Watch the stars at night,

Orlaith had found something.. Strange growing within the Ullacraig, but it was also very colorful. Bright and round, she knew not what it was but it was definitely hard, and rollable like a rock. She could feel it mush sometimes at some sides, and at one point when she watched it tumble and hit a boulder, it split open. The insides looked like that of an organ trail with seeds, and for a moment looked to see if it was alive, but it was not.

..Then she tasted it. The seeds were okay, a bit bland, though the outer part tasted rather good. Some of the 'mucus' she dubbed, tasted fine as well was just a bit hard to digest. She dug it out, finding it much tastier to eat the rim and held that of a pumpkin head as she munched through. At some point it was an odd entity to see such a woman wander around with an object on her head, eating it..

Then she remembered ; wouldn't the newly birth queen like some? With pumpking upon her head, she chewed through the outside with difficulty to create an 'eye sight,' as found it simply easier to keep upon her head then to carry through her jaws. She tried, but with the side and how much was taken off already.. Any time she tried to grab the side pieces ripped off.

So with so, pumpkin-head Orlaith head toward @Ira den, and assumingly @Hieronymous as well. She gave a low chuff to announce her presence, for even she knew, it wasn't wise to enter without permission.

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@Rea @Ries @Renn @Cleo @Dagr free to cameo or post as you please

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The five bodies at her side had yet to grow very active in the mere days of their life. They would feast and sleep the hours away only to cry when their needs arose. Needless to say, the High King and Queen had not been getting a lot of rest.

For now, they seemed to have hit a grace period where a few would slumber and the remainder fed greedily with no competition at their sides. Even with milk-stained maws, she would watch with adoration placing a kiss on their heads as she leaned back. No sooner had she made herself comfortable again would a low call come from the tunnel.

Orlaith's voice had been easily recognizable and had she been anyone other than Quicksilver she would have likely responded with aggression. The babes were all too young to be exposed so soon to so many changes, but for their only member of the Hedrad, she was willing to make an exception. “You may enter.”

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She entered within the den, though stumbling into the entrance that would not suit her so. It wasn't that she was too large, but her limited view caused a bumping into the exterior. Her odd helmet of sorts would pear within the den, greenery of a gaze looking through poorly torn holes — but she couldn't continue wearing. Dipping her head down and letting the overally large pumpkin drop to the entrance of such a den.. She took note that most likely the entire fitter would be squished inside, as the warrior looked upon the finely cooling tones of the various five.

"I brought a treat I found in the mountains," she said with a snort of pride, pushing it forward, "you eat the inside."

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Cleo was awake then, messily (and loudly) snacking. She was quite hungry, and now knew what to do about it. When her mother offered a kiss, Cleo remained latched to her mothers side and grunted; whatever that sensation had been was not a terrible one, but... she did feel a little colder where the wetness lingered, and so pressed nearer to her siblings and mothers stomach both while she ate.

cameo!

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Ira watched as her guard stumbled in, a mass of orange upon her head as she felt her way into her chambers. There was little to say about the odd...delivery so she simply stared with a raised brow before the pumpkin was presented before her. Truthfully she had never snacked upon much that wasn't meat, aside from the stray berries or medicinal herbs, so she sniffed with interest.

“And what, pray tell, is this...snack you have gifted me?” There was little reason to distrust Orlaith so her concerns did not lie with poisoning or something similar, but with a treat she had never feasted upon she had to be sure of what she was putting in her body. Perhaps Quicksilver would know if it would be harmful to the children.

“I thank you for your offering, but I'm afraid I've never seen something quite like this.”

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"I couldn't tell you it's name, but it's growing within the Ullacraig." She placed a paw on it's rim, a presentation of sorts while cocking her head downward in a twist of curiosity. Not even the High Queen knew of it, and she couldn't really place a name upon it. Growing from the ground itself, she would've thought it was a berry of sorts if not for it's size itself. Though even if it looked strange and insides were a bit odd with the intestines itself..

"The insides of the rim taste well, though there something else inside of it that did not taste well, and I removed it." Orlaith said with a grin.

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Ira gave a short hum as she mused over the news, her eyes looking over the gourd as she reached to pull it closer. “Well, I thank you again. I will try some later.” After she could speak with Quicksilver of course. “I assume you have been patrolling as usual then if you were in the run?” Never did she take Orlaith to be a slacker, but it was pleasing to hear that she was out in her absence all the same.

“I pray there have been no disturbances, but I assume you would have told me by now had there been any.” With Elysium to one side it was easy to guard the remainders...when they did not wander too far of course, but since her last chat with Valeska, there has been no disturbance from those at the respite.

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"Just the usual loners who come into the hunting grounds, not too many who push back with aggression though." Reporting so with a rather lackluster in vibrancy — there wasn't much. The most given was perhaps her fight with a man beyond their borders, a scruffle that she felt was not needed, even if there was some minor injuries hanging around her snout in particular. Though most likely by the point her fur had grown over it ; she has not particular checked.

"How are they?" Orlaith asked, a paw gesturing at her litter.

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“Unavoidable I suppose.” The words were huffed out as she glanced down at her slumbering children. Any scars the warden gained were of little concern to her lest they were cause for infection. They spoke stories, weaved forever on the skin, and as a warrior those stories were more often than not carried with pride.

She had handled herself and life still filled her bones, so whatever state her opposers left in mattered little. Her standing here meant that they had failed to intrude any further should they have met on their grounds. “My brood is healthy. They eat and slumber their days away, though they grow stronger with each passing sun.” That being said it would still be a long time before they could offer anything to the pack.

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"An annoyance," she commented after Ira in but a huff of displeasure, "none returned after being warned off, at least." The one solace that after Orlaith would tell them off, an aggression to be or guiding them off the land herself.. Not too many came back, she couldn't remember any that ventured back to the claim, and at the very least, hovered around the area. She had met a few like so, none entering to the Ullacraig but just being around the mountain itself — sometimes a desire to ploy them into the ranks of Vanderfell, though if they agitated her too much, pride be damned and wouldn't ask for that of them.

"Do you have names?" Orlaith then inquired, a curious gaze as she looked down to them — but did not push further beyond that invisible boundry or any attempts to smell them. Even she knew a mother was hostile to any that wasn't her own mate or family, and being that of neither.. A respectful distance to be given, as she asked curious questions of what may be. As she counted them, there was.. Five?

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Ira gave a hum of approval after skipping over the warden's plight. She agreed, it was annoying, but there was nothing they could do to stop a foolish wolf. “Good.” One day strangers would learn, and once their numbers grew more she could properly see the run claimed. Then there would be no excuse to those traveling by.

“Curious are you?” It would only be a few weeks before they were mobile enough to meet the pack, but why hold back when Orlaith was standing right there. “Yes, a few we had decided fairly early.” She nosed the smallest of her boys, the patchwork of browns and tans accented by blotted ink, “This is Dagr. And his darkly colored sister is Cleo.” The youngest of her brood though certainly not worse off for it. “Rea is the one that looks like Hiero but silver, Renn is the pale boy, and Ries has the patchy paw.”

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She slept soundly. Curled close to her mother's belly and tucked snugly between two siblings - @Ries and @Renn - the blue-grey cub basked in the warmth and comfort of family. A tiny tongue poked between her lips, comical and adorable, until at last she began to rouse and her jaws parted in a wide yawn.

While she could not hear anything beyond muffled sounds, Rea stirred at the High Queen's mention of her name as if right on cue. She was not unsettled, nor did she have any desire to fill her belly. The babe simply nosed around, an elbow shoving at the ribs of the brother to her right.


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The cub found the most awkward of positions were the most comfortable. Sprawled upon his back, every now and then a twitch of a forearm curled into the air would signal life in the potato. Unaware of the conversations going about, or the introductions of the litter. He was blissfully unknowing to it all, and happy in his hour of laziness. 

A movement beside him though carefully awoke him, luckily he wasn't the pup at the receiving end of his sister's elbow, but her stirring was enough to encourage him to move. Squirming a few moments upon his back, like an upside-down tortoise cast on its shell, he finally wormed himself upright and nuzzled his way to his dam, or so he thought he was, heading in the opposite direction and toward the cold away from the litter. This freshness was most unpleasant, and the prince began to mewl, asking directions and guidance from his mother.

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lil cameo

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An awkward scratch behind her ear, "I don't remember much about kids," a fade of memory that knew not of. She couldn't remember how they acted or how they looked — in general it was like a new experience as a forested eye looked down to their scrawny appearances. Almost cue did one rise it's head in a yawn, barely was she able to catch their splotches upon their face, but their back was visible. She had the colors of the Queen, and yet definitely reminded her of hiero itself. 

The other one mewled as yell, "they are active," she commented with a raised brow curiously watching all the small movements they made. Weren't they supposed to just.. Lay and grow or something?

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Despite the company she shared, Ira kept her focus mostly on the cubs at her side, a few of which were now growing restless from the conversation nearby or simple pup needs. Of course, there was always bound to be one who squirmed away, whether it be intentional or not. “Yes, they only sleep the hours away in the early days. Now, they are beginning to take interest in the world around them. Their vision will come with time, but smells and sensations will drive them elsewhere before then.”

Just as it seemed Ries was doing now. Attentive as she was, she would wait momentarily to see if he could correct himself before she intervened. After all, she could not hold their hands forever. They would need to learn to solve their own problems and coddling them would only stunt their individuality and motivational drive. When it became apparent that he thought the solution was forward, Ira would be left with no other choice than to reach out and gently grab him by the nape to return to his siblings. Perhaps if he slept normally he would not get so turned around, but there was little she could do to prevent that at this age.

Once she had nestled the young boy between two of his siblings she would glance back to Orlaith with a brow raised. “Do you linger in search of answers or are you in need of a task?” It was no surprise that even now her mind went out to the pack and all there was to be done, but while she could do nothing, she expected the others to pick up the slack. It seemed unusual for the warden to idle away from the borders and so far it did not seem like she was one excited about pups, thus leaving the question, why stay longer than needed?

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"No, I only came to deliver the snack. I will excuse myself." She listened to Ira about the pups who squirmed more — and almost felt they were reacting to her own presence. It displeased her to think that they were growing upset by her appearance, but refrained from any outside vibes of this displeasure, and surprisingly, held it in. They were mindless weasels at the moment, and maybe within the future she could beat the snot out of them in a form of training — if she was allowed to. There was no formal discussion if the flaming berserker would help in that matter, and did not offer a paw either.. Knowing well the  High Queen was also a well-worked warrior.

She knew she wasn't particularly close to anyone in Vanderfell to really sit down and converse away, and didn't felt it came a surprise to think she was wanting a task. There wasn't many moments she would visit unless the Queen demanded it, and with bowing her head lightly as a form of goodbye, Orlaith turned to leave the den place and shift back to the borders.

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No, in the end there was no other reason the woman lingered except to maybe fill her curiosity. Orlaith voiced no questions or concerns though and with no other purpose to stay, she would excuse herself. “I see, then I must thank you again.” A slight dip of her head would be given in return to the warden's own before the woman turned to set out to the tunnel's path. Had they been more in numbers, perhaps she would not have questioned her Aesir's visit, but alas there were not many who could do what was needed. Winter would be arriving soon, the cold had already begun to settle atop their slopes, which meant food would soon become scarce and the Run would be at risk of loners or their neighbor's betrayal.

It was unideal to think that way of a pack that had...for the most part followed their agreement to this day, but hunger changed the minds of many. If she recalled Hieronymous' words though, the wolves at the respite feast on other sources as well as meat. Perhaps that would be their saving grace in keeping the peace. Still, that did not account for the loners that would pass through their hunting grounds. It was unavoidable even if they marked the run as they did the mountain. Loners were not so easily controlled as a pack wolf, but so long as they carried on their way, then a brief passage would do little to bother her unless they wandered too close to the mountain.

Other than food there was her children to fear for... The bundles huddled at her side were but a handful now, but the worst had yet to come. When they were more mobile keeping them safe would become harder, and winter wasn't exactly forgiving to unsteady paws. Those who wandered near were a thread to her brood just as much as the steep turns of the mountain face. Ira sighed as her thoughts wandered on. She would never not worry, that was her job now as a mother, but she would feel much better when she could take charge herself instead of staying cooped up in her den. At the very least, she knew her children were safe from the harsh trails of the world beyond their walls.

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