Redsand Canyon esteemed members of the ton

@Kallik

The Equestrian had been hard at work, though if anyone mentioned it to her husband they would surely get both an earful and clawful from her. She did not want him to fret when she had firmly set her own boundaries in an effort to not place stress upon herself as her own mother had. Even now she placed aside important delivery herbs inside of their marital den. The Matrona was due to pop any day, and Aquene was prepared to be by her side at a moment’s notice to ensure a successful delivery for both mother and children. She would not fail again.
 
With it had come more worries of the possible complications arose within her mind and she tried to push them aside. She distracted herself only by sorting these herbs and reminding her how each might help with a potential complication that could arise. She would not fail the woman who put so much faith and trust in her, not as she had failed her mother. The thoughts had only been more and more haunting as of late as she avoiding catastrophizing what might occur during her own birthing.

He was tired and ready to be home. The day had been long and the hunting difficult, but he finally made it his and Aquene's den, two large fish clamped between his teeth. When he entered, he set the meal down. The fur on the front half of his body was still damp from fishing, but that didn't stop him from going directly to his wife and pulling her close in greeting. I missed you, he offered softly. Any time they were apart, he missed her fiercely. 

He saw the influx of herbs in the den and knew Aquene had been busy. The matrona was due any day, and he was sure his wife was was worrying away and trying to over-prepare. How are you doing, my love? he asked. He wanted to talk to her about what Arsenio had proposed, but he was unsure if she was in a place to discuss it right now. 

Please rest and eat. The soldier's expression was pleading. He hoped she hadn't been pushing herself too far today.

She knew the moment he arrived without looking. Even if she had not caught his scent above the lingering taste of herbs against her nostrils she would have known it was him from the way he could merely shift the energy of the room. Things felt more electric, more peaceful, more calming and it was sometimes the only thing that could reach through her work to calm her frazzled mind, especially when she started to spiral with the possibilities of what might come. She was pulled close, a smile on her features as she welcomed the embrace despite the soggy nature of his fur.
 
“I am doing well… the Matrona is due any day now.” She admitted as she shifted away from her work, catching sight of the fish as her stomach growled as if on cue. Rest and eat. She could not tell him no, even without the pleading expression on his features. She offered him a playful smile. “I truly feel as if I’ve done nothing but rest all day.” There was a hint of a tease but it was meant to assure him that she had not been pushing herself, though her definition of pushing was perhaps different than the definition she gave her patients. She did not hesitate to start into the fish. “I was actually hoping you might be able to get something for me next time you are out, something I need for the Matrona’s delivery.” She added as she tilted her head to the side.

Kallik took a seat and waited for her to settle. She mentioned the matrona and the impending birth of her children. I gathered as much, he told her. He may not know much about pregnancy and birth but he knew the tension that had risen in Mereo. And he knew his wife.

To her next words, he gave a disbelieving raise of his eyebrows. He glanced around at the plants. The amount of plants in here tells me something different, he pointed out gently. He didn't want to upset her or argue; she was stressed enough and he didn't want to add to that. But he knew she hadn't been resting all day. 

He moved to encircle her from behind as she started to eat. Of course, he said when she mentioned a task for him. Anything you need, I will make it happen. Anyway he could help, he would.

She supposed that she and everyone else who had been closely watching the way the Matrona’s belly swelled had made it rather obvious. “I could be called upon at any moment.” She stated with a soft shrug. Perhaps it made it more worrisome, but for Aquene it was simply a matter of being prepared.
 
She offered a softened gaze, a hint of heat rising to her cheeks as he called her out for something that was meant to soothe him. “I am merely making sure I have everything I need here so I do not need to run back and forth between the tablinum and Matrona’s den when her time does come. A little more work now will save me much stress later.” She hoped that at least would soothe him a little more. She worried about his worry about her, and how it might plague him while he was off doing soldierly things so she tried to do her best to erase them when they were together.
 
She smiled when he agreed. “I need a beaver’s tail… or some kind of food that is fatty.” She explained what she imagined was odd to any untrained mind. “It will help with the Matrona’s milk production if she eats it after she gives birth.” She explained further understanding that requesting a creature’s tail might sound odd without the medical knowledge to back it up.

She could be called upon at any moment; he didn't like that but he knew it was the way of things. The matrona would need her when she went into labor. That was why she had been working to gather the needed herbs but that knowledge didn't ease his worry for or his frustration with his wife right now. He felt like he had caught her in an attempt to make him believe she was working more than she let on, and he was not happy about it. 

She needed a beaver tail for after the birth. Then you will have one. I will hunt in the creek tomorrow until I have what you need. Frustrated or not, he would still give her whatever she needed.

Aquene, he said, tension in his voice. Informing her of the move to the vale was put on hold for a moment. I worry you are working more than you have led me to believe. His jaw tightened and his nostrils flared. If something happens to you— he cut himself off as the words stuck in his throat. He could only shake his head. So much of this was out of his control already, and now this.

She could tell that he was not wholly happy with how she was working right now. For once she could not find the right words. He insisted he would find one for her. She sighed, setting the fish aside for now as she rose which she was almost certain was the last thing that he wanted in that moment but she would not sit idly by as he worried himself to death of matters he should not be. She could hear the tension in his voice and it pained her, the way his jaw tightened and his nostrils flared to show how on the precipice of control he was. She moved, running her nose tenderly along his jawline and down to his neck.
 
“Kallik, listen to me.” She pleaded softly, bringing her caramel gaze up to his for a moment. “I promise you that everything is okay.” She did not know what more she could offer than her expert medical advice to assure him of that. “I am not my mother. I still work, yes, but only because it is safe for me to do so. My mother would work herself to the bone day in and day out, only resting for a few hours at a time and hardly eating anything in the process.” She needed him to understand. “I am not her. I have set those boundaries so I can make sure I am not doing anything that could bring me or our children harm. I work a little more now because in the coming weeks I will be too tired to do much of anything other than sleep and eat and check in on the Matrona and her children.” She nuzzled his neck softly. “Nothing is going to happen to me or to our children. Everything is going to be fine; I will not end up like my mother because I am not worked to the bone by cruel men like she had been, men who would not care what kind of strain it put on her despite other healer’s advisement. Please, trust me.” They were both new to this situation. “A friend of the Matrona’s was by towards the start of my pregnancy. He is a trained midwife and he offered advice that only makes me more certain that what I am doing right now will not bring any consequences about.” Hopefully hearing another medical professional’s guidance had assured her would help assure him. "It is going to take a lot more than sorting herbs and walking between here and the tablinum to be rid of me."

She paused her eating and got up, which prompted him into a sitting position. He thought she might get angry with him for being too protective or for smothering her. But she wasn't angry. She ran her nose along his jaw and down his neck, making him close his eyes and sigh heavily through his nose. 

The plea he heard in her words made it hard to hold on to any frustration he had. 

Kallik listened quietly as she offered him multiple reasons she would be okay when she gave birth to their children. She had set boundaries for herself. She was eating and resting unlike her mother had. She explained that the preparing she did now would allow her the extra rest she would need in the weeks to come. Aquene nuzzled into his neck and he draped his head over her.

She moved on to pointing out all the ways her situation was different. That did make him feel a little better. Aquene was protected and cared for; she had him to bring her food and take care of whatever she needed. Her words and logic were starting to soothe his overwhelming worry.

He liked that she had been able to speak with a midwife, whatever that was. It seemed like he knew much about pregnancy and birth and had given her knowledge to help her prepare even more, while also ensuring her that she wouldn't be overextending herself. 

He knew she was strong, really he did. And this all boiled down to him trusting her to keep her word and to take care of herself. He trusted her more than anyone else in his life, so he would have to extend that trust to her in this. I am sorry, he whispered, running his nose through her fur. Her scent smoothed the sharp edges of the guilt he was now feeling. I do trust you. I will try not to worry so much. He really would try, even if he wasn't sure he would be successful. His fear of losing her was something that ran deep down within him, stemming from his fear of abandonment that had been there since the day his mother had died protecting him and his siblings.

He fell into a sitting position and he listened to her, which brought her a great sense of internal relief. She worried at first he might continue to fret or choose not to believe her simply because she was speaking of her own care… but he listened, and she liked to think that he felt better at the end. She did not wish him to worry himself to death. She was hardly certain she was ready to become a mother but she certainly was not ready to become a widow and a single mother. He apologized, his nose running through her fur. “You have nothing to apologize for. I know you worry.” She understood it, hell, she felt it whenever he left to patrol the borders… her own occupation had just allowed her to conceal it more.
 
“It is okay. I know… and I will be here to remind you whenever you need it to soothe your worries. I’m okay. We are okay.” She assured him softly, once again nuzzling lightly at his neck before settling back down, nipping lightly at his leg to encourage him to do the same. He had been on his paws all day and he needed rest just as much as she did. They had built a life here, a strange thought to fill her mind… to not only have a life but someone to share it with and children on the way. Everything had happened so strikingly fast and yet she regretted none of it. Not a single moment did she find herself longing for something else. “How was your day? Did anything interesting happen?” He already knew what her day had consisted of: plants, and moving back and forth between the tablinum.

She was way too good to him; she gave him proof of that every day. He was getting in his own head and twisting things up; he had accused her of not being honest, and she had taken it all in and responded with kindness and understanding. If he didn't already know how much he loved her, he would have realized in this moment. 

Her nip urged him to lay back down, and he did as she wished, curling around her protectively like he liked to do. He nuzzled her nape as she ate, her words spreading more warmth through his veins. Thank you, he whispered. Because of her, his heart was fuller than it had ever been. 

Now that she had talked him down, they settled into their familiar night time routine. They were snuggled together while she ate and he kissed and nuzzled her neck. The contentment of the moment suddenly made sadness squeeze his heart. He needed to tell her about the plans for the vale. It was then that she asked about his day.

Um, well, Arsenio and I discussed something important last night, he started. The imperator wants to send Arsenio and Tamar to claim the vale. They will start a sister pack to this one. Arsenio agreed but one of his conditions was that you and I join him there. I agreed to go but told him I needed to discuss it with you of course. Anxiety settled in his chest. We wouldn't go until after the pups are born and old enough to travel. But it would mean that Arsenio and I would be traveling back and forth in the meantime. I will be gone for days, maybe even weeks at a time. That would be the hardest part for him. But we could start a branch of Mereo there and raise our children with Tamar and Arsenio's children. Maybe that would soften the blow. I am on board with this. The time apart will be very difficult for me, but I think it will be worth it in the end. He had rambled on enough, now it was time to hear her thoughts on everything.

He was wholly too hard on himself, and in that way she found herself being his guide, his balance, assuring him that he did not need to be hard on himself. His feelings were just as valid as anyone else’s, and pain he had been through prevented him sometimes from handling them in a ‘normal’ way but really, who the hell was normal? He thanked her, and laid back down and she shook her head. “You do not need to thank me.” She understood; she felt the same fears, just differently. She felt it in the world around her, they were just scattered enough to never boil over into overprotectiveness.
 
Her eyes briefly drifted closed as he kissed and nuzzled her neck as usual, embracing the sensation and enjoying it until he started to speak, her eyes dragging back open to listen to what he had to say. Arsenio was going to create a satellite outpost? She knew that Towhee had mentioned the Imperator might be inclined to do so but she did not picture it would happen so soon. She listened… Arsenio wanted them to go with him and Tamar. Her eyes widened… and the logistics started to play out in her head.
 
It resulted in a frown. “Tamar is my apprentice… if we both leave for this sister pack, then it would leave Mereo without a medicus.” That concerned her, especially with the Matrona’s regular treatment. It was where her brain went first. Of course, they would not leave until the pups were well enough to travel, she did not forsee Kallik letting her make the venture any sooner… “I… am on board with this as well, though nervous for the times when you and Arsenio are not here though I know it's necessary. I love Tamar and Arsenio. They would be an excellent leading pair… I just worry for Mereo from a logistical standpoint.” She admitted, and in her mind she also went to those she would leave behind: Towhee, Ruenna, even the Imperator. Sure, there were some, such as Glaukos, she would not mind being separated from, but the rest left pangs in her heart.

He worried for Mereo, as well, but he trusted that the imperator knew what he was doing. Still, she had a point. That is a good point. Is there anyone else who could be learning from you, as well? he asked. If someone who was going to stay here could be taught her skills, they woulnd't be leaving Mereo at such a disadvantage. 

I am...conflicted over leaving Mereo, too. This has been my first home in a long time, and the imperator has made me into the soldier that I am; I owe him. But I also trust in his judgement. If he is okay with this, then I will try not to worry too much. Try being the operative word. Worrying was something so ingrained in his mind that he often did it without thought. And I am not happy with leaving you ever, but I think it will help establish a home for us. One day, I will not have to travel so much. I also respect Arsenio and it is his wish for us to join him; I do not want to let him down. He kissed his wife along her cheek. This feels like the right decision, regardless of what it will mean for Mereo. He hoped she wouldn't be too upset over everything. As important as this next step was to him, he wouldn't do anything if she wasn't completely on board.

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She shook her head with a frown. “None that I know of… healing, it takes a certain temperament… it does not make most soldiers apt for learning it and the plebians we have about… I am unsure.” For a moment she considered speaking with @Khalys but she did not wish to bring it up while the widow was grieving the loss of her mate and children. There was no timeframe for her recovery in Aquene’s mind and did not want to press her before she might be ready to expand her horizons.
 
At least they were both concerned and conflicted. They were on the same page… and they were both touched by the trust being placed in them to break off and help Arsenio with Mereo’s goal. “It does not sound like we would truly be leaving Mereo.” She stated with a soft smile. “It sounds like our relationship would be friendly… we’d be able to come and visit.” She answered again as well.
 
She offered a nuzzle of comfort when he admitted his fears. “I will be fine… knowing you’ll come back to me as soon as you can will be enough.” She assured him softly. “What about when we get closer to my birthing? Will you be able to stop travelling?” She did not like the idea of him missing the entering of their children into the world.

Aquene did not have anyone else in mind to teach. He understood why, though. She and Tamar were vastly different from the soldiers; they had a degree of kindness and empathy than most wolves just didn't posses. So it was something they would have to shelf for now with the hope that something would change. Maybe a new member would join them who would be a good candidate. 

The legatus nodded in response to her words. Yes, we could visit often, he agreed. We would be neighbors and our place in the vale would be more for training. That could be medicus training as well. 

She attempted to sooth his worry, assure him that she would be fine. He wanted to believe her, but he would always worry when he was not with her to ensure that she was safe. Kallik nuzzled her in return. Yes, of course, he promised. I could never leave you alone for that. He knew they shared the same fear of things going the way her mother's last birth had gone. Nothing would keep him from her while she was in labor.

Aquene was relieved with the confirmation. “If I needed to, I could split time between Mereo and the Vale for healing purposes…” She admitted though it was far from preferrable. “I will need to continue to check on the Matrona, not just in her recovery from childbirth but for her back pain.” She was handling the woman’s treatment and she would not abandon it, even with another healer trained, Aquene wanted to oversee her care still.
 
“Qiao, from Akashingo… she is around at times, and also knowledgeable in the healing arts. Perhaps she could take a temporary residence until I can properly train someone else?” She suggested trying to find some kind of middle ground that might be able to place them both at ease. She was more relieved when he did confirm she would not be alone, breathing out a sigh of relief. “Good, because I’d easily take the paws of anyone who tried to ensure you were away.” She teased lightly. It would not do for either of them, clearly.

He did not like that idea, and it showed in the tightening of his jaw. He wanted to demand that they find another way, that it wasn't safe for her to travel back and forth so much. He had some sense of the double standard he often harbored when it came to his wife, but he had difficulty seeing past it when he knew she would be in a situation where he had little control over what happened to her. Maybe, was all he could say, neither agreeing nor disagreeing. 

Qiao? he said. That would work, and she could be here to help you when you have the pups. He liked that idea. And maybe there was a way for that midwife to come here and help her too. It would ease some of his worry with all hands on deck.

Her last words made him slightly curve his lips. I have absolutely no doubt about that, he murmured against her fur, kissing the area his breath had just warmed.

Qiao seemed like a good option. She would bring it to the Imperator’s attention, Ruenna’s as well though she hated the thought of troubling her when she was so close to giving birth. “She could… it would make me certainly feel better to have another healer present during my own labor.” She admitted again as she laid her head down fully. “I will speak to Germanicus about it.” She voiced aloud. “It seems like something he would need to arrange with her and Akashingo.” He admitted.
 
She chuckled softly as a result. “Oh certainly. Not even the Imperator would be safe.” She teased again lightly as she settled in, content to sleep now with his kisses keeping her calm.

He felt a little better knowing she was going to work out having another healer here for when she gave birth. He would be a mess, and he needed to know she would be taken care of by a professional. Let me know if I can do anything to help with that, he offered. He could escort or something of that nature if needed. 

Hmm he rumbled against her nape. I would very much like to see that, he teased back, though it would be entertaining to watch. 

Kallik could tell she was getting sleepy, so he pulled her closer and draped his head over her shoulders. I love you, he whispered just before a yawn parted his jaws. He was ready to sleep too; it had been a long day.

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She hummed at his offer, a nod replacing any words as the tiredness started to settle into her bones, a soft chuckle of her own as he teased her. “It would not be the first time I attempted to destroy him with words.” She teased lightly, though no doubt it would go beyond mere words to tooth and claw if he genuinely expected Kallik to miss the birth of their children. “I think even soldiers deserve the right to be the first beside the mother and healer to see their young.” She stated in an almost challenging way, as if she was already challenging the Imperator to disagree with her.
 
He pulled her closer when he sensed her want for rest and she hummed at his words. “I love you too.” She whispered back softly as she laid her head down next to him. It was no long before she drifted off to sleep under the watchful eye of her protective husband.