Dragoncrest Cliffs Somewhere over the rainbow

It rained most of the afternoon, much to Bat's delight. While her water baby splashed about in puddles, @Thuringwethil led @Kiwi, @Silkie and @Tux on a tour of Hougeda proper. Wildfire enjoyed the one-on-one time with the aptly named Rorqual, though she greeted the others with enthusiasm upon their return. The rain tapered away as they enjoyed one of their first suppers in their new home. As the spring peepers began to sing, the four pups dozed off one one by one, worn out from their various adventures.

Feeling a little restless herself, the Feisripa stood. The air was thick with humidity, though cooling fast as the sun set. She didn't go far, just trailing around the immediate area and trying to pay no attention to the nearby caverns. She wasn't able to fully shake the anxiety and very nearly slipped away into the night to get away for a while when a thought struck her. Wildfire tiptoed back into the foliage of their makeshift rendezvous site.

"Thur?" she whispered through the damp darkness, "Would you like to go on a walk with me?" Their children were asleep anyway, though they had officially arrived at an important juncture in all their lives, when the two mothers would really begin cutting the umbilical as the pups required less direct care, supervision and, well, mothering, and instead integrated into the fabric of the pack and worked on becoming proper Drakru.

It has been an eventful few days for everyone but the transition is complete. Just a few days ago, they were helpless little children at Wildfire’s breast and she can still see the tenderness of their exhaustion as they sleep, curled up next to one another and drifting off to slumber. As different as this litter has proven, she’s thankful they’ve made it this far without too many hiccups. All four are still alive and happy and growing and she couldn’t be more proud.

The day pours into night and she finds herself just as tired, drifting off nearby without realizing the distress of her mate. Her attention to Drageda and raising four children has left little room for anything else but yet has it reached her attention. She’s with her a good portion of the time, but when was the last time they’d really been together?

When her mate wakes her, she blinks blearily a few times and peers up to see her wife’s face. “Of course,” she says and blinks a few times, yawning wide. A quick glance at their children is all she needs to know everything is okay. She stands and moved closer, pairing off with Wildfire but not before a nuzzle to the back of her neck.

Although clearly sleepy, Thuringwethil agreed readily enough and soon the two of them were strolling into the early summer night. For a while, Wildfire didn't say anything. Every now and again, she bumped companionably against the commander or reached out to brush the Heda's shoulder with her dark muzzle. Rearing children—four of them, to boot—hadn't given them much time to be be alone together, so the Feisripa savored these precious moments.

After a while, she decided to break the mutually companionable silence. "Do you ever worry about Bat?" she wondered, apropos of nothing. "She seems healthy enough but she's so..." Wildfire swooped a paw lazily through the dark air. "Not that I'm complaining. She's so easy. But..." Her chestnut eyes rested on her mate's face.

Silence between them has grown comfortable, often enjoying her company over anything else. They’ve made something beautiful over the years and she can hardly believe her life without her and with each bump to her shoulder, she glances over and offers her own form of affection in one way or the other.

When her mate pipes up, her feet slow but not to a stop. The question catches her off guard and she considers it, thinking about the girl and what might be wrong, which Wildfire follows up to confirm she’s healthy and easy. Her brows knit together and she thinks back, considering her interactions with their youngest daughter. She sleeps a lot, but she’s young and goofy. She’s different from Kiwi an Blixen, but she never noticed anything out of the ordinary. Moving them closer to Hougeda begins their next step in life and she never considered she might get resistance from the lazy child, none of the others have not disobeyed too much yet and the idea, if it came to, would be laughable.

“Has she done something wrong?” she asks, swinging her head over to search her mate’s face, worried she’s keeping something to herself she should know about.

Evidently, she needed to finish her sentences. Wildfire quickly shook her head at her mate's concerned query. "No, no, not at all," she said hastily, "I just worry because she's so lethargic all the time. Kids are usually so full of energy and she just... isn't." She shrugged her petite shoulders. "She seems healthy," she repeated, "but I guess I just worry that she'll still be this way when she's older." Wildfire paused, trying to make sure she articulated properly this time. "When it's less acceptable."

She wanted—they both wanted—their children to contribute, not only to earn the Drakru surname and the honor with it, but also because it was one of the most basic and fundamental parts of being in a pack. What if Bat's laziness persisted into adulthood and she became some sort of lackadaisical burden? Wolves used to be tossed out of Drageda for less, so there was genuine worry in her chestnut eyes as they rested once more on the Heda's face.

Thuringwethil breathes a sigh of relief, slowing to a stop to stare at her mate as she elaborates on the situation. She blinks a few times as she processes it, fitting the pieces together. Four strong, healthy children has given her room to feel comfortable that, while she noticed Bat wasn’t always there or that she slept a lot, she never noticed the signs as Wildfire had. For all Thuringwethil assumed, Bat simply inherited Étoille’s underwhelming laid back attitude.

“I don’t think we should worry, not yet,” she says, wondering if they’ve waited too long but none of the other litters were any faster. Eventually, they’ll learn all the same things the others did when it comes to taking care of themselves and Drageda. “They begin training soon, perhaps it is all she needs to give her motivation,” she adds, trying to shelve the worry she now feels and the sudden scrutiny lingering on every thought regarding her youngest daughter. The last thing she wants to think about is a decision like this so soon, but she offers a weak, somewhat hurt smile, “or if she needs to visit Bobby for more training.”

Thuringwethil didn't seem perturbed by Bat's lack of motivation, at least at this stage. Wildfire found some relief in that. Perhaps she was simply overthinking. But then the Heda's comment about sending Bat away caused the Feisripa's entire body to stiffen. Her mouth opened, then shut, as she willed herself to remain calm. She was still sore about missing Bobby and couldn't even entertain the thought of sending their little baby Bat away too. The thought turned her stomach and made her wish she could eat her words.

Of course, she couldn't un-ring that bell and, besides, she knew her concerns were valid. But she wouldn't let anyone—no, not even the commander—send another of her children off to train somewhere else, not if she could do something about it. And she could. Wildfire decided she would do whatever it took to ensure Bat's future kept her here in Drageda. Even if it meant she had to brave the caves to introduce the Goufa to the beach so they could build her interest in water into a trade that could benefit the pack, she would do it.

Having thus self-soothed, Wildfire managed a tight-lipped smile for her mate, then reached out to nuzzle her cheek. "I won't let it come to that," she murmured simply. "What do you think of taking them to the beach sometime? I know Bat would love it but the others would enjoy it too, I think."

She doesn’t like the expression that crosses Wildfire’s face and she glances away, tightening her jaw. Sending any of the children is less than ideal, wishing they’d be able to be successful here and allow them to grow. Bat… will get there, just like the others, and she stands in her wife’s definitive words and nods her head. They’ll keep her here, one way or the other.

“I think that’ll be a good idea,” she says, thinking about a certain pale wolf and frowns, taking a breath and nodding her head. “We’ll start introducing new things to her. I’m sure we’ll find something,” she adds reassuringly, hoping they’ll come to the problem and they don’t have to have the same discussion later. Her nose turns and she presses against Wildfire’s muzzle, with a lick as she draws away.

Thuringwethil approved of the suggestion, adding a few more embellishments to it. Wildfire nodded, smiling softly at her mate even as the wheels whirred in the back of her mind. She was much less concerned about the other three—they were properly energetic, with plenty of potential—but she decided she would fully dedicate herself to making sure Bat and her brothers and sister were all reared to be proud Drakru. So much for cutting the cord!

As a matter of fact, she thought she might relinquish her rank near the top of the pack and settle into one less esteemed, to free herself up from any duty aside from raising their children right. But Wildfire didn't mention this just now. She purred a growl in reaction to the commander's kiss, then stole one of her own. They could discuss such matters later. Now, she wanted to return to the simple pleasure of her lover's company and lighter fare.

"I'll start planning the outing. I told Dalia I'd ask her along. Would that be all right?" Wildfire wondered, head tilting as her petite paws continued carrying her across the familiar breadth of Drageda, sure in spite of the darkness. It was home, after all. "Oh," she added in the very next breath, chestnut eyes crinkling at the corners and gleaming in the dim. "Have I told you lately that Ai hod yu in?"

I hope I got that translation right ("I love you")! Would you care to conclude this? <3 <3 <3

Not all is lost, they have so much more to try. They’ll begin their training and learning and everything will kick into place. They’ve got it, this time (ha).

Wildfire’s words are sweet to her ears and she presses into her, repeating the familiar words of her language before they find somewhere near to the kids to sleep for the rest of the night, curled up and tangled in one another’s legs.