Verdigris Ravine shadow

Day by day, she nursed little @Harta, her greatest treasure. She rested and bathed him, all the while @Zoug brought food. Darkwoman insisted he leave it at the entrance of the den and not step foot inside. She snarled when he got too close. 

But on this day, she'd slipped from her baby long enough for the shadow of the tribe to make the short trek to tribeden. A single yip for tribeman to follow. 

He had not caused any problems for her.

Had caused her no harm or grief. 

Dare she say, he'd been nothing but helpful.

He could be the first to lay eye open him. 

A dark form crested the archway. 

Impatient, wind blowing through black fur.

kusuma had disappeared into the ravine. 

as she had allowed, he followed her tracks to find the den. after two curls of her lip, he learned to leave the prey on the stones further from the shelter's mouth.

now darkwoman returned, and zoug trailed after the new mother. she left milk and the fragrance of babies in her wake.

he remained silent and kept a polite distance between he and kusuma, not wanting to seem too eager to meet her new brood.

Her scent was too fragrant, too attracting she thought to predators outside of coyote. Or jackal. Killer Wolfs could return to seek to harm her pup, but Kusuma was a first-time mother and knew not of Plant that would mask her scent. Hoping that the endless smell of warm sand and wind would hide Harta sufficiently.

Darkwoman returned to her whelping den, not bothering looking over her shoulder. 

Golden eyes disappeared into the cave, her fur melting into the shadows she'd long since decided were home to her more than the physical world. The coyjackal returned in a flash of her tail. 

A small, dark clump of fur in the light.

Kusuma name him Har-ta.

it was with some surprise that zoug watched kusuma bring a small bundle from the den. but then again, darkwoman had her own ways. he did not show his thought nor question.

carefully he sniffed over the boy.

"har-ta." 

the single eye approved. 

zoug pulled an aloe leaf from where several of them studded his hackles and gave it to kusuma. "can eat when thirsty. not leave den for water so much today."

Can't resist a puppy post <3

He was a quiet cub, taking after his mother in more than just corporeal form. Even when the warmth of her body periodically left the den, Harta only let out the softest of squeaks and mews before settling into silence once more. As ever, she returned each and every time, and he was content to soundlessly nestle back into the dark comfort of her fur.

This time she was gone longer than usual, and small shivers began to wreak his tiny form as the chill of the outside world crept into the den, rousing him from sleep. The hybrid pup let out soft grunts of discomfort that grew in intensity until he felt her presence once more, and suddenly he was hoisted into the air.

Still yet helplessly blind and deaf, the boy placidly let his mother place him before the tribe leader, squirming a little as he felt the warm breath of a foreign being delicately brush over him. Vibrations from their voices were also felt, but paled in comparison to the cold that seeped deeper into his bones. Harta began to shiver once more.

Kusuma had grown attuned to his needs. He was a baby, and despite the warming sun, he grew cold quickly. The flash of shadow took the leaf tribekin brought and whisked it away into the den, returning just as quickly. Some other things were there, mostly rabbit furs haphazardly smithed to be lain on and a small cache that she'd dug for ease of access to extra prey.

Kusuma thanks Zoug. she gave him her thanks, and bent down to pick up her son. A look of guilt and worry, of gratitude washed over sand-colored eyes as she took Harta by his scruff and brought the small bundle of joy further into the darkness. 

She hoped other tribekin understood why. Hoped that she never kept Zoug from his own kin for too long - and hoped that the prey she ate went unnoticed by the others. As she curled around Harta to rid him of spring chill, she hoped to Sun and Moon that the holds on her soul would pass. 

Her narrow face looked to the little boy, giving his face a quick lick to tidy up a loose hair she saw in the darkness.

At least he'd be here, she thought. He was here and if he was, she'd never be alone.