Before was tromping carelessly through the marshy area; her hooves smashing plants, puddles and ground in a haphazard manner. She needed to find “something”, Finch told her, something for the coming babies. She’d told him to go do it himself. Unfortunately that didn’t work out the way she’d hoped and now here she was, her wolf Creation by her side as she hunted for whatever this “something” was. Finch wasn’t clear on it and no other kin she’d asked could give her a proper answer (it didn’t help that she glowered at them like they’d done something wrong while asking them about it).
[imgleft]https://matope.pixel-blueberry.com/imag ... ncert6.png[/imgleft] They caught the scent of the wolf and doe and followed it, their steps nearly silent, padding quietly after her. She was easy to track, her hoof-steps loud and careless. If they'd truly been hunting, The Killing Moon thought to himself as he slipped through the undergrowth as a wolf, she would have been easy prey. Only her wolf companion might have complicated matters but his pack was six strong.
And so he stalked, growing ever closer, feeling the rush of the hunt, her scent his nose.
Beginnings continued deeper into the marsh area, her steps becoming slightly more careful as her wolf kept pace with her. She sighed as she looked around, no clue what she was actually looking for. What could she possibly need before the babies came? It was a puzzle to her as she’d never bothered to ask about children before.
She nudged aside a low branch from a mossy tree and paused for a moment. Her ears flicked back and then forward in a show of confusion. She hadn’t heard or smelled anything but she felt, for a few seconds, like something was watching or following her. She glanced down at Creation, who looked up in return and snorted on her leg. Beginnings rolled her eyes at the wolf’s comment. “Very funny.”
It would have been an easy hunt but there was no sport in taking down a pregnant doe, nor did The Killing Moon think the MotherFather would appreciate that particular game. Sometimes he made them run, when he was in the mood - but today he enjoyed the sneaking game.
As he grew closer, he slipped from shadow to shadow, ears perked, belly low to the ground, watching the doe and her companion, waiting for one or the other to notice they were being stalked. The other wolves and hounds tailed his movements, waiting for his cue.
Beginning continued looking around, ears straining for any kinds of sound that weren’t natural to the area. Creation shook herself and slid away to check the nearby area. Truthfully they had problems with marshy areas, the smells of the marsh throwing them off and little experience hunting in land like this. The only reason Beginning had come this was a bad habit of thinking rashly instead of considering things first.
The doe turned in a circle, eyes searching for any movement that didn’t belong to her wolf. The sense that something or someone was watching her grew more intense with each moment and it was making her uncomfortable. Normally she was the one making others uncomfortable, wether from her rash decisions or from her abrasive manners. Creation trotted back up to her, watching her steps on the uneven ground then sneezing after a large whiff of the marsh scent. The wolf nudged Beginning towards the area she’d come from, having found some signs of someone or something recently passing through there.
The doe seemed to be aware something was off and her wolf companion was nudging her away from the marshy ground that made her easy prey. The Killing Moon, his belly pressed to the earth and fought the urge to single the attack, to begin the process of running her down.
Instead, he rose, revealing himself as a bright splash of colour among the brush and shouldered his way past the leaves and twigs of his hiding spot. Ears perked forward and eyes intent, he made a ‘whuff’ sound to get their attention.
Beginning stopped in her tracks, head whipping over to stare at the brightly colored wolf that had made the noise. This was it. This was who had been watching her and Creation, probably for a while now. She took a hesitant step forward, ears swiveling to listen for any other wolves or life in the marsh besides them. It seemed safe enough, though Beginning was unsure.
She took another tentative step forward, Creation following at her heels with ears pinned back. The wolf seemed alarmed and heavily on the alert. Beginning looked the strange wolf over, the white and orange standing out greatly now that they were out of the brush. Perhaps the wolf knew what she was searching for? She shook her head at her thoughts but decided to ask out loud anyways, “Do you know what I seek? What I need to find for my babies?”
The Killing Moon looked between the doe and her companion. Wolves were not easy to befriend, there must be something to her, some strength he could not yet see, that bound them. That was clearly worth at least some respect.
And so he transformed - shifting into his tall stag form, though there was still something wolfish in the way that he smiled.
“If you don’t even know, how am I supposed to? Why search when you don’t know what it is you seek?”
Beginning’s eyes widened but she held her stance as the wolf shifted forms suddenly. She then sighed and nodded her head at his words, feeling quite scolded by him. She looked down at the ground, “I understand. I was sent by the father of the children. My mother isn’t around me very much and so I don’t really have any knowledge about having young. I honestly wasn’t even planning on having any really. But please, please do you know what it is I seek for their sake?” She moved closer to him, hope showing through her expression.
"So," he began, brow furrowing, "the father of your unborn children sent you out, pregnant, to search aimlessly for something that you have no idea about?" He was not pleased. "If you intend on having any more children, I suggest you avoid him in future." The doe might have been foolish for seeking with no information but her heart was in the right place.
"I know what you seek. You seek a blessing, which I can provide - and I ask that your children be born with common sense," he looked directly at her and quirked a brow as if to say 'yes I'm talking about you', "but also their mother's determination." He softened the harshness of his blessing with the last line and then sighed.
"Now go home. Your children will be fine and so will you. It's not easy to raise them as a first time parent but you'll figure it out."
Beginning hung her head in acceptance as well as a bit of shame before looking at him again. After the children were born she wouldn’t see the father anymore and she’d seek out her mother and siblings. She suddenly felt the need to be closer to her family. “Thank you. Thank you very much for this blessing.” Beginning bowed her head in thanks as well as awe and set out for her home, shoulders heavy with the responsibilities to come.
