The pup waited for him to answer her and help her understand stand the word sick but then his answer was...well to put it plainly disappointing for the child. “Sana not know,” she huffed looking away from him. She'd had tummy aches before but her mother had just told her to lay still and then would stay next to her. Inna had always been right, a little while later her tummy aches would go away but did that mean she'd been sick? She didn't understand and shook her little head because she didn't, would she ever? Oksana didn't know.

Another disappointment was that Lorc could not stay with her and her mother in the den. She made it clear that she did not like this answer and wanted to know why he couldn't. Her mother had been sad when he was fine and Oksana was sure Inna would want Lorc to stay with them. How could she not when she had missed him so much? She huffed again in her frustration if not understanding the situation. The lick to her crown was comforting but she was upset again by his next words.

“Lorc stay with Sana and Sana stay here,” she told him firmly. That was how she wanted it, he had been gone too long. As long as he was in the den he knew where ye was and he couldn't go away again. “Not fine,” she stated as she shook her head again. It wasn't fine if she didn't know where he was. Then he said something that deflated the pup, “Lorc leaving not come back morning?” She looked up into his eyes pleadingly hoping he would change his mind.

He needed to understand how badly they had missed him and even though her mother had only talked about it in the den she told him. They were after all in the den where it was. Allowed to be talked about so why couldn't she tell him there. Oksana didn't understand that what her mother had told her during those nights in the den was only for the child's ears. She also didn't understand that if Lorcan said something she could be in trouble with her mother or maybe she didn't care if it helped to make him understand that they had both been sad when he was gone.

Her tiny black ears came forward as he spoke and she nodded, “Why Lorc leave?” It was the question that had been burning in her mind since he went away and now she wanted to know the answer.

She had told him if her adventure Time with Rissy which made him have another question for her. “Mum leave Sana, she follow, mum go away, Rissy find Sana sad scared, Sana go splore Rissy,” she explained the best she could. The pup looked up to him as he spoke again her head tilting once more, “Naughty? Sana fun Rissy.” She had had lots of fun with her friend and didn't think she had done anything bad. Her tiny brow furrowed in confusion when he talked about being lost or hurt, “Sana home okay.” She hadn't gotten lost or hurt in her adventure with Rissy so it was okay, “Mum not sad Sana.” Her mother hadn't even know about her adventure with her friend so she couldn't have been worried. Then he was making her promise not to do it again, Oksana considered his words again but she didn't know what promise meant exactly, “Promise?”

Lorcan had hoped that his dismissive answer would cause his daughter’s questions to cease for now, but it seemed that Oksana much more like his mother than he realised. Russet ears perked up as he watched the dark pup huff and plainly voice her irritation towards him. Although a frown did crease his brow for the briefest moment, he quickly found the corners of his lips turning up into an amused half-smile. “It’s a good thing you don’t know, Sana. It’s not nice when you get sick.” He explained, doing his best to hold back a laugh. “You aren’t allowed to go outside to play and you have to sleep all day.” He added, raising a single brow.

It quickly became apparent that his daughter’s fiery stubborn streak could not be extinguished so easily. The pup flat-out refused to be told and once again made her opinion on the matter known to him. The father couldn’t help it as his golden eyes widened and the fur along his back bristled, suddenly feeling a little intimidated by the small girl in front of him. “I’m sorry, I’m not allowed to stay the night. It’s the rules.” He stated again, hoping that she would understand that the issue was out of his control. Inna would have to allow him to stay with them and even then, Lachesis might have something to say about it.

The male did his best to reason with the pup, explaining to her that he would return in the morning to be around when she woke up. She surely wouldn’t even notice that he was gone during the night whilst she slept. However, his words seemed to get lost in translation and he found Oksana looking up to him with a pleading gaze as she questioned him about leaving for the night. The father licked his maw awkwardly, not wanting to upset the girl so close to bed time. “I will leave when your mother gets here and then I will come back and be here when you wake up tomorrow.” He said calmly, before placing a soothing lick along her head.

When his daughter then asked him why he had disappeared before, he paused before answering, taking moment to usher the pup closer in towards his chest to keep her warm and comfortable. “I went away to go hunting and when I was away it rained a lot. So the river got too deep and I couldn’t swim back home.” Well, that was the simple version of it all, anyway.

The father made sure to listen very carefully as his daughter told him how she and Risaela had gone off exploring on their own. “Wait, Risaela was exploring on her own?” His eyes widened in disbelief. “Yes, naughty. Bad.” He explained, a frown now darkening his golden gaze. The pup tried to wriggle her way out of it by saying that she was fine and had made it back home okay, but Lorcan wasn’t going to let her off that easily. “Yes, but next time you might not..” He said quietly, worry evident in his voice. “And I am sad, and I will be even more sad if you do it again.” He chided. “You won’t go exploring without an adult again, will you Sana?” The father had to make her promise him and understand such behaviour was not something that was taken lightly.

Once Lorcan was sure that Oksana understood, he leant forwards and curled his tail around her to surround her in his soft fur. “You should relax now, if your mother returns to find that you’re still awake, she’ll bite my nose off.” He grinned, nuzzling her cheek affectionately before giving her another comforting lick.

When Lorc said a little more about what sick was something clicked in the little girl's mind. She was sure he hadn't wanted to tell her anything else but he told her only after the huff she'd given him. Her eyes never left him as he told her how much fun being sick was not. When he seemed to be finished she peered around him at the den entrance letting yet gaze settled there for a beat before looking back at him. “Sana not stay inside,” she told him her tone carrying a more worried note, “Sana not like sick.” If she had to stay inside all day she wouldn't think she would like it at all. “Lorc keep Sana not sick,” she bumped her nose against his to make that final. It was simple to her, Lorc took care of her so he could make sure she didn't get sick.

Why he could not stay with her and her mum was something she didn't think she would ever understand. She wanted him there and she was sure Inna did too so she couldn't see why and she let him know she was not satisfied with his answers thus far. Then he said something that made her understand, “Rules?” There were rules for this? Her mother had rules, had even explained the too her and Oksana usually obeyed her mother. “Rissy come stay,” she said before pausing not knowing how to get the rest across, “Why rules for Lorc?” She shook her head. That hadn't been right so she tried again, “Why rules...make... Lorc...not...stay?” she finally got out and it sounded better to her.

She didn't want Lorc to leave at all now that he was there, she didn't know where her mum was or when she would be back. He said he was leaving and coming back in the morning but what if her mother hadn't come back before he left. She'd never been gone so long and Oksana was worried. She whimpered and peered around him at the den entrance again looking for her mother. Hoping she would come through the entrance right then so the tiny Baranski would know she was okay. Her gaze when back to the man as spoke again, she nodded that she understood him but she wanted to know. “Mum come back soon?” she asked as she felt his tongue lick her head.

She'd finally asked him the question she had been wanting to ask because why would he leave if he missed her so much. Before he told her he tucked her in closer and she nestled into his warm fur. He told her about hunting and the rain and water and swimming but the thing that stuck out was he couldn't come home because the water. “Lorc home now for Sana?” She asked as that made sense since he had missed her lots. Why else would he come back if not for her?

She was trying to explain it to him, that she and Rissy had an adventure because she had lost her mother. The look on his face though worried the pup as he asked about Rissy, “Rissy, Sana venture,” she told him to make it more plain. Her little brow furrowed at his next words, “Sana have fun, Rissy have fun. Rissy make better Sana sad mum.” He told her she could have gotten hurt but she told him she hadn't and then he said she might not come home next time. “Sana always come home,” she said confidently. She would always come home to her mum, she loved her mum. “Why Lorc sad?” She asked when he told her he was. What had made him so sad? “Sana not want Lorc sad.” then he asked her to not go without an adult again, she shook her head, “Sana not go,” she said a little crestfallen. “Why Lorc not want Sana have fun?” She added looking up at him, she didn't understand why he wanted to keep her from venture.

She was soon surrounded by his warm fur as she moved to get even more comfortable. She knew he was right, that she needed to go to sleep, her mother would have already made her by then. “Sana sleep,” she told him, “Wake Sana mum home,” she said as her eyes grew heavy.

Something seemed to click in the pups mind. Finally Lorcan felt like he had managed to get through to his daughter as she protested to the idea of staying inside all day if she got sick. “Exactly, it’s not fun to be sick.” He chuckled, amused by the worry in her voice. Receiving the demanding bump to nose, Lorcan responded with an affectionate nuzzle to her cheek. “I will try my best, Sana. If you do get sick I will make you better.” He reassured, shooting her an adoring look.

Furthermore, it seems that Oksana was familiar with the concept of rules. He felt his shoulders sag in relief and the agouti male nodded his head as she repeated the word. Lorcan tilted his head curiously at the mention of Risaela and then again in the opposite direction as she tried to formulate her question. The father licked his muzzle anxiously. How was he going to answer this one without breaking her tiny heart? After a long pause he finally said something. “Risaela is a pup, so she is allowed but for adults it is different. Only mates can sleep in the same den together. Me and your mother are only friends.” He explained a little awkwardly, before adding. “It’s something you’ll learn about when you’re older, Sana.” He promised with a smile.

Lorcan noticed how his daughter kept glimpsing over to the den exit and he had a good idea why. Oksana had always been attached to Inna and never enjoyed her being away for too long. “Yes, I am sure she will be back very soon, don’t worry.” He said calmly, trying to put the pup at ease. Still, it was comforting to know that Oksana also valued his presence, which she later expressed when they spoke about his recent absence. “Yes, of course. You can’t get rid of me that easily.” He laughed, pressing his nose into the soft fur of her stomach in an attempt to make her giggle.

The male listened to carefully as Oksana did her best to explain to him about the adventure she and @Risaela had gone on. He kept quiet, allowing her the time she needed to string her words together in order to communicate with him. His daughter seemed confident that what she had done was fine and that she would always make it back home, but Lorcan made sure to try and explain to her how bad the outcome could have been if things had gone differently. “I’m sad because I don’t want you to get hurt or to go away.” He said calmly to try and make her understand. It seemed to pay off as the dark pup finally promised not to go on adventures alone. “Thank you, Sana.”

However, unsurprisingly, she made sure to let her thoughts be known to him. The father sighed. “I want you to have fun, Sana, just not without an adult around.” He explained, before adding. “If you and Risaela want to go exploring again, ask me and I will take you okay?” It would serve as a good compromise. With the issue sorted, Lorcan proceeded to tuck @Oksana comfortably into the warmth of his fur in an attempt to settle her and lull her to sleep. Giving a final nod at her request, the father placed a gentle kiss upon his daughter’s crown before settling his head down – just to rest his eyes – whilst he waited for Inna to return. “Good night, Sana.” He whispered.

She'd gotten her way and he had told her more on the she had not liked what she had heard about being sick. She made it clear she did not want to be sick and told him that he had to keep her not sick. Oksana smiled when he told her that he would try to keep her not sick and make her better if she did get sick. <,B>“Lorc good care Sana,” she confirmed letting him know she understood. The tiny Baranski brushed her nose against his chin affectionately. She was glad to have Lorc back and she knew her mum would too.

He said that was rules that kept him from staying with them which led to her not understanding why Rissy could stay and he could not. She knew about rule so knew they had to be followed or something bad would happen. Then he went on to explain further about Rissy being a pup and him and adult and only friends with her mum. It made a little more sense and now Sana knew exactly how it could be fixed so that Lorc could stay. She didn't know what mates were but if that was what he had to he to her mum to stay that was the obvious answer. “Be mates,” she stated with a nod. Surely he would see how this would solve everything. It might be something she will understand when she was older but it would solve the problem, “It fix.” He would see it Lorc was smart.

She felt that she had finally gotten through to him about the adventure that her and Rissy had. Her sides heaved with a sigh of satisfaction with herself for finally getting out what she had been trying to say. She was worried about why he was sad though. She licked his chin after he expressed not wanting her to get hurt or go away, “Lorc not worry Sana here.” She was sure that she would always come home to her mum and Lorc unhurt. He would see that she was right and he didn't have to worry about her so much. If it made him feel better to know she told him she wouldn't go out without an adult. “Sana make Lorc happy.”

It was an important question because she didn't know why he was making it so hard for her to have fun. As he spoke though he told her he did want her to have fun, adults we're so confusing for the small pup. “Okay,” she agreed, “Sana ask Lorc next time.” She didn't want him upset with her or sad so she didn't have any choice but to agree. It would make him feel better and her eyes were starting to get heavy and not want to stay open. Nesting in closer to him she eventually let sleep take her but not before she said, “Night Lorc.”

Fade