Duskfire Glacier Who does your honor sleep with at night

Time - 3:30 pm on Sunday | Weather - Moderate rain | Notes; Backdated one day for the rain!

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Rain pummeled down with a vengeance, thunder and lightning clashing together with a ferocious roar, resonating vibrantly inside his deep chest. Rye endured the storm without hesitance, his fur intertwined with the fat droplets of water that fell from the sky in great abundance; still he didn't move, didn't flinch. Each flash of lightning illuminated the disarray around him, colorful sundered flower pedals floated in the thin river rushing beside his feet and haunches. Water wicked away the dirt that clung to his fur and thoroughly cleansed Tzilas scent off his frame. Rye was enraptured by the feeling of the rain dripping from his muzzle and fur, his head tilted up with eyes closed to let the water reach his lids. 

It was a welcome distraction from the storm brewing inside his skull, one that rivaled the exteriors. It felt like only days ago he was sure fatherhood was years away from catching him, he thought that was what he wanted, freedom; but Rye found himself longing for the opposite. Why? He wasn't certain, maybe it was mother nature summoning him to the wonders of parenthood or possibly it was hidden yearnings that were unearthed in light of his fling with Tzila? No matter the answer, Rye was left with a desire that wouldn't come to fruition. Wintersbanes scent was coated on the dark females fur first, Rye knew enough about the adult thing to know he was not to be the little ones father. To say he was bitter would have been an overstatement, Rye wasn't angry at the loss in opportunity; nor was he sad. Only wistful. 

The hotah lifted his hind quarters and walked out of the meadow without any regard to the remaining intact flowers, absentmindedly crushing them with each step. His aim was to return to his dry and dark den where he could recoup from the drenching.

Lane stood, frozen, eyes shut tight against the water streaming down her muzzle. With every boom of thunder she flinched, but she remained otherwise rooted, soaked through to the skin and shivering. The rain poured from her quivering sides in sheets, but was it enough? How much would it take to wash the sickening scent away? If she could just get rid of the damn smell, she could go. She could put this mistake behind her. She could forget. 

Lane blinked her eyes open as a flash of lightning illuminated the meadow, and for that instance she thought she saw the silhouette of a wolf approaching. Was it Iana? Or Imaq? Lane took a step forward, her heart pulling her toward her friend, reaching out for comfort. 

But.. would they smell her heat instantly? Would they know what had happened? Lane was frozen again. She couldn't help but feel as if she had taken something from these women-- the women who had been by Wintersbane's side every step of the way, helping him build up this pack from scratch. They should have been the ones bearing young for the Glacier, and instead, that privilege would fall to Lane. The Visitor. Read: the last wolf on this hunk of ice who actually wanted it.

Mature Content Warning

This thread has been marked as mature. By reading and/or participating in this thread, you acknowledge that you are of age or have permission from your parents to do so.

The participants have indicated the following reason(s) for this warning: Mentions/descriptions of heat

Lmk if you want something changed! Also gonna slap a big ol M on this bad boy just in case

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His eyes were set on the woods nearby but a flash of lightning revealed a body in his peripheral vison, Rye stopped and stared, unable to see clearly amidst the blurry rain that splashed on his nose. He welcomed the thought it was Iana or Imaq, their heats were not upon them yet, or so Rye guess, and he wanted their company to further distract from himself. He approached, the figure became more defined and less familiar as he drew closer, his gait changed for a small trot to a hesitant walk. Having not yet smelled the females heat, Rye continued to approach still believing it had to be one of the aforementioned women but the revelation the she wolf was neither came with another flash of lightning. The hotah stared blankly, his body frozen as he closely assessed the unknown wolf. More flashes of lightning revealed her agouti coat that was similar to his, and along came a flurry of wind that shoved her scent into his nose. Rye breathed in, stopping himself short at the first whiff of heat but it was too late.

Much like Tzilas, the agouti womans aroma clung to his nose like sap to fur. His jaw tightened as he swallowed hard, weak attempts to keep his self control. Rye was bargaining, talking himself into giving in with sweet lies and it nearly broke him but for the moment he held firm. His heart raced and his breathing hitched, what was he to do? 

"You're— You're in heat." Was all he could muster, not much in the way of conversation but his brain was elsewhere, willfully goading Rye to achieve his newfound desires; but like Tzila was it too late?

Another flash of lightening, and the silhouette was closer. It was not Imaq-- the wolfdog possessed a distinctive frame and therefore was quickly ruled out, even with distance and low-lighting. It was not Iana either; that much was made clear by the man's larger, fuller frame, and of course by the fact that he was a man. 

Lane searched his face, squinting through the rain and the dusky lighting. Would he notice... it? Or had she washed it away? Maybe it was never there to begin with. Maybe Wintersbane had been wrong, and she had been wrong, and the hot, mess of emotions and desire churning beneath her skin was just.. something else. Maybe..

"You're— You're in heat."

Lane deflated. 

"Is it- is it that bad?" The words tumbled out of her mouth, laced with distress. She pressed her tail down, and her head dropped as well. Rainwater began dripping down her nose in a tiny rivulet. 

"Fuck.." she murmured under her breath. Fuck fuck fuck. "Uh.." her amber gaze flicked upward to met the stranger's eyes, silently pleading. She had fucked up big time, and she was in over her head.

Conflicts of interest bombarded him from every angle with out much remorse, leaving him quietly staring down the bashful female. She held the potential to answer his needs but the pleading look in her eyes reached through the fog of desire and pulled him into reality. Rye looked away, his brows, eyes and nose scrunching up. Oxygen drew in through shut teeth and blew out from his nose. His face, shoulders and remaining body relaxing as he exhaled. Ryes first real steps to self control, not that he had none but he was zero and two with the other females he's come across mid heat; this time needed to be different.
"No. No! No, no, no!" He argued with himself, not really looking a the woman, "Not. Gonna. Happen." Rye pasued, his brows lifting and eyes catching the females, "Unless?" He shook his head and pursed his bottom lip. "Nooope!" He countered quickly, all to himself of course; but it occurred to him that this new female might misinterpret his semi aggression towards herself. With another breath in Rye looked at her, "I'm sorry. I am. I swear I'm not upset at you okay?" The deliverance was shaky at best but there was some sincerity in there somewhere. A third deep breath and he was sitting on his rump, letting the rain take his attention once again. By this time the water felt freezing but Rye was thankful for the cold, it cooled his boiling brain. "I apologize, seriously I am really sorry. I'm sure you feel awful right now and I didn't mean to, it's just so much is going on and its really crazy and I don't know what the hell I'm doing and there's a lot of bad timing going on right now and I'm really sorry." It was abrupt and out of nowhere, all his words bunched together like nuts in a squirrels cheek pouches. Was any of it understandable? Maybe.   

Lane needed help, but her pride wouldn't permit her to outright ask for it. Instead, she ended up fixing the stranger with a desperate look, hoping that he would magically just know what to do. 

Unfortunately for her, the man seemed to battling with his own demons. He was arguing with himself, and had it been any other time Lane might have been disconcerted by his behavior. But right now, with the rain driving and the sky booming overhead, and her own tumultuous emotions threatening to smother her, Lane might as well have been a million miles away. His struggle barely even registered with her. On the outside she was frozen, but on the inside, she felt like she was spinning, and falling...

He apologized, snapping Lane back to the present. Confusion clouded her features. Why was he reassuring her that he wasn't upset at her? Since her mistake was constantly at the forefront of her mind, that was where Lane landed. Had Wintersbane already told people, then? Were there Duskfire wolves who were mad that an outsider had.. had mated here, in a pack where she didn't belong? 

Oh, fuck. Lane winced. Did everyone know? Did everyone hate her? Silence stretched out between them for a long moment as Lane wrestled with the idea that maybe everyone already knew what had happened and she was going to have to start owning up, even though she was still struggling wrap her mind around everything herself. When the man sat, Lane's own rump lowered reflexively. Consequently, it took the edge off of her maddening scent. 

"I'm s--" she murmured, but then the man piped up once more, cutting her apology off with another one of his own. And then he kept going, and going. She met his citrine gaze, and her own amber eyes were welling. She wasn't a crier normally, but his empathy for her was quite unanticipated and frankly, undeserved. She was so overwhelmed. 

"Yes!" she choked out. "That's exactly it. That's exactly how I feel!" He had somehow managed to hit it all exactly right-- the crazy, and the don't-know-what-the-hell-I'm-doing, and the bad timing, and.. and just all of it! 

Relief flooded through Lane's body, and her frozen stance thawed. She slumped forward and pressed her cheek into the agouti man's shoulder, body trembling. Had they both not already been drenched, the man would have felt her tears against his scarred, exposed skin, dampening his old wound.

Everything slowly washed away, it retreated from the forefront of his mind to the back as she broke down onto his shoulder. The raw emotional admittance captured his attention and settled the raging ocean, that drowned him, down to a tranquil lake. He could see, and hear, the pain in her voice as she spoke, it commanded the scene with gripping vehemence. As sobering as it was, it still left Rye with doubts there was any way he could fix or at minimum help things but it wasn't like him to let those in need fall by the wayside. His head dipped down over her shoulder and pulled her closer to him (if allowed) and remained there, his body trying to further shield her from the downpour. His embrace was partially selfish, he needed the hug just as much or possibly more than she did but that didn't stop him from letting both benefit from the vulnerability. Rye did not know what pestered her but he held every intention on being there, letting himself be her shoulder for as long as she needed. He refused to let himself make the same mistake again and with that thought he selfishly hugged harder, small tears pricking the edges of his eyes as the awfully familiar scene played behind shut eyes. Thank goodness the tears were camouflaged in the rain.  
"It will be alright." He gingerly said after a few moments passed, a hidden promise in his words that he would not leave until she was okay. The males head lifted to view the female resting on his shoulder, gentle eyes searching for her ambers. "Let us move to cover and get you warm. Don't worry, I'll be fine." Rye reassured, referencing her heat. The corners of his mouth lifting into a gentle smile as he parted from her. He knew he could keep his composure much easier after everything. He decided to let her lead where she wanted. His warm den was not far and if she inquired he would tell her how to get there. It would provide her a safe space to warm herself and perhaps sleep if she could. Rye could always find things to occupy his time while she rested.

Without a moment's hesitation, her companion opened up to receive her. Lane sighed heavily as he wrapped around her, warm, secure, and comforting. There was nothing demanding about it, nothing at all suggestive-- it was just support, offered freely and unconditionally. 

As the turmoil raging within the young woman gradually calmed, and Lane's thoughts slowly shifted to other concerns. Like how cold she was. Oh yeah, and who was this guy she was hugging? 

His voice cut through the silence, and Lane took that as her cue to pull back. He suggested that they find shelter, to which Lane only nodded. She was feeling very needy right now, and she was therefore reluctant to relinquish their contact. 

After a beat, Lane realized he was waiting for her to go somewhere. 

"..Oh," she said finally, feeling like a dummy as his suggestion really sank in. "I don't live here. I mean, I'm not really--" She scrambled, trying to find her words. "--I'm just visiting. I don't have.. like, a place." Lane spent so much time in medicine dens that she liked to be under the open sky whenever she had the opportunity, including when she slept. It hadn't even occurred to her to seek out some kind of den space for herself within the Glacier territory. She hadn't intended to be here for long enough to need one.

I apologize for the wait and the short reply

Slowly the seconds grew into minutes and left Rye with the stunning realization that he hugged and total stranger who didn't live at the Glacier. The realization was always there, albeit subdued by the more pressing emotions in control but she seemed to be of no threat so it didn't bother the male much.

Rye was curious to know why she was visiting the glacier while in heat, with only two males in the whole glacier it didn't leave a lot of guessing as to the possible why she was here. Had she been with Wintersbane too? Everything Rye knew so far led him to believe so but still, he wasn't going to assume anything quite yet.

"You're visiting? While in heat?" Rye sounded confused, an added arch of a single brow sold the confusion more. "Me and Wintersbane are the only males at the Glacier, and I haven't seen you around. Sooo..?" Now both eye brows raised as Rye grew firmer in his suspicions.

No worries! I took a few days off from posting too. Everyone needs a reset sometimes. I'm so sorry for your loss and what you're going through. :(

Lane hadn't intended to trigger a round of questions, at least not yet-- not now, when she wasn't sure she could get through the answers. 

Lane wasn't the greatest at reading faces-- especially not in the driving rain-- but there was something pointed about his connotation that seemed.. accusing? She felt immediately defensive in turn, and the hurricane of emotions in the pit of her stomach began churning once more. 

"So what?" she exhaled hotly, almost desperately. "I'm not with Wintersbane!" Oh fuck. That was too insistent, wasn't it? Too defensive. Fuck. She barely even recognized the voice that had just shrilled out of her. Normally she was so composed.. she prided herself in it. Lane dropped her head, letting the rain beat against the back of her neck as she gathered what little remained of her sensibilities. 

"I made a mistake," she admitted after a moment, in a much smaller voice. Her jaw set firmly as she spoke her admission-- she was a prideful creature, and she hated the words that had just come out of her mouth. He already knew anyway. They all knew, probably. He just wanted to make her say it out loud, and she hated him a little bit for that. 

Lane was shaking all the more violently now that anger had been stirred in to her emotion potion. But was she really mad at this stranger for pointing out the obvious? Or was she actually just mad at herself? 

Maybe if she sat out here long enough, she would just dissolve...

Thank you, I really do appreciate your patience and condolences <3

 Rye slowly moved his head away from the female as she exploded with a flurry of emotion, his eyes widened a smidge with surprise; after she was finished his head and eyes returned to their natural position. He hadn't expected to hit such a sore nerve with his assuming, accusatory hybrid of a question but quickly after the female relented and gave Rye confirmation on what he suspected. He had a number of follow up questions but took a few moments to choose wisely, he didn't want to stir up another round of emotion. It was clear by her weakened voice she was not proud of her actions but Rye couldn't understand why, a handful of plausible reasons surfaced but he wasn't going to mention them out loud. He learned his lesson. The woodland male knew she was likely carrying the offspring of his leader and must've regretted the outcome of their fling. "Why? Why is it a mistake?"

<3

His question cut through the storm, two storms actually: both the one raging around the pair and the one churning under Lane's skin. She had not thought to consider that her fling might be anything more than a terrible mistake. She had not considered any outcome of being pregnant that might not be awful. And so the man's question surprised her, just enough to jar her out of her angry and self-pitying rumination. 

"I'm not a mother," she found herself blurting immediately, and the admission was almost as surprising as the original question. "I'm barely even.." ..Even what? Grown? Barely even grown, barely able to take care of herself. This had been her first heat, for fuck's sake. And she'd really blown it. 

Her pride wouldn't allow her to finish her first thought, so she barreled on to the next. 

"..And I'm just visiting. I don't belong here.." Before he could ask, she added, "I don't belong anywhere." 

Lane could another round of self-pity rising from her chest, clawing hotly at her throat and making her eyes burn. She swallowed, stuffing it down, breathing. 

Before he could argue with that conclusion, she continued. 

"There's no place for me here. This pack is busting with medics already. And there will be no place for my--" She swallowed heavily again, "--For my kids, once Wintersbane takes his real mate. They'll just be the bastard mistakes." Wintersbane had told her that he had no desire to take a mate, but shit changes. Shit changes so fast sometimes. Lane wouldn't be surprised at all if one of these gorgeous Duskfire women wore down his resolve within the next few moons, as more went into heat and this season worked itself up to a feverpitch. 

Lane knew that she was toeing the line between logical and panicky by introducing "what-ifs" into her argument. So she fell silent, waiting for the man's response. His judgement.

Rye watched as she struggled to speak, firmly grasped by the panicky reality she was to be expecting. His eyes attentively watched for every fleck of emotion that
crossed her face, expecting for her tears to streak down her face in droves but she held herself. He wished he had the answers for every problem that plagued her but he was still learning about being alive, who was he to weigh in on matters he did not have a stake in? Yet, he was going to. Rye didn't have it in him to tell her he couldn't help, he had to try. As she rounded up her final thought process the woodland man prepared to speak but as he found his words, she spoke again. He waited and thoroughly listened again. This time, after she finished, he waited longer to both see if she had more and to adapt his thoughts to the newly admitted feelings.
Rye took a deep breath as if preparing himself to speak with confidence, even if he was still unsure any of his words would help. "I don't believe Wintersbane
will see them that way. You—" Did he have a right to say it? 'Yeah, I fucken do.' "You are not the only one. He will have two litters from two different women
here, he knew what he was doing. Your pups belong here, you belong here too. Who cares if there are other medics already here, since when is a pack full of medics a bad thing? Never. Don't let fear dictate you, the outcome is never worth it." His voice was filled with conviction, he didn't want to see her leave and risk losing it all. He couldn't let it happen again. "Stay. If not for yourself, then do it for your pups. Please.. They are not a mistake and they are not bastards." His eyes shared the same emotion as his voice, the desperate pleading nearly cracking his voice. Rye searched her features in a futile attempt to guess her response, he was nervous to know her decision.

Wintersbane had already sired another litter? Lane hardly knew how to process the information, and she absorbed it with a sort of shocked numbness. 

"Who is it?" she inquired, pressing the man to identify the other expecting mother. It was Iana probably, she was gorgeous.. or perhaps that dark-coated guardian she'd seen pacing the borders. This information changed things, certainly, Lane just wasn't sure exactly how right at this moment. She'd have to ponder it later, when her mind was quieter and her everything else was less soaking wet and freezing. 

The man went on to insist that she belonged here, her pups belonged here, and a pack full of medics was a good thing. Lane's eye widened, and she blinked in incredulity. He had turned everything she knew-- or thought she knew-- upside down. Could she trust him at his word? He didn't even know her name (did he?) and yet he was insisting that she belonged here. Could she really have a place with these wolves, just like that? 

He was way off base with that line about fear. Lane felt her pride swelling in her chest, stirred by indignation. She wasn't afraid! She was just being realistic. She opened her mouth to protest, but Rye's continuing speech interrupted her. 

Stay. If not for yourself, then do it for your pups. Please...

"Okay," Lane replied, mostly in response to the pleading in his eyes and near-desperation in his voice. She was not accustomed to being in a position to be begged, and she hated the thought that she might do wrong by this kindhearted soul. Although she couldn't fathom why her decision seemed so important to him, she knew she couldn't be the one to let him down. 

"Okay," she reiterated after a beat. "If you're sure the others will see it the same way you do, I'll stay. Just.. be here for me?" Lane hated to make conditions, but she could really use some support. Someone who had no reason to need her to be here, but wanted it anyway.

Welcome to wrap it up in any way you'd like

"Tzila, maybe you've met her. Dark furred woman." He muttered. A tinge of regret only then seeping into his heart, second thoughts about spilling private details arose in his mind but not wanting to be burdened with them, Rye pushed each to the back. Once the female revealed her answer, the worry turned into relief and fetched a thankful smile for the male to sport. "I'm sure they will be of no issue," He promised. "And of course, don't worry, I'll stick by your side." Another promise given. 
Was it too late to give his name? Due to their embrace, it oddly felt like they already knew each other for sometime but Rye would offer his name anyways. "Oh and I'm Rye, I live that way, so if you need something you know where to find me." His muzzle pointed towards his home, a quaint nook tucked away beside a large pine tree. 

Lane nodded. She had seen the dark-furred woman around, and heard her name maybe once or twice. She and Wintersbane seemed to be two sides of the same coin, both dark-coated, diligent guardians, and more or less aloof in nature. If Wintersbane was looking for a woman who understood him, he had Tzila. If he was looking for someone a little different from himself-- sweet-natured and pretty-- he had Iana. Even if he wanted exotic, there was Imaq. 

Come to think of it, those were also the choices Rye had, if he was seeking a mate among the Duskfire women. 

There was nothing that stood out about Lane, and so she had to conclude that she had been selected for breeding merely by way of convenience. It seemed unlikely she would be singled out for any romantic overtures from either man, moving forward. Even now, Rye seemed to be attempting to disentangle himself from her company, searching for a way to wrap up this conversation. 

"Lane," she returned her name, trying not to sound too dejected. "Thanks, Rye.." Lane's gaze drifted in the direction that Rye indicated. She thought that it was maybe the direction of the pine forest, but it was difficult to see through the driving rain. After they parted, Lane would find herself drifting through the storm, slowly making her way toward the caves. Since she had no den, that seemed to be the ideal location to ride out this storm and this heat.