she had finally returned to Winterfell after calming down, and it was a good thing she arrived when she did. a boom! echoed behind her as she stepped foot into the pines; shock made her twist her neck sharply to view the beginning of what she knew was a way of life. ash and soot poured from the distant volcano, blackening the sky. Heloise supressed a shiver, praying that no one was harmed during this event. hopefully, they all escaped from the radius. but she could only do that; hope. "Acere!" she called, turning back to the treeline and running in its safety net. she hoped he had not been delivering the supplies to the Hjarrandi or gone outside of the pack lands. not right now. not like this. "Acere?" Heloise stopped, her chest heaving and knowing running around in a blind panic was not good for anyone. let alone her unborn children. she forced herself to settle down on the ground, her rear touching the cool earth as she took in deep breaths. she felt emotional and vulnerable in this moment, not surrounded by her loved one and friends. the alabaster woman knew the volcano was a signal of things to come. she had an awful feeling. bowing her head, she choked back silent sobs. [ooc; anyone in winterfell]

Altair Altair was going exploring throughout the territory. She didn't really think of the possibility that she would be attacked; after all she was within pack lands and there hadn't been any real form of drama since she had gotten here- A loud explosion echoed throughout the landscape, her eyes widening slightly as she saw the smoke and soot bellow from the surface, darkening the sky with the coloration that could only be described as the night sky itself. The young pup wasn't sure if she should turn back or continue with her adventure. Thinking of the latter, she decided to gain some more distance. After a little bit of walking, the sounds of panic hit her ears as the voice of her adopted mother caught her attention. She seemed to be calling for Acere, but she was the only one here. She had heard about Heloise's pregnancy, and thought that she could be some form of comfort if that was what she needed; or someone to maybe help calm her down with her unborn step-siblings in mind. She saw the alabaster wolfess sitting upon the frigid ground, crown hung low. It was a sad sight to see for the pup, for she was always used to seeing her calm and collected. She slowly walked over, giving a small bark in greeting before sitting beside her. "I...hope I'm not bothering you. I was in the area and heard you calling for father but...thought I could help in some way if you need a friend," She asked, her voice calm and soothing in hopes of lighting the mood and make Heloise feel a little better. "Speech"

it wasn't Acere who arrived but Altair. Heloise looked up as the girl approached, settling down next to her and asking if she needed a 'friend'. the woman bit back a soft chuckle. however awkward it was to suddenly realize she had a daughter before her own children were born, she still considered Altair to be her daughter. she flashed the girl a more grateful look before her eyes drifted back to the treeline, where the volcano was still erupting behind them. "daughter" she corrected the girl, trying to compose herself accordingly. her tone was soft and a bit shakey, but she chalked it up to her hormones. "do you... know if any of our people left the north?" she'd feel better if she knew that all were accounted for, that nobody had been caught in the blast. Heloise did not know if the eruption would reach them; they seemed to be safe for now. but if they had wandered further away, she could do nothing for them. the thought of doing nothing was something foreign. there was always something she could do, but with her pregnancy, she felt limited. she was not going to endanger the lives of her children for her own personal ego.

Altair When Heloise brought up the term 'Daughter', the young she-wolf couldn't help but smile in happiness. She wasn't sure if the older wolf really considered her as such since they hadn't conversed that much and for that long. But, her little tail wiggled in happiness at the mention of it, and that was enough to make the young child smile. She'd be sure to make her adopted parents proud of her, and she also wanted to set a good example for her unborn siblings. She was certainly excited about their arrival, that was for sure. She gave Heloise a small nuzzle in thanks, hoping to comfort her as well due to the tone that radiated from her vocals. When her question arose, Altair was a little hesitant upon telling her. She was unsure about the whereabouts of some of the pack members, and she hadn't really conversed with any of them. Only one, but that was really it. Her ears pinned back slightly as her multi-colored gaze swerved to the side for a moment before speaking to the older she-wolf. "I'm sorry, Mom, but I don't...I usually go off exploring and don't really run into any of them that much. I'd like to change that, and I'm sorry I can't be more help to you..." She explained as her expression saddened a little more. She wanted to be more knowledgeable about the lands itself, but, she'd also need to talk to some of the Winterfell members too, especially if she thought of making a pack of her own someday. She'd need to step up her conversing skills. "Speech"

Heloise lifted her head, breathing in the scents of Winterfell. she could locate some of the ones she knew already and it calmed her down enough. fresh scents. not old ones. they were here, at least. she relaxed her shoulders, having been quite tense, and sighed. Altair had given her a quick nuzzle to help her relax, and she had pressed her snout back against the girl in thanks. she tried to compose herself more, knowing it would do no good to get upset. yet she had her hormones to deal with as well, and it would be a bit longer before she was free of them. Mom though... she felt strange. having already accepted Altair as her kin, Heloise should get used to it. but this was the first time she had been called a mother. this was the first time the girl acknowledged it. "you are helping" she smiled, twisting her head back to stare at the girl "by being here, Altair." she knew Acere would be looking on the eruption, calculating what to do and who to help. she did not blame him for not being here. she was at the very edge of the pines, having called in desperately. he could very well be at the ship. as long as he was safe. trying to move on from her unease, she would bend her neck to stare at her growing belly. "I thought of some names for your siblings. do you want to hear them?"

link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="https://fonts.googleapis.com/css?family=Ruthie">

Altair Altair's tail began to wag a little more. She was glad that Heloise considered her as kin, despite how quickly she had appeared in the older woman's life. She was not expecting in the slightest to have another family. After all, if it were not for Acere to aid her in her endeavors, there was no telling what could possibly have happened to her. She did have her friend Dominus to help her, but she hated bothering the male anyways. She nuzzled the alabaster she-wolf once again, her smile widening a little more once she spoke about how she was glad she was here and that she was helping by being here. The words made her feel evermore grateful that that was the case. She tilted her crown slightly when she brought up her siblings, explaining that she had thought of some names for them as her tail rapidly whipped around in excitement. "Absolutely! I would love to hear!" She yipped, sitting upon the ground as she waited for Heloise to respond. Her small tail glided across the snow, leaving a trail behind it as she waited patiently. Altair prayed that her chipper attitude and high-pitched tone wasn't too off-putting for the situation. "Speech"

properly relaxed now, she would shift her body to agree with her position. though her belly would take some getting used to before she lost it, Heloise was comfortable enough. her eyes drifted to the deepening sky, the darkness from the volcano fading to be replaced by the northern lights. her thoughts grew more deep as she proclaimed the titles she wished for her children, though she would obviously know that Acere wanted to name some too. there was no formal healer in Winterfell; so a healer could not tell her how many they were having. but judging by how round she was, she guessed at least four. but she was not entirely sure herself. "I wish to name one after my late father" Heloise pushed what-if's away to focus on the present "his name was Whittaker cel Mare" she told the girl, a sad little smile replacing her more genuine one. the thought of him dead flashed through her mind once more before she breathed deep to reject its image. she moved on. she had moved on. "and I wish to call - if I have a girl - a daughter Lumi. after the northern lights' luminescence." she had plenty of time to think while she had calmed herself. Heloise had wanted to focus on exercising to work off her frustrations and had gained a few new experiences in the process. she had met Theory, Dominus again, and a few others. Theory, however, made the woman saddened. would Winterfell lose Abaven as an important ally when the girl was made alpha? or would Acere be able to salvage their relationship?