Swiftcurrent Creek you never thought we'd go to war, after all the things we saw

Arric was back, it seemed, or at least such was indicated by the man’s scent. The swarthy Beta had been efficient in his travels, and Akavir was certain when he was rested and ready, they would talk about the message he delivered to the other packs of the valley.

When the Mayfair had suggested to his friend he pass along the concerns to their neighbors, out of courtesy, given the fall of the alliances, the man had mentioned he wished to bring Arlette.

For some reason, that hadn’t happened—and while Akavir wasn’t going to pry into the potential couple’s dynamics, he did feel the need to check in on @Arlette.

With a fish in his mouth—a rare catch for him—he began to pace around the areas the ivory healer’s scent was most apparent—hoping to catch up with her eventually.

Arlette was rather easy to find within the territory. She had her routines and most of the pack members were aware of those. She was glad Arric was back, and glad that he came to apologize. She was mostly worried about the dynamics between him and Cygnet though. If she was to be close with him and have pups this season, she was a little worried for Cygnet's reaction. But she hoped to work with the child and their confidence and thrust that Arlette was here to stay and be there for her as well.

She looked up, surprised to see Akavir with a fish. "Akavir! Hi," she spoke. She had her planning today to check up on him, especially after things went south with Eshe. "I was planning on finding you today," she admitted with a warm smile. Her tail wagged kindly and in greeting.

Arlette came to view—small in stature, a wisp of a thing… except for the red eyes. For a moment he thought of the dark wolf, Colt, and felt his throat go dry.

Still, the smile that lit her features when greeting him caused his pace to slow—and then she mentioned she was hoping to find him today. The elephant in the room was likely the grey she-wolf who had all but stomped him flat in a recent hissy fit, but he certainly wasn’t going to be the one to bring it up—

—Akavir liked to shovel that shit right back in the recesses of his mind, where he wouldn’t need to dwell on it.

So, swaggering forward, he presented the fish to her with a flourish—plopping the thing on the ground right in front of her before lifting a paw to point at it. “This,” he began, his gaze sweeping up to study her. “Is an impressive feat for me. I hate fishing, and don’t much have the patience for it. But I figured I’d practice… maybe see if Cygnet wants to go sometime.”

He paused, considering. “But then I figured you could take this to her… not sure if she’s ever had fish before, but if she hates it then I won’t force her to catch them with me. Just figured maybe some practice with patience and quiet might do her some good.”

Arlette watched as the male came closer. Then a fish landed for her feet and she looked at it with an impressed glance. She knew the struggle of fishing. She felt even more honored when he said that it was quite a feat for him to have caught it. "I think Cygnet would love to go with you," Arlette smiled. It would be good for Cygnet to have another adult working with her.

"Oh no. I would prefer it if you would take it to her. I think it would be good. I'm worried she might get a little too attached to me," Arlette admitted. "She loves fish actually. So you will be one of he favorites in no time." Arlette then realized the pain point of Akavir not wanting to have kids and he might be uncomfortable alone with Cygnet? No she didn't believe that. "I can be there with you if you want," she offered.

She was very glad that Akavir offered. "I think that would be lovely. She hates Arric for some reason and that sometimes puts me in a weird place with her," Arlette admitted.

There was something genuinely sincere about the pale healer—sharing with him the way Cygnet seemed overly attached to her—and then still offering to go with him if he took her somewhere. He could see why his friend was smitten—it was time something truly positive came Arric’s way.

“Give her time. She’ll come around to him,” he ruminated, gaze drifting from the ugly fish to look up to Arlette. “Probably just a stage. Doesn’t help she’s the only kid we have right now… She probably feels left out of most things.” Particularly the dramatic antics of the adults within the ranks of her home.

Nicely done, Akavir and Eshe.

So he would take her fishing—or hunting, perhaps, something smaller, if the girl was willing. But for now, there was another reason he had sought out the she-wolf before him. “Not to make it awkward… But… Eshe’s garden Is that something you want to see the pack maintain, or…?”

He barely knew anything about gardening and healing. The very basics he had picked up over years only when being tended to himself—so he figured it was up to Arlette to decide it’s usefulness to them, now. And who could do what.

Arlette angled her head a little. "I doubt time will help," she admitted quietly. "This has been going on for awhile and she thinks of me as hers, and hers only," she admitted quietly. She hoped that Akavir could possibly gather more insights about that. "Hopefully you can help with her feeling not so left out."

Arlette looked up curiously when he spoke. "Oh, I took some control over it or didn't want it to go to waste," she admitted. "Lots of flowers are returning that are planted before the winter," she explained. "Unless... it reminds you too much of her?"

The delicate ruby before him offered some insight to her concerns—and while he listened and considered, he didn’t feel truly at ease with offering any insight to the minds of a teenage girl… It wasn’t as if he himself was lined up for parent of the year anytime soon. “I’ll see what I can do,” he agreed—not entirely sharing Arlette’s confidence in him nor her hope.

When the conversation drifted to the garden, he found his focus shifting on what little self-preservation he might have had left—to simply be numb to the implications of what the garden had represented in so many hopeful ways for the creel.

“I want whatever is best for the pack,” he noted to her, a paw lifting to scratch at the side of his face. “If it has useful medicinal herbs then… let’s keep it? I don’t know much about them. I just planted and did what I was told with it.”

Arlette was grateful and dipped her head to show that gratitude. If more wolves would check upon her then she might feel less alone, then again, sometimes just one's feelings could be dominant enough that no external help might change that. Arlette had to keep her stance though. She loved the girl and raised her as her own, but Cygnet could not control her.

Arlette offered him an understanding nod. "It has. I won't lie that I know as much as... she did. But I like to make use of it, at least this season and keep it alive just so it can benefit the pack. Hopefully not a lot of illnesses," she sighed. "I can take over the care if you do not wish to be near it," she offered. "Just say the word."

Arlette stood before him, protecting him in the only way she knew how, and he felt a small smirk pull at the corner of his lips—fully seeing why his best friend was enthralled with the little beauty. She was genuine—a trait so many others lacked these days, it seemed.

“I just need to know what to do and I’ll do it,” he informed her. Letting her bear the burden alone or have the garden die simply because he didn’t want to be reminded of his whirlwind romance seemed a foolish thing—

—a selfish thing.

He looked down to the fish he had brought momentarily—idly thinking back to the boy who had offered tot ry to build a fish trap. “Maybe we could use some fresh blood around here,” he murmured to her. They had never actively had to recruit—their borders had always managed to find a lone wolf here or there.

Arlette did notice the small smile and took it as a little victory. Not that she needed victory with Akavir but it was nice to see at least a small smile on his face. "When leaves are brown or yellow you can gently take them off the plant. It will only cost it energy," she explained. That was a pretty easy task if one would walk past the garden and see it. Arlette had been keeping an eye out for it as well.

Arlette dipped her head. "Spring is soon upon us and I will be going through the valley to find plants we don't have in the territory yet. I will keep my eyes out for lone souls," she told him. She didn't mind the task, she basically be multi tasking. Perhaps there were some wolves that were looking for a home. She was a little biased but she felt that it was a very good home. "I will be my most charming self, you better be too!," she teased him a little.

Preening brown and yellow leaves from plants. That’s all that was required of him—he felt grateful as such. “I think I can handle that,” he offered—he knew next to nothing about plants and herbs… Only the basics in which had been used upon him to fix him up in his time of need.

At her teasing beratement of being charming, he offered an idle snort: “I can’t turn the charm up too high,” he smirked. “We’d be overrun if I did.”

In truth, he was the last person who should have been out looking to buffer their numbers. But if she was out and about—his features softened a moment, brows knitting in unspoken worry. “Maybe take someone with you when you go? Or try not to go too far alone..”

It probably went without saying. There was no way Arric would ever let her go too far without him.

Arlette chuckled and nodded in agreement. She felt that he could handle that as well. She would check the plants' health and what not. But if he helped with keeping the dead leaves off then it might be some big steps in the right direction for the garden to thrive.

She did have to laugh at his words. "I think we would al go a little crazy if there are 5 more adults in this pack," she joked. They were all a little introvert but in a good way. They enjoyed each other company but they didn't need that many wolves. "I will make sure to be extra terrible so you can be the charmer that makes them stay," she joked, knowing that she had a hard time being mean to anyone really.

"Hey, I've been part of the Saints for a part of my life," she remarked. Which still had been super weird to think about. All these vicious wolves, but they were never vicious to her. "But alright, I usually don't wander too far anyways." It was nice to know that he cared. She knew he cared, but that he expressed it.

He couldn’t help it—he laughed. The idea of her being terrible and him a charmer was a far cry from reality. “Trading places for a day, are we? Don’t tempt me, Arlette… I’ll drag you out just so we can try it on a few rogues just for some laughs.”

Instead, he lifted himself, moving forward to nudge her gently on the shoulder—eager to stretch out his legs. He cast her a sideways glance. “Saints?” It seemed there was a joke or story there he wasn’t privy to—and scooping up the fish he had caught for Cygnet, he began to hopefully lure the pale dove toward the direction of her charge, though not quite in a rush—he was enjoying her company.

Arlette had to laugh too, just because it was so crazy. The idea of it was rather hilarious. She couldn't even be mean if she wanted to, at least, she thought. I think that would be hilarious. I must admit that insults are something I could work on, she smiled. She wondered if she could even do such a thing, even to strangers.

Oh yeah, they were this pack that was at war with everyone and were very vicious and territorial. I was part of them, as their healer. They were really lovely actually. To me, not to others, she chuckled. It is were I met Sovereign's mother and we became close." She thought about that pack sometimes, and the life she had. Young adult years, she chuckled. Like she would ever be that rebellious teenager, she had been a little though. Some of those wolves were really... bad. But it helped they would fight for me, she beaned.