Swiftcurrent Creek Get on my shoulders, and I'll carry you all of the way

@Helios <3
I was going to post date to 4/12 if that's okay? I can fix and edit if not!

The storm drove him towards the den well before his border patrol was finished. He normally wouldn't let rain deter him from his overbearing need to keep everyone safe, but the booms of thunder and bright flashes of lightening across the night sky suddenly made him want to check on Alessia and the children. The rain pelted harder against his body as he moved through the trees and away from the borders. It was hard to see the path in front of him between the unyielding sheet of rain and the dark of night, but he knew the territory so well at this point, that he really didn't need to be able to see to get around. The paths to his den were probably the most well-known to the alpha as he patrolled them most often to make sure no one got close that wasn't allowed to do so. 

He stopped near the den opening, shaking the water from his coat as another crack of thunder shook the cave and a white branch of lightening stretched across the sky outside, illuminating the den for a few seconds. As his eyes adjusted, he saw the five of them snuggled against the furthest wall of the cave. He hoped the storm hadn't woken any of them, but Kavik moved forward to check in case anyone needed comfort or reassurance or even just another warm, safe presence.

❤ April 12th is fine with me!

The noise is frightening, yet fascinating in a way that Helios cannot fathom. Whatever causes it, does not scare his parents. That is the only form of comfort the boy has. Else his siblings and he likely would have been left whimpering and shaking where they lay, huddled together in terror. Helios shudders, curling close to the warmth of his siblings until the familiar sound of another's approach alerts him to the return of their father. He feels brave. Standing, the dark boy leaves the sleeping bundle, and quietly approaches. Baby blue eyes peer curiously at Kavik, trying to resist flinching any time the thunder boomed (stinging his ears) or the light flashed (hurting his eyes). « What is this? » The raven asks in poorly pronounced French.

Movement caught his attention as he settled to the ground, and he watched as Helios stood and made his way over. The storm continued to rage outside, and Kavik wondered what it must be like for his son who had not yet heard such noises. He was pretty sure they hadn't had a storm like this since the children had been born. He didn't understand the boy's question, the words coming out in the language used by his mate and Rosalie. Even poorly pronounced, he could easily recognize the language, having heard it spoken often between his two co-parents. I am sorry, son, he started softly. I'm afraid I do not speak the language used by your mothers, he continued, unsure how much he could understand. The alpha offered a gentle lick to his cheek, never able to resist giving affection to the children. He looked at Helios expectantly then, hoping he would ask his question once more in the language Kavik knew.

The raven seeks his father's explanation, and yet, a reminder comes in it's place. French is not a language Kavik speaks. Helios wonders if he should teach him, just as Alessia and Rosalie taught them. While Helios refuses to admit it—even at his young age, the kiss to his cheek soothes him. It appears his father is not as concerned with the frightening noises as he is. A loud crash claps over the Creek just as Helios opens his mouth to speak again. His baby blue eyes glance towards the mouth of the den, and then back to Kavik. What's that? He asks, pronunciation childish no matter how hard Helios attempts to be an Adult.

Kavik followed his son's gaze towards the outside as the storm produced another loud crack of thunder, but the boy's question quickly pulled the alpha's attention from the den opening. It is a storm, he answered. They are frequent this time of the year, Kavik explained further. But you don't need to worry about it. Storms sound scary, but they rarely cause us any problems, he continued, hoping to soothe any discomfort Helios might be feeling. He intentionally left out the part that sometimes, storms could cause massive destruction; that could be a conversation for later when he was older and one wasn't currently assaulting their senses with booms and flashes of bright light. The water falling from the sky is called rain, and it fills the creek from which we drink and nourishes the plants that sustain the prey we eat. He watched his son as he spoke, wondering how much he understood and hoping that by making him more familiar with the source of the sound, he wouldn't fear it.

Sorry for the delay!

A "storm".

Helios nods, a hum rumbling in his chest as if he understands more than he truly does. Many of the words that his father uses are unfamiliar, and the raven tilts his head to the side; large ears pointed towards him in an effort to capture their pronunciation and how they are used.

Free... kent? He tries, feeling somewhat proud of himself for catching the unfamiliar term. It's how he often learns new words from his parents, and he knows Kavik will have no issues explaining what exactly it meant. R... arely. French accent thick on his pronunciation.

Helios, however, grows confused and makes a frustrated huff when Kavik describes the water falling from the sky isn't a "storm", it is "rain". What is the difference? Too Many Big Words. Does Not Compute.

Ugh sorry your dad sucks and made you wait forever for a reply

Yes, frequent, Kavik answered, slowly enunciating the word for his son. It means it happens a lot, he patiently explained, searching Helios' face for any signs that he understood. And, rarely means that it does not happen very much. It has an opposite meaning of frequently, he continued. He was impressed that he had pulled out the two words with opposite meanings and proud that his son was so intelligent. Of course he was, though; all of their children were, and they had three of the best teachers to help their minds grow even more.

The frustrated sound that came from Helios next pulled Kavik's eyebrows together in concern. What has you upset, he asked gently. I'll fix it. It might have been a bold promise considering he had no idea what he was vowing to fix, but he offered it anyway. Whatever it was, he would do whatever it took to resolve it.

Dad does not suck and can take however long dad needs to reply! ❤

Helios absorbs the information akin to a sponge, soaking up his father's soothing voice while doing his best to ignore the harsh claps of thunder and lightning right outside their doorstep. There is much for him to learn, but despite his frustration and confusion, he slowly grasps what Kavik is patiently teaching him.

Op-po-sit, he repeats. If opposite means the meanings are different... What is op-po-sit of op-po-sit? It seems confusing for the young raven to comprehend, but he has the tendency to repeat words he likes the sound of. Opposite has this strange "pop" to it that makes it fun, in a way.

Storm and rain, op-po-sit? He wants to know the difference between them, and that is what is frustrating Helios. While he does not know the weight of Kavik's vow now, perhaps in time he will and come to appreciate how kind his father is.

Kavik nodded when he repeated the word. The opposite of opposite would be two things that are the same, he explained when Helios asked his question. The opposite of opposite is the same. Hot and cold would be opposites, but cold and freezing would be the same, he continued, trying to make it more clear. Does that make sense? He was afraid he was failing miserably at this, but he would attempt to answer his son's questions until he understood.

The reason for his frustration seemed to come from confusion. Kavik had used storm and rain, not realizing that it might make things unclear. Well, sort of, he started, trying to think how best to explain it. Rain is part of a storm, as well as the thunder and lightening. Rain is what we call the water that falls from the sky. He watched Helios while he spoke, searching for any indication the he understood what he was trying to explain.

Absorbing and understanding are similar yet vastly different things. Helios takes in the information he gets, could regurgitate it in a matter that makes sense, yet the logic behind the words remains a mystery. He nods his head regardless, deciding that it is good enough. That he does understand, when in truth, the raven boy is dumbfound with this new knowledge.

Explaining the storm and their differences between it and rain comes easier. Although he is still puzzled, the concept of combined forces creating a storm is... well, somewhat taken in. His head nods again, ears perked in the direction of his father.

Thunder? Lightning? Helios questions, his pronunciation poor on both.

His answers only seemed cause Helios to have more questions but Kavik didn't mind; he would patiently answer whatever questions his son had. Thunder is the loud sound we hear when it rains; it sometimes shakes the ground— his words were accompanied by a rumble of thunder. Perfect timing, he thought. He looked to Helios again. That sound you just heard is thunder. The flash of light you see in the sky sometimes during a storm is lightening, he explained, glancing outside as if a flash of lightening might light up the cave then, but none came. Still, he hoped he had adequately described both things to his curious son.

Is it okay to wrap this up here? <3

Fortunately the sound and light that follow makes understanding the terms that much easier. The pup nods his head, his curiosity satisfied for now, although the raven remains ever desiring to devour knowledge akin to a sponge. Alas, the multitude of questions makes Helios tired, and his jaws part in a large yawn. His ears droop with the motion. As much as he wishes to remain strong and talk with Kavik, his body very much rebels against that idea. Helios trots towards an unoccupied side of the den and flops, curling up while glancing at Kavik expectantly. Certainly he could pretend he isn’t about to doze off, and tells himself that he is just ‘resting’ for a few minutes.

Of course <3

Helios seemed to be out of questions for now, or was possibly just growing sleepy, as he then yawned and then settled on the ground. The pup's gaze was sleepy as he looked up at him, and Kavik promptly made his way over and settled down next to him. We can talk more later, he quietly assured his son, resting his head on his paws. He would sleep here with him, or at least remain here until Helios woke up. He'd hate for the storm to wake him and Kavik not be there. Things didn't seem to be calming down outside, and a flash of light briefly illuminated the den, making him curl slightly around Helios, reassuring him that they were all safe in here, whether he needed it or not.