Valdís couldn't have asked for a lovely spring day. It was late in the morning, the sunlight streamed down over the range and streaks of white clouds wove lazily through the sky. It had finally arrived, their wedding day. Thankfully, there wasn't to much that needed to be prepared. It would be a short ceremony, barely a ceremony at all and then a wonderful brunch and fine drink. Then she and Ásvor would have the afternoon and evening to themselves. She flinched as Embla adjusted a wreath of spring flowers that was adorning her head. The bird had insisted. Valdís though Ásvor might laugh at this strange sight of something so delicate and lovely on the old warriors head but it would be worth it if she could make her bride smile. Valdís had groomed herself as best she could with Jynette's help. She didn't know what she would do without her companions. A fine elk hide had been laid out in the opening of the barn. She moved to take her seat, waiting for Ásvor to arrive before she called the rest of the pack together. Aerndis had out done herself. A fresh elk kill sat nearby just waiting to be eaten while numerous ceramic bowls had been gathered along with Embla's pitchers of mead, wine and water. Aerndis was tending to Úlfr to give her some time to get herself together. She fidgeted as she watched the breeze stirring the grasses. "Talk" "You" Think

ooc: I'd like to give Ásvor a chance to post first then Valdís will call for the rest of the pack!

Ásvor wasn't entirely sure how she ought to prepare for her little wedding ceremony, if it could even be called that, but she had tried nonetheless. Firstly, she wanted to make Valdís a gift of sorts. She was hardly as crafty as her girlfriend was, but she had spent some time learning from her and she'd taken that little lesson to heart. It wasn't the easiest of feats, but she'd managed to dry out the thick stalk of a vine and weave it together into a makeshift bracelet of sorts. Woven in the vine were a few flowers, likely to do not long after the ceremony finished but the gesture was meant to be temporary rather than something permanent. She'd save the real crafting for Valdís and her companion Embla.

Finishing the last minute touches on her little bracelet, Ásvor headed to where they were meeting, at the front of the barn. It was as fine a spot as any to gather Fireside together, and they'd been blessed with a day just as fine. She'd gathered a few special herbs to treat themselves to after the ceremony, but she left those behind in her den for now, not wanting to share those particular wares with the rest of the pack. Finally finished, the vine bracelet hanging from her jaws, she loped over to the barn. The sight of Valdís with the flower crown upon her head didn't earn a laugh, but instead a big smile as she drew closer. It was an amusing sight, seeing her future wife - who was normally the epitome of strength - suddenly seem so delicate. Her heart was soaring as she dropped the poorly-made bracelet at her paws. "This should complete the look," she teased, licking the side of her muzzle gently.

A gentle breeze shifted the leaves in the trees above her, making a soft, whisper-like sound. Valdís focused on it a moment before another sound caught her attention. A sound similar to the wind through the grass. Ásvor. She turned and smiled at her lover who had a beautiful little wreath of vine and flowers in her jaws. Ásvor set the bracelet down and reached over to lick the side of her muzzle. Valdís instinctively leaned into the gesture, almost purring with delight. "It's lovely Ásvor, thank you!" She delicately slipped the bracelet onto her right wrist. Valdís leaned gently toward Ásvor, seeking to press against the others frame and marvel once again at how well they fit. "Well, I think it's time to get this party started so we can get on to other things." She winked playfully at her wife before tipping back her head and calling for the rest of the Fireside to celebrate with them. "Talk" "You" Think

In truth Jupiter didn't understand what compelled his packmates to want to join themselves together so thoroughly. If he were in their place he would likely find the arrangement downright smothering. But, then again, he felt that way about any intimate relationship that could be classified as anything other than 'fleeting'. That was just his nature and he recognized that they probably felt just as strongly about the concept of marriage as he did - their feelings just landed on the approving side. He could respect anyone doing what it took to get what they wanted and for that reason he was happy for them. To him it was a celebration of fulfilling one's desire. And who couldn't get behind that?

Knowing the marriage was a big deal for Valdis and Asvor, Jupiter had brought along the best gift he thought he could give on such an occasion. There were two parts to it. The first was the fun part. Last year he'd had the opportunity to buy a trio of dandelion wine bottles. He'd cracked open the first bottle and promptly decided to keep it all to himself. It tasted like summer. Mild, slightly sweet, slightly floral and without a drop of bitterness to be found anywhere. It was good stuff. He'd had every intention of keeping it to himself but...now seemed like a good time to share. Camaraderie and all that. His second gift...honestly made him want to throw up a little, but Bubbles had assured him this was the sort of thing one gifted at a wedding. Jupiter had brought a young, potted rose bush. For like symbolism and shit. He was garbage at these sorts of things, but Bubbles was a bit of a romantic and Jupiter (nervously) trusted that the pig knew what he was talking about.

With the pot swinging from a low bag held in his jaws, Jupiter waddled onto the scene. Bubbles had a similar bag with wine bottles in it. Amadeus was too small and useless to carry anything so he rode on Jupiter's back.

The trio approached the soon-to-be-newlyweds slowly. Jupiter had smashed his toes countless times at this point so his gait was half waddle, half limp. The pot was heavy, the bag was low hanging, and if he even thought about lowering his head his toes took a beating. He set the bag down carefully and then straightened to his full height and rolled his neck to get rid of the crick that had been there since he'd crossed the creek. Once that was fixed he grinned at the women. "Asvor, Valdis. Congrats. I uh, I wanted to give you guys these to commemorate this celebration." He placed a paw on top of one of the wine bottles. "This is dandelion wine. It is, in my opinion, the happiness drink ever made and I hope it brings you as much cheer as it has brought me."

Now for the painfully cheesy but supposedly nice gift. He hoped Bubbles was correct; he'd taken his companion's advice precisely because he wanted to bring Asvor and Valdis something more concrete than wine. Amadeus and Bubbles both had loudly denounced his suggestion that they bring a sex toy of some kind and lectured him on the impropriety of it. Even after he'd promised to bring it discretely both companions had assured him he was trash and that it was not the sort of thing you gave someone unless you knew them very well. So, rosebush. "This is a garden rose cutting taken last fall." Or so he'd been told. "I know you guys have been together awhile, but your uh..." Speeches, man. "Union is "young" like this rose." He paused and bent one of the branches far enough to cause it to spring away from his touch. "Roses are tough, you know? They'll survive just about anywhere, shrug off terrible winters, and their defenses repel all but the most determined. If you care to, plant it somewhere and watch it grow. Let it be a reminder of what you two have together."

With that said he dipped his head, wished them well and moved off to let anyone else who wished to speak to the couple come up.

Úlfr raced to the wedding after Aerndis explained to him what a wedding was and what they were doing. He bounced awkwardly with the basket in his jaws that Embla wove. It was full to the brim with various flowers, their stems removed and their petals on full display. He was pleased to see that he wasn't late and he swiftly bounded over to Jupiter. He set the basket down, reached a paw in and flicked a bunch of flowers at the man before bouncing over to Valdís and Ásvor and proceeding to scoop and flick as many flowers around them as possible. "Happy Marry Day!" Once he finished emptying the basket he bounded back over to Aerndis whose gift was helping out with child care.

Though she was hardly a crafter, Ásvor was glad her gift was well-received. It was the thought that counted, after all - even if the gift wasn't the most flawless execution she could've dreamt up, at least it was appropriate for the occasion and for the rest of their pack to see. Truthfully there were no limits to her devotion; she would go to the ends of the earth to make Valdís happy, slay a thousand wolves if she required it of her. Luckily for them both Valdís seemed just as pleased by the simpler gestures, which made her life much easier. She grinned at the little moment of affection they shared, selfishly wishing they could remain alone - but today was a day for celebrating, for Úlfr as well as the rest of Fireside. They had the rest of eternity for more private moments. Valdís seemed to echo her thoughts, and she let out a low chuckle. "Let's do that," she agreed, tilting her own head back and joining in briefly with her future wife's call.

They weren't forced to wait long before Jupiter showed up. Though he hadn't seemed to care much about their idea of a wedding - as in, he'd been neither excited nor opposed to the idea, which suited her just fine - he'd brought them a gift anyway. Not just one, but two. Ásvor flashed him a grin as he headed toward them, amused at the awkward sight of him dragging the gift along. She appreciated the gesture of the plant gift considerably, and the wine was a lovely touch too. "Ah, thank you, Jupiter," Ásvor smiled appreciatively at their leader. She was admittedly surprised at the thought behind the gift - symbolism was a big part of her culture as a whole, and so she was even more impressed by the care behind his choice. He had no clue just how accurate his words truly were. Somehow she and Valdís had persevered, even when they'd lived apart, hundreds of miles away from one another - perhaps things hadn't been as official back then, but no other wolf had ever claimed her heart quite like Valdís  had. Ásvor wasn't really one to share her feelings publicly, and even if she might be tempted now she wasn't sure Jupiter really wanted to hear their love story.

"Thank you - truly, I-" Her attention was stolen by Úlfr as he bounded in, exclaiming something that didn't make a lot of sense. It was almost entirely forgiven by the way he began to send a flurry of flowers toward them, and Ásvor found herself chuckling. "Happy wedding," she corrected him as he bounded off, and though her words had a hint of seriousness to them there was no lack of warmth in her eyes as she watched him bound back toward Aerndis. Parenting was quite a stranger thing and wasn't exactly coming easily to her, but she was figuring it out, and though imagining Úlfr as her son wasn't coming quite so easily... well, she was getting there.

Sparrow wasn't really sure about all this wedding business, but she was excited about the celebration nonetheless. Her father had told her to bring something for the happy couple. Sparrow had spent the hours prior picking just about any flowers she could find and then getting the dirt off of herself to look as presentable as possible. Once she was satisfied, she threw all the flowers into a makeshift bag of folded hide and came to the wedding.

Upon entering, Sparrow quickly found the happy couple. She had no ideals on couples- gay or otherwise. She knew how pups were made and never really questioned it beyond that. She, for one, had never felt attracted to another, but it was also possible that it was due to her living in a pack with mostly her family. Tail swishing modestly behind her, Sparrow directed her attention to Valdis- the one of the two she knew better. "I- uh- brought flowers for like... a stage or walkway or something. I don't really know, but someone said flowers would be nice." Sparrow unfurled the hide and stepped away sheepishly, "Happy marriage!"

Now, Ashmedai was all for merriment and any excuse to party. He had advised Sparrow to gather some flowers since it was a cheap and easy gift that could still earn some good graces. To be honest, Ash wasn't all that more sure about weddings than Sparrow was. He did, however, know how to party. He had washed up his floral shirt and hung it out to dry. He had cleaned himself as well and even rolled in some florals to smell as best he could. Afterwards, he donned his shirt- now nice and clean- and went to the bramble to fetch a nice late summer harvest of wine. It was now about two years aged from his big binge. He tested it to make sure it was still safe and put it in a newer container. He topped the container off with a nice little sprig of blackberries across the top and headed to the wedding.

When he came into the clearing, he found a few already arrived. He bumped shoulders with Jupiter, "Hey, looks like you got the good stuff too!" He plopped down his wine as well. "Well, if you want something strong and berry flavored, I got this for y'all." He smiled and tossed the lucky ladies a wink, "Congrats, you two."

Álarr had no idea what to get the newlyweds or soon-to-be-weds. He probably wouldn't have brought anything if Aerndis had pestered him about it. His thoughts naturally went to his own crafting abilities with herbs. Maybe some nice tea mixes? Ásvor likely had her own sets of teas and healing herbs but this would a few less things for her to prepare or worry about.

By the time he'd finally arrived he was a bit late. He gently set down a bag with four metal tins. "Congratulations! I hope you have a happy life together. I thought I'd gift you a few tea tins. I've a mix of chamomile and lavender, one of elderflower, some marshmallow tea, and some peppermint." He smiled softly and took his seat, unsure what else to say.

One by one the wolves of Fireside answered her call and Valdís was truly touched to see that many of them had brought her and Ásvor gifts. Jupiter arrived with a bag carrying a large pot containing dandelion wine. Her ears perked up. She'd never tried dandelion wine but she was certainly fond of a drink now and then. He brought them not only wine but also a rose cutting. She bit back a giggle as he spoke at first about their union but she grew more serious as he continued speaking. She knew this sort of thing made him uncomfortable and she appreciated his effort to speak from the heart. "Thank you, Jupiter. These are very thoughtful gifts and I appreciate the effort you've put into them." Lightly nudging Ásvor she suggested, "We should have a glass after the ceremony." Or two, or three. Her adopted son was the next to spring into view throwing flowers everywhere. She grinned as Ásvor corrected his grammar. This was certainly going to be an experience trying to raise a child. Thankfully, Aerndis had agreed to watch him for a few nights so they could get a proper honey moon. Sparrow was the next to arrive bringing a lovely gathering of flowers. "Thank you, Sparrow. I think I know exactly what to do with these." Wouldn't they look lovely scattered all over the marriage bed? Ash was right behind Sparrow, bringing them a strong, berry-flavored wine. "Excellent! I'm perfectly fine starting a wine collection. Thank you, Ash." They'd certainly make good use of it. Álarr was the last to arrive bringing them a variety of teas. Valdís dipped her head in greeting. "Thank you Álarr, these will be greatly appreciated as the weather cools." She wasn't sure which ones were for healing and which ones were for casual drinking but she knew Ásvor had that knowledge. It was time to address the group and as she'd done the calling she figured she'd start and Ásvor was certainly welcome to jump in wherever she liked. "Thank you so much everyone for coming! We plan to keep this short and sweet. As you know Ásvor and I have been dating for some time. In my culture oaths are important and couples swear loyalty to each other just as they would a pack. I wish to swear my loyalty before all of you as witnesses." She turned to Ásvor, reaching out to put her right paw on Ásvor's left. "This is difficult to me. You mean more to me than I could ever put into words, but I swear to you on my life that I will be by your side through all my days whether they be sunny or stormy. I will respect you, and cherish you, and love you til there is no more breath in me." "Talk" "You" Think

ooc: I want to give Ásvor a chance to say something then I'll post Valdís again. Thanks everyone for your patience!

Tyrian was late. He mentally cursed himself as he ran; the wedding presents he'd brought banging loudly against his chest with each step. He'd known this day was coming for awhile now and yet somehow when Valdis had called for them Tyrian had found himself ill prepared. The gifts he'd had awhile, but amid the hustle and bustle of everyday life he hadn't had the foresight to put them together. So, with time of the essence he'd flailed around his den site tripping over companions and projects and god knew what else as he tried to gather his things.

In the end time had wriggled away from him and once everything was said and done he'd been left with no choice but to fling himself across the pack lands in a mad dash to not be too late. Whether or not he was successful was debatable. Having slowed just enough to keep his presents from giving away his tardiness with their noisy jarring, Tyrian arrived just as Valdis began to speak. He would give the couple their wedding presents later. For now he would sit at the back and try his best not to pant loudly enough to draw the pack's attention to their tardy King.

Other wolves began to trickle in, starting with Sparrow, who was carrying flowers for her gift. Ásvor hadn't really expected such a display; though they'd just wanted a small, simply ceremony - and it would be just that - she was surprised at how much had shown up and brought them gifts to congratulate them. In any other scenario the offerings would've made her uncomfortable, but this was a unique circumstance, and she was beyond willing to make a bigger deal than she'd originally meant to about her bond to Valdís. "Thanks, Sparrow," she offered a smile, her attention averting to Ashmedai as he came in behind her. "And thanks to you as well. Seems we'll have plenty to celebrate with now," she laughed as she cast Valdís a sly look. Even Alarr brought them some tea, earning another few words of gratitude from the two of them.

She was content to let Valdís take the lead on starting the speaking portion of the ceremony, zeroing in on her and the paw that laid over her own, until everything around them temporarily fell away. Her vows meant a lot to her, to be said so openly in front of their packmates and friends, as well as in front of her gods. "Putting my feelings into words is difficult with everyone present, but my vows stand true regardless. I swear myself to you eternally, in front of the old gods and the new. I am yours, in this world as well as in the next, I promise you this." She had no doubt that her love would be everlasting, even when they were no longer confined to this mortal plane. "I promise to love you until my heart no longer beats, through sickness and through health, through all trials and tribulations we may face." With a note of seriousness she concluded her own vows, leaning to touch her nose gently to her now-wife's.

Valdís felt her heart start to race as Ásvor returned her vows. Her head was swimming with elation as the reality set in of what they had sworn to each other, vows that Valdís would forever honor. She leaned over to Ásvor seeking to kiss her. Turning to the crowd she grinned. "There's a little tradition from my home land. We throw the flower crown into the crowd, whoever catches it is believed to be the next to get married and gets the first drink!" She grinned and slipped the flower crown off her head. With it seized gently in her jaws she eyed the crowd and threw it. She laughed as it was caught then looked to Ásvor. Facing back to the group she shouted, "Eat and drink to your hearts content and thank you again for coming!" "Talk" "You" Think

OOC: You guys can post again if you want but otherwise I declare this thread finished! Thanks again!

Álarr grinned as Ásvor and Valdís made their vows, he was truly happy for them. Then it came to the tossing of the flower crown and he had to admit it seemed a little silly but he'd play along. He certainly had no intentions of ever getting married. The crown was tossed and Álarr slipped to the side intending to avoid the debacle all together but in doing so he set himself right in the line of fire. The crown looped over one of his horns and spun right down onto his head. Aw, hell! Álarr felt his cheeks flush but he took it in good stride, taking the first drink to get the rest of the festivities started. Now the question was how to get it off?