Clearwater Tarn if you want trust you've gotta give some away

Golden eyes glanced up towards the pale blue sky, noticing the few silver clouds which drifted overhead. It seemed that Spring was finally settling into the Lore and the weather was getting warmer, becoming less harsh after berating them with several months of snow. Lorcan was glad. The healer had been starting to grow impatient, desperate for the cold weather to pass so that he could finally start preparing for the arrival of the two litters which would soon be arriving in the tarn. However, whilst he had been unable to gather herbs for the birthing, he had been able to focus his efforts on retrieving food for the caches.

The leader loped through the forest with not one, but two dead marmots hanging from his bloodied jaws. Grasping the pair by their scruffs, Lorcan carried his catch with an unmistakable look of satisfaction, tail waving behind him, as he weaved his way between the pine trees towards the shallow incline in the earth where he knew Lenae's den to be. Spotting the gloomy entrance, through the fallen pine branches and tangle of roots which concealed it, he let out a partially muffled woof to let the expectant mother know that he was approaching, with a gift no less. 

(This post was last modified: Apr 01, 2018, 04:31 PM by Lorcan.)

# P O R C A N

sometimes, two people have to fall apart to realise

how much they need to fall back together

Believe it or not, Lenae had planned to be productive that day. Earlier that morning she had sniffed around the borders, doing her part to ensure that they were well marked and maintained but...She always worried that her scent would be a weak link in the chain. By this point, she clearly smelled pregnant, didn't look like much but in due time that would change. What if someone perceived her condition as a weakness? Would it be a better use of her time to tend to other duties, she could still hunt and scout the lands. She was fast and small, there were plenty of things for a wolf like her to do...Just not now, after a nap perhaps.

And so she'd curled up in the safety of her den, her tail pulled over her side like a little blanket. She slept soundly, until a soft bark pulled her back into the waking world. Slowly, she pushed herself to her feet and bowed down into a stretch, her toes wiggling outstretched. She shook off her coat in an attempt to appear more...well better put together, before she emerged out of her den, her eyes squinting against the bright daylight. Food....That was the first thing she noticed, her nose twitched and she licked her lips, her stomach growled as loud as a furious grizzly and she realised that maybe she'd slept for too long. Her poor little ones.

Ducking her head apologetically, she waved her tail in a friendly greeting. Lorcan, he had been very good to her as of late, she couldn't help but be grateful, and see what Piety saw in him. A good man, who just wanted to help out.

"I'm sorry. I only meant to lay down for a little and...time escaped me." She couldn't look away from the marmots, try as she might. "What can I do for you, sir?"

Lorcan's tail waved with more enthusiasm as he watched Lenae appear from the dark gloom of her den. It was nice to see that she was making good use of the den he helped to dig out for her. Dropping the the two marmots carefully at his front paws, he greeted the female with a smile. Pale brows furrowed with confusion as she dipped her head down in apology, wondering what she felt the need to apologise before, before she told him.

The leader's frown disappeared as he offered her a knowing grin. "Don't apologise, you need all the sleep you can get. I doubt you'll get much once the pups arrive..." Lorcan assured her. However with Lenae being a first time mother, and he and Piety having some experience with raising their own pups, he figured that they would help to ease some of the burden the new lives might bring to the timid agouti. Lorcan would always be happy to watch over the young ones whilst the either mother caught up on some rest.

Russet ears perked up at Lenae's question, his pale brows pinching together softly in dismissal. "Oh, nothing. I just came to see how you were doing and..." He lent down to nudge the two marmots towards the female. "I brought you these." He offered with a warm wave of his tail.

The male waited a moment, watching to see if the mother would reach for the food or pull them into her den for later. "So, uh, how are you finding the tarn?" He asked, perhaps a little hesitantly. The new leader wasn't sure how much Lenae was aware of the recent tensions between himself and other individuals within the pack. 

# P O R C A N

sometimes, two people have to fall apart to realise

how much they need to fall back together

Even though the leader dismissed her worries, they still remained. What if they other's thought her lazy? A mooch? Even back at Whitestone she had never been the most hardworking of wolves, it hadn't been an issue then but the Tarn was still in it's early days, there was still so much to be done and with so little time to do it. At least they had two very capable wolves at the helm, if anyone could lead them through this it would be Piety and Lorcan, or so she thought.

"That is true." She agreed. Things would be noisy soon enough, sort of chaotic as everyone fell into their new routines. "Still, I only meant to sleep a little...I think the den is too cosy for my own good."She added with a shy little smile.

Apparently he wanted nothing from her. Which was....surprising, honestly. She half expected him to have some sort of task for her, a role he wanted filled. Instead, it seemed as though he had come baring gifts, for her. She shuffled, flustered that he'd even thought of her, that he brought the marmots to her instead of his mate, who no doubt needed them as well. Hesitantly, as though she thought he'd snap and change his mind, she dragged  the marmots a little closer with her paw. Settling down on the floor before Lorcan, she sniffed and snuffed at the kill before she took a little bite, just to get a taste. She'd likely eat this one now and save the other for later, when her belly started rumbling again.

"I like it here. The mountain reminds me of my Homeland... though it's not quite as big as it was." She said, her tone wistful as she stared glassy eyed at the distant peak.

Lorcan smiled as Lenae suggested that the den he had helped to dig for her may have been too cosy. "I'm just happy that you like it." The male commented, looking down at the smaller female with a genuine warmth. The fact that she was finding it hard to stay awake within the den was not an issue for the leader. What would have been concerning to the male was if Lenae had found the den not to her tastes, uncomfortable or not secure enough for her to feel safe bringing her first litter into the world.

The leader observed as the female hesitantly reached forwards to drag the marmots towards her and sniffed at them curiously. Black-tipped tail began to sway behind him, pleased, when Lenae finally went to take a small bite out of one of his gifts. He had been unsure if she would want to eat in front of him in case her condition had made her feel queasy around fresh meat. 

The male turned his head briefly to gaze off in the same direction Lenae as she mentioned her homeland. Golden eyes squinted at the distant mountain peaks as he considered them for a moment. "Me too, though we didn't have a large lake like we do here..." He told her, before turning back to face her, his expression curious. "You have a lot of family back home?" Lorcan didn't really know a lot about his new subordinate and now seemed like a good time to try and get to know her a little. 

# P O R C A N

sometimes, two people have to fall apart to realise

how much they need to fall back together

"I did, once."She swallowed thickly, the corners of her eyes began to itch. She blinked once, twice, hoping to shoo the tears away before they could form. "Something happened and many of them died, I don't- I can't really remember who. Not all."

At least there was that, right? Some had to have survived. Not knowing was killing her, but she never she would never have the courage to head that way again. Even if she did, what was the point? There was nothing left there but memories, things that were best left behind, out of sight and out of mind. The Monadknock was supposed to be a new start....that hadn't ended well at all. So perhaps it was second time the charm?

"The Selwyns." She said the name with a sigh, it was an old, tired name. One that didn't mean much in these parts."My Father ruled over the mountains, he's gone now too."

Gone. Such a gentle way of putting it, as if he hadn't been bleeding out upon the snow, panting as the life drained from him. She looked down at the marmot once more, glassy eyed and lifeless. This had been him, once. Now he was nothing but bone, his soul was gone now, hopefully in a better place.

"Ah, I'm sorry." She ducked her head, her ears flattening against her skull. "I'm careless, get carried away. It's how I find myself in most situations, in all honesty."