Duskfire Glacier pretty thing and such a bad liar

neonate stage. (@Rye) :3

Blind, nearly deaf, and lacking in the whole sniffing department, it was hard for Sikuliak to choose a favorite when it came to his parents. Both were warm, soft, and offered affection regularly but Imaq might have had a slight edge over Rye, given that she was his sole source of nourishment at the moment. (But only the slightest of edges because Sikuliak was already proving to be glued to his father's hip, even as a newborn.) But if the tiny blue merle absolutely had to choose a favorite thing so far, it was the moments after he'd eaten and was ready for a nap, when both his parents snuggled him between their soothing warmth. 

The neonate's mother had slipped away, brushing kisses over both her boys' heads before trotting off to relieve nature's call and stretch her legs. It wouldn't be long before his golden dam returned, given that she was still healing and didn't like being apart from the heather pup for long -- even if she knew his father would never let anything happen to their son. Regardless, it seemed like ages to Siku, who woke only moments after his mother had left the Caverns and was out of hearing range.

He began to squirm and grunt, kicking and wiggling as he searched through the waking darkness that was becoming more familiar -- the dream state of being unborn already forgotten in his first week of life. His grunts turned to whimpers and then hungry cries when he failed to locate Imaq. When the squirming boy bumped into the form of his father, his search became more frenzied, the pup gnawing and suckling on the Hotah's nose with inky gums and tongue when he came across it.