i am the blood of the mountain

We seemed to be spending more and more time together, Jericho and I. Over the past season we had shared so much of ourselves with each other, and it seemed to thread our bond closer and stronger with each passing day. I felt that I could tell him anything, trust him with anything and that no matter what we would never pass judgment against one another. It was something strange to me, a relationship I had not had since my father's passing, and I clung to it - and him - in a way most unexpected. Though we spent much and more of our free time together, and sometimes attended to pack business in one another's company, there were still times that we were separated. The pack was growing and healthy, four new litters having blessed the mountain this spring, and one tiny life having been placed among them as well. Freyja had recovered beautifully, and I made time to dote upon her whenever I could. She had settled well with her adoptive family, and I was so happy to see Anemone caring for her, but I still felt a connection to and a responsibility for the girl. Now, as I lay side by side with Jericho in a grassy clearing under the glistening light of midmorning, there was a stirring in my heart and head that was not entirely strange. I'd felt it before, the day that I had told Jericho about everything - my family, my history, Leonidas, even explaining imprinting to him. It was a twanging sensation, a desire for something more, though I could not define what it was.

As I leaned into Jericho's form I sighed softly, content to merely enjoy this quiet moment with my Bloodrider. But the odd sensation in my chest slowly began to mold and change into something different - something far more familiar. I felt my tail begin to twitch back and forth in the grass, then wave across the ground. My ears pricked forward and I lifted my head away from Jericho, glancing around as if I could see down to the borders despite how very far away they were from us. A smile graced my lips as I turned, nudging my nose into Jericho's neck. Rising to my paws I shook my head, the fur of my ruff moving back and forth to reveal the black undercoat sheathed beneath the silver coloration that was presented to the world. "Meryl has come to visit; would you like to join me?" There was a certain level of excitement in my voice, for I was always gleeful to be reunited with the other half of my soul. For a long time I had wondered what was wrong with me that he'd chosen another as his mate, but such thoughts had melted away as a friendship so great had taken hold of us. Meryl was special to me, but so was Jericho. The last time he had come to visit Jericho had occupied the boys while Meryl and I caught up, but now I wanted them to get a chance to really meet one another.

However, as I moved down the trails, intuition guiding me ever closer to my soulkeeper, it quickly became apparent that this would not be quite the small meeting I had hoped for. As we drew closer, my ears pricked forward to catch my daughter's words, and I motioned to Jericho to stop. Kalseru had made her desires known that she wished to become a better seneschal, and as I peered through the trees I watched as listened to the way she greeted this wolf who she did not know. I smiled, proud of the way she spoke to him - she was learning. After that the gatherings seemed to explode - Rhaegal and Viserion coming out of nowhere as well as Ceal. As I moved through the tree line into the clearing where Meryl stood, he was already surrounded by other wolves. A smile creased my features and I laughed lightly, shaking my head as I turned and looked to Jericho before continuing forward. Ceal's high pitched voice filled the clearing as she greeted this friend that was older to her than he was to me. Before Meryl and I had imprinted they had been close, and I always wondered if our bonding had affected their friendship.

Though I was drawn to Meryl, I had to get through everyone else first to reach him. I placed a doting lick on top of Kalseru's head - a thing I knew she hated but I so loved to fawn over my only daughter - and rubbed shoulders with Ceal before extending my nose forward to press it into the fur of Meryl's neck. "Meryl, it is good to see you," I said, though Rhaegal's voice caught my attention and I could not help but glance around my imprint towards where my son stood. Another young wolf stood behind Meryl, almost hidden in plain view as he stood beneath his father's tail. I smiled as my eyes tracked back to those of chocolate as I stepped back, hoping that my children and sister had not overwhelmed him and his son. "And this must be Ame?" The boy seemed somewhat nervous, and I knew Rhaegal could sometimes be a bit overzealous, so I hoped that in stepping back to give Meryl a bit of breathing space my remind my son to do much the same.

daenerys