Stone Circle quiet when i'm coming home, and i'm on my own

hunting without a partner had become impossible. blondine would still practice with the drove of hares in the eastern quarter of the territory, but rarely had any success. she took it as a sign to focus more on her other trade and to wait, so as to not overexert herself. 

she set off in the morning (evening? we'll go with morning) for the pond — a-hunnerd thirty-two paces east — in hopes of finding more watermint. later, she would look for @Valette and ask about her intentions this spring.

Valette was usually busy with anything gamekeeper related, as Greyback would do the borders for her. She was the Matriarch but she didn't like the marking and watching for danger. She liked to work with the animals, especially now they were returning. The female had checked the bison when she was starting to check the waters for the aquatic animals. She had not checked if their raccoons had returned to her. She trotted along the river, towards the next body of water, looking for any signs of the critters.

the crunch of snow alerted blondine of another's approach. she lifted her head and took a discreet breath in, a smile growing on her maw as she exhaled. valette, she called, tail wagging behind her, i was just about to go lookin' for you! 

it was becoming easier to guesstimate the locations of things. in her right ear, the faint sound of running water indicated that she was beside the stream. however, it was warped; their was someone nearby, straight ahead but on the opposite bank.

blondine trotted around, following the matriarch's scent. i wanted to talk about some things with you, if that's alright.

Valette looked up when she heard Blondine's voice. She was quick to smile at the female in greeting. "Oh hello," she spoke with a smile and stopped her tracking for a moment. The female looked surprised when Blondine said she had been looking for her. That got Valette curious. She dipped her head. "What do you want to know?," she asked curiously.

"Of course that is alright, ask away," she assured the female. She didn't mean to create a feeling that she was unaccessible for questions or things like that.

confident that they were close enough for conversation, blondine took a seat. i know you've got yer mate, n' this ain't y'all's first go-round, she joked, hoping that they could share a laugh, but i was wonderin', are you plannin' on bringing in more pups this season? it was a simple question that required a simple answer.

i ask 'cause i gotta work harder on gettin' my herbs together if so. makin' sure i've got everythin' i need to be a good midwife. blondine had never wanted children, but she was happy to live vicariously through those around her. cool southern aunt type thang.

Valette watched Blondine for a moment she thought that the female was going to ask permission to breed. However, the conversation took another turn. It was not for pups she was asking but if she needed to gather herbs. Valette blinked. Are there herbs for helping with birthing pups?," she asked the female, sounding amazed. She always gave brith without any medicine or herbs to help her.

"We are planning on having another litter, yes." At least, that was something Valette planned. But she was pretty sure Greyback would be convinced as well. He had loved their children and when she would go in heat it would be hard for him to say no. She hoped she would go in heat at least, since her body wasn't in the most optimal condition.

they aren't meant to help with the pain much, blondine explained, but things like milk supply, stopping some bleeding afterward. that sorta thing. she wondered if there was a way to ease some of the discomfort that came with labor, but figured that it was too fragile a thing to toy with. 

valette's confirmation brought forth an almost overwhelmingly wide smile. that's great news! pups were a good thing, always meant to be cherished. blondine realized then that she might have been pushing herself onto the matriarch with too much force, so she continued, i don't have to be yer midwife, if that makes y'all uncomfortable. i won't be offended.

Valette's face fell a bit. "Oh, too bad," she admitted and then decided that it was a natural thing, if she wouldn't feel pain she wouldn't know when to push. She did nod when Blondine spoke about the usage of the herbs. She did have horrible bleeds last time, but her litter had been so large. Probably because of Greyback's genes since all her litters before that had not been as large.

Valette grinned, glad that some were excited to have pups in the pack again. She was excited for it as well. "Oh-- Well, I don't know. I never had a midwife before. What do you do during the birth?," she asked curiously. If it would help her and make the birth easier then at least Valette had been interested. "I always did it alone, males have to stay outside," she spoke with a firm nod. Especially Greyback who was far too large compared to the newborns, though she let him peek into the den at least.

i always did it alone.

blondine frowned, though only for a moment. she couldn't imagine giving birth, but to do it alone was absolutely unthinkable. growing up, she'd always seen women go through it together; mothers with their daughters, birthing their granddaughters...

only what yer comfortable with, she sighed, checking in before the birth, being there — if you want. making sure everyone is healthy afterward, that sorta thing. blondine wondered where valette would draw the line, if it would be drawn at all.

Valette shrugged when the female frowned. Her first year she had been all alone and went through it alone. She didn't have her mother anymore by the time she became pregnant. Hence why the female had to do it by herself. Then it just became normal for her to do it by herself. She didn't want anyone too close. "I will let you know when I am pregnant and we can discuss from there,' she nodded to her.

She wondered if in the heat of the moment she would want Blondine close. Now she was starting to think how her pups would look this year. It would be the first time she would have another litter with the same male. "But thank you."

it appeared that their conversation was coming to an end, much to blondine's displeasure. she quite liked the matriarch, but did not want to bother her with small talk. as valette had said, further conversation could wait until she was actually pregnant. o'course, she said with a nod, and let me know if you need anything before then. she didn't wait for her companion to leave. instead, blondine got up and started heading back toward her den.