Whitestone Monadnock there's a design

Aprill 11th, Late morning, Patchy moderate snow, 35 ° F, 2 ° C || note: Expectant mothers may see a drastic change in their diet. Her belly will also begin to look noticeably swollen as the pups take up more space in her abdomen.

Even if it didn't seem like Spring was coming to the lowlands Piety knew that the swelling of her belly was a, sure enough, sign that a new season was slowly creeping upon them. The pressure against her stomach sometimes caused her to feel more nauseous than she wished but that was nothing she could fix. Sometimes if she found just the right sitting or laying position it didn't feel so bad.

Luckily today her morning had been going rather smoothly. A slow border patrol on her own before she visited the old coyote den then made her way back towards the communal area. Her eyes scanned about to see if anyone was lurking about. There was one wolf in particular she was interested in talking with, though. "@Roosemooth? Are you about?" Her voice was kind and nowhere near demanding. If the male was busy with duties she surely wouldn't yank him away.

With a soft huff, she settled herself down onto the cool ground. There were many things on her mind so perhaps the man who wished to be an advisor could lend a moment or two. It would be greatly appreciated. While she shared everything with Wraith, Piety never thought it a bad idea to get an extra opinion.

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OOC!  

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Word Count: 531  

The day was getting on and there were things Roose needed to see to, but he couldn’t seem to bring himself to leave the den quite yet.  He could smell the snow outside, and while he wasn’t that old quite yet, he was getting to where the cold slowed him down.  He hoped spring would hurry on its way.

Finally he had no excuses, though, and he dragged himself to his feet.  He timed his exit just right; the drifting flakes seemed to be taking a break. Shaking out his fur, the elder decided to make his way off the Monadnock.  He would see if he could catch anything to eat, and perhaps see if he could find his queen.  They hadn’t had much opportunity to sit and chat since he and Wraith had returned from their visit to the neighbors.

Luck was with him this day; Roose somehow managed to catch a rabbit just as it was leaving its burrow and didn’t even need to chase it.  Pleased with his find, the advisor turned and began picking his way back towards the den.  Snow was beginning to drift around him again, and he wanted to get back to the warmth of their shelter to eat.

Piety’s voice drifted through the air as the dark man reached the top of the trail, calling for him.  He immediately altered course to join her in the communal area. It had already been his plan to seek her out, had it not? He placed his catch at her feet before dropping next to her, offering the rodent to the expecting mother. “My lady.” He greeted respectfully, dipping his head. “How are you feeling today?”

He couldn’t help but notice the bulging at her sides; it would only be a few more weeks now. He idly wondered how many new furballs would be tumbling about the dangerous cliffs come time. With any luck, the new ruling pair would fare better with their progeny than had the previous one. The idea of new pups was bittersweet; he still remembered when Odysseia had been born, and now that she was gone he hadn’t given much thought to a future generation apart from the opportunities it might offer.  It was that that excited him.  Though he preferred to be called an advisor, he wouldn’t mind taking on the additional role of a teacher.  He would certainly be a better choice than the rest of the members of the small group.

“Forgive my ignorance, but is this your first litter?” He asked delicately.  The last thing he wanted was to trigger some sort of aggressive response akin to the one he’d come to expect from Cheedo when previous young were mentioned. He couldn’t help but wonder just how experienced the white queen before him was with motherhood.  She’d seemed close to Morganna before the dark woman had left, and it was possible Piety had helped raise Odin and Kara more than the other members of the pack.  Her ability as a mother would be key to the future of the pack, after all. It was a very concerning matter to the old man who’d decided to throw his lot in with them.

"Speech"  Thought

A soft rumble of pleasure was given when Piety was gifted with a rabbit. The expectant mother would never say no to food. Her tail swished across the ground behind her as her eyes watched Roosemooth. "Please, simply Piety is fine." There was no need for such formalities. Even if she was his superior she was certainly not a queen or Lady. It was by chance that she had winded up in this role of power. "I'm okay. A bit nauseous but nothing too serious." It made eating interesting but so far she hadn't brought any meals back up. Piety was positive that would happen soon enough, though.

His question caught her a bit off guard, her eyebrows raising softly. Piety noted how he touched the subject with a certain kind of formality. "It is not." She answered with cool tones but obviously not willing to divulge him in the details of her first child. A beautiful baby boy who wasn't really a baby boy anymore. "Have you fathered any litters before?" She asked him in turn. His age would certainly allow him too but Piety wasn't about to make any assumptions due to a mere number. She knew he wasn't from these lands, though. Perhaps he had some family out there just like she did.

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Shallow water has trapped several fish in a small pond. Hunt Opportunity

OOC!  

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Word Count: 287  

Roose had to fight a smile as his queen asked him to simply call her ‘Piety’.  “As you wish.” He replied.  It was clear this was her first time holding such a position; he hoped for her sake that she would grow into it and become more accustomed to it. There was a fine line between being a leader that members respected and members could walk all over.  The advisor looked forward to seeing which kind she would be.

He was glad she was feeling alright; if experience was anything to go by, she would likely only get worse the closer to her due date she got. Since the pack no longer had a healer on hand, he wondered who might be able to best help her keep her health as her new littler approached.

Despite the sensitivity of the topic, the advisor was pleased to find that Piety did not rankle at the mention of previous children.  Her answer was simple and short, giving him the information he had inquired after while offering nothing more.  He smiled internally; she passed his little test. At her returned question, however, he let out a short chuff of laughter.  “Me? No, my ambitions have never been so high as leadership or fatherhood. I prefer to help and guide those with potential.”  Which was the truth, if not the whole one. The idea of siring a litter of pups had never really sat with him, though that was perhaps because in the pack he’d grown up in, only the lead pair could breed.  Anyone else to do so would be chased from their land, no exceptions.  It was a status symbol, and one he’d given away the right to on multiple occasions.

"Speech"  Thought

It was as she wished. She might have been in the position of power but when it came down to it they were all equals. Wolves roaming the earth looking for their potential. Of course, it seemed she had found hers here in a metaphorical throne next to Wraith.

Her good ear flicked softly at his chuff of laughter. A small smile cracking her features. "Do you not believe yourself to have the same potential as those you've helped?" The pale female asked as she tipped her head softly. It may have been a rude question to ask but she had asked genuinely. Surely if he had helped Craw and now Wraith (not to mention who knew how many before those males) he had the potential to do what they did. Perhaps something ran deeper within him that kept him from seeking fatherhood and leadership. That much she wouldn't pry into. Piety knew that if he wanted to share that he would.

So she would wait patiently for an answer to her soft prying. The pale Whitestone leader had a right to know more about the man who wished to be her and her husband's advisor. Of course, she also hadn't had as much time with the peppered man as her mate had.

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OOC! Sorry for the wait

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Word Count: 288  

Her follow-up question was only somewhat unexpected; he hadn’t anticipated that she would also like to quiz him.  This pleased the advisor; she would not be easy to manipulate, and she wasn’t stupid.  She likely guessed that he too was testing her with his questions.

His ear flicked back momentarily, and he shrugged. “I suppose, logically speaking, I could be as good as those I guide. The glamour of leadership has never appealed to me. Helping others to grow offers me more opportunities to learn myself, as well as be more aware of all that goes on in the pack.” Roose gave the pale woman a sideways glance. “No matter what kind of leader, or how much they think they are involved in the goings-on of their wolves, there are always things the pack manages to keep hidden.” He warned.  It was a simple fact of life; even if a pack’s leaders were well loved, there would always be secrets.  The truth of the matter was that an alpha was intimidating, no matter the kind of alpha they might be. “I dislike it.  My position allows me to learn things an alpha could never learn, and report them. Secrets cause strife.”

It was bold of him to say it, considering the secrets he kept.  He knew he was a hypocrite; he spent his days digging secrets out of the minds of his fellows, while hugging them close to his own chest for use at the optimal moment.  He was a strategizer; constantly thinking three moves ahead.  Already he was planning the downfall of the Morelli man while simultaneously boosting the confidence his leaders had in him.

It was a dangerous game, but one he had yet to lose.

"Speech"  Thought