Dragoncrest Cliffs Bonfire heart

@Xan or @Kendra? Anyone's welcome, though. :)

Ever since her second heat (her second chance, Wildfire considered it), the pack's Bandrona had been in a fine mood. But she had also become a little withdrawn from the rest of the pack, save for her wife, the Wocha and his wife. It was like her focus became laser sharp for one thing and one thing only: her children. After the weather improved and the pack dispersed from the caves, the red she-wolf spent most of her time hunting and exploring on her own.

Over the past few days, she had definitely begun feeling a compulsion to find a proper whelping den. That's what she was doing now: roaming the redwoods, sticking her smudged snout in every nook and cranny in search of the perfect space. She couldn't stop thinking of the felled tree near the sound. Wildfire wanted something like that. Thuringwethil might prefer she give birth elsewhere and she would definitely consult with the commander before choosing, yet in the end, Wildfire's maternal instincts would likely rule.

She struck gold around mid-morning, when she discovered a dead sequoia with a hollowed trunk full of brush. There was a small crack in its base which she had to widen with her teeth and claws. It took almost an hour to clear out the debris and the interior smelled of damp earth and wet, rotted leaves. The Bandrona slipped inside, her small paws patting down the rich, earthy soil. Despite the dampness, she flopped down with her head angled toward the misshapen doorway, which afforded her a view of the woods sprawling to the east. It was well shaded here, yet this den would get the morning sun.

Wildfire stretched out her legs and let her chin sink to perch atop them, a smile on her lips.