Heron Lake Plateau two black eyes from loving too hard

The day had been long and tiring. The puppies were a joy that blessed their mother with a sense of purpose and wonder, but they also tested her patience in numerous ways. The alpha female found herself exhausted and careworn, and when @Quixote had offered to mind the pups for a while so she could get some fresh air away from the den, Raven had gratefully accepted the much-needed break. Ever since their eyes had opened, the four new Redhawks had been incessant in their drive to get into things, cause a ruckus, squabble amongst themselves and, more than anything else, try to get out of the den. It was a hectic job keeping four tiny busybodies in a dark little den they didn't want to be in all day long. She let herself dwell on the weariness of it all, but of course she wouldn't have changed a single thing.

The heat had been stifling, but thankfully it was diminishing as the evening drew closer to nightfall. The heavens were painted a spectrum of brilliant colors, the eastern sky a wash of darkling blues and purples, the first stars beginning to twinkle shyly amid the subtly shifting shades of dusk. The western horizon, in stark contrast, was a watercolor of cosmic fire, vibrant hues of red and gold melting together around a sullen orange sun as it descended behind the hills in the distance. She grinned as she took in the beauty of that sunset, suddenly reminded of the young she-wolf whose coat bore much the same palette.

And there she was. Raven rounded a small copse of trees near the edge of the plateau and suddenly, there stood Ceara, as if merely thinking of her had somehow summoned her here. She stood limned in golden light, warm amber hues from the day's last rays setting her fiery coat ablaze in all the radiance of the sunset itself. Raven stood in transfixed awe of her for a moment, reminded once more of how closely Ceara resembled her aptly-named sister, Wildfire, and feeling a fleeting twinge of envy that she herself had not been born with such striking beauty. Then she continued onward, her golden eyes shining with affection for her friend, until she had approached close enough to speak. "Hi, Ceara," she greeted the she-wolf, her smile fading as she noticed that the darkness on her friend's face was not merely a trick of the light. She canted her head uncertainly, the concern from her expression clear in her voice. "Are...you okay?"