Stone Circle head on the pavement, i'm just tryin' to win

Sorry for the wait!

It was the darkest night that Taktuq had experienced—the moon and stars had vanished, leaving the clearing outside of the den dark and mysterious. In this dream-like state, she had mustered up enough courage to venture outside; Nanook's scent was present. 

Even though the darkness seemed to swallow her whole, Taktuq kept moving forward. As she progressed, and Nanook's scent grew, she broke out into a full-on gallop; while asleep, she lacked any worldly limitations. Taktuq ran as if she were running for her life, following a trail that lacked an endpoint. 

Suddenly, Taktuq's dream changed unexpectedly. Her surroundings brightened harshly, bringing her to a halt as her eyes adjusted, and the smell of blood became prominent; what was happening? Her anxiety grew tenfold, and she glanced around wildly as Nanook's scent vanished. 

Taktuq laid at @Valette's side, dreaming. Every-so-often, one of her legs would twitch, or she'd whine. The indication of her nightmare was apparent, but her actions did not portray how extreme her dreaming was.

Valette was watching the children. She could tell Siarut was going through a difficult time. She could understand, she had lost a mate as well. Several. It was like your heart was ripped out and left bleeding on the ground. The matriarch tried to be a support for the pups and for Sia. She was grieving as well, but in silence. She knew Nanook wouldn't want her to be sad but she still couldn't stop feeling sad. It was strange how life went its course. She had lost two sisters now. Only her and Xan were left.

Valette's attention turned to Taktuq. She was fidgeting and letting out soft whines. The matriarch felt bad for the pup and curled her body around the small child. The others were also welcome for a snuggle, she would make sure they would all feel so loved. The female started to softly hum a song to hopefully comfort them. It was more of a steady melody than a real happy one.

The conclusion of Taktuq's nightmare was not immediate—it drew on, disturbing her considerably. Valette's recognizable hum was what drew her from her slumber, causing her to stir as she came-to. Taktuq lifted her head once she was awake, and she fixed her adoptive mother with a bleary, doe-like stare. 

Taktuq had no reason to smile; the memory of her dream was too fresh.

Valette noticed that her humming had woken the child. She brought her nose closer and then licked over her head. Soft warm licks to make her feel comfortable. She kept her soft hum though. Hopefully, it would help. Then again, it would probably take some time for these little ones to come over this if they would ever get over it. She just hoped they were young enough. So they could start their lives at least and not live in fear. Valette pulled back and looked down at the girl. "You are stronger than you know," she spoke, which the girl probably wouldn't understand yet. "You are loved, Taktuq," she added. Her voice warm.

Valette was right—Taktuq did not understand what was said. The only context that she could gather was how her aunt spoke, and the undeniable undertone of warmth. That caused Taktuq to smile; her spirits rose quickly.  

With his tail wagging, she glanced up at her aunt. "Ooo?" Taktuq asked then, speaking through her grin. Although she could not speak, Taktuq wanted to talk to Valette.

Valette had to burst into a smile when the girl's tail started to wag. Valette dipped her head. "Ooo," she confirmed with a grin. The female looked over the youngster. "Love," she repeated and then showered her with little kisses. "Love you, Taktuq," she hummed once more. How cute would it be if the girl's first word was 'Love'. Though for now, all Valette wanted was to see more smiles on the girl's face.

Already, Taktuq longed to speak; she studied Valette's lips, wanting to learn how to talk. "Luh," Taktuq echoed around a smile. "Luh... ooo." It was a valiant effort—Taktuq had never come closer to speaking her first word.

Valette beamed when the girl started to repeat her words. "Yes!," she encouraged. "Love," she repeated and then snuggled her again, plus giving her lots of kisses. "Kiss," she spoke then, and gave her another kiss. She didn't expect the pup to speak full words already, but if she could mimic the tones then Valette kind of knew what she wanted. Kisses were vital for young puppies after all.

Taktuq nuzzled into Valette's embrace and smiled; for a moment, things felt good. She was happy for the praise she received and was equally motivated to do what she needed to continue to earn it. 

Kissing was a word that proved to be a challenge for Taktuq. She had only just mastered her "bahs" and "lahs", but the distinct "keh" was something she had yet to attempt. "Laaaaaaah," Taktuq attempted, her face stern with concentration. She knew she was wrong, and attempted once more, "Laaaaaaaaah." Hmph—still not right.

Valette could understand that it was a difficult word but still supported the little girl nevertheless. "Kisssss," she spoke and then gave her some more kisses. "You will get it, and then you can ask for as many kisses as you want," she assured the female. She would make sure to remind the girl that. It was cute how concentrated her face was.

She wanted a smile on that girl's face as often as she could. So not only Taktuq but all Nanook's pups would feel just as loved.