Sex: MaleIt was the lazy afternoon feeling that had first enticed Indru to travel that bit further through Relic Lore for once, something he did not often do — especially since Corinna had became pregnant, but he knew she was safe for the time being. Though his protectiveness over her and the pack had increased dramatically, it was not only he that the news had brought this reaction from, the whole pack was determined to keep their future safe. Besides, with the arrival of spring Indru only expected that it would lead to more wolves arriving and potentially new packs arising now the threat of winter was far behind them. In a way it was expected that he scout out the land a bit further afield now and refresh his memories of the brief visits. Heading south from the Swift River den Indru had continued through the forest's that marked his path until he could see the end and the wide, open plains of Hush Meadow, a place he had only visited with his birth pack if hunting had been low. Immediately he could see that his memories had not done justice the large expanse that was a welcome break in the wilds of Relic lore, mainly dominated by trees as it was.
The fresh scent of deer reached his nose most prominently, along with the faded scents of wolves that had crossed this way, but his belly was not hungry enough to waste the energy hunting at the moment and he was confident there were no wolves nearby to disturb his peace. The tall grasses easily reached over his tall height in some places, like their own mini forest, and Indru continued to prowl calmly across the meadow until he reached an area where it was clear the herds had foraged this area significantly more, cutting the grass in half. With a contented sigh Indru dropped to the floor, rolling onto his side and stretching his limbs out and allowing his spine to relax and lose any tension that still hung there since the pack meeting. As he lay down the sun decided to make a breakthrough, shining gloriously through the clouds that had kept it prisoner all day as it slowly continued to drift westward, taking advantage of the few hours that it had left before the moon took over.
At first it may seem like the Tainn was being careless, shutting his eyes and slowing his breathing like he was drifting to sleep in a strange land, but Indru was far from unaware as though he was outwardly relaxed his mind was as alert and prepared as ever. The whisper of the wind the Meadow was famous for over his fur did not go missed, nor the calls of the animals nearby or the slight scrabbling of rodents who had strayed closer than normal now that he had made his presence less imposing. As though the sun would soon prepare for sleep, Indru only would do so in the safety of his pack's den with Corinna by his side and his family surrounding him.
Okay, to say that she had been stalking Indru would have been a lie. Or, well, that was what she told herself as she followed him into the strange depths of these southern lands she had never seen before. Honestly, she just wanted to talk with him. There had been little time for a conversation since she had joined the pack, he was busy, <i>blah, blah, blah</i>, and anyway, was it so bad to want to see a friend? However, that didn't explain why she was trailing after him at such a distance, trying to remain inconspicuous. Certainly, that was a little more than shady. But she had hesitated to call out when she had noticed his earthy form disappearing into the forest earlier, unsure of what to say. She wanted to ask about Borlla, if he had found her, talked to her, whatever, but she had no idea where to begin. That topic seemed awkward, dangerous, and bulky. It was hard to approach. She was, however, determined, and it was with these thoughts in her head that pursued Indru.
Did he know where he was going? Ozera herself didn't have a problem with mindless wandering, getting lost in the middle of no where... but Indru was a family man. Surely he wouldn't want to venture too far from his home nestled between those two rivers, especially now that Corinna was growing ever rounder. Every inch added to her circumference, while unbecoming, was a joyous promise of the wiggling bundles to come. Ozera gradually slipped into daydreams, wondering at the miracle of life, and hoping that the puppies would like her. For quiet awhile, she continued in this manner, swimming through a churning ocean of bright grasses that came well over her head at times. A sudden stumble, though, brought her to her senses, and it occurred to her that she had long since lost sight of Indru, and could not smell him at all. <i>Damn</i>. It was one thing to be lost with Indru, but it was another thing entirely to be lost on her own. <i>Can't even see over this damn grass.</i> Ambling about the undulating meadow, Ozera tried to regain her bearings. It took her awhile, but eventually she recovered his scent-trail. <i>Warmer... warmer...</i>. Ears pricked and nose to the ground, it was in this manner that she stumbled across Indru. Literally. <i>Red Hot!</i>
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As much as Indru loved his pack and the members within it — and he really, really did — to escape it sometimes, however brief, was often a small luxury. Being a Leader was, simply, stressful. He had to keep everyone safe, happy, fed and watered while looking like he knew what he was doing when sometimes he really was going blind and hoping that it turned out for the best. Indru had never led before the sudden loss of his parents, leading had always been a pipe dream — something in the distance that he could never truly imagine happening, but it had and it had been such a shock and at such a bad time that he had often wished he never had. It was a role he had settled into now and one that he carried on his shoulder with pride and he knew with a true certainty that if he was to ever lose such a rank it would be a difficult challenge to try and live under another's rule. So, if he allowed himself to lie in the sun, basking and relaxing like a lizard, after the recent tempestuous and emotionally draining encounter he had with Borlla, who was going to blame him?
Gently, in the corner of his consciousness he slowly became aware of another's approach, their scent lazily wafting towards him and eventually the tell-tale signs of the rustling grasses alerting him to their presence. Though alarmed a first a small grin broke over his face as he realised who this now not so deadly assassin was and, instead of jumping swiftly to his feet he decided to remain on the floor, safely blocked from immediate view by the grasses that curled around him. Quickly, trying to be as discreet as he could, Indru shifted himself to try and face the way he expected she would come, aiming (if all went to plan) to playfully knock her down in surprise. It didn't take long for Ozera, almost like it was choreographed, to stumble right across his path and in a move as quick as he could manage from the floor he heaved himself up high enough to try and hook the female with his forelimbs and pull her down in a heap beside him.
So who's been spying on me today, then?He asked, his deep booming laughter causing his whole body to shake and his tail to wave even faster.
For once it was due to a cunning leg —<i>not</i> her strange clumsiness— that she fell in an inelegant jumble on the ground next to her leader. The ground knocked most of the wind from her with a dull thud, and she barked in surprise. She hadn't expected to come upon him so suddenly, but it was just so damned hard to see in this mess of grass. And now, here she was, on the ground, because that rascal had tripped her, and now he was laughing at her! “<b>Well played, Indru,well played,</b>” she said gruffly, sitting upright, feigning annoyance. She broke character and laughed, though, when he called her out on spying on him. But only for a moment. “<b>How big is your ego, Indru. Really! Spying? I would never!</b>”
At least he wasn't mad at her. He appeared to be in a good mood, which was rather promising. Had his talk with Borlla gone well? Had he straightened her out? Given her enough love to melt her cranky-pants attitude? For some reason, she doubted it. At any rate, he was in a good enough mood too laugh, when he could have assumed her to be some wandering deer and jumped her or something. Being tripped was worlds better than being attacked. “<b>How have you been?</b>” she ventured, letting a smile crease her muzzle and her tail beat along with his.
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Success! As he watched the female fall in a pile next to him he grinned mischievously, his body still shaking with laughter as she barked in surprise. Clearly her sleuthing skills needed some practice — wasn't he the one who was meant to be caught surprised? She sat upright and retorted with a respectful, but still clearly annoyed comment, so Indru tried to keep a serious face to try and let her reclaim at least some dignity but failed and snorted once again as more deep, booming laughs escaped him. It didn't take long for her to join him though, as he knew she would, and tease him back and Indru shook his head at the comment, grinning,
ginormous. But of course, who could blame me looking like this?However, cockiness, was something that Indru only joked about any overconfidence he may have had as a young pup had been knocked out of him by Rihael and Honijo — confidence was necessary, but they never allowed it stretch any further than that.Quickly their conversation turned more serious and Indru allowed himself to fall back down onto his back and lie amongst the grasses as he pondered what she has asked. He had a strange mixture of emotions, he was happy, overjoyed of course that Corinna was pregnant, but it was daunting too. He worried that he would not not be a good enough father, that he would let down his future offspring, or that Corinna would regret picking him to sire her pups. It was times like these he wished he could seek the priceless advice of his parents, Rihael to make him think logically and Lani to soothe away any worries. Then, with Borlla, it too was a mix of emotions. Things seemed settled now and changed for the better, she seemed happier, but he still felt a bit tense, like he was stepping on eggshells hoping and wishing that it would remain in this new positive outlook. After a moment he met Ozera's eyes again, deciding that the best way to summarise it was with
good.He grinned at her showing that he was not wishing to spill every thought inside his head to bore her to death but was willing to answer any questions she had.I'm good,he confirmed, sighing and reclining his long neck backwards slightly as he stretched, the most relaxed he'd been in a while.
So, I know I'm incredibly handsome and interesting, but what brought you out all this way to stalk me like a lonely deer?Indru teased, his teeth on show in a toothy grin as he rose his head once again to watch her.
As Indru joked about his attractiveness, Ozera found herself reminded of when they had first met. It had been quite some time ago, but she could vaguely remember connecting the dots between him and his brother, at which point he had said, "<i>It is well known that I am the better brother after all. It's my good looks and winning personality, of course.</i>" It made her laugh to know that he was still the same wolf she had met over three months ago. She had been a little worried that what had happened between him and his brother might have changed him. Ruiko. She really regretted never getting to know him better. Since joining Swift River, her accident had put a stop to most of her adventurous activities, and even recently she hadn't done much wandering beyond the borders —not including today. She just never got to see him, he didn't appear to be anywhere. But all of a sudden she was struck with the strangeness of these thoughts, remembering that her meeting with Ruiko had not gone over particularly well. He certainly hadn't liked her... In retrospect, though, after months of looking back at that day, Ozera realized she did enjoy his company.
Those were the thoughts that swirled about in her head as she waited for Indru to answer her. The bulky, tawny wolf took his time mulling through his thoughts, and she watched him idly as she entertained herself with her own. When his answer was a single syllable, though, she found curiosity and or suspicion piqued. <i>Good?</i> How could he just wrap up his whole life into one simple word?Clearly, it was more than that, and her eyes flicked about his face, not meaning to make any sort of challenge with eye-contact, but searching for some sort of explanation in his face. There didn't appear to be one. As discontent as Ozera was with her response, though, she knew it really couldn't be her place to question him.
It didn't matter if she chose to question him further or not, anyway, since he changed the subject. Now he wanted to know why she had been following him, and she searched herself for some way to respond to this. She had wanted to ask about Borlla, but really didn't know how to phrase it. <i>Oh, whatever,</i> she thought with an inward sigh, <i>Just go for it.</i> "<b>I was... well I wanted to know that if you ever caught up with Borlla. She seemed really upset before. And... I don't know. I did run into her awhile before the meeting... and she seemed awfully upset about.. Well, about a lot of stuff. I don't know, I guess it's not really my place to say.</b>" Family business. <i>I'm really just shoving my nose into places it doesn't belong.</i>
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From the expression on her face Indru judged that she wasn't happy with his simple summary, her eyes searched his and he kept the eye contact until she broke away, satisfied that she was not posing a challenge at his answer. Indru continued to watch her with curiosity, wondering whether she would bring up the topic that she seemed to want to know about — enough to follow him far beyond the pack lands at least. Though he couldn't be certain what it was that she wanted to know he suspected that it was something on the 'big events' that had taken place within the pack lately, perhaps she had something to say about Corinna's pregnancy, or their mateship, or even Borlla herself who had caused a large ruckus at the last meeting, most certainly enough to spike curiosity when he ran off to deal with her he was sure.
However, it seemed he didn't have to wonder for long as his question into her purpose for following seemed to give her the little boost she needed to ask him what she really wanted to know. Her discomfort at asking about Borlla was clear in the pauses and awkward dodging of the actual question and he only was just able to stop a small smile breaking on his muzzle, this was the first time he could remember Ozera appearing uncomfortable asking anything.
Of course,he began, shaking his head at her,you are part of the pack and therefore part of this family too.The sincerity of what he was saying was clear in the Tainn's face, she may not be Tainn by blood but she had swore her fealty and in turn was protecting and would help nurse his pups and including her in his family was the least he could do. Besides, she was the packs' second, reinforcer for Corinna, and it was necessary she understood the goings of the to-be Yearlings that would be under her charge.We had a talk,and at this comment Indru titled his head and gave her a knowing look,I explained her poor behaviour, how it was affecting her and the pack, where it would lead...Thoughts of Ioni flashed through his mind unwittingly and he frowned at the idea of Borlla following her path, which would be likely if she continued the way she had been. Indru could tolerate bad behaviour as a puppy, but when she was an adult the continuous discord she had been creating would be unhealthy for the pack not to mention a bad example for the pack's youth.We came to an agreement,he ended, pausing briefly why he thought before nodding,I think she's better... Happier. At least I hope so.As much as he tried to hide the wary tension he felt, wondering how long these decided upon changes would last, he could not do it completely; however he was confident a lesson had been learnt — he just hoped it wasn't forgotten as well.
Jokes and lively banter came easily to Ozera, but words, <i>real</i> words that had questions tagged on to them, rarely did. It wasn't often that she fumbled about like this, but that was mostly due to the fact that she avoided it like the plague. She hated feeling awkward like this, stepping on egg shells and wondering how she would deal with the fall out. His eyes dug into her soul, and she shifted her weight, shrugging her shoulders uncomfortably as she waited for his response. The ground was strangely interesting at this particular moment, and she examined every little detail in the packed dirt and the little ants that scurried at her paws. One crawled away from the line and scurried up a paw, wandering about on her toes, and when Ozera noticed this she gave her paw an abrupt shake. At this point, Indru had begun talking, but she still did not look up.
Except he wasn't angry. <i>Part of the family.</i> Immediately, her head jerked up in surprise, galled by the candor in his handsome features. Lately, she had been having a hard time with feeling like she belonged in the <i>pack</i>, let alone the family. But apparently she was. At least, that's what Indru thought. Ozera's stomach felt as if it was lined with an uneasy doubt that that churned uncomfortably. She and Corinna had gotten off to a rough start, and she knew Borlla didn't even <i>like</i> her, and Marsh was... <i>strange</i>. That left Indru and Triell, but... They pretty much liked everyone. Was this her family? She was profoundly uncertain.
He explained that he had in fact found her after the meeting, and given her a very stern talking to. Or at least, that's how it sounded to Ozera. Indru spoke as if he were Borlla's father, though in most ways he really was. But Indru was shaping up nicely, and she was reminded once more of what a nice father he would be. This thought suddenly distracted her from their real conversation, and before she realized it, the words were already out of her mouth, "<b>Have you thought of names for the puppies?</b>"
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Indru was amused at how abashed the female seemed by her question, did she think she was prying? He guessed in a way it could seem like that, but no from his perspective, pack was family, they worked together, kept each other safe, withholding important information (especially to those who care) was not how Indru would like to operate. Her head jerked upwards in clear surprise when he told her this though, and a small frown marred his face as he peered at her. Was there more discord in his pack than he realised? The thought made his stomach sink that it was not only Borlla who was the troubled one.
Do you not want to be?The male inquired softly, unsure, when she made no verbal response, half dreading the answer in case she then expressed wishes to leave, the pack needed her, especially now the pups were coming.Her next question left Indru slightly suspicious of the topic change, and though leaving this unfinished worried him greatly he did not want to push it and decided to let it change, even though the frown of concern was still a shadow on his features.
Yes... And no,he offered with a small laugh, shaking his head.I would like to name one Rihael, after my father... But I find it hard to be certain on names without seeing them yet, you know?At that thought a grin split Indru's face, they were in the month the pups would be born now, he was fairly certain, and now they were so close to meeting them any mention of his unborn children caused a wave of excitement.We'd like you to be there for the birth, Corinna especially.It was posed almost like a question as the Tainn was now unsure, would she be there? Or did she have wishes to leave again, he understood she had travelled a fair portion of her life and had already left a pack in Relic Lore, but the thought of losing Ozera in Swift River was not one he looked forward to.
How could she begin to explain herself to him? How could she explain the desire to belong in a place that was still so strange and new to someone who had lived his whole life here? Sure, Swift River hadn't always been here, but... This pack was <i>his</i>, the family was <i>his</i>. He belonged no matter what. Ozera, on the other hand, was an outsider. It was not that she meant to insult or belittle his and his pack member's attempts to include her, she felt like it was more of a problem with <i>herself</i> than anyone else. Ozera just wasn't used to this, yet. At any rate, she did not answer him. Not out of insubordination or because she wanted to change the subject to avoid it, but just because she had no idea what to tell him. Sure, she <i>wanted</i> to be, but there was more to it than that. And it all was so confusing. If she couldn't understand it, how could he?
It was a relief, though, that he went along with the topic change. She would much rather think of little bundles of joy than her own strange, lumpy, irrational baggage. <i>Rihael.</i> She was struck by the strength of the name, how nice it was, how it just rolled off the tongue. And it had been the name of Indru's farther. What a beautiful idea. But waiting for the puppies to actually <i>exist</i> before coming up with any more names was probably the best. "<b>Oh, yeah. I mean, what if they're all girls? Rihael doesn't sound particularly feminine</b>" she snorted, smiling playfully.
<i>" We'd like you to be there for the birth, Corinna especially." </i> Her mouth hung just slightly open as she stared back at him. There for the birth? Corinna wanted her there? Well, that was quite shocking. Ozera blinked a few times, dumbfounded. "<b>Of course... Of course I'd be there. I'd love to!</b>" It was an honor to be included in something she had thought to be so exclusive, since the pair would probably be awfully protective of their young. Maybe... maybe she did belong. She didn't know.
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