rebirth in reprise

Osiris had self-prescribed himself with baby fever. His prognosis was something that he had mostly kept to himself, though he had occasionally dropped some hints when talking to @Leta. Her reception to the idea had always been positive, but he had found himself at the point where he didn’t know what happened next. Osiris knew that Leta would need to go into heat for them to conceive, but he wasn’t sure what else he needed to be done before they got to that point. Would they have to become mates officially (which he wasn’t opposed to)? Was there anything else that needed to happen?

Naturally, Osiris sought his parents for answers. They almost always could answer his questions, and with three litters under their belts, he knew that they were more than qualified and could give him all the information that he needed.

It was a pleasant spring day and despite the clouds, the tempature remained warm. Osiris prowled through the mountain’s lower reaches, looking for @Dirge in particular. Although he loved his mother dearly, this was a conversation that he felt he needed to have man-to-man.

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Morning rains had kept him in the lowlands and with good reason—he didn’t have complete trust in the remaining snow pack that lingered at higher elevations. It came with the hazard of winter into spring, much in the way that the river had swelled out of its banks in its lazy path. He had been keeping an eye on it for the past week, aiding in the adjustment of their border where the water dared to retake their land. Little they could do about that, but at least any wandering sorts would get a heads up before they came washing up somewhere they shouldn’t have been.

After slogging through a muddy stretch where the water had receded, Dirge took to higher grounds to continue his survey. With a shake of his damp coat, he wove his way along the ferns and towering trees; he was curious what else the spring would bring, and whether or not the idyllic nature of the place they stayed would linger. He couldn’t avoid slipping into the thought that not all was as it seemed from time to time, but the frequency of such had waned greatly with time.

Nearing the top of a low hill he paused, deciding then and there was as good as any of a place to rest. Reclining to his haunches, his attention went skyward to peer through the forest canopy and the clouds that moved in. If he had to guess, there was more rain on the way.
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Osiris searched for Dirge, ploughing through the mud and underbrush. His coat collected remaining rainwater and dew from the foilage, causing him to pause and shake himself off once he felt too wet. He would have to find a spring on the way home to bathe in; Osiris knew he couldn’t go home to @Leta disheveled and dirty.

His father’s scent trail had been hard to follow. The moisture in the air had amplified every scent, and despite his heightened sense of smell, he found himself losing his path a few times. It was frustrating, but Osiris knew there was nothing that he could do about it.

”Dad—hey,” he said as he quickened his pace, recognizing his parent’s figure up ahead. When he arrived, Osiris sat next to Dirge and kissed his chin. Pulling away, he looked up and began to search the sky. ”What’re you looking at?”

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The sound of footfalls reached him; an ear turned towards them to listen, trying to discern their owner without the aid of sight. There was something casual about their placement, easygoing enough that he knew it not to be Hydra or Jarilo. One of the children then, though he couldn’t quite tell Osiris from Altair on pace alone. That skill remained solely in the mastery of Hydra, not that he needed the ability to tell the difference—not when Osiris popped into the edge of his view to greet him.

A stray raindrop hit him between the eyes as his son spoke and in turn, Dirge let his gaze sink from the covering skies.

“Just trying to decide what the weather will do for us next,” he said with the shake of his head. “Seems to want to offer us more of the same, much to the river’s chagrin.” Or was it their own? Nature did as it pleased, unwilling to be tamed. Perhaps much could be said the same about them, too. He gave Osiris a once over, assessing the eldest of his children that he knew to be among them.

“Were you planning on heading out for the day?”
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He had never been very observant of the weather, and more-so stayed in the present in that regard. ”Hm,” he acknowledged, nodding twice. They’d have to keep an eye on the river if the rain persisted, but that was another problem for another day. ”I’ll make sure to keep an eye on the it,” he offered, regarding the waterway.

”No—I was looking for you, actually,” Osiris answered. ”I had some questions about what I’d have to do if Leta and I wanted puppies.” He wasn’t looking for technicalities; Dirge and Hydra had taught him the birds and the bees. ”Mainly—I guess I’m confused about if there’s anything that needs to happen before she goes into heat.” He hadn’t been looking at his father. There was something about the subject matter that made him meek, and he kept his gaze trained ahead of him.

”I was thinking about asking her to be my mate, too,” he added, swallowing hard. Why was this all so hard to talk about? His mouth grew dry, his heart pounded, and his stomach twisted uncomfortably. ”But I wanted to talk to you and mom before I did that.”

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The meekness and uncertainty in Osiris unsettled him; had he always been that way? The way his words seem to fall out backward and over themselves almost implied some sort of fear, but the reason why such would exist in the first place baffled him. It almost didn’t spare Osiris a look, though ultimately the one thing they did share in that moment was a continuance of observation over a landscape neither were keen on taking in.

He realized then that perhaps he wasn’t the best one to ask these things to. No, he had been ambitious—Hydra had been as much of a conquest as she had been a treasure. Theirs was one of an interesting bout of happenstance and adventure, even if it hadn’t quite been the flavor he had original sought. Dirge had never sought permission, he took, and the consequences be damned. He had never been careless, however, and perhaps it was that in which caution had now extended itself to his son.

Still, the ambition reared itself, and Osiris wanted to talk.

“Why?”

It was not a cruelly asked question or expression that met Osiris then; Dirge summed and scrutinized him no differently then than he would have another. Was it permission he sought? Perhaps wise, though he could not see Hydra turning her teeth towards her own. Not for that, not willingly. They had raised their own better than that and he didn’t believe for a moment that Osiris would be careless.

Still, he couldn’t help but test the waters that the boy wanted to tread. How badly did he want that of which he was uncertain of? He doubted it was pressure from Leta—she was sweet, well suited to his son, and he couldn’t fathom it being sourced from her. If something called to him, then Dirge sought to test its mettle.

“She’ll let you know when it’s time,” he added.
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"Why?" Dirge asked. 

"Mother has always stressed to me the importance of keeping a proper headcount of our members," Osiris answered, both sure and curious. "I figured having children would affect it." Although they were approaching the warmer months, Osiris knew that the winter would follow. Would his children become a burden for the pack? Although he assumed they'd make things work, Osiris didn't want to act out of line. He was a member of the pack, lower-ranking than he had been in his previous life. 

"I don't see why it'd be an issue," he elaborated, dragging his tongue over his lips before returning his gaze to his father. "But, I haven't done this before, and I figured it was better to be safe than sorry." They weren't conceived, but Osiris already considered their well-being. Ever the strategist, he clumsily balanced the fine line of confidence in his decisions and made sure he was correct in his speculations. 

Osiris nodded to Dirge's additional answer, figuring it was something that he and @Leta would work out when it was time. 

 

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