composure, she sat up straight again and opened her eyes. Sequoia was speaking of her second mother, Wildfire. It immediately made her think of Mireille’s two mothers. Why did everyone but her have two mothers? The errant, petty thought made a weak little laugh escape her.

I don’t need a partner. I have you, and Witch, and Heda, and Mireille, Druid said quietly, thoughtfully. They were her partners, the only family she would ever need. I don’t want anyone mounting me, ever, she repeated her earlier words, clarifying for her own sake as much as Sequoia’s that she didn’t want that kind of attention from a woman either.

There, there, Sequoia said. She had not expected this particular reaction from Druid, but she supposed motherhood was full of surprises. If it was Druid's wish to remain her own wolf, Sequioa saw no problem in supporting that. And she would see to it that @Mahler was aware, too. No need for him to go trying to set her up with who-knows-who.

Perfectly valid, she said, reassuring Druid that she understood. She resisted the urge to add on, "It's okay if you change your mind!" if only because she remembered many times when she had been seen as a child when she would have rather been seen as an adult making her own decisions. Again, the Rivenwood mother reminded herself that Druid was well on her way to adulthood, and there was no reason to treat her like a child.

You really want little monster siblings, though? Sequoia asked. She had never had to worry about what her children thought in years past, considering she hadn't had them; Sequoia found that their opinions now mattered quite a bit in her world.

Sequoia continued comforting her and Druid’s stomach settled, though her mouth still tasted sour. She would need to fetch a drink, after giving the rivulet a few minutes to wash away her sickness.

Druid let out a quiet breath at the question and raised her eyes to her mother’s face. Well, only if they’re girls, she replied honestly. She was young, though not naive; she knew how this might be received, especially after discussing Sobo with Mireille. But if there was anyone she could talk to, it was Sequoia. I don’t like boys very much. I don’t know why. I just don’t.

Unsure what her mother would make of this confession, Druid slipped toward the water to rinse out her mouth. Some fish flitted past, catching her eye, but she made no attempt to seize them. They were too small, anyway.

We should find Witch, so you can tell her too, she suggested upon rejoining Sequoia, happy to take point in the search for her whimsical sister.