He had left again, and she didn't know where he was. But this time, it worked in her favour. She had spent the entire day fishing up food until her fur was matted and sweat dripped off her. She tore through the fish, making sure there were no bones in them before roasting them on a small fire. Grilled fish was not something she could say she ever ate regularly, but Eden had done a good job with smoking them. She added a bit of paprika to them for an extra kick, leaving out the spice on her share.

When Ignis' massive frame entered the den he was calling home, Eden piqued up. "W-Welcome back!" she greeted him slowly, her round belly making quick movements a hindrance. She approached him, hesitant and shy. She didn't meet his gaze but he could probably smell the cooked fish deeper in the cave. The woman didn't give him time to ask what was going on. "I made you some food!" she blurted out, feeling it was the least she could do. He had saved her life, and their pups' lives. It... felt so small to do.

But she had done it. Eden wiped awkwardly at her cheek with a raised paw, her limb still charred from making the fire and cooking.

"Speech"

AS HER OWNER...
ignis praetor is allowed in any thread, even ones marked private
baelfire, diablo, rivin and aresenn are also allowed due to being her children

"Talk" Walk It had been a long and tiring day for the man. He decided to take up some pack duties. Patrolling borders, a bit of hunting for pack stores, getting lost in thought, and just doing simple and mundane tasks that required little thought. The last few weeks had been especially draining, he swore his body was having a meltdown what with all the fighting he'd been doing, not to mention the constant fatigue he felt each and every time Blödhgarm made his appearance. That, and a set of antlers had started to sprout from his skull. He assumed it was just a late effect of the Long Nights...and the headaches had started to cease a bit. He still got them from time to time as the antlers grew, but they were less frequent. Not as strong as they were before. Thank god. Headaches were the worst. He hated dealing with them. But hopefully, he wouldn't have to deal with it for much longer. And thanks to Eden's doctoring, they were manageable at least. He walked into the cavern, head low but he perked up a bit when he smelled...something. He recognized it as fish, but it smelled a bit different. "W-Welcome back!" Eden made her way to him, her belly growing rounder by the day. He still couldn't believe there were pups on the way, but he didn't fight it anymore. He had accepted it some time ago. This was also the first time she had greeted him like this when he came around, and when he was about to ask her what was going on, she answered "I made you some food!" A tilt of his head showed his confusion, brows furrowing as he processed her words. "Y-you made me...food?" He was surprised, to say the least. And he was sure it showed on his face. He could smell it wafting through the den. Fish...but it smelled a bit different. He noticed the charred fur on her foreleg...cooked fish? "I guess we've both been working hard today, hm?" His voice was softer than usual. Maybe it was the tiredness he felt. Maybe it was simply being around her nowadays...he wasn't sure. Whatever the case, he motioned for her to lead the way. Curiosity at what she'd done and his mouth already starting to salivate from the smell making him eager.

He appeared to be shocked. Eden wiggled her rear, knowing it was the only thing close to wagging her tail. "Yes" she confirmed, controlling her nerves "I spent all day catching fish and I think I fell in the water more than I can count but I did it!" She puffed her chest out, proud. Upon a time, Ignis had been shocked she couldn't hunt down large prey. He even thought she couldn't hunt at all. This'll prove him! He motioned for her to lead the way and she pivoted the best she could to walk further in.

The little fire was still there, surrounded by rocks to stop it from spreading. It was a small flame but big enough to roast meat on. She walked to where two piles of smoked fish were, dragging the bay leaf full of a larger share to Ignis. "I-I added some paprika; it's a spice but isn't that hot" She smiled, still wagging her rear "to yours. If you don't like it, you can have some of mine!" She went back to drag her small pile, not needing much food despite her pregnancy.

She placed it next to Ignis, side-glancing. Wondering if he'd eat here with her.

"Speech"

AS HER OWNER...
ignis praetor is allowed in any thread, even ones marked private
baelfire, diablo, rivin and aresenn are also allowed due to being her children

"Talk" Walk She confirmed his suspicion. Claiming that she had spent all day fishing. Though her comment about her falling in the water more times than she could count brought his lips to quirk up as he tried not to laugh. He was sure it was an amusing sight, but she succeeded in her endeavor. Certainly a far cry from when he first met her. When she admitted that she was bad at hunting, it seemed she had been doing better these days. Not only finding her nerves but also in catching fish. She looked mighty proud of herself, too. And he couldn't deny that she sure as hell should be. He followed behind her until they reached the spot they usually frequented. He spotted the little fire encircled by stones, and two piles of fish. He approached with a perked ear, eyeing the pile she dragged over to him. "I-I added some paprika; it's a spice but isn't that hot" Attention turned to the fish, giving it a bit of a sniff as he indeed, detected the scent of something different. She even offered that if he ended up not liking it, he could have some of hers. Well, he didn't want to disappoint her now, did he? "I've...never heard of paprika before. Nor have I gotten the idea to actually cook my fish. So I'm...eager to try it," He settled down on his belly before his share, noticing how excited she was about this. He leaned over it to smell it again, and it only caused him to salivate some more. He swallowed, ready to just...dig in and have at it. But he glanced at Eden, "Er, Ladies first," Once she started, then he would.

Ladies first.

She grinned, finding the words a bit funny. "Fish is much better cooked!" she proclaimed "I've had a bit of smoked fish, so I tried to recreate it... Uh, I hope it tastes good." Eden trailed off, revealing skepticism but also hope. She settled next to Ignis and began to eat, munching hungrily. She wasn't as self-conscious around a person she had patched up so many times for his 'exploits'. He really needed to stop getting hurt so much... But that seemed like a lot to ask.

"Mmmm" she chewed and swallowed, finding the smoky fish meat to be really good. But what about the added paprika? She had grilled the spice right into the fish so it didn't look funny. Usually if one sprinkled it, the red looked like dust. She found it unappealing. "so good!" Eden deemed her share success at least. But onto the real test... Was Ignis' food just as good? She side-eyed him, wanting to know. Wishing it was.

"Speech"

AS HER OWNER...
ignis praetor is allowed in any thread, even ones marked private
baelfire, diablo, rivin and aresenn are also allowed due to being her children

"Talk" Walk She exclaimed that fish was much better cooked. Of course, he didn't know that yet having never cooked fish before. But even just the smell of it certainly placed it on the list of things that definitely sounded good. Though she seemed to have a bit of doubt about whether or not it might taste good, considering it sounded like this was her first time making it. He watched and waited, though he couldn't help but to continue eyeing his meal as the scent wafted over him. Once she began to eat, he licked his lips and tucked in himself. He first started gently, testing the paprika seasoned fish, and once he realized that it was actually pretty damn good, he ate with a little more vigor. He hadn't realized he was as hungry as he was. Or maybe it was just the fact that eating fish this way was so much better than eating it raw. Whatever the case was, he quite liked the paprika she had added to it. "It's...really...good...!" He exclaimed between bites. Finishing one fish to start on another. He pulled a couple out of the pile and offered it to his companions, who both grabbed their share and tucked in themselves. They too, ate like they hadn't eaten in a while, what with not having time when Ignis kept running around and getting into fights. Ignis paused as he chewed a piece, "They like it, too. It seems you've outdone yourself, Little Lamb." It was a compliment of course. He was quite enjoying this.

She could not help her rump wagging again. Her back legs were too swollen from being on her paws all day, so she more or less waddled on the spot. "Oh, I'm so happy!" she burst out, laughing in relief. Ignis deserved a good meal, with all the work he had been doing for the Plunder. The raid especially, she heard good things about. He had stood his ground against others in Habari, the Plunder darn near victorious due to him, Gilgamesh, and Sparrow.

"I-I haven't cooked before" Eden chirped, blushing at his nickname for her "I wanted to... do something nice" she trailed off, looking to the side uncertainly "you're stronger than me... you can do all sorts of things. I think I get in the way a lot" it was clear she felt bad for Bellamy's behavior and how it all turned out "all I know is plants. I-If... I'm going to be a mother, I need to know more things." Her head dipped, looking at the ground.

Plus, she just wanted to do something nice for him out of the goodness of her heart. Of course, she wouldn't admit that out loud. Not that she hadn't already done it oh goodness. She was embarrassed now. "A-Anyway!" she tittered "I'll cook more if you want. When we both have time to sit down and eat."

"Speech"

AS HER OWNER...
ignis praetor is allowed in any thread, even ones marked private
baelfire, diablo, rivin and aresenn are also allowed due to being her children

"Talk" Walk She was...way too happy about this. But then again could he blame her? It was the first time they were really spending time together that didn't involve yelling, fighting, or her patching him up. It was...different. And he wasn't sure how to feel about it. She was excited that she had cooked something up for the first time. That she wanted to do something...nice... "you're stronger than me... you can do all sorts of things. I think I get in the way a lot" He swallowed what he was chewing on and stopped eating for a moment. all I know is plants. I-If... I'm going to be a mother, I need to know more things." Judging from the way she sounded, he knew there were things weighing heavy on her mind. Perhaps deeper than what she let on. And of course, she tried to brush it off as she attempted to change the subject. "You're cooking is good for a first timer, I'll admit. And that's...something I haven't learned to do myself. So that's already something you can do, that I can't." He offered a small, encouraging smile. Though honestly, it felt a little...forced. How long had it been since he acted in this manner? He couldn't remember. "My sister was a healer. She tried to teach me about plants when we were younger, but...I never got the hang of it beyond learning the bare basics. So that's another thing that you can do that I can't." He shifted, taking a breath as he licked his muzzle clear of food. "Anyone can fight. Anyone can catch a deer or trap and kill them. But it takes real skill to know how to cook or know about plants. Which ones are safe to use, what's dangerous, and what can help you survive if you find yourself without food or water. I know if I got stuck in a situation on my own, it's unlikely I'd be able to help myself. Hell, you've treated my wounds and kept them from getting worse or getting infected. I wouldn't have known how to keep that from happening on my own." And that was a fact. He cleared his throat, feeling his cheeks blush with heat as how much he was trying to compliment her. Trying to make her feel better about herself. He grabbed a piece of fish to chew on it, embarrassed now.

She was silent as he spoke. It was a bit shocking that he told her anything about his family, the averse way he didn't like to talk about himself. She could not contain her surprise, eyes flying open and her mouth dropping somewhat. "I" she really didn't know what to say, so she moved a tiny paw and tried to place it on his bigger one. Not in a reassuring way like she had done when he was hurt, but more of a grateful gesture for his words. That he actually tried to care to make her feel better.

"That's twice now" Eden said finally "that you've tried to cheer me up." She removed her paw from his, flustered suddenly at her thanking gesture. She was staring too much, so she looked away again. He didn't have to make an effort, since she was his prisoner but... He still did. It meant a lot to her. Especially since she was perhaps running herself down a bit... She was still a bit weird from seeing Bellamy, wondering how on earth she would protect her children if Ignis was not there. What if he had not shown up?

She would have lost the pups. She would be near death or even dead herself. Eden swallowed. "I would like to learn to fight a bit..." she admitted to Ignis "how can I protect our children... if I just stand there, depending on others? What if you're far away next time..." She rolled off in a slight whimper, eyes dark.

"Speech"

AS HER OWNER...
ignis praetor is allowed in any thread, even ones marked private
baelfire, diablo, rivin and aresenn are also allowed due to being her children