Emberwood no further questions

By her fifth week, it was clear that Sophia would grow up to be A Force. If this fazed @Odessia, she did not show the children - her nos and don't eat thats were flat and absolutely final.

Daddy @Cambria screeched - sometimes. He learned quickly that playing it cool was essential to getting a baby to drop something, even if his heart was racing. It was an unfortunate thing that the girls had been born in berry season.

But berries were yesterday's news. Today, Sophia had gotten it in her head that she was old enough to go further than The Fourth Tree.

Negotiations raged in the Emberwood.

"GOGOGOGOGO. GOOO," the increasingly lanky pup argued convincingly, screaming her case up at Cambria. She WOULD see that fifth tree today.

Fake it, Cambria thought as he gritted his teeth together and waved a paw in the universal sign to go ahead, till you make it.

Odessia had convinced him that keeping the girls cooped up inside the den was the worst possible thing for them. They needed exposure to the world to grow their bodies and their minds. Like plants, they needed water, sunlight and fresh air to grow strong. And he needed them to be less goddamn breakable.

Just know that if you leave my sight, I will tickle you, the Dragonling warned in a very convincing baritone, to death.

Just know that if you leave my sight, I will tickle you. To death.

Sophia accepted Cambria's terms with "Buh. Fffffffrt," and proceeded to take a metaphorical shit on their freshly minted agreement - by shooting into the undergrowth like a shark after chum.

In reality, Cambria could and did follow without breaking a sweat. Sophia's path was meandering and slow, blocked by tall roots and densely packed ferns. Her tempestuous relationship with gravity didn’t make her any faster. By the time the pair reached a stretch of unfurnished forest floor, the little girl was wheezing - but still determined. They had traveled about twenty meters.

"Daaadadada," she babbled up at her parent, and stomped her little feet. "Daaada. D-da. 'UN. DADA UN UN UN." To indicate that she wanted to race (and win, thanks), Sophia demoed a few false starts.

You little buttfart, Cambria could only agree, grumbling under his breath as he tagged along.

He smirked when he saw Sophia struggling with the underbrush. That’s what you get! he thought, though he hovered nearby in case she needed any support traversing the tricky terrain. Cambria actually had to remind himself not to just pick her up and carry her to open ground. The challenge was good for her, as was the exercise.

Soon they were in a clearing. The Dragonling did a quick perimeter check while his daughter caught her breath. By the time he circled back to her, she was trying to tempt him into a chase. His ears bloomed forward as his head dropped, the tip of his tail flicking in amusement.

Just dad is fine, he teased, secretly pleased every time one of the girls used any variation of “dad.” You wanna race? How about tag instead? And without waiting for a reply, he playfully tapped her shoulder, then sprang a few feet away whilst hollering, Tag, you’re it!