With the rabbit clutched firmly in her jaws, the tawny girl loped toward one of the pack caches by a tall redwood, her nose tilting upward in the air as she attempted to determine exactly where it was. She paused then, having located it, and her ears slid back to her skull. Her mother had made it very clear the potential dire circumstances the River now had – three females pregnant in their ranks was too much.. and she felt slightly torn in that moment. The rabbit should go to her mother – the lead female of the pack. But then.. Lilya was carrying the pups of the lead male – a thought that stirred a wince in the girl’s gut, to know that the one wolf she had crushed on had.. well, she didn’t know what they were to one another.


Then there was Inna – perhaps the one out of all of them who really shouldn’t have bred. Kisla ahd made that clear – and Lekalta, while having her own flitting moment of jealousy, ahd since swallowed that, feeling another surge of protection to her littermate. Inna was the kindest soul she knew – and while she didn’t pretend to know what went on in her twin’s mind (how could she, when the two had drifted so far apart?) she wanted to support her.


Turning away from the cache, the girl stole a chance at rebellion, and with a quickened pace, began to seek out her sister, hoping to present the rabbit to the girl who carried her future nephews and nieces. She would catch something else for her mother and Lilya after. But right now.. she needed Inna, with her own heart hurting, and could only hope her sister needed her too.

She found Inna not too far in to her venture, and as her swarthy sister was seemingly making her way to the caches, Lekalta swooped in to partly block her way, announcing her presence with such flourish. She flashed a smile, though it was partly hidden with the rabbit in her mouth, and as Inna approached her, she dropped the prized possession, nudging it to her sister, despite her littermate’s joke. “I know where it is – I wanted to save you the trip.”


Stepping back a pace from the offering, she then moved forward, attempting to nudge her sister upon the cheek with her nose, her tail giving a casual swing behind her, though she remained lower than the girl above her in the hierarchy – she couldn’t envision Inna looking to sport her rank above her, but she wanted to reveal her deference to her twin for now. “I missed you, Inna. I wanted to bring something for my nieces and nephews.” She paused then, pulling her muzzle back and canting her muzzle. “How’ve you been holding up?” Kisla had no doubt shattered all of them from their comfort zone – Inna most of all, given her condition, and with light worry, she swept her apple green eyes to the swollen sides of her sister.

Inna seemed uncomfortable about the display of submission – it was a natural occurance to the tawny girl, and not something she had dwelled on much in the past. But now, with Kisla’s words of warning still ringing in her ears, she felt a small, lopsided grin pressing to her lips lightly, though the humor did not reach her eyes. “Protect what’s yours, Inna,” she advised – certainly not against her, for Lekalta was not so ambitious to overthrow her sister should the ebony girl hold desire of rank – but because of what their mother had said. “You heard mom.. we need to earn our name.” She had never considered what would happen should Kisla lose her rank – or no longer be of the River.. but she did know she wanted the pack to remain within the Baranski’s reach. As one of the only two remaining Baranski females – it fell to either Inna or herself, and given her littermate had children to consider now, she seemed the most viable option.


As Inna continued, she nodded mutely, her own eyes studying her sister before drifting casually to the familiar redwoods that harboured them. She paused at her sister’s question, wondering if it the proper time to sulk about her own woes when Inna clearly had much more going on than her. “I’m okay – trying to.. get back in to the swing of things. I had certain expectations when I returned, and it seems they were realistic..” She trailed off, realizing her words might be considered against her sister, and shook her head vigorously, hoping to quash any uncertainty. “I have a thing for Lachesis. I thought maybe he…” She shrugged then, not needing to state it further – Lilya was proof enough of where his interests lay. “Stupid of me, I guess.”