Sex: FemaleGeminia approached the den with two rabbits she had caught fleeing from the territory in search of water elsewhere. She figured the closer to the lake she caught them, the more hydrated they would be and the better they would be for the expectant mother who Geminia had been wanting to meet since she arrived. However, with the lake being such a far trip, it was difficult to keep the rabbits as fresh as she could and to carry them the entire way when she could be carrying water instead… well, she hoped the dehydrated rabbits would not offend much. She was already nursing two: the children of the dead one… and she had more on the way. She could not imagine being put in such a position herself.
She arrived at the mouth of the den, dropping them as she let out a low woof in greeting, brown eyes peering into the shadowy depths as she waited for some kind of display that would let her know that it was okay to approach further. While she was too young to have experienced another birthing apart from her own, she had been lectured by her mother about such things while she was being raised, especially when her mother revealed she was with more children shortly before Geminia herself took her leave from her home. “I’ve brought you food.” She offered more, realizing that such a foreign scent, even with the pack lingering on her, might set the mother with unease.
Anya squalled in protest and Addy gnawed at Woya's wolfish knuckles as she patiently ran her tongue through the older girl's soft fur, pulling away dirt and other filth. Whichever whelp she held, the other would do their best to 'rescue' them, and the usually irate woman found this rather endearing. She felt confident that they would treat @Enera the same (and hopefully her own children as well), giving Rhaegara what the Macieo assumed she would want: a family that was strong, that always fought for each other, not against.
An unfamiliar voice interrupted the moment, and with a sigh she released her foster children. They tumbled away from her and into each other, tussling affectionately together.
I’ve brought you food.
The leader's ears picked up, and her nose wriggled, trying to catch the scent. Was it... hare? She crawled forward and up the earthen throat of the den, poking her head out into the open. Her honey eyes passed over Geminia's features before resting intently on the carcasses. She licked her lips and snaked forward, grabbing the meat and pulling it down into her den. She took several bites, sucking greedily at the blood that would hopefully sustain her. What forced her to take a pause was the need for air, and she finally spoke herself.
"... thank you."
![[Image: X2QzmxY.png]](https://i.imgur.com/X2QzmxY.png)
All she heard when she made her way to the mouth of the den was protesting squalls that brought a frown to her features. Children honestly kind of scared her. She didn’t know what to do with the little balls of fur and it seemed like just yesteryear she was that little ball of fur. It all intimidated her quite a bit. At least as an adult… or… sort of an adult, she knew what her role was. She knew what she was supposed to be doing and that was what mattered.
She had no idea of all the tragedy that had struck. She knew of it but her lack of personal connection to the woman who had died was something that made her rather… cold to the topic. She felt sympathy, but she could not force herself to shed a tear over someone she did not know. The woman took the meal she offered, and quickly started to devour it and Gem offered a polite smile in return, her tail thumping lightly to the pleasant surprise that she had been quite of use. It really did make her feel like a proper member of the pack.
“Of course… is there anything else I can help you with? I’ve just done a patrol so I don’t think I should do another one until a bit later.” She almost wanted to suggest watching the twins, but she did not want to overstep. She was still so new, and to be trusted with those little piles of fur… well, it seemed beyond her abilities at the moment. Besides, she didn’t know what to do with the pudge balls anyway… but she could help however the woman asked.
Taking one last swallow of meat, she then nudged the carcass out of the way to be picked clean after. The Macieo returned to the world above ground, and came to rest upon her elbows and stomach with her haunches blocking the throat of the den. If the twins got adventurous, they still would not be able to get anywhere without alerting their foster mother.
"How about helping me get to know you better?" she offered in what was, for her, a convivial tone.
"You're awfully young to be out on your own. My nephews are about your age, and I'm worried sick for 'em bein' out there in the world."
Geminia was a little taken aback by the request, and part of her wondered if the woman cared… or if she was simply trying to make small talk. Still, she would indulge her without a second thought on the matter, when the topic of her age was brought up.
“It’s something of a family tradition.” She admitted, leaving the gory details about her mother’s passing out of it. “When we all reach a year of age, we set off on our own to find ourselves and explore, you see.” She hummed softly, one paw folding over the other as she carefully settled down. “We either find a new pack, or start our own, find a mate, or even simply return home, but we go where our hearts take us.” She tilted her head to the side.
It seemed curious that not all packs had such a tradition. “I found here, and I wanted to help… and I didn’t like being alone all that much, so here I am.”
"Well, yer help is certainly appreciated," she chose to remark on instead.
"What else has yer heart been tellin' ya? Y'got any goals, plans? Most yearlings 'round here are just startin' to think about what adulthood might hold for 'em."
Geminia could only offer a soft smile to the woman’s words. It felt good to be helpful, she had found… though the questions that Woya followed with caused a soft frown to form on her features, taking a seat as she glanced at her paws for a few moments, in clear contemplation of what she was being asked. She hadn’t given much thought to it, only noticed the drought and knew that there was a safety in numbers for the duration in which it was to continue…
“I like to wander… not in a way that suggests I want to leave.” She felt a need to clarify almost immediately. “I like to explore the places close to home… and I really enjoy hunting. There is a peace it brings me, a solace in the quiet and the thrill of catching that which sustains us.” She explained, recalling the words her mother had used in order to describe hunting when she had been just a pup. “Adulthood has always felt so close and yet so far away… I’ve never really considered it before… I guess the journey I took was supposed to help me figure it out.”
"It's different for everyone, I think," she offered thoughtfully, ears tipping back briefly to scan for the sounds of her charges.
"You can take your time here, if you'd like. Our own yearlings won't be expected to make any big choices for another year still. You're also more than welcome to start assisting us with tracking the herds if the work sounds good, it can take you pretty far and will help teach you the area."
Having no assigned hunters and with the drought chasing many animals away, the Chasm pack's knowledge of what happened outside of their territory was as of now scattered. It could use much improvement, and there was nothing to stop Geminia from being the one to fill in the many gaps.
The more it was questioned, the more strange it sounded to her: kicking her and her siblings out to ‘find themselves’ when they were hardly teenagers… but it had been tradition, and it had worked for so many before in her family, so surely it must work for her as well, right? She didn’t know where to begin when it came to her journey. She knew many who took the journey never returned home; sometimes they moved and sent word, alliances formed through the strength of their family ties, and some were never heard from again though she liked to think it was just because they reached faraway lands.
She listened, hearing how Woya approached it and how her agemates were thinking of it. She had time, but the idea that she could start to assist with tracking made her tail start to shift from side to side in a soft wag. “I would love to… how far outside the borders does the pack usually travel for hunts?” She had not been a part of the Chasm long enough to know, but already she found herself eager to learn. There was promise there.
There was a way for her to do good, and truthfully that was all Gem had ever wanted to do. She liked helping others, and caring for others… in many ways, she was fairly certain something deeper, some kind of spirit, had sent her to the borders when they had because it seemed like the Chasm had needed her… “Maybe once they’re older, I can help teach the pups to track too?”
"Before the rain stopped, we rarely needed to leave the forest. Now, sometimes, we have to go farther to the flatter lands. Keeping up with the herds in general, that can take ya days away."
Really, it would depend on Gem how far she was willing to go, how long she liked to be from home. Woya would be happy to shift her between scout and hunter accordingly.
Maybe once they’re older, I can help teach the spawns to track too?
She was too young and earnest for Woya to balk at the idea even for a second. Instead, she gave a toothy grin and nodded.
"Absolutely. Enera's a great role model, but no one wolf can handle seven lil' dust devils. I think that'd be great for 'em to be able to look up to you too."