Sunbeam Lair surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life

@Asterr !

Her thirst for knowledge had neither died nor dimmed, and in its undiminished state it drove her. She spent her every waking moment outside, nosing around the mouth of the den, exploring as far as she dared. What plants she knew she named under her breath, and she whispered their uses to them with respect. Shiori delighted in glimpses of animals in the brush, particularly birds, whose beauty and flight she envied. Yet still she wanted to know more, and so she sought out her mother, her greatest source of information.

Kachan? she called, nosing in the underbrush near the den as though her mother was hiding behind a single leaf.

It’d been not behind a leaf nor even within the den that the mother had situated herself, having set out earlier in the day to patrol for the first time in ages. It was a simple task, truthfully, for a single entrance presented outsiders with very few chances at entering the cavern. It was a safe place, she believed, and especially now since Jolon had started his journey. The date of his return was something that she was not aware of, and so she worried little about it for the time being. Her daughters and tribe held the majority of her focus, which meant she’d needed to pick back up her daily routines for the purpose of protecting them.

Once the task had been completed, the trek back to her den had begun. She’d arrived just in time to hear the voice of her youngest, which was a sound that always brought a smile to her face. Little more time had been wasted before she’d closed the distance between them and greeted the girl with a soft touch to her shoulder. “What is it, Shiori?” the Chieftess asked, always interested to hear about what the girls were up to. And, whatever it was, she knew that she’d not be displeased; the child had proven to be the most polite of the trio thus far, so her actions and curiosities were rarely ever questioned.

Asterr appeared momentarily, to Shiori's great delight. She cooed at her mother's touch, then bumped affectionately against her mother's legs and sides. Hi mama, she said. Will you tell me more about our home? I want to learn, and I want to be helpful. This she knew with great certainty. Not only did she want to be helpful to her mother and Ukko, but she wanted to help the entire pack. She had met the rest of the pack but once, but they were kind and complimentary, and Shiori wanted to help them, too. They had bought their love with their loyalty to her mother, and thus to her. Shiori watched her mother for her reaction, though she expected Asterr would drop everything to indulge her.

Affectionate bumps elicited a positive response from the mother, who smiled and swung her tail to and fro. To be in the company of her daughters always filled her with joy, and for her help to be asked for by one of them allowed for an even greater reaction. Turning away an inquisitive mind was something that she’d discovered herself to be incapable of doing at a very age, and it’d become even more troubling since she’d given birth. Thus, it was just as the child had surmised, for everything was dropped in favour of spending time with and teaching the youngest of the hatchlings. Yet, she knew not where to begin, and so, “What all would you like to know?” was asked of Shiori. Having established the tribe and incorporated much of her birthplace into it, Asterr could provide answers to just about any question if the history of the lair had enticed the girl’s attention. And, as always, she’d speak fondly of plants and their uses, should that be the division of knowledge from which she wanted to discover more.

Each question that had been asked of her had received an answer, for Asterr was not the sort to keep things from her children. As much information as she had to give had been shared, a with only a few pauses in between so that her words could be properly considered prior to leaving her mouth. When there was nothing more to share, the vessel parted ways with her child for the time being, her attention having been pulled away to her herbal cache.