She had wandered from the densite with a specific goal; bring back something for the kids to nibble on for lunch, and the handful of caches the small group maintained were her first choice to see it completed. With the troubling disappearance of Merys, their stores had grown much slimmer, and regretfully, it drove the Matriarch and her group further from their brood in search of sustenance. Today though, she was in luck, and there would be no such excursions. The partial chest and back leg of a young elk were waiting for her, just where they had been left. A few fleshy ribs were wrestled from their attachments and vigorously shaken of dirt; the rest re-buried and tamped down. It had been quite the fortunate catch, and the meat on it was dwindling swiftly. The three puppies demanded more and more food nowadays, but at least they would be chasing rodents someday soon, if the Asurn litters were anything to go by. 

Raela was nearly back when the soft but jubilant calls of her only son pricked her orange ears on end. He was right by then den, the good lad, but as she drew nearer it dawned on the matriarch that while Ryker seemed to be murmuring something about a story, his voice wasn't facing her way. She strode out of the cover of their namesake fir trees behind him, at last finding her ruddy-colored youngster staring mournfully at a rock. Her ears drifted slowly back, and she set the rack of ribs on the ground. "I'm over here honey," she called softly, watching his form for a reaction. Her suspicions rose up, unwelcome as they were. She had noticed the child's clumsy movements, how his eyes refused to change even as Lucia and Aleris developed more obviously gold and green hues. That something might be wrong was an idea she dreaded to consider, but it was not the first time he had mistaken someone for something else altogether. She had clung to hopes that he might be like Gent, with icy, perfect eyes. She knew the associations though, of course. Asurns were well aware that blue and even green eyes could sometimes be points of weakness, however warped their definition of it might be. Ryker's eyes were the deepest sky blue, the worst as far as they were concerned – and he wasn't acting perfectly fine. 

It was hard to hide the tiny hint of worry on her face. 

The sight of his sudden unbridled joy at seeing her did a bit to soothe the mother's concern, and her expression warmed. She saw the little accident coming before it happened, but as she dipped her muzzle down in an attempt to intercept the enthusiastic tyke, the boy stumbled forward. The inevitable squeak made her ears quickly flick back and then forward, concern once more at the front of her mind. She waited for his reaction attentively, thinking the spill couldn't have been too bad but not wanting to assume. The little whimper tugged at her heart, as did his sorrowful face. 

When he requested her affection Raela was ready. "Of course dear," she hummed, reaching her muzzle down toward him and being careful to place any licks on the bridge of his charcoal-colored nose, rather than on the exact spot that he'd injured. That would probably just hurt more. Then the Alphess drew back, glancing up and down the child with her sunshine eyes. Everything else was in order, she hoped. "Is that any better?" The woman inquired, tipping her head slightly to the side. His pure blue eyes were so incredibly beautiful, there was no denying that. Perhaps he only needed more time, perhaps they were just developing slower, but there was a dread in her heart that said that that idea was more of a dream. 

He was such a sweet thing; they all were. A faint, saccharine smile crept across the woman's muzzle as she drew her head back and looked the boy over once more. He stepped, more carefully this time, toward her flank. Raela eased back onto her haunches so the pup had something more to lean against. He was already getting so big, along with the rest of the brood. She hardly had to reach down any more to give them kisses or nuzzles. His fur settled into hers and the Queen replied, "you're welcome sweetie," her tone still low and soothing as she gently touched her nose to the boy's muzzle. 

There was a short silence where she just watched him, ears cupped forward for whatever the child wanted to tell her next. Judging by the look in those brilliant blue eyes there was something he was thinking about. Incidentally, it was his eyes. The words tiptoed out from her son's mouth, almost as if he was as afraid of the answer as she was. The Queen pulled her head back up, golden pools widening a little with the confirmation. He wasn't seeing well, which had been her and Gent's suspicion for a while now. Having never seen clearly, Raela imagined that if it were true, the fact that he was seeing less than he should have would take some time for the boy to realize; either through comparing it to his sisters' claims or those of another adult. Apparently that time of realization had come. 

A soft sigh escaped the Queen's lungs as she glanced into the woods around them. There would be no lying to save him worry, but she couldn't cause undue stress on the child either. When the words hit her tongue, there was no denying that they were partially for Raela herself. "Sometimes it can take a little longer," she began, looking once more at the growing pup pressed to her side. "Yours might change to green soon, but there's no way of knowing yet." There was a fleeting sadness to her voice as she watched those curious, sky-hued eyes. "And you know, the color doesn't always mean one thing or another. I suspect you got those from your father and his family, and his vision turned out fine." The attempted reassurance made her voice rise a bit in pitch as she watched for a reaction. Thinking on it then, it was almost concerning how much this blue was like that of Ryker's wicked aunt Vitani. Her notched ear flicked once with the painful memory. That was one relative she wasn't eager to bring up; one of many, not the least of which was the man whom her son so otherwise resembled.

And then a real smile emerged onto Raela's ivory muzzle, and she lowered her head back to him. "You really do have beautiful eyes though Ryker," she added, sincerity soaking her low, quiet tone.