below the boulder, mahler paused to lay himself down wearily. he intended to slumber a bit, having spent the last several hours traversing the tunnel to ensure it would not collapse or seal them inside. he had brought in what he had found unburied in the caches; even now, the gargoyle looked dismally at the tiny rabbit he had taken to his own rest.
        but before he closed his eyes, he cast his gaze around for @Marble and for @Calcifer, hoping to answer any questions they might have about current goings-on.

---

Calcifer stood silent staring off into the rushing snow that blew through the air. It was his first winter and this... blizzard as they called it was something extraordinary and overbearing. It was fun to look at but Calcifer had to be reminded that he was not allowed to go out in it. The first time he had viewed snow he had been wary and protective of his sister before stepping out into it and letting it fall upon his face and tongue. He wanted to experience this blizzard much like he had his first snow. But he was obedient and stayed within the shelter.

Being in the shelter did allow him to be closer to the others within the pack. Though he appreciated the company of others, things seemed to keep popping up to keep him from it. This however had the opposite effect.

        star's son was quite a large child in a way the doktor did not understand. thus far it did not seem as though it overly concerned the boy; mahler watched him glance into the snow and taste it before returning to their camp. "it is a long wild out there, calcifer," the gargoyle grunted, rolling to a recline.
        charcoal ears tipped in the pup's direction. "my mother used to tell me a story about the vay the vind howls in a blizzard. she said it vas the voices of the elders, telling somevone who is lost in the storm vich vay to go so they might find their vay out."
        mahler wisely chose not to add that the aforementioned elders were said to be those lost in blizzards come to spare a living soul their fate.

As he walked back into the shelter Mahler caught his attention. If not for his call to him Calcifer may not have seen the dark male. Calcifer's face lit up. A conversation with someone other than Mama or Marble. Calcifer had spent time with Mahler before, but any opportunity to socialize was someone was taken without hesitation. 

Cal trotted over to Mahler as he began his tale. A group of elders howling through the wind to guide those lost out of the blizzard. Cal turned his head towards the entrance and watched the wind rush by. "Someones lost out there? Shouldn't we help them?" Calcifer suggested worriedly for those who had lost their way.

Mahler didn't say that there wasn't anyone lost in the blizzard, but he did mention that the wind would be howling for them even if they had found their way. As Cal looked out into the blazing wind he thought that it would be a tad humorous to get lost in the blizzard looking for someone who may or may not be lost. Humorous as it seemed, it was something to be avoided.

Mahler went on to say that this, along with many other things adults had told Cal throughout his life, would pass. Upon the change, a reward was offered. A hunt! Cal had done a bit of hunting here and there, the smaller game that wandered into the territory. He was not very skilled with agility or tactic, but if he got a chance to pounce or chop down on something it usually ceased its breathing.

Something that the adult hunted that was bigger and more challenging sounded fun. "Yeah I would!" Calcifer replied his tail eager and his grin large. "How long until winter passes?" he asked eagerly.

Months?! Calcifer thought. Only being 6 months old at the time a month was a long time, and several of them felt like forever. Luckily Cal could not have to wait 'forever' as Mahler offered to train him how to hunt once the storm passed. "Really?!" he said excitedly looking to Mahler as his tail thudded against the ground "Thanks Mahler!" 

Cal had 'hunted' before, or rather chased things around and occasionally caught them. But he hadn't had a formal training session before. He imagined putting his ear to the ground or leaping into the snow. Tactics he had seen other animals use, but unknown to him would likely not be successful for him.

"Can we make the storm go any faster?" he asked impatiently in his usual polite tone.

A small child-like irritated face came upon Cal's face when he learned the storm could not go faster. However, his face soon changed and turned to the side as Mahler suggested storytime with Cal bringing the narrator. "Uhh..." His eyes slowly wandered around the room as he searched the crevices of his mind for a story. He wasn't all that sure he could tell a good story, he hadn't been asked to before. "Ohh!" Cal exclaimed excitedly, "I've got one!... Wait. But you can't tell Marble about it. OK?" he asked looking up at Mahler.