Sleeping Dragon buy me a thorn before you buy me a rose

!!!!!!!

He was not met with teeth, nor any other semblance of violence, so he lowered himself down to his elbows to creep closer. Gyda's invitation was clear cut, simple, and even far more than what he had anticipated -- for that, he was thankful. He could see them, and he exhaled a sigh of relief all while nosing his gopher forward in exchange for his company. "For you," And them, by extension, although it did not need said even as his eyes adjusted to the low light of the den and with intent interest, he searched out the shapes of the whelps.

Dio was no stranger to pups at this age, although with every litter, there were differences. His nostrils flared as he smelled them all, and the sweet distinction of milk and puppy breath -- all of which spurred a distant sense of déjà vu. He did have to wonder what they each may grow into, and how the Dragon would shape these lives in full, but such considerations fell quickly to the wayside; once he had inched his sizable self far enough into the den, he was already being met with the attentions of tiny wolves.

Two daughters caught his eye above the others. They made sure of it. One belted out quite a noise and another took a tumble in his general direction, which was not the typical greeting he often received but it was still plenty endearing. It wasn't always easy to tell with puppies, but he reasoned those two were at least taking to his brand new presence well enough so far (he couldn't say about the others yet). Still, he did not want to overwhelm or move too quickly with them. Dio lowered his head to the cool den floor and flattened out as much as he could, patting the dirt with his paws and rumbling a low invitation for them to come get him.