Redsand Canyon laichen

wylla had told him of the pack residing in the canyon. at first mahler had not seen a reason to go. he has found contentment in the quietude of the hollow and the anticipation shared between he and his wife.
soon there would be children. twice before they had been granted the security of more hunters. this time it would only be himself and phaedra supporting their little clan.
it was this fact that at last overcame the gargoyle's reluctance. that morning he kissed wylla goodbye, informing her of his intentions to revisit their neighbors. he would hunt along the way.
familiar with the details of this range, mahler moved with a familiar confidence. the canyon was not long in looming. and it was the well-marked border which drew him with a singular draw. 
one he recognized. mahler drew closer. it was — well, he called for @Ruenna then, filled with curiosity that their return to the mountains had borne such familiarity, first in river and then in this place.

A stranger at their borders called for the matrona; it pulled Kallik from his patrol nearby. He wondered what this wolf might want with the imperator's wife, and he certainly wasn't going let her meet the caller by herself.

He was quiet when he arrived, and carefully found a cold, shadowed corner in the rock to hopefully not announce himself just yet. He would wait for the matrona to arrive, and then he would step out and join her. For now, he studied the scarred stranger.

A voice from the past rose over the canyon. 

Ruenna drifted towards the source, thankful that Aquene had dropped by recently to refill her supply of pain medication. The extra weight brought on by her pregnancy had been hard on her; judging from her current size, she expected a full litter-- at least three or four. 

Ruenna tried to recall a mental picture of Mahler. A swarthy warrior with kind, lilac eyes. The accent. The recollections were there, but the emotions were somewhat muted. Once, Mahler had charmed and captivated her. It was so long ago now, but she recalled that she had even offered to carry pups for Diaspora-- perhaps their father might have even been Mahler.

Perhaps. In another life. 

Ruenna looked warmly upon Mahler as he came into view. She hoped her limp would not be too shocking to him; he had known her as a lithe and fleetfooted scout. Her pregnancy would also be apparent. 

"Hello, Mahler," she greeted him. "I visited Arrow Lake recently. It's different now." And yet, the same. As was Mahler himself.

as he waited, mahler considered how many years it had been since he last saw ruenna. int the end it did not truly become the be-all, end-all. the amethyst gaze was hard-pressed to remain neutral as the woman he had last known in diaspora moved into view.
something had ruined her gait. the doktor's eyes kept politely from the way her body seemed stilted with pain — and then mahler found himself looking for a direct if brief moment at the proud swell of her sides.
midwife's mind surging; first river, now ruenna, though one had been bereft and one — she seemed scarcely far ahead of wylla herself, pronounced and nearing the end as they both found themselves to be. 
her voice was unchanged, still the same honeyed river which had so powerfully affected him during his time as kapitän.
but he had not come here to reminisce.
"hello, ruenna. it is."

When the matrona arrived, the soldier's eyes were glued to her as she neared the stranger. His muscles tensed as he prepared to jump between them if necessary. The swell of her sides only made him more vigilant. 

But it became clear almost instantly that they knew each other in some way. Kallik did not relax with the knowledge. 

He didn't want to intrude, but he could no longer hide in the shadows. The scutarius trotted forwad and stopped near the matrona. He was close enough to guard but far enough away to show respect. He had not intention of leaving until they were done. His gaze studied the scarred man now, and it would likely remain there.

He spoke, and his accent met her ears with poignant familiarity. 

He gave away little and offered no hint as to why he was here. Was it for her? Was it vain for her to wonder? 

"You are welcome here, Mahler. I make my home in the canyon. We are called Mereo, and my husband commands. This is one of his soldiers." Ruenna tilted her muzzle towards Kallik. He could give his name if he wished.

a husband. 
mahler inclined his head to hide the blink of consternation that might have showed itself. 
"my vife and i have settled in the hollow south of here. for now ve have no name."
he wanted to walk with her. he wanted to settle and speak with ruenna. tactfully he glanced toward the aforementioned soldier and then back to her once more. the gargoyle's lavender eyes were inscrutable. "is there a place ve might sit and catch up?" he inquired.
a husband. years ago that might have been him.

He was uncomfortable with the idea of leaving the pregnant matrona alone with someone he didn't know, but he supposed that any one of the soldiers was just a call away if she got into trouble. Kallik could tell they would prefer to speak without an audience. 

I will be close by if you need me, matrona, he offered with a sharp nod. Aquene would be very upset if something happened to Ruenna, as well as the imperator, so he would make sure nothing did.

Unless stopped, he would turn and trot away. The scutarius would patrol nearby in case he was needed. 

he's skippable unless addressed <3

His wife.

Of all the curiosities that could have taken hold, this was the word that caught Ruenna's attention. She might have wondered why they were alone and nameless. She might have wondered what had come of Diaspora. Or Stigmata. 

But no. She only wondered if Mahler's wife was at all like herself. 

Ruenna's musings were interrupted as Kallik took his leave. "Thank you auxilia," she murmured. 

Mahler requested a conversation, and Ruenna was powerless to do anything but indulge him.  

"Yes, this way." She would lead him into the canyon and toward the pack's commons area. Kallik would appreciate this choice in space for its openness, she presumed. Good for keeping watch from afar. Rue also thought there was a good chance her husband might catch sight of them and join. 

"It sounds like you mean to put down roots in the hollow," Ruenna observed. How long ago it was, when together they sought to claim the entirety of the Sunspires! How young they were then, and how embarrassingly vain and foolish.

mereo was a curious place. the shelters were hewn from the same stone as the walls. the presence of many wolves were clearly marked here. ruenna's gait did nothing to dispel the obvious fact that she was a respected personage in her own land. 
but of course she was. mahler could not imagine a world in which she did not hold such a role.
they settled in a pleasant area barren of privacy. but the gargoyle did not need it to hold a conversation. "i have led many packs for many years. if ve settle, it vill be organic. a family rather than an empire."
the allusion was set. he made no more overtures in that direction. "you have a new title." matrona. "and a bodyguard." mahler arched a brow playfully, inviting ruenna to speak.