Dawnlark Plains possum pendulum

@Dauntless (maybe @Lavender as well if JB can catch us)

Grayday had left Catori and the cubs behind to seek out his middle two. Easy was still absent, and Grayday was sure Dauntless and Lavender were beginning to worry for her as well.

He found his son's scent first and began to traces it to its source, picking his way rather slowly across the slushy plains. He couldn't see it, but green sprigs were poking up through the white snow all around him - the fields would soon be in full bloom around them.

dauntless' teeth sliced into the soft belly of the fox he'd caught stripping the succulent meat from bone as he works to sate the slight rumble of hunger within his stomach. his chewing slows as his ears cup forth at the sound of approaching footfalls in the messy slush of the plains that they now call home. as his father's familiar form comes into view he swallows what he's chewed and draws his tongue across his jowls to clean up the bits of carrion and blood that clings to his muzzle. "hey pops." dauntless tests out the nickname without really thinking about it and watches greyday's reaction towards it before bows his head and noses the fox forward a few inches. "i just caught a fox if you want a little snack. it's fresh." dauntless offers figuring it was both the respectful thing to do and that it might work as a peace offering in case his father didn't take too kindly to being called 'pops'.

Grayday's ears flickered at the word that came out of Dauntless's mouth, but he didn't otherwise react. All the kids seemed to want to call him different things, but as long as it wasn't 'Late for Supper' the male didn't really mind. 'Pops' was a new one, though.

Instead, he pulled a face at the mention of fox and shook his head. "No thanks. Doesn't sit well with me. Something about the smell," he demured. And it was true. Foxes were gross just to be around. Perhaps it was a holdover from that failed gift he'd gotten for Adeline. Who knew? "I just came by to see you. We haven't talked much lately, or at all since your brothers and sister were born."

at grayday's refusal of the offered meal dauntless gave a lofty shrug of his shoulders in a 'suit yourself' manner — aware that his father probably couldn't see the gesture — and pulled it back in close. it was true that foxes had a peculiar odor that wasn't always the best but dauntless didn't particularly mind. food was food and they tasted well enough. it wasn't venison or moose or anything else delectable but it filled his stomach all the same and he'd never been a picky eater. he couldn't afford to be when his stomach was more or less a bottomless pit of a growing boy teenager.

dauntless set aside his meal for the moment, focusing instead of his father's words with a cup of his ears. grayday's words here were also indisputably true. he kept himself occupied and distanced from his parents while they tended to their youngest. dauntless didn't do it to be rude or because he had jealous sibling syndrome or anything. while it was true that he didn't exactly know how he felt about them yet there was no doubt in his mind that if anything or anyone tried to threaten them that he would be standing between it and his baby siblings.

"i just wanted to give you and mom space. i know they need a lot of attention and time ...plus i didn't want to impose or anything." dauntless offers his explanation as to his absence around the birthing den.

Grayday gave a little wag of his tail at Dauntless's explanation. He was grateful, truly, that his son was so caring and responsible, but he hated to feel as though Dauntless was being pushed aside. "You don't have to avoid us completely," said Grayday, moving forward to bump his head against his son's. "You're still my baby boy too, you know." The last sentence was said in a sweet, surupy voice that he normally reserved for toothless cubs, but the words were only half in jest. Dauntless would always be his baby, just like Sunny and Dawn and the rest of the kids.

His expression spelled mischief for half a second before Grayday ducked down and snagged the fox, holding back a blech at the smell and taste as he turned and darted away, charging across the plains at a much higher speed than he might normally. This would probably end with him flat on his face, but it would be worth it to annoy his son - and perhaps lure him toward his younger siblings.

dauntless lets out a small noise of acceptance when grayday assures him that he does not need to completely avoid them. the words bring with them a small stab of guilt but daunt chases it away. he knows now that it's ok to pop in for a visit now and then, check in on the babes with the knowledge that his help would be needed as they grew older and more mobile. for now, there isn't much that dauntless can help with aside from the occasional babysitting gig if his parents wanted some time to themselves. dauntless lets out a affectionate rumble when his dad's head bumps against his and scoffs halfheartedly when grayday tells him he's still his baby boy in a honeyed voice that causes dauntless to wrinkle his nose.

"ack pops," dauntless complains purely in jest. still, it was good to know that he wouldn't be entirely forgotten in lieu of his baby siblings. "maybe i'll seek sunny out and see if he has any big brother advice on, well, being a big brother." dauntless hums as the thought crosses his mind. though he voices the consideration aloud he's speaking more to himself then he is grayday. the last thing dauntless wanted to do was somehow mess it up and while he had a bit of a testosterone fueled competition with his elder brother ( at the very least when it came to the thought of girls and that they were both extremely handsome and eligible bachelors ) it wasn't personal and mirza had no issue with going to his big brother for advice.

given his father's admittance of distaste towards foxes dauntless is taken off guard when grayday snatches up his kill and darts away. it takes dauntless a long moment to process that his dad just stole his kill before he leaps after his father with a shocked "hey!"