Once again, Namid was out and about. After spending the night curled up in the embrace of Vespertio, she thought she’d get a head start on the tasks she knew she’d need to make daily. As quietly as she could she’d snuck away from his presence after pressing a gentle kiss to his cheek. Somehow, she’d managed to get out and about before he himself had woken up. It had been weeks since she’d actually seen the sunrise, for she’d been cooped up in the pack den resting and recuperating to the point where she’d slept in until near noon for most of the days. As she walked across the land she stopped to admire the ball of light as it lifted into the sky, inhaling a peaceful breath before heading straight for the borders, deciding to skirt along them for the day and map it out in her mind. In the back of her consciousness a sort of compass was kept, always pointing which way the camp was no matter what direction she took. It was important to her now that she know the ins and outs of Fallen Tree Cove. These were her lands now, these were the lands she would keep her family safe in.

These were the lands she would raise a family in.

Of course, she knew she was pregnant. She could tell her scent had changed, and could almost feel the changes in her body as well. These changes would only progress further and quickly, for in two months’ time she would be a new mother. How strange a thought, that she could be carrying such tiny bundles inside of her. But, at the same time she couldn’t be happier at the prospect. She knew she needed to be more careful now, do whatever she could to avoid altercations and, as an even bigger picture, avoid harm to her unborn pups. Already she felt a sense of protectiveness over them, that should anyone dare try to harm them they would quickly find themselves in a world of hurt.

For the time being though, while she could still walk without a wobble, she’d be doing her rounds by marking the borders, scouting for prospective members, and gathering prey for their caches. Hopefully some would show their faces and join their ranks, because who didn’t want to live in a land as beautiful as hers?

The pale queen sniffed at a tree, judging how stale the marker was. Regardless she was going to mark it, for if the scent of both alphas was shown it might both deter any unwanted wolves and bring in ones that wanted a strong pack. Checking to see how stale it was, was mainly for the purpose of seeing how much more she would need to up her patrols. Her love couldn’t do everything on his own, and fortunately he wouldn’t have to anymore. However, with their meager numbers everyone still needed to pull their weight more than ever to ensure the continuation of their pack. Lifting her tail she did the deed, gave her pelt a swift shake then continued on her way.

A pause stalled her steps, ears swiveling forward and her head lifting up to scent the air suspiciously. Someone, it seemed, was nearing their lands. At the prospect of a new members, her features brightened and she quickened her step toward the sound of thudding paws. As she came nearer to it though, she was stunned to see them go right over their borders hardly without a pause. While the borders weren’t as strong as some other packs, they were still very hard to miss despite the fact that he was carrying what looked to be a pelt of some kind in his jaws. Her ears went back and she growled, surging forward to block the path of the stranger. Standing a few feet in front of him her tail laid over her back and her chin lifted, showing him who was boss in these lands. Nobody could miss the obvious dominance in her posture, that of a leader she was still getting used to. “Just what, pray tell, do you think you are doing?” She questioned, her voice low and demanding. There was no room for excuses in her tone, it said state your business or get out.

Namid’s pelt bristled as the male seemed to fight back at her for a moment, refusing to bow to the obviously dominant stance she held. Who did this man think he was, blatantly crossing their borders without so much as a call then challenging her? It didn’t help that he had yet to give her a response and was currently looking her up and down like some chew-toy. She didn’t care that he was larger than her, she had the speed and agility no doubt to over-see her victory in a duel between the two if it should happen. Though, with her current condition she sincerely hoped that it wouldn’t come to that.

Her already perked ears twitched to catch the words that finally came from his mouth, and not a moment too soon. If another moment of silence had passed, pregnancy or not she would have chased him from their lands like hell was on his heels. His posture had relaxed only a slightly, and it did little to appease her. For another few moments, his gaze remained connected with hers before falling just short of her own visions is what looked to be a strained act of faint submission. A snort left her jowls and her tail gave a flick. He continued to tell her to call Vespertio, like a pup calling to tell on a sibling to their parent. He didn’t need to tell her twice, she had already planned on it the moment he’d crossed over. However, before she did bring him all the way out here she wanted a verification that he was who he said he was. If he was a part of their pack, he would smell like them and from where she was standing she was getting none of it.

With a cautious look that told him no funny business, she inched forward to get a little closer to Anthem. Extending her snout, she took a deep whiff and found the faint scent of cove. However, it was so faint that she still grew suspicious. Why would it be so faint if he were still a part of their pack? She didn’t know everything about their past, which meant that he could have been kicked from their ranks for all she knew. With a frown she backed up again to put more distance between them, “Do not move,” She ordered before lifting her head to call out to @Vespertio . He would come and help to sort things out here.

As her howl rang out, she returned her gaze to the male in front of her. An almost irritated look crossed across his gaze, a hardly audible sigh passing his lips that set her a bit on edge. She considered that perhaps she was being a bit harsh, but Namid was still getting used to what her position held. She was testing waters, finding out what she should and shouldn’t do which probably wouldn’t be held well by others. At the same time, however, she thought she was being perfectly reasonable. The Queen of the Lake had yet to know all of the members under her reign, and she also did not know the past that the Cove held. For all she knew, this male had been banished from their lands not long before she arrived there and was trying to sneak back in. This situation would explain the faint scent on his pelt. With her predicament she couldn’t be too careful, being too lenient could cause her to be taken advantage of and cause harm to their whole pack.

As she waited patiently for her lover to come she eye’d the male, auds swiveling to catch the faint thud of thundering paws. She perked, head lifting to scent the air and as if on que the agouti king and father to her children appeared. It surprised her how fast he had come to them, and she admired the obvious fitness that he was in. Hey, she was allowed at least a small ogle right? Pushing those thoughts aside, she listened intently as he moved to speak. The words that followed made guilt swim in her chest, her ears lowering for a split second before springing back up. "I see you have met the pack's male second, Anthem." he commented. So, she had been wrong in her precautious assumptions. Namid was not so prideful as to not admit her mistakes, and she thought that one was in order for the man she’d treated so harshly.

Returning his brief nuzzle she cleared her throat, “I was out patrolling the borders and happened upon Anthem. I did not know who he was and did not recall you mentioning him to me as of yet,” She replied, a faint blush coloring her cheeks in embarrassment. Thankfully, her plush pelt covered it and she held some dignity. “His scent is faint and I do not know much of the past yet to our lands, so I grew a bit suspicious. I thought it best to call you and be sure of it.” The woman finished. Now that that was over, she turned her attention to Anthem. “I know my words may not make up for the harshness I showed you, but I apologize for treating you as though you were a threat to us. I only wish to keep our family safe, I do hope you understand that.