It wouldn't be long now before Recluse would be having her little brothers and sisters. She cringed as she thought about more stinky brothers, but at this point she wasn't too excited for either sisters or brothers. She had plenty, she thought, but it wasn't up to her. First she married a strange man and now she was pregnant, and about to pop too. If she didn't care so much for her mother, she wouldn't have been out collecting motherwort to ease her discomfort and stimulate contractions when she was ready.

Much hadn't been seen of the girl since before her birthday. Spending most of her time locked away in her hut, she favored the company of herself over anyone else in the pack. There wasn't anyone really like her, but that was okay. Inviting others in to her secret magic club that consisted of just her currently was scary. Without solid evidence of others practicing magic or dark arts, she was hesitant to say anything.

Most of her evening had been spent picking plenty of the plant until the sun set. That was her sign to seek out her mother, whom she assumed to be resting in her den with the sun freshly setting. If she wasn't already awake, she would be soon. Grabbing food and drink from the stores, she made her way over to her mothers den and poked her head inside.

"Mom? Are you awake?" She questioned, peering around the room before slowly stepping inside. "I've brought you some food and herbs." Setting the basket down that carried everything, she waited for a response. Certainly she hadn't missed her.

"Speech!"

Art © Ulfeid3 & Code © Skelle 2022

Recluse had no delusions about how most of her children felt about their younger siblings. Few enough of her eldest children had shown any care for their younger siblings and she hardly expected her younger litter to like the one that wriggled around in her womb now. Wendigo seemed the biggest exception, poor sick Wendi. Misery at least seemed to have given one or two of his younger siblings a chance but the rest? Well, she would never force them to be friends, only asked that they tolerate each other enough to needlessly harm each other, something she sometimes felt like some of them felt was still asking too much of her. Recluse could only hope that her love for them was returned enough that her children would respect her wishes on this.

For now, it seemed, that was true enough as Widow approached her, Recluse wasn't asleep per se but she was resting, she was laying in her nest with eyes closed but her head was up and she turned her head slightly as her daughter approached. "I'm awake." She said softly, loud enough for her daughter to hear but there was still clear exhaustion in her tone, taking whatever brief moment of respite she could get to rest her poor body. "You can come in." She said, chuckling lightly.

Speech

Art by MrRendy

"I'm awake, you can come in" was all she needed to step further into the den as if she were some kind of vampire that could only enter with permission. She had been mostly worried that she wasn't home, but there was a bit of worry finding her with Eraithus. She wasn't against him entirely, she just didn't know him well enough to form much of an opinion. Either way, she certainly didn't want to find her laying with him whether it was pg-13 or not.

She picked up the basket and brought it closer with her, setting it down near Recluse as she sat herself. "I've brought you something to eat and some motherwort for when it's time," she repeated and gestured towards the basket with her paw. She wasn't a healer and didn't want to be one either, but that didn't mean she couldn't know a few helpful things. One could even go as far to say that she maybe even learned a thing or two because her mother was pregnant. "How are you feeling?" she asked then, curious if there was anything else that she needed.

"Speech!"

Art by SkeletonDragoness & Code by Skelle 2022

Recluse watched her daughter approach, her gaze soft as she watched the now nearly fully grown woman before her. Her children were all really growing into their own wolves right before her eyes. Widow had grown into a truly gorgeous woman, and Recluse had little doubt that any wolf that managed to catch her daughter's eye would know just how lucky they'd be. She shuffled herself into a sitting position, groaning slightly as she shifted her weight. The late pregnancy was always the worst, her body was simply exhausted from carrying the weight. Her daughter gently pushed a basket of herbs towards her and the woman smiled, nodding. She had every reason to assume her daughter wasn't exactly thrilled by the notion of more siblings, she'd hardly been the most friendly with her litter mates but she still appreciated the gesture.

"Tired." She said chuckling in response to Widow's question. "Do as your mother says and not as she does, don't get pregnant." She said teasingly. There was a part of her that wanted grandchildren of course, though the thought that that could happen any time now certainly made her feel old, she also wanted her children to make sure they were making the correct decisions for themselves. Few enough wolves could raise two litters totally on their own as she had and if they never wanted children of their own? Well Recluse cared that her children were happy above all else. "What brings you around? Surely it wasn't just to give me some flowers, lovely as they are." Not that Motherwort had any flowers...

Speech

Art by MrRendy

She couldn't imagine what being pregnant was like, unless it was like eating a meal until you were so full that you couldn't move... but the food did occasionally. Widow didn't like the thought really and stopped it from brewing in her mind before it festered. She smiled through a soft chuckle at her words to spare herself from pregnancy. It wasn't something Widow thought about really, though she supposed that it wouldn't be much longer before she was grown. Barely over a year right now, but at the rate the first year had gone it wouldn't be much longer before she was fully grown... physically and all.

"Don't you want grand kids?" she teased, though doubted it would be her to bless Recluse with them. There was still Kali and Carnage, not to mention all her brothers. She hadn't seen much of them lately, but as a girl herself she couldn't imagine any other wanting to lay a paw on them. They all stink!

Recluse didn't waste any time pressing her on her real reason for coming. Widow couldn't say that she didn't come here with a reason, but she certainly wasn't expecting so soon. She would have rather gauged the situation to see if it was appropriate for her to take a small trip, alone but with her companions and any others her mother wanted if it meant she could go. If Widow so much as thought Recluse needed her here, for any reason, she wouldn't ask. That wasn't the case however, and Widow couldn't bring herself to lie to her mother. She had come here for a reason, and it wasn't just to bring her 'flowers'.

"Well I wanted to see how you were doing, make sure you're feeling okay," she started, pausing to give Recluse time to change her answer from tired to something more serious if that were the case. "but, I also wanted to ask if I can take a short trip? A week maybe, just to explore a little further than the surrounding lands and study them." She didn't want to over explain, but at the same time felt that if she left out details it would be too easy for her to say no. "But if you're not feeling well, then I'll stay!"

"Speech!"

Art by SkeletonDragoness & Code by Skelle 2022