Hearthwood River straight from the water

Dated June 9, for @Lachesis. Time to move the pupsicles!

Happiness had always been elusive for Karina; something that she understood theoretically and occasionally fumbled with, but could never seem to really grasp. Her smiles were few and often sad themselves, and her tail wagged stiffly when it wagged at all. Those who knew Karina well would be astounded with the changes in the princess after her first child’s birth.  She had bloomed like a rain lily after a storm, radiating joy and tranquility as she basked in the presence of her little daughter and Lachesis’s twins.

 Post-partum hormones no doubt contributed to the new mother’s bliss, but it was more than that. As long as she could remember Karina had been floundering in her search for belonging. Faith in the Mother had given her purpose, but she had still lacked a real position in Hearthwood River;  a niche all her own, where she felt useful and irreplaceable. But now... now she was a mother-- the most sacred of callings—and the whole pack needed her.

“Lachesis,” she greeted the father happily, smelling him outside her den before she saw him. The healer would find her much improved since last week, mentally and physically. She had resumed regular meals, restoring her coat to its usual luster and adding some much-needed flesh to her frame. Just as food had strengthened her body, motherhood had sated her sprit. Her hallucinations and nightmares had all but vanished. She was ready to take her place among the Hearthwood River wolves, within Hearthwood River, now that she had an estimable place and a purpose in the pack.

“Today’s the day,” her chipper voice continued, “Everything is ready.”  Whenever Lachesis or Kjors came to relieve her of the children, Karina had bounded off  to the heart of the River territory to build her new nest. Kjors would certainly appreciate having his home to himself once more and Lachesis was excited to be closer to his twins, but more than that she wanted to signal to the rest of the pack (especially Kisla) that it was okay to visit. She was a Hearthwood River wolf and these were Hearthwood Rvier pups, and all the pack should meet and know them. 

(This post was last modified: Jun 10, 2016, 11:02 AM by Karina.)

   

    
 

<3! @Atropos @Kyrios feel free to jump in puppers! if @Bennet is playable too jump in also!! <3

The last few weeks had been a blur for the ghostly man. Adjusting was proving difficult. He wasn’t sure if he would ever fully adjust. Naia was gone — not temporary gone, but the full blown never-coming-back type. It was just another hole to add the the growing collection he had in his heart. Loss was something that, by now, he should be well acquainted with. But it still hurt. It always hurt.

This time, however, there were two furry bundles that were mending his broken heart. Looking at them often pained him, for he wished Naia could see how quickly they were growing, but he needed to remain strong. They depended on him — and so did his pack. He couldn’t fall apart, not again, not like he had with Anastasia. They were both his future and Naia’s legacy; their survival was of the utmost importance. Despite his devastation, he had to honour her memory and push forward. It was what she would have wanted.

Guilt was another emotion that consumed him. The ghost felt guilty for not being able to save the former river scout. There must have been something he could have done; something he could have given her. Lachesis frequently cursed at himself for being such a poor healer. He couldn’t even save the mother of his children or the former river king. Why had he not been able to save her? Another part of his guilt was due to the current living situation of his children. Karina had swooped in at the perfect time, taking the pale bundles of fur to her den to nurse them. He loathed bombarding her den so frequently, especially since she had her own child to take care of. Despite Karina assuring him that his visits were always welcomed, he felt like an intruder. It was supposed to be Naia, he would think to himself, with his throat tight and eyes glistening with unshed tears. He could remember how excited she had been to be a mother and to help strengthen the future of the Hearthwood wolves.

Guilt was a fickle creature. It was the one emotion he would be happy to do without.

Karina greeted him before he had a chance to say hello, causing a rare smile to unfold across his pale maw. He popped his head inside the den, his chartreuse gaze studying her tawny frame quickly. She looked much better; healthier and happier. Motherhood suited the young Baranski. Both Maksim and Naia would have been so proud of the river princess. “Today’s the day,” he echoed, his smile still present. His tail wagged softly behind him as XIX focused his attention on the three little bundles curled up beside Karina. “Time to meet the pack,” he added as he shuffled back, waiting for the Baranski to exit the den before they began the move.

stick with those who stick with you

The little girl’s blue eyes cracked open at the sound of voices speaking over them, murmuring her distaste for being awake already. Time to meet who? The comforting warmth of her family surrounded her and encouraged the cub not to move too much in fear of losing the comfortable spot she had finally obtained overnight. The two others were quick to squirm into better positions if you offered any leeway, an ongoing battle between the three of them for milk, and heat, and comfort. It was a rare thing to achieve all three, usually having to forfeit one for the sake of the other two. But she had done it, and now the voices – beginning to sound familiar to her slowly rising ears – were jeopardizing it. Her barely opened eyes saw only blur at first, the silver and black colours of her provider sat in front of her. Atropos dared to raise her head, turning her neck as her black and white siblings’ colours also came into focus. Blinking a couple of times aided in sending most of the blurriness away, confirming that yes, everyone was here, before an exaggerated yawn forced them shut again.
 
No, this didn’t seem like the best idea, her brain was not ready to turn on just yet. There was light spilling into the den, and her nose picked up another familiar scent at the mouth of the den. Her tail wagged momentarily at her father's heuristic presence before she decidedly buried her nose back into Karina’s and Bennet’s fur. Perhaps just a few more minutes? They would understand, it had been a wild night of crawling and whimpering and growing and fighting for milk. The voices paused for a moment, and the white smudge of a cub happily let her thoughts drift away from wakefulness and back into slumber.

Unlike his sister, Kyrios was eager to rise. Uncharacteristically, he'd ended up at the edge of the sleep pile, blocked from both warmth and milk by both his sisters. So when the murmur of familiar voices sounded around him, the pale pup happily lifted his head, blinking rapidly against the light. His vision was still blurry, the shapes around him splotchy before his weak puppy-eyes. But he knew them well enough, the ebony and ivory of his sisters, the mixed silvers that meant food and warmth and joy; And further away, looking unusually dark in silhouette against the outside light, one of their two most frequent visitors – the one that seemed to show him most interest. The boy yawned widely, a small, squealing sound leaving him along with the puff of air. He felt warm and fuzzy, well rested and ready to tackle the world. To prove this to his family around him, he decidedly struggled to his feet, half stumbling, half crawling across the long, creamy legs that blocked him from the den entrance. His movements were slow and clunky, but that didn't discourage him, he continued towards the light and the wiry shadow standing in it. As he neared, his yaws parted again, this time to give a distinct, high pitched bark, calling for attention; Look at me, I'm ready! Word count: 222 ”Speech”

CaptDanger @DA & vw1956stock @DA

Karina chuckled as Kyrios stumbled toward Lachesis, leaving warmth and comfort eagerly behind to conquer the unknown. “That one’s definitely an Aegina,” she commented, sharing a knowing smile with the boy’s father. Karina bent down to the more reluctant pup—who had fallen asleep once more--  and gave her a nudge on her rump. She swiped her tongue over the child’s ivory face a few times and whispered lovingly into her ear. She then took Bennet into her jaws and lifted her own body from the floor of the den to join Lachesis on the outside. If her words hadn’t convinced Atropos to join them, then the absence of warmth would do the trick.

Bennet squirmed and squeaked in protest at being carried into the daylight, squeezing her puppy-blue eyes tight against the offending glare. She had only just opened them a few days past, and Karina found herself staring into her daughter’s eyes often, wondering if they would remain blue like hers or change to her father’s gold. She would be the spitting image of Kjors with golden eyes, which might be cause for concern if the trio meant to stay in Hearthwood River. Karina lowered Bennet to the ground gently in order to free her mouth to speak. “Bennet’s eyes have opened,” she informed Lachesis, ”..I was hoping you could take a look at them and make sure they’re healthy.” Karina lowered her own clouded gaze to the ground shyly.

“Are you ready to go home?” Karina asked the twins, the question rhetorical. Even if they were old enough to answer her with spoken words, no matter what they said they would still be going. Keeping the twins at Zephyr Rill suited no one; they were Hearthwood River pups and therefore ought to grow up by the River, as every other litter had. It would be a long walk for the alabaster cubs, and Karina was glad their father was here to help them. She would carry Bennet herself; her own child was only half a moon younger than the twins but was miles behind developmentally, and she had not yet mastered the upright, toddling walk of her milk-siblings. 

   

    
 

There is a deer that was killed by a lynx nearby. +10 Health

<3

The pups were reluctant, of course. If it was up to them they would never move from the comforting depths of their current den. Unbeknownst to them, their new den was much more ideal. While Lachesis tried to avoid smothering Karina, it would make visiting the twins much easier and quicker (which would please the young mother). However, once they realized that moving = adventure time, the children were far more interested.

A smile curled onto his maw at Karina’s comment about his son, his eyes softening as he studied the ball of fluff. The spirit of Naia lived on in her son, and for that he was thankful. “Definitely,” he agreed with a laugh of his own, his tail swaying gently behind him as he pressed his inky nose to Kyrios’ forehead. “I dono where Atropos got her laziness from,” he added with an exaggerated eye roll as he waited for his ivory daughter to stumble out of the den. Little Atropos would follow soon enough and their venture toward the Hearthwood dens would begin.

He nodded softly at his friend’s request as he shuffled forward, his forehead creased as he turned his attention to the inky smudge. The ever present elephant in the room was who the father of her child was, but Lachesis dared not ask. When — or if — Karina was ready, she would confide in him. Despite the roaring curiosity that burned in his chest XIX kept his lips glued shut. Now was not the time — he had much more important matters to attend to. “Of course,” he responded quietly, offering the mother a small smile before he turned his attention to Bennet. Without further hesitation the healer leaned forward, his elbows resting on the ground as he examined the ball of soot. They were the same milky puppy blue that his own children possessed, and if it was not for their contrasting coats they could have been mistaken as true siblings. They were clear of any cataracts or discharge, which was a good sign. A little more damp than usual but it was nothing to raise concern. “Healthy, just like the rest of her,” he concluded after a moment, his attention falling to Karina once more as he bumped Bennet affectionately with his nose. “Just keep them clean and you’ll have no issues.”

His tail waved slowly behind him as he studied his strange, jumbled family, his smile still painted across his pale maw. “All set?” He chirped excitedly, his toes drumming along the ground. His children, along with Bennet, had been secluded since their birth; he could not wait for his pack to meet the heirs of Hearthwood.

stick with those who stick with you

Her wishes for more sleep were not received well from everyone else. She felt her brother leave her side, the first assault of cold hitting her back. No problem, she readjusted into the remaining family members she had. Crisis averted. She heard Kyrios' jamboree from afar, though it did not concern her. Though a familiar large wetness was felt on her face, and Atropos began accepting that these were the familiar steps that typically happened before it was time to truly be awake. The licking raised her awareness along with the shift in position from a large nose. Another exaggerated yawn escaped her as soft words were mumbled next to her, encouraging her still to move towards the day. Well, fine then.

Her final source of warmth and unity was lifted up and away from her, which was the final straw to piquing the little ghost's curiosity. She lifted her head half-heartedly, looking over her shoulder at the rest of her family leaving the den without her. Small whines of disapproval emitted from her little maw as she attempted to get her wobbly paws underneath her frame. They couldn't leave without her! Where was everybody going? Once she was certain that her four paws would hold her, she pushed forward to follow her family out towards the light, happy that her father had waited for her. She stumbled past his long legs and into the harsh light, destined to find her brother. She squinted up at her peppered provider with her ebony sister in her jaws. What was going on here? She grumbled something between a growl and a whine, anxious to start whatever adventure they were on.

@Kyrios

Everybody else seemed decidedly less eager to get moving than Ky; Perhaps with the exception of his father, who greeted the boy with a soft touch as they met out in the bright world. Another excited woof left him, tiny teeth snapping playfully at the dark nose hovering above his head. Then there was finally stirring in the den, and he spun around to see the familiar silver figure come to join them, carrying his smaller sister. More yips escaped the ghostly child as he shuffled towards them, stretching up towards the dark bundle hanging limply in her mother's careful grip. Despite all her annoying habits, Kyrios had already developed quite a protectiveness towards his baby sister, perhaps because she was so small and weak. He wanted to be near, make sure nothing happened to her, but as she was set down and Lachesis went to inspect her, the well-meaning brother was gently shoved aside. He huffed a small growl of indignation, but didn't try to push back, deciding instead to turn focus to his other sister. Atropos might be as big and strong has him, but that didn't change the fact that he was her brother, and he quickly grew anxious when she was out of his sight. So he slipped under the pale-grey belly, paying no attention to the normally so tempting teats above his head. Instead he went back to the looming dark den opening, peering into the blackness, searching for his pale other half. A calling whine was issued into the darkness, fear for a moment striking the pup as he looked back over his shoulder, worried that they would start off before Atty woke up. But then there she was, tumbling out into the daylight with a tired, yet determined, expression on her face. Barking in elation, Kyrios followed her, tail wagging wildly behind him. He slipped between his father's legs, jumping up to put his front paws on her back, all the time panting fervently. He was a tiny bundle of explosive energy, beyond ready for his very first adventure. Word count: 346 ”Speech”

CaptDanger @DA & vw1956stock @DA

Karina chuckled alongside her would-be mentor, glad that he took as much delight in the pups’ antics as she did. It pleased her to think that they might grow up to be smaller versions of their parents; Kyrios a bold explorer, Atropos a gentle-hearted humanitarian, and Bennet a noble dragon.  As the children slept, she would often whisper stories about their heroic parents and grandparents, some true and some made-up. No doubt Atropos was loath to wake because she was in the middle of some great adventure, responding to a medical emergency alongside Lachesis or defending the border from intruders with Naia. 

Lachesis’s examination of Bennet was equal parts deft and tender, and it warmed Karina’s heart to see a packmate care for her misbegotten child with love and acceptance. Relief flooded the young mother at the medic’s favorable conclusion, and she let out the breath she was holding with a long sigh. She wasn’t particularly educated about the finer points of genetics, so she had worried that with her cloudy vision and Kjors’s missing eye that the parents might have passed down some kind of weakness. She swiped her tongue across Bennet’s face for good measure before lifting the tiny black bundle from the ground once more. Mouth full, she grunted a summons for the rest of the party to follow her lead.

Travel was incredibly slow for the caravan, as they were limited to the twins’ toddling pace and took frequent stops for rest and feeding. Karina was in no hurry herself; she had no intention of over-exhausting the children, so she had counted on the task taking all day. It was her hope that the pups would see this as a fun experience—an adventure even, like their bedtime stories. So the troupe traveled haltingly, stopping to explore every burrow, flower, and bug with awe and wonder. Spirits still seemed high even as the daylight and the pups’ energy waned. “We’re almost there,” Karina told the group during one of their breaks. She could already hear the trickling brook that ran behind the new den, and she was sure that if her eyes weren’t clouded she would be able to see off in the distance the massive bush that marked the den’s entrance.

It was possibly the greatest feeling in the world when the ragtag little family piled in through the den opening for the first time. It was much larger and brighter than the den at Zephyr Rill, with both adults able to stand comfortably inside. Karina knew that the twins’ little paws must be aching, and even Bennet had been squirming and protesting in Karina’s jaws the last few hours. She rolled onto her side in case the pups wanted to feed, but she wouldn’t be surprised if the cubs were too tired to even nurse.  As the family settled, the coppery tinge of a fresh kill met the young mother’s nose, and she gave Lachesis a small smile. “I smell dinner nearby,” she said softly, gratitude in her voice. No doubt a caring packmate or even Lachesis himself had left the deer carcass as a housewarming gift for the group’s arrival.