Whitebark Stream have you found the limits of your abilities?

Maybe @Toshi? Or @Kaori perhaps <3

Sunlight trickled through the trees overhead, spattering the earth in glowing orange beams like spotlights. The breeze that brushed through the aspen trees created a sparkling effect. As the sun touched the top of the water in the distance, a startling glimmer bounced from the surface and into the eyes of the young pup.
 
Kiyoshi sat quietly beneath the base of a tree. His tail was tucked neatly to his side as he watched the wilds around him move. The expression of the child was rather stone-faced. Though interested in the goings on, the boy did not appear as though he was invested. A pair of brightly colored birds fluttered over his head before darting up into the trees and singing.

♥

Each day brought with it more growth, each week a new milestone. She could hardly believe how far her little hatchlings had come thus far, from itty bitty babies to their own individuals—already, she was proud of them, even as young as they still are. She could look upon them with nothing other than fondness, wishing to keep them safe from the world for as long as they might allow it. Yet, at the same time, she did not want to stunt their growth or crush their curiosity—she wanted them to experience the greatest parts of life.

Kaori was on her way to catch something for the boys when she spied her youngest son beneath a tree. For a moment, she stayed back, watching him curiously and wondering what he might be up to. But when he seemed to remain in his spot, the dragoness made her way over to him. “Little one,” she greeted, settling next to him. “Are you enjoying the day?”

The dark figure of Kaori Draconid made her way toward the child. Kiyoshi looked up to her with a familiar sense of love – one that was evident in the expression on his face. She approached and settled into a place next to the pudgy young puppy. He watched her with a blank face, following her movements until she had made a comfortable place.
 
“Enj-“ the word tasted strange on his tongue. He stopped halfway through it and looked at her, blue eyes searching her features for a meaning to this word. “Kiyo happy,” he then opted with a small nod of his head. His own name was almost too much for his youthful tongue. He hoped that this would answer the question she had asked – he did not want for his mother to think that he was not pleased with their lives beside the creek.

The start of a word, caught on his tongue like a fly in a trap. Hints of a smile tugged at the corners of her lips, his effort noted; that he settled for another phrase following the incompletion of the first was understandable, the words less complex. “That is good,” she returned. “I am glad you are happy.” She often wondered what life was like for her children, in depth—especially when they found themselves around the others of the pack. Did they ever wonder why it was only the three of them, a figure similar to Artyom absent? She reflected on her own upbringing when she questioned these things, when was it that she truly wondered about her own father—but no longer could she recall, the time seeming like a lifetime ago.

“Do you like our little home here?” the dragoness asked, a curious glint in her eyes; would he understand the question in entirety? “Or would you rather be closer to the other children?” Difficult questions that she could hardly answer herself, in truth. But... perhaps it was for that reason that she asked him, instead.

It was possible that inquiring with Kiyoshi would lead to very few answers for Kaori. She wondered how her children were faring in their home, but the burly young boy did not have a tongue trained for that kind of feedback. The boy’s mother did not seem to be dissuaded by the young puppy’s inability to formulate an entire response. She went on to ask him two more questions – whether he was happy with their home, or if he wished to be closer to the other puppies.
 
Kiyoshi nodded his head but said nothing more than a small, “hmm.” The truth of the matter was that he saw nothing wrong with their living arrangement as it was, but the premise of meeting other pups his age was also an appealing one. The pudgy child concluded that either of the options was good enough for him and left his fate in the hands of his mother.

A nod and a hum, the answer she received. She wondered to herself which might be preferred, if either at all, but ultimately could not decide on one or the other; a compromise was in order, perhaps. “I do think I would like to keep you two to myself for a bit longer,” she mused, leaning down to brush her muzzle over his forehead. “Maybe we should stay as we are but visit the others more often.” The best of both worlds: the hatchlings would be able to further engage with others their own age, and without the dragoness having to give up her time with them. It seemed suitable for the situation, though she still worried for the day when that may no longer suffice.

They were still young. It made sense that the dark mother would want to keep her children at her side for a while more, at least until they had grown into their youth and found capability in their new age. For the young Draconid male, there was only trust for Kaori and her decisions. Instinct had taught him that she was the source of staying alive and well. He would need to remain by her side for much longer before he could fend for himself.
 
“Toshi would like that,” Kiyoshi remarked to her, thinking of how much his brother would likely thrive in the company of others pups their age. The darker brother had already demonstrated his thrill for adventure. Kiyo blinked and looked up to the dark figure of Kaori. Perhaps he would like that as well. “Are there lots of other pups?”