Sawtooth Spire We wrote and we wrote, 'til there were no more words.

Nyx, having outgrown her whelping hollow, had spent the past couple of weeks preparing to uproot and relocate her cubs. She'd long picked out a rendezvous for them and had delayed the move for some time, so loathe she was to demand @Mahler's valuable time that was surely meant to search for Thade. Tilting her muzzle skyward, she sent forth a request for a moment of his time should he have any to spare.

While the mother's heart continued to ache for a child she presumed to have perished in the wilds, she refused to let the lives of her own offspring grind to a halt. Slipping into the cave that'd served her well over the past few months, the tawny Ostrega's yellow stare sought the black and gold furs of her two daughters and conjured her most encouraging smile.

"Ciri," she called out, "@Elke. Time to get moving."

They were amazing, growing now into each individual little being, and the adoration that Nyx felt for her babies tripled as the darkest of the pair blinked curiously up at her. Ciri and Elke were probably too young to understand why they needed to move, so she did her best to encourage with excitement: "want to come see this amazing place I've found for us to sleep in?"

time was not in great supply, but his eyes needed to be here. with windholme more torrential this time of year, he had wondered after the safety of the remaining cubs. and so when the lioness called, he attended, tail swaying at his hocks. "hello, little vones," he greeted toward the pair, gaze lifting to nyx.
why had she summoned him, he wondered. perhaps for his company. and for her sake, mahler would be warmer. his reticence had grown to great heights; he sought hermitage where possible. but now he was hers, for the present, and smiled softly toward the golden wolfess.

She heard her mother's call from beyond the cave, but stubbornly ignored the spark of her curiosity. Still sour over having been scolded for playing with Mama's tail too roughly, Ciri sulked quietly toward the rear of the den even when the tawny she-wolf appeared at its entrance.

All frustration melted away, however, when her dam piped up that they needed to "get moving". She sprang to life and gathered to her paws, eyes wide with wonder as she sought Nyx' yellow gaze. "Where!?" Ciri demanded, tail swinging eagerly at her rear.

Her mother's elaboration was not ideal, however. Somewhere new to sleep? What was wrong with this place? Ciri twitched a smooth ear, unsatisfied, but another adult arrived at the cave just as she prepared to complain. "Papa!" Ciri chirped, "hiya!"

There was an excitement which overwhelmed her, causing her little body of golden and cream furs to quiver in delight. Peppering of coal guard hairs began to sprout on her spine, a further mimicking of her mother's coating. Her eyes, a puppy blue would begin to lighten, change. Though unlike her sister she offered little word like she had offered little babbling before that. She came to her mother's beckoning call eagerly, tail whipping back and forth so harshly it would smack against her flanks. 

Outside was the world which she knew and loved. The rounded patch of earth surrounded in much deeper foliage and rocky terrain. Out in that woodland the world was unknown, mysterious. But Elke did not fear it. She was excited to know what lie beyond, excited to know where her and her father would disappear to from time to time. The great beyond which they went to beyond her little world. 

She barks happily at the sound of her father's arrival, padding up to him to offer a kiss at his leg before going back to dance along her mother's ankles. Uh-massing. She spoke, repeating the word of this new place which their mother would bring them.

last post from me <3 wanted to leave this up in case anyone else wanted another round

"hello, ciri," mahler rumbled. to elke he grinned, repeating the word for her, a nudge to the pallid babe in encouragement. and then a butt of his head against her darker counterpart, controlled as he urged them both forward in a run.
they circled back eventually to nyx; panting, the gargyole reached to her now as well, gaze dancing with an uncommon expression of mirth. he fell into step with the lioness, answering what questions along the way his daughters posed, small conversement with nyx as well. until they came upon the place she had found for their children, the formal transition from densite to sagtannet.
mahler stood close, stoneflower gaze inscrutable as emotion swelled his throat and he felt a thousand sensations all one following the other.

edit: gonna add more to this, brb

Her father bounded forward, leading the cubs with encouragement into a run. Ciri followed willingly, scruffy tail wagging rapidly at her rear to accompany the excited laughter that spilled from her maw.

She knew she could never catch up to him, but still she gave chase. When at last they returned to their dam, young Ciri felt tired but no less excited to be on the move. 

She watched with quiet amusement as Mahler led their daughters ahead, and was content to pad along at the rear. Nyx, reluctant to trespass on what precious time her children had with their father, instead turned her attention onto more serious matters by keeping alert for danger.

When they returned to her, the lioness welcomed them with warmth. She bumped her muzzle fondly to Ciri's raven crown and moved to plant a soft kiss to Elke's blonde brow, before lifting her haze to offer a tender smile to the dark-furred Eisen.

It all went as well as she could've hoped and, with the cubs settled at their rendezvous, Nyx was content to share Mahler's company for as long as he could spare it.