Dragoncrest Cliffs Dance with my dogs in the nighttime

The sky was awash with stars when Wildfire slithered out of the makeshift den. She and @Thuringwethil had slept the day away together. It had been glorious. She took a deep breath of the still night air, chestnut eyes rolling upward to admire the Milky Way. She could feel the January cold seeping into her bones and knew she should start moving if she didn't want to catch a chill.

Roaming away from the hollow tree to avoid disturbing the slumbering commander, the Feisripa pointed her smudged snout at the starry sky that reminded her of the night she'd given birth to Antler, @Artaax, @Blixen, Phoenix and @Bobby. Her low voice carried through the dark stillness, summoning her grown children to her.

The call was enough to get Bobby moving, albeit groggily and with little grace. Maybe if it had been someone else, he would've ignored it and kept his rhythmic snores, but because it was his mother, he wanted to make sure that everything was okay. 

It seemed that he was the first of the three to arrive. Bobby drew in to greet Wildfire with a nudge to the shoulder and a low chirp. Hey, mom, he said, plopping down beside her, What's up?

Much like his mothers, Artaax too had spent a fair amount of time resting since their return to the Cliffs. It was so wonderful to be home. He had always known that their territory was far superior to any other in existence, but being here again, he was struck by just how much better. After the empty wasteland that was the Caldera (in his eyes) and the dark, twisted, rotting forest of Blackfeather, Dragoncrest had never looked more beautiful to him. A sense of contented peace had consumed him since his return, and he'd allowed himself to be swept away by it and be lazy, just this once.

It had been a terrible, terrible mistake.

Artaax wasn't as quick as he usually was to answer Wildfire's summons. He squirmed, and rolled, and dragged himself up from his slumber, taking time to stretch and yawn and shake himself before setting off to meet her. And so when he arrived, it was to find his mother not standing alone waiting for him. Bobby was there. Bobby had beaten him.

The boy blinked at his brother in surprise. How had this happened? How was it possible? His eyes narrowed as he looked the black wolf up and down scrutinizingly. Maybe... Maybe Bobby had just already been with Wildfire when she'd called. That was it. It had to be. Bobby did not beat him to places. Bobby didn't beat him at all.

Still a little unsettled, Artaax took the final steps forward to greet his mother with a small smile and a press of his crown to her cheek - a little odd-looking considering his size these days versus hers.

maybe a few months ago blixen would have shot like an arrow to her mother's call, but today she is tired and still processing, for once glad to patrol alone (though she's really gotta get furi back on schedule with her). not that she doesn't trot briskly (okay, jog) to her adult doppleganger once she gets the call, but she gets there last. 

it's weird. like, yeah, artaax beats her sometimes because he's a goody two shoes momma's boy, but bobby's also there already. she gives him a funny look and glances at artaax, wondering what his assessment of the situation is. to mother, she smiles and says, "hei," reaching out to press her nose against her cheek in greeting. it's been so long since all of them were gathered like this and it's all blixen ever wanted, so if she feels a little choked up and tender -- sue her.

They arrived one after the other: black, white and red shadows moving toward her through the wintry night. Wildfire's heart thrummed with happiness as she looked upon the trio all together for the first time in months, their eyes glimmering in the starlight as they took turns greeting her. Her own glistened with unshed tears as she diligently returned each touch. There wasn't an ounce of awkwardness, hesitation or resentment in the air. Wildfire was grateful. She knew her children could've easily rejected her after being absent from their lives for so long.

"If you're wondering why I called you here, I have no real reason," the Feisripa said, a smile playing about her mouth, "other than that I wanted to see you three and spend some time with you. I was hoping we could go on a walk, maybe on the beach. I haven't been there since I've been back." She paused, chestnut gaze hopeful as it bounced from Bobby to Artaax to Blixen.

Thuringwethil slips in and out of a restless sleep. She recognizes movement nearby but not exactly what, but it does not pull her enough awake to acknowledge it. A few still moments later and she hears to the slow call drift into her ears. She twitches awake and sits up, turning her head to search for her mate but she is not there. Her nose wrinkles a little and she pulls herself to her feet with more effort than necessary and begins to follow the thick trail left behind.

She is more curious than anything, but a little tired of trying to sleep, so she bides her time to see what’s going on. As she approaches, she does not mask her footsteps, crunching through the snow but she does try to listen to her mate’s words the closer she gets.

Bobby watched with a sly smirk as Artaax and Blixen arrived, giving each a single nod and maybe a, Hey, as his greeting, though his attention never left Wildfire. He was studying her, trying to find something in her that he could recognize and use to pull himself out of this twilight zone he'd been placed in. Nomi was a bit late, which Bobby didn't mind; he hadn't expected her to show anyway, given what she'd come back from. 

Walk on the beach, he repeated, eyes running over the rest of his little family, Sounds cool.

Artaax's gaze flickered to Blixen's as she arrived, and she saw on her face the same displeased suspicion. He gave the slightest, near imperceptible nod to her as she passed to greet Wildfire after he'd backed away from his own greeting under Bobby's smirking gaze. He decided then it was best to ignore his brother - a tactic often employed with abysmal success. He looked to his mother, listened to her suggestion, and smiled as he nodded in acceptance of the invitation.

To his pleasure, nomi arrived shortly after Blixen, and his emotions swelled as the reality hit him - they were all together again. His tail began to wag as his ears fell back in appreciation of this moment. Being the fairly non-verbal sort, he said nothing of his happiness. It was clear upon his face, though, and in the teasing nip he randomly decided to plant upon Bobby's shoulder and then Blixen's hip. A happy Artaax was one that bit his siblings, apparently.

like artaax, blixen too chooses to ignore bobby's smirk (a tactic that has been much more successful for her -- never underestimate her stubbornness, dear brothers, as bobby himself knows well enough), instead focusing on mother and her invitation. her expression brightens at the idea. it does sound nice to do something all together, though part of her wishes furi were here, too, especially once nomi arrives on the scene. furi is basically family at this point, although - mother hasn't met her yet, has she?

she shelves the idea, instead -- ow! "artie!" she complains playfully, and leaps for him, hoping to knock them both onto the ground for a good ol' sibling tussle.

All three of them seemed on-board with the idea, which made Wildfire's heart soar. Before she could motion for them to get moving, she heard footsteps and turned to see Thuringwethil padding toward them. Her ears flicked backward in apology for disturbing her mate's rest, though they pricked again and her face brightened as the Heda completed their family group.

"We're going to go for a walk on the beach, if you'd like to join us," she said quietly to her mate, slipping naturally into a position at the larger woman's flank, facing their trio of offspring even as they began to devolve into a playful mess of flailing limbs.

Hey! Bobby called out with a playful smirk. Before Blixen had even made the move to knock either of the boys over, Bobby's already lunged for a nip of his own at Artaax. Just before his jaws came back together, though, he was knocked over onto his side with a childlike giggle. It was rare that the three of them had a moment like this, and though he might have wanted to protest, he decided to relish in it instead.

It didn't last long before his attention was drawn back to Wildfire. Bobby gathered himself and stood up with another mock lunge for Artaax, then nodded his head to his mother's words.

Feel free to PP Thur out unless she insists she goes along, in which case I'll reply again :)

Walk on the beach.

Her ears swivel forward, looking over the four of them as two begin to scuffle with one another and Wildfire explains what’s going on. Maybe she isn’t meant to be here for this, if she hadn’t woken her up, so she awkwardly hovers a few seconds and gives her a smile. “It’s okay,” she says, then takes a few steps closer to her mate—around the brother and sister tussle—and leans in, giving her a gentle nudge of her cheek. “You should spend time with them.”

Artaax's eyes glimmered with amusement at the game he had begun. He dropped to his elbows as Bobby spun to snap at him, his jaws parting to allow his tongue to roll out. Blixen stole his attention quickly as she sprang. He twisted so that his sister collided with his shoulder and the impact would turn to momentum for his escape. It worked, sort of. The young wolf stumbled, but kept his footing enough to scamper away from his vicious attacker. He would, of course, circle back as he truly didn't want to be left out of the walk. But this was fun too if only for the moment.

the trio more or less collapse onto each other in an undignified heap as bobby beats her to the punch and throws off her trajectory. artaax slips away and she rolls onto her side, huffing, before climbing back to her feet to follow the boys back to mother's side (after moving to deliver a teasing nip to bobby's hip should she catch him). "c'mon with us, nomi," the redhead says, her tail wagging -- though if nomi rebuffs again she'll go along without complaint to the beach anyway.

"I'd love it if you came with us," Wildfire said to the commander, licking at the corner of her eye, "if you're feeling up for it." She hadn't wanted to rouse her mate—Thuringwethil needed rest—but now that she was here, the Feisripa would be more than delighted to have her whole family beside her for their moonlit stroll on the beach.

Springing suddenly toward the bantering kids in a halfhearted effort to scatter them, Wildfire let out an entirely too sharp bark for this time of night, then waved her tail and began trotting in the direction of the shoreline. She glanced over her shoulder, chestnut eyes gleaming as they beckoned her mate and offspring to come along.

My b! I got the post order wrong :o

With his newfound energy, Bobby trailed happily after Wildfire, only turning to beckon Nomi forward. C'mon! he called with a playful lilt. Artaax and Blixen were coming along for the journey, too; they deserved a chance to have some light-hearted fun as a family. 

Bobby barked to his siblings with a yawn and a playful step, wondering if they would be up for more play.

Not entirely sure why is surprises her, Thuringwethil smiles. It would be a good chance to sleep, uninterrupted, but the encouragement of the kids and her mate prevents her from retreating it. Wildfire will regain her time with them soon enough, she supposes, but it is enough to keep her from turning and retreating back the way she came. Instead, she leans in and touches Wildfire behind the ear and breathes in her scent, moving to follow along wherever they choose to go.

Artaax trotted happily back as the redheads were convincing Thur to join them. Bobby gave an inviting call - one that the young wolf was happy to respond to. He ducked into another play bow, snapping at his brother and wagging his tail. He glanced around to see where Blixen was, not wanting her to sneak up on him while he was engaged with Bobby. He kept an eye on her as he sprang toward his brother, jumping up at him in an attempt to grab him round the neck and put him in a wolf-y headlock.

woop! sorry for the wait!

under the combined pressure of mother and children nomi agrees to come along too. blixen beams, trotting up beside her mothers. when artaax goes to tangle with bobby she gives them both a slightly judgemental look as if she hadn't just been wrassling with them herself a moment earlier, offering only a light huff as she waits for the little family brigade to get a move on down to the beach.

There were many stops and starts as the family of five made their way to the beach, what with the children playfully bickering among themselves. Wildfire watched their dynamic in utter fascination, glad that the three of them seemed to love one another (despite their playful arguing), as well as their nomi and herself. Although she had been gone so long, they had grown up very well-adjusted. Truthfully, she couldn't have asked for a more perfect batch, in spite of the trials she'd faced every step along the way, from conception to birth to motherhood and beyond.

Finally, her paws sank into soft, cool sand. "Has nomi," Wildfire called out to her rambunctious grown children, "ever told you how we met? Or how she saved me?" The crash of the nearby surf punctuated her question. On one hand, she hoped they had heard this story; it was a beautiful one. On the other, it would be wonderful being given the opportunity to tell them for the very first time.

Their attempts at pulling in Nomi had worked, which meant that it was time for the play to end. Bobby barked at Artaax, ready to go in for another hit, when he caught Blixen's look and slowed himself. Yeah, Artaax, he whispered, drawing near to his brother's shoulder, Chill out. A wry smile sat on his maw as he nipped at Artaax's ear and dashed over to Wildfire's side.

If you have, he began, I don't remember. Stories were fun, right? Bobby thought that he'd like to hear one about his mothers, though he wasn't sure how he would feel had the topic been anything else. Talking wasn't fun and listening was not up his alley, but he could sit and listen to them speak about each other for hours.

Thuringwethil hangs back of the group for a while, herding them close to the ocean in a way that avoids the cavern. She can’t remember the last time all five of them had been together but it has certainly far too long. She never wants them to leave her sight from there on out, knowing how unrealistic it is, but she hopes for all their sake that return to them in one piece, unharmed.

As they reach the shore, the waves crashing in low tide. The sky is clear and the moon is small, stars bright above them and reflect against the water. At first she does not realize Wildfire has a plan and she turns her head when she’s mentioned, curious to hear where she’s going. Since the absence of her mate, her mind has often been on other things and she frowns, wishing to cover up how little she really spent with them in lieu of their mother.

Artaax slid away from Bobby as Wildfire called their attention and his brother, subsequently called an end to their tussle. He rolled his eyes at the other boy for taking his cues from Blixen of all people - didn't he know how easy it was to just ignore her? - but didn't pursue the battle any further.

He cantered easily back into line with the others and settled his gaze on their surroundings, not really listening to what their mother had to say. Stories, he had decided long ago, were for babies. He was a grown ass man now - all he really cared about was instruction and praise. He didn't sense either would come of this tale, so he contented himself to simply enjoy the company of his family and the nice exercise.

sorry for the holdup!!

"nope," blix says, immediately all ears. unlike her useless brothers she actually has a girlfriend and hearing about how nomi and mother became a couple -- or at least met -- sounds like exactly the sort of thing she's craving. like maybe it wasn't perfect at first blush for them either like how blix accidentally blamed furi for not being her mother and caused the first of many emotional conflicts between them (but god she loves her huh).

eagerly she settles in and waits for the rest of the story, expression bright.

I thought I'd fade this, if that's coo' with everyone. :D

If Thuringwethil had told the kids this story, they either didn't remember it or they were humoring her. Smiling at their evident interest, she continued padding leisurely along the seaside even as she said, "Well, it all began..." Her voice lilted on the bracing night air as she recounted the tale which spanned nearly two years now—a long and tumultuous love story worth every ounce of strife it had taken to get here, roaming the starlit beach with the love of her life and their three vivacious children.