Noctisardor Bypass The mother reads aloud, child tries to understand it.

Ah, the incessant question phase. Laurel'd been here a few times before.

With her first litter, it was all wonderful and new. Besides, she'd loved Lucas and Piper, so it was not as much a chore to answer all of their questions in some way.

With her second litter, things had been different. She'd managed to prevent them from asking too many questions early on by simply shutting herself off from them or rewarding their whining with a snap to the nose. The reasons weren't that she was done with it, though. The reason was that she was done with them. Especially after Indra died, she had never seen them the same way, because Indra had hated them. Because of me. Because of him. Because of what I'd done. Because of what he'd done.

Now it was all different yet again.

Laurel was not in the best place in her life, both physically and mentally. She didn't have many friends. Sequoia was her only real friend, and then there was Mahler, with whom things were, well, difficult. Then there were other wolves, such as Wylla, who Laurel basically never saw. She'd never been offered anything during her pregnancy and having pups. Not even a hello. It stung, even though Laurel herself had never taken initiative either. But how could she have? She was pregnant and all.

Either way, Laurel spent what patience she had in this depressing situation called life on Indra, most of all. It made her happy to be around Indra, at least for a little bit.

Despite Indra being in the incessant question phase right now.

So she played the role of patient mother, wanting to prepare Indra as best she could for the world, and she answered each and every question in some form.

Why are birds what? Flying? They probably wonder why you aren't flying. With a good-natured chuckle.
Rabbits are food because they are so very tasty.
Just like we can't survive in the water, fish can only survive in the water, sweetheart.

And the latest question had Laurel pause for a moment.

Cold? Do you mean because it's winter now? Not that Indra'd know what winter was, but the question set Laurel aback as she thought of how cold the entirety of Rivenwood felt to her at times.