Moonspear our love belongs to the earth, our hearts to the stars

There was a moment of silence as he waited to be accepted by the mother to view their children. Then, eventually, he heard her chuff. It sounded tired, but he did not comment on it as he approached. She looked tired, too, but it was not surprising that she should. Yet somehow it was a strange moment of realisation that she was getting old. Older than she looked, normally; when the cracks in her youth would be hidden by her strength. A strength she did not have at present, so soon after bearing the pups.

He ignored it, but it was a moment etched in his memory for a long time to come. Never had he felt unmatched with Amekaze; he had been young when they had become mates, but he had always made true on being her equal. Now, for the first time, he realised that she too had been making true on being his equal, in some other way. And he wondered if she would be able to make that true for a very long time yet..

But for now his attention shifted to the little squirming bodies beside her. Ears perked forward and he smiled at her, hiding his worries and doubt behind a facade as he stretched out his neck. He merely sniffed the small bodies he could reach, finding two of them to be on the small side but he did not comment. Then he withdrew again and watched the pups from a distance. It was not yet his time to interact much with them; that would come later, when they were a little less fragile. Until then he would stand guardian by the den's entrance.

"I will get some food," he said, a thing that felt like a ritual of sorts. He would stand guard, the pups would come, then he would get food when Amekaze had the strength to ward off intruders herself. He had some doubt in his mind if this was the case this time 'round, but he knew his children were never far either and so he had trust that she would be safe. He pulled back out the den and lifted his nose to call to the pack -- @Hydra @Lyra @Alya @Vela @Jarilo with an invite to come to the whelping den, @Drogon @Corinna @Lucy simply to inform them of the pups' arrival and to be extra on guard -- letting them know the pups were born. He then headed out to try and catch something fresh or, if it would take too long and he would get itching paws to return and see that Ame was alright, dig up something from a cache.