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

here, have a fierce grounder princess. :0 anyone is welcome! gyda will be pp'd so don't be shy! <3

Eske's legs were unstable beneath her, wobbly and her small legs trembled from her own weight as she slowly began to push herself up. It had been an accident of rolling onto her back, letting out a sneeze all over Gyda's muzzle (oops) before she rolled back over, a series of playful growls having left rumbled in her throat. It had been instinct to try to push herself up and before Eske truly understood what she was doing she was struggling to lift herself up. Her limbs were uncertain but she was not. She was concentrated, her eyes on her small blobs of paws. There was no reward to be found if one was not willing to take the risk — a motto that the Grounder Princess would come to live by. Unlike when her eyes had first bloomed with magnificent light and nightmarish shadows she did not cry. There was nothing terrifying or ugly in progression: this was merely another milestone.

Eske had managed to get herself to sit up on her bottom, her tail wagging behind her as her bum plopped on the ground. It was a start, but Eske was not willing to take what she'd accomplished and give up. Grounders didn't give up. Her tongue drew across her lips before she attempted again, shuffling her back paws against the rabbit fur beneath her as she attempted to stand once more, letting out a strangled shriek of protest when she felt Gyda's reassuring and supportive muzzle against her spine. Don't help me! She wanted to do this on her own; she needed to do it on her own. Gyda withdrew, watching pensively as Eske tried again.

She had just accomplished a wobbly stand. “Good job, my little spear of the Gods,” Gyda's proud words were still only interrupted as useless adult babble to the Grounder Princess but she was slowly learned to decipher different tones. She knew which one meant she was in trouble and which one was praise. This was a praise. Her fur of her chest fluffed a bit until something bumped her and her careful balancing act was brought to a halt as she toppled to the ground. Instead of letting out her customary banshee wail the fierce Grounder Princess let out a frustrated growl and made to attack whoever and whatever it'd been, her sharp milk teeth ready to sink into the culprit in retaliation.

His time was split between guarding and hunting, and so often, when he wasn't doing one, it was the other -- although less of the latter, considering his interests and skill. After trading off primary guard duty, he'd put his nose down to the trail and set to work on the hunt though. Today's efforts had already rewarded him with an elusive gopher -- and a relatively plump one at that. He was satisfied with that for now, and headed in the direction of the whelping den's immediate vicinity to give it to the mother.

However he had begun to grow a little bolder when it came to leaving the food he brought, and curiosity regarding the puppies was building up more as the time went on. With his tail slack and neck carried low, he moved for the den's doorstep itself feeling decent about his approach -- especially since he did not come empty-handed. His nose quivered while he went as he gleaned his information, fresh and interesting, and he set his gopher down gently once there. Since he did not smell the Heda immediately nearby, he was a bit more apprehensive about the babies and their mother since he was less familiar with her when compared to the dark commander. But, he whuffed softly to announce his presence to test these waters. 

He did want to catch a glimpse of the new dragons he had been helping provide for and guarding, yet remained poised to get out fast if this proved to be unacceptable.

It was her mother's paw that Eske latched into and bit with all the force she could put in the action, her sharp milk teeth piercing the skin on her mother's foot. “Ouch! Eske,” Yet when Gyda attempted to gently pry the fierce child off of her paw, Eske merely held on tighter, a series of playful growls streaming continuously from her throat as she made a game of it. She wanted to see how long she could hold on until Gyda managed to dislodge her. “Eske!” Her mother hissed in pain and Eske grinned around it. A noise, something like a high pitched, muffled giggle left the Grounder Princess, finding this new game delightful. She couldn't wait to try it out on her siblings.

It was a chuff at the mouth of the birthing den that finally got Eske to release her mother's paw and she spent a second spitting out fur that she'd accidentally tugged loose. “You can come in and see them if you wish, Dio.” Gyda gave him permission though the words were lost on the small Grounder. All she knew was that someone had came to visit and she was excited by the prospect. She tried to stand again but tripped and toppled over her siblings, landing flat on her stomach in a wipe-out. She let out a frustrated huff and squinted at the mouth of the den, wondering who it was that had came to visit her them today.

OH HELLO.

Edging closer and closer to three weeks old, Freyja had discovered something magnificent. Not walking, no, because she'd discovered that some days ago and absolutely adored it because it meant she could scuttle everywhere. No, what she had discovered now — right this very moment — was something even better.

Her lovely new ears had just picked up a very distant sound: howling. And it was beautiful. She loved it. So the sinuous little pup thrust her tiny muzzle up high and howled through the den: Ahh-WOOOO! It was a very, very, very squeaky howl. And when she saw a stranger in the mouth of the den, she faced him happily, tail wagging madly, and did it again: AAAWOOOOOOOOOOO!

!!!!!!!

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.

Gyda spoke her thanks when Dio offered her the gopher and despite wanting to wait found herself eating it as her children gathered around him. Eske's ears slicked back to her skull as Freyja let out ungodly loud noisy singing that had the Grounder Princess lifting her upper lip to reveal a sharp milk tooth in displeasure. Eske slowly found her footing and squinted at Dio, hardly afraid of him but exhibiting instinctual caution all the same. He was not a constant. There were three others aside from Gyda that she recognized and whose presence she enjoyed. Gavriel, Wildfire and Thuringwethil. Eske did not know their names yet but she knew them. Dio however, she didn't know. She moved to Freyja's side, made to nip her sister lightly on the shoulder, not to hurt or to implore play but to let Freyja know she was there. The Grounder Princess studied the large male as he lowered himself and patted the ground with his paws, inviting them. Eske's nostrils flared as she inhaled his scent. He smelled, mostly, like outside. A little bit like her favorites. It was a familiar scent but also uniquely his own.

Gyda did not intervene on her youngest's assessment, not encouraging her interaction with Dio either way. Perhaps the new mother understood that the Grounder Princess needed to make her own deductions on the strangers of the pack as they came to greet the young Dragons. Either way, Eske didn't care much for her reasons, simply glad that Gyda was letting her do it on her own. Eske's assessment lasted only a few moments before she let out a noise and rushed at him, bowing her body down, her bum wagging in the air as she invited him to play before she pounced at one of his large paws and then attempted to scurry away with a peal of childish laughter, hoping he would not catch her.

Rey gave her sister a happy little lick on her shoulder when she came to say hello, willing to share with her this magnificent new skill. Rey was good at sharing, and so far their mother was rich enough with milk for the generous pup to have not suffered for it.

But Eske decided not to take part in the orchestra, electing to play instead, so Rey accepted the honour of providing the soundtrack solo. AWWRROOOOOOOO! she continued gleefully at the big male. Oh that's right: this would never end.

He was learning them, and still attempting to discern how he would fit into their tiny lives at this point, just as they were doing the same for him.. so he guessed. He did not want to overwhelm them, or impose upon them unnecessarily, but since they were the pups of the pack -- the focal point of their interests lately -- he couldn't help but be pulled in by them. Even as he glanced between the two he had beckoned, he felt the hints of that  old, primal delight in their attentions for the moment.

When one rushed, his tail thumped the den floor and he raised a paw after he had been pounced. She was gone in a flash and he moved his snout in her direction with a few playful taps of his foot. Then, for the more vocal one, he reached to touch his snout to her forehead with a low, quiet note of "Oooouuu" to give her song that necessary baritone. However, her volume alone would make sure she was the main attraction here. Meanwhile, he turned back towards Eske and swiped a paw lightly her way again. He could not be conquered with one pounce alone.

Rey was entirely distracted from family as the big new wolf gave her his attention. He leaned in close and went for a bit of a howl — and about this Freyja was utterly delighted.

She laughed for a moment, in her tiny voice, then let up yet another howl: YAWWOOOOOOO!

They were singing together!