the leviathan brings to
@Solveig a plump rabbit, freshly hunted. he drops it at the mouth of the birthing den, just to the side, assuming that she was within tending to
@Leifa,
@Baldr, and
@Nazair.
a low croon is offered to the mother of his children, and even the children within, an alert to his presence.
the morning is clear, the sun a soft orange and warm against his back. the humidity that hangs in the air tells of a unbearably hot day to come, but rusalka forces himself to focus on the here and now.
Now nearing on a month old, Baldr’s impressive size at birth had begun to stagger his mobility. His appetite had not ceased, and the constant provision of food from his mother kept his belly round and full. His stocky legs were sturdy- but quite often, he wobbled when he walked simply because of the bulge of his midsection.
He was happy to hear his father’s voice, and with a husky yap, he began to puppy-waddle his way toward his father to mouth at his foot.
While Baldr grew out, so too did his sister. Though not quite as wide, Leifa had ballooned to an impressive size for a month old pup. An insatiable curiosity had ensured that anything and everything that entered the den was properly inspected with her nose before her growing teeth investigated further. The ravenous vacuum that was the Cairn's newest daughter had led to an unfortunate number of beetles, spiders, and toes falling victim to her tiny jaws.
The newly-deposited rabbit was no exception. Easily overtaking her slower brother, Leifa headbutted the leg of her father and lumbered her way over to the rabbit where she proceeded to chew on an ear amidst excited grunts.
Nazair watched his siblings scramble over each other to reach the prize. His eyes were bright and curious. Even in his young age, the child felt a pang of jealousy in his belly. He wanted to be part of their tumbling. He wanted to bite on the gift that their father had deposited.
A squeal sounded from his mouth. The silver-ribbed boy plodded toward where Leifa was. Nazair was not polite about pushing his blunt nose into her butt. The smell of the prey filled his senses and he all but clambered over her to get a better look.