Redsand Canyon I'd wanna be felled by you

for @Aquene and @Siku
tagging @Innik for reference

With the imperator gone, along with some of their soldiers, Kallik was pulled from the den more often than he liked. But he had to make sure Mereo remained safe. Both because it would keep Aquene safe and because the impertaor was trusting he and Arsenio to take care of the canyon in his absence. 

So he often woke early to patrol after ensuring his wife had breakfast, returning in the early after noon with another meal and not enough time to spare for much of a conversation. He would kiss his family's heads and be off again. But he made sure to return in the early evening, before the sun set, and that time was only for Aquene and the children. He was already amazed by how fast they changed and how much he loved them. It was like parts of his heart were living outside of his body. 

It was early evening now as he entered the den with three fish for dinner. Kallik set them down by his wife and kissed her, then he nuzzled each son before settling down himself. Do you need anything? he asked Aquene. He felt bad that she was so restricted right now. He could stay with the pups, of course, if she needed a break. But he couldn't feed them yet, so she could never wander very far. 

He picked up a fish and began pulling the skin off as he waited for her answer.

The days following her birth had been spent sleeping and tending to the little ones. The twins were fairly well behaved at her breast and she was thankful for that though she knew that soon they would morph from the blobs they existed as into their own personalities and likely cause her more than enough worry and strife. Still, she savored these moments. She had been napping when he came in, though the scent of fish started to lull her from her slumber as her eyes dragged open, a lazy smile on her features as she returned his kiss.
 
“I was hoping to make a quick run to the tablinum. Some of my supplies here are running low and I need to restock them.” Mostly those that dealt with milk production. She’d noticed struggles without the herbs and she could not wonder if her own dance with contraceptives had caused such a problem. Still, she did not mention it to her husband. She had it under control and did not wish to worry him. Even such a short distance made her anxious. What if the twins needed her while she was away? “How were patrols. Was everything quiet?” The Imperator had taken soldiers, as was his right and the purpose of the outpost… still, she could not help the unease that came with less wolves to defend their borders… especially when it seemed like the odds were stacked against them with things like lying mutts and psychotic exes...

he existed.

simple and plain. he dreamed of things he could not even understand, things he had not even seen. but all of it was always forgotten each time he stirred with hunger.

this was one of these times, where he found himself too hungry to keep sleeping. so he awoke, attached himself to his mother's side after fighting his brother for a spot (which was wholly unnecessary, but he was blind and didn't know) at the milk's flow.

he would be fussy there for a few moments, struggling to eat where he had picked to feed from.

He nodded as he chewed and swallowed his first bite. In the morning, I will stay here with the twins and you can make a trip to the tablinum, he told her. He could start later if needed. He knew she was treating packmates from here instead of her healing den so she could stay near the pups. He wanted her to have what she needed. 

Uneventful and yes, quiet, he told her. He was thankful for that. Kallik paused his eating when Siku began to fuss. He reached over and licked slowly along his son's back, hoping to soothe him. He looked to Aquene after a moment, wondering if she knew why he was crying. Maybe it was just the way of infants. He had no idea about any of this.

She smiled softly when he agreed he could stay with the twins. She gently nuzzled his neck. “Thank you. It will be a quick trip.” She’d make sure to grab the rest of her supply so another one would not be necessary. One of their sons stirred and shifted to find a place to latch. She looked down, watching as he started to struggle and her eyes softened. She used her nose to nudge him towards another latching point, one she hoped might yield better results. She knew she would be due for those medicines soon to help with her milk production, but one last feeding should not hurt before she was able to restock her supply from the tablinum.
 
She watched as he licked to try and soothe him as well. “He’s just fussy about feeding sometimes.” She assured him softly, as if it were normal. In her mind, it was normal. These were her first children and wolves from her homeland had showed similar symptoms because they had all used plants to suppress their heat before. “He just needed another latching point was all... once he's fed I'll head to the tablinum.”

touch.

touch, warm along him and it stirred him. stunned into silence for a moment. the touch was not anything new these days but his memory lacked the recall abilities.

each time felt like the very first time for every thing he experienced.

he was placed before another teat, this one would be better. at least better enough for him to not fuss much longer.

At least Aquene seemed to know what she was doing, and he was beyond grateful for that. He did feel bad that he couldn't be of more help with the actual care of the boys; it was why he was overcompensating by likely overdoing it with any of the ways he could actually help. Worry still tinted his gaze, but he nodded. He trusted her judgement. He worried about everything anyway.

He nosed over each boy and offered each a few gentle swipes of his tongue before returning to his own meal. After they eat and you eat, Kallik added between bites. It was just as important for her to have proper meals.

He did not seem worried and that was the goal in not telling him about her own struggles. Her nose wrinkled lightly as she eyed him and the meal he had brought. “I can eat when I return. It will not take me that long and I’d like to enjoy a meal with my husband before bed.” She had not accounted for the counter logic that they could simply eat now and then she could go out after.
 
Perhaps that was a sign of how she was pulled… though it certainly felt more like a symptom of her own stubbornness really. “They are eating right now.” She assured softly, nosing them to ensure that they were still drinking and that all was well. Nanuq’s lack of a fuss gave her hope that Siku had been the only one with issues when it came to feeding for dinner.

skip <3

food was food, in the end of the struggle for it.

and he was still just a simple babe. once his belly was full enough for relief, he would find himself too eager to slumber again.

She was so stubborn; it drove him half insane sometimes. He wanted to care for her in his way, but at times, she refused to let him. Her reason for wanting to wait, though, did ease his frustration. He sighed. Alright, he told her reluctantly. That does sound nice. He wouldn't exactly deny them any quality time they managed to get now. 

Kallik watched the twins eat, Siku seeming to calm down eventually; he wondered if that was due to his obviously full belly. He would reach down and nuzzle each of them before doing the same to Aquene. He loved them all so much that it hurt.

She knew she pushed it sometimes, and pushed his buttons, but honestly he had known that he was getting involved with a raging feminist and a strong independent woman before he went and married her so she didn’t feel that bad about it. She wanted to do things her own way sometimes, most of the time… okay, all the time. She let them feed until they were done and resting before she began to shift to rise. She smiled when her reasoning seemed to act as a balm. She nuzzled his neck softly before she rose.
 
It was a fairly quick trip, fetching the herbs and taking some before carrying a decent supply back with her to tuck away far from the childrens’ reach. She arrived back to settle back in beside her husband, admiring their two children. “We made really cute pups.” She teased lightly, resting her head against him lightly.