Moonspear their blades were bared

The moon was but a thin sliver. Nights grew bitterly cold and darker by the hour. Autumn was speeding headlong into winter everywhere she looked. However, accordingly, her time spent higher in the mountain had quickly thickened her coat and hardened her muscles--much needed, after an easy summertime rearing her pups comfortably. Most importantly, her head was clear, spirits good.. she gained a little speed as she moved down a hilly slope, and soon threw an arc into her canter, one matched with a lifting tail.

She thought about her cerberus, and of their other warriors, then wondered naturally where her youngest litter lurked at this hour--they'd been raised as night-owls too, after all. As she loped, she eventually caught good trail also moving down the mountain, and went with it.

Although she carved out time for the occasional social calls and recreational forays lately, much of Galaxy's time was still spent near the mountaintop, an ever awestruck pupil of the night sky. She headed there now, yawning herself awake after a long afternoon nap as she climbed. Even as she wound upward, someone else came wending down and they inveitably crossed paths. Galaxy peered through the darkness, smiling as her mother's shadow materialized.

"Mommy, hi! What're you doing?" the youth questioned, sidling closer to slip her head beneath the Alpha female's chin in a catlike manner before licking at her cheek and retreating a few steps to better see her facial features.

She could spy the streak of white-fur well before she reached her, even in the darkness. When she slowed up appropriately, she rumbled fondly and arced her neck over the sleek girl when she came in close, although the half-embrace stayed fleeting. If she got the chance, she tried to nip lightly at her daughter's pale furs--anywhere, it didn't matter. She pulled back with a slowly waving tail and small lull of her tongue as she panted gently. "Heading down for patrol eventually," she answered with a sigh, and lifted her snout up for a contemplative sniff. "Probably to find Hydra." Not only because the dark mother wanted to stoke the bloodlust of the triplets without Charon there to interfere, though.

"What are you up to? Have you seen your brother lately? Or Vela?" She didn't notice any fresh scent of theirs afoot, which was fine with her truthfully. Now the puppies were starting to truly come into their own beyond their half-year mark, and Ame was more interested in more one-on-one time with them. Even Jarilo was growing somewhat more tolerable most days. Although also much less bite-y and clingy, which may have been speaking here. She still found her thoughts more wholesome and easier when she was just with them, either sparring with her son or stargazing with the girls. They were exactly why she was so devoted to protecting their peace.

It was tempting to ask if she could accompany her dam, especially to see Hydra, but she wasn't one for patrolling and there were so many stars that needed her attention. She closed her teeth even as the words prepared to spring off her tongue, though her mismatched eyes glowed affectionately at the mention of her older sister.

That same shining flame behind her eyes flickered at the mention of her other siblings. Now Galaxy's teeth captured and pressed into her tongue as her face assumed a thoughtful expression. "I saw Jarilo... yesterday," she said slowly. "We didn't spend much time together, we just said 'hello' as we passed." She paused there, trying to think of the last time she'd seen Vela. It had been quite a while; the sisters had never recovered their relationship after falling out so long ago. "I haven't seen Vela lately," she eventually said, voice as calm as ever even if a strained look ghosted over her face fleetingly.

"I'm going up the mountain," she shared in the next beat, face and voice fully cheery again. "I'm going to study Sirius tonight. Did you know he's the brightest star in the sky? It's a common misconception that Polaris is the brightest; she's only the largest. Anyway," Galaxy continued, "Sirius rises in the early evening, so right now's about the perfect time to see him." And as she spoke, she twisted her neck skyward, easily locating the star that was twice as bright as any other.

Source.

A hint of a frown pulled at the edges of her lips. "Ah," she nodded in regards to Jarilo. It was probably for the best that way. "Me neither," she mentioned to Vela, although had to marvel at how dynamics had come to play out in this set of siblings versus the last. None were quick to seem overly attached to the others.. but so long as they weren't killing each other, Ame didn't find it in herself to be concerned with it. She wouldn't press the matter anymore than that and considered that a good step in the right direction in tallying up some of her little ones. It was more than she had before, and so, Galaxy had the entirety of her focus.

As for the stars, Ame smirked faintly as information poured forth, plentiful as ever. With her healthy interest in the topic on full display, she was content. "Nice, although I guess I have not put much thought into who is bigger versus brighter," she hummed, she'd long since preferred Sirius to Polaris as far as mythos went, and maybe at least a fourth of that stemmed from a distaste for bears--even in constellations. "But yes.. now is a good time," she agreed, gesturing her way up so she may follow along a bit. She could trail up a little ways with her before turning back down.. so she could still see her and not make her miss out on important star study time. That was a little more time sensitive than rounding the boundaries.

But because of their opposing endpoints, this may cut short at some point. Still, her tail swayed gently. "In the late summer when it is usually hot and muggy out, Sirius is brightest a lot closer to the sunrise.." Ame mentioned, always looking towards and forward to summertime in some way. "So, sometimes, and by some folks, those days are called the 'dog days of summer' because of how close to the sun Sirius gets," she explained, even if the saying had probably never been heard by her with just one summer as a young one under her belt--and if she had, it probably would've been Ame mentioning it, and she couldn't recall if it had ever come up. But, for reference, there it was as far as information to chew on about Sirius.

She smiled warmly at the "dog star," then looked downward again, eyes seeking and finding her mother's as Amekaze explained how Sirius's nickname also lent itself to some of the hottest days in summer. This connection delighted the youth, naturally, and she placed that fact in the neatly-kept filing cabinet in the back of her mind.

Just a moment ago, the Alpha female had mentioned several of Galaxy's siblings: Hydra, Vela and Jarilo. But abruptly Galaxy thought of another and queried, "Mommy, have you seen @Korei Julia? I haven't seen her in a few days and I'd like her to come stargaze with me again soon." Along with Charon, her pale older sister was her most constant of companions at night, though it had been a few days since she'd last spotted the cream-coated yearling.

Her ears twitched and she frowned very slightly. "No I have not," she admitted with a small sigh. All because she had been busy on guard, and reaching beyond--two aspects Korei did not often find herself involved with (nor was she particularly suited to it), so the dark Alpha admittedly saw less of her thanks to this. But it did warm her heart to find her daughters able to bond over something like the stars, especially considering Korei's black sheep status among her own littermates; at least a younger one had taken well to her, although it was hard to imagine Galaxy harboring dislike for any beast. "But I am sure she would love to do that. She has to be around here somewhere," Ame nodded. The older pale daughter was a homebody, unlike pieces of the Cerberus who were apt to roam and rove. "But if I see her soon, I will be sure to point her your way." Especially with clear skies above, and vast wintertime skies some of the best for the stars.

Her mother hadn't seen the elder sister she sometimes fondly referred to as "KJ," though Amekaze promised to point her in Galaxy's direction if they did cross paths. "Thank you, mommy," the pup murmured happily.

She would've loved to linger here, catching up with her mother, but she knew the Alpha female was headed off to attend one duty or another and Sirius was waiting on Galaxy. There really was a very narrow window during which the star would be optimally visible and she didn't want to miss it. She knew Amekaze would understand.

"I'll see you later?" she said brightly after a brief pause, reaching to kiss the soft, grizzled underside of her dam's chin. "Bye, mommy!" Galaxy said, eyes gleaming and tail waving before she swiveled on a milky white paw and continued her ascent.

"You are welcome," she spoke quietly, simply so, and peered fondly at the striking young stargazer. Indeed, she understood the need for her to be getting to where she needed to be. If anything, she was pleased by the girl's devotion, and glad that she had a hobby to keep her busy. "Of course. Later," she chuffed with a wave of her tail, and only turned away once Galaxy had well begun off on her own path up. Amekaze would move back down the slopes after she was out of sight.