Blackfeather Woods asinnepuk

Preferrably a quick responder (only one) and someone who would be allowed near the pups at such a young age.

The young bear had found habit in the comings and goings of his daily routine. It was a great deal of time that was spent sleeping with his small frame tucked closely to his mother’s figure. When he was not enjoying the greatness of a nap, Sos had taken to roaming a few inches and then returning to suckle on the milk that was so freely given. He had set himself on a fast pace to walking, though he was still far too young to accomplish such a feat. When the time did come for him to take his first steps, the mighty young bear would have done so with surprising steady limbs from his miniature excursions. There was already a fierce determination that had settled in his body; he was prepared to take on anything that the future would offer him, and he would do so with all of his strength.
 
Scooting himself forward, away from his mother’s frame, Sos tested the air with a slight shiver. He was still too young to be too far from Shivali. She was his main source of warmth and health, and he knew this much because it had been ingrained into his instincts like a brand on his soul. Still, the young pup scooted a little further and felt his body tremble with the lack of heat that he usually felt. He had managed to inch himself half a foot away from her frame with a squeak of delight. Once he had found that the world was too cold for him, he turned himself around and began to scoot back.
 
Still blind with eyes of new birth, Sos did not know where he was traveling and managed to jam his little black nose into the rear end of his sister. He peeped in surprise and pulled his head back and away from her dramatically, causing his round frame to roll to the side and then onto his back. Having stuck himself in a position where he was at a great disadvantage, Sos opened his tiny jowls and began to squeak in discomfort. All four of his little limbs were circling in the air, hoping that he might grasp something that would straighten him out and set him on the right course again. He already could feel more of his mother’s heat and he wanted to be closer. The young bear’s stomach rumbled with hunger, and he released a louder cry for help.

Taki had not really ventured far since the pups were born in case her sister needed anything. She figured Shivali would need a break from the babies at some point and hoped that she would let her watch over them while she did so.

She had been lounging right outside the opening to the den when she heard the frantic squeaks coming from inside. The pups made cute little squeaking noises all the time, but this sounded different...distressed even. She quickly jumped to her feet and trotted in the den. Once inside, she found her sister sleeping soundly, understandably exhausted.

Taki soon found her way to the source of the noise; a mostly white pup had somehow gotten himself stuck upside down. Poor guy. She quickly walked over to him and very gently used her nose to right the crying pup. "There you go, buddy," she said quietly, her heart hurting from the love she already felt for this tiny baby. She decided she would stay for a minute to watch and make sure he was okay, giving him a few comforting licks to reassure him he was safe.

It did not take long before someone heard the wild cries of the potato bug puppy. A lending hand had entered the scene and had righted his upside-down mistake. The young bear felt a breath leave his lungs as his limbs touched earth instead of sky, and he drank in the smell of the dirt at his paws. More than this, the scent of the familial helping hand was strong. This scent was similar to his mother’s, but still different. Sos was surprised that it had not been Shivali who had come to aid him in his desperate time of need. He had wanted only to garner attention with his shrill noises, though, and he was not displeased that someone – else – had managed to find him and right his mistake.
 
Though he was blind, and the young pup lacked the ability to look into the face of his rescuer, Sos still turned his bobbing head toward the female and he released a quiet little yap from the back of his throat. It squeaked out softly, hardly making a sound at all. Were he capable of it, the young bear would have demonstrated his gratitude by bowing deeply to the woman; she had, after all, saved his fragile life. Too long away from the comfort of his mother’s warmth would have spelled a chilling demise that he was not yet ready to face.

Taki knew the pup couldn't see her, but he still turned to her and offered a tiny little sound as if to thank her. Shit, that was cute, she thought as he moved his wobbling form towards her. She placed her nose on her nephew, drawing in his scent, learning it for the future. She watched him for a few seconds longer, although she was pretty sure she could watch him do his baby things all day. And because she couldn't help herself, she softly licked his face and back a few times, before gently nosing him in the direction of his mother. 

"This way, baby," she said, knowing he wouldn't understand the words, but offering them anyway. She knew he couldn't be away from Shivali very long, and like the overprotective aunt she was, she was already growing worried that he would soon grow too cold or hungry.

Just a cameo. Skip me from here on out! <3

When she finds sleep, it becomes difficult to stay away. Her times away from the puppies limit only to relieve herself but she’s back and curled around them protectively. The scents of her siblings are ingrain into her mind that she does not stir when Takiyok takes up brief residence to aid her youngest son. It is his yap that she flinches and sits upright. She blinks a few times and turns to see the situation, looking between Sos and her sister. The mother nudges the boy a little to make sure he’s fine before she withdraws and stares at him a moment longer.
 
She glances up to her younger sister with a content, brief smile. Leaning in, she nudges Sos toward her sister should she want to offer her warmth to her nephew but does not force it. When he’s settled, she checks on the other two children before laying back down and closing her eyes, drifting back off into exhausted sleep.

The words that fell against his small frame were only vibrations to him. Nothing could be heard, and nothing could be seen by the youthful bear. All that was known was the lack of warmth that had vanished when he had stretched himself too far from his mother’s reach. There seemed to be a breathlessness to his actions. Blindly, the young bear reached out his neck and sought the warmth of the stranger; if she had saved him from the frightening experience of a youthful death, then it was likely that she had good intentions throughout. The polar wolf could not help himself as well as he would have liked to. Sos found that the earth beneath him was growing colder, but he remained steadfast and stoic in this realization. For all that it was, he had done it to himself.
 
Another squeak chimed through the den. Sos parted his lips and his wobbly head bobbed about for a moment or two before it grew too heavy for him and he rested it against the ground. The gentle coaxing was enough for him to peddle his limbs some, waddling his way closer and closer until he could drink in the scent of his mother and he felt a breath of relief wash away the fear that had been there before.
 
As though she knew, Shivali craned her skull to grace his small frame with a nudge. The touch of her nose against his thin coat sent a shiver down his frame and he peeped in delighted surprise. The heat was returning to his frame and showering him in a sense of comfort once more. The helpful stranger had not been forgotten, though. Sos turned his head in the direction he imagined he had come from and he searched in the darkness for signs of the other. He knew nothing of guardians or even of angels, but he would have imagined that the helpful guiding had been from something of a caring spirit.

Shivali finally stirred and awoke. Her sister offered comfort to her son, which elicited another adorable sound from his tiny mouth. Surprising Taki, Shiv nudged the pup towards her implying that she could snuggle with him.

Gladly accepting the gift, she move towards the pup and wrapped herself around him, nudging him closer so he could benefit from her warmth. She licked Sos a few times before settling her head between her paws and letting out a contented sigh.

It was not long before the fragile little bear found the comfort of his family. There was warmth again, washing over him in sweet lapping kisses from the white-furred female. All that he knew was his sense of security; there was nothing that could shred that from his body or his spirit. The wolves that had surrounded him had done well to create a life in which the children would grow up strong. They were cared for on a spiritual level that most would never see or know, which was a shame. There was a companionship within them all that had been enough to start the thoughts of striking out on their own; for how could the young be raised under such a wicked ruler and among the darkest wolves of the wood? Sos was destined to be a fierce man. He had the blood of Kove within him, but he also had the foundation of Shivali and her family.
 
After all, where was his father anyway?
 
Sos was not aware of just how detrimental the lack of his father figure was. He did not know what it meant to miss the presence of the man who had aided in his creation. He knew only the warmth of his family there – those who were present – and it was likely that would be all that he would know. It would be this that would define his spirit later on. This would shape him into a fierce and protective brute of a man, who would allow for nothing to harm the wolves that shared his blood. Detrimental as it might have been, Sos was already destined for wonders. As he curled himself tightly against the warmth of the woman who had rescued him, he pressed his nose against her pale coat and sighed softly.

Lying protectively curled around her nephew, Taki was hit with the yearning to have pups of her own. Motherhood was definitely something she wanted someday. More importantly, now that they were out from under the rule of their father, it was something that she was allowed  to want. 

Of course, she knew it would be hard to find a male Sia would approve of. The thought made her roll her eyes. She knew he meant well, but as they had all seen with Shivali, sometimes he let his over-protectiveness rule his actions. It wasn't like with their father whose actions came from dominance and cruelty. Looking back at her time at home, she couldn't remember a single moment where their father expressed love of any kind, which made her more angry than sad and was something she didn't wish to dwell on. But it was clear that Sia's actions came from love, as misguided as they were at times. 

She was pulled from her reverie by the soft sigh released by Sos. She smiled at the sound, glad that he seemed to take comfort from her presence. Unlike Taki and her siblings, these babies would grow up knowing nothing but love from their family, and she couldn't be more grateful for that.

Life was beautiful and shimmering, and it would retain this rose-tinted sense of comfort for several months more. It would be a long time before the young bear found that he would need to face the trials of young adulthood. Even in his youth, though, Sos was a stoic boy. He squeaked and squealed just as his siblings did, but he would quiet down before they did, and he would spend a great deal of his time tucked against the warmth of his family in a quiet state of watchfulness. While the world was black and silent to him, he echoed it in his actions. When he was blessed with the gift of sight and color, perhaps he would transition to a more playful stage. In his new birth, Sos was peculiar.
 
Sleep started to overcome him. He had found a suitable place to retain all the heat that he needed to keep his limbs from shivering against the touch of a breeze or the cool wisp of the evening air. No tempest could grace him when he was so carefully nestled against the warmth and comfort of Takiyok. It seemed as though the world had softened just for them. It had created a place for them to flourish and grow into the potential that flooded through their veins. Sos was prepared for whatever would come to him and he was eager to know what was beyond.
 
Pressing himself tightly to the warm ivory tufts of fur, the bear’s eyes grew heavy and he drifted into a deep sleep that was not disturbed until the rumbling of his stomach sought to return him to his mother’s side to feed.

Taki had felt so relaxed snuggled around the pup that she fell asleep for a little bit. When she woke, she looked to Sos and saw that he had also woken. She wasn't sure how long he had been awake, but she figured he had to be hungry by now.

She slowly got to her feet, careful not jostle Sos. Taki then very gently placed her jowls around his middle and picked him up from the ground. When she reached Shivali, she just as gently placed him back on the ground and nosed to him one of her teats. She sat back on her haunches, deciding to linger for a minute to make sure he started eating.

Hunger clawed at the infant’s guts, insisting that it was time for him to feed. It was still tasking for the young boy to find himself faced with the prospect of napping with the warmth of his family beside him, or to be moved closer to Shivali so that he might quell the intense starvation that had washed over his round body. Had it been up to him, Sos would have remained tucked against Takiyok’s thick coat. He would have ignored the quiet rumblings of a hungry belly in favor of the sweetest of sleeps. Instead, he was rustled slightly, and he moved his head around in a bobbing motion to figure out what might have happened to his delicate slumber partner. The warmth of her frame had vanished and left him against the earth with nothing to draw comfort from. It was not until her jaws wrapped around him and lifted him from the ground that he released a squeal of delight and fear.
 
The high-pitched noise faded away as he was moved closer to Shivali. Once there, he could smell the aroma of her milk. Sos could feel his stomach demanding that he feed, and so the young bear moved himself closer to her with a few scrambling swipes of his paws and latched tightly onto a nipple with feverish gasps for air and food. The small ivory pup made a small amount of noise as he ate, taking in all that his stomach would allow him to. Once he had filled himself, Sos remained where he was with a seemingly dazed expression, wondering what would be next on his eventful day.

Taki watched as Sos ate his fill. She could probably watch her nephews and niece all day, but she had things to do. She felt responsible for their safety and needed to make a run around the perimeter to ensure nothing seemed out of place. 

With one last nuzzle to Sos and then to Aningan and Tunerk, she turned and exited the den. She'd come back later, of course. She could never stay away for very long.

The young bear continued to fill himself on his mother’s milk. Sos drank until his belly was distended and he was no longer aching from the lack of food within him. It had taken him a great deal of time to get to that point of security. In this, Takiyok had left to patrol the perimeter of the pack. The boy had only felt her gentle nudged against his back end, but he had not expected her to vanish from the family’s resting place. It troubled him greatly that he could no longer spin and scent the female. She had aided him well, and he had found peace in the tufts of her thick white coat as they had slept. Though he lingered on the thought of her for a while longer, within ten minutes he had forgotten all about the woman who had assisted him in his struggles.
 
Sos found a comfortable place beside his mother and nuzzled himself as deeply as he could against her coat. The young bear kneaded her with his paws before he felt his eyes grow heavy once more. All of his efforts had granted him the support of a new family member. Though he was far too young to wrap his mind around that concept, it would be something that was explored further in the future. Sos allowed sleep to take hold of him and he slipped away into a world of puppy dreams.