Broken Antler Fen Good wives always know.

Puppies are in their transitional stage (2weeks+ old); might have eyes open, more mobility, more vocal.

This morning, before even the hesitant light of dawn touched the sky, one of the children crowed a whine-pitched howl that woke Ibis from an uneasy sleep.

She hurried to quiet the culprit before they could wake the other children, still muggy with sleep herself, and smacked @Diantha with a reaching paw by accident. It wasn't a straight punch but wasn't soft either, and as Ibis bumbled between subduing the noise of one child she tried to apologize and check on the other.

Diantha had not been eating as much as the other children. Eljay had tried to advise her on this, though Ibis was so smitten with her babies at the time the advice was disregarded. Now, as penance for the smack, Ibis tried to pull Diantha towards her belly and get her to latch and feed.

Whatever she tried was not successful. Diantha pushed back with tiny paws, gripped the thinned fuzz on her mother's belly by mistake, or outright ignored the teat when it was in front of her face.

Not knowing what else to do, Ibis let out a sleepy, frustrated, almost mournful huff and let the girl rest.