Blackfeather Woods you were not born of stardust, darling, stardust was born from you

Eventually, Nemesis had begun to produce more milk to keep up with the puppy. Perhaps it is a good thing there's only one of her, at least for now, as it doesn't take long for her to run one dry before she moved on to the next. Her fever had begun to clear up and the wounds on the back of her neck were small scabs left over as the scarring process begun. For all anyone would guess, she'd easily become apart of a family she didn't know she wasn't apart of. 

The white one, as her vision begins to clear up, is the only odd one out. Until these last few days, she had never been around another so much as her mother. It's not entirely unwelcome but she's left sitting there often staring up at him as if she can't quite place him. 

Her development has gone askew since then, her body smaller than it might be if she'd been healthy the whole time and, more times than not, quiet. The few words she did know, however we, were often limited to what she wanted. 

"Wok?" she says suddenly, eyes widening and turning to the sleeping woman. Qilaq's tail wags back and forth and she growls, stepping over one white outstretched limb, to barrel into @Nemesis' side. "Wok!" she barks again, spinning out of the den into the morning sun.

The child had become increasingly mobile within the next few days, as her teats had begun to work more efficiently to produce enough milk to keep up with the Qilaq's rather large appetite. Nemesis was greatly indebt to Potema, for now she had never awoken to the sharp pain of the girl chewing on her teat since accepting the herbs in her meals. Yet, somewhere deep down, Nemesis was relieved that the girl had begun to recover, that the threat of her slipping away from life in the night was non-existent.

Despite the tiny girl becoming a large pain in her ass, the wraith had quickly become attached to the girl as her own daughter, and refused to without earshot of her, for safety reasons; she claimed. Kove had been the same from the minute she had been found, it seemed. And though it was not nessicary, she often sensed a hint of competition over the child; which one who she grow to be attached to more. Yet, as of now, the girl was more certianly attached to Nemesis, in more ways than one. 

She woke to an abrupt start, feeling the impact of a small head against her side. She did not need to look down to know what the cause of her wake was; it cried an inaudible word and sped out the den in what seemed a mere second.

Groaning, Nemesis slowly rose from her rested state, her eyes blinking against the blinding force of the morning sun as she stepped from the shadows of their den. It took her a second for her eyes to adjust to the light before she scanned the area for a sight of the small, black-furred, trouble maker. "Qil.." She calls, her head dipping down so that she may see at the same level the girl does. She doesn't know why she cares so much about the girl, or what caused her to feel that way, but she does, too much. "What do you want?" She blinks down at the girl after moments of searching. Qilaq has a mind of her own, Nemesis comes to the conclusion, and she can do nothing but be the safety net, if she is ever needed.

Qilaq spins around and stumbles to the side a few steps but when she peers up, Nemesis had yet to come through. She barks when she sees movements, attempting to draw her out, and soon she's shadowed by a great force. She bounces forward, weaving through tall limbs to land out in front of her. When she makes a few steps and realizes she's not being followed. The words are lost on her but she cocks her head anyway, filling in the space she'd left a few seconds ago. 

"Go!" she tells her, sweeps back around, and shouting in the process, "wok!" 

This time, Qilaq doesn't look back and begins her walk with an excited little bounce to her step.

Nemesis catches up with the exuberant girl, taking great strides to do so. Her eyes find it hard to keep locked on the girl as she darts back in forth, managing to spin around quite requently in the process. Yet, it is the words that flow from the girl's mouth that suprise her, eligable words of the common toung. "Okay! Calm down, child," She assures the girl, walking faster to prove her point. Did Potema sneak something in those leaves that would cause her milk to become a steroid of hyperactivness among the child? The idea was entirely possible. 

"You are not allowed to go to the Weeping Medow, do you understand? We cannot have you dying or gaining any deformities, now can we?" She looked down to the girl with amusement, yet her tone was of serious nature. Of course her words were heavily exagerated, but as long as the girl could not tell the difference, all was well. Instead of steering her in another direction, Nemesis followed the girl on her journey, close on her heels.

A sense of adventure was good among children. She had seen it in Xan as well. That reminded her, she would need to explain things to her son. She had once promised he would never be replaced an a misinterpreted sight of his mother and a new child could send the wrong message. But, Xan could be a fierce brother to the tiny girl, and she hoped he would understand enough to do so.

Once again, the shadow of her mother covers her and she's smothered by the presence. A soft chuckle occurs but soon she weasels back out in front of her again, rubbing her side catlike against one of the tall limbs around her. She doesn't have anywhere in particular to go, only enjoying the ground beneath her feet as she puts one foot in front of the other. Being able to get out of the den more and more, feeling like she can get a little further each time before her energy is drained, has certainly played a new tune. 

She doesn't get terribly far before the bounce falls flat and her head droops, but it's not an entire loss. A new patch of grass she doesn't recognize, which only means she's gotten a little further this time. A lopsided smile forms on her features and her tongue slides out of her mouth, panting as her burst of energy proves to be short lived. Her strength has increased in the last few days but the balance between her new growth and energy haven't quite evened out. 

The young girl peers up at Nemesis expectantly, as if she hadn't spoken at all, as she lowers herself to the ground and dramatically roll over onto her back.

In no time, it seems, does the burst of energy wear out and the girl collapses on the forest floor, her back to the ground. Nemesis cannot help but to smile at the idiocity of the child, yet somehow, she finds it cute. The girl had darted in every direction, this way and that, running between her own legs and eventually falling in her own exhaustion. Yet, she reflects on the current state of her child and how she had been before, and instantly decided she would rather put up with the girl on an energy streak rather than see her the sickly thing she had been when she arrived. Adoring eyes watched as the girl beamed a toothy smile, her small chest heaving; to catch her breath. "You're silly," She gazed down at the girl, stepping forward so the child's lower half was now beneath her. Nemesis towered over the girl, yet she knew it would only be a matter of time before the girl caught up to her. She could not wait for that day.

Qilaq's energy had ceased, yet Nemesis was just begining to fully wake. While her main focus now was to take care of the girl, she had rounds to do, for she had never once skipped out on doing her rightful duty. The borders, however prominent they were, were always open to trespassing. Now that they now had a child among them, she would make sure that the security thickened; not wanting to be as much of a failure as the girl's biological parents were. "One day I will take you with me to the borders and you will see the great, dark forest that you will call your home," She would not fail in this, she could not. She was no mother, but she would learn to be one. Especially after Peitro, she could not afford to fail again. Her tone had turned serious, for the girl would be pushed from the start to achieve great things; for the Brotherhood. In a swift yet teasing action, she not to hard, nips at junction between Qilaq's chest and forleg, a fatty tissue that was most amusing to terrorize. A smile met her lips, for while the girl was small, she was fearless; and Nemesis fully expected to be nipped at right back, if not terrorized in some way or another.

"Come, I will not carry you," She steps back from the girl, turning in the direction in which they came. She signalled for the girl to follow her, for she was only permitted to venture so far, for now at least. As soon as the girl fell asleep, she would duck out, but not for long. She never strayed to far from her daughter.

Nemesis hovers above her, looking down, and Qilaq peers upward at the dark figure. It’s strange, she thinks, how much more involved her mother is all of a sudden. Perhaps because she had been missing a few days, but when she thinks back on them, she finds it difficult to drudge up from the back of her mind. Most times, she tries to avoid it, but the inability haunts her. She thought there had been another one, small like her, but had been replaced by the large white one. He’d been kind enough to her that she didn’t try to pursue the memory for too long.

A nose against her skin distracts her for a moment and she squeals with the delight feeling the graze of teeth against her skin. Her limbs swarm around the muzzle and she buries her face into the top until she’s backed up and talking again, but the words wash over her. Qilaq remains on her back with limbs flailing about, beckoning the nose to return.

It seems her words were completely not understood, though she had not expected much. The girl was old enough to start forming words, but perhaps she was still too young to understand them. Nemesis was not sure. Perhaps Potema would know, though she didn't see how she would. It did not seem like the one eyed girl had been taught Child Care when she went away to learn. In any case, she would ask. 

It seemed her casual nip had been enjoyed much more than expected, as the girl latched her claws around her snout, holding her there for longer than expected. When Nemesis turned back to see if the girl had picked herself up yet, she had not. Instead, she was in the same position as she had been left, limbs flailing here and there. Sighing, Nemesis traveled back to Qilaq's form, drawing her nose and minimally exposed front of her teeth along the girl's upper body. She did not know why this was enjoyed so much, but if it would get her to cooperate, she would do so again. 

This was an odd child, indeed.

Having laid there long enough to get her way, Qilaq giggled as the dark woman's nose comes down upon her again. Her cool, leathery snout touches her warm skin and teeth gently graze down her body. Her limbs cling to her the muzzle and she buries her face into the soft fur. If she could wish for anything, it would be for this never to end, as her giggles turned into bellowing laughter that gives her cause to struggle for a breath. She slowly comes down, occasionally cracking up, as her limbs become splayed against the ground in an overdramatic display for attention.

Qilaq's giggles only urge her more, the sound was enlightening, it's effect rubbing off on her as she continued the action. What about it was so amusing, she did not know, but children worked in strange ways. Qil was attention seeking, she knew, perhaps accounting for her childhood spent in the dark. Nevertheless, Nemesis complied. Before long, the actions ceased and the laughter slowed to a stop. The woman herself had become elated, and hopeful that this time the girl would comply.

"Are you ready to go back now?" She gave her a look, one that moderately begged yet would not force it upon the girl. The girl did not have the energy they had, so she wished to return her to the den before she passed out in the open feild.

Qilaq lay there for a long moment, head turned slightly to the side to peer up at Nemesis long after she’d asked the question. The dark girl stares upward with a lazy smile on her face and her tongue draped from the side of her mouth, not caring that she’s actually touching the ground with it. She can rest there all day, if she were allowed, but there’s a glimmer of impatience that shines through on her mother’s face.

She shifts a little and rolls over until she’s flat on her side, dried out tongue sucked back into her mouth, and she’s slowly able to prop herself up. Even through her fatigue, she feels better, having come off days of a fever and feeling a little normal. Her feet dragging often enough had become normal and she doesn’t let her slow down. She enjoys the walks and the noses and the playing and even when the feeling of slumber weighs her eyes down, she enjoys that too.

Carefully, she drags herself to stand and hops a few bounds forward to return her home where she’ll collapse and fall asleep.