It had been an arduous journey to get to this place. Long days and kilometres of walking. He was so far from home now, he wondered if he would ever see his mothers again. On the bright side, he was sure that Branch had come here as well. Whether or not he was still here remained in question. It was pouring rain, but he didn`t it too much. He found himself tucked into the space behind a waterfall, watching the ripples in the pool below his paws. The rocks were slimy and slippery, and he wondered if he was going to get an infection from sitting here too long. A toad hopped into view at his side. The two peered curiously at each other. Verdant gaze met with a more acidic pair of eyes, waiting to see who made the first move. Evidently, it would go the the toad. It sprang into the water below, and was gone. The silver clad male huffed, trying not to feel insulted by the amphibian and its rude departure. This wouldn't be so unbearable if there was someone to hang out with, and wait out the rain.

The rain caught her unexpectedly, as she gasped as she felt it slid down her ears, and into her coat. A glance down told her that her ribbon was holding tightly to her forepaw, tucked over carefully to keep her herbs out of the elements, but that wouldn’t last long - once it soaked through her careful hours drying the herbs she preferred to keep on her, would be ruined. She was still in Auster, having found the herbs here to her liking, and spent sunny days gathering supplies. Most of her herbs where in a den near by, so the rain wasn’t going to destroy her livelihood entirely, but it was still a setback she would have rather avoided. Shaking the cold from her coat, she recognised that she wasn’t too far from the falls where she had met Serene, and knew of the cave behind the water. She ducked her head and put on a burst of speed, leaping over roots, paws landing lightly in the growing puddles as the Lazuli Falls came into view. She approached the water without slowing, and leaped, her momentum carrying her over the water and into the cave on the other side, pushing through the water in seconds. She underestimated how slippery the rocks would be, with her paws already damp and unable to find purchase. With an unladylike squeak, she began to lose her grip and flounder backwards, seconds from falling into the water behind her. ""

All at once, he wasn't alone anymore. Crashing through the water came a small female, who looked rather harried. Her paws slipped on the smooth stone, and she began to tumble backwards. A startled grunt caught in his throat, instinct taking over as the male lunged forward to catch her. "Hold on-" he barked, jaws splaying wide as he sought to grab hold of her scruff. If she didn't twist too sharply, his hold might actually land. If she was amenable to his help, he would keep her from hitting the water. Just barely. Not for too long, either. These stones were still slippery, and the added weight to his awkward, overextended position, would likely send them both into the drink in a minute or so. "Le' 'e 'ow 'hen 'our 'eet ah und' 'ou." He grunted around the mouthful of fur, hoping the message got across. He wasn't about to let her go sliding back into the water again. So, once she was steady on her paws, he would let her go. Thankfully, she didn't taste horrible. This girl kept clean, so he didn't have to suffer through the taste of sweat or dirt on his tongue. That was the worst.

She knew she was going to hit the water, she wouldn’t be able to save herself. Her herbs where going to be ruined, and her poor ribbon was going to need drying, and she would have to hope it wouldn’t be damaged. That little blue piece of material was all she had of her mother, and as much as she told herself she needed nothing from a woman who refused to raise her, she knew she could never let something happen to that ribbon. As she took in a deep breath and prepared to hit the water, she heard a startled grunt, the beginning of a sentence, and before she knew it teeth where clasping onto the scruff of her neck. She went limp in his grasp, first with surprise, and then so she wasn’t fighting him. She scrambled a little with her feet as he gave her support and time to find a grip, and then she was fully on the ledge and secure, panting a little with surprise, through the whole thing took only a matter of moments. She felt the teeth release their hold from her fur, and as she moved a little further from the ledge, she would get her first look at her savior. His steel-grey coat held strange patterns, and markings that brushed across his face like shadows. His eyes, bright and green in a pale face where shocking and sharp. He towered above her 39... Perhaps 40 feet in height, which suited his bulkier frame, as her diminutive height suited her lithe and small one. “T-thank you” she said, shocked at the emotion in her tone, she cleared her throat, and reigned her feelings in. “You saved me from a cold dip” she said, pulling out a touch of a grin to lighten her expression, speaking nothing of the sentimental ribbon that she was truly grateful for him saving. ""

Thankfully, she didn't struggle or fight back. Instead, she hung limply from his jaws for a moment. Ah shit, please don't go boneless on me here. he thought to himself bitterly, bunching the thick muscles of his neck to keep her steady. The grating scrape of claws against stone pierced his eardrums, and he flattened his ears against the onslaight for a moment. It ended fairly soon, and he felt the weight he was holding lessen. She must have her feet under her. Cautiously, he slackened his grip. It was slow, making sure he wouldn't need to grab hold of her again. She didn't stumble or falter. Her stance was firm. She shuffled a little further from the water again, bringing her ever closer to his chest. There wasn't exactly a lot of room back here. Her brilliant blue eyes, like shards of ice, climbed up his form. A hot blush rose from his chest, burning in his lungs, and climbed up to his cheeks. She was awful cute. Tiny though, like she was still a kid. He was at least a foot taller than she was. Could tuck her into a bag like Branch had, and then walk around with her. That would be weird. “T-thank you” she said softly, the stutter betraying fear. Ah jeez, that must have been a harrowing escape from a dunk. “You saved me from a cold dip” her smile was gentle, but dazzling. Were those dimples? Or just a trick of the low light? He smiled warmly. "Don't worry about it." he rumbled, eyes crinkling at the corners. "It would make our conversation much more awkward if I had just let you fall, right?" there was humour in his tone, to match his jovial expression. Before he could forget his manners, he said "I'm Birch."

Her study of him was a quick one, but perhaps could be seen as a touch impolite, if the blush growing in his cheeks was any indication. She had only wanted to see the wolf who had jumped to her aid without a second thought, she meant him no embarrassment. She sat back on her hunches to give them both a little room in the small cave, the sound of the waterfall mixing with the falling rain, with a woosh and a pitter-patter she shook out her damp coat, trying not to spray the man in front of her, through it was hard in the confined space. His own smile was warm in response to hers, so perhaps her examination of him was forgiven. “It would be harder to hear you over the rain, and my language may have been a touch more impolite, and perhaps burbled with water.” she agreed easily, pulling at the bow about her paw until it was free, herbs tumbling to the cold rock as she laid out the piece of fabric, draping it over a tilted rock with her teeth so it would have a chance to drip dry, as she pushed her little bundle of herbs, also protected with a large leaf, to the side. “I’m Riva, also known as Damsel in Distress” she introduced herself, the self-deprecation in her words wasn’t matched by her easy-going voice, or how her smile grew a little under the banter. ""

A fine spray of chilly water pattered over his face, forcing a snort from his nostrils to clear them. It didn't bother him much, though. After all, she was soaking wet, and it wouldn't do for her to catch something. “It would be harder to hear you over the water, and my language may have been a touch more impolite, and perhaps burbled with water.” she returned easily, matching his humour with her own. He laughed at that, smile widening. A few short bobs of his head indicated his agreement. "Yes, that sounds about right." he said. He watched her delicately pull at the ribbon around her forepaw with thin teeth, untying it. A small assortment of herbs tumbled free, curled carefully into a leaf. She smoothed it out over a stone, laying it out to dry. Smart. As she pushed the herbs to the side, his attention was turned back to their conversation. “I’m Riva, also known as Damsel in Distress” her smile was just as broad, her tone filled with mirth. He chuckled again. This girl was a spitfire. "Nice to meet you, Riva. Lucky for you, they call me Knight in Shining Armour in a few lands." he offered, a tiny wink accompanying his joke. Thinking back to the harshness of her rescue, he added. "I, uh, hope I didn't hurt you. I don't know my own strength sometimes, ya know? I could, um.. find a healer for you, if you're sore. Or.." he glanced to the herbs she had set aside. Perhaps she was already well versed enough to fix herself up. "help you find some herbs?" Birch, you moron. What the hell are you doing? He chided himself. If he'd torn up her neck, how likely was it that she'd want his teeth or claws anywhere near where he could maul her some more?

He snorted as water was flicked his way, but didn’t otherwise comment. She was grateful for that, she couldn’t stand huddled, in a wet miserable heap, and he didn’t seem to mind taking a few droplets to ease her comfort. As she spoke again, Birch ducked his head in a gesture of agreement, and she tilted her head to the side, a warm smile still softening her expression. “Knight in shining Armour. Yup, i’ll testify to that” she agreed, he deserved some praise, perhaps a dip in the water wouldn’t have been a big thing, but when a strange wolf came dashing through the falls and found themselves in trouble, he didn’t even hesitate before he came to her aid. It told her that he had a big heart, and already she was feeling a friendship towards the towering brute. He got a little awkward then, despite being a big man, and grown in his own right, there was uncertainty in his tone as he wondered if he had hurt her. She couldn’t see the spot he had grabbed her in, but she wasn’t feeling any blood. The scruff of the neck was a good place to grab, and he had aimed his teeth quite well if she was any judge. The fur felt a little pulled, and there was a bit of soreness to the area, but nothing out of the ordinary. “Easy” she laughed “You did the right thing, and I’m fine” she promised. “If it soothes you, I can tell you what to look for and you can take a look yourself.” he really did have a big heart, she thought as she tilted her head to the side, displaying the side he had caught her on. “Push back the fur and look for any blood, if its clean, forget it, if there is, just brush it over with this” she nudged a tightly packed leaf that held the scent of salt and honey, and very faintly of something not many wolves could identify as Trillium. A rare herb, she preferred to spread out its effect by blending it with other herbs. The pack was her own little blend to starve off any infections “And no harm will come from your quick-thinking rescue” she promised him. ""

The ebon female didn't seem distressed, save for to soothe his worries. "Easy" she assured him with a laugh. “You did the right thing, and I’m fine” Despite her calmness, he had a hard time believing it. Given the size of her compared to him, he wouldn't have been surprised if he'd torn her head off with misplaced kindness. She was so delicate looking. It reminded him of his baby sisters. He'd struggled to be gentle with them, as they'd grown. There had been scrapes and bruises over the years, and he'd turned into a very cautious man with small things. “If it soothes you, I can tell you what to look for and you can take a look yourself.” Yes. Good. She tilted her head, allowing him full view of her neck. Trusting as all hell, that was for sure. His earlier thought, as intrusive and uncalled for as it had been, returned. He could harm her easily, if he chose. She was brave as hell. “Push back the fur and look for any blood, if its clean, forget it, if there is, just brush it over with this” her paw brushed against a folded over leaf. “And no harm will come from your quick-thinking rescue” she finished. He nodded softly, arching his neck as he invaded her personal space. Tongue would slip from the confines of his maw to slide over his nose a few times, until it felt warm. She had already been soaked to the bone, it would be rude to stuff his cold nose into her fur. Without further ado, he set to snuffling about in the fur he'd just slobbered over. The scent of copper didn't assault his senses as he went along. He caught glimpses of red, her skin roughened by the graze of his teeth. Well, at least he knew he hadn't done too much damage. "Alright, I guess you know best. No blood, but I think you might wake up with a nasty bruise tomorrow." He pulled back his head, brows drawn together sheepishly. "Sorry about that." A soft, apologietic smile turned up the corners of his inky lips.

Despite being a healer, Riva was still young, and while she was well educated, in some ways completely naive to the world. The idea that this complete stranger with big teeth might hurt her, didn’t even occur to the girl. That she was cut off from the world in the little alcove with a man who towered over her, not quite twice her height, but certainly getting up there, gave her no fear. He nodded without speaking, and arched his head over her. It was easy for him to reach the back of her neck, his height was an advantage there. She couldn’t see what he was doing, but she could hear his tongue brush over himself. Was he.. Warming his nose? She huffed a soft laughter at the polite giant. She felt his nose as it moved through her coat, and tickled her with his warm breath. She sat still and patient as he completed his examination, and it was clear he had some idea what he was talking about even if he wasn’t a healer, when he told her there was no blood, but she would bruise. The soreness to the area had already told her that, but she wasn’t concerned. She could brush some honey over it at some point, and it would ease the redness. She preferred the bruising over losing her ribbon, she was sentimental like that. She huffed softly again as she had a thought. “Since your there, can you rub this over it?” she asked him. Her herbs, well organised, were grouped together in different leaves beneath the main one that held them all together. She pulled out a tiny leaf, with the sweet scent of honey and nudged it towards him. “Has anyone ever told you, you're awfully gentle for a giant?” she teased him. ""

He didn't get much of a chance to put distance between them before she spoke again. “Since your there, can you rub this over it?” she asked quietly. Verdant gaze drifted from the ink dark fur of her neck to her paws. One dark, itty bitty forepaw plucked a leaf from the rest. Ah jeez, it was awfully tiny. Just like her, he was at risk of tearing the delicate leaf with his gigantic chompers. He hesitated, trying to puzzle out the best way to do this. After all, who was he to turn down a request to help where he'd harmed? He lowered his head slowly, careful not to bump her with his skull. With his luck, he'd be careless and knock her into the drink. Then this would all be for naught. The end of his tongue poked out from between his lips, and he stuck the back of the leaf to it. There had to be a purpose for all of his slobber, right? Evidently, it was for sticking tiny leaves to his tongue for spreading over a small wolf's neck. “Has anyone ever told you, you're awfully gentle for a giant?” she questioned in a teasing voice. He bit back a laugh, because it would send all of these herbs flying into the water for sure. Carefully, he lifted his head, making sure not to dislodge the leaf from the tip of his tongue. Craning over her head again, he slipped his tongue back into his mouth once the leaf was resting on her neck. It smelled delicious. Would he die if he ate it after this? Using his nose, he pushed the sweet scented leaf against her skin and smeared it over the area he'd bruised. A vaguely sticky residue streaked over her skin and fur. Ew. He didn't want to eat the leaf anymore. "The Wreckage clan comes in all shapes and sizes, you have to learn to be gentle with those who aren't as big as you. Also, most of my family are healers, so I got to see a lot of the consequences of being too rough with one another. Herbs are expensive, so I don't want anyone wasting them because I wasn't watching what I was doing." he explained in a soft voice, continuing to rub the leaf over her skin to his satisfaction. Once it was thoroughly saturated into her skin, he lifted his head. The tiny leaf was stuck to his nose, both from the natural moisture and whatever sticky stuff it was covered with. Ah jeez. He grinned broadly at her, taking advantage of the humour of the situation. "What the heck is this stuff, anyway? It smells awesome."

The forest green of his eyes trailed down from her neck to her paws, and she glanced down also at the little packet she indicated. He seemed troubled by what he saw there, but she only saw what had always been, her little collection of herbs, painstakingly dried and organised for any emergency or situation. The Ribbon that carried them all lose to her body was still drying, kept carefully to the side and out of the way. He reached down very slowly, carefully, his caution bringing her attention to his dilemma, and then she was biting back a laugh. Of course, the friendly giant was exactly that - a giant. The little herb packet looked ridiculous next to his bulk, and as he reached out his long, pink tongue to grab it she wondered if he would manage the task she had set him. He did manage to set the little leaf against her neck, she knew because of the coolness she could feel from the honey there, surrounded by the warmth of his breath, so she knew it wasn’t just his tongue. He found a way to move the leaf along her neck, rubbing the honey into the red skin, and the pain that his teeth had left there mostly soothed away. She let out a soft, satisfied sigh. Once he finished, he began to speak again, and she could easily imagine him with a troupe of smaller siblings, and the need to be careful with them as they played. The imagery was gorgeous, and she smiled warmly at the thought. “Thanks for the assistance, sometimes it’s hard to administer herbs to oneself. I haven’t heard of the Wreckage clan, admittedly, but i’m still a little new to the land.” she explained “My family name is Nightingale’ she would add, a little cautiously. Birch was young, like Riva, and she wasn’t completely certain her mother was from these lands, but the little tidbits she had picked up over her life that indicated her mother was not a good woman, made her cautious to use the name. She craned her neck to look up at him, hearing the laughter in his breath, and was almost nose to nose to him as she recognized the herb she had given him, attached to his nose like a little ornament. She laughed with him, and snaked out her own tongue to grab the leaf, brushing his nose as she did so. She ate it whole, which wasn’t as gross as it might sound. Licking her own wounds clean was normal and healthy, so there wasn’t anything on the leaf that would be bad for her, and the honey was nice and sweet. It would seem she wasn’t the only one considering the sweet smelling thing on the leaf. Most wolves wouldn’t try to raid a beehive, but then most wolves weren’t healers. “it’s honey, very sweet, and a natural antibiotic. It’s also soothing, and good for things like bruises, or itchybites… and here I am, raving on. Forgive me.” she laughed, one of these days, she would get herself an apprentice. “Here, let me show you something” she had come here last time and discovered the pockets of sugar that seemed to swell naturally in the cave. She scraped against the wall at the very back, until finer sprinkles came through, then looking right at Birch, with a jovial expression, she licked the wall. The sweet taste of the sugar swelled on her tongue, and she let out a satisfied mm as she swallowed. ""

As he worked, she didn't seem too perturbed by his ministrations. No hisses of pain or grunts of discomfort. “Thanks for the assistance, sometimes it’s hard to administer herbs to oneself. I haven’t heard of the Wreckage clan, admittedly, but i’m still a little new to the land.” It made sense that she would have trouble getting herbs onto her own neck, so he felt a bit better that he was doing something useful. “My family name is Nightingale" she added. "Like the bird? That's neat." he said quietly. Her tongue darted from her maw, swiping across his nose to steal the leaf away. His stomach lurched at the sudden contact with the female, eyes widening. Woah. The leaf and its sweet smelling contents disappeared into her mouth. Aw, leaf. he thought mournfully. All this thought as to whether or not it was safe to eat, and she didn't even tell him before she took it for herself. “it’s honey," Aw, honey. he was definitely bummed out about it now. "very sweet, and a natural antibiotic. It’s also soothing, and good for things like bruises, or itchybites… and here I am, raving on. Forgive me.” Her laugh was a little awkward. The slight against him was forgotten in favour of smiling to reassure her. "Hey, I told you, lots of healers at home. I've heard rambling, and that ain't it." He promised with a thousand watt smile. “Here, let me show you something” she offered, sidling up to the wall behind him. Her delicate paws stretched onto the stone, and she scratched at it. After a moment of vigorous assault on the wall, she reached out and licked the wall. There was a moment where his brain visibly buffered, processing what she'd done. She... licked.. the wall. Tentatively, he stretched his neck out over her shoulder. He didn't need to stand on his hind limbs to reach the same spot, but he wasn't quite so sure about licking a rock. Maybe it was the water that tasted good? She hadn't tried to steer him wrong yet. So, he took a leap of faith. He licked the stone wall. A burst of sweetness flooded his maw. "Oh!" he gasped, swiping his tongue over the spot again. This little trick was neat as hell. Alright, one more lick. Just.. because. It was tasty.

Her family name clearly meant nothing to him, and she wasn’t sure if she felt relief or disappointment. She hadn’t come here looking for answers, but still, if there had been some to find, perhaps she wouldn’t mind knowing them. On the other flip of the coin, if her mother had been a terrible person, she didn’t want Brich, who she already considered a friend, to recoil from her. When she removed the leaf from his nose, he would promise that her rambling was nothing compared to what he had experienced in his family, and she had smiled thankfully at him in response. When she had scratched at the wall, she got the sort of reaction she had been expecting, where he wasn’t certain what to do, but perhaps wondering if she had any herbs for wolves that got funny in the head. Birch could reach the wall over her easily, his reach far superior to her own. He hesitated, as through he wasn’t too certain what to do next. Follow or lead, or assume she had lost the plot. She smiled at him and patiently waited for him to make up his mind. Her grin only grew as he stretched closer to the wall, his tongue flicking out through his maw, and licked the rock. She couldn’t help the soft laughter that escaped her lips, but if he was expecting a prank he would be disappointed.. Or perhaps not, considering the treat he was discovering. Since he was licking above her, she was careful to avoid any goobies as she took another lick of the rock herself. The sugar scraped against her tongue, and sweetness filled her mouth again. Birch licked a few more times too, clearly enjoying the sweet taste she had shown him. “It’s sugar, its not harmful, but its not great either, so don’t go crazy with it or you might get a bellyache” she warned him. Her smile was a little smug now. “Worth a leap of faith, right?” She shuffled back from the sugar and leaned against the sidewall as she slid down to her belly, putting her head on her pads with a sigh as she looked out through the waterfall. It was still raining outside, and if anything it had gotten heavier. She could taste the thint of electricity in the air, and had a hunch that they were in for the long haul. No doubt they would start to hear the sound of a storm soon enough. ""

“It’s sugar, its not harmful, but its not great either, so don’t go crazy with it or you might get a bellyache” he heard her speaking over the sound of his tongue lapping at the stone wall. Sugar. He was definitely going to remember that. Whenever he found his siblings again, he was taking them here before they did anything else. “Worth a leap of faith, right?” She teased. When he glanced at a downward angle, she was wearing a shit eating grin. He ceased his assault on the sugar deposit, minding her warning. If he got sick in this tiny cave, there would be nowhere for them to hide from that nastiness. "Yes, I promise I'll never doubt you again." His own low voice was teasing. Evergreen optics tracked her movement as she settled onto her belly to watch the water tumbling at the end of the cave. Well, that was quite the shift in demeanour. Quirking a brow, he fell heavily onto his haunches, giving her her space. No doubt she was worried about the rain, and when it would let up. The distant rumble of thunder was still inaudible over the roar of the falls. However, the pool at the edge of the cave was churning with the force of the downpour outside. "It's monsoon season, you know. The storm might last a while, but we can make it work. Worst comes to worst, you can use me as a shield against the rain, and we'll find a new spot to hole up." He said softly, smile warm. "How about we try and sleep it out? Might as well use the time to rest up." His vocals were a low thrum, barely above a murmur. He slid down onto his belly, until he could roll onto one side and stretch his legs out across the cavern floor. Resting his ebon marked cheek on the cool stone, he let out a deep sigh. Those legs of his were long enough to nearly brush the edges of the stone. His side would be damp for the better part of the night, thanks to the wet stone beneath them, and the other side would likely suffer from the spray of the falls. He glanced at Riva. She looked so morose, laying there by herself. "If you want.." He lifted his head so he could properly look at her. Don't do it. A blush crawled up his throat to his cheeks again. "You're free to snuggle in here, there's plenty of room for ya." He tipped his head towards the space created by his limbs. Birch you moron. He should say more. Be reassuring. "I promise I won't be up to any funny business, my mom's raised me right. Plus, you might freeze to death in here at night, and I'm as toasty as they come." Smooth, Birch. Real smooth.

He was going pretty hard on the sugar, if the lapping sounds where anything to go by. Still, he took her warning to heart and eased off when she voiced it. His own response was teasing as he promised not to doubt her, and she could definitely see their friendship growing avidly. When she settled down against the wall, there was a moment of quiet before Birch spoke again. “Monsoon season?” she wondered out loud, her age showing in the questioning tone of her voice. She felt like she had heard the word before, but couldn’t quite remember the meaning. Still, he clearly tack it onto the weather, and it had some importance to the rain, and the likelihood that it would let up anytime soon. His words painted a picture in her mind, and her grin returned, if a little more subtle this time. “I could probably walk right under you, too” she joked, unashamed at her short status. He mentioned sleep, and she was feeling the day wear on, perhaps a snooze would do her some good. Still, she sighed. “Just thinking of the damage to the herbs all this rain is going to do” she admitted, imagining drowned herbs in the lower lands. Oh well, little she could do about it now. Birch started to speak, and seemed to hesitate. She looked up at him in curiosity, and watched a slow blush spread across his light features. It would have been fine if he had left it at that, but he continued on, burying himself with his words. There was laughter in the back of her eyes, though she tried to hide it. “Oh good, I could imagine how a mouse might feel in an avalanche at the thought” she indicated their sizes, hiding her own embarrassment with her words. She had never tried any funny business before in her life, through she knew the gist of it. “but it is pretty cold over here” she admitted, not quite getting to her feet as she crawled over to him, and found a space around his long limbs, using his forpaws as a cushan, and the fluff of his stomach as a blanket as she curled into a little, teeny tiny Riva-ball beside the gentle giant that was Birch. Before she could start to get too comfortable with the idea of sleep, her ear perked up in curiosity. "Did you say mum's?" ""

TESTING TESTING, I'M JUST SUGGESTING YOU AND I MIGHT JUST BE THE BEST THING The giant hated to see her so forlorn at the mention of monsoon season. They had settled into a pretty fantastic friendship, even in this brief time. His brows pinched together. However, the mention of a giant, furry umbrella brought twinkling mirth back into her eyes. “I could probably walk right under you, too” she joked. It was a bit of a shock to meet someone who wasn't afraid to mock their own stature. His smaller cousins tended to go on the offensive as soon as he mentioned their diminutive size. A sigh heaved from her small form. “Just thinking of the damage to the herbs all this rain is going to do” she muttered. The corners of his lips turned downward in a frown. "Don't worry, I'm sure we can find some stuff when the rain lets up. No one ever died from a little drowning, right?" he was joking, and terribly. His features shifted into a goofy grin, hoping to improve her mood again. He didn't like it when others were upset, especially if he could do something about it. Apparently, his fumbling had done the trick already. A spark returned to her icy eyes, laughter bubbling up in her voice when she said “Oh good, I could imagine how a mouse might feel in an avalanche at the thought” Booming laughter erupted from his jaws, chin tilting upwards and eyes squeezing shut. This girl was a riot and a half! They both knew he wouldn't hurt a fly, and that made it all the more amusing. When his sides easedd their heaving, and he could breathe again, he wiped at one emerald eye with the side of his wrist. Were those tears? Ah jeez, he hadn't laughed that hard since he'd set off from home. It felt good. He must have missed her taking him up on his offer, because she was already shuffling closer. She sidled up close, spine fitting against his chest and belly. She tucked her head onto her paws, but he adjusted his forelimbs in case she wanted to use one of his instead. After a moment or two of getting comfortable, she piped up "Did you say mum's?" "Yeah," he rumbled, resting his cheek back down against the cool stone floor. "I had three moms, and one dad. Lots of siblings to wrestle with growing up. Before they started dispersing, I had eighteen." a soft smile played at his dark lips. He missed his family, especially in moments like this. Curled up before bed, trying to get comfortable. It wasn't the same, not without all those bodies piled up all around. They didn't always share a den, but when it rained, or they were especially tired, he often found himself in a pile of limbs. It was the best sleep he'd ever had, nearly suffocating amongst all those other bodies. "speech"

Art by pimsri

No one ever died from a little drowning? Actually… “Heavy rains can cause banks to break in over-run streams, and create a flash-flood that can pick up and drown anyone its its path.” her lips twitched a little again “But I know what you meant” she tucked on, indicating an understanding that he means a little soaking didn’t drown anyone. It took her a moment, but she also realised he was offering to help her find herbs once this was all over. She would gratefully accept that when the rains let up. She didn’t expect the booming laughter that emanated from him like a spark of thunder, and her ears stood up in surprise. After they had settled and she drew the conversation down a different path, she would get a response that surprised her. Three mums and one dad? “Sounds like an awful lot of supervision, but I suppose it spread out” Eighteen siblings? She couldn’t even imagine. She was a family of one, and his spread out through eighteen siblings. He said they had already spread out, and if there were older siblings, which seemed like at the dispersion, then she could imagine he had a hundred cousins running around out in the world. No, she could scarcely imagine. “I don’t think I have any siblings. What was it like?” she wondered in awed curiosity. No wonder he had offered to be her pillow, he must be accustomed to a mass of bodies, well she was use to the silence and the space. Her healer very seldomly let her curl up with her, only in the colder months when they needed to share body heat. It had always felt a little awkward to her, not comfortable and welcome. Curling up with Birch was unfamiliar, and was why she held herself in a tight bundle beside him, not letting herself relax against his warmth. He was still virtually a stranger, and that didn’t help, and yet.. And yet, there was something comforting and faintly familiar about the sensation. It reminded her of a scent she couldn’t quite catch and pin down, a memory too faint and forgotten. She might have assumed it was a memory of her at a very young age, curled up with her true mother, but she knew that couldn’t be the case. Her mother had abandoned her at birth, it was impossible. ""

TESTING TESTING, I'M JUST SUGGESTING YOU AND I MIGHT JUST BE THE BEST THING “Sounds like an awful lot of supervision, but I suppose it spread out” Riva replied, just a little tinge of astonishment in her voice. He chuckled softly. Yes, he figured it must sound weird from an outside perspective. He didn't lift his head to continue the conversation. He was comfy. "Not really. They had a clan to run, it was rare that all four of them were at home during the day. More often than not we were lucky to have one or two of our parents kicking around." he said, tail thumping against the floor a few times. The memories were pleasant. “I don’t think I have any siblings. What was it like?” her voice was softened by an emotion he recognized as wonderment. "Loud. Everyone had something to say, all the time. We were all scrambling for attention, or getting into scuffles. The games we played, though, were the best thing around. There were so many of us, we could stage great battles if we wanted. Have you ever played tag with seven or eight other kids? It's the best." his low voice was warmed by fondness. He could remember days in the summer spent racing through the trees, or tussling outside the den. In between their lessons, of course. The clan placed a heavy importance on learning. Thinking back to what she'd said, he frowned just a little. "How come you don't know if you have siblings? If you don't mind me asking." he didn't lift his head to pin her with a look, but he slid his cheek across the stone until his muzzle was pointed closer to his chest instead of straight out. "speech"

Art by pimsri

He admitted to only having one or two parents around at a time, which was already twice as much as she had. Still, she could imagine it was harrowing for the parents to keep an eye on so many trouble makers. She wanted a small family of her own one day, but nothing nearly as chaotic as what Birch was describing. She heard the thump of his tail on the stone floor, and recognised the joy in his voice as he spoke. These were fond memories for him, a life of love and family surrounding him. She tried to swallow past the ache in her throat that had no purpose being there. “I can’t say I have” she admitted. The softness in her voice could have been put down to sleepiness, her eyes were closed and she didn’t move from her little comfy ball-shape in front of him. “Everything about your childhood sounds chaotic.” there was warmth in her voice, she wouldn’t belittle him the joy and love he had had growing up - good for him, it was clearly what had made him into the sweet-natured, gentle giant he was today. She had his family to thank for the man who leapt forward to help her, who provided her with companionship and laughter in what would otherwise have been a damp and lonely cave. whoops She had been a little too free with her words, and he had caught on to the center of her sadness, and she managed a small smile, through he wouldn’t be able to see it with the way they were lying. “I don’t know my parents” she admitted, uncertain how much else she should say, she didn’t want to put a damper on their evening. “The healer who found me raised me into the life I know now, showed me my passion for healing.” there, that concentrated on the better points of her childhood, right? He had moved his muzzle closer to her, and she peeked out at him over her coat, his head was on the cold stone now, and with a little wiggling she was able to move her tail until it was brushing him across the nose, he could place his head on it now as a pillow if he so chose. ""