Paradise Falls but every stroke of luck has got a bleed through

AW! RE: Finley, you have inadvertently angered a bull bison. He has taken offense to your close proximity and is charging.
Note for self: only 3 days before Finley gives birth, at this point she is becoming more reclusive, uncomfortably pregnant, food aversion returns.

Midnight, broken clouds, 60F/15C

As the days wore on the expectant mother only became more and more uncomfortable, unable to stay in one position too long, but also exhausted. It kept her close to home, close to the den she had made with Jethro by her side since she could not use last year’s. The nausea and vomiting had subsided more than a week ago, but the thought of eating had once again become repulsive.

She wanted them out soon, but also desperately wanted to keep them safe and young, and maybe that meant staying in her belly. Finley was on her paws pacing back and forth in front of the den, quietly humming a lullaby, as if that was going to help. The children inside of her continued to squirm and wriggle, poking and prodding her in a way that clearly was not sleeping.

With eyes squeeze shut as she moved unaware of who she was pissing off. She kept moving and humming, and the beast’s eyes were tracking every step becoming more and more agitated with every paw fall. But, she was about to learn.

Ryder had always been a quiet, independent child. Ever since learning of all that Spring brought and would continue to bring, however, he had become downright reclusive. He only came to Finley and @Caspian's calls, was hard-pressed to use words at all, and often spent his time exploring beyond the Fall's borders. He wasn't completely absent, though. He still cared for his mother in his own way, bringing her snacks and chew-toys and curiosities, keeping an eye on her the more swollen she got, but being a part of this new normal? Ryder wasn't ready. He didn't want to see Jethro and his mother's newfound affection for each other, didn't want to know if his brother approved of any of it, and felt all the less attached to this place as home much less any kid of paradise.

A rabbit hanging from his jaws, he'd returned for the first time since morning broke to find Finley and gift her with his catch. He saw the beast first, and the fury it radiated, then followed its harsh, black gaze to see his mother. Fear struck him hard and cold then, knowing this situation screamed danger even if he'd never seen an ungulate so large in the woods before.

The carcass dropped from his teeth, hitting the forest floor with an audible whump.

"Mom?"

(This post was last modified: Jun 17, 2023, 01:16 AM by Ryder.)

The expectant mother’s hums had basically turned to groans as she continued to pace and the cubs continued to poke and prod her organs. A small smile adorned her face when she saw her son approaching, pleased to see him coming to visit her even though he was unhappy. She wasn’t unaware to his feelings about the matter, but he had stayed, and he still came to see her when Jethro wasn’t around. It was interesting to see his aversion to that particular portion of the equation, she had always thought the boys had adored the man.

The smiled slowly faded away when she saw the fear in his eyes and the way that the rabbit thudded sickeningly against the dirt. Dark brow furrowed over green eyes and she took a step closer to the boy, ”Ryder?” Why was he making that face at her?

It was the appearance of another wolf that seemed to finally push the bison behind her over the edge. It bellowed at her, followed by a series of hard snorts. Wheeling around towards the sound, the whites of her eyes became instantly visible, stepping slowly in reverse to try and create more space. Very quietly she called, ”Ryder. Run. Run right now and get help.” She had to protect them all, her living son, her unborn children. They all had to be safe.

Ryder flinched at the sound it yawped out, thundering and pitched at the same time. Otherwise frozen, his mind raced to figure out the solution. Finley was pedaling closer and she offered one choice. Run. His legs didn't move, even as adrenaline coursed through his body and his heart hammered faster than it had after even his most intense run. He wanted to escape, but not without his mother.

Ryder shot forward, sprinting to place himself between Finley and the monstrous deer with its malformed antlers. If able to, the moment he was a step ahead of her backward pedaling he would round, facing and pushing his mom to run too. They had to go, together.

The Lennox woman should have expected that her son would not listen, but the thought had not even crossed her mind. She was continuing to slowly step backwards slowly, eyes not leaving the bison and really thought that he had gone for help. Which meant she just needed to keep this situation calm until another adult arrived and could help diffuse this mess she had gotten herself into. Breathing slowly through her nose, she counted every tense second as it passed.

Then Ryder was running in front of her and she screamed, ”NO!” He should have run the other way, not be putting himself in danger. He was now pushing her, but green eyes were frozen on the bison who was now enraged, stamping the ground and advancing upon them. Slowly at first, and then picking up speed.

Sidestepping as quickly as she could, eyes rapidly moved between her son and the beast, ensuring he was right alongside her. Which meant she wasn’t looking where she was going. Paws thudded against a root and Finley began to tumble hard down a rocky slope, one of many that cropped up around Paradise Falls. Breath knocked out of her as she slid, scrapping her skin and fur, a cry of surprise and pain escaping her mouth.

His mother shouted but he couldn't stop his muscles even if he wanted to, every fiber of his being intent on getting her out of harm's way. Everything was happening so fast it would all be a blur after. They were running away and its hooves against the ground so close behind were a horrible sound. Ryder found himself wishing that @Jethro would appear, heart still certain that the wolf would be able to save them.

Then Finley was gone from his peripheral and crying out.

"Mom!"

Ryder dug his paws into the ground and rushed to be at her side again, nose urgently, feverishly prodding to get her to stand again. Whines began to fall from his muzzle, his panic peaking.

The slope had not been too steep, or that dramatic of a drop, but it still left Finley feeling dazed at the bottom of it. Her eyes blinked in confusion as she attempted to clear the stars that blurred her vision, trying to put together the pieces of what had happened. She inhaled sharply as something began poking at her now bruised sides and then everything came rushing back into focus.

Whipping her head upwards the mother frantically sought out the bison and was relieved to see it panting and tossing its head at the top of the rocky incline. It had not wanted to follow them which inadvertently meant that they had escaped their fate. But at what cost? Each breath already felt sore, and her body ached from her landing against the stone and the scraping that had followed.

The bison turned and disappeared back into the trees. Forcing a smile that didn’t reach her eyes she tried to reassure Ryder, ”I’m okay, I’m okay.” She struggled to get back to her paws and groaned slightly at the effort from her swollen belly and sore joints. The mother continued to watch the treeline anxiously, frightened that the bison might come back at any second.