Summer was coming to and end, and though Maera did not know yet of any of the other seasons she had learned to recognize a good day when she saw one. Today was a perfect example. Outside the Sveijarn residence the breeze tickled the long blades of grass as at the same time the hot rays of the sun warmed the soil and kissed the crimsom hairs on the young baby's back.
It was a day that demanded to be spent outside, even the lazy Maera had crawled outside the house to enjoy the warm hug of the summer sun. After some napping under the heat she walked around the garden, being extra careful not to stay away or to step on unidentified mounds of dirt. After a little exploring she found a perfect patch of bright green grass that would do well as a bed.
She stepped on top, feeling the softness of the blades under her toes and flopped on the ground, with her belly pointing upwards to recieve some of the heat the sun had to offer. "Hot hot hot" she singed to herself as the sun reach her pale belly.
![[Image: girl_gang.png]](https://image.ibb.co/b82KNa/girl_gang.png)
Though times were tense around Swiftcurrent, the weather made the day bright. The late summer afternoon we cool and refreshing but still warm and comfortable. Tuwawi had taken a brief stroll out to Wapun meadow before circling back around towards the heart of the territory and the Sveijarn den. Nostalgia began to seep into her heart. Soon, she would not traverse these familiar trails and enjoy the creek-side view of maples and tall grass. No longer would their home be beneath the young beech trees in the den she had carved by hand. Though her ambition overshadowed these sad sentiments, they still existed and weighed down a spirit a little more with every day she remained.
The children, though, we mostly unaware of the grand move they were about to undergo. They new nothing of the vast mountain and its quaking aspens. Soon, they would be in a different world... and Tuwawi hoped they would embrace it with voracity. Maera and Jokull would probably be okay, she thought to herself, but Valtyr and Larus... the body might not take to it right away. Summerblood was strong in their veins, unlike their more Northern-born sisters, and a favoritism for the low valley would probably endure.
However, these thoughts drifted into nothing when Maera's red hot figure stood out amongst the lush grass. She sang a tune while sunbathing, and Tuwawi couldn't help but smile in amusement. Already, the kids knew the good life. "What're you doin' baby girl?" Tuwawi hummed in a melody as she neared the tiny primadonna.
Looking at the world upside down was fun. Little did she know that was how it regularly looked for some of the members of the creek. After the war threat from the Sunspire and the loss of an Alpha the tension between the creek pack had begun to spiral out of control, even after Bazi had stepped into leadership the faith of many of the wolves in the pack was beginning to wash away like stones in the creek.
Maera didn't know the extent of the problem, all she knew was that the clouds were funny things that made her giggle. As she continued to sing her happy song a familiar voice called out to her. She rolled to her side inmediately to see mommy, the sight of the bigger version of herself drew a wide smile of her plump little face. "Mommaaa!", she squealed delighted while drumming the ground with her little tail.
The rays of the sun poured light into the baby's back, igniting the red hairs on her body to make it seem she had caught on fire. The girl smiled again and raised one of her stubby paws only to pound it in front of her, an inviting gesture for her mother to join her under the warm embrace of the sun.
Maera's exult brought an endearing smile to her mother's visage, whose attention was completely rapt by the little Sveijarn's sheer amount of cute. Spending time with her daughter offered a good reprieve from the tumultuous world around them. Beautiful and innocent; Maera was a big gift in the tiniest package.
Her small red paw tapped the earth, welcoming company to lavish in the sunshine. Tuwawi's tawny legs folded beneath her as she relaxed into a state of repose, rolling onto her back to mimic Maera's first position. She shimmied closer to her daughter and let the hot sun lick at the pale hair of her stomach. Truly, her little girl already knew the good life - what a smart cookie.
She hummed along with Maera's tune and asked, "what're you singing, little dove?"
A happy giggle erupted from the child's mouth as mother accepted her invitation. She plopped back on the ground, her round belly bouncing as her body collided against the soft bed of grass he had found for herself. Then imitating Mommy (who was imitating her), she rolled to her back and wriggled her paws in the air, yelling and laughing as she did so.
Life was good for the Sveijarn middle child. Even if she had seen a glimpse of the nasty side of nature (insects peculiarly), the girl still appreciated the beauty of the outside world. It was truely a shame they would leave the safe heaven of the Creek soon, if Maera would've known so, perhaps she would have made a greater effort to get off her lazy-butt and explore more. Sadly she hadn't known, and even if someone had mentioned it to her, she would've likely forgotten or thought nothing of it. She tended to that, especially when the adult's voice was slow and boring --oops.
Gladly Mommy's was not like that. To Maera it was one of the most beautiful sounds, so when she hummed along to her little made-up tune the mini-Tuwawi couldn't help but fall silent in awe. "Jus' a song, 'bout the sun!" she explained, while filling up her lungs to repeat the song from the top.
A dude named Gali had taught her that word one day, "hot hot hoot!", she sang, thrashing her paws in the air in an erratic manner, "Sun is hot n' pretty like momma!" she squealed before bursting into laughter. It would've been a thousand times funnier if she had known how the maning of hot changed when it was applied to an individual.
It was what the girl reasoned since, when the light rested upon her fur it shined like the sun did, so it only made sense that she was also hot.
Not as if Njal would argue against that anyways..
"I like your song," Maera's mother exclaimed jubilantly as the pair hummed together. Maera's little laughs and giggles were infectious and couldn't stop the ember from softly regarding her mini-me. "And I like you!" Tuwawi quickly turned over and tickled Maera's rounded pink belly with her snout, "So much... that I could gobble you up in one bite," she teased with a grin, and issued big kisses upon her littlest's crown. If the little vermilion pup wasn't quick Tuwawi was liable to just smother her with big sloppy wet ones.
Getting Mommy's approval on her singing and song-writting skills was like recieving a golden medal. She celebrated with another repeat of the song's chorus before Mommy's nose buried against her belly, sending rippling tickles across her tummy. Inmediately the babe tried to wriggle herself free, though the gentle touch of her mother's muzzle against her skin was short lived, it left the sensation of a million butterflies brushing against her stomach linings.
All the laughing and wriggling had tired her out so when Mommy threatened to eat her, Maera couldn't do anything but bat her paws lazily at her mother's muzzle. Although Maera was a touchy-feely indivudual, she usually did not express her love in physical ways. She was a gentle hear that relied more on sporadic shows of affection.
Still, she had no troubles in craning her neck to reach her mother's snout, and planting an unexpected kiss on her muzzle, specifically on top of the jagged scar that marked one side of her face. Maera did not know what a scar was. She did not know it was an eternal tattoo of the battles fought; and that it wasn't always well seen. To her, it was what made Mommy's face even more beautiful. The excotic and jagged edges of the scar were beautiful to the babe.
And no matter what anyone said, it would always be that way. "I'll eat you" she growled playfully while smearing another kiss on the scar.
Maera's perspective, even though Tuwawi could not know it, was interesting. The idea that he children knew little to nothing of her past and marks, such as the blistered flesh across her maw, was curious. To them, it was not abnormal or hideous but just the way their mother was - as if Tuwawi had been born with it. There were no prejudices or stigmas. There was no Tartok. No Kindred. A child's innocence was incomparable, and the beaming glow in Maera's eyes was was the light of pure love: an unbreakable bond between a mother and her daughter.
Maera snickered uncontrollably as Tuwawi tickled her belly, fighting back with little slaps of her fire-red toes followed by a peck on her scar. Though Maera was a bit more reserved in her shows of affection, Tuwawi had no problem laying on the love. 'I'll eat you,' Maera retorted. What a fireball she was! Larus or Valtyr would have shouted 'oh no!' and issued a game of chase. But not the bold daughter. Not Maera. Tuwawi couldn't help but guffaw at her antics as a little pink tongue flicked Tuwawi's chin. "You will?!" the ember exclaimed as her little doppelganger's voice motored in jest. Tuwawi rolled onto her back dramatically, "no! Please! Spare me!" she pleaded, pulling Maera in towards her chest for a big hug.