Swiftcurrent Creek "Fools", Said I, "You do not know."

Black limbs of kissed shadows. Blue eyes of sky. He moved through the pack lands. His fur on edge, his body wound tight like a bow string. So many women, so many season's. Good Lord. It was enough to drive him to drinking were he a human. Even his meditation only helped a miniscule amount really.

Granted he could probably go seek them out, but by the scent of intwining scents and movements. Akavir was taking care of most of them himself.

All Arric could think was Well dayum. Talk about a whore house, and the top leader, the top wolf, a gigolo himself.

Now most wolves would be jealous, but Arric was more along the lines of maybe that will get the stick out of his ass and he'll be alright for a bit. A good old fashion tumble, or two or three. Maybe he'd lighten up. Did Arric feel a little left out. Sure, but it wasn't so terrible that he felt he needed to do something. He'd already sowed some wild oats he didn't necessarily want a repeat of that disaster. 

So instead he found himself near the river and hit the ground with a loud umph and lazily let his paw drift in and out of the river. On his side he lay and looked up, taking up more than his fair share of land. After all he was a beastly male, a behemoth really and sometimes he liked to stretch out.

Arlette was foraging around the river bank. Especially where the water was a little quieter there were reeds growing. Something that had become rather one of her essentials to have in terms of healing. She had decided to stop hovering around her daughter's den. So she could bond with her child. She would only be a howl away if she was needed. She was just plucking out a few stems when she heard a loud umph.

She lifted her head and saw Arric lie down by the river. Arlette raised a brow and then picked up her reeds and made it into his direction. She walked towards him and placed the reeds down for speaking. "Is your life that exhausting, Arric?," she asked with a chuckle. The big burly male had looked intimidating at first but she already got to know him better and felt comfortable to make such comment.

So in his own head, he honestly hadn't even seen the gentle healer near the water's edge. Nor had he heard her. Which were he to think to hard about it, would probably berate himself soundly, but well it was what it was. He was distracted damnett.

Arric lifted large head up and up and was almost eye level with the small healer as he did so. A half a smirk on his face and he raised a wolfish brow. 

Sometimes. Do you know what it's like when there's  a siren call in the middle of the pack lands from like three different women and I being a gentleman am trying to stay away. It wreaks havoc. Honestly, though I just am taking a rest. I am always up wtih the sun.

he shifted and pused himself up to a more comfortable position for speaking. He still lay reposed, stomach to the ground, but at least his head and shoulders were up. A tilt of black ear, white ringed eye taking her in and the reeds at her paws. He bent a head down to sniff at them. 

What do they do?

Arlette listened to his problem, which seemed the seasonal story of male temptation. Arlette had to chuckle, but she did appreciate that the Beta was considered and not one to just mount each of the females. They already had quite a few pups to take care of. Most seemed to be single parent. Not that her opinion mattered on that. Then they would just raise them all like one big family, they were a pack after all. "Ah yes. I'm familiar with it," she chuckled. "But compliments to you for being such a gentleman." It briefly shot through her mind that he might be the father of granddaughter, but then again, there was no real motive for that, especially after what he just told her.

Arlette's eyes lit up when he asked about the reeds. "They are quite versatile, the reeds!," she explained. "So the stalks are strong but light, making excellent splints for when someone sprained a leg, even with a broken leg they could be useful. Then there is the tuft--" She bend down and sank her teeth into it, as she pulled fluff came out of it. Arlette tried to spit it out, and it seemed to be quickly picked up by the light breeze. "It makes excellent material to place over wounds and slow the bleeding down," she hummed. "Quite essential," she smiled, clearly excited about the topic.

Arric had only bedded one woman and honestly part of him regretted it because it had caused quite a mess. He had stayed away from the rest. Unlike his leader and friend. He was actually a little surprised at how often Akavir's scent intwined with the females in heat. That didn't necessarily mean that he had done anything and he probably hadn't. Arric briefly thought of Bellatrix and how Akavir had bade her go find someone else and she had. But he didn't know about Moss or this Wren.

Thanks. But you'd be appalled at my ungentlemanly thoughts.

She was cute when she was excited. She wasn't much older than him. He'd wager a year or two. And that was alright in his book. She was still pretty. But he pushed those thoughts away as he focused on the excitement in her voice and the reeds.

He was surprised and blinked. We always used cobwebs, but that look like it would hold more liuid than the webs do. I wouldn't have minded having some of that the many times i found myself on the other end of teeth and claws.

He bent his large head and sniffed at them again. And gently sneezed as the tuff tickled his black nostrils. And gave her a bashful smile. 

Sorry about that. Didn't mean to spit all over your paws.

Arlette sounded a laugh when the male mentioned his ungentlemanly thoughts. She wasn't a prude or that innocent. Not anymore. "I doubt that. I'm not that innocent anymore," she commented to him. She raised a brow in challenge almost. She had lived through a lot, along with experiencing it all. She was quiet and polite but not a blushing virgin.

"I don't really have experience with it, it sounds inconvenient too. But perhaps I am wrong and it does have other benefits," she commented. It was interesting though. She might try it. "Well, now you can come to me," she offered.

Arlette then frowned a little. "No need to be sorry," she assured him. Reeds were plentiful, especially here. She wasn't too bothered. The female wagged her tail. "Have you heard the news? Bellatrix gave birth!," she hummed. He probably did... but oh well.

Arric grinned and shook his head. Yea. Unfortunately no one ever stays innocent. But he kept his silence. He was not one to speak so boldly within moments of meeting unless it was started first. It just felt strange and he didn't want anyone to like think that was all he thought about, because it wasn't. He had a lot of thoughts usually deep ones.

It is. Sticky and hard to put there and sometimes you get it and the webbing is so thin it does jack..i mean nothing. But break.

He chuckled. Glad to hear it though I try and stay away from such things now that I am here. But it happens. It was how we won the creek actually. Akavir and I wanted to settle and we were accosted by a small group that didn't take kindly to being told no.

A grin lit up his face. Well that's great. So you're a grandma. How's if teel?

Arlette had to agree with those words. She had stayed innocent for a long while though. She had lived a shielded life before she got pregnant and her mother being terrible to her. Then the loss--- She just pushed those thoughts away. Her innocence was definitely gone after that. She did like that she did pick up life after all that loss, with Derg. She still didn't know what happened to him.

"I can imagine," she commented coming from her thoughts. She had heard what he had said. "You probably need a lot of it, hence why I like the reeds method." She smiled at that. She had learned that from her first love. "Well, sometimes it isn't once choice to get injured or not. Either way, I will be there to help." Arlette had always liked helping others, being a healer worked for her. Arlette paused and then looked at Arric. "Wait... Are you together with Akavir?," she asked. She knew he had pups but perhaps... now she was doubting if she misread the whole situation.

"It feels... good. It is different. I want to be supportive but also not want to hover too much over Bellatrix. I will be there if she needs me."

Arric felt he had never been innocent
 His father had raised him. And though he was a good man he had been a burdened man. And he threw himself with reckless abandon at those things could hurt. Arric had joined un until he grew weary and then his dad was gone.

Suddenly he laughed at her words and shook his head. Though my love is fairly free form. I'm pretty certain that Akavir only likes females. I just like personalities and minds. he gave a small little self conscious shrug. He was not embarassed by his choices but he had just met her.

He listened ear tilted forward. I think youll do fine and find that happy medium.

Arlette smiled at that. She liked that he was so open with her. Then again, she felt that there was nothing wrong with liking both genders. "That is a wonderful thing to say," she hummed. She wished she was like that, but she really gravitated more to the male body than a female one.

'I think so too," she agreed with him. Arlette looked over the bank. "Well, I will let you take a rest. I can bring these reeds to their new stash for when someone needs it," she hummed. "Have a good day, Arric."