it had not escaped the red-nape's notice that @Anselm was protective over the den in a way that eased her chest with relief. she would not apologize for her first assumptions over his willingness to be near them, but his guarding presence had led to improved sleep for heda, not to mention far less time on her feet.
very slowly she began to fill out once more, and as dawnlight poured into dawnleaf, heda called softly for the brusque man to come nearer to the entrance than he had before. to see.
"@Kikimora," she said, once their eyes had met in quiet. the small charcoal girl was nestled at her chest, separate from the others but only for now, the moonblue of her gaze missing nothing. "@Goldfinch," the cream-silver daughter with the eyes that would be two-toned, her delicacy belying the fact that she had been the first to escape the den!
"@Artio," heda went on, motioning to the stocky potato child with his sour-cream belly and his white-speckled face. "@Averie," baby-azure eyes against a backdrop of soft earthen tones which turned to gold beneath the sun.
heda found anselm's eyes again, silent in her communication.
"@Ezra," she murmured of the dove-grey boy with her stripe of scarlet nestled against his brother, their newly open eyes attempting to focus on the stranger. "@Gideon," the stone-ash son with two tails and a satisfyingly robust appetite.
for the third time heda glanced at the tall birch, trying to gauge his reaction.