Sequoia Coast i found out from him

Bazi had not been to the sea since Swiftcurrent's abhorrent shaman had bid her cleanse herself in the salty water. He was gone now - dead, in fact, though she did not know it - and she would sooner swallow an urchin than do his bidding.

As it turned out, the salty sea air was one of the only scents so far not to offend her stomach. Bazi had circumvented The Tangle early that morning and made a day trip of it, settling on the grassy fringe that delineated sand from fertile ground. This was her second hour of sitting and quiet contemplation, and the best she had felt in weeks. The nausea was slowly giving way to a generally bloated feeling which, although unpleasant, was easier to deal with. Bazi had yet to make her mind up about the accompanying sensitivity of the parts of her body responsible for her current state, but presumed it was a normal part of pregnancy. As if anything was normal about it.

The wind gusted enthusiastically around the Nova Peak wolf, pulling gently at her fur and ears. She shut her eyes and inhaled deeply of the scents of the ocean.

For @Reek !

The somber air of Ankyra Sound, to Reek, was something to be avoided at all costs.  The untimely and unfortunate death of that Ostrega boy had knocked the pack's dynamic off it's hinges.  A thick sadness hung in the air of the coast, but, no matter how hard the bastard tried to feel sad about what had happened, he just couldn't bring himself to it.  He understood the other wolves' grief, but for him, the emotions never properly manifested.  Empathy was never Reek's strong suit.  In the weeks after the failed raid on the glacier, the ragged wolf found himself wandering far beyond confines of his pack's territory instead of faking grief with the rest of them; instead he traveled to where his limping step would take him, only to return to Ankyra to sleep... empty pawed and full of excuses.  

Even in his broken physical state, these long walks had a calming effect on the bastard's busy mind, allowing him to silently reflect as he slowly limped his way to the tangle.  It had sort of become a routine; every morning the bastard set out toward the north-east, following the coastline: taking in the sights, the smells, and the noises of gulls mindlessly cawing like mad men. But, a new scent in contrast with the norm had caught Reek's attention as he drew closer to the tangle.  One the bastard had yet to smell.  One that enveloped and ensnared his senses. Curiously, he followed it's pull until he found the source.

She sat where the grass met the coastline, staring outward in silent meditation.  The ragged wolf stood back and watched her from a distance as he considered how to approach the pensive female, to make some sort of move.  Due to Ankyra's culture, such an encounter between the genders was a a rare occurrence, and the sisters of the sound had the bastard's balls in vicegrip, much to Reek's disdain. But, what the sisters don't know can't hurt them.

"Perfect day to do nothing, I suppose." The bastard mused as approached the white female from behind. "Hope you don't mind if join you," he said with a slight grin as he plopped down beside her with a dry thud.

Bazi was lost in her own troubled thoughts, and did not notice Reek until he was right behind her. She tensed visibly at the sound of his voice, but neither his words nor his tone suggested danger. That, and she turned her head just in time to see him limp the last few steps before sitting down next to her. Without really asking. Bazi blinked incredulously at this no-nonsense approach to socializing, but made no meal of it. He looked to be recently injured, and she was not yet so far along in her pregnancy that her speed would be impeded. "I suppose not," she replied, staring at the side of the strangers dark head. Did he live around here? Had he come from a pack? Where? How many?


...was that even interesting information? 

Bazi exhaled deeply through her nostrils, and turned back to stare at the roiling ocean. "I'm actually trying not to puke. It's a full-time job. 'Nothing' would be a welcome break."

The female seemed to be taken aback by Reek's blunt and overly friendly nature, but she didn't seem to mind as the ragged wolf scooted in close at her side.  His guard hairs lightly brushed up against her's as the two stared out at the tossing sea.  The corners of Reek's muzzle twisted into a dopey grin after she addressed his arrival. 

Vomit.  Well, that's one way to start a conversation.  Rarely did the loquacious wolf find himself properly tongue tied, but the word's escaped him as she commented on her nauseated state. "Are you ill? He stammered with a twinge of concern. Multiple remedies for nausea flashed through the ragged healer's head, however none were available as his dwindling herb cache was all the way back at Ankyra Sound.  If he were to return to his den to grab the remaining ginger root he had left, there was no guarantee that she would still be there... and the bastard was not willing to take that risk.  "Wish I could help you," he added disappointedly.  "I'm Reek by the way. What bring's you to the coast?"  

"Are you ill?" he asked, and Bazi was oddly touched by the tremor of concern in his voice. She herself would have sprinted in the opposite direction if a stranger had revealed themselves to be ill - although it was unlikely that they would get close enough to say it with words. The sick had a distinct aroma that Bazi feared above all else.

"Pregnant," she corrected, flashing Reek a tight smile. "I'm Bazi. I came here to.. shirk responsibilities for a while." The smile hardened into a grimace. The word vomit bubbled dangerously alongside the real deal, creeping slowly up her throat until.. "And think about what happens when these things are fully grown and ready to come out - of my ass. Can you imagine something more horrible? I don't understand how anyone could ever have more than one litter." ...and I guess we are now close and intimate Beach Friends?

Sorry for the wait!  I've been super busy lately and I've fallen behind in all of my threads!

"Really?" Quipped the ragged wolf with a hint of surprise.  "I mean— you don't show it at all, how far along are you?"  Her revelation had caught him slightly off guard, causing him to verbally stumble.  Reek, to say the least, was of the easily excitable sort.  His tail wagged wagged behind him with gusto as he beamed at his new beach friend.  "You must be so excited!" He exclaimed emphatically, giving her a slight nudge with his uninjured shoulder.  Obviously, she wasn't as excited as Reek was for her, but he could understand her fears.  Birth is terrifying, and parenting is too.

Well she had certainly found the right place to kill time... and definitely the right wolf.   The self-proclaimed king of the lazys prided himself on the copious amounts of nothings he could do in one day. "Can I tell you a secret, Baz?" The ragged wolf chirped in a hushed, playful tone.  "I'm doing the exact same thing.  Whole pack went to the shitter and I'm doing my very best to avoid it! But don't tell them, they think I'm on an 'herb run.'"

Grown-up responsibilities, pleh! :D

His hyper-positive demeanour brought a smile to Bazi's face despite the weight of her other feelings. "You must be so excited!" he chirped. Bazi offered a shrug in return, but didn't elaborate. Of course she was excited, but that feeling came and went like the tides - and left all sorts of horrible mental seaweed lying around when it retrated. 


Bazi was glad she had not elaborated on her feelings when Reek shared his problems - far more pressing and real than her own. The Alpha's ears cupped forward. "..what do you mean?" she asked, glancing beyond the male's shoulder and down the beech. There was another pack here? "What happened?" she added, curious to know what internal machinations and drama could bring down an entire pack just like that.