Autumn Breeze

Former Herbalist

Mate of Dazzle

Father of Talon, Jay, Lake, and Bracken

Buried by the Great Oak in the Deciduous Forest

When Autumn arrived at Shadow's border with his former Queen Lannie, Shadow knew she had to take the pup in. A gift, he was called. A gift cannot be given up lightly. He has gotten along well with the other pups in the pack, and Shadow thinks he will be a fine hunter when he grows up, though Night has been looking for an apprentice, so there may be a different fate in store for our boy.

***

Autumn paced back and forth in the medicine den, his newly organized herbs sitting on their respective shelves. The air was thick with the smell of drying flowers, one of his many tasks he assigned himself as the sun rose in the sky. He couldn't seem to keep himself busy enough.

"First litter nerves?" Root asked as he crawled into the sheltered space that made up Autumn's den, bringing the scent of the kill his team had just brought home, a beaver or a rodent close to it.

Autumn shook out his fur. Root's guess had been right on the nose. HIs mate, Dazzle, was due to give birth soon, and though Autumn had helped a few wolves give birth and had also witnessed a few under his training with Night, this litter was different. It was his litter, and his mate was a first time mother. "How did you get over your fears when Glacier had your litter?"

Root shrugged as he plopped down on a nest reserved for patients. "I didn't until Daisy was born. I think the only wolf in the world that wasn't worried about births was my dad, and that's cause he had so many pups."

Both wolves chuckled a bit before a heavy silence settled over them. The older male's absence was a weight on the whole pack. Autumn knew it was especially hard for Root, who was close to his father, being his only son until Lark was born a few days ago, but the pup would never know his father, as he had died the night before the birth.

"You'll be a great father." Root finally spoke. "After all, its not many wolves that have a herbalist as a parent. They'll be well cared for." He stood up and licked Autumn's shoulder reassuringly. "And Dazzle is a strong wolf with experience in caring for pups. I'm sure everything will work out just fine."

"Thanks," Autumn muttered, his heart a littler lighter than it was before. The older wolf had a point, and the pup survival rate had risen significantly as the pack grew and more wolves were able to care for each other. "Let's go eat shall we?" Root grunted his agreement and followed Autumn out of the den.

"So when is your team going to start catching something other than beavers?" Autumn nudged Root, who growled playfully as they trotted to the food pile, all worries forgotten.

***

"So Splash has told me you think her change has something to do with a goddess."

Autumn nearly knocked over his pile of charcoal when he jumped at Sparrow's voice. The Alpha sure knew how to sneak up on wolves, even while pregnant. He had told her she needed to take it easy and rest for the days leading up to her birth, but she would hear none of it. She insisted on patrolling the borders day and night, and only took rests when she literally could not take another step. Autumn never told her this, but he suspected that was the reason her last litter only had one surviving pup, the runt Splash.

"I do," he replied as he turned to face her. He was still getting accustomed to his new herb den, which was somehow more exposed than it was when they lived in the grasslands. The roots made for excellent storage spots, yes, but rain would often drip down into the nooks and crannies and encouraged rapid rot if the herbs were not dried quickly, which often meant he had to take a trip to the river to put the wet herbs on the rocks near the shore since sunlight barely reached the forest floor where they lived.

"I believe Splash was blessed by a divine being. Your descriptions of the Lunar Realms sound similar to how she looks now, and now that we are back in the motherland where your mother and father originally settled, it may be likely that Shadow's spirit led a lunar being to us from the spirit realm."

Sparrow scoffed as Autumn spoke, sitting back on her haunches to fix her fierce green eyes on him. He shifted his paws nervously, knowing the Alpha was not as keen to believe in spirits despite her trips to the Lunar Realms. "If this is the act of a god, how do we know it is not a curse? Because of your sayings, Splash now thinks she is blessed to be the next alpha of this pack!"

"You don't think she would make a good leader?" Autumn tilted his head to the side. Sparrow was fiercely protective of her youngest daughter, and the whole pack thought she would be named heir.

"I am waiting for this litter to be born before I make a decision." the Alpha grunted. Clearly she was still jaded by her mother's actions in the times leading to her death. The former Alpha named Sparrow as heir, but never allowed her to aid in the decision making process, instead allowing herself to drown in her grief for her lost mate. Patch had to interfere with Shadow's actions, insisting that she train his mate to be a better leader instead of shutting her out.

"I want you to convene with my mother's spirit once the pups are born." Sparrow continued. "Ask her what she thinks would be best for the pack. I still think that my younger sister or brother should have been named heir, but my father's death rushed her decision."

Autumn raised an eyebrow at her request. Sparrow had never asked him for advice in spiritual matters, not once. She often ignored his descriptions of visions unless he foretold doom and destruction, which thankfully he had not seen yet. "Of course. The night of the pup's birth I'll travel to where the mountains touch the sky and-"

"Yeah, yeah, save it for the ritual." She turned to head back towards the middle of camp, stopping just past the furthest root where he stored his flowering herbs. "I have one more request for you."

"Just name it, my alpha."

"When Dazzle gives birth, I want you to choose one of the pups to train to be the next herbalist. We are all growing older, and Splash has made me realize we need to make plans for the future of this pack if we want it to survive."