Willow Ridge Motherly love

For @Adeltra

Where was that little amber eyed scoundrel?? Ravenna's nose pressed to the ground to try and find the trail of the youth. It was so early still that the sun had barely crest the clouds. She couldn't have gone far. After Romanov ran off the silvery hued woman had made an attempt to spend even more time with Adeltra then she had before. Ravenna missed the patchy boy dearly though did not as much worry for his safety. After all, he had left at winter's end, had been rather sad before he had done so and with his mother still missing who knew what was going through the youth's mind. This only meant Adeltra needed extra attention, a reminder she had other family here besides that of sibling and parents. After all, Ravenna had no siblings or parents here with her and if Ravenna was any kind of role model to the girl maybe she would know she was going to be okay. Either way, Ravenna had become a bit, well, crazy when it came to her cousin. It had only been six days into her first breeding and already Ravenna's motherly instincts were kicking in overdrive. Without a doubt she was going to smother the poor girl but at the time being the alpha did not care the least. "Adeltra!" She called the name in a coo. "Del get out here!"

Her world felt a little duller without her littermate in it, a little less colorful and a little more empty. She felt bad about not spending as much time with him as she should have. The girl chastised herself, told herself that if she had just spent more time with him that maybe he wouldn’t have wandered off. Because, a part of her also knew that this was no accident. He’d went willingly, with thought, and that was perhaps the worst part of all.

She’d been withdrawn, she knew that, but she needed time to process. She’d been careful to spend more time with her father, comforting him with the loss of his son. Adeltra worried that the blow would only make him worse so she’d been keeping a close eye on him. When she wasn’t with the man she was out doing rounds or scouting or just keeping busy in general. She tried her best to keep up a happy demeanor, but when she was alone she was hurting. The girl was so family driven that it felt like a part of her had been ripped out.

The Archer was out doing her rounds as usual, zoning out before a voice came from behind her. She recognized it as Ravenna’s as she cringed. While she loved her cousin to death and saw her as a somewhat surrogate to Enoki, as of lately the pale woman had been all kinds of crazy. If she wasn’t smothering Addy she was biting off someone else’s head. It was giving her whiplash. She turned, cowering as the tone turned harsher. The girl moved forward, offering a lick to the Matriarch’s chin with a whine. A strange scent wafted off the woman and Adeltra was left in confusion. Was she sick or something? Hi Rav. Is...everything okay? she asked.

There is a family of deer nearby. Hunt Opportunity

Ravenna couldn't help but see the youth slink down at the call of her leader, having been taught moving towards the borders of their home before she could escape Ravenna for the day until the pack turned in for the night. Ravenna smirked internally though outside was a happy smile for her cousin, her tail waving wildly as the girl approached. As Adeltra licked her chin, Ravenna's crown lowered, rubbing her chin and throat all over the length of the young girl's crown as she pressed close, embracing her - smothering her. "Oh everything is just fine, Del. But what about you? I know it has to be hard..." After all, Romanov was gone, Enoki was gone. Ravenna could have told her all the horrible details about what happened to her parents, her sister... How her brother had shown back up. Surely, Adelta would not feel as though she had such a bad hand after hearing that. But the story was grim, very grim and best not spoken about unless asked. Still, the silver queen needed to know how she was holding up.

As soon as she planted the kiss upon her cousin’s chin she was swept up into her swarthy frame, face pressed into the pale wiry fur. She allowed it, let the matriarch do as she pleased and once she was released she took a step back before setting her rump down. Addy was curious as to what the interaction would be able this time. They’d yet to delve into the issue they all knew was at hand and a part of the dark girl was glad for it. Yet it seemed they would avoid it no longer.

Addy paused, auds swiveling backwards at the question. Realistically she wasn’t doing well but she was coping as best she could. She would get over it eventually, but for the moment she just need to mope. I just...don’t really understand, she said, pawing at the ground absently.

(This post was last modified: Mar 09, 2018, 09:17 PM by Adeltra.)

Adeltra sat then after Ravenna took the time to mash all over her, her feet pawing at the ground as she said she just didn't understand why her brother had up and left. It was true he left in a manner which all wolves frowned upon in packs - he left without saying a word. He left without telling anyone, especially his leaders, sister or father. It was a grim circumstance for sure. "I know how you feel...I really do." She spoke, trying to fight a small smile as she too sat down onto the ground. "I can only hope that he will return again when he is ready. He and your mother." Of course, Ravenna was still hopeful that one day Enoki would return to the pack. Hopefully the two pie-bald Wolves would come paw in paw.

As a youth who had lost both of her parents at the same time, lost her aunt and her sister and brother as well, Enoki had done much to support Ravenna in her time of need. Since Enoki had been gone and now Romanov, Ravenna took it upon herself to do the same for Adelta. The silver woman could only hope that it would be enough to keep Adelta happy and willing to keep moving on. Ravenna imagined that she would not be where she was now, happy where she was now, if she had not allowed herself to continue just 'living' after all that had happened.

Ravenna said that she knew how she felt and there was no doubt in Adeltra’s mind that she did. The girl knew that the woman had lost both her parents, a sister, and her siblings were scattered across the Lore. She’d had a hard life and in a way it helped her know that if her pale cousin could pull through then so would she. But, even knowing her struggles it didn’t throw out the window how she was feeling in that moment. Didn’t mean that she was any less distraught or any less disappointed. Addy didn’t think it would be so bad if there was evidence of a struggle where he had disappeared. She would certainly be worried, yes, but at least she’d know what Romanov hadn’t made the choice to abandon them. Knowing that it was of his own volition, well...she was trying to come to terms with that.

She nodded to her words that they could only hope that they would return, because really what else could they do besides sit and wait? The same pecular smell washed over her and she turned to squint at her cousin. She didn’t know what the smell was, but was it making her worried. Rav, are you...feeling okay? she asked, wondering if the woman was sick. She knew she was a little irritable if she was feeling under the weather, maybe that’s what was happening to the Archer-Lyall.

Ravenna watched as her cousin silently nodded to her words though otherwise said nothing more on behalf of it. Adeltra was a strong girl, she knew and I'm time she would be able to move on from what happened even if that didn't mean she would really 'get over it'. Once more however she was asking how she was feeling and it caused Ravenna's ears to perk. For a moment she grayscale woman was not certain what Adeltra was referring to until she noticed the girl's nose twitching to Ravenna's new scent. Ah, that was it! Of course the girl had never before been around someone who was pregnant with puppies before and being a new mother herself Ravenna hadn't thought to well, inform the youth... "Oh well." She found herself shifting in her placement, a smile on her lips. "I'm going to be having puppies. I'm pregnant." :)

The girl waited with baited breath to find out what exactly was wrong with the silver woman. She half expected her to say she was dying, and if that was the case well Addy decided she’d die right there with her. She’d already lost one mother, she didn’t think she could handle losing another.

However, the words that escaped Ravenna’s mouth baffled the girl. She stared at her for a moment, dumbfounded. Puppies?? Like...her? She was going to be having little Adeltras? “But...like, puppy puppies?” she said, staring a moment longer before blinking then she was off like a rocket. “Oh my god congradulations! You’re gonna make such a great mom. I mean, you’re already pretty much my mom but I’m so glad you get to have your own. They’re gonna be so lucky. I wonder what they’re gonna look like. I hope they look like you, they’re gonna be soooo pretty! More Archer!” she jabbered, tail wagging rapidly behind her frame. “When’re they gonna get here?” she asked, looking around as if they were going to pop out of the trees. Because where else would they come from?

Her expression was filled with utter confusion as first, the question which she gave causing Ravenna to nod to silently as a smirk pressed over her lips and after a moment or two and a few hard blinks later, Adeltra put two and two together and she was off, her excitement and explosion. She would congratulate, saying how she would be a great mom but that she was already basically a mother in Adeltra's eyes which made Ravenna's smirk turn to a grin, her rump lifting off the ground to wag wildly in excitement to mimic Adeltra's own. She whined as she wriggled and wagged, the young woman's words being the best reaction to the news thus far and also showing off just how much the young girl cared about Ravenna put into words. If Ravenna was like a mother to her she could only hope that these pups could be like siblings to her. The new pups would be something everyone seemed to be looking forward to.

"It will still be a bit before they come. But it will move quickly, you'll see. When I'm big and round, you'll know they are ready." She chuckled, having remembered mentioning Enoki's size a time or two before when she was pregnant. "You'll be like their older sister Adeltra. You'll have to help watch over them, teach them." And with any luck they will turn out as great as she and Romanov had.