Location: Fern Gulley

Duchess had been slacking more physically recently, she hadn't been feeling well and kept herself even more secluded from the others. She often left the group at night when she couldn't sleep, with more than one thing on her mind.

But she simply couldn't just lay around the camp all day everyday. It wasn't in her nature to do so. So in an effort to do better she had asked for Segin to go scouting with her. Hunting had been more difficult, but she thought she could handle a typical scouting, especially with Segin helping her identify herbs.

The trek into the Gulley was a little rough, but nothing she couldn't handle. And looking over into the chipped surface in the earth, she saw nothing but beauty down below them and she couldn't help the small smile on her features.

"Duchess"

Duchess is an !M rated! character for themes of Depression. Please Discord me if you have concerns.

Segin could never really turn down a chance to go scouting and explore some new terrain. It was something he loved and getting to see even more of this continent that was still fairly new to him was an added bonus. Whenever Duchess asked him to go scouting he pretty much always agreed and now was no exception. He slung one of the pack's satchels across him just in case they happened across some herbs to bring back to add to their collection as well and they set out, letting Duchess take the lead as he followed beside her.

Soon enough they came across a slope that led down into a valley that was absolutely packed to the brim with plants! He gasped softly with surprise, a grin pulling across his features. "Man, I'm glad I brought a bag with us!" he exclaimed, chuckling and tossing Duchess a grin before he started making his way down into this heaven of plant life. "This would be a great place to come and stock up if we're looking to make a big trade of some kind," he mused. They'd definitely need to remember how to get back here again.

Segin Epsilon

Duchess let Segin go a bit ahead of her while he exclaimed his eagerness for the herbs. The rains should have helped with the growth, especially after the harsh Ice Age. They probably wouldn't last long though. She wouldn't ruin Segin's mood or idea, she couldn't even help the smile on her face from his attitude. He always knew how to light up the band.

She started to help him pick flowers, looking among the different colors. Even if they weren't of any healing use, she would have liked them for decorating around the camp or to craft some other type of trades. With a mouth full of flowers, her vision started to blur and her head started to throb, maybe from all the colors of the flowers. She wouldn't say anything though, and by the time she had thought to say something, she had fallen over, passed out from the vertigo.

"Duchess"

Duchess is an !M rated! character for themes of Depression. Please Discord me if you have concerns.

Segin slowly picked his way through the gulley as they started to collect herbs, his a bit more particular and pointed than Duchess' but he was just as happy to just pick flowers that were beautiful as he was rare herbs to add to their collection. He enjoyed the crafts she made with flowers like her flower crown and he liked having the sweet smelling flowers around their camp so he left her to her own devices while he saught out some stuff that he didn't see most places. He skipped over the dandelions, marigolds, and meadow sweet in favor of picking bundles of marshmallow, periwinkle, and even a little piece of wintergreen. Although it wasn't rare, he did go ahead and gather a good bit of motherwort as well since they'd need it sooner rather than later.

He hadn't been looking at Duchess and it wasn't until he heard a thud behind him that he looked back over his shoulder to see her laying on the ground in the middle of a patch of grass and flowers. "Duchess!" he called as he turned and ran toward her, skidding to a stop and dropping down beside her. He helped make sure she was comfortably on her side and hadn't fallen on a rock or something of the sort and dipped his head down to her chest, pressing his ear to her side. He could still hear her heart beat loud a clear and could feel the rise and fall of her chest with her breathing. He quickly picked through the flowers she had been carrying just to make sure none of them were dangerous before he breathed a sigh. As long as this wasn't anything lethal then he could calm his panic and the rapid beat of his heart. "Duchess? Duchess can you hear me?" he asked, gently shaking her shoulder to try and pull her awake.

Segin Epsilon

She wasn't out long at all, having the solid ground under her kept her out of a cold knock out. So when Segin came over her, trying to make sure she was okay, her eyes opened slightly while her sight was trying to come back.

She hummed quietly as he shook her shoulder, her cheek rubbing against the ground under her while she was trying to come back enough to sit up. And she eventually did, her neck feeling heavy from the fall and still a little dizzy. "I'm okay." Her eyes were closed while her nose was still supporting her laying up and she was trying to get over the feeling. It was weird that she did often forget she was even carrying pups, especially when she was falling over. Her thoughts never went to the safety of them, more to the comfort of who was nearby if they witnessed her.

She took a long deep breath while her head pulled back, stretching her neck and her throat, "I just need a minute." Her paw reached out toward him, but again that wasn't for her own comfort, it was in regards to his. She was starting to think she needed to stay closer to camp because she couldn't keep getting weak like this. If she was alone, it would probably take her all day to get back by herself.

"Duchess"

Duchess is an !M rated! character for themes of Depression. Please Discord me if you have concerns.

Once he saw her begin to stir he was able to relax, settling down onto his stomach beside her while she started to try and roll over. He reached out a paw to steady her, still watching her with worried eyes. He knew how much pregnancy could take out of someone - he had seen it time and time again with the women and his sisters that his father had gotten pregnant. He had cared for many of them, though he had a hard time thinking of any that had passed out as easily as she had. He gently rubbed her back, giving her a small smile while she collected herself. "It's okay, take your time. No rush," he said gently. He'd have to keep a closer eye on her from now on if they went out anywhere just in case. "Has this happened before?" he questioned while she continued to recover, wondering if this was a continued thing or a one off since she started carrying pups.

Segin Epsilon

As Segin rubbed her back, she was starting to realize just how much she was craving Indigo's touch, maybe reverted to Segin now, but she wouldn't jump on him. Her eyes finally opened, vision still blurry but she was a more stable and still while she looked from his chest to his face. Her breath was shaking in the exhale, just from the feelings she was holding inside. But instead of talking about that, she went to answer him, "Yeah, I think the pregnancy is making me anemic." She wasn't sure exactly what Segin knew, but she had at least come to conclusion that everyone in the band heard Aslatiel's outburst so they at least knew she was pregnant. "I probably shouldn't have come out this far. But I just wanted to get out..."

"Duchess"

Duchess is an !M rated! character for themes of Depression. Please Discord me if you have concerns.

He nodded in agreement to the possibility of her being anemic because of her pregnancy. "One of my sisters went through that with her pregnancy... Though I don't suppose she was moving around as much as we are so she didn't have as many opportunities to faint like this. Eating more red meats should help some." When she mentioned how she shouldn't have come out this far he gave a small shrug and an encouraging smile. "It's alright. I understand. Just take it easy from here on out, okay? I'd hate for you to get hurt while you were out one day." He waited till she was feeling a little better and then offered his help for her to stand. "We'll go slow on the way back to camp, okay? If you start feeling faint again tell me."

Segin Epsilon

Duchess hadn't really known too deep about Segin's history or at least the emotions surrounding it, Indigo tended to keep the harsher things out of mind of the others. It was something that each of them had to come out and comfortably talk about. Never anything that needed to be spread quietly around the band. Segin had talked about his abusive father, and that he had been raped by him. And Duchess could only assume when he talked about the abusive among his sisters too, it had resulted in the same fate.

She took a moment before standing with Segin, using him for support at first but then only staying close if she needed him. She motioned at the bag he had collect the herbs in so he wouldn't forget, picking up the flowers she had dropped and putting them in the bag too before starting to head back to camp.

"Duchess"

Duchess is an !M rated! character for themes of Depression. Please Discord me if you have concerns.