Verdigris Ravine skeleton

@Gaara @Ebra @Brac @Aylah pup thread! aw! <3

after caching his lizards and hares, zoug retired to the cave to relieve his mate for a time. perhaps she only wanted to stretch her legs or wished to visit her cousins.

either way, though the taciturn face did not shift, he was pleased to lie down carefully among his young ones, grunting lowly at each small face in turn.

In the darkness, he dreamed visions of a world unlike the void he lived in; a brilliance contrary to the darkness. In the darkness, he reached kneaded the ground with grubby little paws; in the brilliance, he ran, though he was incapable of understanding what tugged through his fur, what things passed around him. He knew and knew not --

Hot air on his face. The brilliance receeded and he plunged to darkness again. A scream, a squirm. He writhed his nubby neck about and shouted at the breath he recognized but did not like in that particular moment.

Tiny paws wormed out towards the Grunting One, and grabbed at the air.

The sudden warmth and gentle rocking caused by bodies bumping together caused a small gurgling coo from Ebra. She felt the breath on her face, smelled the masculine, fatherly scent that had settled around her and her siblings. 

The young coyote pup did all she could to squirm closer, to snuggle more into the warmth of who she would soon know to be her Father. The man who would capture her heart at first sight. A daddy’s girl, through and through. Her mother would sit on a different pedestal, one only a mother could reserve for herself. But, right now, she was content to roll onto her back, smacking her lips, with coos and small yips, anything to cause the male’s attention to turn to her.

Meanwhile, Gaara craved no attention, sought for none. He did not coo nor kick. He only yawned deeply and sniffed the air. He couldn't smell much. Couldnt understand anything he might hear and had yet to open his eyes to the world. He only wanted food and sleep.

gathering aylah between his broad forepaws, zoug exchanged breath with each of the pups in turn. unseeing, unhearing, they were perfect.

he investigated small paws and grunted in approval at any noise they made. zoug was as indulgent as he was fearsome. he blew air across brac's belly, tickled ebra, sniffed at gaara, and readjusted aylah to be closer.

i wonder who you will be, he gestured carefully even though he knew they could not see it.

His paws met nothing, and the hot wind continued, crawling across his belly like the brush of some unwelcomed tail, tickling him where he ought not be touched, if only because it made him squirm and curl in on himself, helpless against the rush of squeals that overtook him - laughter edged with the indignant cry to cut it out.

Dad could breath on him later! The Cavetreader tried everything to remember what he had been dreaming of, but could only grasp the sensation of something aglow against the back of his neck. Everything else grew fuzzy at the edges, indistinguishable from the pulsing dark he lived with in the waking world.

Gee, thanks a lot, dad.

posting to keep this moving <3 can also work to a close

brac's babyish joy moved the quiet soul of the clan man.

despite the fact he knew his son could not yet understand, the signs flowed through the father. 

i will teach you and your siblings all that i know. you are the one who treads the cave. and the way of caves also lives in you, brac.