Cedarwood Forest you're gonna grow and have a good life

Subterritory Discovery
Name: Laurel Thicket
Parent Territory: Cedarwood Forest
Lat/Long: -37.71859, -88.59375
Picture: {link}
Description: East of Jasper Rocks lies a copse of younger generations of cedar intermixed with pine and aspen. The distance between the trees provides ample sun for various flowering shrubs below. Most notable are the mountain laurel. The flowering shrubs remain evergreen throughout the seasons, though the flowers tend to blossom in spring and summer. Cautionary tales of the toxic properties of ingesting the plant tends to keep most away from the area. However, in the center of the area, a wolf has dug out a birthing den which burrows beneath interwoven roots of the young trees above.

If anyone had noticed her few days' absence in the territory, they made no mention of it to Pip for which she was eternally grateful. And it felt sneaky to stop by to refill the caches with what she'd found before ducking her head and leaving the territory once more, but the mute was on a mission. The pack's den was hardly a suitable place for her to give birth. While the only birth she had to base her knowledge on had been @Oula's in the midst of a horrible storm, Pip doubted the warrior would have chosen to bring the lives of her pups into the world where she had unless out of necessity. No, she'd rather be prepared.

Her reasoning for choosing out of the safety of pack territory to make her den was multifaceted. Though @Veho had promised her litter would be cared for, the little mute didn't wish to remain such an inconvenience to everyone else. They shouldn't have to suffer for her own wrong doings. The sea wolf intended to keep a cache nearby to wherever she made a den that could be used to feed herself and her little ones until they were healthy enough to make the trip back. Of course, Pip's knowledge on actually feeding pups was pitifully nonexistent. She'd never gone in the den with Oula once her pups were born. That was a place reserved for Veho alone and even then, he sometimes seemed nervous to go inside. But once Felix, Joan, and Ophelia had been old enough, they'd been begging any and everyone in the pack to provide them with upchucked meals. Pip could definitely do that.

But the most important reason for choosing a place away from the pack was for @Kjell. The male deserved the right to visit his little ones without fear of being chased off or killed for it. Thus, a neutral territory seemed the best option for all.

There was no true thought that went into placement. Pip simply followed her gut instinct and paused when she found herself in a copse of younger trees. Though snow still lay on the ground and it would be a difficult task, her heart told her it would be this place. Closing her eyes, she could picture her dragon walking towards her right here with little ones under their paws and dancing about happily. Sharing a private smile with herself, Pip heaved a sigh. Yes, here was perfect.

And now there was nothing left but to dig.

Tirelessly, snow and dirt alike was tossed away between her legs and her front paws scrambled madly at the earth. While birds trilled overhead, the only other sound to accompany her was the sound of her own panting. The peaceful atmosphere was all the company she needed, but by the time there was a hole large enough for her shoulders to disappear into, she heard the approach of another. Russet ears flicked curiously and the female stepped away from her work to watch warily for whoever had come to investigate.

(This post was last modified: May 02, 2017, 04:50 AM by Pip.)

It had been days since the showdown between him and Oula with the additional backlash from Nineva and Rook had been left to his own musings - the terrible, the anxious, the furious, and the exasperated. He knew now a fraction of @Veho's enervation. With the two women off on their own exploits and @Amaryllis kept in good spirits, this left Rook with the task of seeing what the Bella Coola - or, as he knew them by secondhand information from Veho, sea wolves - were up to. He would catch up to Tyne, soon enough if time allowed before the Leader came back, but he figured he ought to check on the quietest member of the pack - Pip.

He trekked through the snow, snuffling about until he singled her trail out and followed it beyond Grizzly Hollow borders and beyond the wilderness of Cedarwood Forest that he knew by heart. The trees were covered with frost and dusted with snow and, even then, he knew that it had been some time since he had last come to this part of the woods. There were younger trees here; the fresher scent of evergreen mingling with a promise of something new.

Rook had just peeled his eyes away from some of the spindly saplings when he caught the sound of dirt being thrown and the earth being disturbed. His ears perked and he peered about through the aspens and pines until he saw her. She was already on high alert; and, in attempt to not spook her, let alone, fully disturb her from her work, he offered her a cordial greeting, "Hello little bird, what are you doing out here?"

Chances are I have a BEN WHISHAW gif for that.

There are several fresh rabbit tracks in the mud. Hunt Opportunity

Despite everything that was going on - between three females being pregnant to Veho leaving with Ophelia on a sabbatical - Amaryllis was worried most about Pip. From her understanding, the young girl was having her first litter and Amaryllis understood how frightening that could be, even with others there for you. Her nose twitched when she finally picked up the scent of Pip, it leading outward and towards the edge of the border. But she almost paused when Rook's scent overlapped the other's, making her wonder if she should leave them be, if this meeting was a private affair for Rook to get to know the young mother. However, her concern for Pip overpowered that thought and she kept following their trail. Surely they wouldn't mind her joining in?

Treading carefully as she finally came across the two, with Rook hiding at the trees edge like a frightened deer and Pip looking as if she was a deer on edge, Amaryllis pressed her lips together. She didn't want Pip feeling as if she had to watch her back. Her litter was just as legitimate as Oula's or her own and the leader would be damned if she was about to make Pip feel even worse then she did now. Stepping up to Rook, Amaryllis briefly pressed to his side, forcing herself to relax so not to scare her. "Hey there Pip," Amaryllis said gently, almost shyly as she smiled at the other expectant mother. There's was a feeling that she knew what Pip was doing - digging a birth den for herself - and guilt ripped through Amaryllis at the thought that the girl would be so far away when her litter was born. But if this was where Pip wanted to be, then Amaryllis wasn't going to question her. "it's a pretty place you found for yourself." she said softly. "It'll be beautiful once spring has finally sprung."

Spotting Rook's familiar form, russet ears fell sheepishly to the side as Pip wagged her tail in greeting while his pet name left a shy burning in her cheeks. Guilt colored her posture for what she was doing was purely selfish and not benefiting the whole of the pack. Her time could be much better spent hunting or gathering a few of the medical plants she recognized to refill Veho's den while he was away, but instinct demanded she do this instead.

If the young mute were ever able to explain, she would admit to this self-inflicted exile. She had broken pack law and should be punished for it by not basking in the warmth the pack offered, but providing for it all the same. She often wondered how Kjell survived the loneliness. Maybe that was why he'd come to enjoy spending time with her.

In answer to the male's question, Pip leaned her head down and made a few more digging motions with one paw and looked back to him, hopeful he would understand. It was exhausting work, and now that she'd paused, her panting became all the more apparent as her swollen sides heaved.

It wasn't long before Lily came to join them as well, offering her own hellos with the sweetness she'd come to expect from the female lead. Pip wagged her tail with the same warmth and dipped her head respectfully. When the woman complimented her for the place she'd found, the mute beamed. Of course it would take another female to understand her intentions here. With amused patience, her orange gaze flickered over to @Rook. He would figure it out at some point.

The sea wolf backed down into her half-dug hole and began kicking out more dirt behind her. Self-conscious, she stepped away from it again to peer at the pair shyly. Did they need her for something? Or had they really traveled all the way out here just to check on her?

His tail waved about in the air, not for the sake of holding any sort of dominating presence over the smaller woman, but in fellowship and camaraderie. As if to cement this into the little meeting, Amaryllis drew up alongside him, brushing her shoulder along his flank and standing at his side, "Hey there Pip." To this, Rook gave his mate a quiet smile and an expression of pleasant surprise. Not only had she unexpectedly joined him but she had given him another name - her real name, he could only assume - for the chirping subordinate: Pip. He returned Amaryllis' nuzzle with a bump of his nose to the underside of her jaw. A gesture of respect that he reserved only for her and for Veho (and, of course, his mother, Trisden, and aunts back at the Reach).

Pip's paw digging at the ground had initially confused Rook, but it caught on the moment Amaryllis complimented the other woman's discovery. Aha, a den. He laughed at himself inside; he should have known, he had dug out quite a few dens in his time... One for the pack, one for Quil, one for Veho...

His gaze went from Pip to Amaryllis and then to Pip once more, still smiling. It hadn't been quite a simple walk from Cedarwood Forest to this peculiar place, but it wasn't exactly too far per se. While he had reasons to wonder why she had chosen a spot so far away from the Hollow, it had never crossed his mind to consider if she had the father of her cubs still in the picture. He wouldn't pry, though; but, if he had had a say (and, maybe, a penchant for of authoritarianism), he might have ushered her all the way back to the borders if only to keep her within a safe distance of the pack.

He watched as she stepped away and he tossed a glance to his mate's sides - and Pip's. They were still 'light' yet, their sides not truly burdened or heaving with cubs. Even if they were, he was more than willing to lend all four of his paws, "Could... could we help you?"

Chances are I have a BEN WHISHAW gif for that.

Amaryllis grinned back at Pip as the other practically beamed at her, once Pip had realised the other female knew what she was doing.  Of course the woman would recognise what the other was doing; she had done it once herself and understood that often, in this situation, instincts were almost always right in knowing when and where to build a den. And Pip had chosen perfectly. In fact, Amaryllis was almost jealous of the chosen spot. It was a pretty place, even in the slight chill that still clung to the land and a quick glance around told her the shrubs were a floriferous  variety. So the pups would grow in a place smelling sweet for the first part of their lives. But of course, Amaryllis wouldn't dare take the place away from Pip. The girl had found it first and clearly was already attached, if she was digging a den here.
   
"Of course, only if you want us to help Pip," Amaryllis added to Rook's offer, not wishing to push her into accepting something she didn't want. While she understood the offer was well intentioned and she wished to help Pip too, she also knew that a den, particularly a birthing den could potentially be a very personal thing. She knew that when she had her last litter, she had wanted to do it all by herself.

But each wolf was different, and for all she knew, the little omega would accept the helpful offer.

(This post was last modified: May 02, 2017, 01:44 AM by Amaryllis.)

At Rook's offer for help, the shy little omega nodded exuberantly. Pip's tail wagged wildly that he would even think to offer such help. She'd never dug a den before and having others around who were more experienced would be much appreciated. Besides, despite the chill in the air, it was hard work and she was already tired! Maybe part of that was her pregnancy, but the mute wasn't sure she would feel any less tired had she not been carrying pups.

Lily's worries were unfounded as the girl was more than happy to have her packmates share in this experience with her. She realized she had been rather distant of late. Veho's initial revelation to her of her condition had caught the omega off guard and horrified her at the gentle reminder that it was against pack law. She had since done all she could to rectify the grievous error in judgement. Looking back, Pip thought she may have approached it differently, but she hoped the outcome would be the same. She certainly had not regretted her time with Kjell and was happy to have the opportunity to be a mother, something she never expected to be in her lifetime.

Sidling to one side to make room for the pair, Pip chirped out a happy invitation to @Rook and @Amaryllis. With them here, she found herself wishing others had even come to join. While the den wasn't on pack territory, she hoped they would feel comfortable coming here to visit until she was ready to bring her pups back into the main territory. But they had every right to see their father should he find the time in his travels to visit them. Making a den this far out only ensured he would have that opportunity as no one - not even Veho - could deny him entry.

Amaryllis chimed in that they would help only if Pip needed or wanted the help. Funny, he had to smile to himself; he was just about ready to say the exact same thing, not wanting to force any sort of assistance on other woman. In return, Pip nodded, beaming from ear to ear. Upon seeing her move to one side, Rook glanced to Amaryllis with a nod before stepping into the depression in the dirt where Pip had made quite a bit of progress. Where her shoulders had disappeared from sight, it was a different story for Rook where the edge of the beginning of a tunnel reached the middle of his upper arm.

He began to dig, not frantically like a domestic dog would in a hurry to bury his treasure but scooping at the earth with his paws and piling it up underneath him before shoving it up further towards his abdomen and stepping to one side. Amaryllis could watch or help or assist in widening the tunnel opening; either way, two wolves working for the benefit of one would make for one quick and spacious den.

By the time he was able to duck beneath a network of overhanging roots (which actually formed a rather nice and stable ceiling of sorts) he slowly backed out of the 'pit' to catch a breath and look over at the little Mizuno. He panted, catching his breath for a moment before exhaling a few times and recapturing his breath, "So, how big were you thinking of making it?"

Chances are I have a BEN WHISHAW gif for that.

At Rook's question on how big the den should be and then the blank stare Pip proceeded to give, as if she wasn't sure how big to make the den, Amaryllis figured it was her turn to help.  Laughing lightly as Amaryllis stepped forward, she gently shouldered Rook out of the way.
   
"You both may want to stand back and to the side a little, lest you want dirt in your eyes." She advised strongly with a small from on her face as she waited for them to move.

Once they had moved away, she begun to dig herself, dirt flying out behind her.   From the last time she remembered having to do this, she had a rough idea of the size to make the den.

Soon, the only thing that oould be seen was the dirt that was being pushed out behind her, both her back and front paws working to push the dirt up and out of the den. What originally had been a fairly small pile of dirt at the enterance had become somewhat larger with the combined digging of Rook and Amaryllis. The three foot that had been cleared out by Rook had been a little over doubled by the pale pelted female, now reaching to be about seven feet long and along with that, she had widened the entrance enough so a wolf slightly bigger then Amaryllis could fit through it easily.  

Even with small breaks in between clearing the dirt out, to give her legs a rest and to catch her breath  Amaryllis knew when she had to stop eventually, to take a proper break. If the others stepped forward to take over, she simply shook her head and went back to it. She felt like she had to finish this herself, as if it was an apology to Pip for not looking out for her more when she avoided everyone.

But there was no time for moping. The actual den itself still needed carving out. So deciding the tunnel was long enough, she begun digging out the actual den this time, at the end of it.

After some time, as she pushed out the last of the dirt, Amaryllis finally popped out of the tunnel for the last time, her tounge hanging out as she tried to regain her breath.

"Pip, see how that is." She finally got out to the other once her breath finally returned to her, her throat dry as she went to lean heavily against Rook, her legs shaking slightly from the amount of digging she had done. She had dug the den out to a size that easily would fit an Amaryllis sized wolf and then some so hopefully it was be fit enough for Pip and her mate, if he ever came to visit her plus their pups.

(This post was last modified: May 02, 2017, 05:27 AM by Amaryllis.)