In the nearest, sunniest spot of fresh green grass, she had picked out a soft spot to lounge while the puppies had been relatively distracted for long enough for her to slip away. Content with them and the den both in sight, while nothing else raised her immediate concerns, she wasted no time making herself comfortable. Since no one was immediately bugging for her attentions otherwise, she promptly enjoyed some rejuvenating, warm sunlight--happy that spring's warmth had finally settled in for good all around her, a scene far more fitting of what she would prefer.

She knew deep down the moment here itself would be short-lived, having noticed the clouds starting to gather off towards the sea on top of slim chance of peace with a noisy, busy-bodied brood around. Still, she breathed deep and enjoyed what she could get while she could all with a single ear angled towards the pups' last direction--almost in wait.

All remained relatively peaceful. Only Vela's eventual approach gave her more than just the scenery to focus upon. When she was close, and coming to seat herself with her, the dark mother gave her a fond rumble of a greeting. She wasn't in the mood to make haste for anything more showy than that, but her affection remained true. "I have," she sighed, unimpressed with it all lately. Their core was the family, and now Gannet and Drogon mainly. She viewed many of the other recent leaves to be too weak to deserve heights like these underneath their reign. "I do not know to where, nor do I care to track them down any. Evidently their loyalty at this time is not to the mountain," she said with a slow shake to her head. "The shy, dark one, Lucy--she left a rabbit one day and have not seen trace of her since," she mentioned then--although she had not had a good chance to get to know her any better. Ame had guessed she had some ties to elsewhere, and with it, some call to something. As for the rest, she could not say any more than Vela could; the dark mother had been wrapped up in the lives of her youngest litter, her most immediate family, and those others who came around.

As for the speckled daughter's next notion, Amekaze tilted her head, though kept her expression stony. "Neglected him, how so? You are not his mother.. that is too bad, if so. I hope not," she said, toeing a line along concern towards the yearling if he had let his scent grow faint, and if Vela did not know why? "Had he said anything about it?" she asked, unsure of how to approach this pry exactly. She regarded him highly enough to not jump to immediate conclusion, but Vela had been a prominent guardian at the birthing den in recent weeks--could he not understand this, and in turn, perceive it as neglect? Such did not bode well to the matron of the mountain.

She didn't bat an eye when Vela was quick to brand them as traitors. Given the recent climate of pack relations, and how they had grown to know to only trust family first, it did not surprise her any to hear it so plain and simple. Easily enough, Amekaze nodded; deep down, after all the years of having comrades leave her side, it bothered her less now but she understood. She had been hurt by it time and time again. To her, it was always going to remain highly circumstantial.

Nevertheless, she knew.. and felt herself matching her daughter's side eye with a deadpan stare of her own. True, Vela had been one of the most dutiful at the den's proximity, second only to the parents themselves.. but as for that duty's connection to Drogon's business here, Amekaze didn't really know if she should expect that from the yearlings' relationship. "Hm, well, yes you have been busy here, and you know the family appreciates it.. but I would not expect that alone to be the cause for him to want to leave, right? He should not need your constant attentions.. and I did not think he was quite like that," she said, fanning out her ears thoughtfully for a beat. She would have suspected Drogon, a warrior himself training with Hydra for much of his time here, to understand the need here and not require every precious ounce of Vela's attention now when the mountain had young puppies upon it. She didn't require the same out of Charon, nor him of her.. so Ame didn't see it as all too justifiable--she couldn't relate, if that was the case here. For Vela's sake, and Drogon's too, she hoped not. "You know him better than I. If you think he would want to be found, do look," she said, coolly watching her speckled daughter's response to this.  "Tell Jarilo to help keep an eye out too, and your scouting sisters," she suggested as well.

Vela seemed to understand her outlook on it but she still found herself biting back a bit of worry for her speckled daughter over this. Amekaze couldn't say for sure, not for any of it however. "I hope his motives are good, whatever they are," she mentioned. Every wolf, down to every circumstance, was different. Instead, she willed her to approach it with maturity beyond her years, perhaps--if needed, and a little luck too. "And I hope it works out, and he may be found," she exhaled softly, frowning too. She had liked Drogon in all of her few times in his company and she was happy enough to see where Vela went with him, but this was making her think longer about it now. While she did want it to work, if it was possible, she wanted whatever was best for her daughter most of all.

As for the question she returned to her, Ame's ears slanted back subtly. "Alright enough. They can be a busy bunch," she said. They had always been individuals, but more and more, she was beginning to see them for who they might become. Always, her favorite part of puppies would be seeing them grow, and to what they may be. "Moving them out more feels good. I never like being so denbound," she added through another small sigh and contemptuous look over the thought. While she was tired, she didn't like feeling that cooped. "Soon they will be ready to leave the birth den behind entirely," she said, more than ready to cut ties with it. They were going to be growing fast soon anyway and she was not about to try to contain four puppies worth of energy in any sort of small space.