Oh dear lord, was she ever feeling like hell! And this relentless summer heat was doing nothing to make her feel better. Lazing on a high pile of boulders, partially shaded by some scrawny pine trees, Esa lay on her side, her ribcage rising and falling. She tried to ignore how she was feeling, but the bloating in her abdomen was consistent, and she often felt unwell. Not only that, but she knew she was putting on weight, and she wasn't used to this! Her travels and hunting stints had always kept her trim and in shape, but with the way she felt lately, she hadn't been on her paws much. It was a great nuisance, and she wondered how much longer she'd feel this way. Groaning, she pushed herself up onto her elbows, and then up into a sitting position, but with her hips still stretched out, trying to find an angle that didn't put as much pressure on her abdomen. She sighed, tail thumping against the ground. It didn't seem there was really any way to get comfortable, especially during the heat of the day. Emerald orbs glancing around, she wondered if anyone of the pack was around, hoping that somebody would come to distract her from her discomfort. "Speak" "Listen" Think

The young girl had been steadily growing more confident with exploring the territory alone. Day by day she'd been getting a little further from the den, and this time, without her siblings. The little albino girl walked within whatever shade she could find, since the arrival of summer and a stronger sun, she found her skin was more sensitive to it as of late. She hadn't told her mom and dad yet, but she just assumed that it was normal. Her parents knew her eyesight was a little...off. But asides from that, she was normal, right? Nearing a cluster of boulders, she sniffed around the base. She hadn't been to this part of the pines yet, so the boulders were new to her. Unless of course, she just never saw them when the snow was here. But now everything was bare, the girl had no snow to play with anymore. She walked a few steps towards one side of a boulder, blue eyes curious as she found a little nook she could use to climb upwards. Mildly wagging her tail, she didn't notice that someone else was here. Her attention occupied with the investigation of the rock formations. It wasn't until she was trying to scramble to the top that the half-yearling nearly scrambled right into the paws of the ebony female. "Oh!" Surprised, she froze where she was. Blue eyes wide as she stared up at Esarosa, her ears flattened with nervousness. She half clung to the rock, and her activity was forgotten for the moment. "I-I'm sorry! I didn't m-mean to bother you!" Her soft voice was barely above normal speaking tone, but that's what she always sounded like. She didn't have a strong voice, her shyness contributing to that. "Talk" "You" Think

So wrapped up in her own discomfort, Esarosa didn't notice the pup until she scrambled up onto the same rock she was sitting on, nearly colliding with her. "Woah!" she exclaimed in startle, then smiled in amusement. She realized it was one of Avalon's younger pups, that the Alpha had introduced at the last meeting. "Oh don't worry about it," she assured the youngster, "You just startled me, but it's no bother." It had been a while since she'd interacted directly with pups, but she was glad that Okami had found her today. It would be a good distraction from her growing discomfort, and would give her an opportunity to spend some time with a pup. After all, she would have to get used to that, and she hadn't really been around pups much. "Well, what have you been up to?" she asked, tilting her head, "Have you been out here exploring before?" She supposed she would try to casually engage the albino pup, seeing what her reactions would be. Okami seemed a little shy. Esarosa hoped she was welcoming enough to let the pup settle and feel at ease. She didn't want to appear intimidating, although it was pretty hard for Esa to be intimidating, since she was not a very threatening wolf to begin with and she was not easily angered or offended. It took a lot to make her angry or upset, and most people would never see her less than cheerful. "Speak" "Listen" Think