Blackfeather Woods And the vultures all start circling

Forward dating to the 10th, @Harley Quinzel!
Her pale green gaze at the field of red, the flowers that sprawl so thickly along the ground. Overhead, the cawing of ravens, once or twice swooping down to investigate the woman in the field of blood-red. She is perfectly still, her tail curled tightly around her as she simply sits, and observes. Nausea rises and falls within her, but faded from the gut wrenching nausea of this morning. For some reason, she craves a fawn, it's sweet, tender flesh, but she doesn't know why, exactly. 

Althaia noted the changes, however slight, on her. Her belly fur, she noticed, didn't seem quite as thick as before, and there was the slightest curve to her stomach that suggested that she may have been eating too much, or otherwise. These were things that others would overlook completely, not even notice, but they were visible to her intensive gaze. 

Since her arrival here, she has regained much of her lost weight, and her leg feels stronger now. But it still will never be quite the same, which doesn't matter now. She'll just adapt, and continue on. She settles onto the flowers, sphinx-like, and watches as the ravens twirl and flap above her, screeching their odd cry.

Harley didn't like it here. It was as dark, confusing, and unwelcoming as the wolves who inhabited it, from those he knew. The wolfdog didn't understand it: was it because of his domestic heritage, or something else? Nemesis seemed hellbent on the fact that it was he who'd hurt Althaia, and he who would hurt her again. As far as he was concerned, he was the only reason she now lived! Anger bubbled in his gut most hours of the day, and if it weren't for his wife he'd never be in this awful place. 
As he stalked through the trees after the grey woman's scent, he realized that Althaia had a different smell about her. Like Amekaze's, her scent was laced with teeming hormones, and his instinct told him that she was with pups. It wasn't long before she came into view, laying stone-still in a meadow of red and watching a bunch of ravens. They were probably the only things in the woods he didn't hate, other than himself and the female he'd bound himself to. With a sullen but friendly chuff, he approached with a small smile. His amber eyes strayed to her belly, and even he noticed the curve there, the thinning of her fur: there was no doubt about it, at all now. And reguardless of what color their fur and eyes were, no matter how much resemblance they bore to that bastard alpha of Moonspear, Harley knew that they were his children, through and through. He had no intentions of telling anyone, either, not even the children themselves. With luck, they really would all be his, or at least not look like Charon.
                       "Hello love.... How are you feeling? Do you need anything?"

A chuff, and she twisted, seeing Harley. She smiled, eager for his company, and rose gingerly, careful not to disturb the roses and the thorns beneath. "Harley. I've missed you" At his words, her smile faltered in the slightest. "I'm doing...well. The pregnancy, it makes me feel ill, but I don't want to take herbs. I'm nervous something will harm the babies. That pale woman, from the borders...Potema. I'll go see her, I think." 

She strode toward him, and slipped her head over his neck in her version of a hug. "I need you, Harley." she said simply, eyes bright despite the darkness that surrounded them. The forest put her on edge, but her sister was here, and even after all these years, she trusted her. They had spoken, during their walk, and Althaia was astonished at the vastly different paths they walked.

At least someone here wanted him: Althaia responded with such happiness that he hadn't seen from her in a long time, if ever. She was the only thing now that brought anything positive to his life, her and the four tiny lives she grew within her belly. As she came to him, his amber eyes traced her figure, and a grin lit up his face. 
                  "I'm glad you're doing well, cause you look pretty well too."
Chuckling at the joke and accepting her hug, Harley wondered if he trusted the woman to allow her to feed his wife unknown things. 
                                    "I can probably find you something for nausea, Thi. I'll go looking later for some raspberry leaves, or Chervile, or even poppy seeds if I have to. You don't have to ask a stranger...."
It was clear he wasn't happy here, but never did he say anything: if Althaia wanted to live with her sister, then live in Blackfeather Woods he would. Her plea touched his heart, and even if he wasn't thinking about it, any plans of leaving were gone in a flash. 
                                                    "You'll always have me, Althaia, no matter what. You know that."

Althaia nodded, slightly trepidant, at his words. "I know. Rasberry would be best, but not the other two. I would feel horrible knowing that a herb I'd taken may have affected...them." Rasberry was benign enough, she was sure it wouldn't do anything to her unborn pups. She said nothing more on the subject of Potema, but knew that she would go see the pale woman sooner or later. Unlike Harley, she didn't fear the residence...to much. Her sister, her long last sister, was alpha, and looking out for her. As long as she didn't do anything stupid, she was sure she'd be fine. 

At his words, her smile faultered. "I'm sorry, Harley. For bringing you into this mess. Pups you never really intended on, fleeing your old home, coming here, of all places..." she trailed off, lapsing into silence. Emotions swirled within her, maybe a result of her hormones, but suddenly she was exhaused, and guilty, and sad. "If I'd never met you...you would have been living happily on...that mountain. Without this worry, without this burden."

Althaia copied his thoughts, choosing Raspberry over the others out of worry for the pups. Harley nodded in agreement, rubbing his head against her shoulder and reaching out to lick her belly. The gesture was ever so slight, barely touching her, and the breath he released just after was probably felt easier than the lick. Of course he couldn't feel them, but he could just imagine the pups in there: would they be like him just because they were raised by him, or would the spawn of Charon-if any- be like the pale man no matter what? Would they actually know the difference, see it? Would others? 
              "Ill go out soon, I promise."
Her lovely smile faded, and she apologized for the twists and turns that his life had abruptly taken since her entrance to it. She was right: he'd given up his rank in Moonspear, a lovely home with friends, and the posibility of taking a mate he could've been happy there with. He'd imagined being a father a few times, as just about everyone did, but it was something he'd accepted letting go for that rank in Moonspear. Now here he was, accepting the fact that his beloved wife could be carrying the spawn of another, yet still taking them all in as his own. Being here though, in this dark wood full of hate and cold hearts, Harley found was the worst part of it all. 
So sure, maybe he would've been happy, even happier, but there was not a moment of anything the regretting. He wouldn't change it for the world, not a damn thing. 
                                      "I'll admit it, Althaia, it hasn't been easy. A lot of this sucks.... But I truly think I've found my soulmate in you, and if living on a mountain with friends is all I get for losing you.... Then I don't want it. I'd follow you to the ends of the Earth until my paws bled, and love you the same every moment of it." 
He kept his face laid against her side, rumbling happily deep in his chest and tail wagging behind him like crazy. Again, he wondered if this was how his father had felt when he was with mom.

His words melted her, she hummed happily and leaned into him, truly happy in this moment. She planted a kiss on his muzzle, still humming with happiness. She stretched her muzzle to his ear, whispering fondly "I love you, Harley." She gave a little shake, tail wagging happily, before twisting away from him and slipping onto her back, legs tucked close as she peered at him and the slight curve of her stomach. Her smile was great, sincere and joyful.

Peering at her stomach again, still in her laying position, she asked, "What do you think, for names? I was thinking Owen, or Nikai, for a boy." she grinned up at him, suddenly wanting to discuss the horribly exciting things growing inside her.

Her reaction made him sure this was all worth it, and he relished in her kisses and affection. From what he'd heard, pregnancy made women crazy: this sure didn't seem to bad!  
                "I love you too, Althaia."
His head swung towards her automatically as she moved, watching and ever worried about her and their children. But she'd only moved to the ground, peering down at her rounded belly and asking what kind of names he had in mind.  
                             "I like Keoni, for a girl. Or maybe Luck." 

"Keoni...I've heard that name before...I love it." She said, then faked a grimace. "But...Luck? No offence, Harley, but do we want people calling our daughter Lucky? What if she has horrible luck? Would be pretty ironic." Her tone was teasing, though, as she said it. She looked down at the curve of her belly again. They had to be tiny, so tiny. "What do you think they're doing in there? Just kinda floating, or rolling around? This is so weird, Harley...they're mini uses inside of me." 

She gently patted a forepaw against her stomach, noting the thinning fur and the way her teats seemed a little more visible. This was great, now...but she knew in a few weeks she'd be as swollen and bloated as her sister, who should be giving birth any day now, actually. She wondered how her sister was faring.