~*~ Crusade lay lounging at the cave-mouth. The grand rocky arch was the entrance into the Glaciem pack densite. Within was the heart of the northern pack - the place where every night, over a dozen wolves curled up to sleep - some grouped together in warm clumps, some choosing to be off on their own, some padded down with pine broughs. During the day, however, most everyone was off and away. The healers would be gathering herbs now that the air was hinting of the summer thraw. The hunters would be tracking the incoming caribou herds. The warriors would be patroling and training and supplementing the hunters as needed. There were no other elders, no prisoners, no wounded, no pups - it was an empty cave today, except for the one old Timber wolf laying in the band of sunlight that made a wide golden doormat at the entrance. For the most part Crusade still made herself useful around the terra. She'd patrol a here and there, and she could still bring in plenty of small game, and of course she still had great value as a foreign dignitary... and yet she was retired. She had plenty of long sunlit mornings just like this one - where the cave was slowly deserted and after the goodbyes and nods were given, she was left to dream. Such she had done this morning - diving off into a delicious swirl of warm fuzzy memories: the adoption of Keki and Maka.... the coming to this new Glaciem... reconnecting with Cifer ... their first night as mates... Crusade hmmmed happily herself and stretched out luxuriously. She hadn't really told anyone yet, not out of any sort of worry - but just waiting for the right time. The basic signs were there for anyone to see anyway. Crusade and Cifer were just both were deep, personal sorts of wolves. Still waters and all that. Quite a few times now, they'd mated, but unfortunately, Crusade didn't believe anything would come of it. She was still able to keep up with hunts and what not, but she was nine - past the fertile age. And yet... Perhaps it was only her mind playing tricks on her, or the hormones of old age toying with her... but she was acting like an expecting she-wolf. For one thing, she was enjoying sleeping in - something that, as a morning bird - she rarely ever indulged in. She was craving fish more too - which was odd for her. Yet she'd kept warning herself not to get excited - not to get her hopes up. She had to know for certain. Back she went into the sunny realm of dreams.... until something starting -something twitched - something moved inside her. Crusade came awake with a jolt. "Could it be...?" Her eye stretched wide and she rolled over slightly to stare at her cream colored belly. "Is it possible?" She'd felt this sort of feeling before... when she'd been expecting to Mouse back in the Far North... The she-wolf remained as she was for a long tense minute. Had she imagined it? Had it been a part of her dream? But then it happened again. And Crusade knew. "CIFER!" she screeched out, and then, recovering some shred of mind, she snapped to her paws and let out a howl. A long, high shout of escatasy meant to summon any of her family that were around. She-she had to tell them! -to let them all know! She was being given another chance to bring life into the world! She was going to be a mother! Oh to heck with going to be! She was already! There was someone, a a few someones living within her, probably already with little wolfish heartbeats of their own! "Gargie!" Crusade shouted as she took off from the den. She started down the roots of the mountain - heading into the woods and towards Glaciem's great Lake. She wanted to get out in the open where her calls would be better heard. "Cifer! Asheni!" she howled. She'd meant to call for her adopted daughters too, but the words now stuck in her throat. Instead, of words out of her maw, a perfect little opal of a tear brimmed out of her left eye. ~*~

A soft pink tongue lolled from the male's mouth as he plowed across the terrain of Glaciem. The thrill of the chase sang in his blood as he darted after an unfortunate calf he'd come across. Separating it from both parents had been a task within it's own, but he'd eventually managed to shepherd it away and then began the chase of life or death for the young caribou. It ran on wobbly legs that threatened to give out. He wasn't very old, perhaps only two weeks at most. It happened to give Cifer the advantage he needed to take it down on his own. The creature began to stumble in exhaustion and the male took the chance to dart forward. Teeth sunk into it's hamstring tearing and pulling at the muscle before falling back just as it tried to kick him. It was enough to get the animal to slow some. He darted forwards again and this time he went for the ankle and bit down with bone crushing force at the weak joint. He could feel a snap and he backed away once again as it bucked before tripping and falling. Now that it was on the ground he took it as an opportunity to go in straight for the kill. It's limbs flailed as it attempted to get back on it's feet. He bowled into it using strong muscles to pin it's head to the ground. After that it was almost a piece of cake. Teeth went straight for the jugular and it's blood spilled upon the ground staining it crimson. The life left its dark eyes and Cifer let go and backed away thoroughly pleased with himself. His tongue swiped out to lick his blood stained muzzle clean. This meal would be perfect for Crusade and himself to share. She probably would have joined him had she not slept in this morning. She seemed to be doing that a lot lately. It made him curious. Under normal circumstances his mate would be up at the crack of dawn like himself. He went out every morning to patrol the borders and she herself normally included herself in those duties even though she was retired. So what was up? He wasn't familiar with pregnancy. He remembered when Arcane had kids, but he had only been around her a few times and even then it was brief. He'd only brought her mate and her food every once in a while. He hadn't actually taken the time to study her habits so he had no idea about Crusade. It was quite puzzling honestly. They had indulged themselves in the mating process quite a few times, but he doubted they would be rewarded. Both were aging wolves and she happened to be older than he. Chances of them having kids were slim. It did not matter to him, he truly enjoyed her company and living with her to the last of their days was enough, but the thought of kids was a pleasing thought even if it was somewhat terrifying. Jaws parted to tear into the flesh of his kill when a howl rang out. Ebony tipped ears flicked forward and his head snapped upwards. The voice was easily recognizable. Crusade. She sounded panicked and it worried him. It soon ceased as he realized her cries were of shock and jubilee. What had her so excited? What had her calling to the majority of the other pack too? The kill was forgotten as Cifer rushed off to find the cream and copper colored dame. She was closer to the den site, but he could tell from her voice that she was headed towards the lake. He veered course and began to head in that direction. It didn't take long but he could soon see her in the distance. His pace didn't cease until he caught up to her. His tail wagged softly behind him at the sight of her as he neared. "Crusade!" He panted. "What is it?" [ooc: I'm just gonna point this out. It's not of my own free will that the text is in uppercase letters. I don't understand -_- Magic to me. I didn't code it this way. So forgive me. I loathe it. He's not yelling. Promise.]

Table by Azil. Do not use without permission.

~*~ Cifer! Most of the year he was little more than black dots and a pair of emerald eyes, but come the summer thaw his white coat stood out brilliantly. Crusade couldn?t decide how she liked him better: as a green eyed ghost drifting across the snow, or as a startling figure of alabaster. Creator Above! What a tangle her mind was in! She?d forgotten how distracted and mushy she could be when she was in love. And she?d forgotten how absolutely wonder it was. Crusade picked up the pace. It had been only a small count of minutes since she?d been laying in the sunshine, but now she was nearly barreling into her mate. Maybe it was how fit and active everyone kept, or maybe it was the slowly ingrained sense of family, but that was the interesting thing about Glaciem ? nevermind how many mountains or miles of tundra, the wolves always seemed to be able to find eachother. Might as well have been two magnets. There was a brief second where Crusade stood there breathing like a fish, then a smile stretched over her muzzle. Her eye sparkled, her tail whirled, her paws danced in place and suddenly her tongue was snaking out to plant a wolf kiss on Cifer?s nose. ?Cifer! We?re going to be parents!? Her excitement tumbled out before she was even sure of the words. ?I felt it! I felt them! We?re gonna have puppies, Cifer!? Crusade was practically glowing. Sure she was worried ? of course she was! Her last child had died after it had barely taken it?s first breaths. But of course she had some reason why; fighting a war while carrying a child wasn?t exactly safe. Yet at the same time ? she really hadn?t had a choice. This time was going to be different! It was Crusade ? so she wasn?t going to confine herself to the cave or anything ? but she wasn?t going to be hunting anything larger than a caribou calf, no more sprints to the top of the mountain and no more training sessions with the pack. This got her thinking: ?Creator Above! Cifer we need to talk to Asheni about herbs and eating ? and Gargie! He needs to know! Oh! And the girls!? Crusade shook her head. As any of her pack mates knew she wasn?t one to get overwhelmed easily but this ? this was beyond overwhelmed?.but in a happy way. ~*~

He didn't think he'd ever seen her this excited, not even when they'd first become mates. She was beginning to become like Asheni, barreling into him almost like she did. It was odd but he certainly wasn't going to complain. He'd grown to love the warrior-like female along with a few other members of Glaciem. He now had a better sense of family thanks to them. It was amazing how far he had come in the years. She licked his nose and a soft smile tugged at the corners of his lips. His gaze was warm as he gave her a soft lick to the chin. He still had yet to figure out what had her so hyped up and jubilant. His tailed waved softly behind him but he stiffened as the worlds flew from her mouth in a flurry. His heart felt like it was leaping from his chest as it beat faster and his blood seemed to run cold. He didn't even bother trying to speak knowing he'd get flustered and just stumble over his words. It was beyond shocking. Sure they'd mated many times since the first time to at least try to ensure they would have kids, but he didn't expect it to really happen. She had exited her prime and he himself was getting on up there. Hell, he had just turned seven in the past winter. But she'd really felt them move? This was a definite thing? He was going to be a father? It was a bit much to take in and he was having problems trying to comprehend it all. He'd never once thought that in all his years of living that he'd have a child. Thistle had made him void of any thoughts of a mate or kids, and later on in life it hadn't seemed like anything would change. Now he had a mate and a litter on the way! Cifer's legs turned to jelly so the male let his hind legs drop as he sat back in the grass speechless. He didn't come to his senses until she began going on about telling Asheni, Gargoyle, and her, no their two adopted kids. He closed his jaw, not realizing it'd been opened, and then regained his composure some. He nodded in agreement before exclaiming, "Holy cow.... we're gonna be parents...."

Table by Azil. Do not use without permission.