Sunbeam Lair It’s not so hard now, you’ve got it all

The invitation to enter the space had been accepted, and she’d soon been able to watch as he’d maneuvered the frontal portion of his body into the den. A smile—though appearing tired—was never far from her lips, looking between her children and her mate. They were her family, and they were all together now. Everyone had survived the birth, and her worries had been laid to rest. Tranquility reigned over her mind, everything that she’d been stressing over prior to the birth of her children forgotten. Ukko’s kiss was accepted, and had she not been exhausted and nursing the hatchlings, surely she would have reached out to him immediately after. Before she’d found the words to encourage him to move closer so that she might be able to do just that, he’d pulled away. At first, she’d wanted to call him back in, but ended up not saying a single word. It was best that the space not be crowded for now, and she’d have plenty of time to spend with him later on. There was no rush, and so she’d not spoken against his desire to stand guard. In fact, she’d appreciated it, for she knew not how others might be kept away if he were to leave them.

It wasn’t long before she’d noticed a change, her partner’s form no longer against the earth. He’d risen up outside of the den, which had her curious. Was there a threat? Surely not; Asterr didn’t want to believe that someone would dare to enter the lair so deeply unless if they were a friend. Her own body tensed as best it could, though it wasn’t long before she’d relaxed again, a familiar voice having been picked up on. It was seemingly distant, but still recognizable. “Ukko…” the girl had murmured, then repeated. The second time his name had passed her lips, it’d been louder, but not terribly so. “It is alright. He will not bring us any harm,” she’d continued. There was no need for any further actions to be taken, she believed. Damien was a friend, to whom she’d sent her brother for the purpose of retrieval. In the Draconid’s mind, he was welcome there, though she’d not the ability to properly convey such beliefs to her partner. In truth, she’d not even thought to do so, for her mind lingered elsewhere, drifting continuously between being conscious and unconscious.