Poison Path [TfT] Bear Claw

Tit for Tat, This or That

The bears just don't seem the leave the mountain wolves alone, do they? This bear looks like it's hassled its last wolf, however, since all that remains of the beast is just a claw lying in the dirt on the path lined with nightshade berries.

Ever since the birth of the newest Vuesain litter, Nathaniel had become an even rarer sight for his packmates. It was only @Cernan who saw him regularly at this point, the man still making it a priority to visit with the yearling at least once a day, even if just in passing. @Namid and @Vespertio both were given a particularly wide birth; the king perhaps was used to this, but the queen was a wolf whom Nathaniel had never avoided before. This wasn't to say he wasn't around; the knight in tin armor still performed his duties at an admirable pace, refusing to drop his brother's mantle just yet. When all was done at the end of the day, however, he did not return to the communal areas to pretend he enjoyed the pack's presence. Nathaniel now wandered instead.

Not too far from the Lake monarchy's domain was a territory that still possessed (or was possessed by) the faintest ghosts of occupation. Looking closely, it could be seen that this had once been a different pack's home, and he thought he remembered hearing something or other about his home now having been founded as a revival to this forgotten city-state. Thoughts of how easily things fell to ruin and were replaced consumed him as he walked, thoughtfully slowing his pace and allowing his eyes to meander aimlessly over the ground. He had a well-defined place in such things, after all, making it a very important topic to ponder.

It wasn't until his eye caught a faint glint of moonlight off of something to the side of the worn path that the man was given reason to pull himself up from the murk of deepthought. On a whim he investigated, and what he found instantly meant a great deal to him. His teeth closed around the bear claw as he claimed the item without second thought. Perhaps this was a sign? He scoffed around his cautious grip. From what. It was just coincidence, but he knew all the same that he needed to end his delaying, and this gift would be the start of it. Maybe he could craft a sentiment honorable enough to excuse his transmogrification*.

*transmogrify

Though it was late, Namid needed some space. It was taken much longer than usual to get Ismena and Lunette to finally drift off to sleep, and the hassle had left the mother physically and mentally exhausted. She’d made a mental note to cut back on their naptimes, hoping that if they got less sleep during the daytime hours they would find it easier to sleep at the proper time during the night. Regardless, even though she was tired she was also feeling cramped. The pale queen loved her home with all of her heart, and she loved her children and packmates even more but she still had a wandering spirit. Being confined to one space for too long left her feeling constricted and claustrophobic, and walking just outside the den wasn’t enough for her. So, while the children were sleeping she thought she might go for a midnight stroll. Something she hadn’t done in quite some time. Whispering her plans to her husband, she gave him a kiss to the temple before making her way out of the den. From there, she picked up her pace into a jog. It didn’t take long before she was panting.

Boy, pregnancy had really made her out of shape.

Suddenly, she crossed the path of a familiar scent. Nathaniel. She paused in place, head cocking to the side curiously as she wondered what he could be doing out so late. Of course, he was likely doing a midnight patrol. In her eyes, the dark man had certainly stepped up to the plate in place of Anthem. He’d been doing more than his fair share, but as of lately she’d felt him growing a bit more…distant. She didn’t know quite how to put a paw on it, but his visits, while still somewhat often, had lost their frequency. It had worried her a bit, but she knew they were all busy and trying to do their best to make sure her and the children were taken care of, something she was always grateful for. Deciding to follow the scent, sure enough it led her to the borders. But, curious enough there was no bright eye’d male patrolling there. Instead, it continued beyond the borders and toward what seemed to be the area that contained many nightshade bushes. Namid felt like she shouldn’t follow, like she might be intruding on private time because she certainly knew how much she herself wanted that from time to time, but her worrying nature trumped such logic and she found herself continuing on, following where his scent led.

It wasn’t a long distance, but it was the farthest she’d been outside of the borders in months. It was liberating, truly, to finally feel at least partially free of such restrictions. His scent grew stronger, and as she scaled the last slope she began to see his dark for take shape. Her mismatched gaze following his movements as it seemed he’d bent to pick something up, the relic glittering in the moonlight but not being shown enough to her that she might know what it was just yet. Her head tilted to the side in curiosity. What was he doing?

eeeee @Namid

There was a sound behind him, and given his distance from the safety net of his pack, Nathaniel was quick to turn and look upon its source. Equal mixtures of surprise, warmth and dismay took up residence in his chest as his pale green eyes fell upon Namid. What on earth was she doing all the way out here? He stood frozen under her gaze for a few lingering moments, and while there was no shame to be had in taking a walk outside of the pack's territory nor in claiming the trinket he'd found, guilt still began to bubble up from the pit of his stomach to crowd his heart.

It was his thoughts that were damning, those velleity intentions of his that he only ever plotted out and never carried through. When at last there was a tipping point, as he was swearing himself to resolution and action, she of all wolves had to appear. Other ironies to this situation did not escape him, and as he inhaled the ethereal scent of the nightshade berries, he had to wonder which of them was most like their surroundings. Who here was the toxin? Him to the pack, or her to his self control?

With great care, Nathaniel placed the bear claw back onto the ground in front of him so that his jaws would be free to talk. He motioned toward item with his muzzle just before speaking, tail curling behind him with uneasiness that he fought to keep out of the rest of his appearance.

"Lookit this, a whole claw from some bear. Figured I'd bring it home to Cernan, to remind him how brave he had been when we had to fight the one off."