The sun had largely been hidden by clouds in the days leading up to and proceeding from the birth of his children. Rain had been common, and more than once Serach had paced anxiously back and forth in front of Aponi's birthing den replaying the haunted memory of Spieden's den flooding last year. He had yet to fully meet them - not that there was currently much to meet - but those little brown bundles and the fiery woman who had brought them into this world meant more to him than he had ever imagined was possible. But as much as Serach wanted, and felt as though he needed, to stay at their sides around the clock, his instinct would not allow him to do that. He had to stay healthy and at full strength if he wanted to be able to protect them. It would do him no good to be as exhausted as Aponi surely was.

So he whispered his love to Aponi and their children and left his post. Although it was only temporary, every step screamed at him for going in the wrong direction, but he pushed on ahead anyway. Serach Donata was nothing if not stubborn, although he would soon learn that his stubborn streak had nothing on the newest members of their little family. He reassured himself by repeating that he was not going far - only to the creek to get a drink of water before he returned back to his post. That helped, but only a little.

Ignoring the raindrops slowly dripping off the edge of his muzzle, Serach was grateful to see the familiar sight of the creek that he had grown up next to. As he lowered his head to drink, he couldn't help but smile to himself as he thought of the future and all the things it was now his turn to teach. He was still going back and forth with the prospect being thrilling and terrifying, but for now he was eagerly looking forward to the day when he could bring his young ones to drink here too.

For just a brief moment, Serach felt relaxed. His brain had moved on to thinking about how he was going to parent his new offspring and that excited him so much that a stupid smile had slowly appeared on his mug. But he was happy - moreso than he could have ever anticipated. The panic would set in later, no doubt, when his duties in parenting became a reality, but for now he was free to dream and be grateful for an opportunity he never would have had without Aponi. All the pain and suffering of the winter had been necessary for this, and standing alongside the water's edge with the cries and whimpers of his daughters and son seared into his brain, he could confidently say it was worth it. 

Not just for him either, he realized, pulled from his reveries by the sound of approaching pawsteps and then the clearing of a throat. Breaking his gaze to nowhere, he turned his head to look at the newest member of the Bend. At first introduction, she seemed sweet in a way that reminded him very much of Leotie. Her tone was tentative too, and he remembered Leotie had acted similarly when she had first joined. While Aponi might have been more temperamental these days, Serach was not; at least not yet.

So he greeted her with the same smile that had found its way to his lips and with a friendly wag of the tail. "'Lo Arnaq!" Closing the distance between them, he nudged the base of her left ear in a silent greeting before stepping back. "You've been doing great so far," he reassured her in response to her question. "Don't think we haven't noticed the gifts of food you've brought for Aponi and the cubs. I appreciate it more than you know, and Aponi even moreso no doubt." Every little bit counted these days, and Serach was not one to hold back praise from his pack mates.

"Why don't we walk for a bit? I've been standing in one place for so long I think it would be good for me to stretch my legs," he invited, turning over his shoulder to head upstream along the creek's bank. "Is there anything I can do to help you? I know this must be difficult: joining a new pack and immediately having things turned on their heads because of new cubs."

She was sweet, Serach determined quickly as Arnaq rubbed her head against his own in greeting. The smile on her face and the motion in her tail was not lost on him either as he stepped back to give her some space, and that made him happy. He had clearly been preoccupied since the cubs had arrived, and it had started to show in his disconnect from the rest of his pack mates, so it made him feel good that it seemed that the newest member at least did not hold that against him. His praise landing on willing ears, and his own smile broadened as she thanked him and agreed to walk with him.

Her pleasantness included a willingness to answer his questions. There was no hesitation in her voice as she responded, and he was grateful for both her congratulations and her candor that she wasn't quite sure what do do. Serach felt the same way, if was being as equally honest. "Thank you," it was his turn to thank her for her praise, although it remained to be seen if he was truly deserving of it. That would come later, when his children emerged from the den and into the world. "It absolutely helps. I know it isn't the most exciting of things to do - hunting small prey, that is - but once the pups are a little older and I'm less...concerned," he chuckled, his pale yellow eyes twinkling in mirth. "Then we can have a larger pack hunt and bring something bigger down. In the summertime these woods are filled with deer and elk, sometimes even a moose or two. Later in the summer we'll be meeting with members of Fallen Tree Cove, a pack that lives in the  mountains and our allies, to have a larger, combined hunt." He lifted a forepaw and pointed it west, towards the mountains blocked from view by the trees around them, before continuing to walk.

"It's my first time, yes," he admitted, although the wave of his tail above his back indicated that it was not a point of shame for him, even if it was "late". "Not Aponi's though. She has two daughters already. Lila, who you've met, and Kyna, who doesn't live in the Bend anymore. Lila was born last year - so she's your agemate." He paused in his step, his brows furrowing in quiet thought for a moment before looking at Arnaq once more. "I hope you and Lila will become friends. Aponi and I are going to be relying on you both once the pups are out of the den and are busy exploring. There's three of them and only two of us...so I'm afraid we're already outnumbered and will need all the help we can get." He chuckled.

"Are you new to Relic Lore, Arnaq? We're happy to have you of course, but now that I've got children of my own, I'm curious as to what made you leave at such a relatively young age." He didn't want to make her uncomfortable, but he was genuinely curious, and his own paws had never felt the itchy desire to adventure far beyond the borders of his birth.

She was a quiet listener, and a respectful one too. Serach appreciated that, although there were still moments where he caught himself and couldn't help but laugh at the idea of him giving such sage advice. It didn't feel like that long ago when he had been in her shoes, anxiously wondering what was going to happen now that there were new puppies in the pack that were going to require most of their attention. But she seemed eager to learn too, and for that he was grateful. "Nalda too. She's Aponi's niece and also your age. I think the three of you could become quite close in time," he assured her. "With Aponi and myself too. You're certainly not limited in choosing friends by age." He added, offering her another smile. It'd be a little harder with Aponi, but he would tell his mate what Arnaq was doing to help when the female leader wasn't so preoccupied with her new offspring.

Despite his best intentions, however, Serach's mouth was running faster than his brain. His seemingly innocent question had struck a cord, and in a moment he found himself a few paces ahead of her. Turning to look back at her, his cheerful expression fell and his ears flattened against his head. Her whole demeanor changed - clearly there was more to her arrival in the Lore than a case of wanderlust. Her hushed words only echoed what her body language was clearly saying. His own ears and tail drooping, the leader stood quiet for a moment before taking a few steps towards her. Perhaps it was his new found status as a father, or maybe it was just increased confidence in age, but he felt little hesitation in closing the space between them in his attempt in offering her comfort. In his mind, she was young and helpful, and everything his body cried out for him to protect her. She was trembling, and it made his heart break.

Stopping in front of Arnaq, Serach reached out with his muzzle to nuzzle the base of her ear in a silent reassurance that no matter what had happened before, she was not alone now. "I can't even imagine how painful that must have been...and still is. But I doubt that it was your fault," he told her, his voice quiet but attempting to be reassuring. "I'm so sorry that you've had to carry this burden alone, along with trying to adjust to life here in the Bend."

Arnaq was standing stock still, not entirely unlike a deer that had sensed the presence of a wolf pack closing in on it. But Serach was not coming to hunt her down, and he stayed his course and nuzzled her ear in what he hoped was a helpful form of comfort. His ears strained forward to catch her quiet whispers, and he felt his heartbreak for her. But he couldn't help but look up and back towards where his young family was waiting for him to return and his blood ran cold at the thought of losing them. In the same moment, he knew that he would do anything for them, even if it meant putting his own life on the line.

"There, there," he murmured before he pulled back so he could look at her downcast face. "I know it's difficult, if not impossible, but you have to believe me when I say it isn't your fault. And they must have loved you and cared about you very much to come after you and protect you. That's what packs are supposed to do, blood or not. I know that doesn't make the loss easier - no words can help that - but I want you to know that we are all here for you now too." He couldn't fathom what tragedy had claimed the lives of her packmates, and he wasn't sure he actually wanted to know, but now was not the time to ask. Now was the time to offer comfort and try to reassure her that no matter what losses she had suffered, she was not the only one.

"We're not strangers to loss here in the Bend," he said after a moment, dropping his own gaze to look at his paws. "We used to be one of the largest and strongest packs in Relic Lore, and now we're a mere fraction of what we used to be. Sometimes its death and other-times its absence, but it all hurts. But we all have made the conscious decision to keep moving forward, even if that means some days are sadder and harder than others. Our pack motto is actually, 'we thrive regardless'", he grinned, his smile more mirth than humor. "And sometimes all that means is hunting for new puppies or marking a tree to let the rest of the world know that this is our section of forest." And Arnaq had done her fair share of that.