Cricket Creek Bog we can dine with the biosphere

@Arlette here we go! Feel free to set this whenever works best in her timeline of pregnancy!
@Kallik as always, you are more than welcome to join in on any thread! <3

Merrit had never been this far West before, and if he had, he could not remember. But he could not recall ever seeing Moonspear from this side. Perhaps because he never had. Perhaps because of the blown off silhouette it now cut in jagged memory against the sky.

In any case, he had found himself in an unfamiliar land. Kallik was always closeby; the two never travelled far without each other. They were in this together, now, and though Merrit had never been close to his cousin before, he found he cherished the company and familial familiarity he gave by simply being him.

They had not yet done much to put their conversation on the Sunspire into action, but for these new days, Merrit was content to travel with Kallik, and heal alongside him from the emotional wounds mother's death had brought upon them both. Tonight, the sun cast a lovely glow across the thawing bog, and around him, crickets chirped. Merrit paused in his wandering and looked towards the western range to catch the final strokes of the sunset before the stars woke up.

Lets say this takes place more than a week from now on the 31st of March/1st April. tag for visibility

Arlette figured this was the last time she could leave her territory before she would give birth. She knew that she still had a bit of time, but she was aware that Derg might not want her unprotected so close to her due date. She wanted to gather some medicine to calm herself for when the time came. They had enough lavender in their territory but she wanted to find chamomile in the bog. It was a bit of travel so she left at dawn. Telling @Dreg she shouldn't be away for longer than a full day.

She made her way, and found that she underestimated traveling with the added weight. Her sides were rounded, signaling that it was more than food that resided there. She had not been too ill from the pups, perhaps because this wasn't her first time being pregnant. She reached the bog when the sun was close to setting. She hoped Derg wouldn't be too worried about her. Then again, she felt really safe in the Hinterlands since there hadn't been a word of other packs, or threats. The pale female made her way through the bog, she noticed her own balance was different now she had the more weight. She was pleased to find the early flowering chamomile, the scent even calming her.

She started to tug the plants at the base, gathering the whole plant since they had enough pregnant females, and nervous males that would probably need it. She was busying herself with this task when she heard something. Her head popped up, warily, the wind was blowing in the wrong direction. So her scent was blown towards the stranger. She was about to pick up her gathered materials and run, when she noticed the stranger was not all big and black. His markings made her pause, too long of a pause. "Merrit," she gasped. No, no, shit. She didn't want to be found. She grabbed her herbs and trotted off, she even tried to run but she was terribly slow with this belly in her way.

Feel free to stop her she is not fast at all

Arlette had mentioned...leaving to get some herbs.
She seemed a bit stressed and pretty uneasy. Even though Aerin told her she should be ok, he knew his mate would worry anyway. He wanted her to have the space she needed, but she was not going alone. At all.
So he followed her. He let her have a headstart, so she knew she was really alone for at least a little bit.
He watched the white speck of her rove over the soggy terrain. Derg blended in a lot better.

He followed her until she stopped. A few times he wanted to go to her, seeing her struggle. But he knew better than to invade that much.
When she stopped he moved in closer. He didn't try to hide himself like he hadn't throughout the trip. She was digging up plants of some sort, then he spotted it. Another wolf, looking wistfully into the distance.
He picked up his pace and knew Arlette noticed too and seemed rather panicked about it.
Derg chuffed loudly, drawing her attention to him.
She was safe.

"You're ok," he reassured her as he drew in close. He looked up again at the other, unsure of what had spooked Arlette so badly.

The sunset was beautiful. He noted this first. How the rays of light tried to cling to leafless branches of what trees sprung from the marshy earth. They rattled, like a widow on her deathbed. Eyes turned, towards the light. Reflecting the final throes of life, and brimming with an expectation of the next.

A voice pulled him Merrit back to reality, and in an instant, the scents spun back to him, and all around him.

He recognized her - and turned.

"Arlette," already he made his way towards her, blinking away sun spots from having stared at the horizon for too long. The deep shadows obscured his vision, but not his sister. Bright as she was, even in the hues of the night. "Arlette, wait - "

A million thoughts hit him at once, in those deciding moments, not the least that there was another with her. Not the least, that she ran from him. Not the least, that she did not know their mother was dead. He caught up with them quickly and cast the man who held his sister a reciprocated look of confusion, uncertainty.

Arlette skidded to a halt when she saw Derg of all wolves. Her heart leaped for him. Though, she hadn't realized he had followed her. She would have been perfectly fine. "I am," she assured to him but still had her heart beating quickly. Arlette turned when she heard her brother call for her. The girl flopped her ears back guilty, hiding a bit behind Derg.

He saw the look on her brother, that confusion. What was he doing here? She sniffed the air, tried to sniff him. The fact that he didn't smell of Easthollow made her step forward, past Derg. Why didn't he smell like Easthollow? Derg probably didn't look too friendly that was with her. She swallowed and lifted her chin a bit, trying not to pant too much. Her sides larger than normal, but probably looking familiar because their mother looked like that once a year. Her heart was still beating a bit quickly. What would he think of her?!

"I'm not going back to Easthollow, Merrit," she spoke with a warning in her tone. "If that is the reason you have come here, that is. I don't want Mother to know where I am either," the female added. Her scarred face looking at him almost strictly so. Then she glanced at her mate. He was probably not aware who this was. "It is my brother Merrit," she explained to him softly. "He wouldn't harm me," she assured him.

Derg stood still, tail raised and face impassable. Arlette tucked into him like she could melt.
This man obviously knew Arlette. And Arlette knew him. He was from Easthollow. They'd fought together against Ursus' Blackbird.
Arlette was scared of what he might be here for though. She would not be taken from him.

This man didn't smell like he once did. Like they both did once.
Arlette noticed too as she stepped out, bold and brave. Derg stood still and quiet - a sentinel. This was Arlette's brother, she revealed. And while she was sure he wouldn't harm her physically...what could he tell someone else?
He grunted in response, tail still a warning flag as he stared down his prey.
One wrong move, and Merrit would be lost in the bog.
Or dragged to the Saints. For fun.

Kallik had separated from his cousin only to see if there was something for them to hunt, but when his search came up with nothing, he quickly turned around and sought Merrit's trail.

It hadn't taken him too long to find the other man, but it became clear that he had been busy. There were two others with him when he found his cousin, and he could feel the tension that hung between the pair and his family. Protective, possessive anger swelled in his chest then. As someone who was mostly quiet unless the situation called for words, he had become very good at 'reading the room,' and he could tell that whatever was going on here was not friendly. What he couldn't be sure of was that there was any aggressive intent from the pair of strangers. Still, he sidled up next to Merrit, silent as ever, his gaze searching the faces of the unknown wolves. His intent was clear: he was there to protect.