Whitefish River I Am Too Big to Hide, Too Tall to Lie

Four days had passed since the disappearance of Dandelion. There was no doubting it, in her mind, Ira knew the boy was dead. Too young to even know his own name, to feed himself, to keep himself warm, lost to the harsh elements of the world. The mother had done her best to grieve quickly, few knew of his existence she could prevent causing another scene if he was never addressed. Now was perhaps the best time to introduce those that remained, Speedy would be too busy with her own litter to bring attention to the missing child and Hieronymous had been instructed to keep silent. It was about time anyway, her little ones were not so little anymore. The three had been making great strides within the den and it was clear that the desire to explore was strong. At least this way if one wandered too far the others would be aware of their presence and can hopefully keep the rest of her kids from meeting the same fate.

It was with pride that the Count ushered her young to the mouth of the den knowing full well it would take little convincing to move them into the light. The sun greeted them, despite being blocked by trailing clouds and the canopies of the forest, its rays breaking through to the dirt scattered ground. Ira basked in the fresh air grateful to be moving once more. Of course, she had already taken quite the trip around the territory a few days ago, but now her pups had no need to stay cooped up inside all day. Starting now she could properly prepare them for the world that waited. Once all three had taken their first steps out of the den, Ira would tilt her head back to call for those who might be interested in meeting some of Kaistleoki's newest members.

Nutmeg was quick to bolt out of the den, something that might have concerned the mother had she not tripped shortly after. The girl fell with a thud, but as always it didn't seem to bother her. Her youngest had always been a ball of what felt like endless energy. Prim was next to exit, something in the distance catching her eye as Connor and Hieronymous arrived. An ear flicked back to catch the cinnamon man's words as she trailed behind her silver pup who already sought to make the introduction difficult as she wandered in a completely opposite direction. If she wandered a bit too far she'd pick her up by the scruff to return her to the small gathering.

The Count was proud of her children, being a mother was all she could ask for, but of course, the question of their father lingered. Ira missed the painted knight's words as she nudged Primrose to go to her sister, but it seemed that Connor was quick to backtrack his question. She chose to ignore the topic altogether, acting as if she never quite caught what he had said in the first place to tame the bout of shame that threatened to show.

I am, they're very eager to join the pack. Well, most of them at least. Her last child lingered near the mouth of the den, it almost came as a surprise. Almost. When they were alone Blackberry seemed to have no issue coming out of his shell, but he was quick to turtle around strangers. Even Hieronymous who came by so often received the shy treatment. He would have to learn to grow past it though if he were to be a functioning part of the pack. The Count approached slowly to nudge him out, it was likely past his comfort zone, but life was not always comfortable. Even if Blackberry glued himself to her leg, it would be better than remaining in the den all day. And that was exactly what he did.

Ira motioned to the dark-colored boy, This is Blackberry, he's a bit shy. The eldest is Primrose, and their younger sister is the one who never seems to sit still, Nutmeg. She had gestured to each one as she introduced them. Hopefully, the three would take the chance to socialize with someone other than their little family. They might not be able to actually respond yet, but some new faces would be good for them. I thought it might be time for them to meet the pack. They should know we aren't alone, even if they do not fully understand yet. It was hard to gauge how much information they actually retained, but soon enough they would be able to communicate back.