Murkwood Bury This

Cheedo had slipped into the ghastly forest for a few moments alone as she silently panicked, she needed some space to breath. Sandy paws wore and indent into the snow as she paced a worried expressing etched across her features as she paced. Days had passed since she'd encountered Odin in the forest and they'd shared their moment together. It had been a very long time since she'd let a man get that close to her, after losing her children she hadn't wanted to go through it again so she'd kept them at a distance. This year was different she hadn't been terrified at the idea of letting him touch her the way he had or having him as close as he was.

She knew what their time spent together could mean and she wasn't sure if she was ready but there was a part of her that wanted it all the same. The feel of his body against hers had caused her to want something that she hadn't had in a long time. As she set another paw into the muddy dirt and image of her knight in shining armor came to mind. She missed him, the way they would curl up together and the companionship that he had given her. Time spent with Odin had brought these things to the surface on Cheedo though she would never admit to missing Mittani to her present company after all that would happen she wanted what she once had.

Sandy paws kept moving through the snow that had given way to mud underneath them. She didn't stop her pacing as she worried what the group would think of her if her actions resulted in puppies for her and Odin.

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Things were tense this time of year and Draven had no intention of making it any worse but he just couldn’t stay in the territory any longer. But, even out here in the snow and away from Treyah the healer knew he must be on his toes. He couldn’t let his guard down because that’s when accidents happen and thankfully he had that mindset because in his aimless wandering he came across the scent of a female. Half of him had the mind to just turn around and head back to the Draw, avoid all confrontation and just act like he had never been here at all.

But, through the gloom of these hellish woods he could see a tawny form pacing through the snow, clearly distraught. Mud coated the bottom of her legs and the snow had been worn down around her and Draven couldn’t bring himself to leave. Chuffing to announce his presence the large male slowly pushed through the foliage. He was careful to hold back so as to not appear as the threat, ”Are you okay?” It was a dumb question but he couldn’t think of anything else to say.

Hopefully it was something physical, that was something that he could fix. If this was emotional he should have just turned around and left when he had the chance.

Deep breaths were taken as she pacef through the snow and mud to help her calm down. What would come of what she and Odin had done? She didn't want things to become awkward between them but more than that she didn't want Piety to be upset with her if she did become pregnant. They were trying to establish a home in the mountain and Cheedo didn't feel that they could support more than one litter just yet. Still she couldn't help the way she felt, the feelings that it had brought up. The thought that maybe she should talk to Piety about it had crossed her mind.

She didn't get very far either that thought as a voice broke through causing her to stop in her pacing. At first she thought that it might be one of her packmates until she realized she didn't recognize the voice. Sea green eyes turned on the stranger, “No, I'm definitely not okay,” she responded and little overdramatically. She turned to face him and consider him for a moment. “What would you do if you wanted something but couldn't have it?” She asked. She realized she was being vague about the whole thing but she wasn't sure if he would need more details.

The tawny woman waited patiently for him to think about her question if he needed to. After all if she was having this much trouble with it he might too.

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The tawny figure stopped pacing and turned towards him, Draven did his best to shrink his large frame down so that she might not be threatened by him. The absolute last thing he needed would be for some stranger to go off thinking he was going to attack her or something and have word get back to Treyah. They had already had enough of that bullshit this year with Kerberos and Maera, he wasn’t sure the alpha female could survive another scandal just yet.

Draven was going to ask her what was wrong that made her definitely not okay but was stopped dead by her question. Blinking in surprise his dark head tilted slightly to the left, ”Oh, um,” what was he supposed to say? He definitely wished he had just turned around and headed home now. Swallowing hard he once again was coming up blank and decided to go with the only thought he could come up with, ”Um, well, I guess it would depend why I couldn’t have what I wanted.” Maybe there was a good reason her desire was unattainable, or maybe there wasn’t.

Her head tipped to one side as she watched the man seemed to shrink himself up. Was he afraid of her, Cheedo hadn't ever had anyone afraid of her before. She shook her head not believing that he would he for a moment. Besides she had no ill intentions and to be honest she wasn't really in the mood for the meeting with this wolf to go badly. Everything else seemed to he going bad enough already, she didn't need more. He had however asked if she was okay and since he was there she thought to take advantage of it.

Cheedo needed the opinion of another, someone outside the pack would work well so she asked him. It was a vague question she knew that but she wasn't sure what other way to put it. The problem was he returned with another question, it was a good one though. “A couple things. The past, duty to my pack, pack laws.” That was maybe just a few or all she wasn't sure but she hoped it would be enough to answer the question she'd asked of him.

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When Draven was sure that the woman understood he wasn’t going to be a threat to her he relaxed, no longer trying to hide his size. She was a peculiar wolf - or maybe she was just in distress - it was hard to get a read on her. Her situation however, was much more clear. The woman’s heat was strong in the air and as soon as she uttered the words pack law the man could easily make the leap as to what had transpired.

Sitting his rump upon the snow Draven tilted his head as he considered how to respond. Finally he sighed, ”Normally I would say respect pack laws over your own personal desire.” The healer liked to think he was a lawful wolf after all, even if some of his own choices didn’t always reflect that. ”But, if I always chose law over want then I wouldn’t have my son, and I would make the same choice a million times over rather than live without him.” Well, he was living without him now but it was a figure of speech. A world where @”Sachiel” hadn’t been born wasn’t a world he wanted to live in.

When he relaxed she did too, well as much as she could considering the time of year and how upset she was. Cheedo had stopped pacing by this time and wanted to hear his thoughts on her predicament. That's what it was to her whether anyone else saw it that way or not. Sea green eyes watched as he sat down in the snow and she did as well letting her tail curl around her paws.

Her good ear was perked forward as he spoke and she took in all his words. The tawny woman learned he had a son and would make the same choices he'd made to become a father even if it had broken pack law. She looked at her paws as she thought about what he'd said before she finally looked up. “So your saying sometimes there are things that are more important than pack law?” She wanted to be sure that she was understanding what he was saying because she didn't want to misunderstand the message. “This year for some reason is different than any other. I want what others have and am afraid I'm running out of time,” she confessed, “You don't think these feelings are just because of the season do you?”

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Draven was pleased to see that the woman relaxed, or as much as she could relax considering the predicament she was in. Her tail curled around her paws comfortably as he thought about how to answer her question and with that the rest of the tension in his shoulder loosened. She was attentive to his words and suddenly the healer felt more like a father to her - a woman he had just met and who if he had to guess was probably older than him - than he had to Sachiel over the summer. It was an odd sensation and the Leigh wasn’t sure whether or not he liked it.

There wasn’t much time to dwell on whatever weird dynamic was developing because for better or worse he was who she had turned to for support. Nodding Draven was careful with his wording, ”In my opinion family is more important than pack law, to a point.” Family meant a lot, almost everything but there had to be a line where you can’t follow them blindly forever. Unfortunately, her next question he had no even start to an answer, ”I think that…. Well, the season changes things, both physically and mentally.” Shuffling slightly uncomfortably he sighed, ”But, whether or not how you feel is only spring fever is something only you can answer.” Certainly not a stranger in the woods.

Perhaps this was better getting advice from a stranger and it seemed she had picked the right on too. So far what he'd said had helped her to realize that maybe it was time she thought of herself and what she wanted. For so long she'd been completely devoted to her pack so much so that she'd followed her leader across the lore. She still served Piety pushing down what she felt in her heart to abide by pack law. Each day she only grew older and what did she have to show for it. Two graves in Ritter that was the remnants of a family that never was.

He was speaking again adding to what he'd said before about family. She took in what he said and turned it over, she would have to give his advice a lot more thought but at this point it sounded like he was telling her that if she wanted a family she should have it. Her ears perked and her head tilted at the last word. “And what point is that?” She asked wondering where he was going with this. Cheedo also wanted to know if all of these thoughts were because of the season, was her heat causing her to want a family more or was it really time that she start thinking about her future and what she wanted. “It might be I have to wait until the season is over and see if these feeling linger,” she said thoughtfully. That she felt she could do.

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Several coyote abandoned a half-eaten deer. But before you can take a bite they reappear.