Herbalists' Cache When the levee breaks

Much work was being done, but the bloodhunter was left without any summons. The Chieftan was wounded, that much he could tell by scent, and that Gjalla was gone. Civil unrest dressed the cache like a heavy mist, one so thick Ridgeback could hardly tell which way was which. 

The only one who might have answers- that might share them with him- could be @Morwenna. And while he thought men might still be forbidden from her den area, he approached the line of trees that marked her sacred area and called out with a low, pleading tone. 

He feared impending change might bring to them- it felt as if war was brewing, and here he was, lost in no man's land.

!!! let me know if assumptions not ok!

the call sent a shiver through her. a voice from the past, one that had once carried the weight of familiarity and trust. ridgeback!
morwenna lifted her head from where she lay curled around her children, their tiny bodies pressed to her warmth, suckling greedily. their hunger was insatiable, but it was a hunger she would always provide for. she was their mother. their shield.
and yet, even as she bathed in their scent, their presence, war loomed on the horizon. war. war. war.
she exhaled, steadying herself. and then she howled—an invitation, sharp and clear through the cold air.
he came.
when he entered, her body softened in a way it had not in days. ridgeback, the bloodhunter. she urged him closer, pressing her nose to his in relief, in quiet gratitude for his presence.
ridgeback, she breathed, voice low, thick with unspoken words. she pulled back just enough to meet his gaze, searching him.
there is war. i—
three words, but they carried the weight of everything. she had called the banners. she had set the fire. and now, it burned.
but what had he known? what side would he choose? it would have to be—
all must choose.

all good!

He moved carefully past the trees, seeking out the dark mouth of Star Eater's den, moving inside with silent pawsteps. He paused as shade fell across his face, his eyes luminous still as they adjusted to the dark, to spot the matriarch nestled with four young pups at her side. He felt some relief, to see her well- and his features softened to see the children, to inhale the scent of new life. If her words had not been of war, he might have melted, silently, content to watch them for some time in peace. 

He settled, wishing she had not spoken and confirmed his thoughts. He sighed softly. I have no idea what's going on, he said, with a mild note of annoyance- not with her, of course. Her only duty, as far as he could tell, was taking care of her young. I need to be told what to do...And I think....I think I'm only gonna listen if it comes from you.

morwenna sighed, pressing her muzzle briefly against one of the squirming pups at her side before lifting her gaze to ridgeback. he had always been steady, always been there. but now, like everything else, she felt the ground shift beneath her.
sun eater, he— her voice faltered, breaking over the name of the man who had once been her whole world. she swallowed hard, forcing herself to continue. he exiled blackfell. tore gjalla’s throat from her neck... the memory of it was fresh, red-hot, staining her mind as much as it had stained her fur. she shuddered.
i— there was so much she wanted to say. so much she couldn't. her heart ached, torn in ways she had never imagined. her mate, the father of her children, had become something unrecognizable. and now—
nagruk has declared war... darukaal the same...! her breath hitched, exasperation lacing every syllable. war, war, war. it had come for them all.
she inhaled sharply. steadying herself. i cannot fight. i won’t. the children at her side were proof of that. she would not risk them, not for anything, not for anyone. but ridgeback—he was different. he was strong, he was capable.
but you... she searched his face, desperate for understanding. sun eater has become engulfed. i cannot... i cannot stand by this. her ears pinned back, throat tightening. please, ridgeback. understand me. see me.
she was not asking for permission. she was asking for him to stand beside her. to know that even as everything fell apart, she would not let herself be dragged into the ruin.

This much he knew. But why? He asked, as there were gaps in his knowledge that he wanted to have filled. Blackfell had leapt into icy waters to help rescue Sun Eater's child- why was it all of a sudden that he was exiled? 

He recalled the incident with the lone male who had come to the borders for Star Eater, the pale one. Sun Eater had let him leave, angering Gjalla in the process. Had this been the catalyst for the fight? An old grudge that drew hot blood? His cheeks felt icy cold as he was informed, in his mind's eye he pictured the fight, vivid with red blood. A torn throat surely could mean nothing but death. 

But there was more. 

Nagruk he'd seen only in hunts, only in passing. His brow raised, to hear that the hunter was now calling out for more bloodshed. War against who? He asked, Darukaal? But why? Had the leaders not found a truce? Ridgeback had heard of the meeting amongst the leaders- it had made him burn with envy, later, to learn that Blackfell, Gjalla and others had trailed after Sun Eater and Star Eater to a meeting they had not been invited to attend- to listen in on the procedure, to learn things meant only for their Chieftan and his wife. 

He pined silently for Ice Diver; if she had been here...Perhaps none of this might have happened. 

Sun Eater couldn't fight. He knew he wouldn't be much help in a battle- but perhaps that wasn't what she was asking for. 

What do you want me to do?

morwenna’s gaze softened, if only for a moment. ridgeback was steady, a pillar among the shifting tides of war, and she needed that now. her breath came slow, measured, but the weight of what she was about to say pressed heavy on her chest.
it started... i think, with a male scavenging off carcasses. right before i was due. her voice was distant, recalling the moment with careful precision. blackfell and black hawk, territorial as ever, killed him.
it had been nothing more than a trespasser meeting his fate. it should have been forgotten. but it wasn’t.
sun eater thought that a wound to his pride. he did not forget it.
the words tasted bitter on her tongue. was it truly pride that had driven him to this? was it something deeper? something she had never seen before?
her ears twitched, and she leaned forward slightly, urgent now. i want you to stay here... with me. she exhaled, her gaze flickering toward the pups curled against her belly. their tiny bodies were warm, safe. for now. they won’t kill my pups. i know this. she would not believe otherwise. they would not. they could not.
but ridgeback— it might be you who has to end this. do you understand what i am saying?
she did not look away, did not falter. even she did not know the full consequences of what she was asking. but sun eater had gone too far. too far.
her breath hitched, a shudder running through her frame. he knows how much i love her—gjalla, and still... still! she shook her head, swallowing against the rising storm in her chest. not even days after the birth of his sons and daughters, he sought to kill.
a monster.
her voice dropped to a whisper, her lips barely moving. he is not the man i married.
and ridgeback, steady, trusted, was the only one who could do what she could not.

Bit by bit, he began to understand, though he had questions he kept to himself. Was it Sun Eater's pride that had caused all of this? Because two of his packmates had taken a life without his bidding? It seemed odd that he might take offense to such a thing, considering the actions he'd taken when he'd seized control of Qeya River. What was another life to him? Or was it the blow to his ego that mattered more?

It didn't make sense. Sun Eater, he thought, would have been grateful not to have scavengers close by while his wife was close to giving birth. Something was amiss- a detail unspoken, perhaps? He tried to give his Chieftan the benefit of the doubt. He should have been grateful that you were protected, He uttered quietly, more to himself than anything. He looked to the children, trying to fathom why Sun Eater would have taken defensive action as an insult. 

It didn't make sense. 

She asked him to stay with her, and he nodded, grateful that that might be his task. While he still wasn't sure, entirely, who they were, that might come, he knew he could trust himself to defend her, if that was what she was asking for. 

But at the same time- she was asking for something else. And it took him a moment to piece it together. 

With quiet words she begged for him to stay by her side- not to keep her safe, but to choose her. She wanted him to see Sun Eater through her eyes- and he warred with himself to be able to do so. He'd been nothing but loving toward her, as far as Ridgeback had seen. Whatever quarrel he'd had with Gjalla and Blackfell...it ended the way things often ended, with Sun Eater. He'd seen it before; all who stood against him, fell like saplings beneath the winds of a hurricane. 

The man you married is Sun Eater. He answered gravely. This is...Who he is. He felt a deep pang of regret- not just for Star Eater, but for himself. He, too, had turned a blind eye to the true nature of their Chieftan. At first, it had been in order to protect himself, and Ice Diver- a coward's motive. But now? After all this time? Had he truly found a friend in the man, or was he simply a captive who had come to enjoy their cell?

You want me to...Take care of him? He asked, voice barely above a whisper.

morwenna’s ears twitched at his words, her breath unsteady as she lowered her muzzle toward her children. they nursed eagerly, blind to the war blooming outside these walls, blind to the ruin of their father.
i was a fool, she admitted, the weight of it heavy on her tongue. shame coiled deep in her chest, a sickness she could not purge. i knew what he was. i applauded his brutality. but only now, when it is against my own, do i weep.
her lips curled in something bitter, a ghost of a laugh with no humor. her chin lifted, gaze burning as she met ridgeback’s eyes.
tell me the truth of him. of how you are here, in saatsine.
she did not know his full story. she had never asked. but she saw him now, clearer than she ever had before. steady. loyal. bound by something more than fealty. and still, here he stood. with her.
i wouldn’t ask something like this lightly. her voice wavered, but she did not look away. only if it comes to it, ridgeback.
only if there was no other way. only if sun eater would not stop. only if this war—her war—demanded it.
her jaw tightened, the muscles in her neck flexing as she swallowed hard. he is well guarded. but you— she exhaled, sharp, certain. they know you.
they would not expect it. they would not see it coming.
her gaze flickered, something breaking in her for just a moment. her children were warm against her belly, their tiny bodies rising and falling in steady rhythm. she had dreamed of peace. of something greater. she had fought for it, had believed in it. had bled for it.
and now?
for them. for peace. it is all i want. all i have ever wanted.
she exhaled, slow, controlled, but her voice cracked. i am sorry.

Edited <3

Her words fed kindling to smouldering ashes; feelings he had done his best to smother when he had accepted Sun Eater as his leader. Guilt, grief, and shame all rose from the ground now like ugly weeds, threatening to choke out the garden he'd planted, only to realize that those weeds were simply reclaiming what was theirs to begin with. 

He should have been angrier about Ash Star's death, about kidnapping a child from another pack. About not being able to go and search for his own children when their mother had been slaughtered. 

He'd come to love the life he'd built, the customs he had learned, the language that his wife had taught him. He'd loved the stability, the routine, the march- but all of it, founded on sand and oh, how it crumbled now! First with his wife's disappearance, and now this mutiny. 

In the crumbling foundation, Morwenna dug for worms. 

He killed our leader. He murmured. He killed her, and he wounded Ice Diver. I submitted so he wouldn't harm her. He waited for that to sink in, for her to see that he bore a coward's heart especially now when she asked for such bravery from him. He shook his head, drew in a breath, and when he exhaled, he realized he'd begun to tremble. 

I'm not what he is. He said. And I can't do what he did. I know I can get close to him, but....They'll kill me, if I try anything, He said, raising his fearful gaze to her. They will. And I don't wanna die- I- M-maybe it's what I deserve, after all this, he shook his head, squinting past the film of tears that flooded the brim of his eyes. He sucked on his lip, to try and keep it from trembling. He felt repulsed by his own crumbling bravado. But I can't do it. I'm not...I'm not that. He spat, ears flattened for a moment. 

He drew in a shaky breath. He couldn't resent her, for wanting Sun Eater dead. He wondered if he, secretly, wished for it as well- if it might bring about a swift end to the calamity they currently endured. He reached out with a gentle paw to touch one of hers, if she would allow it. I'll do anything to protect you and the kids...I'm just...I'm not a killer. He admitted, ashamedly.

shhh, she whispered, stepping forward, wrapping him in the warmth of her presence. come here.
she pressed her nose to his crown, anointing him with something quiet, something sacred. ridgeback was trembling, spilling confessions into the cold, and it hurt her to see him like this—to hear the way his voice fractured beneath the weight of what he had endured. she hadn't known. stars above, she hadn't known. how could she not have known?
his words rattled through her, a sickness blooming in her gut. sun eater had taken saatsine with bloodied fangs, with violence she had once praised. the raid, the death, the stolen child—these things had been hidden from her, buried beneath the life she had been building, beneath the love she had so foolishly clung to. her husband, her chieftain—he had been a monster long before he turned his teeth on her family.
you are not him, she breathed, fierce and sure. you are not a killer, ridgeback.
his fear was justified, his trembling not a mark of weakness but of a man who had been thrust into the depths of something far beyond him. she would not push him into that abyss.
her paw covered his, gentle but firm. you will stay, she told him, for the children. for me. there was no question in it. no command, either. only trust, only the promise that he would not be alone in this.
her voice softened. would you like to meet them?
a moment of respite, a brief light in the dark. she could not undo what sun eater had done, but she could give ridgeback this—something to hold on to. something to fight for.

all good!

He wilted like a frostburnt flower beneath her touch, as if he was undeserving of such tenderness. He felt himself teetering on the cusp of complete meltdown, but held his breath and pressed his temple into her shoulder as he reined himself in. Little relapses like this were potent, but fleeting; he could only suppress his grief for so long before it poked out, like a beam of light beneath a doorframe. 

His paw flexed at her touch, digging claws into the bedding beneath him, before it softened. He inhaled, and when he breathed again, he felt a mix of both resignation and relief. I will, he said quietly. Tell me who I can trust....Who is faithful to you? he asked quietly. If there were names among the exiled, he would need to know, if they returned. 

Until then, he would remain as he was: Ridgeback, of the Saatsine. A facilitator of peace, for however long it would last. 

And protector of the heirs, born amid such tumultuous times. For them, he hoped life would only yet improve. How fortunate they were to be deaf to the struggles of their mother, and to be blind to the bloodshed that might come. To learn their names would bestow upon him more responsibility and duty- and yet, it was a sacrifice that he would make most willingly, and with a faint smile. I wanna know them. Start with which one's gonna end up being my favourite. he prompted; a shard of humour to light the dark times.

star eater let the weight of ridgeback’s grief settle between them, a heavy thing neither could lift, but they could bear it together. her muzzle brushed against his temple, firm, grounding. he was still here. he would endure.
she exhaled, a slow breath, turning her gaze to the fragile peace of her snow shelter. other shore, black hawk… a pause, her voice quieter, more measured. nutuyikruk. his captive, maybe. her expression hardened, then softened again, something unreadable flickering in her pale eyes. darukaal are not enemies to us. they only want… her throat tightened. him.
her tail curled protectively around the tiny, wriggling bodies nestled at her belly. her children. his children. and yet, she would raise them as her own, not as weapons, not as pawns.
she pointed to each, voice steady. caan. her eyes fell upon the boy with a lighter underbelly. a strong name. ghe’naya. the girl with the star upon her forehead, the one who bore her mark, her legacy. c’ede’. pale, white like frostbite. and fa’liya, her voice softer now, naming the smallest, the darkest—twin to him.
ridgeback wanted to know them. she would let him. her ears flicked at his humor, at the attempt to lighten the air thick with grief. her lips curved, just slightly. i will not choose for you. her voice was quieter now, edged with something almost warm. but you will know them soon enough.

He was relieved that there were some names he recognized. Other Shore, a pale yearling with bright, rust eyes still full of curiosity and wonder; not a fighter, he thought to himself, but likely a good helper when it came to tending to the children. He felt a light trickle of hope settle in, to hear Black Hawk's name; while he knew little of her, the dark-pointed woman had sharp features, an impressive build, and a ferocity to her hunting that gave him reason to believe she might be a good fighter, if push came to shove. He considered the young captive, with eyes bright as new grass; a yearling as well, and just as likely in need of protection. 

Maybe Kekoa, He uttered. Him and I see eye to eye, He might have a word with the ghost talker again- he might appreciate being enlightened on the inside workings of this brewing war, though he knew he would have to be careful, and learn of the young man's intentions before giving his own away. Ishmira's scent lingered in the area- he suspected she might be considered safe as well.

But there were many others- Nagruk, the new War Chief who had been appointed in Ice Diver's absence. Meleeys and Suliya, two members who had been around for several moves already. The fierce Dark Fang with scarred face and snarling teeth, Kukuvurak who was a capable hunter, and Sivaak- though she was heavily pregnant too.

And what of Night Fire? Perhaps she could be spoken to; perhaps she might betray the Chieftan, who had killed her mother. 

He would stew on these options for some time, glad at least now that he might have some idea of who could be trusted, and who must believe that he would continue to fulfill his duties to Saatsine without question. 

He looked to each child as their names were given, smiling faintly as his gaze caught on the one that resembled her mother most. She got your star, He said, tail thumping on the ground. It must have felt special, to pass on her unique starspot. Well, you did good. Real good, He said, raising his gaze for a moment, before he looked down to the children again, fighting the urge to rub his muzzle against their velveteen fur and inhale their fresh puppy scent. And I'll love you all, but- I will encourage each of you to try and be your uncle's favourite. He said, before he whispered, as if intending for only their mother to hear They'll all win.

she listens, taking in the names he lists, the ones he thinks might be trusted, the ones she must consider. kekoa—he has been loyal, steadfast. ishmira, always gentle and careful with the children. black hawk, fierce and unwavering. but others... others, she does not know. she does not trust.
her ears flick as he looks at ghe’naya, at the small white star upon her forehead. she lets out a breath, something close to a laugh, though it is tired, weighed down by too much grief. she did! she murmurs, nosing softly at the pup’s tiny body, feeling the slow, steady rhythm of her breathing. she will be strong.
ridgeback’s voice is warm, playful, something light in the midst of all this heaviness. the whisper, though—she closes her eyes, swallows hard. he speaks of love, of a future where they are safe enough for such things to matter. it is a balm against the ache in her chest. she wants to believe in it, in him.
i miss her, she says, voice quieter now, more fragile than she likes. she does not have to say who—he will know. ice diver. the one who had been at her side when she was first brought to saatsine, who had been one of the few pieces of stability in a life that had been turned upside down. she would know what to do.
she pulls back slightly, blinking at ridgeback, as if searching for something in him. i do not, she admits, though she hates it, hates this uncertainty. but i will do what must be done.

They all will be, He responded with a note of pride. He knew strength could take many forms- and that if they inherited but a shred of their mother’s integrity, they would thrive. Their only obstacle now was their own vulnerability- but already they had a string of wolves quietly vowing to protect them. 

At first, he thought she spoke of Gjalla, and if he hadn’t paused a moment before responding, he might not have realized that there was a reverence in her tone that was meant for him- to let him know that he could grieve. The realization caught him off guard, and he swallowed hard, grimacing lightly as he nodded. 

He struggled to speak. She would. But within his voice was a light tremble. For while he knew his wife had been fond of Star Eater, he knew her to be loyal as well to Sun Eater. What choice would Ice Diver have made as war chief, in the end? 

He couldn’t resent her for a role she did not play, but he did wonder if she might have been able to step in and stop the bloodshed before it had happened. Star Eater knew her role- before all else, she was a mother now. And if Ridgeback had known there had been calls for her to be named Queen, he might have agreed to that too. 

You’ll run if you have to, won’t you? He asked. Take the kids, get someone to help you- and go? Surely there’s a pack out there somewhere, maybe…Maybe if there was another pack nearby that could shelter you and the kids…One without war, He said. What about…Where was it that you came from? He asked gingerly.

of course i will. her voice was steady, though her heart trembled beneath the weight of his question. of course she would run, if she had to. of course she would protect them. what kind of mother—what kind of woman—would she be if she didn’t?
but the world was not kind, not soft. she had known that since the moment she clawed her way into it. there were no guarantees, no promises carved into the bones of fate that assured their safety. only the choices she made, the wolves she trusted, the steps she took to ensure they lived.
you will come with me, won’t you?
it was not a plea. not a demand. but a quiet, unshaken expectation. he was hers as much as they were his. he would not abandon her, right?
i do not know if such a place exists, she admitted, ears folding slightly. somewhere without war. somewhere safe.
evenspire had never been safe. not truly. not for her. and even if it had been, what remained of it now?
but i will go where i must.
she breathed in, steadying herself, looking at ridgeback—not just as a friend, but as something more now. a tether. an anchor.

He breathed a shaky sigh of relief. He believed Morwenna to be fierce, confident, and capable- but knew that sometimes those characteristics were also accompanied by ego and pride. A more stubborn creature might have held their ground, and in doing so, put their children at risk. He was glad that she would flee, if push came to shove. 

Of course! He said, lightly surprised that she even felt the need to ask. I- I'll have to walk a kind of....Thin line for a bit, so Sun Eater doesn't... What would he do? Cast him out? Deny him any visitation rights? Kill him? If Ridgeback slipped up, the Chieftan would have every reason to want to deprive his wife of her support system. 

She seemed uncertain about the future, if such peace could ever be obtained. He reached out to nudge her chin, to lift hers ever so slightly. There's lots of places like that, He was sure of it. Most wolves don't want war. What they do want, He said, looking down as one of the children wriggled, Is cutie little patooties like these ones- and you've got four of them, so, He said, with a light shrug. 

He felt the uncertainty too. He knew that anything could happen between this moment, and the break of the next dawn. Fate could crash down upon them like a bolt of lightning, and rip them all apart- but there was a chance that it might not, and that was all that he would live for. 

It'll be alright. We'll come up with a plan.

Ice Diver wasn't there to do the thinking for him, anymore; he would have to do it himself.

morwenna smiled, small and fleeting, but true. gratitude softened the edges of her exhaustion, the weight of her burdens easing just slightly in the warmth of his reassurance.
thank you, ridgeback, she murmured, her voice quiet but steady. she did not take his loyalty lightly, nor the risks he was willing to bear for her and the children. she knew how delicate the line he walked truly was, how easily sun eater’s temper could unravel it. but still, he stayed.
his touch at her chin drew her gaze upward, and she let out a breath that felt too much like relief. his words—about wolves wanting peace, about her children—settled something deep in her chest, something she hadn’t realized was clenched so tightly.
you have faith, she noted, almost wistfully, watching as he looked down at her wriggling pups. i want to believe in it, too.
but she would not be reckless with that belief.
her head dipped slightly, brushing against his shoulder in a silent acknowledgment. we will plan, she agreed, determination creeping into her tone. and we will make sure they are safe.

fade?