Table © Alaine
OOC: S'all good! *hugs* Take your time. <33
Bah. Post is rambly and shitty. If you need more to work with, lemme know!
Wc: 923
At first, Ghita wasn't sure that her companion heard her. Waiting patiently beneath the tree she'd chosen as her camouflage, her tail has slowly begun to wag, just the tip of it, until it became clear that Anslem had seen and heard her. Then, as her muscles stretched to bring the fae to her full height, her tail was lazily moving from side to side, hitting the back of one hind leg before moving to the other one, all the while a playful smile dancing across her features.
Yeah, maybe it was stupid. But she was proud to be here, to have made it this far without being noticed. And damn stupid. But not stupid enough to think that simply because she was a friend of the Inferni male's that she would be scot-free by all Inferni members. She surely wouldn't begrudge her friend, if things came to it, to chase her out of the territory to save face; the last thing she wanted for Anslem was to be labelled a traitor, to be accused of harboring spies, especially in this warring time.
So she remained alert, ears pricked for any sound that could indicate a pack member from any pack wandering into the territory. Then again, she'd jump at the noise of a deer in this state. Because no matter how many risks she took, no matter how foolish she seemed, Ghita Marino was still a mother, a mate, a sister, an aunt, a friend - for once, she mattered to some people, although they may be few and far between. As much as the thought of it made her fur prickle, she would be missed if she happened to run into the wrong crowd around here.
But all of those emotions born of nerves and fear quickly dissipated as Anslem's expression melted into a warmer one, obviously happy to see her. "Sì, sì - everything's bene - good. Sophia and Aro are healthy - rambunctious and energetic, but healthy nonetheless." Unable to keep a guilty grin from spreading across her face, the femme was aware of Anslem's nerves - the words spilling out in a single breath were hard to miss.
A pang of guilt spread from her chest at Anslem's next words, realizing just how the war was not only affecting Inferni and Dahlia de Mai, but all of the packs as one. "I suppose the smart thing would be to stay away, but for those of us who become easily bored, it's always a pleasure." Unaware that her English had largely improved since the last time she'd seen him, Ghita prattled on easily, able to talk about one of her greatest joys in life- her puppies. With the unexpected pregnancy announcing itself soon after her first meeting with Anslem, the young mother had been restricted to her own territory, probably with some intelligence behind the decision. Then nursing the youngsters had had to occur, then raising them until they were somewhat self-sufficient... every step in their lives seemed to put Ghita's further and further away, on the back burner for now. With all the time devoted to them, there was less and less that Ghita could use for her own enjoyment, a fact she took begrudgingly, but a fact she wouldn't change for the world.
"I heard about the visit from them - you made quite an impression." Offering him a soft smile, she lowered her hindquarters to the ground, optics sparkling with the adrenalin that came from running all the way here. "When Crimson Dreams first heard about the war, I knew that Savina would be worried about her friend in Inferni, as I was; Not to mention the kids were asking about 'Uncle Anslem'. They call you that, you know." Grinning now at the endearing term her children gave to the wolf-coyote hybrid, she couldn't think of a better way to show her family's friend ship with the male; Savina obviously cared for him, and although Ghita had met the male just once, the kindness he showed her obviously ran deep.
Nodding, she listened to the news of the war with a mixed heart. Part of her, the more adventurous, restless side wanted so desperately to be a part of the battle, to always have the adrenalin going... Then again, the more sedated mothering side told her that she'd quickly regret wishing that, once faced with the horrendous reality. "If Savina knew I was here, she'd claw my eyes out; But I'm sure she'll be happy to hear some good news. A greenhouse is always good news - will you have enough supplies to be ready if it comes to a battle soon?"
Right here, right now - these were the questions that no one wanted to answer. The harsher, scary questions of grown-up life, hinting at the reality that maybe, just maybe the two sides weren't ready for a war, and the ending of it could quickly become ugly. There was no doubt about it - lives were in danger on either side; and Ghita wasn't naive enough to think that her's was safe simply because she lived in Crimson Dreams. Truly it was the calm before the storm; and this fae, who had never been sentimental in her life (before her mate and pups came along) felt the prickle of fur underneath her stomach, wondering who she wouldn't see again in the other packs, who Anslem would be mourning the loss of next time she saw him; If she saw him again, that is.