Willow Ridge the sky is calling

Predictability mingled with habit, checking borders, gathering herbs, looking after the children, all of it had left Vanadis stuck in a bit of a rut. It was never meant to be like this.. or at least, this isn't how she envisioned her life. Not that she disliked her circumstance, but she needed change, needed adventure, craved it in some innate way. Thus, she found her itchy paws straying further from the territory, south and east under the cover of darkness until she reached the willows. The last time she had been here she'd met a strange woman, perhaps that woman was still here? Or maybe she would find more clues as to the strange disappearance of the pack here...

She walked through the willows for a while, glancing around at the whip-like branches cascading toward the ground. It was nice here..

(This post was last modified: Sep 14, 2021, 12:59 AM by Vanadis.)

It was late. But, that was not unusual for Viorel to be wandering about in the darkness while most of the pack was asleep. Most nights he was with his mate, but tonight he had woken up from his late afternoon nap and the cream coloured woman had already left the borders. He had hurried through his dutiful tasks, but something about her leaving without saying anything sat wrong in his stomach. The feeling only grew stronger the further her scent trail brought her as he followed it.

By the time he saw Vanadis’ form amongst the wisp of the willow branches, the feeling was beyond deniability. For the first time in a long time, Viorel felt nervous around Vanadis. Not coming any closer, he shifted on his paws silently before calling, ”you look beautiful out here, the willow trees suit you.” It was the truth, but why did saying it make him feel so sad?

She turned to meet the voice, recognizing the owner as soon as the first syllable left his tongue. A playful smile tugged at the corner of her lips, but faded once her peachy gaze settled on his form. Something.. something was off, though she couldn't place it. There was almost a hesitancy there, magnified by the distance between them and the strange feeling in her stomach. The smile she eventually offered was not exactly forced, but the unease in her gut kept some of it's usual warmth at bay. "You don't look too bad against the willows yourself." That, at least, was easy, but her paws remained rooted to their place, unwilling to lessen the space between them.

"You know, if you keep popping up everywhere I am going to start to think you have a thing for me." Her jest was meant to ease the tension, though she wasn't entirely sure what had caused it in the first place.

Her words matched their usual banter, but the tone and the smile gave her away. Like his mate, his paws felt rooted down into the earth, and for a moment he had a vision of actual roots reaching up from the ground and tying him here. It sent a shiver down his spine, and he had to hold in a whine, not wanting to show any sign of weakness. He forced his own muzzle to twist into an uneasy smile, but it last only for a brief moment before he asked, ”Do you miss them? Your family?” It couldn’t be easy. He had almost his whole family here, and her brother had decided to not officially stay.

He exhaled sharply at her next comment, and this was enough for him to get a little bit of wind in his metaphorical sails. Taking a few steps forward he winked, ”Keep it on the down low, I wouldn’t want my mate to find out I’m chasing after other young gorgeous women.” This felt more normal, but there was still the nagging feeling that something was wrong. He didn’t like it. He had to fix it.

His question was simple, but the answer was harder. She could have said yes, could have pushed it away to make it easier, but the answer that fell from her tongue was genuine. "I don't know." Sawyer's appearance had sparked something in her, but what it was, Vanadis couldn't decipher. She'd had enough reasons to leave her home and had subsequently made a new family for herself, so why did she keep finding herself here among the willows? "Sometimes." But it was more than that. "Do you ever miss the Estuary?"

The metaphorical ice was breaking, allowing her move forward as well, just a step, but a sly smile began spreading across her maw. "Don't worry, I won't tell. I like both your ears and it would be a shame if she found out and had to take one from you." Why couldn't everything be as easy as this?

He shifted on his paws. She didn’t know if she missed them or not. How was he supposed to fix a problem if she didn’t know what she wanted? He was young and inexperienced, he had no idea that sometimes your partner just wanted to talk and did not want everything solved for them. Looking up at the way the willows dangled their branches dramatically towards the ground, as if trying to reach down and mingle with their own roots, Viorel thought her question over. Finally he shrugged, ”I guess I don’t know either.”

It was hard to explain, ”Sometimes I miss how easy it was. My family was together and I didn’t have to think about anything and I didn’t have to worry about getting through the winter, and everyone's safety and happiness.” But her next words really warmed him and full body laugh filled the air around them as Viorel stepped forward and nibbled on Vanadis’ ear and whispered, ”She’s a tough one too, I bet when she was done with mine she would come for one of yours too.”

He pressed his cheek against her shoulder and breathed her in, trying to organize his thoughts. When he could finally get the words right in his head he added, ”But. Even though things are more complicated now, I don’t really miss the Estuary because there was no you.” Floozies sure, but no Vanadis, nobody could ever compare.

Vanadis watched him shift, wishing that she had the words or possessed the right amount of introspection to communicate how she felt or at least understand what it was that kept pulling her here, but Viorel's admission somehow made her feel lighter. "I think that's what I miss the most, you know, not having to worry." They had children now, children who were growing rapidly, and a pack that they had to keep afloat to ensure their safety. It was a lot to put on such young shoulders. "I mean, things weren't always easy in the loch, but I didn't have to worry about anyone else. It's just.. weird having so much responsibility."

Any remaining tension she felt drained from her being as Viorel's laugh filled the air and his maw made contact with her ear. "Oh, I don't doubt that." She certainly wouldn't be above taking an ear from both offenders..

Vanadis pressed her maw into Viorel's shoulder, releasing a content sigh as the woman soaked up his warmth. She would have been content in the silence, but as the words fell from her mate's tongue she couldn't help but smile. While one chapter in her life had been closing she had opened another, one she cherished more, so perhaps it was time to finally put those old stories to rest and stop looking back. "I love you, Vi." Somehow he always knew what to say.

Vana leaned into him and with that Viorel released a happy sigh. Maybe he couldn’t fix how much responsibility and weight they each carried, but she would never be alone. She would never have to carry all of it alone. Humming in response he smiled, ”I love you too Vanadis.” How far he had come this last year, how much had changed since they had all been plopped in the snow.

Taking a step back he looked over her again, it was tempting to alleviate the tension and do something silly. That was always their fallback, if things got too serious they threatened to run away to dream land where no one could find them. This time things needed to be different and Viorel felt that deep in his soul. He refrained from shifting on his paws, but the temptation was there, ”If it’s too much…” He thought about his words for a minute, ”If you’re not ready, next year we don’t have to expand our family. It can be Vayko’s turn, if you need more time.” Things had been so fast so far, they had time to slow down.

A young fawn has gotten separated from its herd. Hunt Opportunity, +8 Health

Vanadis smiled into his neck, feeling the hum as it vibrated out from his chest. She took the time to breath him in, to enjoy the moment as it passed, to be content in him, and them, and everything, but he stepped away. Her smile softened as she waited for the joke to inevitably follow, but what fell from his lips was altogether unexpected.

Her brow furrowed for a moment, her smile faltered. She felt.. strangely vulnerable in that moment, like he had somehow stripped away all the airs and pretenses between them. Vanadis wanted to answer him, hated that she left him there in silence, but her mind was working, the gears were turning, and she had no choice but to ponder over his words, to consider them with care.  Honestly, the woman had never even contemplated the fact that she had another option, that she didn't have to produce litter after litter.

In the end she began with a sigh, heavy with the weight of her collected thoughts, and with the silence she'd let drag on for too long. "It's not too much... or it won't be." Next year there would be two litters, but Viorel would only have the responsibility of one. Things would be different then, easier. Her place wouldn't have to be shared, his time wouldn't have to be split in so many ways. "I love our boys and the family that we've built. This year was hard, but next year won't be." Unless.. "Unless you're not ready."