Aquene had been out collecting herbs when the rain had started. She had immediately turned tail towards the herbal den to place them carefully to let them dry, the rolling thunder already bringing about a lull in her energy as it tended to. It was from there that she would head to the den to shelter, perhaps eat a small meal from the caches, and check on her daughter who seemed to grow more and more by the day.

“Ecylpse!” She would call out gently as she moved towards her, catching the tail end of her puddle. “Be careful… you could get sick!” As a mother, she would always fret about such things. The water, the rain, the slight chill in the air that came with the thunderstorms. “Why don’t we go back inside the den? I can tell you a story.” She’d attempt to bribe to encourage her daughter along.

No! The girl would state the word firmly, and Aquene felt a pang in her heart… and yet, she needed to be firm. She had not been blind to the way the air had become thicker, smoke on the horizon… and she knew the effects it could have on her daughter should she face prolonged exposure.

And so she would raise an eyebrow. “Eclypse. In the den, now.” She would state with a firmer tone in kind, picking the girl up by the scruff to carry her inside as the worry radiated through. Rain plus smoke meant the air would be thicker, and she didn’t know that the girl’s lungs could handle it.

And so, in that moment… she would need to be the bad guy. She would need to disappoint her daughter for her safety. One day, she would understand that… at least that was what the worrywart kept telling herself would happen.

Her legs kicked wildly and her body swung and so Aquene kept her just barely lifted off the ground just in case she managed to free herself from her mother’s hold. She did not want her to get hurt should she fall. Aquene knew that Eclypse did not understand this yet, but it was for her own good.

Oh, the joys of parenting.

She made a mental note to talk to Nash about addressing the entire pack about the smoke, especially given how it was only thickening instead of declining.

She would set her down towards the back of the den and run her nose along her form for a moment. “Yes. Eclypse. It’s dangerous out there right now… the air is going to hurt you if you’re outside for too long.” She knew it was boring, stir crazy, but Aquene would not lose her daughter solely for the sake of her exploring. She’d have the rest of her life to explore.

Even knowing it was for her own good, Aquene hated to see her daughter fret and cry the way that she did. It hurt to see any of them in that measure of pain, even if it was superficial and simply the emotional turmoil of not yet being old enough to understand why her mother was being so strict.

She collapsed to the ground and Aquene was quick to settle down beside her, pulling her close with her limbs as she soothingly licked the top of her head in what was meant to be a comforting manner. “It’s just for a few days, Eclypse. I promise.” At least, she hoped the smoke would subside.

In truth, she worried that the fires might spread to the mountains, but it seemed so distant that it was not even in sight. She had to hope that the fires would spare the Lore, their homes… she wasn’t sure these lands could bear more tragedy than they already had.

Concern laced her features as the girl fidgeted and then fell silent, until there was a squeak and a cough. She was a healer, but there was not a rational thought such as ‘allergies’ in her mind. Instead, this was her daughter… and so she would fret and catastrophize what was happening with her, concerned for her health and safety all the same.

She’d shift so the girl’s chest might be exposed, running her nose up and down it to try and stir any mucus to cause it to come up rather than continue to settle in her lungs. Should she call for Nash? Perhaps some peppermint would help her? Her mind raced as the fear bubbled inside of her.

“It’s okay. It’s okay.” Her normally calm bedside manner was flooded with a sense of panic.