ooc:


She had walked along the long, rocky coast until she'd reached the packlands that her son lived in. A wistful glance was all that she had given the place today, jade eyes searching quickly over the territory as far she could see before quickly giving up. She had come to Cour des Miracles several times to look but hadn't ran into anyone yet. She didn't want to get into an argument with anyone there about her being around the border, though, so she had made her looks very quick. She didn't need to talk to him, to hear him tell her that he was disappointed in her...she just wanted to physically see him and make sure that he was okay. She did worry about Haven more than the girls. They still lived in their birth pack. She didn't know who lived in the Cour des Miracles pack.

The woman was in her lupus form, the form that she had chosen to stay in for the duration of her pregnancy. She had been pregnant twice before this time, the first time choosing her optime form and the second time her lupus. It seemed like things had been more dangerous for her in her optime form...she'd tripped over young Sirius, her sister's abandoned child, while walking down the stairs. Though the pup had been all right, she had suffered a miscarriage and had lost those pups. Being closer to the ground on four legs and less able to fall hard on her front made her feel like this form was the one to stay in.

Naniko had been planning to go and see Ehno for a little while now, her belly growing ever so slightly with each passing day. She was almost mid-way through it, the pups forming and beginning to grow at what felt like a much faster rate. She wasn't huge, by any means, but the bump was now becoming more noticable. What would Ehno say when she saw him? He was the only one that she'd been with, she would have to make sure that he knew that. There had been an instance in the past where she had been unsure of whose pups she was carrying, whether they were Conri's or Kansas'...but that was a long time ago. She and Conri had been together off-and-on, and it had been before Savina and Kansas had begun their relationship.

One of her patients clung to her fur, a zebra finch named Jack who was the same color as the wolf herself. He had a broken wing and couldn't yet fly, and was using the large predator as protection. No fox or hungry raccoon would attempt to catch him if he was sitting atop a big wolf like this one! And he offered the fallen leader a little companionship through the dark nights in the city. There was something about the city that gave Naniko a bad feeling some nights, but the feeling usually went away by the morning. Maybe it was the many deaths that had happened there--it was a place that had been heavily populated by humans in the past.

She was nearly around the left edge of the place, at the area where the shoreline packlands' borderline curved down toward the water. There were some good herbs around this area...she would gather some and then head to Crimson Dreams to speak with Ehno. She didn't want to see either of the leaders, so it would be tricky...but this was an important matter. The bird spoke to her as she looked through the grasses, bringing her into a lighter sort of mood as she searched. She replied to his small chirped words, pulling a few plants from the ground with her teeth. "You're kidding. Three? Well, you'll most definitely be healed up by next spring, and you can do all the courting you want to. I'm sure you'll have three eggs next year, too. Maybe four!"

400+



Ehno had been stuck in the pack lands for the last week. The usual rainy weather suddenly took a violent turn, the clouds throwing downpour after downpour onto the territories of 'Souls. The clouds' constant torrent of rain did not seem so terrible at first, but as it continued the lands began to show the true dangers of this weather. All of the water had no where to go once it hit the ground and before long the lower regions began to flood. As much as Ehno wanted to leave the pack lands and seek out Naniko in the city, he realized that it would be a foolish move to make. He knew he wouldn’t be doing anyone any good if he got swept away by the constantly pouring rains. The chocolate hued male spent much of the last few days cooped up inside the manor, so he did not hesitate to leave at the first sign of sunny skies and safer, drying terrain.



He traveled in his lupus form for once, preferring it for the speeds he could reach while on all fours. The Marino had sloshed through the wet lands at a quick pace when this journey began, but he had slowed down considerably by now. The thoughts that plagued him all week finally seemed to catch up to the hurrying wolf and he couldn’t seem to push them away. He hadn’t seen the white-furred lady in weeks, not since the night they shared together on that dark and surreal beach. The Marino man had been planning to go out and visit her again, but the sudden flooding across the lands had hindered his plans and only added more to his frantically fluttering thoughts. How safe was the city during the storm? Was the ex-commander of Crimson Dreams alright out there by herself? It was probably nothing to worry about, but Ehno worried nonetheless.



The frantic pace he had originally taken up had brought him to the borders of that new shore-dwelling pack rather quickly. The strong scent of the clearly marked borders rose to greet him and he began to skirt along the edge of the claimed land. It would be faster to cut through the new pack’s lands, yet the Italian man chose not to intrude. If he should meet one of the pack members while taking his little shortcut, it would only delay him further. He needed to practice patience. He would soon meet up with his D’Angelo friend (or was she more than a friend, after what happened between them?), no matter what path he took. His pace remained steady and golden eyes stared straight ahead as if he could see his destination just ahead.

ooc: short; very tired XD but i wanted to reply

The sewer system of Halifax was old, but it had proven to be reliable through the heavy rain and storms that they had gone through over the last few weeks. She couldn't even imagine what it would be like for Ehno in Crimson Dreams, with the mansion there right next to the lake. It had probably flooded the whole entire thing! She was curious about it, but was trying to put that pack out of her thoughts as much as she could.

Jack noticed that someone was approaching first, and set off a series of peeps that made her snap her head up. He'd only ever sounded like that when there was real danger around; lately, she hadn't run into too many wolves in the city. "Who's out there?" She growled, sinking down a little in the grasses and reeds to hide herself a litle better. She was on neutral territory, nothing claimed...so hopefully whoever it was wouldn't be looking for a fight.

She dropped the herbs that were in her mouth when she spoke and forgot about them as soon as they hit the ground. This was more important. So far she had carried these pups well; she wanted no accidents. She had fought and won against her habit for them and for Ehno, and this other wolf wouldn't take that away from her. The white wolf could see movement in the grasses to her left and she stood up suddenly, teeth bared. The sight that arrested her gaze was not that of another loner, though...it was quite the opposite. She took a different posture, more subdued and perhaps a little embarrassed. "I didn't think I'd see you out here, Ehno. But I was on my way to see you, anyway. I'm sorry that I lunged at you...I thought you were someone else. Maybe I've spent too long in the city." Too long alone, even.

400+



Ehno figured he was alone out here for the moment, save for the usual forest dwelling creatures that lived in the area. One of them, a small bird it seemed, began to call out in frantic little peeps. He paid the birdsong no mind, thinking nothing of it until he heard the growl of another wolf greet him from some distance ahead. Ehno slowed his pace, lowering his head as he stalked forward cautiously. He was mighty close to the new pack’s borders, so perhaps this other wolf was a member of that pack. It would make sense if they were suspicious of another pack wolf so close to their home. His amber gaze scanned the horizon as he crept forward, hoping to spot the other and explain that he was simply passing by before there were any misunderstandings.



Suddenly the other wolf leapt up from his right, halting Ehno in his tracks and moving him into a defensive position, hackles raised. His eyes widened as soon as he spotted that white coat and jade eyes and recognition immediately dawned on him. He pulled himself from his defensive stance as she shifted to a less threatening posture, a sheepish and apologetic smile crawling to his features. “Sorry if I’ve frightened you,” was his quick apology. He hadn’t expected to see Naniko out here, and she hadn’t expected to see him either, evidently. He was both surprised and happy to hear that she had been on her way to see him as well, but a sense of guilt washed away those feelings as soon as he heard her last statement. Ehno still felt terrible that the she-wolf spent each night alone out there in the city. The sheepish smile fell from his muzzle. Being out in the city obviously wasn’t doing her any good. He wondered briefly if he could somehow convince Savina and Anu to let her come back yet.



“How have you been? Everything going ok out there?” he asked. The Marino’s amber gaze swept over her form quickly, looking out for any injuries or signs of foul play. The D’Angelo lady seemed to be just fine at first glance, but then something unexpected caught his attention, eyes doing a double take at the sight. There was a slight roundness to her belly, the kind of roundness a pregnant wolf might present. His eyes widened as a though struck him. Had he done that? Or someone else? Maybe she had been attacked out there, after all. Panic seized him and his mind resorted to denial. He was just imagining it. Everything was normal. It was just a trick of the light, it had to be.

ooc:

It wasn't that the bird was bad company; far from it. He chattered endlessly most days, filling the silence of the city with noise that it didn't often get to hear. There were only a few birds that she'd seen in that manmade forest of buildings and those had been gray, drab-looking birds who hadn't paid her any mind as she'd passed them by. Their songs hadn't been nearly as beautiful as this finch's were, either. She probably would have stopped to appreciate Jack more if she hadn't been so focused on her mission for the day. Herbs, then Ehno.

"No--I'm not frightened. Any more, anyway. I didn't know who it was...and being this close to Cour des Miracles made me wonder if you were someone who was out here to warn me away. I'd hoped to get glance of Haven, to be honest." So far he hadn't come looking for her, and she wasn't sure what to make of that...if it was good or bad. Maybe he was having such a good time that he'd just forgotten to come to update her on his life...or to tell her that he was even alive. It must have slipped his mind.

"I'm doing well. Great, even. I didn't want to cross into Crimson Dreams unless I had to, but I needed to find you to tell you some news. I think it's good news...but I don't know if you will."Her throat felt suddenly dry as her words ran out, and she cleared it quickly. Better to get it done with quickly. Rip the band-aid off. "It's not good timing...in fact, it's horrible timing. But nonetheless..you're going to be a father, Ehno"

500+ Sorry I've been so slow lately. >:



Naniko spoke up, effectively pulling Ehno from his thoughts and allowing him to shift his gaze away from her belly. The Marino still felt a bit guilty for giving her a bit of a scare, but he knew not to dwell on it. He nodded at her words, understanding her caution. Ehno had expected to run into a suspicious Cour des Miracles member as well. She mentioned that she wanted to see Haven and Ehno's gaze drifted to the distant pack lands. He had heard through the grapevine that the Aatte boy had joined another pack, but that was the extent of his knowledge. "So that's where he's run off to..." he muttered, mostly to himself. He distantly wondered if the boy still kept in touch with his family in Crimson Dreams.



Amber gaze turned to the D'Angelo lady once again, studying her quietly as she spoke. Ehno's ears perked up as she said she had some news for him. For a brief moment he wondered what the news might be, but those creeping thoughts from earlier whispered to him, telling him that he already knew. His heart began pounding with the suspicion that his earlier observation may not have just been some trick of the light. During the pause, he couldn't keep his gaze from drifting to that slight roundness she displayed. She got his attention again as she cleared her throat, amber eyes darting quickly to meet her jade ones. And then she confirmed those suspicions, just like that. He was going to be a father.



With the sudden rush of emotions, Ehno didn't feel like he could hold himself steady. He slowly sat down, eyes widening but never leaving Naniko. He was struck speechless for a moment and he tried to sort through all his thoughts. Fatherhood. He never thought it would happen like this. But was it a bad thing? He liked Naniko (didn't he?) and he knew she was a good mother. Would he be a good father? Did he even want to be a father? Of course he did. Even if these circumstances were rather sudden, he could never be unhappy with the prospect of fatherhood. But he wasn't the only one involved here. Naniko said she thought it was good news, but did she really think that? "I..." he began, but the words seemed to get caught in his throat. He wanted to tell her that she had his full support, but he needed to be certain of how she felt about all of this. He had given her another issue to deal with along with her fight against addiction. Guilt slowly crept up on him again. He cleared his throat, trying to regain his composure.



"You... you're really ok with this?" he questioned slowly. He wanted to make sure that she was truly fine with how things turned out. He wanted to be happy about this too, but he could only really be happy for this ill-timed turn of events if she was as well.

me too! XD I've been so sick this week! I'm probably gonna stay up all night. Gotta get up in 4 hours to pick my brother up and take him to school anyway o.o


She hadn't heard word from Salem or Haven, even though she knew where Haven was living. He was right there, within her reach, but she didn't feel right going in after him if he wasn't ready for it. He would have come and got her...right? She didn't know any more. Naniko was having a hard time with the whole perception of right vs wrong.

Naniko had been given more time to consider things, to get used to the idea of the puppies and to decide what she wanted to do. She was certain that she couldn't come back to Crimson Dreams after what had happened. That she would find a better life for herself somewhere else. That living in those lands, having to be led by those who she had previously governed over. "They've saved me--they made me stop for good, Ehno. I would never hurt them..."

They were a good thing, no matter what. She would be just as happy if she had found out at any other time, with or without the drugs, drama, and pack issues. "Even with everything, I can't not be happy about it. They're children, blessed children. Yours..and mine."

300+



Ehno still felt shocked by the sudden announcement and he continued to sift through the torrent of thoughts that had bombarded him. It was a lot to process at once, but past it all, Ehno was beginning to feel certain that he was thrilled by the prospect of fatherhood. Naniko spoke again, and her words put him at ease, letting him embrace that building excitement. She was happy with the pups. She didn’t regret them. And as his mind finally began to organize those racing thoughts of his, he began to realize that he did not regret them either. Despite the timing, he felt that the arrival of these pups was nothing but good.



The pups had helped her, giving her another reason to kick her drug habit for good. The Naniko he knew would never willingly cause harm to her children, and she would be well aware that using those drugs while she carried that litter would only cause them harm. She seemed determined to redeem herself, to get rid of her dependence on those man-made drugs and return to the woman she had once been. Nothing she had done so far led him to doubt that. So he knew she spoke the truth here. This was a difficult time in her life, but the pups stirring within her were a blessing, a light to guide her down the right path. Ehno found himself slowly smiling, his excitement suddenly building. “I know you won’t hurt them,” he said. He would make sure of that.



He felt his tail begin to wag happily behind him. The Lieutenant was nervous and happy and excited, the various emotions mixing strangely together and giving him a sort of adrenaline rush. He felt the sudden need to jump around excitedly, but he contained himself, settling instead to stand up again and walk a few steps closer to Naniko. “This is good, Nani.” The smile on his maw was bright, genuine. “They are truly a blessing, our children. I never would have expected this to happen… but I’m glad.”

She wanted him there with her, wherever she went...but could not expect that of him. It was her that was leaving, after all, and she had made up her mind. She wouldn't listen to reason when it came to what she thought was right. She had made a mistake in Crimson Dreams that had almost injured a pup, but no one had gotten hurt from it and she was the one who had really suffered, without the help of her two "friends". A time when family really should have come together, they had left her to the elements.

She was grateful to Ehno and to Jazper and Urma. They were good friends, real friends. Ehno was even maybe...more than a friend now. But she wouldn't dare to hope that he might come to be with her. This was both of their faults, what had happened, and though she wanted to ask him to leave his home and his family to be with his children she wasn't sure if it was right to do. She wasn't the kind who would beg and plead for him to come and be with her, like she might have been in the past; she was one who would suffer secretly, in silence.

"Me too. I'm glad. But Ehno...I talked to Anu. I don't know if I can come back there again, after everything that happened. I can't be at the bottom of the chain again after making that pack...and leading it for this long." It would drive her crazy, insane. She couldn't put herself in that situation, where she would always feel defensive. Joining her own pack would be the worst part of it all...and then having to deal with Savina lording everything over her after that? No way. That was definitely how she thought it would be; the woman would still be mad at her and would hold it over her head.

Headache makes this short and funky. D:


The more he thought about this news, the more he saw the good in it. In addition to giving Naniko another reason to steer clear of the drugs, it could also give her another reason to return home. The old human city was no place to raise pups, she would know that. It would be best for them to be raised in the safe, nurturing environment of a pack. If she returned home, she would be able to show the other members of Crimson Dreams that she could be trusted again. She could prove to them that she was still the same Naniko, just as she had proved to him.



With those thoughts clouding his mind, he wasn’t prepared for what she told him next. All the excited energy fluttering through him came to a halt as he realized the implications behind her words. He became very still, trying to comprehend what this would mean. How could she not come back to Crimson Dreams? “Of course you can come back, Nani. They’ll understand, they’ll… they’ll…” Desperation dripped from his words and his gaze fell to the ground as he trailed off. How could he possibly convince her to change her mind? “You can’t raise these puppies out in the city by yourself.” He brought his gaze back to her. “I won’t let you be alone out there,” he said, a soft, pleading promise. Suddenly things didn’t feel so sweet.

<3! 300+


The D’Angelo lady argued against his pleas once more. Frustration hit Ehno suddenly and without remorse. She was being stubborn. Her stubborn pride was clouding her judgment, making her irrational. He needed to argue back, to make her see that she was wrong about this. The simple thought of being separated from Nani and the pups set alarm bells of dread off in his mind. He couldn't let that happen, he had to persuade her somehow, any way he could. “Th-they’ll have to deal with it. Learn to understand and trust you again, like they used to. Our pups will be treated—” He stopped mid-sentence, a switch flipping in his mind and flooding his thoughts with a sudden, bright realization. He wasn’t listening to her at all. What the hell was he doing?



Ehno hung his head, averted his gaze. He was being selfish. If Naniko returned, everything would be fine again—things would be fine again for him. He couldn’t see past the haze of sudden excitement and worry and frustration to see how she truly felt about it. Imagine if he was in her position. He most certainly wouldn’t want to go back to a pack where the leaders mistrusted him. This was asking too much of the woman. He wouldn’t force her into something she was uncomfortable with. “I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to sound so demanding.” He shook his head, sheepishly raising his gaze toward her once more. “If you’re uncomfortable coming back to Crimson Dreams, that’s fine. I understand.” That didn’t mean he liked it. He hesitated with that thought before continuing. “But if you aren’t going to come back… where will you go?” Ehno didn’t want her to remain in the city to raise their pups, and he knew she wouldn’t want that either. The numerous other packs in the area were always options for a safe haven. The question was, which would she choose?

Sounds good to me. Maybe one more post from you?



Ehno had to will himself to calm down, to slow his racing thoughts. So many questions, concerns, and thoughts of surprise and disbelief flew through his mind, leaving him almost dizzy. He had gotten Naniko pregnant. He was going to be a father. Could this really be happening? What was he going to do? What could he do? The Dreamer took another breath to calm himself, closing his eyes briefly. He tried to push all of his thoughts to the side. He could contemplate them all on his own later when the news was not so fresh to him. He just needed some time to process it all.



Phoenix Valley it was, then. Even as the Dreamer questioned why that was her choice, the white-furred woman elaborated and made it very clear to him. “Ah, Geneva,” he said, a smile crawling to his lips. "You'll be in good hands, then." He didn’t know any of the Valley’s current members aside from Geneva, but she was a kind woman and Ehno knew that Nani would safe. What worried him most was the distance the pack was from Crimson Dreams, and as he wondered about that, a disheartening thought struck him—would he follow her there and leave his family behind? Could he even consider staying behind and distancing himself from Naniko and the pups? He couldn’t think about it, not now. Instead he focused on the present. “Will you be heading back to the city now?” he asked, the slight hesitance in his voice betraying his building worries. “I can walk with you there, if you’d like.” He wouldn’t want the pregnant femme to wander about on her own, though she seemed to be doing just fine by herself thus far.

Late Jenny is late. :[



Eventually those racing thoughts of his finally crawled to a slower pace and he could think, he could breathe, at a normal rate. The thoughts still hung in his mind, but they remained still, waiting until the right moment to pick up the furious pace once more. The initial shock had settled, but he knew he wouldn’t be able to truly react to this news until later when he could give it more thought. He was floating in some half-comfortable in between state, where the reality of this news was staring at him in the face and he could do nothing more than stare right back at it. It was an odd feeling, to be honest.



Ehno’s gaze darted to the little bird with Naniko, assuming it to be the Jack she referred to. Sending messages seemed like a good plan. Ehno could be kept in the loop even while being so far away. And when the time came, he would travel to Phoenix Valley to be there for Naniko and their pups. “Wonderful idea. I look forward to hearing from you, then.” As he walked beside the D’Angelo lady toward Halifax, an excited warmth began to fill his chest.