King Elk Forest Beast Within

For Venere, @Vidaar, and @Vaska. The pups are about 9 weeks old! For reference, the rendezvous is on the eastern border, where the cliffs are. I haven't gotten around to making a map of the territory yet.

Around week 9, the pups will be moved from the whelping den to the rendezvous site. Pups no longer drink milk and will eat meat provided by the pack. Guard hairs grow in during this time. Their eyes will begin to change colour in week 8 and will finish transitioning by week 16. If they haven't changed from blue by this time, they will remain blue for life.

It was time to leave the whelping den. Vex bustled her children out, and she gestured into the thick forest around them. "This forest is where we make our home. It is time for us to move you deeper into it. You will be safer there."

Vex had a haunt she liked — it had originally been a place of peace, and silence, where she could retreat to. Now, it would be her whelps' new home. She led them to it, some miles away from the weir. Their bodies could handle the travel. The cliffs rose high in the east, a natural border for the forest, and in them was a moderately sized cavern, a gaping maw in the rock leading to an underground stream. Wildflowers and berry bushes scattered the forest nearby. It would be a good place. Vex turned to her children, to see what they thought of the place.

In his mind Vidaar led his siblings to the site their mother spoke of. This being one of their greatest adventures yet. His eyes growing faintly red, it seemed they would reflect his mother's. Not that he had any idea. The forest was massive, and dark. He liked it. The smells were overwhelming to him, he wanted to explore each and every one. Mom led them back underground he growled scuffing his paws in the dirt at the entrance to the cavern. He wasn't ready to go inside yet. Not after he got a taste of all there was to see out here.

Finally, they could leave that stuffy, cramped den. The whelps were larger now, though not by much, but they were much sturdier. Venere kept pace easily, trotting along close to her mother's side, a smug grin on her muzzle.

The journey through the forest was long, but fun, and Venere saw many things she'd never seen before — like a live rabbit. She wanted it, but her mother just shuffled her along towards the cavern.

At least it was larger than the den — they'd have plenty of room to run around and play, and they could see the forest from the huge cavern entrance. "Mama, can we 'splore?"

Explore? Vex repeated, gazing down at her daughter. She frowned, looking out at the forest beyond the cavern. They were young, and they would not be safe from other wolves or predators for several months, when they put on some size and weight, and had more battle skills. Vex would have them prepared.

She smiled down at her whelps. You may explore only if you stay close to this cavern. She patrolled often enough that she thought they would be relatively safe. Then, she added, And you must stay together. No wandering off on your own, do you understand?

Vidaar quickly scooted out and away from his mother, not bothering to give her an answer. "'Nere!" He yelled over his shoulder. He definitely wasn't ready to go back underground yet, but he also wasn't sure where he was going either. He'd wait until she caught up and see what she thought.

I can fade for us?

While the cavern was wide and spacious, it still had no view of the sky, nor scents of the forest. It would be a good place to play in and around, but frankly Venere had been cooped up for too long. At the chance of exploration, she took it, and she bounded off calling happily for Vidaar to follow.

Her children swiftly decided to explore, and Vex let them go. She would keep an eye of them for a few minutes, but ultimately she would do what she did best — leave, and return to work to keep her lands secured.