He still was debating whether he should take his daughter’s advice or not. On one paw it was pretty much like getting advice from Hial, since they were so alike… but on the other paw? Hial was not good with lies or even when you stretched the truth.
He managed to get himself to their den first, which was a rarity that he was sure his wife wished would happen more often. At least this one thing might boost her mood a little… though to be honest it wasn’t like she was in a bad mood lately or anything. He sat himself down with a weary sigh, feeling a little like an idiot… why hadn’t he just told her sooner rather than later?
Hial’s hips swayed as she made her way back to her and Feykir’s den, she even found herself humming a little as she went along. Not much could sour her mood lately, it was simply nice being able to spend time with her husband as well as her daughter. She wished the other two could be around more often too, but she knew one could not always get everything they wanted in life and that was alright too.
She’d again be putting off her aspirations to better her position in the pride, but she thought it was for a good reason. She also thought maybe somewhere along the line she must have gotten hit on the head, since she’d once been adamant that cubs were not worth sacrificing your own self. It was very strange after actually giving birth and raising some… it made you realize that you were not giving up anything and rather you were giving yourself to something greater.
He could hear her before he could see her, but it wasn’t like it took too long for one to happen after the other. He sat himself down… then he stood himself up and padded a few paws forward… nope. Sitting was better. He sat himself down and couldn’t help his slightly guilty cringe when Hail’s eyebrow rose. He got back up to meet her half way, bumping his head into her own and rubbing his scent into her. ”Ello, love.” He purred out, a soft smile touching his maw despite what he’d be announcing today.
Feykir was often more nervous than she ever was, though she knew in part this was because she was the one making him nervous. Which was just silly… she was his partner, his equal. Why be so nervous all of the time? Well… not all of the time, simply when something wasn’t going the way he wanted. She frowned but returned his affections, concern etching lines in her forehead. ”Fey, is something wrong?” She mumbled, deciding not to let her usual anger get the best of her.
He groaned and then chuckled a little, nipping her ear before shifting back so he could look her in the eye, ”’ey, why d’ya know me so well?” He let out a sound half between a sigh and half between a laugh. He cleared his throat and finally nodded, he could feel how strained he must have been looking. ”Well I ‘ave somethin’ to tell ya and yer not going to like it…” His wife was smart enough to guess at this point, he knew, but she would still wait and make him say it out loud rather than let him easily off the hook. He watched her expression carefully as he steeled himself for her reaction.
”I’ve been puttin’ off tellin’ ya that we’re going on a raid again very soon … and then Dagrún told me tha’ we’re leavin’ tomorrow and not in three moon rises as I’d thought.” He gave a little ‘ha!’ as if it were supposed to be funny, ears lowering as her stare began to level him.
She could never understand why Feykir was always like this, why he always insisted on waiting and waiting when it would have been better to just tell her in the first place! And of all the things… trying to have another litter of cubs! She especially did not agree with her husband trying to make light of the situation, causing her tail to whip back and forth a few times. ”A raid.” She repeated, sounding very unimpressed. ”I see.” She shifted and turned half away, gazing out their den entrance.
He bit his tongue as Hial started to work herself up, reminding himself it would make no one’s life easier if he pointed out that she was being unfair. His shoulders slumped a little and he debated whether or not he should move over to her or not yet… this could go two different ways. She would find every reason to get angrier at him, which was her usual path, or she would sort of shake it off… a much rarer result in their … disagreements. ”My love, I promise I did no’ think it would be so soon… an’ I’ve been enjoying all of our time together tha’ I just didn’t want to spoil the mood…” And now he regretted it. Still, the words didn’t seem to move his mate. She wouldn’t look his way… though between he and the gods above? He sort of thought that it was one of her best angry reactions.
It still hurt when she gave him an icy shoulder… but it was less terrifying than when she started to yell and her claws came out. It wouldn’t be good to give her any reason to carry her could shoulder in through the night though… he would have to leave come the morning. He rose to his paws and moved cautiously forward, near to her but still not touching, ”Hialmdis.” He begged softly.
Her ears drooped a little when she clearly heard her husband rise to his feet, not surprised when she could feel the heat radiating off his body. She was angry, that was true, but she was also very hurt… and she couldn’t explain it, she was more hurt than she normally ever felt when he was being an idiot. She cleared her throat and shifted a bit, bringing herself up bigger as it were. She turned her head a little, mostly to get a glimpse of him out of the corner of her eye. ”You always do this… it isn’t fair.” She finally stated, then sighed deeply before turning and pushing her head into his mane. She inhaled deeply, nuzzling into him. She did not want him to go, and she could not remember feeling this way ever… even or maybe especially from even before their union.
”You need to start telling me immediately!” She added, pulling away and finally whacking him with a paw.
He felt almost as lost as he did relieved when she was suddenly pressed into him and he played along as her paw struck him in the shoulder, lifting his own slightly to ward off a second hit. ”Alrigh! Alrigh!” He cried, though he wondered what had gotten into his wife… maybe she was… but no, he was sure it was too early to think about that or even question it. And if he guessed before Hial? He was sure his head would roll.
”It won’t be as long as the last one. We came home t’strengthen our numbers and replenish our energies. Scouts spotted many that will become thralls not far off from our lands.” In fact it was time he and Hial had some, long past.
She mumbled something that seemed to imply he was off the hook for now, purring a little as she gave him a nudge with her head so he would move further back into their den. ”Well at least I have daughters to keep me company.” Whether or not they would was up to them, but Hial was no where near helpless or a lonely soul. ”And at least you came to our den early… it is only right a husband and a wife spend their night before a raid together.” She left it unsaid about if he were to never return… Hial did not let herself think of that possibility, the moment it entered her mind she forced other thoughts to cover over it.
Things would all turn out fine, she was sure.
Word Count: 1,386