What good is the warmth of summer

• NAIRA AQUILA •

without the cold of winter to give it sweetness?

Once again with the aid of @Mapplethorpe, one of her wayward children had been returned to the Pass with minimal harm, and in good time too. From her position towards the back of the den, surrounded by sleeping forms she could already see what magic had occurred during the night. The now usual thin layer of frost that coated the ground of the Pass well into the morning had vanished beneath a powdery coating of snow. For weeks the white blanket had been inching down from the mountain peak and finally it had arrived. Winter had well and truly set in on the Mountain.

Turning to bury her nose in the fur of Mapplethorpe’s neck she gave a gentle nudge before moving to the entrance of the cave they had claimed. She bought herself to a seat, leaving the virgin snow unblemished. This was a small wonder she wished to share with her daughters and Mercy before paw prints churned up the glittering blanket.

Light snow continued to fall from the clouds as she turned her eyes back to the darkness behind her. “@Nova, @Aponi, time to wake up. You too @Mercy.” She knew her beckoning tone would wake @Sagacity as well - after all, she deserved to share this as much as she did.

While she waited for the children to rouse she breathed in deeply, the fresh crispness of the air soothing some of her mounting paranoia. Soon it would be too difficult for anyone to travel too far from home, and hopefully that would be enough to keep them safe from the dark cloud she could sense looming just over the horizon.

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As a light sleeper, the departure or arrival of a new figure often brought Sagacity back to wakefulness, even in the dead of sleep. Few nights passed without one or another wolf coming or going in the dark, and in general, she watched them come and go with one, half-opened eye before going back to sleep. She knew better than to stir even when her own son stole off into the darkness- though she did make a point of rising earlier on those days so he couldn't get too far, nor could his trail go stale. She wanted to make sure he wasn't getting into anything he shouldn't, and that he wasn't going too far.

A quit sort of acceptance had fallen between the two- she didn't confront him on anything she believed would provoke an argument or the cold shoulder. Instead, she asked him about his skills- about what he hunted, what he smelled along the borders, what he and Crowe did- things which interested him and generally put him in a better mood. He particularly liked to talk about hunting and she continued to make a point of telling him he ought to pursue the duty once he was old enough.

When Naira moved to the front of the den, one of Sagacity's eyes slid open. She stretched, spreading her toes apart and licking her jaws as she yawned. She spoke to her own children, and Sagacity was prepared to leave the alpha female to whatever she had planned for her family until she asked for Mercy too. The boy didn't stir immediately, so Sagacity chuckled and reached over the nip at one of his ears...And then the other. She lifted her head to avoid any retaliation and felt his teeth graze her lower jaw- he'd only just missed. She chuckled again and said "Go on," and rolled over onto her stomach, ears perked- if Naira wanted or needed her, she was now alert and ready, otherwise she'd stay and allow Naira to take the pups out for whatever she wanted them for.

Mornings. They weren't Mercy's best time of day, though he wasn't necessarily grumpy when he first woke up. On the contrary- he seemed less inclined to be moody when it was early in the day and he hadn't committed to any plans, though he did find it hard to make himself get up when he'd rather sleep in longer and enjoy the warmth of the communal den. The cold did not encourage him to take advantage of the early hours, which were becoming darker and darker...If anything, nature told him to sleep longer and stay in later.

But nurture had different plans. He didn't hear Naira's voice- the boy slept like a rock, unlike his mother- and continued to snooze with his back against his mother's. This was much closer than they'd been two weeks ago, but he now enjoyed sleeping by her side- not necessarily cuddling, but close enough that he could still enjoy the warmth her coat produced. He flicked one ear when it was nipped and in his dream, where it was summer, he envisioned a fly was bothering him. When the feeling happened to the other ear, he instinctively lifted his head and snapped his teeth together- a knee-jerk reaction reserved for flies, and he felt somewhat guilty when he realized he'd actually just snapped at his mother. She laughed, though, and he shook his head to wake himself up. She seemed wide awake and could've kicked his arse for having tried to bite her, but she seemed to understand that he hadn't been completely awake.

As an apology he pressed his cheek against her neck as he rolled over onto his stomach and stretched, gazing out to the front of the den and squinting slightly as he made out Naira's form through the fog of morning-eyes. He yawned and licked his lips, straightening slightly, but still allowing his mid-section to droop to the ground, a sure sign that he was still sleepy and passive. He moved out toward Naira with heavy but quiet steps and stretched once more, shaking to fluff out his coat against the cold air that came in from the outside, and affectionately pressed his side against hers, like a cat might to do a favoured master, and lifted his head to nibble the underside of her chin. Perhaps it was a bit friendlier a greeting than he would have normally used, but the boy tended to be extra sooky in the mornings and more capable of being affectionate when he was still drowsy. He sat close by her side and gazed over his shoulder to see if Nova too had awakened from her slumber to join them.