Neverwinter Forest I want to see the sunset at saebitdungdung island

@Aibreann

Caerus stumbled out of the den on untrained feet, nose sniffing curiously at the air. The scents which had never interested him before had suddenly caught his attention; he was unsure exactly what it was, but his mouth watered with hunger. No longer for father's milk but something else entirely. Soon he found himself on a little path as if he was tied to some invisible rope, his feet carried themselves forward, and not long was it before he found himself at a buried cache. He shoved his snout to the ground, sniffing sniffing sniffing wondering what tasty thing lay beneath the soil.

She's known about the child within the pack for some time, but she hadn't expected to stumble across him unsupervised so soon. Aibreann pauses, herbs in mouth, and watches the boy as he sniffs the ground for a few minutes. She sighs through her nose, and sets the bundle down. Hopefully the boy's fathers will grow more competent with time; once her own litter arrives, she won't be able to pick up the slack for them. For now, she approaches the pup with an air of warmth. Hello, little one, She greets softly, sitting a few feet from him. You've wandered a bit far, haven't you?

A voice that was gentle and soothing like the music Mathieu had sung to him- Caerus turns curiously, cache not entirely forgotten, but moved to the side in his brain for now. There stood a wolf that he could not compare to any other he'd met so far- new colors and a new voice. Naturally, her words were lost on him- but he could try to participate in the conversation at least, couldn't he? huh-buh h-hai!! He babbled, tail waggling excitedly behind him.

The pup greets her with warmth, and she takes it as a good sign. A fearful pup might have made her further question his parents' abilities; this boy simply seems adventurous. And hungry for something new, if him lurking over a cache is anything to go by. I believe I can help, She tells him, moving to unearth one of the hidden morsels. She makes short work of chewing a bit into something more manageable for the pup, keeping her offering small for now in case he decides to reject it. She isn't certain how much progress his fathers have made with this endeavor.

More words come from the wolf- he couldn't particularly understand yet, but connected the dots as soon as she pulled something tasty-smelling from the ground. ooOooOooOoo!! He murmured with intrigue, watching as she took it into her mouth and chewed it up. Assuming she would spit it back up somewhere he could pick it up, he would sniff curiously at the regurgitated meat for just a moment before slowly and hesitantly taking it into his mouth, chewing unsurely.

She's pleased to see that the boy takes to it, though the meal disgusts her personally. She tries to think of it as practice for her own children, but that doesn't make it much easier; it'll be disgusting then, too. Still, the sight of him trying it brings a slight smile to her face. This is meat; a little different from what you'll be eating when you're older, but you're a bit too young to chew it on your own now, She explains gently, though she knows he won't understand. She's never been a believer in baby-talk. It's demeaning, she thinks, and harmful to a child's development. Best to speak to them normally from the start.

The more he moved it within his mouth, the more he found that... it was delicious! A little smile grew on his face as he swallowed some, and as she spoke he imitated meeee after her, mouth still half-full of food. He had no manners. Caerus gulped the rest down greedily, tail wagging with the new discovery. If he'd known how to express gratitude in words he would've, but for now he settled on nudging his head lovingly against one of her forelegs, before stepping back to stare up at her with wide blue eyes.

Her smile broadens a little at his clumsy mimicking of her words, and she's relieved to see that the boy decides to finish it. For all her confidence, she still harbors some small doubts about whether she'll make a good mother; this, at least, is comforting. More so when the spotty child expresses affection with a brief touch and a wide-eyed stare, tugging hard at her maternal instincts. She reaches down to lick the top of his head, suddenly wondering again where his parents are. Such an outgoing, trusting child shouldn't be left alone. She's starting to think it's time to lead him back to where he should be.

some pp! lmk if I need to edit, otherwise I thought we could archive here. sorry for the crazy long wait!!

The lick upon his head pleased him, he wiggled his tail jofully in response, dancing up and down on his tiny paws. In this moment Aibreann could be comforted- she was a sweet presence for children, at least for Caerus, who found her delightful. Once the woman decided playtime was over, though, she would lead him home to Cupid's den, where he'd head inside to nap beside his sleeping father, smiling through his dreams of fresh new food.