It wasn't in Silent's nature to be nervous. After all, she had endured years of childrearing, childbearing, and lived in numerous places where strangers were her norm for neighbors. The feeling of anxiety, the rapid heartbeats that came from being worried and considering how others thought of her, they hardly bothered her. Maybe it was because of the new life forms in her womb that changed how she handled new situations. It could also be because of Ala being a new world, and she found her long lost love without meaning to that one night. Who knew that such things would lead her to this. As she padded towards the borders that graced the most outer set of Seracia's lands, she felt her heart hammer in her chest. A slight feeling of nausea swept over her and the overwhelming thoughts of everything happening this fast made her swoon. She sidestepped to a nearby tree and immediately threw up. The vomit wasn't projectile, but it was enough to leave a mess. Her legs were shaky from the aftermath of morning sickness, trembling body following tu suite. She had her fair share of first trimesters, but that didn't stop them from being awful. With a quick intake of fresh air, she raised her head and padded away from the tree. Her emerald green eyes scanned the unfamiliar land that stretched far and wide. A small amount of her soul was worried. She hadn't seen Bronze since their night of passion, which resulted in what she was carrying at that moment. They had agreed for her to become a member of Seracia, for the two of them to live their last year or two inside the safety of the packlands. She remembered a flash of their conversation, also agreeing that they would walk into Seracia together to meet the wolves in charge of letting her in. Her tail flicked with a touch of annoyance as she padded towards the shade of another pine. Wrinkling her nose at the rising smell of the throw-up, she turned her head away and looked out again. Silent slowly reclined to her haunches and she sighed. Where was he? "talking"

Bronze had spent some time away from Silent. It wasn't the awkward kind of away, where Bronze was left alone and wondering whether the path he had chosen for him was right. No -- he was very certain. Part of him wanted Silent to relax, to watch for symptoms that her body may or may not produce. However, another part of him was simply at ease. As dearly as he loved her, he didn't feel an overwhelming need to be with her constantly. She would come to Seracia soon, when she saw fit, and he would be there. He wanted nothing more than to to live out the last few seasons of his life with her, to raise their children to the best of their abilities. Once he had dreamed of greatness -- he had envisioned ruling a great pack of powerful wolves. Claiming a vast territory, living his years out in luxury and surrounded by wolves who admired him. But of course, things never went quite as planned. As he aged, he became infinitely more humble, his goals all but dissolving as he left Silent's side. All he wanted now was to live the rest of his life in comfort, and give his unborn children comfortable, if not perfect, lives. That was... if he were to have children. His restless thoughts were cut short by the call of his love, coming from near the border of Seracian territory. With keen interest the brute rose, heading into her direction. Brown eyes scanned the horizon, searching for the lovely woman as he approached where she stood. It wasn't long before she came into view. As he drew closer to her, his tail began to wag gently behind him, happy to see that she had came at last. But upon further inspection, she seemed a bit distraught. Perhaps she was pregnant after all? It was nearly impossible to tell so soon, but she certainly smelled as though she might've been sick. "Are you alright, Silent?" he questioned her gently, reclining on his haunches and nuzzling into the side of her neck tenderly.

His presence made her physical features relax. The sliver of worry that was seen in the corner of her opts disappeared and the shaking became less obvious. There was still a slight tremor in her legs as he nuzzled her neck, of which she leaned into so she could feel it longer. Eyes closed at his touch, then opened to gaze into his as she swallowed down the lump in her throat. How would her mate react to the news? How could he not know already? Such rational thoughts were shushed by the part of her brain that wasn't raging from the pregnancy hormones. She took a deep breath in and sighed with a shuddered breath. "I'm-I'm fine, Bronze," she said in ragged tones. Her body shook all over as she rose from her haunches and moved so she was closer to him. Silent rested her head against his shoulder and dug her nose into his scruff, taking in his scent. It automatically relaxed her and she remembered why she was carrying their pups in the first place. The love they shared was the key reason for the unexpected pregnancy. She pulled back a few steps and looked up to his eyes again. A soft smile appeared on her smooth face and she said, "Remember when you told me to let you know about the early signs? Well.." she wrinkled her nose and nodded towards the pine that hid her emesis, "the signs have arrived. We are pregnant and expecting pups!" All signs of former physical weakness and nausea had disappeared and were replaced with her usual smiles and sparkling eyes. "talking"

Patrolling, the eternal quest to keep the borders secure. Father had always been diligent about protecting the borders, and it had rubbed off on the ever-restless Prince. He gave a sigh as he slipped from his den and toward the nearest border. He would head north this time, as it was the border most frequented by newcomers. It wasn't as if he were expecting any strangers today, but it was more likely to stumble across them if he went this way. His russet figure was lit aglow by the sunlight, as lime eyes narrowed to adjust to the sudden onset of daylight. He'd slept in later than he'd intended to, but ever since they'd spoken to Themisto he was watching Epiphron closely for signs of pregnancy. He had a feeling she was pregnant, and some of the signs were beginning to point to it. His tail danced between his hocks excitedly as the scent of a familiar member came into his nostrils. However, shortly after another scent mingled with it - one he did not recognize at all. Then a third scent, that of bile and stomach acid - vomit. Maverick's nose wrinkled at the smell, and he picked up his pace to get past it. It was time to investigate and see who was with Bronze, and why they were so near what smelled like fresh vomit. As he came upon them on silent paws, he noted a black she-wolf who seemed very friendly with Bronze. He caught the last line out of her mouth, but decided to not mention it and see if they would tell him. "Bronze," came jovial tones of recognition. The Prince slowed his pace, rocking onto his haunches a yard or two away from the pair. "And who is this?" Eyes scanned appraisingly over the woman, curious as to who she was and what her relationship was with the Esquire. "speeeeech"

Silent had seemed rather distraught until his arrival. She brightened up almost immediately, causing a grin to taint the formerly worried expression that had appeared on his hardened features. As soon as she embraced him, he was certain -- once again, he would be a father. A sigh, a sound of relief, slipped effortlessly from his lips as he returned the affectionate touch, nuzzling her ever so tenderly. As she quivered, he continued to lather her in affection, not wanting to see her upset. How badly he wanted to care for her, to make every last one of her days the best; he wanted her to be happier than she had ever been. "You, my love, are incredible," he murmured softly in hear ear, grinning wider as she shared the news. It was somewhat unexpected, given how old the both of them were -- but she was healthy, and would bear their children. It would very likely, and almost certainly be, their final litter. The joyful news was given quickly, for another creature came upon the scene -- the happiness the pair shared was obvious and he neglected to hide it. "Good afternoon, Prince," he greeted him with sudden seriousness, which was customary for the older wolf. Slowly he dipped his muzzle in respect towards Maverick, though quickly motioned to Silent with ease. "This is Silent -- my mate. I have spoken to Kamala about her joining, but wanted to make it official. She will be bearing children next season, and I want our family to live in Seracia." Perhaps he would die here. It was not at all a fate he had expected, but he wanted no less than safety and protection for his children, since he knew he would not live for much longer.

She took in the love that danced in Bronze's eyes, letting it sweep over her and knocking out the nausea that had been rolling around in her stomach. It was a breath of fresh air, the kind that only her mate could provide, that she needed. Thinking about going through the motions of being a pregnant mother made Silent more thankful for being able to have babies at all. Given the age that she was at, the chances were more slim. Now, as she glowed in the light of her husband's gaze and the pregnancy, she knew that it was destined to happen. Her eyes held Bronze's until something distracted her. Silent's head turned and she saw the unfamiliar stranger walking in their direction. One ear perked in Bronze's direction as he greeted the said 'Prince' and introduced her to the male. Once Bronze had used the royal title, it seemed to fit the younger male in front of her. The emerald gaze she had for so many years brightened from the fog that had clouded her sight. One thing that Silent did when meeting new strangers was not show herself on one paw. The atmosphere that cloaked the three wolves seemed to become less stuffy as introductions were made. It had only been temporary, but Silent had still felt it there. Now, as Bronze was telling the Prince of their expecting litter and him hoping Silent would join him in Seracia, her smile reappeared to her face and she politely inclined her head to the red and white speckled male. "Tis a pleasure to meet you, Prince," Silent said, tones evident of being soft and a bit straggled from the previous morning sickness attack. She cleared her throat and blinked a couple of times before nodding to confirm Bronze's explanation. "It is true, we are expecting a family...well, more additions to what we already have." Silent lightly chuckled and wrapped her tail around her hind paws. She then nuzzled Bronze's cheek, not afraid to show her affections for her mate in public. Looking back to Maverick, she said, "If you will have me, I will be more than willing to become a part of Seracia." "talking"

Bronze began to explain who the woman was and what their situation was. So, they were expecting children? A smile cracked across the Prince's muzzle, though it's source was unknown to anyone but him. He knew by now that Epiphron was likely carrying his children, and they would probably be born only days after Bronze and Silent's. His first litter would have another litter to fraternize with, how marvelous! They had also already talked to Kamala, so everything seemed to be on the up and up. The smile remained as Silent chimed in, explaining her willingness to be a part of the Kingdom. The Prince nodded his head with a twinkle in his eye. "Then we would be more than willing to have you," he would chide with words mirroring her own. He turned his eyes to Bronze, fighting the urge to tell him of his own upcoming fatherhood. All would be revealed in due time. "I trust you can explain everything to her and show her around." He gave a quick nod, assuring them that it was a rather rhetorical statement, and didn't require an answer. Eyes shifted to the dark she-wolf. "If you should need medical assistance at all during your pregnancy, I would highly recommend our healer Loccian. If she isn't available, a cousin of mine, Themisto, can assist you as well." It was important to him that this litter be a success, even if it wasn't his own blood being born into the world. Bronze was a faithful member, and deserved to have a healthy litter. With a final nod and an exhaling breath, the Prince shifted and pivoted away from them, trotting off into Seracia to give them their space. He had a wife to be getting to, after all. Exit Maverick unless stopped. "speeeeech"

With little hesitation, his mate spoke up. Silent had always been far more sociable than he, and he trusted she would make a good impression on the Seracian Prince. Without fail, she spoke up, her vocals charming and lovely, despite her obvious bout of nausea. She was much more pleasant company than he, and he knew that -- and loved her dearly for it. Bronze was glad to return the loving nuzzle, even if only briefly, also unafraid to show his affection for the woman. He had been with her, albeit on and off, since he was no more than a year old. She meant the world to him, especially upon their reunion. Maverick listened, smiling kindly at them in return. Luckily he obliged their request, welcoming her to Seracia. Could life really get any better? He wondered this as he turned to gaze at Silent, expectantly waiting for her reaction. "Will do," he responded simply, nodding deeply to the earth in response. "Thank you, Prince." With that the male turned on his heels and fled, but the meeting required nothing further. With a sigh of relief he leaned into his mate, taking in her scent. "It has been so long since we have been part of a pack, and expecting children in one, nonetheless..."

She flicked her tail as Maverick spoke, not out of annoyance, but acceptance. Her smile remained on her gentle features as she nodded, taking his words to heart and watched him leave. When the Prince had left and was out of earshot, she turned and didn't hesitate to take on her husband's affections. As he breathed in her scent, she happily sighed and closed her eyes at his touch. Ears perked to his words and she nodded with her eyes shut. "You couldn't be more right about that, my love. To know that we are a part of something so much bigger than us, but have safety in the numbers and the wolves that make up those numbers...It is more than I could ever ask for in my old age." Silent opened her eyes to gaze into the opts of her love. "I will admit, we are older than we used to be, but we are only as old as we feel." She tenderly nuzzled his cheek, licking it before pulling back again. "Since we have reunited, I have felt younger than I have in years. I have more energy, I feel more alive, and my life has more of a purpose since you proclaimed your love for me again." She then scooped up one of his paws and brought it to rest on her protruding abdomen. "We are going to be parents again, Bronze...and it's all because of what we have shared for so long. I wouldn't want anything to change this. So much time has passed that we haven't been together and I don't want to lose another minute with you, my love." "talking"THANK YOU, WOLFIE! ♥

Bronze's heart soared, and the smile that lingered on his lips seemed incapable of ever fading. He knew that he would not always be so elated, and so he would bask in the feeling for as long as possible. For the first time in awhile, there was no pain -- no suffering. He buried his face into her, breathing in her scent -- it was just as he remembered it, perhaps even sweeter. He had longed for such affections for many years, and it was a relief that they were finally together again. It still amazed him some days. "I know I won't live for many more years, but all I want is to see to it that you and our babies are happy and healthy." He lathered her in kisses, unabashedly, not giving a damn if anyone saw; it didn't matter to him whatsoever. "I pity the fool that tries to harm our children, or you. I can only hope nobody would be so foolish." He murmured affectionately, but his eyes gleamed with seriousness. He could not hesitate to lay a paw on someone who dared so much as threaten his family. He could only hope that he would not have to defend his family with tooth and nail, though he was more than prepared to do so. "Now, love, we should go rest. Let's go." He leaned against her so that she would not have to strain herself too much to walk. All he wanted was to lay next to her and take an afternoon nap -- he certainly was turning into an old wolf. - exit Bronze -

Happiness was something she didn't take for granted. She knew that it was an emotion that could be taken any minute of any day, and she held onto what she had with Bronze with a grip that would not slacken. Her pregnant, black frame took in the kisses that he gave, loving the attention and the messages that were behind each one. Silent's eyes closed at his touch and her skin tingled as well, getting goosebumps that were meant to happen because of their destined bonds. "Your wants are not a lot to ask for, Bronze," she softly said. "They are the perfect wish list for us and I wouldn't have it any other way, either." Her paw graced the swollen surface of her belly, making the unborn pups within squirm with delight from the touch. "If anyone tries to attempt evil doings on our children - or us - they will pay. There's nothing else to be said for it." Silent gave a solemn nod at her words and her ears perked when he suggested a nap. "I will follow, my love." She said in gentle tones. "Dealing with the morning sickness and knowing each day brings us closer to meeting our children can tire a woman out." A light chuckle escaped her lips and she followed her beloved as her energy slowly sapped away from her body. An afternoon nap was definitely a 'yes', not a 'maybe'. -EXIT Silent- "talking"THANK YOU, WOLFIE! ♥