Redsand Canyon Baby lion lost his teeth.

Special delivery! Towhee called out upon arrival at the door to the den @Aquene shared with Kallik, at least until they moved. Shoving that unhappy thought aside, she kicked at the dead rabbit she’d dropped seconds before her shout, yeeting it through the doorway of their humble abode right before she stuck her head inside to see if the healer was at home.

The familiar and comforting voice of her friend filtered through the den and it caused her head to raise. She’d been napping, something she had been doing a lot of if only for the promise she made to her husband to take it easy. The last thing she needed was him overly worried about her when he was out in the Vale trying to stake their own claim. She stood up with a soft smile, her sides swollen to the point where she knew her own time would be coming sooner rather than later.
 
“Towhee! Come in.” She invited once the woman had a clear sight of her maw, gratefully picked up the meal and brought it over to where she had been resting. “How are you?” The last time she’d really managed to have a conversation with the woman had been during the whole nip drip incident… though she had not seen her back so perhaps everything had been resolved in that front.

It took a moment for her eyes to adjust, though it was impossible to miss Aquene’s rotund silhouette. Lips quirking at the thought, she stepped inside when invited, watching approvingly as the expectant mother seized her offering. Towhee made herself comfortable on her tush nearby.

Having caught the quick question, Towhee motioned for Aquene to eat as she answered, I’m fine. I’m here to see how you’re doing. How are you feeling? Maybe she should update the medicus about her lactation issues (solved in part by nursing the Matrona’s pups) or mention her recent aches and pains (surely just some wacky pregnancy symptom). But this visit was about Aquene, not Towhee.

There was the insistence that she was fine as she settled in and Aquene found herself laying back down comfortably. How was she feeling. Admittedly, it was a question that she asked far more often than she received. “Tired… I feel tired all the time for the most part.” She explained.
 
“And I miss my husband… I’m ready for him to be back in Mereo.” She opened up further, wishing nothing more than for him to be back in her embrace. “Has your nip drip subsided?” She asked curiously, wanting to make sure the woman was okay as well… despite this visit being about her as she had described it…

Shit, I feel that, Towhee thought when the healer reported being tired. She nodded understandingly, saying, That’s normal, of course, but that doesn’t make it easy. As for Kallik, well, the Redhawk wished he was here too, that the pair of them weren’t planning on leaving. She said nothing about that.

It didn’t surprise her when Aquene asked some followup questions from their previous exchange. The mint wasn’t making any difference, she said, frowning, but I found another solution: nursing Rue’s pups. Towhee shrugged, figuring that was pretty much case closed.

Do you know how about how much longer? she wondered in the next breath, gesturing toward Aquene’s big belly. I can hang out here with you until Kallik returns. Maybe not 24/7 but I can spend a bit of time here on the daily if that’d help.

She offered a soft smile of understanding. She really had not discussed the fact that she was leaving with anyone apart from her husband. She still did not know how to feel about it and a part of her longed to stay because of the friends she was leaving behind… but a part of her also recognized the opportunity that was arising because of it. They had a chance to grow, to form deeper bonds. She still worried that Dimitri would show up for Mereo despite her leave… but he also had not been seen or scented since the initial attack. She doubted he had given up, but it had been so long.
 
She frowned when she discovered her remedy had not worked, humming softly as she contemplated. “That certainly is a solution… though I’ve never seen mint fail before… I wonder if it has to do with your lady balls?” It seemed logical, because it was the most different part of Towhee.
 
Then they were shifting back to her and she glanced down at her belly. “It should be a few days off still at the very earliest… I just hope Kallik makes it back before I go into labor, and I hope I can see Qiao before as well. I’d very much like to be the mother and not the healer for my own delivery.” It all made her a little nervous, especially because what would become of her if she presided over her own birth and lost consciousness like Ruenna had? Who would step in?
 
“I would like that very much. We don’t see each other nearly enough.” She offered with another soft smile. “It would help to have the company… I’ve felt very cooped up lately.”

Towhee absently made the sign for -maybe- in response to Aquene’s speculative comment, though she kept the spotlight on her friend. She frowned. Kallik shouldn’t be away from his mate at a time like this. Towhee fully supported the idea of a new outpost, though she still didn’t understand why Kallik and Aquene were part of it. Surely Arsenio, Tamar and a few singles could do well without them.

Swallowing a surge of resentment, Towhee bobbed her head. I’ll make sure to stay close. Even if Kallik can’t be here, you won’t be alone. You only have one job when the time comes: bringing those babies into the world safely. She thought of her birthing experience the year prior and smiled a little, remembering how she’d been surrounded. She hadn’t needed intervention, but all the company had been more than welcome.

She offered Aquene a soft smile when she talked of feeling cooped up. If you think you feel that way now, guess what happens the first three or four weeks after you give birth… Towhee laughed good-naturedly. But, yeah, I’ll be around. And, she continued, suddenly drawing in a sharp breath, you’ll have to forgive me if I use this time to try to make you reconsider leaving Mereo. It was mostly a joke, though there was an underlying seriousness to her orange gaze.

A promise fell to stay close and she was going to hold the other woman to it. She’d sit on her if that was what it took to keep her close. She missed the social nature of her job, the way she could converse so well with others… “Hopefully that will be the case.” She still remembered the horrors of Ruenna’s birthing experience, and with it, the truth fell from her lips. “My mother… she died in childbirth… there was bleeding, just like Ruenna… and even Rue I barely got back.” At least, that was what it had felt like. She was certain she was absolutely cursed in that regard. She prayed for something easy for herself but then that just made her feel guilty.
 
It was followed by a snort. “I know… as it is I’m going a little stircrazy, and to know it’s only going to be worse in the weeks to follow… well, it’s not going to be easy. Kallik might plant his ass at the mouth of the den under the defense of constant vigilance.” She loved her husband dearly, that was certain. Her smile saddened when she spoke of her staying in Mereo. “Arsenio specifically asked for us… and the Imperator agreed… I’m not sure that there’s really any reconsideration to be had.” It had not been decided by her, but she would do whatever her husband thought was best… and he had agreed to go as well. She just wanted to be with him.
 
“Besides, I won’t be gone gone… it would leave Mereo without a healer… I’ll just travel a little bit.” She added in the hopes it might cheer the woman up. “And our kids have to know each other… so they can harass each other and one day my children can barge into your marital den when you and Maxim are trying to get busy for another litter.” She smirked with a hint of a tease.

Towhee remembered the tale of Aquene’s mother and certainly understood her apprehension, especially with the trauma of Ruenna’s birthing still fresh on her mind. Rather than repeat any of the reassurances she’d offered last time, she simply thrust out a paw and placed it top of the healer’s.

She didn’t interrupt as the medicus reacted to her remark. Only after Aquene finished did Towhee speak, taking a moment to organize her thoughts. You should get a say, Aquene. Just because someone asks you doesn’t mean you have to say ‘yes.’ Even if it’s your husband. If you want to go, then that’s valid, of course. But I’m just saying. And does it really feel like Kallik isn’t that far away right now?

It was a rhetorical question, of course, but also a serious one. They could downplay the distance all they liked but Towhee had lived through the realities of sister packs before. They were simultaneously closer and further than one might think. For instance, adults could travel fairly freely between them, but their pups couldn’t possibly meet for many months. And the two of them would be too busy with the kids to leave home much in the meantime.

Realizing her thoughts were spiraling, Towhee flopped down to the floor with a sigh. I’ve avoided talking about it so long because, truth be told, I hate it, she admitted, looking at her feet but then glancing up to catch Aquene’s eye. I mean, I get it. And I support an outpost. But I’m really going to miss you two in particular. And if we keep talking about it, I’m probably going to cry. And I’m a really ugly crier, she warned.

Her argument was met with a frown on her features, and the question did hit home. “I want to be where I’ll be of most use, Towhee.” She stated, trying to explain her own thoughts that went into things. “I treat soldiers… it is what I do… but this outpost will be different. I can train healers. It is a place of training. I wish there was a way to have both, to stay here, and to serve this new role that could help more but there isn’t.” It had been a difficult decision, and she knew that she was leaving friends behind. The damned pregnancy hormones brought the tears to her eyes as she glance down at her paws and blinked furiously to push them back.
 
“And there I’m not limited by rules I don’t necessarily agree with… and I want to support Tamar and Arsenio. They’re friends and I want to see them succeed, and if I can help with that, then I want to.” She explained again with a soft frown on her features. Towhee started to admit that she didn’t want her to go, to let either of them go and Aquene frowned. Towhee was going to cry? No, Aquene was already crying.
 
“I’m going to miss you too, which is why you bet your ass I’ll be over here often. Germanicus can’t stop me and I doubt he would. I don’t want to have to chose which friends I am going to live near… but it’s the reality of the situation… and I worry about Mereo not having a trained healer, about Dimitri returning after I’m gone because while he’s been absent, I do not doubt it’s in hatching a plan… I worry about everything.” It had been brewing in her subconscious, but it was all starting to come to the surface as she started to process those feelings.

Thank you for the kudos! I love their friendship.

Aquene elaborated on her decision to leave. Although it made Towhee’s stomach sink, she nodded. They were fair and valid reasons. She wouldn’t argue with them, despite her earlier quip. She just wanted to make sure the medicus was doing what she wanted to do, and that Aquene knew she would be missed.

The healer beat her to crying, while confessing how much she worried about everything. Towhee’s paw shifted to clasp the other woman’s again. She hadn’t intended to guilt trip her. She made a shushing noise, aware of how ironic that probably seemed.

Hey, those are solid reasons. I just wanted to make sure and let you know I’d miss you, I won’t actually sit here and heckle you about it, I promise. She patted Aquene’s paw. I know it’s easier said than done but you need to put all that ish aside, at least until the babies come. Stressing out is no good for you, or for them.

Probably because she had tried to avoid thinking about it, Towhee suddenly realized she was missing a crucial piece of information. Mindful of what she’d just said to the healer, she asked, When do you plan to relocate, exactly?

Towhee shifted back over her, a shushing noise as she tried to find it in herself to calm down. She was cursing whoever the fuck had decided that pregnancy should involve so many fluctuating emotions. She was quickly assuring her that it was okay, and that she just wanted her to know that she was going to miss her and that she wasn’t going to heckle her about it anymore. “It’s hard to put all the ish aside. I’ve lived buried in ish my entire life.” She stated back with a frown on her features.
 
There were a lot of things that simply had occurred that were never supposed to happen, at least not in her grand plan of how her life was supposed to go. “I know it’s not good… I just don’t know how to push it all aside.” And the thought just made her more stressed because what if she was hurting the babies?
 
The last question was met with a shrug. “It will be at least until the pups are grown enough to travel… so I’ll be here for awhile. Kallik will be in and out because he’s acting as a liaison between the Vale and here while I think Tamar and Arsenio are out there fairly permanently to establish the outpost.”

We need to distract you, came Towhee’s answer when Aquene explained that she didn’t know how to set her worries aside, how difficult she found it. And since neither one of us can really do much at the moment, what we’re gonna do is, I’m gonna tell you a sort of story. Chances are, it’ll be really boring and you’ll fall asleep. But that’s okay, right? You need the rest and it’ll hopefully give you a break from all your worries.

She gave the medicus a moment to process that, while filing away the information about Aquene’s timeline. Towhee shifted her weight a bit to make herself more comfortable, easing forward into a prone position and leaning on her left elbow to keep pressure off her midsection. Her bones complained but the feeling of her puppies kicking made her smile.

Okay, so, Phox and Caracal went to visit my daughter, Meerkat, the other day. She lives with a pack called Sapphique, right beside the ocean, Towhee began, pausing to gauge Aquene’s reaction so far.

Would a distraction even work? The healer was skeptical, because ultimately what did it do other than temporarily take her mind off of things? Everything would come back to her worries, she was certain. Still, the warrior mother seemed intent on at least trying, and she couldn’t help but snort at her statement. “Towhee, one thing I have come to learn is that your stories are never boring.” She vividly recalled the explicit conversations they had in the tablinum along with all of her stories of her ‘whoring days’. Still, she offered a nod, resting her head on her paws while shifting more onto her side so she was laying down in a more comfortable fashion. One thing she couldn’t wait for was when she could sleep normal again.
 
Phox and Caracal. She smiled and nodded at the statement. “I met Phox creeping outside yours and Maxim’s den… you’re lucky to have a brother like that looking out for you.” It was clear from her tone that she enjoyed the man’s company, and that his creeping had been more of an amusement once the nature of his relation to Towhee had been made known. She couldn't remember if she'd ever discussed what had happened with the woman before, and she'd thoroughly blame pregnancy brain for it.

Yeah, he’s a weirdie like that, Towhee replied with all the affection in the world, before continuing, Well, she had her heart broken twice, first by some asshole named Atlas and then by—shit, I forget his name. He wasn’t a bad guy, I don’t think, they just wanted different things. Anyway, after she dumped him, she ended up with this dude she’d befriended about a year before. And now, apparently, they’ve tied the knot and given me three new grandchildren! She’d learned all of that from her aforementioned weirdo of a brother, following his trip to the seaside with Caracal.

She took a moment to relish in this news all over again before adding, Their names are Stingray, Swordfish and Vixen. My mother—the one who died delivering me and my siblings—was called Fox. And of course we just discussed Phox, who actually helped me raise Meerkat. I can’t even describe how much it means to me that she and her man kept our traditions… Towhee shared, a soppy look in her eye, aware that Aquene probably didn’t care much about her sentimental tale.

Aquene smiled and chortled softly at the mention of him being weird. “I think it’s sweet.” She admitted to her. She thought it was sweet how he tried to look out for her, even knowing that she was safe. It made her feel better. She started to listen, her eyes widening as she learned about the complicated romantic history of Towhee’s daughter… “More Redhawks, eh?” There was a hint of amusement and a tease. There were Redhawks aplenty, for sure.
 
She brought a grin onto her features. “Maybe they can come visit you and the young’uns when they’re old enough?” She posed back, enjoying the soppy look in the woman’s eyes and the sentimental nature of her tale. She was a people person, and she enjoyed knowing more about their lives. Perhaps it was her own connection to the woman in front of her, or her nature as a healer… but it helped settle her nerves a little bit and it did work to distract her.

Actually, Towhee replied, some of the luster in her eye dimming, I think they all took his surname—her mate’s, I mean. Hell if I can remember what it is now, some hyphenated mess… She shook her head, though her smile never faltered. They might not be Redhawks by name, but they were certainly Redhawks by blood.

Towhee nodded when Aquene mentioned visiting in the future. Whether Meerkat and her kiddos came here or she took her own to the beach one day, it was an idyllic thought. She knew it would be a lot easier said than done and probably couldn’t happen until later, in the fall, perhaps.

It’s kind of funny to think, these guys are gonna be younger than their own nieces and nephews, Towhee mused, indicating her baby bump. Anyway, I’m just glad things worked out for her in the end. By the sound of it, Meerkat’s really found her happily ever after up there at the coast. The end.

Aquene hummed in understanding and offered a nod to her. “That’s fair… I know my own children will have Kallik’s surname.” She did not have a surname to go by. She’d given up the Rayvne name long ago, abandoning it with her past and she had not yet discussed with Kallik the idea of taking his. Neither one of them had brought it up and honestly until that moment, Towhee mentioning her grandchildren’s kids… Aquene had not even had a thought pass through her head about surnames in general.
 
She chuckled softly and nodded at that as well. “It is funny… but it also makes sense.” Towhee was older, so her having more litters when her first litters had already reached that maturity simply made sense in the healer’s mind. “It will give them plenty of opportunities to expand upon those new family dynamics.” She teased lightly. A part of her was saddened that their kids would never have cousins to play with, but nieces and nephews were possible once they were fully grown.
 
“What do you think… how many do you think you’ll have?”

Her own story had put her halfway to sleep, judging by the yawn that forced apart her jaws a moment later. Towhee shook her head, blinking away the sleepiness, and just caught Aquene’s question.

I’m hoping for no more than three, she stated frankly. One was perfect and four was… too many. She felt a flicker of guilt at this admission but it was the naked truth. I think two would be pretty great too. But that’s the thing: we have absolutely no control over it, so I don’t really bother speculating. And that was why she didn’t bother bouncing the question back to her friend.

Drawing in a breath to oxygenate her sleepy brain, she realized suddenly that maybe it wasn’t that big a deal if she got kind of drowsy. Would you mind if I napped here for a bit? Towhee asked, figuring Aquene might still appreciate some company, even if it was of the snoring variety.

She hummed softly at the wishes, though she knew the woman was right. They had no control over it. Aquene was not sure if she would like a large litter. She had seen the hell that had passed through the Matrona’s body with the delivery of four children and did not wish to join her in such pursuits. “It’s hard to not let my brain wander there… perhaps because it is my first litter?” She speculated, more for herself than the other woman, but in the open for the other woman to read off her lips.
 
The sleepiness was contagious, yawning after she did. She nodded at the question. “I don’t mind… though I’m not responsible for any snark that will come from my husband should he return to find the two of us passed out.” Surely he knew better than to judge the pregnant ladies on their sleep, right? Aquene did not even think he would return that day, but she held out hope because she missed him. “I could do with a nap myself.” She added with another yawn as she laid her head down. Yes, it sounded quite peaceful.

I get it, Towhee said with a sort of maternal smile, biting back a yawn. Just because she didn’t bother wondering didn’t mean Aquene couldn’t excitedly look forward to this aspect of motherhood. I think first litters tend to be smaller, she murmured. She’d only had a single pup the first time. So had Fennec. Of course, then there were wolves like Ruenna. It was all a roll of the dice, really.

Since Aquene had no qualms with Towhee snoozing in her space, the Redhawk stretched out and made herself as comfortable as possible, given her condition. If Kallik has anything to say about the two of us taking it easy as we literally create new lives, I’ll save my afterbirth just to slap him in the face with it, she snarked herself, cackling quietly as she set her head down on the den floor and promptly fell asleep.