Hushed Willows My faith is shaken, but I still believe.

On the approach to his second week since @Olive delivered her litter beyond Elysium's willows, the first of her sons opened his eyes.

Sundance studied his new surroundings with quiet curiosity. The indefinable shapes that surrounded him were blurry, though he found himself able to detect that each wore a different hue. Two were at his level - one dark-furred and one who held a lighter, warmer tone - and their main provider was significantly paler.

He did his best to focus on her, lifting his head a little and cooing out in a soft cry for attention.

She watched their every movement, and noted every change that took place in their little, growing bodies. Though this was the third time she had gone through this song and dance, it delighted her every single time. She loved to do new mommy things, like watch her cubs sleep and be amazed how their chests rose and fell, rose and fell, rose and fell, hopefully forever. It was absolutely fantastic when their ears unsealed themselves and their movements were made a little more purpose, growing like little furry worms that scooted across the earth. 

It was their second week of life, and the mother knew that the gods would soon bestow them with the gift of sight. In fact, the midwife knew this to happened often at this point in a puppy’s life, so she inspected them at almost every moment, looking for a hint of puppy-blues at the corners of their lashlines. There had been nothing, thus far, but Olive knew everything happened in its own time.

Then, one day, Sundance squalled for her attention and when she turned to give it to him, she noticed his eyes, open, bright and wide! Olive’s mouth nearly fell open, but then transformed into the proudest grin. Her boy was seeing, and it was okay if she hadn’t totally been witness to the process. A flutter in her heart, she scooped little Sundance up in her arms and buried her face into the velvet of his round, pale belly.  “Hello little one,” the mother greeted her child, hovering her face close to his. Though his eyes were open, his vision was none too good — and she wanted him to know her face, wanted him to love it, and wanted him to see it in his dreams. 

She looked around for @Ariel or @Seabreeze, wishing at least one of her wives could share in this splendor, before she returned back to her firstbone. “How are you today?” she asked, as if he could possibly answer, as if this wasn’t the best day in his little puppy life (besides being born, you know).  

reif's life had been as cosy and easy as one could have it, a nice contrast to what he'd consider /if it hadn't floated away from his memory within a week/ his rather stressful entrance to the world. life consisted of routine and  pure blissful ease, what could be better? it was dark, quiet, warm and there was no strange surfaces or smells to bother him, all he wanted to do was sleeeep. oh eating too, he rather enjoyed that as well although seeming to have an appetite not quite as vast as his brothers. 

today believe it or not, he slept- little body curled into the smallest little ball of pale fur as the small rise and fall of his chest proceeded to be the only thing that could be used to distinct him as more than an inanimate ball of fluff. however nothing could prepare him for the sudden change to occur within his happy little routine for upon waking, his baby blue gaze would become visible to the world as he opened his eyes.

he remains lying- head simply tilting as wide eyes take in the blurry surroundings bearing down on him. it's a bit much at first and the boy would squeeze his eyes shut once more- protecting them from whatever was out there before tentatively peeking out once more. darker forms similar in size to he are the first thing reif ever sees and his mind is already quick to associate them with the smells of the other milk drinkers who helped keep him warm. this made them very likeable in his eyes indeed. next was a large blob of pale and this was easy, the big warm that gave him milk! that was his favourite thing but she was focused on one of the darks and so suddenly feeling tired and overwhelmed- reif's jaws would open to let out a tiny protestant wail that wasn't hard to decipher as also a cry for attention.

Movement, slow and bleary to his new vision, had the babe lifting his head in attempt to follow with his gaze. His mother swept in closer until her face was directly before his own. He simply stared at her, not afraid but not confident enough to scoot forward and investigate. Instead, little Sundance was content to simply observe.

The pale provider spoke, though he made no sense of her lips' movement and failed to hear her gentle words. Finally, after several moments of silent study and entirely unaware to his brother's demand for attention nearby, Sundance shifted just enough to reach out with his blunt snout and place a well-aimed boop on her feathery white cheek.

Soon after her eldest had asked for her attention, did Reif request the same thing. This was usually how it went with them — one would start, and then another would follow, and eventually the third would get on board. If one woke up and stirred, it was only a matter of time before all the others followed suit. It only ever took about 5 minutes; but it was a blessing, because as much as she loved spending time with her boys individually, she loved being with all of them at once.

Atwood was the one who slept soundly — for now. At the behest of little Reif, the mother turned and lifted an arm towards her belly, hooking her elbow around the little boy and pulling him towards where Sundance lay, between her forearms. She noticed his eyes, unsealed and a vibrant oceanic blue, and smiled; but a single book from Sundance was her undoing.

The druid pulled her small family close, burying her face against their small bodies and inhaling their puppy scent, and loving how warm their bellies felt pressed against her third eye. At time she didn’t believe they were real, and that they were so lovely, and that they were already growing and opening their eyes and becoming real, functioning creatures of the wild.

Almost as if Sundance and Reif were puppets, Olive propped them up with her paws and turned their nascent forms to gaze upon each other. “Look, that’s your brother!” she exclaimed, but forced herself to take a deep breath to quell the excitement she felt in her belly. “And i’m your mom,” she mentioned adoringly, resisting the urge to smoosh she face in them once more. “— well, one of them.” Then, Olive laughed, very aware she was essentially talking to herself.  

Gently and carefully, his mother's movement brought another of his siblings alongside him. She shifted to bury her snout among them, breathing deep the comforting warmth of their baby furs, leaning affectionately into the inviting warmth. Sundance basked in the moment, babbling happily to her as she drew back to look upon him with kind and loving jade eyes.

He allowed her to manoeuvre him, albeit a little stiffly, though he relaxed with the security of her paw beneath his little chin. Baby blue eyes stared ahead and he cooed softly, peering through the blurriness of brand new vision to see a golden hue. Unable to focus, Sundance merely blinked at the indistinguishable shape of his littermate while his dam formally introduced them to one another and giggled excitedly to herself at this latest development.

Sundance allowed himself to be moved and manipulated by his mother’s whims, babbling and cooing the entire time. Olive couldn’t help but find herself responding in nonsensical ways, blinking against his small face and then sharing the gesture with Reif, kissing and cajoling them and loving their nearness. Finally, when she settled her head between her two boys, she held them close and murmured “I love you, my children,” resting and lingering in this moment for all of eternity.