Dragoncrest Cliffs A million stars

She could not guess at the origin of the name, nor its meaning to the commander. But Wildfire quietly echoed, "Antler." She peered down at their ill-fated son, her throat tightening at the sight of his blood, which she had spilled. She slowly turned away, refocusing on her living children even as she reminded herself that she had done the most loving thing she could possibly do by putting down Antler. They would not forget him, yet they could not linger over his death.

Thuringwethil made no immediate move to bury their poor firstborn, so Wildfire said quietly into the dark, "What should we call the others?" There was joy in her voice, despite their loss. She spoke to her mate, yet remained transfixed by the bundles of joy squirming at her belly. "This one looks like Dio. What if—" Wildfire looked up now, catching the Heda's eye. "—we called him Artaax Dio?" She thought the names paired well and the resemblance to their gracious donor made sense to her. "What do you think, nomi?"

"And what about Phoenix for him," the Bandrona added in the next moment, bending to lick tenderly at the ruddy boy's wrinkled face, "and Vixen for this little mama's girl?" Her lips curved into an affectionate smile as she nosed their only daughter. Those were the names she'd picked and it seemed somehow fitting to assign them to the pups that most took after herself. Her amber eyes burned warmly in the darkness as she regarded them for a long moment, her attention then slipping to their youngest.

"He looks like my parents," Wildfire murmured, unaware that he was also the spitting image of her mother's sister (an aunt she'd never met), Robin. "He gave me a scare at first. But he's doing good now," the new mother observed even as his mouth opened into a tiny "o" and he let out quite the screech. Although the sound could be considered irritating, it was music to Wildfire's ears and she leaned down to soothe him with several methodical strokes of her tongue before gently urging him toward a teat.

Once he quieted and began to nurse, Wildfire looked to the commander once more, eyes soft and heart beating with such joy. They had lost one little one, yet the other four seemed perfect, healthy and strong. Between the two of them, they would never let anything happen to the others. And together they would raise them from these tiny little bean bags into fierce and loyal members of Drageda, one day even earning the right to bear the Drakru name.