Dragoncrest Cliffs heaven was a place still in space not in motion

forward dated to the 28th.

As the night retreated behind the horizons to bring forth the day, so to did the rainclouds of the previous day, bringing about a glorious dawn. The sun beamed down from a bright blue sky and warmed the earth below, drawing out the sweet sounds of birdsong and the typical activity of an early spring woodland. 

Blixen was curled up in a little bean between @Thuringwethil's limbs and sleeping peacefully, until the sudden prickling feeling of needing pee woke her from her slumber. She flung her body out and stretched before a tiny dribble of urine pooled beneath her rear end. A yawn caught her by surprise—her tiny little mouth gaped wide until it snapped shut and she opened her eyes to the world around her. At first, nothing was in focus; just dark. fuzzy shapes illuminated by the golden light filtering in through the trees and into the den.

She blinked, then blinked again, before completely losing her shit. The little girl shrieked and began to wail pitifully as her brain tried desperately to make heads or tails of the information constantly filtering in through her eyes. She likely punched Artaax as she flailed about, but didn't really stop to investigate as she was entirely caught up in throwing a huge fit.

The tension in the den continues through the next day and Thuringwethil debates staying there each night but, now more than ever, she fears leaving the children along with their mother for too long. While she often wavers in uncertainty, she feels she needs to stay close to the puppies in order to keep them safe. Any time they scuttled away from Wildfire when she is sleeping, she scoots them closer to her breast to keep them protected.

Her sleep is light and the moment sunlight fills the inside of the hollow tree through the cracks and the mouth, her eyes slowly open. Thuringwethil doesn’t move, however, until she feels Blixen move away from her leg and dampen the wood beneath them. Slowly, she repositions herself once the little child shrieks her distress. Her nose hooks around one side to tuck her into the nook of her arm but half way through the motions, she notices the milky blue openings that definitely had not been there before.

Her chest flutters and she licks her muzzle across Blixen’s face a few times to try and soothe her.

Somehow, through sheer force of will, her lungs manage to form the most bloodcurdling shrieks known to wolf kind. But suddenly, she's not only surrounded by shadows, but one of them is moving and it's now moving her—dear God her little heart pounds so heavily against her breast, nearly fit to burst from the fear racing through her tiny body. Her unfocused eyes slam shut as a massive muzzle sweeps in close to her but... in an instant, Blixen is silenced by the familiar affections of a warm tongue that decidedly doesn't belong to Wildfire but is just as good.

She lies there, stunned, for a few short moments until her lungs burn for oxygen and she inhales dramatically. Soon enough she's breathing regularly again but she keeps her eyes firmly shut against the outside world. It was too much.

It is obvious by the screaming that Blixen does not like the movement but when she gives her a few gentle licks across the face, it seems to settle her. She doesn’t make any sounds but by the time she’s done, her daughter—her daughter—is quiet. Her eyes are scrunched up and closed and Thuringwethil frowns with lengthy, warm breath slips by her lips and envelopes the puppy. “It’s okay,” she murmurs, though her ears are still closed. Thuringwethil lowers head to the ground, pressing her muzzle up close, and quietly hums for the girl.

The affections from the shadow continue and Blixen is quickly lulled into the familiar sense of security she's come to enjoy. With her eyes still shut, she makes a soft coo noise, and leans into the warmth of Thuringwethil's breath. Sure, this wasn't Wildfire, but she was already quite fond of the big shadow that shared her space. The scent she gave off was just as familiar as her mother's own, so she knew there was little to fear.

Slowly she opens her eyes and watches as the dark she-wolf settled her head beside Blixen and pressed the side of her nose against her tiny frame. Blixen twitched at the touch but didn't try to wiggle away. The soft, undulating sound that came from Thuringwethil resonated through the floor all the way up to her head. She whined and reached out to press her front paws against her sturdy muzzle as her milky-blue eyes were steadily beginning to focus on the finer details of the world around her.

eneath her paws was the textile feeling of fur, but it was far shorter and slightly prickly compared to her mother's soft underbelly. She made a soft noise of confusion, touched it lightly with her nose, and discovered the same result.

When she feels the slight touch of the puppy’s paw, Thuringwethil stammers over her humming. She isn’t sure if it’s pleasant for the girl or if she wants it to stop. There’s a quiet sound and a second touch and the dark she-wolf begins to hum again. It is lower this time, waiting to see how the child reacts to the sound but her curiosity swells in her chest.

After a few seconds, knowing @Wildfire would not want to miss such a moment, she begins to debate whether or not to wake her up. Her hums come to a slow and she sighs, releasing a long breath before she turns and nudges at her mate to rouse her from sleep as gently as she can.

The big nose of her shadowy nomi retreats into the darkness, and Blixen inhales as her little paws hit the dirt again only for her to flop uselessly onto her stomach. She sighs, wanting so much more. More what? It was unclear, but the desire burned fiercely in her heart now that the fear of the unknown was swiftly fading away. The creature who's limbs she was nestled between was not unlike her mother, and that was enough for her to settle on. But there had to be more. Why was she so much larger than her siblings? How did she make those incredible vibrations happen that rattled her bones so pleasantly. 

All questions that demanded answers. 

Blix opened her mouth and manipulated a cry into a warble, seeking Thuringwethil's attention.

Her attention on Wildfire is short lived as she hears a sudden cry from the puppy, quickly turning her attention back to her. It isn’t enough to rouse her mate, either, but she doesn’t return to try again. Instead, she puts her full attention on her daughter to try and see if she can quieten her. She hums low again, putting her face close to the girl and offering her a gentle lick over her face. “It’s okay,” she murmurs quietly, giving her a second kiss, this time across the side of her face.

To her great pleasure, her nomi immediately returns and begins to lash her tongue across Blixen's little frame, soothing the young girl and causing a fresh wave of endorphins to surge through her veins. She makes a soft mewling sound and presses her tiny nose into the shadow's large muzzle. She, too, attempts to lick, but the texture is unpleasantly prickly. Her eyes, still slightly unfocused, travel up the length of the great wolf's muzzle to the twin pair of slate eyes that reflect faintly in the darkness of the den. She coos and waves her paws, unaware of the significance of meeting the Commander's gaze for the first time.

It pleases the girl when she returns, blowing another warm breath as the girl’s legs splay out when she’s close enough. Her tail thumps several times behind her and she puts her nose as close as she can so that she can breathe in the child, there’s warmth in her belly she can’t explain. She never expected to have a little girl of her own and the thought causes her eyes to close, nuzzle against the puppy while one of her front legs secures her into place.

Blixen, a neverending fountain of positivity and joy, lacks the energy yet for extended play sessions. As her nomi draws her close, the warmth of her breath sends a trigger to her brain which releases the endorphins and other chemicals required for her to drift off into a content sleep. She yawns, exposing her little milk teeth, and curls up beneath her mother's great paw. She promptly forgets her desire to explore as sleep unceremoniously drags her down into dreamland.