Blackfeather Woods itsasuane

Anyone who would be allowed to see the pups.

The young bear knew very little.
 
Life had granted him a miracle, and though it was subtle and soft in its gifting, Sos had accepted and continued to thrive under the care of his dutiful mother. His stomach was full as often as he needed it, and the heat from her body was enough to warm even the coldest of nights. Though he was young, there was still a mind growing within him, and it spoke of great things – astounding journeys – and the change that adulthood would inspire within him. Should he survive his long months as a puppy, Sos would grow to be a massive brute of force and a savage young man. He was a bear, after all. He could only be destined for great things.
 
On the day after his birth, Sos was nestled tightly against his mother’s gently rising midsection. Scent was all he knew against the darkness of his youthful blind eyes. Still, the aroma of her and of his siblings was enough to know he was secure in his home. Not sleeping, but still not fully awake, the young cub parted his lips in a great yawn that seemed to stretch his features out and ended in a soft yipping noise. He tucked himself in closer to her frame and breathed heavily.

Exhaustion carries through the rest of the night into the next morning but she finds herself unable to fall asleep. Every few minutes she’s anxiously checking on them, making sure they’re breathing and there’s not a thing wrong. They eat and she cleans them, stimulates them, and puts them back for sleeping. Over and over does the routine fall easy all she wants is a few minutes of sleep to rest and recover from the night before. Her mind won’t slow down long enough and just when she thinks she might, if she waits long enough, but the routine begins all over again.
 
One of them makes a sound and her ear twitches, sensitive to each move they make and noise they produce. Slowly, she lifts to see Sos wiggle around and readjust instead of taking to the teat for a meal. She presses her nose gently to the back of his head and inhales his sweet scent deeply.

There was a sensation, like a thrilling chill that stretched down his back and to the tip of his tail, that caused the young boy to shudder and squeak in delight. It was the touch of his mother’s nose against the back of him, and her inhale brought him such astounding joy and comfort that he lifted a wobbly head upward to gaze at her with closed eyes and a rapidly searching nose. Sos rolled his little body to the side and stretched out a single paw. Though his movements were shaky and lacking strength of a more grown figure, he wished for Shivali to know that he knew she was there – instinctually – and he was comforted by her presence, and her strength. The bear knew nothing more than her scent and the aroma of his sister and brother, who ate an awful lot and slept just as much as he.
 
Sos was partially concealed in the warm tufts of ivory fur that coated his mother’s belly. He had burrowed as tightly against her as he could to stay warm – something he desired greatly – and had found the perfect niche where he fit against the natural curve of her frame. Though he would have had to wiggle a few inches to reach the milk of her teat, Sos did not mind. The travel was worth the destination, and his present nest was far more important to him than being right beside his mother’s milk. Feeling a wave of tired energy cross through his young bones, Sos yawned wide again and squeaked softly as he closed his lips.
 
All of his noises went unheard against his own ears. The peeps and yaps that his siblings made were also silent. The whole world seemed to be so. The child knew only darkness and quiet, but he found that this was enough to bolster some strength in him. Sos would change, as would his life, the more he grew, but he was pleasantly happy with the goings on in the family den, and the level of comfort that was felt was ideal for one so very young and unaware.

The thought of leaving had never occured to him, he had stayed outside the small whelping den where is sister lay with her children. A silent sentry, or an attentive caregiver the man had positioned himself as close to the entrance as he dared, his ears atuned to any sound that might come from within the crevice or from the surrounding world. 

He had been sitting here for hours, and a stretch of his legs was needed. A slowly and carefully lifted his body to stretch the stiff muscles of the ice bear. The downward dog popped the vertibrae of his spin into proper alignment, and brought forth a yawn that stretched his jaw wide. Taking a few silents steps closer to the den the man peered inside, as he had done a few times to check on the small brood. He was surprised to see his sister awake, and he gave her an awkward smile if she saw him.

He was hesitant, not wanting to smother Shivali he had tried to keep knowledge of his presence to a minimum. They had yet to make ammends, but he wouldn't leave her just because she was mad at him. He was stubborn that way. Sia thought of asking if she needed anything, but didn't want to wake the babes. Instead he found himself awkwardly creeping in on his sister and her family.

*slips in quietly*

Like her older brother, Taki had refused to leave her position outside the den. She helped him keep an eye out for any potential danger, not even allowing herself to really sleep; just a sort of half sleep that allowed her to somewhat rest while still being alert enough to pick up any sounds or movements around them.

Sia stirred beside her and got up. She looked in his direction just in time to see him glancing in the den for probably the tenth time in the last few hours. She smiled at his stubborn protectiveness. He had always been that way, at least as far back as she could remember. 

Turning back to place her head on her paws again, she remained where she was. She wasn't sure if Shivali was awake in there, but there really wasn't room for both her and Sia inside the whelping den. So, she continued to keep watch, knowing she would get to meet her new family members soon enough.

Sos doesn’t mind the presence of her cool nose but he still does not eat. The routine is only a few hours old and so she isn’t sure if this is normal for the boy or not, without having much to reference too. Tahani isn’t around in the moment for her to ask but she leaves the question in the back of her mind for when she does return. Until then, she tries to keep the panic at bay but her exhaustion offers little. She gives the boy a nudge to the nearest teat, licking him across the face once, and glancing up to see Siarut’s legs and tip of his nose hanging nearby. Unsure how long he’s been standing there, she offers a low growl and, if that isn’t enough, a quiet, harsh, “aullak.”

Far too young to know the tongue that was used to reprimand his uncle, Sos could only feel the change in the air that surrounded his mother. It was almost as though he had stepped into something that he ought not to have found. The young bear felt a strange sensation wash over him and he was overcome by emotion that he had no means to place. It was fearful and the scorn that was issued from Shivali was enough that the young boy felt as though he had stepped out of his own place. Shuddering against the feel in the air, Sos breathed deeply and began to squeak in distress. He did not want his mother to feel the way she was feeling. He did not want to know that the muttering had been intended for the uncle who was overstepping his protective boundaries.
 
Nuzzling closer to his pale mother’s frame, Sos breathed in her scent and hoped to erase the feeling of tension in the air. At such a young age, he had no means to speak on such feelings. As he aged, the bear would be very empathetic; he would know the feelings that others felt far before they were uttered to him. Still, he would hold a stoic nature about him. It would be an early adaptation for the boy to hold his hand close to his chest and not allow others to know what he was experiencing. Youth was the time for molding, and though it was a small interaction, the quick snap of his mother’s tongue was enough to leave a lasting mark on his mind. However small, it still held fast.

The sharp tongue of his sister was not a surprise. It wasn’t expected but he understood. Opening his mouth, trying to think of something to say that might appease her anger. Thinking of none he only offered her what he could, “Tak is outside, if you need anything sister.”

He hoped that is Shivali had needed anything she would have reached out to him, her littermate. But just to be sure she wasn’t going without due to stubbornness he let her know that there was someone other than Sia who could help. Should she need it. 

Turning slowly, lingering slightly, he left the mother to her pups. Standing further from the den than previous, making sure Takiyok would be seen before himself should the new mother make an appearance. Taking up his vigile once more, he hide his ache from their younger sister.

Taki hadn't missed the exchange between her two older siblings. She winced at the tension. She saw both sides, although she wished Sia had maybe thought through his actions before he went off on Shivali. An even though she agreed that her older sister had every right to be mad, she still felt bad for Sia. She knew he felt bad for his actions, he had told her that much, and she just wished they could sort this out and be on good terms again.

When Sia left the doorway of the den, he took a post further away than before, Taki wasn't going to let him sulk by himself, so she got to her feet and trotted over to him. Making sure she was still between Sia and the den, she quietly sat next to him. She figured he wouldn't want to talk about it, so she offered him the comfort of her presence instead.

Last post from me!

It does not take much for Siarut to get the message and she stares hard until he backs out, leaving her with information of the outside world. For a moment longer, she watches, but Sos’ disturbance takes her attention and she turns to him. Whatever happens outside, happens without her knowledge as she focuses on soothing her child. She offers him a few gentle licks against what she ran reach. She rumbles something low, hoping to soothe him, and curling up a little tighter to keep him from the world.

Last post from me.

The tension left the air and the boy was touched by his mother. Feeling the familiarity of her, the young bear made an attempt to get himself closer to her frame and further away from the emotions that had fluttered through the room just moments before. The child would not know what had occurred to cause the reaction from Shivali; even as an adult, Sos would never endure the hardship of carrying his own young and giving birth to them. All that was known was that Shivali was the most important figure to him, and he would not find pleasure in anything that did not promote that. When she soothed away the ruffled feathers of the polar pup, the woman made herself more comfortable and then wrapped her head around the young boy. Sos made himself a comfortable place to nestle there and closed his eyes. The softest of sighs escaped from his young mouth just moments before he seemed to drift away to a land of dreams.