Sanguine Cove All good things

RE: Crows are swarming the forests of Relic Lore! What could these ominous creatures want?
For @Aquene please <3 7/25 mid-afternoon

The year had been... exhausting, to say the least. Between the heavy winter and the sudden drought and having a pack full of puppies, Nash had been kept on his toes, running himself nearly ragged. He loved his children, of course, and Sana and Al's too. That this was the second year in a row for misfortune to befall the man right after his children were born... it didn't sit well with the guardian. He hadn't had much time to visit his friend, either; they were all responsible for raising the young ones, and his own daughters were proving to be a handful.

Having left their children in the care of his mother, Nash was on a mission to find Aquene and spend a quiet afternoon with her. They'd hardly had time to themselves since spring. "Care to join me for a walk, my love?" he called to her.

Aquene sometimes did not know how she remained upright. This brood was more tiring than Kateri had ever been, perhaps due to the nature of there being more than one child to look after. She knew that Nash struggled with it as well, the two of them figuring out how to be parents in many ways. She had experience before but it truly didn’t feel any easier than it was the first time. It was harder.

The kids had all been with Moonshadow, and it was in moments like those she thought to her oldest. She missed Kateri, still not certain as to what had become of her… and she worried for her just as she would worry about all of her children. She had been laying in their den, resting after an early morning searching for herbs and filling herself on the water that had appeared, uncertain as to how fleeting it would truly be after the horrible drought that had settled in just before.

Her ears perked when she heard her love’s voice, a soft but tired smile on her features as she pushed up onto her paws. “I would love to, dear.” She offered, gently nosing at his neck before falling into line with him. “It feels like ages since we’ve gotten any time alone together.”

Aquene Slayer

The summer seemed to be stretching on forever, and while snow wasn't expected for months the guardian couldn't help the worry that it might not come at all. It was silly, he knew, but such anxieties could not be controlled by rationale alone - especially not know. He felt as though they were cursed.

Aquene offered him an affectionate nuzzle before falling into step with him. He returned the gesture and walked close enough for their fur to brush. He was looking to comfort himself, yes, but he was also hoping to offer comfort to his wife. He knew what was likely going on in her mind, and even though he knew he couldn't change it he could do his best to help her. "How are you doing?" he asked.

The time to themselves had been welcome to her, smiling as he fell into step beside her and asked the age old question that she still didn’t quite know how to answer most of the time. “I am good… I think?” She offered almost inquisitively, showing the indecisive nature that she carried in that moment. “Three is much harder than one… raising Kateri feels like a walk in the park compared to our brood at times.” She offered more teasingly as a result.

Still, she was thankful to have him, and to have her friends surrounding her. “And you?” She posed back to his question. “Apart from no doubt losing some of your sanity like I am.” It was meant as a joke, but sometimes with how the kids fought with each other, it certainly felt like the truth.

Aquene Slayer

(This post was last modified: Sep 02, 2022, 03:33 AM by Aquene.)

Nash enjoyed the feeling of his wife's mere presence beside him. They could have wandered in silence the rest of the day, or sat by the shore grooming one another without speaking, and he would have been content. There was much to be discussed, however, and much of it was not something they could talk about around the children.

He glanced at her as she answered, a little more honest than he'd expected, and nodded slowly. He cracked a wry smile at her jest about their children and hummed an agreement. "They certainly are a pawful."

And then, of course, she turned the dreaded question on him, though she softened it with another joke. He bumped her shoulder. "Some of?" he whipped before growing serious again. "The truth is... I miss Al. I'm worried about the future of our pack, especially come winter. I'm worried about Sana, raising all those kids without their father while leading the pack... And I'm most worried about you," he added softly, pausing his stride so he could fully look at her. He hated to bring it up since she seemed to be in a better mood today, but it was something they needed to discuss.

Aquene was attempting to savor every moment of their time together, her heart thumping in her chest despite the relaxed nature of their time together. He had a habit of that; he had a way of making her feel wonderful, of making her feel special, even with just the way that he looked at her.

She chuckled softly at her husband’s words, offering a snort. That was certainly one way to say it… a pawful. “I have no idea what we did to deserve this, truly… Kateri was so calm and peaceful in comparison… maybe it’s just the sibling effect?” Neither of them had certainly been like that.

The question caused his features to fall more serious, and in that moment she allowed a gentle amount of grief onto her features despite how she tried to fight it. “I miss him too…” She admitted, the words almost sticking in her throat. She never quite knew how to address that all; Al had been her first lover, the father of her first child… and one of her best friends, and yet he would never hold the spot in her heart that Nash had… it still felt awkward to talk about.

She found herself glancing at her paws when he admitted that he was worried about her, shaking her head softly as he managed to hit the one point she had been hoping to avoid. “I’m fine… I’m more worried about Sana.” The words lacked the confidence that the healer usually held, a churning in her stomach as the uncomfortable conversation rose.

Aquene Slayer

His wife had, fortunately, offered an easy topic to start their conversation: the kids. Well, as easy as those three could be, anyway. He thought this with a fond smile. He had to admit it made him feel better to know Aquene was just as bewildered by them as he was and it wasn't just his inadequacy as a father. It was something he fretted about often. He wanted to spend more time with them, and yet he wanted to protect them, which often led to him spending the majority of his time away from them.

He quickly moved on to the real reason he wanted to get his wife alone: Aleister's death. Her mood quickly changed, grief filling her features.

He should have stuck to the pups.

Nash's features softened as he paused his strides to devote all of his attention to Aquene. "My love," he said gently, "You don't have to be fine."

The children were a wonderful distraction that came with the children, helping raise them and guide them and trying to wrangle them. The fact that they were a pawful was even a bit of a welcome distraction. Still, he didn’t seem to buy it… he continued to push, his own strides stopping. She went a few more paces before her head and later body would turn to face him, a frown on her features.

“I do have to be fine.” She stated simply, her own voice cracking under the weight of her statement. She was the good soldier in a storm, waiting dutifully to guide the ship into port. “Oksana lost her mate… I can’t even imagine… I just… I can’t and so I have to be fine so she doesn’t have to be.” She insisted again, her voice completely breaking apart.

Aquene Slayer

(This post was last modified: Nov 16, 2022, 02:22 AM by Aquene.)

Nash listened as his wife, his love, explained, and his heart broke for her. He closed the distance between them and tucked his head over her neck in an embrace. "We can all help," he said softly. "It's not a burden you have carry alone. Here, now, with just us, you can let go." She had helped him when he struggled, especially with verbalizing his anxiety and pain around being abandoned before. He wanted to help her now.

He would always want to help her.

He waited a long moment for her. "It's okay to let go, at least for a moment."

Nash assured her that it was okay, but even as he spoke, she did not feel certain. She did not feel positive that it was the best route to steer. Perhaps she was getting too analytical, but it was hard not to. “It would not feel right to let anyone else handle it.” She admitted with a frown on her features. “You all lost him too.” She worried about Kateri, and how her daughter would take the news once it reached her.

At least for the moment. There was something about those words that reached to her, feeling as the emotions started to creep out of her. The weight sat heavy on her chest as she allowed herself to feel even if it was a mere tiny amount… “He’s gone… it’s my fault he’s gone. I couldn’t help him.” She finally admitted, her voice weak.

Aquene Slayer