Dead Empress Backwater this world is not for you

All welcome to anyone from DEB, this is @Llinnea and @Asmund's first time allowed out of the den! @Viorel @Vayko for relevance as leaders.

Inger poked her marred muzzle from the hidden entrance of her small family's den, peering through the brittle brambles to ensure the coast was clear. It was evident that the pack was relatively supportive of her presence, it's yearlings often bringing her sustenance and the adults failing to accost her with aggression thus far, and yet she couldn't help the paranoia that had taken root ever since @Rayjiek had turned on her.

She'd been so miserably, horrifically wrong about him; what if she made a similar mistake, and her children suffered for it?

Sensing no threats in their proximity, she pulled herself up out of the ground and took a quick jaunt through their patch of wood. Her anxiety was peaking today, for she had promised herself that she would finally allow her now month-old whelps to venture the world above their heads. Only when she was absolutely certain that the area was safe did she return to the mouth of the den and beckon her children with soft, encouraging sounds.

It was time they met the sun.

The world was new, filled with excitement and monotony, needs and wants. It was strange, and yet, it was all Asmund had ever known. Needs were simple, met whenever the food bringer was present, but desires were harder. There was only one thing he really wanted, to follow his mother out of the den, yet he had been barred from it. Perhaps that's why it was so tempting.

Though his day had began the same as any other, he could sense that something was off. Their mother seemed.. tenser than usual, which set him on edge, so much so that even when her soft beckon drew him toward the entrance he did not want to go. His darkening ears flattened as his still-blue gaze flickered between the safety of the den and the light of the unknown.  

It took all of his willpower, but eventually his paws began moving, pulling him up through the brambles, out of the dark, and into the sun.

Llinnea found her existence quite agreeable. She had her food-giver and the other bundle that shared it - her bror, whose name her mor cooed alongside her own. She knew three things: she loved her mor and bror, they loved her, and she was safe so long as she stayed where Mor told her.

Mor didn't leave them often; someone else always brought them what they needed. When she disappeared and didn't come back, and then called down to them, Llinnea wasn't sure what to do at first. Her bror hesitated beside her before answering the summons. Llinnea would not be out-done; she stumbled after him, piping her dismay at being left behind. She shot past him into the light and fumbled to a stop, blinking and squinting against the harsh light. "Mor!" she sounded out, the single syllable still difficult for her clumsy tongue. It was one of two words she knew, though, and she would say it. The other was quickly directed at the dark blob that was her bror. "Az!"

Currently traveling with Loach and Claw

He did not know this woman. He did not know even the language she spoke, as the barrier had been clear when he had decided to allow her to stay. She had been in labor, which was an increasingly vulnerable time. And raising children so young was nearly impossible to do alone in his opinion. It truly did take a village.

He knew better than to try and enter the den that had been made, even now as the children grew… but he did settle near her den, a silent show of support that he hoped would transcend the boundaries created by their different tongues.

It was funny, how much the world had changed around him in such a short amount of time. Had this situation arisen even a year prior… his reaction would not have been as calm, and the woman would not have this haven to ensure her cubs’ safety. Even now, seeing the small forms start to make their way outside of the den. Both forms appeared outside of the den. They were tiny, just as Vana’s children had been with their first appearance… just as Eros and Archer and their lot had been a year ago…

He kept his distance from them, a passive observer who would not interact with them unless they saw him first and initiated, and their mother allowed it, admiring the lungs on the girl and how she was already starting to form sounds. Perhaps, someday, learning from both their mother and the pack... the children might even be able to help communication between the two. If they stayed that long.

Vayko Valle

Archer Valle

Archer didn't really think of his 'punishment' as such; he would have volunteered to help take on the extra burden put on the pack by this strange woman with her strange language. He'd anticipated the trouble when he insisted on helping her despite the fact she was intruding on their territory. She'd clearly been terrified, and the labor had been difficult; Archer wondered if any pups would have survived had he not been there - or if she would have.

He made time to go visit her every day, except for the days he made the journey to Bramble Falls for water. When he did that, he tried to convey to her that he would be gone, but would return soon. He wasn't sure how much she understood. Today, he'd caught a rabbit and was bringing it to her when he heard the sharp voice of a pup crying out. He picked up his pace, heart pounding, until he saw them through the brush. Uncle Vayko was sitting not far away, watching them, but the pup's call had nothing to do with him.

Archer paused beside his uncle, watching the family for a moment. It was bittersweet; if the pups were up and moving, it was only a matter of time before his da and Vayko kicked them out. He didn't know if she understood that. Still, he would not dampen this exciting moment. He padded forward a few steps to offer the rabbit before backing away. "Hello," he said gently to the small children, lowering himself to the ground so he wasn't so big.

Archer is very haggard and thin; it is obvious he is not doing well.

They came after a moment or two, and even as she watched them emerge Llinnea's small cry startled her. Every muscle tensed with readiness to come to the child's aid despite being able to clearly see that she was just fine. It took a hefty dose of self-talk to calm herself again, the woman muttering almost inaudibly to herself as Asmund clung to her leg, evidently feeding off of her own anxiety.

The sound of someone else in their proximity registered and caused Inger to visibly jump. She whirled round, teeth readily bared, but saw only Vayko resting at a distance and Archer approaching from the depths of the forest. Inger sighed, and hung her head. She was doing an awful job at managing her fears and motherhood both. It was a shock that the pack was so tolerant of her.

Archer approached and placed something on the ground, drawing her attention again. Inger perked at the scent of food, but was still tentative to take it. She hunted as often as her nerves allowed her, but that wasn't much. Each moment away from her children was agonizing as she feared that they would be vanished, or worse, by the time she could return. Ultimately, they were a drain on the pack's resources, and so she tried to eat as little as she could manage without impacting her milk production.

Gingerly, she took a petite bite, and chewed thoughtfully.

"Takk for maten, Archer. Barn, si 'takk for maten.'"
(Thanks for the food, Archer. Children, say 'thanks for the food.')

(This post was last modified: Sep 28, 2022, 05:39 AM by Inger.)

Asmund watched Llinnea toddle past him, unamused and still unwilling to pick up the pace. Sure, this had been something he'd been seeking for quite some time now, but he couldn't stop thinking about how uneasy their mother had been. Something was wrong, it had to be, and that scared him. Scared him in a way that he deeply hated.

The light outside was far brighter than he anticipated, and for a moment the boy was blinded. He heard his sister calling out to them, and a fresh wave of anxiety washed over him and made him feel light headed. The boy stumbled forward until he hit his mother's leg, and he took shelter in her shadow.

This was definitely not worth the wait. Each time mor moved he was jostled, and scrambled to resume the same position of leaning heaving against her forelimb. He could smell others and the tang of blood, heard others speaking and their mother make a request of them, but he didn't want anything to do with any of it.

Frowning, Asmund hid his face rather than comply.

It didn't take long for two others, like mor only bigger, to suddenly be there. One was soooooo far away, Llinnea went right to ignoring it. Mor didn't seem all too interested in it anyway. The second one, however, was big and black and came right up to them. He gave Mor something, and then laid down and cooed something out to them. It sounded like a greeting. Not as nervous as her brother, Llinnea didn't hide, but she didn't wander any closer to the stranger. Instead she just turned to look to Mor for answers.

Mor thanked the man and then urged her and Asmund to do the same. Llinnea turned wide eyes on the stranger. "Tok f'r m'tn," she said clumsily, trying to fit her mouth around the new words. She looked again to Mor for approval. "Az," she said, trying to coax her bror out. "Tok f'r m'tn."

Currently traveling with Loach and Claw

Archer Valle

Archer was glad to see his uncle so near and taking an interest in their guests. He wasn't too close, but the fact he was here at all to witness this moment was a good sign. The apprentice healer didn't dwell on this though, preferring to give his attention to the children milling about their mother's feet. The boy ducked behind her legs, hiding, while his sister was bolder. She didn't approach him, clearly seeking her mother's permission, but that didn't bother him too much. He was a stranger, after all.

Inger took a ginger bite of the offered food and then said something before turning to the children and repeating herself in an encouraging tone. Archer thought it might have been a thanks, but he hadn't spent enough time with her to learn her language yet.

Still the boy did not come out, but the young girl tried to repeat Inger's words. Archer smiled as she fumbled over her words, but she did manage to get something very similar across before harassing her brother. Archer looked up to Inger. "They're beautiful," he said with a smile, indicating her brood and hoping she understood what he was trying to say.

Archer is very haggard and thin; it is obvious he is not doing well.

Inger couldn't help coddling her children to an extent, and this included allowing Asmund his clingy behavior. She did not shake away his touch nor even ignore his presence. Each time he sought to latch back onto her, she would take a moment to lower her head and touch her snout to his crown, checking that he was alright as though something might have actually happened between each step.

Still, she did strive for them to maintain some semblance of manners. Fear had stolen so much from her, but she could still hope for their future. Maybe one day, they would be free of this and able to live as normal wolves. Communication was just one of many aspects in which they were at a disadvantage, but they could still manage to be earnest and kind enough to be liked.

Llinnea promptly echoed the phrase to the best of her ability, and encouraged her brother to do the same as he hid his face. This time, Inger lowered her muzzle to push him away from her and toward his sister and Archer.

"Takk for maten," she reiterated, in her approximation of a mom tone. Inger never managed to be truly stern, but there was a notable change in the lilt of her voice when she wanted them to pay close attention.

The yearling said something to her then, and while she had no clue what the woman still smiled as though she had. It was a habit she'd developed in the foreign prison she'd been shipped to. She shuffled her paws, feeling a bit awkward as she wanted to have a conversation but was unsure how to begin to attempt one. There were so few of his words that she'd been able to learn, mostly those that had been similar to their Norwegian equivalent.

"Ehh, you good?"

(This post was last modified: Oct 21, 2022, 02:26 AM by Inger.)