With Wake tending to the worst of the man's wounds and him seeming to make it through the night, as well as could be expected, Modesty had little doubt it would take a few days for the aches of his ordeal to leave his body. Maybe a little longer for the wound on his leg to heal. She had laid out food and water within reach, did the same for Gilgamesh, given that he seemed to maybe be sleeping for once... maybe he was just pretending to keep an eye on their latest stray.

First things first, she had to check on the livestock, everyone accounted for, Oddball and the cattle dogs keeping everyone in line, she quickly diverted to the estuary, leaving some food out for the ducks, as she had discussed with Nim. The rickety, temporary structure could wait until Deluge and Dread returned from wherever they had slipped off to. Then she returned to the skins she had laid out, in the shade of her tree, on the edge of the Moor and settled herself down to eat. She was already dreading the impending need to stay close to her children. Maybe with Jael also being pregnant they could take turns in the fresh air and sunshine. A contemplative hum as she chewed on some dried fish, eyes staring through the middle distance, rather than focused on anything in particular.

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Kestrel wasn’t one for remaining still for long. Feeling a desperate need to stretch out his limbs, he slipped from the den and out into the sunshine. He could hear the sound of seagulls from here and knew they weren’t far from the beach. He remembered the desperate walk from the ocean to the treeline. Perhaps his brothers… but no, he knew they were gone. His own rescue had been unexpected, pulled from his spot an inch from death's door.

As he walked slowly along, he caught the now-familiar scent of his rescuer. He found her in the shade of a tree on some soft skins. He approached, nodding his head just shy of a bow to her. “Morning, my Lady.” He said softly to the woman who held his life-debt. “Mind if I take a seat?”


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Modesty wasn't used to others asking to join her. Whether it was because others viewed her as generally unapproachable, or on the opposite swing, her children didn't feel the need to ask, it was a novel experience to have Kestrel approach her in such a way. She gave him an easy smile and gestured to the empty space alongside her, inviting him to make himself comfortable, a gesture of her paw to the laid out snacks an open invitation to help himself while she finished chewing on her strip of dried fish.

She allowed the silence to pass for a moment before she asked, "How did you come to find yourself almost drowned last night? Should we look for others?" The questions were gentle things, not demanding as one might expect. If there was a chance of other survivors, she'd rather have her wolves keeping an eye out.

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At her gesture, the sailor settled down beside her. His recovery was early enough that his body needed a lot of fuel to repair itself. He took her offering, knowing he already owed her more than he could repay. He munched on a dried strip of flesh and wasn’t terribly surprised by her question.

He shook his head, remembering the sudden storm. The attack, one of his brothers screaming. A few more ragged pieces of his ship had washed up to shore, but he did not think it likely any wolves would be found on them. “We were attacked by something in the sea, I saw at least one of my brothers fall. The other two? I don’t think it’s likely.” He said, shaking his head. “They would have washed ashore by now.” He glanced out at the ocean, as if his words would encourage such a sight.

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Tales of an attack in the night from the sea would usually be thrilling bedtime stories, not the reality that had been laid out for the young man before her. Modesty didn't bother to keep the concern off her face, she didn't hold onto her masks at home. "Depending on where you were attacked, they could have washed up anywhere from the Runestones to the Tar Pits, I'll ask my scouts to keep an eye out just in case." The Raider's weren't exactly a sedentary bunch, keeping ears and eyes open was an expectation. It would be no trouble for them.

"So what do you plan to do once you are back on your feet?" She questioned easily. "Although we aren't exactly... well received in many places, you're welcome to stay, if you wish." She certainly wasn't rushing him out the door.

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Kes hadn;t even dared to hope, but at Modesty words he couldn’t help a hint of the emotion wash through him. Shown in a sudden stiffness and tilt of his head. He had assumed this was the most likely shore, it was where he had turned up after all. But she would know part of the ocean far better than him. If things that broke up just out of reach from here washed up in those places too… perhaps there was hope after all. Just a thread of it.

Her next question caught his attention as well, and he gave her a light grin. “Well, that largely depends on you actually.” He admitted. He sat up enough that he could bow his head in exaggeration, his paw moving in a flourish around it. “Kestrel Snowcrest of the seafarer clan at your service. Where our most deep seated belief is that a life saved is a life owned.” He waited for the understanding of what that meant to sink in.


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It took a moment for the words to settle in. She canted her head in consideration. Far was it from her to snort at the beliefs of others, but it did pose her with a problem. She nodded to acknowledge she had heard his words, but the cogs were clearly turning in her head. "I only did what any decent wolf would have done, but as I mentioned, we aren't exactly well received among the other packs. I have been attempting to repair our reputation, but I am certain there are still places I'd be attacked on site for daring to show my face. Gilgamesh is none too keen on letting me wander about alone, if you would like to stay with us, accompany me on my scouting missions, I would be most grateful for the back up." She offered as a compromise. She didn't have a need for slaves, they didn't keep them, but a bodyguard, well that could be put to use.

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Kestrel knew that the politics of this pack were about to become a lot more important to him. There was likely a great deal of rich history here to dig through, but it would take time to get a proper feel for the lay of the land. He grinned with a hint of teeth at her words. ‘I’d gladly watch your back, Queen Modesty” He agreed, curious at what she was proposing.

“I’ll need a little time to get back to my full strength, but I can use that time to learn a little more about these packs that you distrust.” He put forth, indicating his willingness to learn. He would have a lot of catching up to do, but the beliefs of his people… he understood, deep in his core, the cost of a life. The cost of his life. He would never have made it to shore without her, and what she asked did not sound so terrible.

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That dealt with, Modesty allowed herself a chuckle at his need to recover, gesturing to her swollen sides, "I don't intend to go stirring up any trouble until at least the Spring, I'm sure whatever is to come will more than keep me on my toes until then." There was too much risk in wandering around so heavily pregnant, when there were so many who would delight in her misery. "But don't let me hold you back, once you are back on your feet, you are welcome to wander where you will. Fighters are expected to participate in raids, when we have them, but I'm hopeful for a rest with the colder weather."

She was hopeful, but that didn't mean her husband and children were... "We usually reside in the trees, and I'll return there once the pups have their feet beneath them." She tipped her head up to the treehouse that currently sat empty, "But others choose to den on the ground. You can worry about that when you are well again though, you're welcome to stay with us under the tree if you prefer, in the meantime."

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Kestrel nodded his head in understanding, nodding towards her stomach. “Any guesses to how many little troubling making raiders are swimming around in there?” he asked her lightly. He knew from the fact that one of her children had tended to him that it wasn’t her first batch of kids. He intended to learn all he could about Modesty in the coming weeks and months. He was a quick study, and his life was… gone. Swallowed up. It was easier to keep busy, and not dwell on what he had lost. Perhaps that was part of why he jumped on his family's traditions so easily.

“I appreciate that, I think I'll need to do a little wandering until I’m not easily lost.” He agreed, but not until he could manage without help. He would also need to get in on a raid or two if he was going to learn the best he could. Seeing how the other packs reacted to their raids and faced the challenge would tell him a lot.

He glanced up at the trees as she mentioned it, and nodded his head. He wasn’t sure what he thought about denning up high, but he would try it out at least. “I’ll stick around with you guys, if that’s alright.” He had promised to watch her back, after all.

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She gave the man a rueful smile, "Morwenna's money is on four, and I know better than to bet against a healer," she chuckled, "Jael is pregnant too, not sure how many she has though. She's too terrified to let anyone else near her, she was hiding in the back last night." If he hadn't felt that unsettling collie stare on him last night, he would surely notice it in the coming days. "There's not a lot of her, but she is fierce, it might take her a bit to warm up to you, but she's fiercely loyal once she does." Modesty's grin when speaking of the little wolfdog had just a tinge of giddiness to it.

As for scouting, there were no shortage of wolves that could show him around. "My oldest daughter, Deluge, lives down by the cliffs at the other edge of the Ravine in a treehouse with Morwenna and Dread, if you need someone to show you around, she or Sakana might be the best navigators I have. Sakana has a map he drew up to map out herbs, and if you want to stretch your legs and would rather do it in peace, you're welcome to take Moo out to stretch his wings," She tipped her head up to the branch where the kite was perching, regarding them with the sharp curiosity only a member of the raptor family could muster. "He'll get you home again if you happen to get lost." It was only fair for the bird, that he shouldn't have to stay cooped up just because his mistress was territory bound until her pups were old enough to be left.

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