The Time in Between

@Borlla | May 11 | Partly-Cloudy - Mid Morning

Time proceeded onward along its gradual progression, bringing not always the new but something worth awaking to each day that was gifted. There was nothing of significance one needed to look forward to on this day, but none the less the acclimating wolf was glad to behold it just the same. Dark clouds promising rain hung over head in the early morning, to which bicolored eyes looked to with a soft smile. How she missed the rain and the sweet smell it brought with it. But also there was a memory had on a rainy day then night, when she did not experience the rage of nature alone, but with a like toned companion... just as quiet and calm as she. Yet in thinking of him, thoughts of the dark Neoma surfaced as we'll eliciting a less than pleasant scowl upon her muzzle. How quickly one's mood could change when evoked by another. How easily a good memory could be soiled...

But the mountain dame did not dwell on it for long as she took to her usual walk towards the pack's creek. Due to days of careful healing and attendance, her limp was almost nonexistent, though the scar would forever remain as a testament to her lack if healing skill. Raised without a healer, she had only her own sense and expertise to go by. And if it would mar her, then so be it; as long as she could walk and run and hunt, then all would be well.

This day as she approached the side of the creek, she took to her eon expert brand of hunting. Waiting patiently at its shores with practiced ease, she claimed from the tranquil stream the bounty of its depths; three fish of size and weight. One for herself and two to present at the alter of the pack's leads. It had become a part of her routine for quite a while, ever since she felt confident enough to carry her own weight. And as she had claimed in mind when she first awoke, this day would be no different than any other. And as she collected her catch she proceeded toward the communal dens deposit the meal for the nursing mother, and perhaps clean the exterior if any remains were left.

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b o r l l a

and what is it you have found, little one?

The new mother was tired. Mentally and physically. Strange how one could be exhausted from doing little more than lying around all day. But she longed for the sun, to run, hunt...A pathetic mewl from her side reminded her why she could not do any of that right now. Not even two weeks old yet, she had a duty to her children before herself, especially with so many unfamiliar faces about. There were few she could trust with her children, in fact, only three. Phineas and Zia, and her own daughter, Hypatia. And yet...Here she remained, snug in her own little den, only daring to venture away from the den for a few minutes every day to stretch her legs, maybe get a drink of water. Perhaps she was being stubborn, but Borlla liked to think she was just being careful.

At the very least, she was thankful for the new member, yet unseen, who had been leaving fish at her den door. While the female was hardly trusted, her offerings were appreciated, and part of Borlla wished that she didn't usually nap through her visits, so that she might thank the subordinate. In time, she'd be free to do as she wished and with her new additions, no less. So, she tried to grasp onto that thought and stare for long periods of time at Evy, Takis, and Celandine. Today, she found herself not awake at the crack of dawn, but rather long after the sun had risen. Her bundles had managed to keep to themselves through the night, for once, giving their mother a good night's sleep. So as she saw the shadow pass by her den, followed by the scent of fish, she was glad to finally be able to say something. "Hello?" She called out, neck stretched forward towards the tunnel. The children were busy suckling, so moving at the current moment was not an option.

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@Borlla

To her liking, the path to the mother's den was relatively deserted making it easier for her approach and inevitable dismissal. While she was glad for this, she maintained her caution in that another of the pack might find her in route and be less accommodating as she neared the vulnerable treasure of the pack. The only ones that were spared from her worry were the young, and this was only due to their ignorance in the protective nature most packs held for the newly born. She favored them most as they reminded her of the ‘good’ and kindness the world had to provide, and the potential of the young to learn and become something more. All others fashioned by years of experience earned her distance and wary eye. Perhaps rightfully so.

But that was not to say she would avoid them wholly.

As she approached the den with fish in tow, she was surprised to find that while there were indeed bones left outside the den, there was no meat and few scales, indicative that her delivery had been eaten to the fullest. The female would smile albeit briefly, then nod with pride to herself that her efforts were indeed received and made something of. But she was not the boasting sort, only the satisfied, as was seen by a quick but full sweep of her thickened plume.

Drawing nearer to the site, she first set down the meal then lowered her muzzle to the remains of the previous and brushed them away with a broad sweep of her muzzle. Skillfully her paws followed, drawing the bones and mild excretions into a pile before reaching for the fresh catch to replace what had been eaten. Yet she paused as a voice called out from the depths of the den, not alarmed but searching, questioning the presence that could not yet be seen. K’arnae’s ears slipped forward attentively. There was but one she could assume that would call from the den.

“Dame?” her voice echoed quietly with caution being mindful that the matrifocal site was home to tiny bodies with tiny ears. “Are you alright?”

(This post was last modified: May 12, 2014, 01:14 PM by K'arnae.)

b o r l l a

and what is it you have found, little one?

The growing bodies at her belly writhed with displeasure as their mother shifted slightly. Celandine was jarred loose and let out a shrill whine that made her mother's ears tip back. But she immediately gave the child a few comforting licks and nudged her back to where she'd been previously. Returning her golden gaze to the entrance of the den, she heard movement from above, and eyed a few bones at her paws, the few that she'd not been bothered to cast back out into the open. With silent skill, she buried them, knowing they were worth little now. Patting down the soil at her paws, she passed her tongue over hungry jowls. Phineas had been sure to keep her well fed as well, but after her habits had been disrupted by the three new additions, both before and after birth, she found herself ravenous at most hours of the day.

A response came from outside, and her tail gave a single beat against the ground. Borlla bared her teeth to no one in an excited smile. Odd how, just a few weeks ago, she might have glared at all who passed by, thinking them traitorous scavengers. Now she found herself excited by their presence. But winter had passed, carrying with it most of her negative feelings. There was still the general sense of unease within her, but with food no longer a constant issue, perhaps, she thought, these wolves were worth something. "Are you the one who has been bringing me fish?" She asked, not bothering to answer the woman's question.

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@Borlla

The shrill cry of the unseen pup forced the female’s ears back as her brows raised in alarm. Instinctively, she assume something was of bother to the pups, but the quick silence and murmur of suckling invited her to calm somewhat. If there had been danger, surely the mother would have alerted her. Quiet in her approach, the female shifted from direct entrance of the den to its side and stretched down to let her muzzle rest comfortably at its corner. Her nose twitched slightly at the smell of new youth and milk and fish, a strange culmination, but one the female respected as it meant but a single thing; life.

An ear perked forward when addressed once again, a small smile touched her lips as her attendance was acknowledged but this time with a verbal regard. “I am,” she answered quietly despite her raspy voice. Her tail pat the ground but once in show of her appreciation. But as pride quickly surfaced, it was doused by a quiet doubt, or perhaps it was modesty showing itself in a humble manner. “…do you not like it?” she questioned, recalling then as she had before that not all were keen to the taste of the water’s bounty. For all she knew, the mother did not like the sweet or moist meat and had only eaten it out of necessity rather than true enjoyment.

“…I can bring something else…” she murmured as an afterthought, but not without first trying to sneak a peek at the small bodies and their mother hidden inside the den.

The woman eyed quietly the entrance to the den, watching the shadow of her huntress move about. It disappeared, though she could still hear the woman breathing and smell her quite strongly. Not only that, but she heard the quiet answer from beyond. The voice was unfamiliar, but feminine, and Borlla, for the first time in some time, felt a bit guilty that she had neglected to acquaint herself with her members. Though the winter, she'd become so distrustful that it had grown into a bad habit. What had this wolf done to deserve her neglect? Nothing as far as Borlla was aware, and now this stranger was bringing her food and still Borlla had done nothing. What a pisspoor leader she'd become. Staring down at her children, she frowned. She would need to fix this. Certainly she could not let her children into an arena full of wolves that she hardly knew. Jaded by winter, she had unknowingly set herself up for this atrocious failure.

Borlla chuckled at the woman's cautious question, rolling her eyes, "I love it. I was raised on the stuff." Fondly, she recalled being taught how to fish by her elder brother. It was rather bittersweet, for that was the very same brother that inevitably betrayed them all. But, she supposed, without that, she might not have come to truly consider Corinna her sister. How sad...Shaking her head of the thoughts, she passed her tongue greedily over her jaws and unwittingly spoke over the murmur of her company. "Perhaps you might nudge that fish down here. I'm a little stuck at the moment."

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@Borlla

“You were?”

The female inquired without thinking, then quickly set her mouth shut with an audible snap. She perhaps had no reason to feel placed at odd ends by the Alpha female, but she did not consider it respectful to question the word of a superior regardless of the instance. Had the soft laughter not been enough? Was the mother’s very word not enough to imply that what was spoken was true? There would have been a time that the female’s mind would not have doubted another’s word… but recent occurrences had enlightened her from that ignorance, though it had yet to be seen if it was for better or for the worse.

K’arnae kept herself quiet as she anticipated some kind of retort towards her behavior, yet to her surprise it was a request for the catch. The hunt perked up considerably as she was all too glad to nudge one of the fish deeper into the den. “I am glad you like it,” she admitted while keeping her voice soft for the ears of the nursing young. Shuffling just a little bit closer to the entrance, she kept the tip of her muzzle within sight. “…few take a liking to it. So far, it is you and the two young ones.” And herself of course, but the mountain wolf did not believe she counted in this instance.

Again, the woman made another shuffle to the den’s maw, this time under the guise of pushing the head of the second fish closer to be within reach. One would not have guessed that she was such a curious soul when it came to pups. But then, one might not have pegged her as the caregiving sort at all given her brutish exterior. But in her own little way, she was always glad to dispel those assumptions.

@K'arnae

The woman nodded, though her companion could not see it. Her mind drifted pleasantly to the days of her youth. They felt so far away from her now, though she had only been born four years ago. Learning to fish by the river, with the man that used to be her brother...Being so happy when he'd returned, nearly drowning in the water to greet him. Her tail gave a few pleasant raps against the packed dirt floor. "I grew up on the other side of the mountain in Swift River," She spoke easily, though doubted that the name would ring bells for anyone that had not grown up in these parts. "A nice little creek ran right through our territory."

Her eyes lingered on the den's entrance, watching the woman's shadow shift as she began to move the fish down the throat of the den. Black nose and pale muzzle came into view, causing the mother to shift just slightly. Her backend curled slightly, setting her back legs before her children. It was a feeble barrier, but it gave her a sense of comfort. Instinctively, her hackles rose, though she had commanded the woman to do this. However, it was only natural that she take precautions. Her lips would not draw back, nor would her ears flatten to her skull. Her front end twisted a bit so that she might stretch a forelimb forward to place a paw over the fish and drag them towards her body. Her teeth quickly tore into the first, tearing head from body quite eagerly. "We ought to make more of an effort to introduce our packmates to such a delicacy, especially with the creek so close." Borlla chuckled through a mouthful of fish flesh.

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@Borlla

Given her excitement to catch a glimpse of the new pups, it was understandably difficult for the woman to keep to the outside of the den. However, more so by discipline of self than the unseen wary of the mother, she kept low to her ground and retreated but an inch back to remain present but just out of sight. In due time, she was certain she would meet the pups of the Glen. She needed only to be patient and retain her duties. And in the mean time, she was content to carry on in conversation with the mother.

K'arnae smiled gently at her Alpha's suggestion, knowing it would take some time and convincing- if the opinions of her young ward were any indication of what the others' of the pack might be like. "It would take time," she added lightly. "But I am sure with diligence it will happen. If the minds of the pack were anything like my prior home, the possibility might have escaped them all together." Folding her paws toward her chest, she let her head again rest on the soft churned soil. "We did not have a creek or river where we lived," she offered in conversation. "There were only mountains as far as the eye could see. When we moved, were it not for one of the elders pulling a fish from the water, we might have starved... and would have been robbed of this wonderful treat. I was just a pup at the time, but he made sure that all the young ones knew how to part the waters for food." The she-wolf exhaled softly. "Everyone should know how..."

@K'arnae

She took another bite of fish flesh, savoring the long absent flavor. She honestly couldn't recall the last time she'd eaten fish. It was tasty, and she couldn't imagine how they'd gone so long without taking advantage of this resource. Swallowing the morsel, she licked her lips, catching every last bit of the bite. Without hesitation, she took another, though it was the final bite she would get off of this fish. The bones were thin and fragile. Borlla preferred the bones of large mammals to useless fish bones, and though she could eat them with ease, she chose not to. They were hardly worth gnawing on. Brushing the skeleton aside, she pulled the second fish to her chest, but did not tear into it quite yet. Her eyes trailed along its dulling iridescent scales. All the while, she listened to her packmate from beyond. It was interesting hearing the tales of another. That without fish they would have died. The last words particularly caught Borlla's ears.

It was true. Everyone ought to know this skill, but perhaps the yearlings most of all. The tip of her tail twitched thoughtfully. "I think you're right," Borlla said, finally. The children at her breast shifted at sudden shift of their mother's lungs. "Maybe you'd like to teach some of our packmates something useful, huh?" Canting her head back, Borlla tried to catch a view of the woman, hoping that her interest in this endeavor was conveyed adequately in her voice. It seemed like a very useful skill for everyone to learn, and especially with the spring in full flood, who knew how many new packs might be rearing up to thin the herds even more.

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