Northstar Vale You've never had Pad Thai.

tagging @Kazuhiko but AW!

Lilitu might have been affronted had she known she'd been downgraded from Princess to "Noble Pup" — but she didn't, so all was well in her world. Her parents had been a little scarce lately, as had. . .well, everyone. In fact, besides the near-constant rain (and even that was getting old) things were pretty boring.

She went for walks often, either by herself or with @Arielle if she could get her sis to tag along. She paid visits to the pale pups, most often @Hotaru, who she actually liked. The rest kind of seemed like snobs. Some day, she'd know why. For now, she settled for just, well, avoiding them.

Her travels today brought her to a patch of mushrooms, some of their flat tops as big as her head. She was intrigued by them and brought her nose closer to sniff, a second later recoiling from the damp, earthy smell. Not a fan. But they were pretty (okay, they were. . .unique. . .) and she settled with looking at them from a distance, where she couldn't get that odor in her nose.

Lilitu wondered whether they were at all useful. Maybe Ibis would like one? She shuddered at the thought of lugging one of them back to the den; she'd cross that bridge. Eventually. Maybe. Yeah.

Akavir remained a shadow in the background of the Empire. He watched his daughters and mate, keeping company with them above all, as well as his brother. 

There was something he simply didn't trust about the Empire and so he remained unsettled. He kept these distinct thoughts to himself, but found himself growing more concerned with each day that passed. Ibis was a mother bear to their children--consistently upon them with a watchful eye, but they were getting older and their need to wander growing with each day. 

Thus, his own champagne eyes were calculating from afar as he took in Lilitu. He was relaxed as he skirted far enough behind her, not necessarily on her radar of awareness yet, but also not sensing immediate danger that would require him to quash her current independence. For now, he watched, wondering how long it would take her to realize his presence.

She hadn't really noticed her father's close but unseen presence, and only realized he was there when the wind shifted and brought his scent toward her. Lilitu turned, grinning, and galloped toward him with a shouted, Da! She stopped at his chest and reared up, giving an affectionate nudge of her nose to his chin, along with a couple of lick-kisses.

Tail wagging, she gestured toward the mushrooms, brows knitted together in confused query. Da, whassat? she asked. He would know. Adults knew everything, right?

While waiting for his response, she buried her face happily in his majestic dark ruff, taking in his musky aroma. In his distance, she'd missed him—and the pale wolf that apparently was her uncle V. . .V. . .well, we'll tackle that name later. Anyway, he hadn't been around at all. Where was everyone?

Her affectionate kiss was met with a rumbling growl of his own love—tongue sweeping out to graze the top of her head before he pulled back to better look at her. They were both growing so fast—and as she questioned him, he wiggled his eyebrows upward playfully. “Let’s go see?”

Taking her to study the mushrooms, he explained to her not to eat them—in case they hurt her. After, the frost-maned wolf would lead her further throughout the lands, offering her a chance to explore her mind and satiate some of her growing curiosity.