Neverwinter Forest Hey, what is it about the gates of Hell that compels people to wander into 'em?

Mix of cameo tags and actual invites. Someone come bug him though. :P

@Aibreann had started to allow them all out to play -- and she did keep a keen eye on the four so they didn't wander far and pester people -- it wasn't like they were particularly speedy creatures at this age. Ciaran was the first one to wake from a nap this day and set loose to rampage up the entry to the den, where he came to a full and complete stop. Last time he tried to come out, there was yelling and he turned right back around and went back in because YIKES.

Sniff sniff. He didn't see anything suspicious. Though there was that unfamiliar scent that sometimes mom had smelled a little like. So he wandered that way to see what it was. Aibreann called to him, but he was curious and totally ignoring her. Wait, the thing was a person! So he yipped and hoped they would come play! Except inviting @Cupid to play (or @Caerus, if he was there) was probably pretty dumb, but he didn't know that. Nah he was just being friendly. Except right about then he was scooped up by his mother who had been forced to abandon her meal and nab her wayward son.

He was plopped back at the den entrance and given a more stern instruction to stay. Huff. So instead, he yapped down the den tunnel, awkwardly bouncing in place a couple of times, trying to summon @Nuala, @Finínn, or even @Sullivan. Come onnnn!

Miriam started venturing out the den more, bit by bit. Sometimes she would bring @Asmoses and @Liliana with, as they already were venturing out regardless how she felt. It was more comfortable seeing them play within her sight, so she would wander, let them play around the main dens, and carry them back to their own for a nights rest.

Today, the maiden brought them out. Whether they stayed close or not, Miriam simply gave them a 'be careful, stay close, do not wander far out to the forest,' if they wished to explore. She was starting to associate herself more with the others, hoping to be more of a familiar face then of a stranger..

On this walk, she spotted one of the children who came out. While she didn't know Aibreann, she knew the other had pups.. That were also, Mal's. With a kind smile, she looked at Ciarán, before walking more.

Anyone else is still free to join whenever too! <3

They weren't fast enough, and the little guy was kind of wound up. He bounded around in a circle at the front of the den, another yap, then came screeching to a halt when he saw someone else had appeared. She basically apparated out of thin air as far as his limited comprehension was concerned. His ears pricked forward, staring at the much bigger grey lady. 

He canted his head, then bounded a few steps after her with another bark, little twiggy tail uncertain about whether it should wag or be alert. She was a stranger, but a quick look to Aibreann didn't seem... Enormously concerning? She was an alert mother, but he wasn't being summoned back to her side quite yet at least. So, looking back at the stranger, he totally demanded something in only the vague way a small child could.

She wasn't sure what to say to the child. Dealing with her own kids was another task together, but learning that all the other ones were now their half-siblings, it was an odd.. Well, Miriam really wasn't sure how to take in that information. She didn't interact with many too much except for Caerus, seemingly being the eldest of them all.

The Maiden sat down and looked at the other with a short smile, as she didn't understand what the pup 'demanded' from her.

She sat down, so that was kinda progress! Or something. Maybe at least a captive audience. His tail wagged twice, then he bounded forward a couple of steps, stopped, barked. Then sort of hopped in place sort of. Do something! Do something, big stranger person! She was here, after all. And since he definitely thought the world revolved around him at this stage, that was why she was here, right? After all, she wasn't a sibling or his mom, so what would a stranger be good for? He wasn't sure. So. Do something!

finín had originally been rather content to ignore ciarán's demanding caterwauling as he so often did, much too engrossed with the odd critter he'd cornered in the shadiest nook of their den whilst trying to hide his find from @Nuala, certain she'd ruin it as was in her galling nature. and all was going rather splendid, hummed delight huffing from his jaws each time a clumsily slapped paw would send the shiny grub scuttling in the opposite direction only to be cut off by another night cloaked foot. impish grin would crawl across his muzzle as he lowered his head, curious to see what on earth it would do now that he'd forced it into such a predicament. poor chap was about to feel the claws of karma for the first time as the beetle unleashed the hidden weapon stored beneath scintillating armour and flew at finín and his stupid grin in a full blown attack!!

he backed up with an indignant scream, head shaking wildly as the tiny monster took it upon itself to cling to his dusty snout. terror flushed his system as he staggered back and whipped around; aware of nothing except this beast upon his face and how he had to get it OFF. eyes scrunched shut, he'd charge forward like an enraged bull, jaws parted to voice his despair and releasing some incoherent wail of "awrawrAWRRR" bustling past mama like a tiny rocket and roughly shoving past ciarán only to whip eyes open a second too late as he crashed head first into miriam with a "saaas!" and tumbled head over heels into the dirt. disturbed dust settles nicely upon the lump of pup sprawled across the earth, little beetle strolling off towards the nearest clump of grass, pleased with its speedy ride to the outside world.

Miriam wasn't sure what the pup expected, but he played like one, and so she lifted a paw. Her thought was to simply roll him over, however instead another one crawled out into a dash, right into her precisely. They weren't that big, but it still caused her to move backwards with wide-eyes in surprise.

"Are you okay?" She asked the pup, unsure why the maiden keeps talking to them, when speech is limited. By then though, Miriam had got up and looked down at Finín in worry, momentarily forgetting about the playful one.

Oh, here we go! Something! 

Or not. Kaboom! Kinda. He was smacked by his brother and sort of faceplanted awkwardly due to it. Ciaran flailed cartoonishly to pull himself back up on all his feet, then with a roar (squeal?) he turned on Finin who had totally ruined everything here and dove at him, chomping at him viciously but each time just getting fur. So he'd get a spiky drooled-on mohawk or something.

He'd at least for the next few seconds totally forgotten about Miriam -- the important thing was to totally beat up his brother, except Ciaran's version of beating people up was probably equivalent smacking them with a particularly soft pillow once you got past the drama of it.

so turns out the big squishy thing to have put an end to his fruitless scampering was in fact another wolf, and a stranger at that!! because after a multitude of groggy blinks, the boy would roll over only to be greeted by the peering face of some freakish owl eyed monster! and of course--- it made so much sense now, that terrifying bug had attacked him to draw him out here so she could strike! 

this was his chance to prove that he was just as capable- if not more so- at protecting the den from these skulking behemoths. as his momma had proved, nothing could get past a momma , not the biggest, scariest beast in the whole world. and so, finín was well determined to become a badass mom too!

of course, choosing to forget the blind terror he'd let her little bug inflict on him- that was all in the past! 

with a huff, he'd swipe dusty paws at her muzzle whilst scooting back to drag himself to a stand; tall and proud despite having a dust encrusted mohawk that could challenge even a cockerel's do in terms of poise. of course he wasn't alone though, he'd breezed past ciarán right and against them both she definitely wouldn't stand a cha- gahh!

he staggered to the side at the impact, enraged puppy growl gurgling from his throat as paws battered furiously at his brother. how dense was he?? the enemy was in front of them, he'd hardly mistaken finín for a monster???

grave horror overtook him now as he flailed and nipped, she must have tricked ciarán into turning him against them! he was doomed.

short short

He hit her so, but as Finin in the end was just a child, it felt like nothing. She watched blankly at the sudden fighting, when other bolted to fight the sibling. It was harmless fighting, but still Miriam spoke up, "Hey now," she tried to coo', "please don't fight." The two wrestled, and the best that the mother cold do was just to put a paw between to seperate so.

There were good and bad things about siblings. And right now, the lack of being able to communicate properly meant that they had two very different senses of the world. Both could totally be right! But not in agreement. Give it a few months and they could be a dangerous duo or something.

He'd pulled back a moment in expectation of another charge, but that was when Miriam's paw ended up splitting them. His charge fell short and he sort of hopped back a moment, staring at the intruding leg. He probably looked more like an angry kitten at the moment (minus the hissing bit), ruffled and puffed fur and a still-sticklike tail sticking straight up. Not sure what to do he just yapped again, not sure if he should resume the attack on Finin or go after the woman or if something would flit by and be a giant distraction.

he was so ready to meet ciarán's attack, prepared to beat him up until he stopped being dumb. that would surely work! but then the paw of the intruder herself slapped the earth between them and despite his own start, a smirk was spared for the way in which his brother stumbled back at the unexpected barrier. hopping from paw to paw, a little salmon tongue stuck out to accompany his waggish grin but it was quickly abandoned as his mind caught back up to the task at paw-- the monster!!

a helpless look was thrown to his kin, unsure as to how to portray to him that he was not the enemy- she was!! a tiny paw stretched out to prod desperately at her larger limb whilst still staring very intensely at ciaran before turning with a huff and launching at her figure with a garbled war cry.

he would scare her away with or without his brother's help, he was much better than him after all.

gonna close it with my post if thats alright!

The two were quite cute, but they seemed to see her as some kind of goblin- a monster of sorts. She had thought her appearence was alright, but was she wrong in that matter? Miriam was also feeling a bit nervous being with the two, as the mother was currently in the den, most likely peacefully napping away..

She wasn't sure how the mother was, and thought it would be best to maybe remove herself from the situation. The mother smiled at the two, before extracting her paw, and giving them a small wave with it, before leaving the area.