four score and seven years ago

Namid stopped at a tree, pausing to sniff it before lifting her tail and refreshing the scent marker though it had been refreshed rather recently. It was the last of their markers that she had been too, now having officially scouted the entirely of their packland borders. Now all she needed to do was work her way in, wash, rinse, and repeat the process. Soon, with her excellent memory, she would have these lands memorized by heart. Stepping away from the tree she gave a languid stretch, her jaws opening wide in a gaping, toothy yawn. Regaining her composure she passed a tongue over her maw, cleansing it of the blood of the hare she’d killed just earlier. The caches had still been found suspiciously empty on most of her journeys to check them, the scent of one female prominent on all of them. Primrose. It also seemed that she had been making no attempt to refill them after her snacks, which is what one was typically to do. Especially with their growing numbers and soon to be hungry mouths to feed. The pale queen admittedly had recently been clearing a few barely full caches herself, though with her rapidly progressing pregnancy that was of the norm. Afterwards, she would fill them back to the best of her abilities which left little to be said of the other.

Suddenly an aud swiveled to catch the sound of pawsteps nearing, though it seemed to be a bit away from their border. Her nose twitched, bringing in the scent of earth, prey, pack-wolf, and…not. A curious tilt to her head was seen as she squinted at the brush, searching for signs of another being. It took her a moment, but suddenly it was seen in the flash of fur and the strong scent of another. Her tail rose half-mast, her chin also raising as she offered a bark to catch the attention of the other woman. Only one reason could explain why she was moving along their borders so precariously; she was looking for something or someone. For now, she made that someone her.

A pleasurable stretch and a yawn to match the agouti patriarch was ready to face the day ahead after spending all of yesterday recovering from his trip to the Bend pack to speak on a plan of alliance. The trip had followed a successful pack meeting where some business was attended to and shockingly the ivory woman had spoken up about a different pack possible seeking an alliance with the lake dwelling pack. Blinking sleep from his golden orbs a small smile graced his lips at the missing body heat of his lover at his side. Guessing the newly titled and impregnated lead female was already out and about doing the task he had been doing alone for some time now. It swirled inner emotion in the man at the commitment the once damsel in distress offered the pack and the efforts she was making to keep them afloat. Taking some of the weight that dared stack on his shoulders. Admirable at least. But that didn't stop the Vuesain man from tending to the same task whether the pale woman had done them already or not.

Exiting the communal den his limbs gave his spine another stretch in the form of a bow before setting off in the same direction Namid's scent trail led him, nose lowered partially to the ground to follow the path to his beloved. Shortly he came upon her halted form, head tilted at an angle. A greeting waiting behind the black lining of his lips, but coal black nose set all words aside as it was bombarded by the scent of a female pack-wolf. One not of his pack. Suddenly golden optics came to find the flash of agouti fur circling near the border at a respectable distance as if searching for something, someone. Well, today just got interesting. Straightening out his body the dark tint of his tail came up to curl over his spine rigidly in a dominant display to make it clear who he was once the stranger caught sight of him. Had Namid not already barked to catch her attention the patriarch would have. "Hello there. What brings you out this way?" He spoke, golden optics giving the woman's form a thorough look over. Was this one of the Woodland wolves Primrose had mentioned?

Namid was partially startled by the sudden appearance of her lover, whom she hadn’t heard approach in her focus on the skirting woman. Her head whipped toward him, a soft exhale coming from her maw before a small smile, “Goodness, you scared me,” She chuckled, offering him a bump of her muzzle to his cheek. She had missed him in his time away from their lands, her pregnancy making her high strung. She had paced the borders more than usual, small bouts of anxiety she wasn’t used to churning in her chest. When he had returned, she had been quite obviously very happy and was still jubilant to have his presence at her side once more. Turning her attention back to the form of the approaching woman, she took in her appearance to put into memory for any later interactions. She sensed that those times were likely to come, and with the look in the green flecked gaze of the woman there was information to be told.

A small tilt came to her cranium in curiosity, and while her equal set about a more dominant stance, as she had no doubt he would have, she maintained her current posture. It still showed dominance, but it was in a gentler sort of way that truly only the pale queen could pull off. She emitted a pungent aura of kindness, but there was also strength knit tightly within that.

Her auds swiveled forward to catch the words that came from her mouth, clenching her jaw to keep her mouth of falling open in a snort as she reported Primrose as ‘kind’. The only genuine kindness that woman would provide to anyone would be long after they were dead, and that kindness would be her not pissing on their grave. However, she kept listening with a lax expression. She remembered the wraith woman mentioning the prospect of an alliance with this Secret Woodlands pack, but she hadn’t had the chance to speak with Vespertio about it due to his absence. She glanced at him from her corners of her mismatched gaze, wondering what he had to say about it.

His presumptions were deemed correct as the tawny woman began to speak of the ivory coated member of the pack. An almost sense of disbelief at the fact she had managed to do something productive for the pack instead of devouring their food with no effort of refilling them. Something he had been meaning to discuss with Prim, but so much was on his plate right now between building alliances with packs and preparing their territory for the arrival of the first princes and princesses of Fallen Tree Cove. This meant more border patrols to keep the markers anything but fresh. Those alone did much in taking up his time leaving little to actually check up on what his subordinates were doing. But soon he would force himself to find the time. Only so much laziness could be tolerated. If she couldn't pull her weight he would drive her off his land without much hesitation.

As the woman spoke his head nodded cordially to insure her that he was listening while his mind began to process the bits of information she provided. Nina was the wolf in charge by the sounds of it, a formidable woman if she could run an entire pack by herself similar to how he had before Namid had come along to fulfill the vacant spot. Once the words ceased to fall from her lips, then, did Vespertio speak up. "One can never have too many allies when you're new and I am indeed interested in extending the branch to you Woodland wolves. But this is a two part decision and I have a few questions I'd like to ask." Pausing his words, the golden hued gaze of his shifted to move from Kite to Namid. "Where do you stand on this?" Curious to know what thoughts could possible be running through her mind. This was a decision they would need to make as a team. Something he was constantly having to remind himself. No longer was the weight solely on his shoulders. Standing beside him was a partner in crime. Willing to take a portion of the load when it became all too much for him to bare.