Sunbeam Lair surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life

It’d been not behind a leaf nor even within the den that the mother had situated herself, having set out earlier in the day to patrol for the first time in ages. It was a simple task, truthfully, for a single entrance presented outsiders with very few chances at entering the cavern. It was a safe place, she believed, and especially now since Jolon had started his journey. The date of his return was something that she was not aware of, and so she worried little about it for the time being. Her daughters and tribe held the majority of her focus, which meant she’d needed to pick back up her daily routines for the purpose of protecting them.

Once the task had been completed, the trek back to her den had begun. She’d arrived just in time to hear the voice of her youngest, which was a sound that always brought a smile to her face. Little more time had been wasted before she’d closed the distance between them and greeted the girl with a soft touch to her shoulder. “What is it, Shiori?” the Chieftess asked, always interested to hear about what the girls were up to. And, whatever it was, she knew that she’d not be displeased; the child had proven to be the most polite of the trio thus far, so her actions and curiosities were rarely ever questioned.