Paradise Falls night on the sun

all welcome :)
Early evening, Light Intensity Shower Rain, 48.11 ° F, 8.95 ° C

That early evening she stirred awake to the beginning of rain. It pattered softly on the leaves, some of it broke through and offered gentle taps against the earth. It all seemed too serene, as if the world sought to give her a break from her self-imposed misery. The later she crept into this pregnancy the harder it seemed to become.

Maybe she should have enjoyed this moment, the peace and lack of aching. Instead she made herself to rise up and waddle-crawl her way to the mouth of her den. Admittedly she had become spoiled by the sheltered place that instinct had forced her to create. It had been carved out in a hushed part of the Falls and the shadows seemed to linger longest during the day and nights here.

It seemed no different now as she laid at the mouth of it, half in and half out.

She hardly had the energy to go beyond here and find entertainment in the rain, but she figured that someone might come along her eventually...

give me your heart

and i'll give you my soul

to just feel a little piece of heaven

As Isla got closer and closer to full term, Nadine kept even closer tabs. She brought her more and more food, ensuring that she had everything she needed. She found she enjoyed it. She enjoyed the feeling of camaraderie that came with it. The other woman didn’t seem to mind. Though Isla had retreated to a more secluded part of the falls, Nadine still made it a habit to stop in at least once a day.

The rain drizzled down, assaulting her pelt and yet she continued to dredge along her path with a vole in her clutches. She spotted Isla, her form partially out of the den which caused a smile through the meal. It felt like something of a little ritual.

“Isla.” She greeted through the mouthful, a wave of her tail and a bright look in her eyes as she set it down for her. “I’ve brought you a snack.” She would remain standing until she received the all-clear to take a seat beside her, perhaps even share in conversation. She always left it to the other woman.

Her eyes had become half-lidded, nearly at risk of falling asleep like this.

Her own name came to her in a familiar voice. Thunk, thunk, thunk. Her tail drummed against the earth behind her. The exhaustion that gripped her in this peace was not enough for her to sleep through the presence of Nadine. The young woman had become a trusted part of Isla's life in ways that frightened her.

I can't eat, These moments came and went, hardly any reason for concern. Keep me company. An instruction and encouragement all in one.

Truthfully, there were some heavy things she could speak on but she also...waited. Keen to see if Nadine might have word of the ongoing of the Falls in Isla's increasing hermitic times.

give me your heart

and i'll give you my soul

to just feel a little piece of heaven

There was a gentle but sympathetic frown on her features as Isla spoke about not being able to eat. She would set the vole to the side, leaving it for later when her constitution was improved and the children Isla carried were ready to allow her to eat.

Nadine herself had kept busy, trying to ensure she remained productive because she had found that idle paws had never suited her. She felt a need to be productive, to be useful to others… she had never been much of a leader herself, but a follower? An advisor of sorts? That had always been more her speed. She preferred to inform rather than be the one to make a decision.

“The Falls has been running smoothly, and everyone has been bustling about in their own way to prepare for the arrival of your little ones. I even spoke with Chan the other day about pursuing a pack role now that I have joined the adult rankings and shed my yearling status.”

The report was a simple one, but one that made her offer a thin smile. Nadine had an ambition that was respectable, but not troubling. Not like how Isla might claim her own to be.

And was he eager to name you our newest diplomat? Something like pride lifted her words as she looked to the pale figure next to her. Isla would have elevated Nadine, would have given her the role and tasks. Things to busy her and strengthen this connection between them.

Only she was not equipped to do so. Something about it coiled a viper in her stomach, or perhaps that was only the children kicking.

give me your heart

and i'll give you my soul

to just feel a little piece of heaven

The diplomat would offer a more bashful smile, her head pulling away almost shyly as she shook her head. “I think if I had asked, he might have… but I want to do something of use. The pack is at peace right now, and there is little need for a diplomat outside times of war. There is no negotiation to be done… I fear it is not a role I can pursue in good faith right now.” Not lest she wanted to feel like a beggar for more resources while not providing amply enough in return.

“He did say that diplomats were best before conflict even got too far… but I suppose I have also never truly learned what it is to be a diplomat outside of conflict. It makes for complicated business.” She offered again, wondering if perhaps the slightly older woman could offer advice where Nadine was lacking on the matter.

He is a man who has seen much conflict. She felt no need to hide this. Would Chan hide it? Had he divulged that he might have his own uses for a personal diplomat? She was not certain and truthfully she wondered if she would have said anything any different in his position.

Perhaps you become a more...close diplomat. You may sit in on complicated matters within the home. An outside perspective for two parties. It might be helpful in challenges or those seeking permission for certain things. Already Isla saw how she might use such a figure herself! Yet she very badly wanted Nadine to be hers. Selfishly and wholly. Hers to have close and hers to confide in.

She had not given much thought to what exactly that meant.

give me your heart

and i'll give you my soul

to just feel a little piece of heaven

Nadine felt herself become intrigued at Isla’s mention. Chan, from what Nadine could tell, was fairly reserved. It was hard to imagine him getting involved with much interpersonal relationships much less conflict, and yet Isla seemed so certain that he had. She did not know the minutiae of every working relationship within the pack, but it appeared as though Isla knew Chan well, or at least better than her. She took a mental note of it.

Her ears perked at the mention of a close diplomat, at first not certain as to what she could mean by that. As she listened to the explanation, her tail lightly thumped against the den, a reminder of her age despite her usually poised complexion. “Like… an advisor?” She asked, her words slow and cautious as if she were still uncertain as to whether or not that was the correct answers.

“I thought one needed to be… more mature… to fill such roles.” It was her polite way of saying old.

Isla's expression turned warm and wry for a moment.

Why does it matter as long as you are trusted and wise? Her shoulders rose in a momentary half-hearted shrug. An advisor is often times chosen and trusted. Her icy gaze lingered and became the depths of water as she considered this. I would pick you as an advisor or diplomat. Yet if Chan called you to service first, I wouldn't begrudge you. She might, but she did not say this aloud.

She tried not to think about how much it might sour her to have Nadine used against her instead of for her.

give me your heart

and i'll give you my soul

to just feel a little piece of heaven

She had never considered it before… of what it actually took to be an advisor. What Isla said made sense, but there was still one contention Nadine felt to fully accept her logic as fact. “But how does one become wise without the age and experience of an elder?” She would prompt back, though she had no doubt her friend, who was infinite in wisdom herself, had an answer that would sate her burning curiosity.

She raised her brows at such a high praise. It felt like much of an honor, because she had come to hold a deep and utmost respect for the woman. She had already come to know that there was seldom she would not to for her, or for her impending children.

“Well, I have not been asked by Chan, but it appears I have been asked by you.” She would state with a measure of certainty. “And if one does not need to be old to be an advisor, then I should see no reason for one to have to be a leader to need one.”