Fallen Tree Cove Go forth and prosper

She had perhaps delayed it for too long, the meeting that needed to be held with her pack mates. Even though she had seen them and spoken to them in passing, it seemed that they were all willing to tip toe around the fact that her scent had changed into the tell-tale musk of pregnancy. It was a matter that was extremely important, but not quite as important as the discussion that needed to be had about the trip that the family would be making very soon.

When Namid had spoken to her husband about the hope of their next litter, she had also brought up the thought of going to visit her brother and their allied pack in Grizzly Hollow. Vespertio had yet to meet her littermate, and her sibling yet to meet his niece and nephews. With even more on the way, she figured it was an appropriate time as any to do so. She had decided that within the next week they would depart, confident that things would run smoothly within the day or two of their absence. The Lady of the Lake had been taking care to stock the catches and make sure things were in order even prior to the meeting. She’d told her King of it a few nights before as they’d begun to settle down, both agreeing that it would be an appropriate time as she had yet to start swelling too large. While it seemed that her previous pregnancy had seemed to last a decade, this one was already flying by on a breeze and soon she would need to find a place to bed down and prepare.

Stepping out of the communal den she yawned, she body arching gracefully and her powerful jaws gaping open before snapping closed. Then, she turned and expertly leapt onto the large fallen tree that appropriately gave name to their humble abode. Picking her way up it, she leapt on top of the mound that would allow her to see over her members that would gather. Taking a moment to groom herself into pleasantry and take a breath, she lifted her head and called to her pack. Then, the pale woman stood with her chin high and a regal smile upon her maw. Mismatched gaze crinkled at the corners in a friendly manner, but the posture in which she held herself left no doubt about what her place was.

It had been about two weeks since Namid had rescued the boy trapped within the rocks and brought him within the territory. Draven was not entirely sure what that meant for his pack status but as it was his fur had long since begun to smell like the mountain queen so he supposed that meant he was now a member for Fallen Tree Cove. The boy truly did appreciate all that she and her family had done, her mate dropping in at least once a day to check on him.

Still he felt horrid that he was freeloading upon them, much more of a burden than a help. His mother had not raised him to be lazy and allow others to do all the work for him and so when they brought him meals or came to chat he felt shame. It was not nearly as consuming as the shame he had once felt when he believed his mother's death to be his own fault but it was present all the same. He swore that once his ankle healed he would not just skip out on the mountain pack, he would find a way to repay them for what they did for him.

As it was his paw no longer felt sharply unless he placed weight upon it though the throbbing ache still kept him awake most nights. It could bear no weight which limited his movements, Draven rarely left the infirmary unless to relieve himself. The call instantly caught the Lagina's interest, he had little to entertain them between visits and had been watching a spider lazily spin its web in a nearby crevice. Dark auds perked in interest and at first a smile spread on his face, finally something he could participate in!

The smile quickly vanished however when he dumbly leapt to his feet and immediately came crashing down with a yelp of pain. Gritting his teeth he stood much slower the second time, his front paw lifted and dangling pitifully. By the time he had limped himself to the source of Namid's call he was panting in exertion. He was not used to the elevation even on four paws, let alone four. Much to his pleasure Draven saw he was the first one to arrive despite his struggle and his tail wagged excitedly at the sight of the alpha. Yipping his greeting he licked at his chops in a playful sign of submission before finally resting his paws and taking a seat rather far away. Even the thought of a couple more steps was exhausting.

Vespertio had been slumbering contently within the confines of the communal den when Namid's summoning howl broke forth and echoed off the cavernous walls that surrounded him, sleep riddled lids finally lifting to reveal a set of molten gold irises after a few minutes of fighting off the last deposits of sleep that so temptingly wanted to drag him back. Parting jaws to yawn loudly a coral tongue rolled out like a red carpet before jaws snapped shut, tired limbs sluggishly working to hoist his embodiment onto all fours before shaking the dirt and fragment of twigs from his disheveled fur due to sleeping. Shortly after forelimbs bowed to stretch his body, charcoal dusted banner curling lackadaisically over his spine while the tip of his tongue grazed over his dried lips to return some level of moisture. Finally awake enough, creamy limbs strutted past the veil of leaves and vines shielding the den's entrance, eyes blinking rapidly from the sudden bombardment of sunlight.

It took a few minutes before Vesper's gaze properly adjusted to the flooding of light, but once they did a smile graced his handsome features noticing an early arrival already posted within the general seating of the meeting arena. Draven, a newer member that had come to them after his wife rescued the young male from a broken ankle upon the mountain. Not too much was known about the boy and where he originated from, but that mattered little to Vesper as he often paid a daily visit to the infirmary to check up on the progress of his healing. For the boy to have managed to hobble his way to the meeting and leave the safety of the hospital likened den clearly meant there was visible improvement. A fact that widened the smile nestled neatly upon Vespertio's inky hued lips before he offered said wolf a nod of acknowledgement. Perhaps in time he would visit their patient more and attempt to nudge out some conversation pieces, but for now there was business at hand.

Padding toward the fallen log that angled against the outside walls of the communal den, limbs scaled the length of the timber with relative ease to take his rightful spot at Namid's side after adorning her with his usual greeting of a few kisses and a bump of his muzzle. Larger frame coming to a seated position at her left side while his skull angled regally to visually display his position, patiently awaiting the arrival of the remaining members.

OOC! Out of character comments here

Early lessons with Kajika had gotten the young girl use to getting up early and doing her share of pack duties. Since her dark mentor had gone fishing she decided to check the borders. Moving along the borders had actually become relaxing for the dark yearling. She could clear her head and practice the new skill that she had been taught. Patrolling hadn’t been quite the same since the encounter with the bear. The gash on her flank had been pretty bad and caused her to walk slowly. Despite being told to take it easy and let it heal she hated just sitting around. So she would sneak away to do some pack duties and usually returned before anyone knew that she had gone out.

This particular morning however she wouldn’t be as lucky to slip back without being missed. Namid’s call rang through the trees calling for a pack meeting. Excitement first washed over Moonshadow for she hadn’t ever participated in a pack meeting before, but then the realization that she would probably be scolded for being out hit her. With a groan she made her way back to the den. Luckily she hadn’t been too far from the den but she still ended up being second to last to arrive.

Surveying the scene she spotted Kajika placed between her and the young boy who had a broken ankle. She had only heard of the young boy but hadn’t actually had the chance to meet him. Looking up she greets her alphas with a nod of her head and a smile. She makes her way over to Kajika and takes a seat. The gash, despite being better than it was at first, had caused her to lean on her good flank when sitting. She licked the underside of Kajika’s muzzle in greeting then waited patiently for the meeting to begin.

The day was off to a slow start for Neha. And frankly, she preferred it that way. The growing princess had found herself being quite busy as of late. While the weeks flew by, they were filled with activity. There was always something going on, be it good or bad. There was the recent bear attack, her discussion with her father, and even more recently, Draven's rescue. Her mother Namid, had changed too, she noticed. Her scent was...different, an oddity to the girl. With so much on her mind, including her ever growing interest in the medical field, Neha was often on the move.

With two healing patients to watch after, she had taken it upon herself to check up on them both, sporadically. She never stayed too long...only for a few minutes or a quick peek and hello, especially around Draven. He was still new, and the last thing she wanted to do was feel like she was crowding him. Had it been one of her brothers on the other hand, the responsible young lady would've been on them twenty four seven, insisting they rest and heal.

Inside the cool interior of the communal den, the exhausted princess was happily sleeping in. She was the picture of contentment, overturned and sprawled carelessly on her back, spread rear legs twitching gently as she dreamed. It was good to just kick back and relax sometimes, even if she did enjoy being a ball of activity. When her mother's call rang clear, close by, she was thrust awake. With a soft jolt, she turned onto her side, blearily blinking her golden brown eyes. Brows knitting together, it took Neha only a second to know what was going on. There was a meeting. Slowly rising to her feet, shaking the dust out of her fur, she took her sweet time in emerging from the den. Sliding past the leafy curtain and over the fallen tree, she greeted her parents warmly with a kiss to their chins. Almost everyone was here, including Draven, who she saw sitting a little off to the side. Tail wagging, a friendly glint in her eyes, she padded over towards him and took a seat. "Hey...how have you been feeling?" She inquired with a tilt of her head. She hoped he was healing well, and adjusting nicely too.

Much to the surprise of the Lake Queen, it seemed Draven would be the first to join her. Brows rose in surprise as he limped in, and she briefly wondered why he was out and about in the first place. Still, she had to admire the perseverance it had to have taken him to get that far. “I am glad to see you here, Draven,” she said, her usual gentle smile placing itself on her maw.

Appearing from the trees next came the love of her life, the wag in her tail picking up as her heart beat did as well. She watched contently as he made his way up the log to settle on top of the communal den with her, giving a low ‘woof’ and lifting her face to meet him half-way as he greeted her with kisses and their usual bump which she returned all. Following along quickly came Kajika, then his tag-along Moonshadow. She was very pleased to see that the male seemed to have been guiding the girl and helping her learn the ways of their land, doing his job as he needed to to get where he wanted to go. Nobody would be able to replace Anthem in their hearts, but the dark man was certainly trying to step up to the plate it seemed. Coming from the bowels of the den emerged their daughter, Neha, whom made the travel to greet them with a kiss before turning and venturing back down to sit by Draven. It was good that Neha was making an effort to befriend him, for he needed someone other than the queen to keep him company. Finally following were Nathaniel and Cernan. Namid’s mismatched gaze watched the tree-line briefly, waiting another moment to see if Aleister would show but it seemed that the boy thought he had better things to do than join them. She decided in a slightly grumpy fashion that she would have words with him later, but for the time being she needed to get the show on the road.

Clearing her throat, she lifted her chin then began. “Hello everyone, I am glad to see you here and well. Though, naturally, I wish there were more to share within our borders I am proud to have every single one of you as a part of our family. As I am sure you have noticed, we have a new addition. Please treat Draven as you would any other, and Draven you know you are no less a member of our family. If you need anything, feel free to contact any of these wolves, she started off, knowing that many would be curious. It would help in the long run if she threw him into the mix instead of waiting for a slow-pour.

“Today we will be addressing a few important things, the first being the exciting news that I am pregnant with Vespertio and I’s second litter. If you had fun watching these two over there run a-muck together, I am sure there will be plenty of adventure and growth with these. I want them to know all of you, so when they are born please do not be shy in coming around to see them.”