Recently returned from an uneventful trip over their fringes, he came strolling readily back to the den and set to looking for either @Sirio or @Dalia--wondering if they would be inside, immediately at their mother's side (they really seemed to like her), or prodding around just beyond it somewhere. He worked his nose and looked around sharply, knowing he was getting closer with each stride.

More and more with every single moment, they were growing quickly. Despite not having much experience in puppies still as young as they were, he still wanted to encourage them any way he could. First step was finding them. He whuffed a short little summons to test the waters near the den itself, and loomed in anticipation.

The silence remained.. and in fact, his arrival stood tall as the most eventful matter here. Nose quivering, he began to suspect that no one was home at the moment to come greet him, but the disappointment in the notion was thankfully short-lived; after all, they would probably not be far away, and it was only a matter of time before they were back. He did prefer to wait here for their inevitable return, rather than going after them.

In pulling his perceptions back from looking for little creatures, he noticed Wildfire from her own peaceful perch. He perked, curious, and realized her pups were probably resting quietly too..

If this was how it was, he stepped closer to her delicately with a small chuff: hey? How even were things.. with her, and their whole little family? Often he was pretty invested in his own, and careful to keep from being too curious about her whelps too while everything felt as fresh and new. Nevertheless, she probably didn't find the silence eerie, and instead, a welcome reprieve. But maybe she'd seen Portia and the pups head off, and however long ago that'd been; not that he was feeling overly impatient for them to come entertain him, and potentially even awaken Wildfire's brood too--now that he thought about it like that.

Swinging his ears forward, he was grateful for any sort of answer regarding what he looked for. Fresh mint? He shook his head softly: I see "Thanks." he added with a hushed voice, and would have taken that and gone on. Her question stopped him from pivoting away. "Good. Busy," he spoke on lowly while his tail swayed a slowly satisfied rhythm. "You? And them?" He was always hesitant to blur the lines between his family and hers, and because of that, he did keep poking around them to a minimum. "But I don't want to wake them up." he said, gesturing towards her denmouth with a conflicted look on about continuing the conversation. At least, he had assumed they napped if she was out here, free from their grasp.