Cut Rock River We share the moon, we share the stars

In front of her, Elias and Ravenna began to slow and she did as well. Her chest heaved with the exertion and she flopped into a sitting position, head swiveling to peer behind them to make sure for herself that they really weren’t being followed. Ravenna moved to her, shoving her muzzle into her scruff and Addy allowed it. Since the death of her father, physical contact had felt awkward. She knew they meant well, and she was making the best effort she could but everything felt so...empty. She was just going through the motions, which was what she was doing when she nuzzled her cousin’s cheek. Again, her body was acting of its own accord. Perhaps it was better that way, then no one would bother her as much.

She blinked in surprise when Ravenna mentioned her leg, honeyed-amber gaze looking down to find the small gash. Blood seeped from the wound, down her leg, and onto the ground. It wasn’t overflowing, but certainly a steady drip. It was then that the ache started to get stronger and she held back a wince. The matriarch said that she’d get her patched up when they got back to the Willows and all she did was nod, accepting the help given because she couldn’t really walk around with a giant hole in her leg could she?

Her gaze traveled to Elias as he spoke, looking anywhere but them. She looked to Ravenna, who didn’t seem to be angry. No, more like concerned. Her attention turned back foward, wondering where the conversation would lead. Normally she would have piped in, but for the time being Adeltra wasn’t much of a talker anymore.

and with a spark its going to be

Adeltra remained very silent, nuzzling Ravenna back in turn and nodding when the silver woman said that she would be able to tend to it when they returned home. Ravenna had finished licking the wound which was the most she could do for the time being. If they had been still near the river she would have been able to pack it with mud although the bear had been the reason for them leaving the riverside to begin with. She remained still silent, something Ravenna would not push. The otherwise chatty female, filled with life and happiness who was able to lighten even the darkest situations, did not feel up to it these days. Ravenna didn't blame her, wouldn't. It would take time for her to be able to get back to herself after the death of her father. Ravenna knew the youth to be strong and knew, despite it all, she would pull through and be able to live life still even if it meant going on without Nicolo.

Ravenna watched Elias then as his eyes moved over her and once he noticed she was pregnant, he flinched, looking back into the direction which the bear had been and shaking his head. All actions which Ravenna watched carefully and they spoke louder then anything Elias could have said. He regretted it all. He wanted nothing to do with her or these children which he had helped create. Their relationship, was over.

Perhaps Ravenna had been overreacting in these thoughts but everything which Elias had done within those few seconds as enough to let Ravenna know where she stood....and she did not know what to do. Honestly, Ravenna had hoped that their time together would help mend things, that the bond which they now shared would strengthen their friendship and seal it where it had once been broken. After all, Ravenna still believed it was he which he caused the rift in the first place though everything seemed to backfire. Ravenna decided she did not care. Decided she did not regret what she had done but was happy for the children inside her now and that Elias true colors were finally revealed.

"It wasn't just you, you know... There was someone else." She spoke, silver eyes locked on the male to gauge each and every reaction both spoken and not. It perhaps was not a conversation she would have liked to have Adelta witness, but she needed to understand at one point or another anyhow. Why not now? "Your not obligated to anything." In fact, it would be much easier if he did not want to be a part of their lives. It would just be confusing for the pups and stressful on both males fighting for a placement as 'father'.

the biggest fire they've ever seen

Elias didn't know what to expect but...he hadn't seen that coming. It didn't take a genius to put the pieces together, to figure out what she was referring to. Their time together had caused a great deal of turbulence in his life but now that things had cooled down quite a bit, both literally and figuratively, he wouldn't say that he regretted what they'd done. Regret was saved for the terrible things, the things he should have done, rather than had done.

Still, her words caused a flare of hurt to run through his system. Sharp and sudden, as though she'd cut him upon to see what his insides looked like. So she had- he was just backup then? Another pawn in her chess set, moved about to suit her own purposes. He sighed, his breath hitching in his throat despite his very best efforts not to let this get to him. He was upset, of course he was, not because he'd sired yet another litter but because... that's all he was to her, a cog in the machine.

He turned away once more, lip trembling, visibly upset. He wasn't obliged to do anything, he'd already done his part, she wanted nothing more from him. Take take take, he had very little else to give. His soul perhaps, would she want that too? Elias sniffed, immediately regretting the course his thoughts had taken. He was starting to sound just as bitter as his cousin...that wouldn't do.

"But I-" His voice was quiet, weaker than he would've liked. He cleared his throat and tried again. "I never met my Father, he just...yanno and left. I can't- I don't want them growing up thinking I don't care." Because he did, that was his issue, he cared too much. "What is he like...the other guy?

When Ravenna spoke, the girl was very confused. What did she mean someone else? Was there someone else there with them? She hadn’t seen anyone, but she sure as hell wasn’t going back. After all, it couldn’t have been a packmate. She knew her pale cousin wouldn’t leave someone behind. And what was it that he wasn’t obligated to? She felt curiosity stirring in her chest before it was swallowed whole again by the nothingness that plagued her.

Her honeyed-amber gaze traveled to Elias, who, to her surprise, looked positively wounded. Now she was really confused. What the heck was going on? Why was he yammering on about his father. In her mind, he probably should have been grateful he never knew his father. It saved him the pain of having to watch him die like the girl did. She felt herself sinking a little further. He mentioned a them, who was this them? She wished someone would clue her in on something. She looked between the pair.

Then it dawned on her.

Gross.

and with a spark its going to be

His first reaction to her words were a sigh and then once more he turned away with a quivered lip, obviously upset. It's a typical of him. He seemed upset with her words in matter what she said. If he looked unhappy and was pregnant and she said he didn't have to be a part of it, he somehow was still upset with her. He was harder to please then a pregnant woman and she should know, seeing as she was the one who was pregnant here. She found herself growing impatient.

Then he spoke, his voice barely there unable he was able to gain himself again. He mentioned that he had not known his own father and he had just been a donor much like Elias had become, something that had not been her intention. She had hoped to mend their friendship but it obviously had not worked out. Still, him saying that he couldn't do that, couldn't stand back and not make himself present took her off guard. "With how things have been going with us, well... I didn't think you'd want to be around." Though in all honesty, how was he supposed to be around? He wasn't a member of her pack, certainly had his own plans and it wasn't like he could just stroll on in whenever he pleased. Had she not stumbled into him this time, would he had ever known seeing as if Ravenna had tried to find him, she'd have gone to the mountains? She decided not to worry about it. If he decided he wanted to take part in the pups lives she would leave it up to him to figure out how to do so. After all, he knew just as much as what he was getting into an she did.

When he asked about the other man, however, she was even more so caught off guard. A single ear turned back, uncertain. Why did he care? It didn't seem like a good idea to go talking about her other lover so she tried to be vague. "Kinda quiet, really... Confident, Good head on his shoulders." She spoke, thinking over the wolf she knew from her childhood. A sea fairing wolf with an accent unlike any other she knew. A prideful attitude and loyal to her to a fault, it seemed. "He's a member of the pack." She had wanted it that way, had been lucky Blitz had come back into her life when he had. It made things easier for the children which is what she had been really considering. But Elias? Her silver gaze shift to Adeltra and then back to Elias, quieter though Adeltra was right there and she wasn't deaf. She'd be forced to hear it all. "I... I had not planned things to go down the way they did when we last met. I just got caught up in everything I guess, with you." There was no denying she found him attractive and they had been friends, after all. If she was going to have pups it wouldn't have been with some random wolf who just so happen to pass by and catch her scent. She'd tried to be selective in who would father her pups, of course.

the biggest fire they've ever seen

She could hardly be blamed for thinking that, Elias grimaced at the thought. He didn't hate her, but it was complicated. His emotions mixed and mashed, twisted and melded together to form a big mess he could hardly fathom, let alone understand. On one paw, he was happy for her. She'd gotten what she wanted- at least he was good for something, right? But on the other well...was this all he was good for? Creating life all willy nilly?

"I would- I'd like if we could figure something out. I know you'll look after them well, be a great mother." At least there was that, they wouldn't grow up as he had. Being passed from one parental figure to another. "I won't lie...I was hurt but-it's okay. I'm not mad."

When Ravenna began to talk about the other one- the better man- he did his best to listen, to look at her instead of turning away again. So he was....pretty much everything Elias wasn't. He could see that, understood why Ravenna was attracted to such a man- not a boy like Elias. That was okay, different strokes for different folks and all that. Just not him, no one was interested in him and ha, why would they be? It was almost laughable, he was a sham.

"That's good." He said slowly, thoughtfully. At least if things didn't work out they'd have him, a big and strong Father figure to nurture and guide them.

Ravenna continued and Elias dipped his head solemnly. "It's okay, that's just how it worked out...I mean, I never said no."Not like she'd done anything without his permission.

A hefty sigh passed from his lips as his shoulders sagged. What now? He glanced at Adeltra who wasn't....nearly quite as bubbly as he recalled. It was true they'd had a close encounter, but he imagined she was the sort who bounced right back.

"How is everything in the Willows...still as dark?" How lame.

When Elias asked who the other guy was, Addy listened. Though, she also wasn’t entirely sure she wanted to know either. The fact that Ravenna and Elias had made babies together was already disturbing enough. Apparently it was someone in the pack, though, and that left her to narrow it down fairly quickly. After all, there was only one male present in their ranks that wasn’t family. Ugh, she really didn’t want to be hearing this.

Elias’ gaze went to her and she ducked her head, looking away awkwardly. Then, he asked his next question and she froze. She really, really didn’t want to hear the answer to that because Ravenna was sure to be honest. 2 days. It had only been 2 days, she couldn’t hear those words out in the open. If Adeltra hadn’t already been deterred by the conversation before, she certainly was then. She got to her paws, wincing at the pain in her hind leg. I’m gonna head back. I’ll see you in the med den, she mumbled, limping past them as quickly as she could muster. She wanted to get out of there. Fast.

Adeltra Exit

(This post was last modified: Apr 19, 2018, 01:07 AM by Adeltra.)

and with a spark its going to be

Elias went on to explain that he wanted to figure something out though knew she would be a good mother to the pups none the less. Had Blitz not already been a part of the pack she would have suggest perhaps Elias knew her but knew that both men would not be good for the ranks if they didn't tear one another apart... Or, well, perhaps @Blitz just text him apart if he didn't manage to run off first. He said he was hurt though he wasn't mad, a comment to which Ravenna bit her tongue on and decided was best left just as it was. Had she had known he had gone off and bred with someone after her she would have smacked him across the face if she had palms. It would have been hypocritical to judge her in breeding with two wolves of he had done the same.

'Thats good' was all he said on behalf of the other man. Technically, Elias was the other man... Once more Ravenna did not comment, leaving it lie at that. Another sentence, saying he had never said no. She couldn't help the small smirk which toyed on her lips. She couldn't have expected him to but perhaps that was her own arrogance speaking. "I wouldn't imagine you would." She couldn't help the words slip from her lips.

Though a grim change in subject Ravenna was still happy that it was no longer on the children and his placement as a father to them. She grew silent again, her body stiffening quite obviously as her breath hitched. "Our numbers have grown, Leotie carries pups too... But um...There's been..." She hesitated. She had wanted to keep the wit light though just dismissing the death of Adeltra's father was disrespectful. She wanted to finish her sentence, say there had been a death in the family though she fell short. Her eyes turned to Adeltra, believing it should be her to offer the news of she wished it. Though instead she lifted off the ground and quickly dismissed herself. If they had been at the borders of Willow Ridge perhaps she would have let her go and finished her conversation but there was no way in hell and was letting her wonder off in open territory injured like that. The blood count attract predators and they still had quite a ways to go before getting home. It was best they stuck together.

Immediately she turned her attention back to Elias, her silver eyes hard, her expression grim. "Adeltra's dad died... Just a few days ago." She waited, only a moment to hear and see the blonde man's reaction. "Look...I should really get going. I can't have her going back home like that alone." And she wouldn't. That was her little cousin and bit only that she was her Leader, duel reasons for Ravenna to care for and protect her. Passing Elias one last glance and a weak smile, she turned and trotted off for the dark youth.

[Exit.]

the biggest fire they've ever seen

(This post was last modified: Apr 19, 2018, 03:07 PM by Ravenna.)

Elias didn't know who Leotie was but...good for her? Two litters in one pack sounded rather chaotic, something his Uncle wouldn't have tolerated but...Ravenna ruled over the Willows, if she was okay with it than that was the end of it. Probably, unless some sort of drama developed in the future, with so many heirs and all. He hated to imagine them all squabbling over who took the throne, he'd seen it tear apart his own family. The wolves of the Willows deserved so much better. With a sigh, he shook his head. As it turned out not all was well at the Willows.

Oh. Elias didn't know what to say to that, Adeltra was long gone and even if she wasn't would she even want to his sympathy? Probably not. The same went for Ravenna-who apparently wanted nothing more to do with him. Elias swallowed thickly as she retreated, he thought they'd- he thought they'd taken a step towards making things better but apparently not.

Elias stood there alone, his gaze cast down at the mess of his paws. He was fine. He couldn't make this all about him, because it wasn't. In the grand scheme of things his feelings were irrelevant, there were other's who were suffering more than he. He ought to be grateful, ought to do his best to bring joy into their lives. But it all seemed so dark, how was he supposed to help them when he couldn't even help himself?

Elias pulled in a shaky breath, his remaining toes pushed into the dirt as he squeezed his eyes shut, willing them to remain dry. He was fine, everything was fine.

Fade