It was cold, was Serach's first thought as he entered the world. He had no conception of hot or cold, of course, but he knew that this new place was not as warm as where he had come from. And where was his brother? A frightened mew broke the nighttime silence, but immediately the warmth returned as his mother's tongue descended upon him, her large nose urging him towards her breast to nurse. The cold and his brother forgotten, Serach Aesir had nursed happily.

Now Serach had to push his brother out of the way to get to the best spot - the one right beside his mother. And push he did, as much as a two week old wolf cub could push anything. They had grown since then, and where there had only been darkness before now there were murky, ill-defined shapes. The big one was his mother, who he loved most of all. The murky shape who slept and nursed beside him was his brother; truth be told, Serach was glad he'd shown up, otherwise he'd been lonely. And occasionally there was another form, one that plunged everything into darkness. His smell was familiar though and there was something comforting about it. He had decided early on that he liked that murky form, but every time he had stumbled forth on wobbly legs, the sharp nose of his mother had pushed him backwards. Confused mews and high pitched whines always filled the den after that, but she never relented and the murky form remained a mystery back-lit by the sun.

And then one day, his mother hadn't pushed him back. Serach had been practicing his walking, lifting his oversized paws one by one to carry him from his mother to the far wall. It was not a very long distance, but it frustrated him how often he fell. And it hurt. His nose was tender, and every time he face-planted into the dirt, he would lay there and cry out his woes to anyone who would listen before picking himself back up again. So by the time he decided to alter his course and head towards the brightness, he was more practiced on his feet. And when he tripped over his front paw and went toppling to the ground, he only whimpered once before getting back up again. But when he finally reached the bright wall, he found that it was not solid like the other wall had been, and his nose slipped right out.

His puppy tail wagging in excitement, Serach Aesir plunged nose-first into the world - and promptly began to cry. "ROOOO!!!" Recoiling, he fell back on his rump, pushing his muzzle into the ground. It burned. Oh golly did it burn.

Gone Tomorrow

They had grown, just as Corinna had known they would. But for over two weeks she had kept them contained in their safe haven, pushing them back whenever they strayed too close to the entrance to the den. They played alongside her, wrestling and grappling with one another. Serach had taken to pacing, flopping onto his face near every step he took as he struggled to get used to his tiny legs. But just like the two newborns beside her, the she-wolf was growing anxious. It had been so long since she had been able to stretch her legs properly, and her tongue was covered in puppy hair and dying of thirst. So when Ice had visited her, she told him that it was time - tomorrow she would both introduce her cubs to the pack and reclaim her freedom.

Or maybe they wouldn't. Gray ears perked atop Cori's head as Serach stumbled towards the entrance. She had not stopped him this time, willing him to go into the world so she could follow right behind. But his angry and hurtful cries filled the den, and he recoiled from the light. A frown of concern fell upon her face, and she crawled forward to him, licking the back of his head to comfort him. But she did not draw him backwards, and instead nosed him forward. It was his eyes, she was sure - the sudden shock to his visual sense had startled his puppy brain, which had yet to recognize the son and its light.

But this was no time for fear. Twisting her head around she reached back, muzzle searching for Sceral, to push him towards his brother. "It's time to see the world, little ones," she cooed at them, hoping that the sound of her voice would ease their anxiety, even if the words themselves did not. Stepping over the blinded cub, Corinna pushed into the world, her own eyes momentarily useless as they too adjusted to the light. But they did much quicker than her sons', and in no time at all, she was stepping away from them, out onto the sward of hillside where their den had been dug. Tail wagging eagerly as she breathed in her first breath of air, her howl erupted on the exhale - short and direct. It was time, she sang, it is time to meet them.

With his butt wag cut short, he almost decided against it. He’d been in this den all his life, which had been very long in his baby opinion, and knew it was safe. Luckily, his mother gently directed him towards where Serach was now trying to burrow his face into to floor. If mum thought it was okay then surely it was safe? With his adventurer’s spirit reignited, the pup wasted no time in getting out into the big world. Perhaps, if he had paid more attention to his brother’s reaction, Sceral wouldn’t also have been startled but the sudden burst of light. Ouch! Eye Burn! He cried out (much similar to his brother), paws flying up comically as if to block the light, and fell into the ground, far too weak to even attempt standing on his hind legs. At least it was dark under his feetsies.

Then mummy made a noise that he hadn’t heard her make before. What was that?! Lifting a paw and blinking furiously into the Eye Burn, bright light started to fade somewhat, things started to take shape. His young brain’s cogs were turning like crazy as he attempted to understand what was almost materialising in front of his very nose. Big World was Huge! Still blinking as he stomped forwards, very much ungracefully and with a strong desire to show his mum that he wasn't scared or in pain, Sceral pulled his paw back at the strange feeling under his foot. What was this? It was pokey and wiggled. He shoved his nose into the Floor Fur and inhaled deeply before pulling away with a childish giggle; it tickled! Squinted eyes and butt wagging continuing, he toppled towards Serach and yipped over and over as his tiny mouth opened to grab onto his brother’s ear. Come see, come see! Pokey Stuff, Seeeerach! Come see! Suddenly looking like a Big Wolf didn't matter. Sceral wanted to play.