Moonspear aetara iina

*puts feelers out for anyone she hasn't had a thread with in a minute* c: c: C:

While considerably more uncomfortable by the day, she was still hard-pressed to stay absolutely stationary. Doing nothing got old fast and with the den largely prepared already, she couldn't even vent her restless energy on that. Even when she tried, it was just unnecessary nitpicking. Everything there was already in order. It just needed her to stay in it and for the puppies to get here. Which by itself was what kept her preoccupied most times. Finally, arriving alongside their prevalence that there was no overlooking in her every moment, she was truly growing anxious to meet them. It was easier to imagine them as.. almost-entities by now, judging by all of her discomfort especially. Still, she really wished to see them. Whoever they were, however many..

At least now when she roamed, it was not far from that den and never was it at any sort of quick pace. A lengthened walk was her cruising speed of choice in these recent days -- just enough to keep her muscles limber while not aggravating any cramping beyond what seemed normal to her. It was a delicate balance that she was just learning to strike well enough to be effective, but one that she had already seen enough of. She was not a wolf used to inactivity. Definitely not one used to such eager protests from the workings of her own body, either.

She stayed on a circuit more centralized upon the mountain, carving a perimeter around the den's general range that would slowly shrink as the time progressed. Right now, she had just left the stream and angled south a good ways, sniffing nonchalantly at the quiet trail underfoot as she roved on.

Without intending to, she noticed a hawk drifting over the treetops, and let her focus drift skyward after it.

:D

Lazarus was no more, and without the threat of his existence, Floki had been happy to return to Moonspear. In a few weeks' time, the open road would call to him again -- but for now, he was content to scale the slopes of his home, becoming reacquainted with its jagged cliffs and troublesome ledges. There was something dangerous yet beautiful about the mountainside, and in that way, it reminded him of the ocean -- while he respected the waves greatly, he still did not trust them.

He knew that Amekaze was pregnant with Charon's children, although Charon himself had not been able to pinpoint a due date. It was surely looming, however, and while Floki intended to stay away from the Alpha female's whelping den, he found himself drawing close on this particular day, and her round figure was easily spotted. She was still intimidating, as she had always been, but there was something endearing about the curve of her flanks; it stirred something within Floki -- an eagerness for his nieces and nephews to arrive.

The Beta provided a chuff well in advance, to warn his sister-in-law of his approach. He crept towards her with splayed ears and a lowered tail, his brows raised in an expression that wordlessly begged, "Can I do anything to assist you?"

oHI

She only watched the hawk for a moment, albeit with a narrowing suspicion for what had caught its attention -- sometimes it could be something worth investigating herself. It seemed to just be drifting, though, and not focused on any particular swatch of mountain from as far as she could tell. Soon, it would just cruise out of sight anyway and she did not have the energy to waste earnestly tracking after it to find out what it was doing right now, not when there was very little to gain in the end.

But even so, it was Floki's chuff that finally brought her sights down and settling onto him. He looked to be all mindfulness towards her. She wiggled her tail softly at him to show that she was not opposed to company for the time. Circumstances lately had let her be as reclusive as necessary, especially with a portion of the pack busy with their own doings (like looking for Lazarus until just lately) in her almost-absence anyway, but a piece of her did miss seeing everyone more than this. Just a piece, though. She still liked being mostly left alone lately and it wouldn't surprise her to know they'd been keeping away because of that.. and probably thanks to Charon letting them know she was usually not in the keenest of moods, too.

"Hey," she offered quietly, stepping a little closer with a curious look over him before she moved to brush her muzzle against his. Everything about her stance remained neutral, although some of that was perhaps fatigue showing itself, and for Floki, she didn't really think more than this was necessary.

She hated to barge right towards a prickly subject, and so abruptly as this, but seeing him made her want to get it behind her in the meantime. Him and Dash, alongside Charon, had put the miles beneath their paws for her hunt. She'd wanted to sooner, but they'd all been away, elsewhere, and her doing her own thing here, so there had just not been a good opportunity. "I have not had a chance to give you my thanks individually.. for all of your searching, but truly, I appreciate it." She chose her words carefully because she did not want to delve deeply into the subject as a whole, but for all of their work (with only minimal details to go off), she just wanted them to know she gave an earnest damn -- without them, she'd be left not knowing.

She greeted him warmly, even going so far as to touch her snout to his. Floki's ears flicked back a degree and he smiled, his own tail swaying between his hind legs. Although he wasn't overly close with Amekaze, he was still glad that she was a part of his family -- somehow, she was a perfect match for Charon, the yin to his yang.

He ducked his head slightly as she thanked him. He would have done it for anyone -- he was a scout, after all, so it kind of fell under his job description -- but the whole situation had been close to his heart for more than one reason. She was his sister-in-law, yes, but it also was awfully similar to what had happened to Wildfire, and he had been determined that Lazarus would get what he deserved, unlike Goober.

"You're welcome," he said, though it was clear that neither wolf wanted to dwell on the topic much further. He stole a quick glance at her swollen stomach and asked, "How are you feeling?"

When things had been rocky, she appreciated those who just did what she needed without unnecessary question most of all. It only made sense, of course. They made it easier on her after all. Floki had established himself neatly there by staying out of the trouble roused by certain other former packmates and doing what needed done despite his own injuries from the hunt. Simply put, and really, further justification of why he stood so comfortably among the mountain ranks as well as her own personal favor -- and not only because her mateship made them family.

He received the thanks in stride, though, and for all that she was glad. When he edged the subject elsewhere, she offered no resistance and met it first of all with a tired smirk. She felt a lot of ways lately. Far too many, and in too great an intensity. Where to really begin? Tired, sore, anxious, overcrowded, cooped up, constantly like peeing? The list was long.  "Truth be told, pretty miserable." But she was taking it in stride purposefully, determined to weather this without great offense. "Restless and not like going anywhere at the same time is frustrating. But, I suspect there is not much longer," she said thoughtfully, and hoped she was right by some blessing of nature. Really, this couldn't drag out too much more.

He gave her a sympathetic smile in response to her truthful answer. Although Amekaze still looked as regal as she always had, it was easy to see her discomfort if one looked close enough. And it sounded like she was simultaneously feeling very different urges, although she seemed relieved to know that her pregnancy would not last much longer. Soon enough, Moonspear's first litter of puppies would arrive.

"Is there anything I can get you?" he offered, willing to raid a nearby cache for her or accompany her on a walk.

She shook her head since she had no immediate needs, really. "A little company is fine," she said lightly, and returned to a slow walk. She liked to keep her muscles limber however she still could. "Charon's keeping me fed, I cannot complain, and I find it hard to eat much lately anyway," she shrugged. She'd noticed the return of in-appetite more starkly than ever before. Eating more than a few scraps at a time just made her feel more disgusting. One of the many, many reasons why these puppies needed to get here soon. These inner struggles and bargaining with her typical bodily needs and functions got old. "Which better change once they get here," she warned lightly, although she had full faith in her mate's hunting abilities, especially now that the famine had given way to a plentiful late summer.

Watching him from the corner of her eye made her remember how things could and would change for them all soon. He'd be an uncle soon, Charon a father, her a mother and Moonspear possessing a proper legacy born of blood. She'd spent a little time gauging all of their interests in this undertaking, and largely, they were readied and willing to help despite very few of them having much experience with pups. Floki was no exception and she knew how lucky she was to have them. "What else have you been up to lately?" she pried gently. Maybe at least he'd seen other mildly interesting sights while out searching for Lazarus.

Her request was a simple one, and it drew a smile to Floki's face. Company was something he could gladly provide, so he nodded and fell into step alongside Amekaze, his closer ear turned towards her as she spoke of her hunger, or lack thereof. Again, she hinted at a desire for the puppies to arrive sooner rather than later, and a furtive glance at her sides told even the naive Beta that it shouldn't be too much longer.

As for what had been keeping him occupied in recent days, Floki first offered a shrug. Since Lazarus' saga had come to an end, his life had resumed a peaceful, almost boring existence. He fell back into the homeland duties that he sometimes neglected while out on the road, and while he yearned to travel again soon, he knew that he would wait until after the puppies were born. There was no way he would miss the birth of his nieces and nephews.

So his reply came after only a moment of thought. "Not much. Just kind of settling back in around here. I'll probably plan another scouting trip sometime after the babies come," he said, flashing a quick grin in her direction. He hesitated, then asked, "Do you have a feeling about how many it will be? Or if they'll be boys or girls?"

While it seemed he had little to report, she knew to revel in the peacefulness while they could have it. "Good, do you have any idea where you may go next?" she asked curiously, for even a vague directional heading would suit her. She'd been on the mountain since the lightning strike and not been out much at all herself. Before everything, she'd been interested in checking in on the Sunspire -- which had been just her own curiosities and nostalgia at work. It was something she wanted to see to herself.

For his question, she wished she could have a better answer. "No, no idea.. on either," she shook her head softly. "I wish I knew. At best guess, a few.. surely?" Her brows furrowed. Probably, with some skillful feeling around, a practiced touch could make a better guess but she wasn't letting anyone do that to her at this point; she knew it'd be all teeth thanks to that. "I came from a litter of five, and I know Charon had littermates but not how many. I suspect that may be a small hint worth considering too," she hypothesized with a shrug. She'd had more brothers than sisters, although it was not drastically so. Charon at least had a brother she remembered him looking for the very first time she'd met him -- and since none of the other Loðbróks had ever mentioned a loss near to them, she guessed that had meant a blood brother of his -- not that he ever particularly distinguished between them and his adoptive vikings. Based on that, perhaps she should suspect sons? And maybe even a litter on the larger side of the spectrum. But selfishly, she wanted at least a daughter. Two wouldn't be bad, either.

Maybe there was a system to it, or really, it was just a random pull of genetic contribution. She wouldn't know but couldn't help but wonder almost constantly.

Before commenting on the probability of her litter, Amekaze asked about Floki's next trip. He hadn't given it much thought yet, past the veritable tingling on his feet that indicated that it was time to get on the road again. But he usually followed a path that led him towards the coast, and from there could branch off in any direction. Of course, it was possible that he could head inland from Moonspear, but there was something familiar and comforting about the path to the ocean; besides, he knew now from Charon that another pack had claimed Stavanger Bay, and he was curious to learn more about them.

"Not sure yet, but maybe a bit further north than before," was his reply; it was much shorter than his train of thought. Perhaps he would meet Gyda; perhaps not. He would likely just see where his paws carried him. At that moment, he was more interested to hear about the heirs to Moonspear, although Amekaze herself could not provide much insight. She speculated briefly about Charon's family, and Floki saw an opportunity to chip in.

"He had three littermates, I think, but I only knew one of them," he commented. Liyani and Kevlyn hadn't been a part of his life, but he had known Levi, if only for a short time. "Do you have names in mind?" he asked.

She appreciated the answer with a soft nod, and would keep that in mind. North. "Before the lightning and then, ah, the pups, I had wanted to visit the Sunspire sometime, which I still plan to do if winter does not come too soon after this. So I would be interested to hear about nearby there if you happened to pass by it on your way there or back again," she mentioned for something to maybe keep in the back of his mind. It was not an urgent matter by any means, or even required, since it wasn't like she'd just ditch Charon with a litter of puppies and full alphaship on a whim any time soon, but she was still interested to know if any other packs had cropped up nearby it or if the slopes were just as serene as she'd recalled. That was, if Floki's trip north came sooner rather than later.

Again, Floki's contribution was stored away carefully. Three littermates, then. Ame could see herself content with a litter of three, which was a strange thing to think about. "For names, I have been considering named stars I know and if any of those may fit." Which to her seemed to be a natural approach for Moonspear's first heirs to be named for any celestial bodies.  "I also want to honor my family somehow, and name in a similar tradition as my mother did for at least one.. but nothing is entirely decided yet." she detailed best she could on something so vague still. "I do want to see them all first. I feel.. that will make naming them so much easier when I can finally meet them more properly," she considered and knew how anxious for that she really was. The wait felt like forever. "And you.. are you ready to be their favorite uncle? I may not know much about them but worry they may be an active brood," she warned playfully with a small smirk.

Want to fade soon? I gotta have more baby threads once I have more free time! :)

He hadn't necessarily expected her to task him with a job, but was pleasantly surprised when she requested that he detour near the Sunspire. He was more than happy to do so, having never visited the mountain before; he was curious to step foot upon the peak that had housed Amekaze before the merge. "I'd be happy to," he confirmed with a wave of his tail.

Floki listened with interest as Amekaze mused aloud, revealing her thoughts when it came to bestowing names upon her future brood. Each explanation seemed to fit perfectly -- both she and Charon were naturalists with knowledge of the night sky, which lent itself to names belonging to the constellations. Besides, Moonspear itself had a rather cosmic moniker. But in addition to that, she wanted to recognize her family as well as choose the titles once the puppies were born. He nodded, then his face broke into a broad grin as she commented on his status as favorite uncle.

"I hope I can keep up with them," he teased, although he really had no doubt in his own abilities. Already, he was imagining a group of rowdy boys -- when in reality, there wouldn't be a single male in the litter.

yus! I need to tie up pre-pup stuff too <_<

Without any hesitation, and despite her not having a real, clear-cut reason to ask it of him beyond her own curiosities, he took her suggestion. "Thank you," she tipped her muzzle fondly in a nod. She did not know how familiar he was with the area, but if he was not, she reasoned it would be a good time to get to know them better. The Spire and its neighboring range would always have a place in her heart.

"I believe you will be just fine," she agreed with a smirk and flick of her tail. He was young yet, so the pups just might like him for that alone. Ame only hoped that would not mean they would just terrorize him more for it. When they were a little older, and if any of them showed any interest in the fields of scouting about the wilds, he would certainly be the first she would aim them towards in that regard. She wondered what he might think of that potential opportunity in the future, but decided to save covering that for later; she was feeling perpetually sore and tired, and not like being out and about too much longer. After a thoughtful beat, she finally decided to voice this and mosey on. "I think I should head back," she gestured towards the den's whereabouts, and offered last farewells before partings ways.

She spoke of her confidence in his abilities and he grinned. Shortly afterward, she excused herself, and Floki had no protest to make. Amekaze had already told him of her perpetual discomfort and fatigue, so he offered a quick dip of his muzzle as she started to make her way past him. "Let me know if you need anything," he called after her retreating figure.

He then set off in the opposite direction, planning to do some hunting in order to bolster their caches, in preparation for the puppies' arrival.