It had been a week since her brood had been born, and already they seemed to be growing like weeds to her. Their little pelts had grown into a fluffy, unruly mess that she’d found herself constantly taming and her belly was sore from all their suckling. Cernan was always the hungriest of them all, and despite being the youngest he was definitely the largest of the three. Aleister scarcely put up a fuss, except when it came to feeding. He seemed to be sure to make sure he got the best seat, going as far as to shove his siblings out of the way to acquire it. While his youngest brother didn’t put up much of a fuss as long as he got to eat, Neha had seemed to turn into quite the diva. Indignant squeaks were given when she was pushed out of the way, her high pitched mewling never stopping until she was placed directly to her food as if being served. She was the only of the trip to enjoy being cleaned, her pale fur fluffiest of them all. Already she could see each of their unique personalities showing through, and she only loved them more for it.

The pack had been tedious in their care for her and their heirs, which she was immensely grateful for. Meals were respectfully set outside the den for her to eat to keep up her nutritious milk, and she was slowly gaining back some weight now that she could keep down her own food. All the children were healthy as a horse and everything was going smoothly, much to her pleasure. At the moment, they were peacefully sleeping. They, of course, slept most of the time being children but rarely would they ever settle into a really peaceful sleep. It was because of this that she refused to make any move that would disrupt them and awaken them. It was her first moment of silence in a week, and she had almost settled down for a nap herself when pawsteps could be heard outside of the den.

A wide yawn parted her maw and she blinked tired mismatched eyes, turning her attention to the mouth of the den. There, she saw familiar red tawny legs drop an impressive catch for the girl. A rather plump looking mallard. A small smile curled onto the queen’s maw at her friend’s quick progress from where she’d first started. Desideria had been there nearly as much as her husband had, making sure she had all the food and supplies that she needed. Between the pair she was almost never left alone, of course for this she was grateful as well. The scout-in-training had kept her informed on her progress in her training, and she’d done what she could to help out. Explaining to her what she knew of pack laws, how to read body language from others, and little bits of conversation that would help her. Namid loved to teach, as had been her profession in Whisper Caverns though she hadn’t been there long. She loved knowledge, something she hoped to pass down to her children. To her, it was a gateway into something greater.

Her subordinates words brought her out of her thoughts, returning her to the present. “Come in, but be quiet. The children are sleeping and I cannot be bothered to move lest I wake them and create a mess for all of us,” she chuckled quietly, moving as gently as she could to make more room for the incoming guest. She nudged the cubs back toward the warmth of her belly, wincing as Neha gave a small grunt before settling down. A sigh of relief left her maw as she successfully kept them asleep, offering a lick to each of their heads before curling her tail softly against them.

Namid could practically see her friend jumping with joy at her admission to the den, and likely she should be. Namid had yet to allow anyone inside the den other than Vespertio, the siblings having no need to come around anymore unless someone became sick or injured. That situation had not arisen, however, so they were not to be within the den. Her youths were still young, just a little over a week old, and still very vulnerable. Their eyes had yet to open, though she suspected they would soon and then they would be all over the place. They would be taking their first little toddling steps, a sight that she couldn’t wait to see. But for the moment they were still content to stay curled against her stomach where she could keep them safe and in her line of sight.

Her mismatched gaze settled on the tawny female as she entered, crawling forward on her belly with her posture in a respectful position and a respectful distance from the mother and her brood. Namid greatly appreciated this, and she gave the woman a thankful smile. Sometimes, it was easy to forget that Des was older than the pale queen. She had such energy, such a childlike glee within her that she seemed to be a wolf half her age. In all honesty, she reminded Namid of herself no more than a year before. How time changed one’s soul, as it had changed hers into someone wise beyond her years. She reached forward to grasp the bird within her teeth and draw it toward her, careful to keep her body still as she did so. Carefully she plucked some of the down and feathers from its body, holding it steady with a paw and placing the softer parts to the side of her. Already the floor of the den was soft and cushioned like a bed of flowers, but now that the children were born she’d need more to change out the bedding that they soiled. Being so young they didn’t know and couldn’t go outside of the den to use the restroom, so they simply went within the confines. To keep it clean she replaced the bedding often, requesting to her mate and whoever else that they bring her the feathers and down of birds they captured or the pelts of animals if they could manage. Somehow the white pelt of the hare that their second, Anthem, had brought had managed to escape any body fluids and was left in proper condition for them to use hopefully for a long time. Perhaps, if it stayed the way it was, she would keep it to use in the den that her and Vespertio shared when she moved the children out of the birthing den.

"They're beautiful, and three of them, too. So big and healthy. You must be very proud." her subordinate admonished and the Star Dancer couldn’t help but lift her chin in pride at her brood. Indeed, they were the picture of health. None were too scrawny and perhaps only Cernan a bit on the chubbier side. However, she would rather him chubby than skinny any day. When she asked for their names, Namid’s gaze traveled down to their bodies. “This is Neha,” she began, gently hovering her muzzle over the frame of the pale pelted young girl happily nestled between her brothers. “This is Aleister,” she continued, trailing it to the slightly darker boy to the princess’s right. “And this this is Cernan, the chunk of them all.” she mused affectionately, her voice a wisp of a whisper as she brought her maw sweeping across them all to rest above the mixture of both her and Vespertio. The love she held for the trio was evident in her shining gaze, a soft smile gracing her features as she looked down at them.

Namid once again bent her head to sink her teeth into the flesh of the duck, happily chewing and swallowing the meat that she was finally able to keep down. It truly was a blessing that she was able to finally eat like she was supposed to, having gone through so much through with her digestion when she was pregnant with the little ones. That, of course, was still all in the past but still an unpleasant reminder as she continued to pluck the bird and chew the bits of naked flesh that lay beneath the feathery exterior. Her mismatched gaze lifted to give her friend her attention as she began to speak, blowing a feather from the corner of her lip with a sheepish look on her face at the action. Her eyes traveled to the middle child, her less problematic one of the bunch and certainly the quietest. She sensed strength from the boy, even in his brief life. He had, indeed, inherited much of his father’s pelt and markings and one could go as far as to say that Aleister was perhaps a ‘mini-me’ of his sire. Certainly he was handsome, she could only hope that he wouldn’t try his best to use it to his ability as he grew older. However, if he was anything like Vespertio he certainly would. Ah, trouble could be brewing in her future…as long as she wasn’t a grandmother by the time she was 5.

Her attention was again captured by Desideria as she began speaking again, her posture telling her she had the floor to speak. "I'm glad to see you and your babies are all so well. I've been patrolling the territory – and around the lake, as well. I'm not…quite sure who to ask, to continue my training though, you know?" she said, and Namid tilted her head in question to the last bit of the sentence. It would take a while for the woman to reach the goal she wanted to achieve, she hoped she knew that. It wouldn’t come within a day, or weeks, or possibly even a few months. While Namid trusted her, as was shown with her allowance into the den, her husband would have to have the final say. “If you seek more to do with your time to better your training, perhaps you should meet with Vespertio to discuss with him properly your plans and aspirations. I will speak with him myself to vouch for you, but you will need to show him that you are a worthy member. Show him that you are someone he may trust with valuable information that must be carried from pack to pack like a ghost. I do warn you, though, that he will not be as easily persuaded as I. You have done well to prove yourself in my eyes, show him that in his as well. He will likely give you a task or two to do to show that you mean what you say. If you do meet with him, come back and tell me how it went! I would like to be kept informed on what happens within the pack.”

A simple “Oh” was given in immediate reply to the queen’s answer, and a slight frown marred her maw. She had discovered that her friend wasn’t too apt at making friends other than herself and the man called Kajika. It confused Namid, for to her Desidera was a wonderful woman and a loyal subordinate. Sure, she was rather opinionated at times but that was what the silver woman liked so much about her. She was gentle in her reason, but firm in her opinions which would make her a good advisor. Perhaps, if she wasn’t able to go through with being a scout, she could suggest that role to the red tawny woman. Namid simply nodded when Des continued, seeming that she had unintentionally hit a nerve of some kind. That had been the last thing she had intended to do, and she would be sure to apologize for it. The Star Dancer wasn’t so proud as to not admit her faults, which was what seemed to separate her from other leaders. It seemed, though, that she seemed to agree with the pale woman’s suggestion though it was begrudgingly. She agreed to tell her how it went, and suggested that perhaps they train when the pups were of age.

“Of course, I would love to help you when the time comes. I will have to get out and stretch these bones at some point, and when I do I will call for you,” She chuckled, stalling her laughter as Cernan gave a squeak. She winced and lowered her head to give soothing lick that trailed from his head down his body, the warmth seeming to lull him back into his slumber. Her thoughts drifted back to her friend’s discomfort, and she couldn’t help but ask with worry, “Have you made any other friends within the pack?”