Teddy Bear Picnic

The woman was restless and anxious, unsure of her surroundings and what all to do. She hated just sitting around and doing nothing, so she headed out. She had made sure that @Gaia was safe in her den, hidden away from everyone else before she left. If anyone even thought about hurting her daughter in this new pack, she would rain hellfire on everyone. For a moment her mind drifted back to @Ragnar, wondering if his words and claims were truthful. She had already been lied to and kicked out by Dragonford so at this point she really didn't know who to trust. 

She zoned out as she walked, thinking of @Vendrussel with a sigh. She wanted to hate her, to hope she died in the worst way possible, but she couldn't. The woman had been nice to her up until the pregnancy and Serenity couldn't forget the time they had spent together. Outwardly, she would swear she hated the woman but if given the choice, the earthen gal would still save the dragon leader. The same would be her response when it came to @Jun, though she would never express those words. It was clear to Serenity that she would never get the man and, though it saddened her slightly, she still hoped that Jun and Ven would work out.

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Just how many women were pregnant in Northfall? Aarkron had left Dragonford long before this woman had arrived and so he was unaware of what had occurred with her and Vendrussel, but it was upon his wanderings in and out of the borders while bringing food or dried herbs did he spot another engorged belly.

Straight away he walked toward the woman. A purpose in his stride as his glare gazed her up and down. He probably would have been even harsher had he known of her origins if that was even possible, and so, it was just his usual resting bitch face that came off ruder than he intended to.

“You.” He barked upon approaching. “Has anyone checked over your pregnancy and offered prenatal herbs yet?” Straight to the point, there was no easing into the conversation ever with him. The wrinkles on his brow were deep, but so was his concern for the soon-to-be newborns in Northfall.

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The woman had been in her own thoughts so far she didn't even notice the other had walked up to her and was glaring at her until they spoke. Instantly, the woman jumped, turning quickly to look at the other. At first, she snarled at him out of purely fear and instinct, but quickly came to realize it was one of her own pack members. A rude one, but one nonetheless. Panting slightly from the effort it took to snarl at him as well as the adrenaline that was coursing through her body for a moment, the pregnant woman would narrow her eyes at him, unsure of what he was talking about. 

Sure, he was apart of her pack by the scent of him, but he seemed to have a rather odd interest in her pregnancy. Slowly, she would shake her head, her body on guard slightly. "No, the last herbs I was offered were termination herbs." Her distrust was clear in her words, though she would sit herself down to watch him. She was already at a disadvantage if he attacked her, so she might as well try to relax in case he actually was trying to help her. "Why do you ask?" 

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His expression only creased further as she mentioned someone offering termination herbs. “Did you want to terminate at some point? Did you take any?” He had to know. For medical reasons of course. Had she taken any and regretted it, they had to know if they were going to try and save the puppies that she had clearly wanted now seeing that she is still pregnant.

Why do you ask?

“Isn't it obvious?” He frowned, genuinely this time. Aarkron was quite oblivious to how little he resembled most medics. Tall, scarred, frightening to look at with a moody expression to boot. “I want to make sure they and you are healthy.” His way of trying to show he was here to help, not harm her. The snarl and guarded posture of the woman barely even phased him as he simply brushed over it all.

“So I need to know... Did you take any?”

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This man was... confusing to say the least. His words said one thing but his face said another and she wasn't really sure which one to believe. He spoke about wanting to make sure she was healthy and she hesitated, not really having anyone that cared this much. On top of all that, she didn't even know him. It wasn't until he asked about her taking the herbs again that she would speak up, her teeth snapping in a small warning. "Calm down, I didn't take any. I refused them." The woman would groan slightly and move to lay on her side, wearily trusting this man as he spoke of wanting to help her. He seemed like a healer, even if his body showed battle scars. 

"It was the reason I was kicked out of my last pack, I refused to terminate them. But you don't even know who I am." Her words were more curiosity based now instead of guarded, her body still smaller than it should be. It was clear that she hadn't had the best time being pregnant so far, her body was skinny even with the bulging stomach. During her time as a loner, she hadn't been able to eat properly while still making sure her daughter was healthy. Now that she was apart of this pack though, she had slowly started to bulk up, able to eat daily now. However, it had only been a few days and her shoulders and hips still could be seen poking against her skin.

After a few moments of laying on her side, she would sigh, laying her head on the ground, a silent acceptance of his help. However, she couldn't stop herself from watching him closely, wondering if she should ask more about him. She vaugely remembered Ragnar talking to her about a wolf named Aarkon that had also been apart of the Ford before leaving to come here. Was this who that was? Or perhaps that was just her wishing to meet someone who understood her troubles.

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Even as she demanded him to calm down, not a single flinch was offered to even try and change his expression. It was just how he was. Never had he ever wanted to come across as rude, it was just how he looked.

So she refused, well that was one less problem off of their plate. Now back to the original reason for his approach. It seemed that Northfall wasn't one to really take the reigns when it came to pregnancy and the care of the women who were baring children, so this meant there was an opening for a midwife... an opening that Aarkron was not only going to slide himself into, but forcefully do so as well.

He'd nurse the fuck out of them all to health and there wasn't a single thing they could do to stop him.

“Doesn't matter who you are, the job of a man, of a nurse, is to assist while she focuses on new life.” Period.

While she got herself comfortable, he wouldn't dare to move her somewhere else. She was fine here after all, he wouldn't be far while foraging so he could always come running back if needed be. “Stay.”



And with that same grim expression, he turned to forage... for an hour or two so long as the woman didn't call in distress.

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The woman raised an eyebrow at his words, not really sure what he was on. She had ever known anyone to go out of their way to help someone they had never met. Sure, it was likely just because they were in the same pack, but still, it warmed her heart. She pinned her ears back slightly as he told her to stay, though would still lay down there, watching him go off to forage for what she could only assume to be herbs. 

After about an hour, she would lift herself up, stretching slightly as she looked around. She wanted to do something to say thank you. Not far away, she noticed a few voles that seemed to be playing with each other. Lowering herself down, she would stalk the creatures, though it wasn't difficult for them to see her and start to bolt. Pushing herself forward, she would use her paws to slam into them, able to catch both of them even as pregnant. 

With both of them hanging from her mouth, she would move towards him until she placed them next to him silently, sitting herself back down. Her tail flipped across her paws as she offered him a small smile.

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Carefully he picked through the herbs he could find. Sniffing, and scrutinizing every. single. one of them and picking out only the perfect ones he could find while leaving the small, sickly, or weird ones behind. A strange tenderness came from him as he picked through the herbs he wanted, those who were deemed good enough in his eye.

Eventually, he gathered what he could for now... where they were wasn't the greatest, but he could make do with what the grounds could offer. Thankfully he had more back in his den, something they could sort out later once the two of them would go back to Northfall. Satisfied, he gathered the small bundle of various herbs and began the short journey back to the expecting woman... what he saw upon his return, brought the scowl back to his face.

Herbs dropped from his maw as she approached with two small rodents in her maw, dropping them at his feet while he, non-so-gallantly glared down at the woman. “The hell do you think you're doing?” He said grimly with a raise of his lip, black tongue curling lightly in the back of his throat. “You are pregnant, not me. Don't exhaust yourself with even the smallest hunts. Concern you with yourself for now, and your children later.”

He'd make sure she would eat the rodents herself later.

Before continuing with his previous treatment, the dragon-born waited for her to try and test him by rejecting his demands as the pack's healer... and self-given title of midwife.

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Her smile quickly turned to a scowl as he yelled at her, telling her to only be concerned about herself, causing her to let out a rather annoyed chuckle. "Oh please, it's not like I don't have to hunt regardless of if I'm pregnant. It's not just me I have to worry about, its my daughter as well and I'm not keen on just stealing food from the pack that I only joined a few days ago." She would flash her fangs at him as she growled, her hormones high and her emotions off the charts. 

"Regardless of my pack status, I still have to feed myself and my daughter. You may be the pack's healer but don't for a moment think that I'm some damsel in distress. The only reason I'm letting you help me with the herbs is because you're cute." She would roll her eyes and turn away from him, aiming to move back to where she had been laying before. Laying herself down, sighing slightly as she glared over at him, though still not taking the voles back with her.

"Unlike many of the other she-wolves you've likely helped, I don't have anyone but myself. I don't have a mate or a father for my children. That means everything I do, I have to do myself. So thank you for the help, but I don't have someone I can depend on to do everything like you're suggesting." She laid herself down and watched him for a moment, mostly just expecting him to have enough of her and to leave her.

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The little woman had a lot to say. A lot that meant nothing to the guardian of the herbs. He'd chalk it up to hormones, but she should still be wiser than this given her state. That and she seemed completely oblivious to what it meant to be in a pack. Something he would straighten up right here and now.

Something that he had a feeling @Ragnar would also agree with should he have heard her just now. Some tough love seemed to be the order here, the remedy to this little situation of theirs. As she bit back with a bitter tone, he only stood taller. His ears tilted back while his expression changed none. The internal gears turned as to what to reply with as soon as she was done.

“You joined Northfall knowing that a pack would aid you to raise your pups. What makes you think you are alone in any of this?” A lip raised in annoyance - she called him cute but that meant nothing honestly. He had too much shit on his plate to be worried about his appearances or what others thought of him. “You may not have eaten any of the herbs to terminate your pregnancy but with enough stress your body with terminating it on its own. With either stillborns or by reabsorbing them, is that what you want?!” He barked out finally. Raising his tone to nail his point home.

“If you want these puppies you will listen to me and rest, if Ragnar thought you would be a burden he wouldn't have accepted you into the ranks. He knew you would eat from our caches. Don't be stubborn and stupid thinking you're all alone after joining a pack.” While she laid down, he began to look at her scruff. Ready to drag her back to Northfall if he had to if she was going to be this difficult. “Stop thinking about yourself and your selfish pride, but the puppies you're carrying instead. Your stress can kill them.” A thought that nearly disgusted him enough for wrinkles to form on the bridge of his nose.

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She heard his words and let out a soft snarl, though this time it wasn't aimed at him. "You talk about relying on the pack, but I've never been able to rely on a pack. Dragonford made themselves seem accessible and reliable and then tried to have me kill my own pups. So pardon me if I don't entirely trust packs." She sighed slightly and watched him, finally realizing how tired she was through all of this. 

She noticed him looking at her scruff and would silently roll her eyes before standing herself up with a grunt. If he wanted her to move, then he could say something. He certainly had no issues speaking up about stuff that didn't concern him. Still, apart of her was grateful for it, though she had no intentions of saying anything about it. "I get what you're talking about, I do want to help my unborn children, but I still have to help my daughter. She's still too young to go to get water, or food alone, and I certainly can't leave her by herself while she plays."  Even currently, the only reason she was out here was because Kailani was asleep.

As she stood the woman would sigh and shake her head. "Besides, if I have to stay cooped up in my den alone for another day doing nothing, that will stress me out even more." Her tone was no longer one of anger, though she looked up at him with a bit of an amused expression. It was clear that she wasn't a good patient and certainly wasn't one to play the damsel.

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And there it was.

Dragonford, ruining another life. “Dragonford is a poor excuse for a pack.” He snapped back immediately. Interjecting without letting the woman finish. Venom seeped from his words not for her, but for Vendrussel who yet again stuck her nose in the business of others for her own selfish needs. Then again, this woman too seemed selfish. Perhaps they were just two peas in a pod really. Two rams butting heads and Vendrussel just happened to come out on top this time. “Then you shouldn't have joined one if you have no trust in them.” Harsh... but again with the right intentions at heart.

“Listen to yourself.” As she stood up he continued to keep his height above her. Staring down at her from the barrel of his snout. He had no pity or remorse for what he was saying or doing. If she was so oblivious to it all, he would make her see it one way or another; and not by softening any blows for her to learn it on her own the hard way. “She is not alone, she has a pack now. Ragnar, Eirene, or even I can accompany her. Can babysit her and watch over her while you rest and care for the ones growing within you now. By not taking the resources you are offered, you are being a burden. If your children are born sick or still because you refuse to take care of yourself for their sake, you are a burden.” He growls.

And as she continues he rolls his eyes. Lips quivering in frustration. Though he would not bite her despite the desire to drag her back to Northfall, he was certainly not having any of this. “You have a whole damn territory to stretch your legs in. No one says to stay in your den. Stay in the GODDAMN BORDERS.” His maw snaps shut like a punctuation. “We are in a fucking war and you're out here galavanting while pregnant and Vendrussel is roaming. SMARTEN UP.”

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The woman stayed quiet, silently seething in the corner as he spoke. She had nothing to say to him, though wasn't happy with everything that he spoke of. As he spoke of her daughter, she would snarl at him, clearly very protective and unwilling to let anyone be alone with her. Perhaps she was jaded from her past, but this wasn't the conversation for now. 

It wasn't until he spoke about the borders and the war that the woman snapped, having enough of him screaming at her for one day. So, raising her right paw, she would attempt to smack him right in the face, snarling and growling accompanying it. If she was able to hit him, she would flash her fangs at him before speaking. "I don't know who the hell you think you are, but I've had enough. You may be a healer to this pack, but you are not my mate and you are not my mother so quit fucking acting like it."

With that, she would turn to leave, attempting to waddle back to the borders. Fine, she would stay in the borders of the pack... for about a day before she already had ideas of wandering and exploring again. There wasn't much he could do to stop her unless he chose to babysit her in her den. In reality, she wouldn't put it past the crazy man, but she also wasn't going to give him the thought. So, for now she would try to walk back home, snarling at him any time he got close to her.

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He'd mimic her flashes of fangs and growls between words. Unrelenting to her mood swings. Pregnant or not, it was no excuse to be selfish and risk-taking. If she truly wanted these puppies, she had to take better steps toward making sure they were born healthy. The way she treated herself and the situation they found themselves in wet against what she spoke of, how defensive she was over the whelp in her current care. It all pointed more to someone who didn't care about the little ones growing inside of them - which even Aark would agree is a woman's choice to have puppies or not.

But why carry them to term in such a dangerous way. In a way that would risk both them and the mother's life? For what? Some adventure? Some spice in her life just for the hell of it? it made his blood boil. His expression or thoughts of her didn't change even when the paw struck him in the face. Leaving a sting on his cheek but he was unmoving. An obelisk in her path.

She was a brat. He decided here and now. Maybe that was why Vendrussel didn't agree with her being pregnant and birthing children. She was clearly not ready for such a task.

At least she was moving back to Northfall. He won this round but could tell the war between them wasn't over. He would have to double his patrols on the borders of Northfall and pay special attention to this one should she decide to go adventuring again... hopefully by the time she gained too much weight and her paws would ache, she would see the errors of her ways and finally remain in the safety of the borders. For now, he contemplated on adding sleep agents to any concoctions he would give her, should she accept or ask for any... just to keep her more complacent until whelping began.

It would be a dirty trick for sure... but one he was willing to take if it meant keeping her out of trouble, and the puppies to get the necessary time they needed to develop.

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