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Dated the 15th
1000+
The world was dark within the den. It was warm and safe, and the two-egg twins struggled to find deeper comfort within the protection of their mother’s fur, of the ring created by the warm and soft stomach and the strong, protective legs. The sounds of their soft mewling had whispered into the darkness as they had struggled blindly, their eyes still closed to the world. And the warrior had slept as they had drunk and had slept, laying in darkness and in Dreaming. As she had first descended into the den, exhaustion had made her sleep without Dreams. The comfort of her familiar shape had made the sleep easy. And she had Dreamt. The pied Raven had come to her and spoke with ambiguous voices—many and one, masculine and effeminate—and she had listened in silence to that voice. A soft breath.
The whisper of a Raven’s wing—
Can you see now the gift which We have given? Dh'aithnichinn air do sheirc do thabhartas. You doubted before. Is fhearr fheuchainn na bhith san duil. Do not doubt again the word of We Transcended.
—silence.
But what was the purpose of all that had occurred? Why had the pups of one she loved been gifted instead of the pups of her father? Why had Corvus been required to find her? The Dreaming whispered wordlessly, and she listened in that sleep. The warrior had been intrigued by the crow-wolf, had desired the darkness and power. And while she had feared, hated, and desired, she had chosen to resist even the lingering desire and had found love instead within the arms of the masked coyote. Yet, had it not been for the crow-wolf, she would not have found the masked coyote dying in the rain, and she would not have discovered love. And for that, she could simply thank the path upon which she had tread. While she had sought to remain free of such emotions, she did not resist it now. And yet—she had dreamt of Corvus, had felt his geld touch upon her skin, the black hand stroking her as she lay there between Dreaming and waking. The Ravens wings drew silence once more, and she had awoken in the stillness of night when even the pups had grown tired. And she had felt longing. Longing. And for that one shard of darkness, she felt shame.
When she had risen, hungry and restless, she had been careful. The pups, however, had not heard or seen her absence, but had felt the lack of warmth. The soft whimpers had caused the woad bound ears to swivel back, but, with no hint of danger or sound of alarm, she had continued to move through the tunnel and back into the world. Onus had hunted, and he had continued to do so, leaving behind rabbits or fish. The black fae ate in silence, swiftly and completely, before returning to the den to allow the hungry puppies to feed and to feel warmth. Gradually, the young creatures moved farther from her, exploring the earthen den with struggling movements under the white, watchful eyes of the Caledonian-Korean. Occasionally, she would rise, coaxing each further with a soft nuzzle of her maw. And both Honor and Chastity responded with a soft nuzzle in return. There was much joy that lit up within the wolf’s quiet soul at that simple touch, and she felt the joy that every mother must feel at the survival of her pups. The black fae had been blessed once more with pups that did not hold deformities, and they had survived with each day. And with each day, they grew.
But the two weeks had been spent in such a way. Despite those joys and the occasional affection, despite the loving gaze she would spare for Onus, a new quietness had settled over her. It had been long since she had run, since she had felt the freedom of the earth beneath her paws and even beneath her feet. And the restlessness that she felt was not within her paws but within her soul. The songs of her Dreaming still echoed within her mind, and their dark tones were both comforting and disturbing. And yet, that day when she had risen that dawn, sitting up with the pups at her stomach, she had looked down to find four glittering eyes looking up at her. There was a long moment of silence and stillness in which the woad warrior simply watched them and they her. Slowly, quietly, a smile graced her maw, and she leaned down to lick them each. Still, they were silent and without speech, but the intelligence and the strange and yet familiar silence behind those strange eyes was enough for the she-wolf.
With a soft pleasure, the black fae rose and the young creatures, rising slowly, followed her. Cwmfen nudged them, taking the short trek slowly and patiently. They whimpered and stumbled, at times rolling back as they moved upon the unfamiliar earth of the tunnel. The woad-bound maw caught them each time, taking careful steps forward to encourage them. "Onus," the alto melody called, her voice quiet for the dimness of the rising sun. There was a subtle excitement within the gentle chords of her voice, for the eyes of their whelps had opened. Her forepaws were set upon the lip of the tunnel as her head lifted, the woad-bound ears alert as they searched for her lover. She did not know if he would be present, but she hoped that the pups, now certain enough to venture forth, would be able to see their sire. And, as if understanding, the innocent lives brushed up against her forelegs, blinking against the brightness of the world with out. Chastity fell against Honor who, in turn, fell against her paw. They mewled with their uncertainty, but Cwmfen lowered her maw to give them each an assuring lick. The woad tipped tail waved once behind her in the darkness of the den. Their paws pressed up against her jaws and she smiled. Looking up, she called for him again. "Onus, look."
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The past couple weeks had passed in somewhat of a relative boredom for the vigilante. Cwmfen and the pups had been mostly confined to the den, the pups especially. Cwmfen would emerge every now and then, but for very little time. Onus understood that that was simply the way things went. The two were completely dependent on their mother right now for food and warmth and protection. He was doing his best to fill his part of protecting them as well, but of course they were inside the lands of Dahlia de Mai. Fairly deep inside the lands at that. The only threat he could think of was from Haku Soul. The coyote didn't doubt for a moment that he would love to kill the lives that he and Cwmfen had created. Though his position as a pack leader prevented him from doing anything of the sort. At least Onus wasn't the only one who couldn't do what he wanted.
So he had spent his days hunting for his lover and lounging about in the oak tree above her den. Now that the children were here and they were his, he did not like being far away from the den. Though he was still doing his part to fulfill his promise to Cercelee. While he was inside the borders more often than not now, he was also out of sight up in the great tree. Even if a Dahlian caught his scent chances are they would be unable to locate him. Onus had made a quick trip to the city to gather a few books to help keep himself occupied when he wasn't hunting. If there was one thing he couldn't stand it was letting his mind grow idle. The man needed to keep his intellect up and active. To him that was just as important as his physical being being fit.
It was early in the morning and the coyote, in the later hours of the night, had allowed himself to drift off to sleep in one of the high, broad branches of the oak. Of course one could never go into a deep sleep up in a tree, but then again, Onus never really did sleep all that deep. So when he heard his name being called he woke at once. Currently his eyes were covered with his cloth, but the rest of his clothes were hanging on a different nearby branch. The coyote sat up, stretching his arms and surveying the area to see if anyone else was around. When he spotted no one he undid his eye wrap and descended the tree.
The sight that met him at the bottom was surprising. He had not laid eyes on his children since they had been taken into the den and it was amazing how they had already grown. Last they had been tiny helpless little bodies. While still tiny and helpless, they were moving around on their own now, however awkwardly. Though the most surprising thing, which he overlooked at first, was their eyes were now open. Pitch black orbs looked intently at the eyes of his children, finding they both had taken an eye from him and one from their mother. A soft smile made its way onto his features and he looked at Cwmfen. "When did they open their eyes?" he asked, genuinely curious. The male crouched down near her and the pups, looking at them with intense interest.
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700+
The woad-bound ears caught the soft whisper of movement, and they swiveled to locate the sound. Soon, the white orbs followed suit, turning up as the woad-marked head moved to look behind her. Onus was already moving from the oak’s great branches at the sound of her calling, and a soft smile moved across her quiet lips when she saw that his eyes were unveiled. For their shade, the eyes would still remind her of the crow-wolf. But they were nothing like the hollow voids of her father’s soulless gaze, and she would remember that the darkness of Onus was not tainted but pure, a strange contradiction within itself. As her lover beheld his children, the woad warrior was silent, allowing him to observe carefully the lives that he had not seen since the day of their birth blessed by the songs of wrens. The soft smile upon her maw brightened marginally, but, for the fae, it might have been the change from dark to light. "It must have happened sometime during the night," the alto melody replied. "They were opened already when I had awaken." The pups had a way of requiring food at inconvenient times, but the black fae had quickly adjusted to their frequent need to feed. Her sleeping schedule had been severely altered, and so it had not been a surprise to find that they had awaken first. The surprise had only been their souls revealed by opened eyes.
And their souls were pure, shining brightly in both the white and the black. And the songs of their souls were so similar that, had the fae been blind, she would have been able to know their geminate state. And it was those shining eyes that looked back at the intensity of their father’s gaze. Both Honor and Chastity had grown alert, recognizing that they had smelled this man before but that they had not seen him or heard him. They blinked inquisitively, unafraid and curious, as if knowing that this man were their sire. The pied pup made a strange mewling sound, as if growling, before falling over, content to stay at the mouth of the den. Chastity blinked before sitting heavily, yawning with the exhaustion of her effort. And then she had lain against her brother. Both pairs of black and white eyes looked up at Cwmfen, who nuzzled them gently before she moved silently from the tunnel and onto the grass, careful to not obscure the vigilante’s view. The pups made a mewl of discomfort at the distance that existed now between their mother, but then they were silent, deciding that they were tired. Their sleepy eyes focused back upon Onus instead as they blinked slowly, fighting off the threatening sleep for the stronger curiosity. "It seems as if they recognize their father," the alto song sang tranquilly. It seemed as if the pups were intelligent, and the light within their eyes shone with the hints of their working minds.
As she stood aside, the white orbs watching affectionately her family (a thing that she had never expected to have), the black she-wolf stretched away the discomforts of her body. Then she shifted, doffing that natural shape for the shape her lover wore. Cwmfen felt that she owed him at least the comfort of relating to such a form after all that he had done for her. For now, that was as much as she could give. With a quiet sigh, the warrior sat upon the soft grasses, leaning against the hill and roots. Because of her idleness, the woad-marked fae had gained a little weight, although it could be considered unnoticeable; such a thing could be easily lost when she would begin moving once more. And, aside from her slightly widened hips and the most recent scars that she could now see, her body seemed to be familiar. She could admit that it was a relief to no longer be bearing the burden of her pregnancy. And she was relieved that the pups did not seem to be tainted by the black soot within her soul. "I think that they will be strong, like you," the soft melody mused. Already the pups had shown great progression. The white orbs turned to consider the sleeping pile before they turned to Onus.
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It was such a strange thing to see them again. Despite his knowledge of their existence and knowing they were his, the old saying "out of sight, out of mind" had somewhat prevailed. Really the only creature he had seen these past two weeks, aside from the animals he had hunted, was her. Even that had been infrequent. Yet of course it had not bothered him. Onus had lived most of his life in solitude and he did not find discomfort in that state. There were times now that he did, when a distance separated him from her, but even with her hidden from his sight he could still sense her. He knew that she rested in that den beneath him with their children. Did he have a family now? He supposed he did. That was perhaps the most bizarre of all. That the proverbial loner now had a family. The coyote registered her words saying that the event had happened recently. It warmed him somewhere deep inside that she had brought them out to share it with him.
As he looked at the pups and they looked back at him a sudden chill shook his heart. Would they fear him? Perhaps he should not have removed the wrap. His mother had thought him a demon from the moment he had opened his own eyes. Would that same, primeval fear strike his offspring at the sight of him? For a moment he leaned back, as if ready to hide his face if the pups quailed with fear. Onus knew that such a thing would wound him deeply, and in such a case he might retreat, only fathering them from afar so they would not know him. But they did not cry out. Honor made a strange noise that made the male draw closer again in curiosity. He watched as Cwmfen nuzzled the two and then he brought his own nose close to their bodies, nearly touching them but not. "You think so?" Puppy behavior was not something he was used to, and so was unable to really read them. He had not spent such intimate time with them as their mother had.
Black eyes flicked to Cwmfen as she began to change but quickly looked back to the pups, afraid that if they were not watched tragedy would befall them. When her transformation was complete he looked back to her. "You did not need to." True, it felt a little odd being in one shape while she were in another, but he knew that she felt comfortable in that quadrupedal form. Perhaps sometime he could change back down for her, but the man did not even know if he would remember how. After his first shift he had never changed back. At her words his gaze shifted back to the twins, studying them. "You speak as if you were weak, but you are not." Cwmfen was anything but weak. She had endured and suffered much and she was still here. There was no weakness in her perseverance and survival.
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500+
At the gruff sound of the coyote’s voice, the twins were awakened but not startled. "Yes," the melody replied with a certainty. "Look—they are not afraid." While they had been blind and deaf at the moment of their birth, the sense of smell was strong, and she did not doubt that the twins would have remembered the unique scent of their father. Looking back, the female’s tranquil features watched the small pups, and, although she had observed the behavior of the young for but those two weeks, she knew that they were not afraid. As Onus brought his nose close to them, the pups reached out curiously, their small muzzles twitching as they sniffed him curiously. Their black noses seemed to move as if one, and they brushed up against their father’s muzzle. Chastity seemed to give a delighted sound before she stumbled, nearly falling out. And then both had withdrew back into the safety of the cave. With their paws behind the lip of the tunnel, they continued to watch Onus as if expecting something.
As she leaned against the earth and roots, she could feel the soreness within her leg rise up, aggravated once more by the changing of shapes. The wound had been deep; it did not surprise her that the healing was not complete. Gently, a woad-banded hand rubbed her thigh, encouraging the discomfort to dissipate. His comment caused her to look up, the white orbs considering him and his black gaze. A quiet smile of gold touched her lips. "I did not want to cause you discomfort," the tranquil voice sang. Absently, the woad-bound fingers touched the risen scar upon her leg, intrigued by its irregular shape.
The soft but golden smile graced was still upon her maw. "We all have our weaknesses," the alto melody replied. "And some more than others." No, it was not that the warrior believed herself to be weak but simply that Onus was stronger. She was a good warrior and could hold her own, but, as always, she could still improve, and she strove to do so. As a warrior, she knew the importance of a strong mind and strong body. And she knew of the darkness that had marred her as surely as claws could. But she did not trouble Onus with such things. The black sand that had settled within the wounds of her soul could be purged by the water’s of Nemain’s domain, but, as with the Long Nights, she required another. She did not think that she was yet ready for such a thing.
The white orbs turned to their pups, tired once more. They sighed softly and yet heavily as they lay in a pile. They slept now through the adults’ quiet voices, having grown accustom to the sound. A soft smile of contentment came as a sigh upon the air as she watched their sleeping forms, as fascinated by theirs as she was with Onus’. Slowly, she shifted, turning her body so that she could better reach them. The black fae settled herself upon the injured leg, and yet was not caused any more discomfort. A hand reached over, gently touching their warm bodies with hands that had not yet done so. A woad bound maw was lowered and she kissed them both at once. A contented squeak and sigh was given in return as they moved before falling still once more. They were more beautiful than she could ever have imagined, like a drop of dew before the dawn. Both of them.
As she relaxed, she breathed in the air of the woods and reveled in the simple pleasure of hearing its song once more. "Can you be content with them?" the tranquil melody asked. Her query referred to their conversation several weeks before the twins’ birth. She knew that he must have been relieved when the pups had been his and not the crow-wolf’s, but what did he think now that he had seen their opened gaze?
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To hear her confirm that they pups were indeed not afraid of him made that nervous vice that had gripped his chest recede. If anyone knew their moods, it would be her and so he trusted her judgment of them completely. Perhaps they did recognized his scent. Though such a thing would be quite amazing to him. He knew that childrens memories were not so strong as adults, especially not when they were still newly born. To think they could recall his scent from the time of their birth would be a feat for such small minds. But perhaps it was instinct. If they had smelled a stranger maybe they would not have remembered. The fact that he was their father could change things, he supposed. As those small noses brushed up against his an excited feeling shot through him. It was warm and comforting. That small noise from his daughter made his ears strain forward, not wanting to miss any of that happy sound. Then they withdrew back into the safety of their home, yet still they watched him, and he watched them.
"I will be fine. Whatever makes you comfortable." Despite the relief of knowing that these pups did not belong to Corvus, he knew that her body and mind were still healing. The wound on her leg had been very severe. Out of the corner of his vision he could see her rubbing the place were it was scarred. "How is it healing?" Onus hoped that he had not botched anything up when he had been tending to her. He wasn't a medic after all. He did not know all the intricacies and details of the body. Hopefully it was only normal for it to still cause her some discomfort. Even the wound upon his neck and shoulder sometimes pained him for no apparent cause or reason. The coyote's gaze returned to the pups who still looked at him as if they wanted something. "Do they...want something?" If it was food surely they knew that at this point in their life he could not give them such a thing. They could not eat the fish and rabbits that he caught.
For a moment the man looked at his lover curiously. In his perception, he did not view her as any stronger or weaker than he was himself. They were equals in his mind. If anything he found her to be a more complete person than he was. Her life was more normal than his was, certainly. But he said nothing in response to her words, only nodded his head. Yes, everyone had their weaknesses. She had become one of his'. Though the vigilante did not dislike that weakness, he only worried for her safety. He never wanted harm to come to her because of him. That was one of the reasons he kept such a distant between himself and others. If there was no one close to him than no one could try to hurt him in that way. Now that gate was open however, and he knew it would never close. But he did not worry for himself, only for her. Her, and now the children that they had together.
Onus watched quietly and with a warmth in his chest as Cwmfen moved to caress the two small forms. The love between mother and child was something to behold. How different his life might have been if he had ever truly felt that love. It had only been an illusion on his mother's part though. The whole time she had just been steeling herself for what she had decided to do to him. The man was thankful that these children would not suffer such a fate. A question that had been asked him a long while ago was asked again, and this time he felt more certain in his answer. "Yes." Already he felt content with them. He was still unsure of himself, but not of them. "I only hope I can give them what they need. That they will never have to suffer because of who and what I am." He wanted them to always be as calm and peaceful as they were now.
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700+
"Well," the soft voice replied, and a quiet smile touched her lips so as to reassure him. The wound and weaknesses of her body had healed well beneath his care. When she had returned to Dahlia, only the tenderness and soreness had remained. And now, only the deep wound grew aggravated at times. The power of Brennt’s jaws had wounded her severely—she had felt his teeth upon the bone. It had been one of the most painful wounds that she had received within her lifetime. The warrior was simply relieved that he had not broken that bone and that he had not made her lame. Such things would have lessened her prowess upon the battlefield, and that would have been one that that she would not have suffered. Purposeless, one must die, unable to exist. But such things had not come to pass, and she had not died. She could live another day to fight another battle and die another death. "The wound grows uncomfortable after a shift, but it soon dissipate,." the alto explained. She had felt it before when her body had shifted after she had birthed the twins. But then, and even now, the discomfort of that wound fell silent.
The white orbs seemed to glow in the half-light of the woods as she turned her gaze from the twins to Onus. "Perhaps they are just curious about you." They were curious about all things, even things that seemed commonplace, and they explored through the sense of touch. While curiosity was a natural thing within wolves and thus herself, her curiosity had never been as strong as that of their pups. And so it did not surprise the black fae that they would be curious of Onus. She was glad, too, that they were not fearful of him, for fear was another strong emotion within the young creatures. It meant that the pups knew him and so loved him too. Indeed, Chastity’s delight spoke of such a thing. The bi-coloured eyes of the twins continued to look up at Onus, the intensity of the expectant, curious gazes almost unnatural. They blinked slowly as they tried to understand what was being said, listening to the sound of the voice that was so different from that of their mother’s.
Onus watched her silently and Cwmfen returned his gaze. She smiled lightly but was silent. Once and twice she had told him that she was not pure, and he had responded that no creature was. And while Onus knew the darkness that lurked within the hearts of all creatures, of the wrongs and the crimes that such creatures could commit, she did not think that he would suffer it within her. It was not fear of herself that kept her silent but fear for him. With the coyote, she always felt so vulnerable. And while such a thing was almost exhilarating because of its rarity, now, within this inner conflict Cwmfen felt the unfamiliar pang of guilt as if she was a cause of a pain that he could come to endure because of her. And so, to keep it from him, she was silent. And her silence was kept not as a secret but as a thing with which she now struggled to purge.
At his words, the black fae was content. It was not as if she believed that the gods could change the seed that had been planted within her, but she believed that they had ordained who it was that shall have planted it. And she was glad of the gift of the gods because it had not caused her to betray Onus in the bearing of life that did not belong to him. A soft smile graced her maw. She sat up, no longer leaning back against the grass and earth. Almost tentatively, she reached out to him, her fingers brushing against his jaw. "You will never be the cause of their suffering," the alto melody sang, her voice dancing like the golden leaves of autumn upon the warm summer air. No, Onus would never be the cause. The responsible would be the attacker themselves. Blame simply could not be extended. "And they will understand that what we are compelled to do is dangerous. They will understand what comes with such a thing." That one of us may not come home one day. The warrior understood and was content. Death was always at her heels—it was the glory and doom of warriors. And even with these lives new, she would not have regretted dying. Within the safety of the pack, they would have grown well even without her care.
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Faaaaiiiiillllll
The man was glad to hear that the wound was only aggravated after she changed forms. If he had not been able to administer to her properly he didn't know if he would have been able to forgive himself. Like her, one of his fears was to become crippled. If he could not fight, then he could not fulfill his purpose in life. He did have more to live for now, thanks to her, but he did not know if he could live the life of a handicapped even then. What good was he if he could not protect her or their children? He would not want to be such a burden. Thankfully what he had been able to do for her had been enough. "Good. I am glad." It was an incredibly deep wound and he doubted that occasional discomfort would ever go away. Just as the occasional pains in his neck and shoulder would never be completely gone. Absentmindedly his hand brushed against that mutilated piece of flesh, remembering the night he had received that mortal wound. Though that night held good as well, for that had been the night they had discovered their feelings for one another.
Ah, yes, she was probably right. Pups were often curious about anything and everything. Though those mismatched eyes stared at him with such an intensity, it was very un-child like. It seemed to him that with most pups, especially of such a young age, their attention was quickly diverted from one thing to another. But right now his children looked at him as if nothing else existed. Onus was used to people staring at him for his odd appearance, but this stare was different than those. Those stares were filled with judgment. The looks of his children were decidedly lacking in that. There was only curiousity, and a kind of developing affection. It was still hard to believe that they were his. The evidence was clear, and yet still he had a hard time fully accepting the fact. How could he have helped to create something so extraordinary? To the man it seemed impossible. It seemed that they were everything he was not able to be. Though he was glad for them. He would not wish his flaws and shortcomings upon them.
The fear of them coming to harm because of him was very real. Men like him were not meant to have children. They were not meant to have anything really. Anyone they were attached to were put in danger simply for it. Though the only one he knew that would have a wish to harm him in such a way was held back because Cwmfen and now the pups were a part of his pack. While that held the brute now, the coyote knew better than to trust that delicate protection to stay in place forever. Onus knew that eventually Haku would try and harm one of them, in some way or another. Whether this even would be soon or far away he could not say, he was only certain that at some point it would happen. He hadn't noticed her movement, so consumed in his thoughts, and when her fingers brushed against his jaw he looked into her eyes. He didn't know if he believed her words completely, but she said them with such conviction that he found it hard to repute. "Still," he said. "I will do everything I can to keep them safe." He would do everything possible to keep them out of danger.
The male's gaze roamed over those two small bodies again. Could they really understand? Would they be able to cope with the fact that their parents but themselves in harm's way constantly? While he wished that they would not have to ask that of them, he knew that they must. Neither he nor Cwmfen could give up the way they lived. It was as much a part of them as anything else was. "Hopefully we will not be taken from them for a long while." There could never be any certainty in that, but he did hope for it. Not for his own sake, but for their's. From what he knew, losing a parent at a young age was a very traumatic event. He hoped that they would be adults before any such loss came to them.
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500+
"They will be safe," the alto song sang with certainty. She did not take unnecessary chances when the lives of others were on the line. She would not fail their children, and she would not fail Onus. And she made a silent vow. They would be safe, and she would protect them alongside her lover. She was not mother. She was not a caretaker. She was a protector, an instructor perhaps. She was a warrior and she would give to her children what she had and all that she had, the same that she would give to Onus.
A faint smile crossed her maw, and yet, for a moment, it seemed to exist without mirth. She gave a brief nod in response, but the silence ensued. She knew what it was like to lose a parent, for her mother had been taken early in life. She had watched as Corvus had killed Graine. It was that death that had first caused the young Cwmfen to run, to doff the blanket of security that, within her life, had always been false. Graine had not been the one protecting Cwmfen, for the severed tendons had rendered the once-wild wolf useless. And surely the powerful jaws of the crow-wolf had been ever lurking in the backdrop, ready to snap down and end the life when it was no longer needed or when weakness arose. No, it had been Cwmfen that had protected her mother. Corvus required Graine only for the purpose of raising the pup, and, as long as the young girl had needed her, Graine had been permitted to live. That was Graine’s purpose, to birth and care for Cwmfen. Cwmfen remembered her mother’s care; it had been gentle and kind, for Graine may have been a warrior, but Graine had known packlife and had known how to care for the young and to know the gentleness of such things. Cwmfen had known affection for her mother, but that had been taken from her with the coming of Death.
Hopeful. It struck an unfamiliar chord within the air. Although the black fae had heard, the word was strange and unfamiliar within her soul. Perhaps onus could hope, perhaps he knew how. The nod of before served to answer that single word. Hopeful. "What will happen, will happen," the soft alto replied at length. "We have but the chance to help them to understand." Understanding. It was a simple thing, and yet it was a profound thing. The power of the mind was just as necessary as the power of the body, and the woman wished, too, to make their young minds strong. They must learn that both their mother and their father lived Life with Death fettered to their ankles. Soon, Death would be jerked and there would be no stopping it. It was inevitable. The twins would need to understand.
"But do not be troubled by such things," the soft melody countered, the soft smile upon her maw brightening. "Cherish what we have." Gently, the warrior’s hands, both strong and yet gentle, grasped the tiny forms of the twins, cupping them gently as they slept. They were warm and soft, and they were alive. Fluidly, with ethereal movements that did not disturb the pups, the black fae sat up, lessening the distance between herself and her lover. The warrior wanted him to hold him, and it was as if she believed that the symbolic act were necessary. But she didn’t know what words would be proper. The white orbs, softening, beheld the two small bundles in her hands before slowly moving her hands out to the coyote, her gaze lifting to meet his with that persisting tranquility.
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She was right. At least for now, they would be safe. They had two fighters for parents and neither she nor he would allow anyone to bring harm to them. They also had the protection of Dahlia de Mai over them. He didn't trust that protection completely because Haku Soul was in the mix, but for now he did not think that the bastard would do anything to make a move against these pups. He did not know Cercelee well, but he knew that she would not stand for such a thing. There were few who would condone the mistreatment of children. If he moved against the twins he would undoubtedly have the whole of his pack turn against him. The villain would make no such move, not at this moment in time. Onus would be vigilant though. He would watch the Soul male from the shadows and make sure that no harm would come to his family.
He saw the sorrow behind her eyes, but did not ask from whence it came. For as well as he knew her, he did not know everything about her past. He knew nothing of her mother, though he could guess that it was no happy tale. Corvus Vendetta would not have chosen a mate to bear him offspring, he would have simply taken what he wanted. It was clear that it caused her pain to remember whatever she was and he could understand, but not relate. The coyote had never truly felt parental affection. His father had never been around (he guessed him to be little better than the scum he now punished) and his mother had been afraid of him and ultimately tried to do away with him. It was something he had never known, and so he was unable to miss it.
Onus was not a hopeful creature by nature. If anything he was probably more of a pessimist than anything. There was so much darkness in the world and so little light that it was hard to be hopeful of anything. The only things that had even shone with light in his life were Cwmfen and now the two children that she had born him. He didn't know if he fully believed in that what he hoped for them, but that would not stop him from wanting the best for them. He wanted them to be healthy and happy and not have those that cared for them ripped away before the time was due. Once again his lover asked for him to live in the moment and not worry so much about what lay ahead. As before, this was no easy thing for him, but he would try. He would try and not let his concerns taint the moments that he was given now. The man nodded his head, a silent promise to do his best.
He watched her as she delicately scooped up the two pups, they not making a single sound or move of protest. She held them close to her and he found that this picture was not as odd to him as he might have guessed. It was not that he ever thought she would be a bad mother, but it had been hard to picture her bearing life and being truly happy. Cwmfen was a warrior first and foremost, and warriors were not used to the creating and raising of life. He knew this well because it was what he himself felt. Yet somehow seeing her cradle their children looked right. She extended them towards him and he looked into her eyes with uncertainty. He had carried them to the den after their birth, but holding them still held a fear for him. But the man saw no uncertainty in her eyes and gentled he took the two forms and brought them to his own chest, looking down at them curiously. "I fear being too rough with them." He did not want to harm them inadvertently.
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500+
A smile graced her maw as he took the sleeping forms of their young. The woad bound fingers relinquished the twin forms. The way she moved in that ethereal manner made it seem as if they performed a strange and long forgotten ritual in the accepting of the young by both parents. And even though her lover had already accepted the fruits of her womb, she felt the instinctual relief at the physical acceptance that was performed. He held them to his chest, and those black pools were curious. The twins shifted slightly as Chastity emitted a yawn. They stretched within his hands before falling still once more, taken by the winds of sleep. She wondered if the pups could hear his heartbeat as she had. She wondered if Onus felt the warmth of life that they had so unexpectedly created. She would not deny the discontent at being fettered from the freedoms that she had known, but she did not reject the pups and so was patient, almost embracing those fetters so that she could raise these lives.
The coyote’s gruff voice caused the woad-banded aurals to lift forward, but her eyes did not stray from the children. "You know of gentleness," the soft melody countered, the alto voice a soft susurrus. The white orbs lifted almost tentatively to find his gaze. "You have shown it to me before." Her words were sung with the memory of a night long ago and yet not forgotten. It was the same night, the warrior supposed, of their children’s conception. But she marveled always at the gentleness of his rough hands and of his body, for he had killed, just as she. Her hands and her body had no doubt grown soft with inactivity, but such things could not be lost by a creature such as she who lived upon the very song of war, upon the rhythms of the body, upon each, singular movements that struck the air like the mallet of bells that rang undeniably in the air. Militiae species amor est, the Caledonian-Korean reminded herself. Love could be gentle too. She could know love, could feel it and not understand it. Could be taken by it.
Silently, the warrior pushed herself forward so that she could sit alongside him. Her movements were natural, fluid, and she moved carefully and deliberately to keep the healing leg straight so that the scar would not cry out in protest. She was close to him, but her proximity was only the suggestion of a touch and the distance persisted. The Raven Dreamer lifted her hand once more, placing it over the sleeping pups, her fingers brushing almost indiscernibly upon his hands. The white orbs watched the scene as if she were not a part of it, and she was content at the unity of the unexpected family. The white orbs, bright as they caught the light filtered through the trees, lifted search his face and lastly his eyes. "You will protect them," the soft susurrus sang. "Do not be concerned." The woad warrior trusted him, and her eyes, white and impassive, seemed to move with love as she held his gaze.
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Fiiiinally I get to this XD I'll start our new one up too <3
He did feel their warmth. He had felt it to an extent the morning they had been born and he had carried them, but this was so much more. Now they were not bundled in his coat. They were larger, stronger, and their bodies touched his own. Onus could feel them moved softly against his chest, their forms rising and falling as they breathed. The warmth from them penetrated him, filling his chest and he thought perhaps this is really what it felt like to be a parent. This was only the second time he had seen them, they had had such little contact, yet in that moment he knew he loved them deeply. They were connected to his heart, just as Cwmfen was, but in a different manner. Similar and yet not at the same time. He wanted to protect them, as he wished to protect her, and he knew that he would give his life for them if it came to it. There was still a different tone to the love he felt for these two children. A tone he could not define, but knew that it was there nonetheless. It was strange and beautiful all at once. How had he been given this? The vigilante had expected so little of his life and now it seemed he had so much. He didn't know if he deserved it, but he would accept it and cherish it. There was no other way to act.
It was hard for the coyote to think of himself as gentle, even though he knew he could be. As his lover spoke his eyes did not leave their children either, but he took in the words. Yes, he had been gentle with her. Where the rest of his life was hard and unforgiving, with her he was gentle. Still, their fragile bodies still worried him. Surely they required even more care than he had shown to their mother. Cwmfen was strong and full grown. To him it seemed what they as adults deemed gentle could be too harsh for a pup. "I suppose. They are so small though." Grown from when he had last lay eyes upon them, yes, but still so diminutive. He cradled them both in his arms comfortably, he could barely feel the weight of them. They were so small and yet they meant so much. It was odd how things as small as they could carry the greatest worth. They meant everything and he knew that he would do everything for them that he could. He still did not know if that would be enough, but the man hoped that it would be. He wanted a good life for them, for his children.
She moved to sit beside him, and though they were close he still felt a great distance between them. While he understood that she was still healing from all that she had endured, he couldn't help but miss her warmth. The thought of trying to impose a closer proximity never occurred to him. Onus respected her wishes and would never do anything that she did not want, for her knew that she did everything with a purpose. If she had wanted to be closer, then she would have been. The distance was something she wanted there and so he let it be. Though when he felt the softest brush of her fingers against his hands he wished for that touch to linger. Neither his arms nor hands moved though, for they still held their young and he did not wish to disturb their sleep. "I will try," he responded. When it came to her, and them, concern for their well being was only natural. A force he couldn't stop. He would do his best to keep it to a minimum though. The coyote matched her gaze and love swam in those dark pools as well. He couldn't help but wonder though if their love would ever return to what it had been before. The pieces were slowly coming back together, but would they all ever be retrieved?
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