Arrow Lake I come bearing late gifts

She hadn't really seen Aure since their first meeting when her babies were little more than wriggling milk sucking potatoes. She had forgotten her intent to bring a rabbit pelt as a gift for a toy. Now that she had met @Dragomir, she figured it was a bit overdue for her to check in on the now single mother. She wasn't quite sure what exactly the circumstances behind Verx's leaving but she knew it wasn't a good thing, or at least she felt it surely couldn't be. So she gathered up some gifts, a fox tail for a toy, a fox pelt for Aure and a dried squirrel pelt to serve as another toy since there were two pups. She made her way over to the woman's den and called their names, hoping her presence wouldn't be a bother.

The mother in question had awoken only moments early from a fitful snooze; the day’s warmth was somewhere between almost perfect and mildly muggy, and the sun continued to shy behind the skirts of laden clouds. But the sky was blue, and Aurëwen could not sleep, and she spent what little time rousing before intending to let the children out to play.

Being so stagnant in such indecisive weather didn’t take kindly with her— and opportunity came in the form of a gruff calling of her name.

Ears splayed back with uncertainty, although the tone sounded familiar; and eventually, Aure rose, made her way from the thicket, only to find none other than the burly huntress— ”Kazimir, hello,” she greeted, after a guilty lapse of memory, and offered up a little smile as she glanced back to see if balaur and belea would follow. ”How is everything?”

Kazimir was glad when the woman finally slipped from her den, looking fresh from a nap. She smiled apologetically and dropped the gifts "hello Aure. All is well...i've been slacking" she started off brightly and then confessed with a sigh, looking weary. She had been feeling down lately and she had no idea why. Perhaps it was the season passing and the smell of babies that weren't her own that had her reevaluating things in her life. She craved romance....and had no idea how to find it. "I brought you and the children gifts. I met little drago yesterday...he's...well he's probably the cutest thing i've ever seen" she nudged the presents her way, looking almost nervous, as if they'd be turned down.

Balaur did indeed follow, rising with a languid stretch and a rude yawn right in his sister's face. Clapping his jaws shut and laughing boyishly at her, he spun around and bounded after his mother out of the thicket, only to run smack dab into Kazimir. He skidded to a halt at the Tessarius' paws, blinked up at her, then smiled his recognition. Casmer! he acknowledged in a chirp, wriggling in place.

His attention was soon snatched by the brilliant orange fur of the fox tail with its end brushed in snowy white. His eyes, dark blues sparked with lines of yellow and green now, widened as he caught sight of it. He'd never seen anything like it. Dragomir cast a silent look over at his mother and, pending her permission, wasted no time in rushing toward the gifts that Kazimir had brought, hoping to seize the entrancing orange banner before Isilmë did.

Not without a squealed tank-oo! though.

Almost as soon as she had mentioned having met him, the boy made his appearance shouting her name in a way that had her shook. She blinked and looked down at the boy, her heart swellusw just at the fact that he was so happy to see her "Hello again tiny dragon" she said with a small laugh and watched as he spotted the presents. She held her breath and watched him snag the fox tail, grinning as she had figured it would be a favorite "You're welcome" she said pleased with the reaction. She turned to Aure "How are you?" a concerned tone snuck into her voice, hinting at what she was thinking of though she couldn't bring herself to say it without all the facts. How was she doing with the father of her children gone?

She felt the heaviness in herself that could be heard in Kazimir’s sigh; spring seemed to be moving slowly, other than the storms that seemed to transfigure the terrain around Diaspora. Hearing the lift in the tessarius’ voice as she doted on Drago, though, seemed to summon the lad; and as he wriggled in place, Aure fondly mused, “I am glad to see ze two of you are so well-met.”

With that, she gave permission with a nod, and balaur didn’t miss a beat in going for the foxtail — but not before he expressed his gratitude. Aurëwen hummed approvingly, and was turning her attention to call Isilmë from their thicket when she heard it: how are you? She paused in place, lips parted, wordless. After counsel given by Mahler, even Reina — “I don’t know.” They only care, Aure would tell herself, but she still came to dread the concern that was forthcoming.

So, warily, she turned about to face Kazimir once more. “I do what I can, and I hope I am doing it well,” bringing inscrutable, but certainly loving, eyes to Drago; gnawing away at that red tail. “I hope too much time isn’t missed with them. It... I wanted us to share each moment of their life together.” Despite how things had been left so sour, so unsettled before that departure. All Aure could do now was pray he was well — wherever he was, for whatever reason, and be their ‘father’ in his stead.

Even the most entrancing of toys—and this one was very entrancing—could only hold a cub's fleeting attention for so long. The blathering of adults was much too boring for him. It wasn't long after Aure answered Kazimir's questions that Dragomir hoisted the fox tail in the air, spun around and headed straight for the mocha-furred Russian.

Despite an aversion to being touched unexpectedly, Dragomir had no trouble at all with invading Kazimir's personal space with no warning. He leaned forward to press the tail against her chest, tail beating the air hopefully as transitioning eyes swung up toward her nose. Play with me, he seemed to beg.

She gave her condolences to Aure, unsure what else to say and unable to form much in the way of useful comfort or advice. The woman seemed to be in a sadder mood and said she could visit Dragomir before turning and going back inside her den and for a moment Kazimir wondered if she should try to say something to help. Then suddenly there was a fluffy object pushed against her chest and she looked down right into the begging eyes of little Drago. "oh.." she whispered and felt that small tug in her heartstrings again, knowing she couldn't refuse such a cute face. With a firm yet gentle grip she took hold of the tail and gave it a tug, standing up so that for just a mere second she almost lifted him off the ground before she crouched so as not to strain him. She slowly backed up, small jerks of her chin giving him a proper amount of resistance to make for a good game of tug o war.

The boy's bright eyes moved to his mother as she parted from them and slipped back into the comfort of solitude. For a moment he nearly let go of the tail and followed her, but then Kazimir obliged him and seized the other end of the fox and his mother's sadness was put from his mind. He was still just a young boy. He couldn't comprehend the depths of his dam's depression or the source of her grief, despite feeling it himself for the father who had not come home yet, and could be no real help to her besides being his goofy self.

His grip on the fox tail was loose and pleading up until the moment Kazimir rose, pulling his front legs into the air with her as she did. He pulled all of his weight back into his hindquarters with a playful growl and pulled back, planting his forepaws once more on the springy grass and attempting to anchor himself there. Each tug she gave was met with a fierce but weaker one of his own and an intensifying of his growls; the pearl of his teeth showed each time, clamped firmly into the auburn fur of their plaything. With a sudden haul, the boy threw all his strength backward and shook his head side to side, tail wagging in time.

Even all his strength was nothing when compared to Kazimir's. The slightest tug from her made him stumble forward. He struggled to find his footing again, then with a growl began to pull back in fits and spurts, but to no avail. He didn't win the fox tail until she deemed him worthy of it and let go. Aurë beckoned him in for a nap not long after and Dragomir happily obliged. When he awoke his jaw would be sore from the strain, but it was worth it to develop more strength in it.

Closing at Chey's request!