Gone Tomorrow

The morning sun was solidly in the sky by now, though if only for an hour or so. Corinna had risen that morning, her coal black nose nuzzled into the fluff of her tail. The days were growing shorter, and while she was a nocturnal creature, she had decided to reverse her schedule and spend today awake. That night she had slept outside of the den, her growing pups gradually forcing her out with their increased size. But sometimes she left for her own accord, just to be able to breathe the fresh air, even while she was sleeping. That's what she was doing now, heading out on her own just to get a chance of fresh air.

But as she rose, her green eyes caught the tawny form of Indru who had taken up his usual vigilant post outside of the den the previous night. Tail wagged, and as she turned over her shoulder and headed towards the northern edge of the territory, she gave out a small woof. Not loud enough to wake the others, but certainly loud enough that Indru would awaken. As she continued, Cori broke into a run, her limbs carrying her at a swift pace through the trees. Her intent would be for Indru to chase her, she could only hope that he had picked up on her signal and had taken chase. It had been far to long since the pair had spent some time to themselves, and they needed to talk.

Gone Tomorrow

Corinna's desire for Indru's affection had not gone unanswered, and before long, she could feel his movement through the ground beneath her paws. His scent grew stronger as he gave chase to her, but she found herself slowing down rather than speeding up. She did not want to play an elaborate game of hide and seek with him, not today. It was his company she wanted to take advantage of, hoping that they could steal away the day to simply spend together. Her anger at his previous absence had subsided significantly over the previous weeks. In part, that was more due to his insistence at always being underfoot than anything else, but his constant vigilance had made her fully aware of how much better things were now. They had cooperated at the pack hunt a few days ago, and their teamwork had provided plenty of food for the pack along with a chance for the two to bond. Their companionship was something that Corinna had missed greatly when he had been away, and it was a self sacrifice that she had made to keep him at bay while she tried to mitigate her anger towards him.

The nips along her body sent chills down her spine from the comfort it gave her, and as they ran, Corinna instinctively shifted closer to him so that the tips of their fur touched. She caught the look he gave her, and simply smiled in response, tongue rolling out of her mouth as she grinned at him. Tail wagging behind her, she put some extra spring in her step and sprang forward ahead of him. Ahead by only a few bounds, she landed on her forepaws and whirled around. Rearing up on her hind legs, she batted the air in front of him, her bark both commanding and playful as she felt back to the earth. The sun shining overhead had only served to help increase the care-free and light-hearted mood of the she-wolf. Beneath the radiant sunshine, the leader of Swift River didn't have a care in the world. Her three children were perfectly healthy, something that could not be said for those of her friend Jayseyek in Grizzly Hollow, and everything simply felt as it should be.

Falling back into step beside Indru, she passed him a look. She would explain when they had arrived at their destination. Until then, she simply wanted to delight in his company in a way that she had not done since before she had discovered that she was pregnant.

Gone Tomorrow

Corinna wasn't quite sure what it was that had made her want to leave Swift River this morning. It was an appetence that had consumed her very being when she had woken. As for her invitation to Indru, it seemed only natural to invite him along. It had been so long since they had spent any time together - very rarely since he had returned. They were parents now, not only to the three six month old wolves relaxing back in the den, but to the rest of the pack. The rest of the wolves in the pack looked up to them; as leaders, it was their responsibility to take care of their members and adhere to their wishes. Sometimes the responsibility was heavy, and it was on runs like this that Corinna could throw that responsibility to the wind and simply enjoy herself.

Their puppy antics bounced off one another as each partook in their affections. It reminded her of their courtship, of the games they had played when they had first fallen in love. His leaving her had broken her heart, to be sure, but she had never stopped loving the tawny beast. Now that she had him back, she wanted to take advantage of his presence, and she was pulling rank over the rest of the pack in stealing him away today. As of late, he had smelled more of the pack's other members than her, but as their touches got progressively closer, she once against reasserted her claim over him, letting their fur mingle together to create a single scent that was uniquely theirs.

Staying quiet throughout the run, Corinna gradually steered them north, pausing only as they crossed the river. The riverbed gave way to forest, and their easy pace helped them clear the Wildwood with relative quickness. As the forest gave way to the Orchard, Cori's gray ears perked up on her head, and she woofed, spotting what it was she was looking for. The single tree, though bare with the onslaught of fall, stood taller than all the rest, and this was the destination she had been looking for.

Now full on in the afternoon, the she-wolf trotted up the slight hill that the single tree stood on. Tongue rolling out of her mouth, she grinned as she looked at Indru. Wasn't it pretty? her eyes asked. All around them the effects of fall were in full view, the leaves a brilliant array of gold and red where they had not yet fallen to the ground. Smiling, Corinna approached Indru, having had moved a few yards ahead of him to lead him up the hill. Coming close, she leaned forward, pink tongue licking first his cheek and then down to where the boar had wounded him. Tending to it, she licked the inflicted area, reassuring him to the idea of full recovery sooner rather than later. Finished, she stepped backwards only to recline down to her haunches in the shadow of the tall tree. "Does it still hurt?" It was the first time she had spoken that day, and the genuine concern in her voice could not be mistaken.

Gone Tomorrow

It had been so long, since they had been able to stand in each other's presence without feeling hurt and pain, anger and anguish. Things had become a whirlwind in Corinna's mind, for if nothing else, that was what they had partaken in. She remembered the one day on another hill, when he had invited her back to Swift River after waking her from sleep. She had witnessed the first part of his rank challenge, not realizing at the time it would be the last time she would see him as second of the pack he had originally founded. And then came the day where he had tricked her into ascending Riddle Heights, despite her unreasonable fear of the treacherous heights. They had climbed upwards, her quivering like a leaf the whole time. But they had come down from the rocky foothills as mates, having taken the leap of faith that they wanted to make something work between the two of them, something that friendship didn't quite cover. The next thing she knew, Corinna was announcing her pregnancy to the pack, her situation already rocky with the wolves of Swift River.

Sitting beside her mate beneath the barren tree now, she could only chuckle and shake her wistfully. They had changed so much, the two of them. The darkest days, though, were hopefully behind them. At least, that had been Corinna's hope in bringing Indru up here in the first place. Tail beating a steady rhythm against the ground, she inclined her head at his inquiry to her shoulder. In comparison to him, she had managed rather well, and was quite thankful for her. His absence had made her secure in her position as leader, and she did not want to lose it due to an injury. "It's fine. A little sore still, but nothing time won't heal." She cast a smile his way, leaning into his shoulder as she heard him speak up, asking this time what was the reason for their journey.

A gentle shrug of her slim shoulders was given, as if to say, Do I need a reason? But she grinned again, and slid forward along the frozen ground so she came to rest beside him. "It's just been so long since we've had any time to ourselves. At least, any time that wasn't angry or painful." Cori's green eyes looked at him, hoping that he understood at least in part where she was going with this. "I don't know. It's been so nice having you home. Rihael, Fen, Kisla - they love you." Truth be told, she wasn't sure how well the three youngsters would take to the mysterious figure of dad who they had never met until well onto their fourth month mark. And while there had been a difficult transition for Corinna to make in letting Indru step into his role as their father, she had come to the decision that she would rather have him there than not. "I do too, you know." Voice was a mere whisper, and she looked away from him bashfully.

Gone Tomorrow

The world turned upside-down as Indru's playful nudged knocked his mate backwards. It was not a hard shove, and as she landed on her back, paws flailing uselessly in the air above her, she was laughing. It had been so long since the two of them had been able to get along like they were now, that it seemed questionable if they would ever be able to relate to one another again. So much had happened between them, on both sides, that the recovery had once seemed like a very far off thing. But throwing her head back and looking at the sky above them now, the River she-wolf couldn't help but smile to herself. Time had once again healed the wounds inflicted; and this time a much deeper wound had been healed.

Pawing at him from the ground, Cori kicked her hind legs gently at his chest, careful to not hit so hard as to cause any more pain to his already injured chest and neck. Rolling over to her side, she laid in the grass, enjoying its coarseness against her fur. Green eyes closing the world, she breathed deeply in and out, taking in the unfamiliar scents of the world around her. "You know. I've hardly left Swift River since the pups were born," she mused, keeping her eyes shut and merely taking it all in with her other senses. "I've been too terrified to leave, in case something should happen." It was one of the burden's of being a mother, and while Corinna hardly disliked where it was she lived, sometimes a change of scenery worked wonders on an overworked soul.