Round Stone Crest water's deep but blood is thicker

It was still dark when something woke Ari from her nap, blue eyes opening slowly. She peered around the den blearily, stretching her paws out in front as she wriggled against her brothers. Frustrating as they could be, there was no denying that sleeping in a pile was definitely the most comfortable arrangement. Draven and Kino were warm, and soft, and once the trio finally got comfortable, the female found it to be quite agreeable. Just now, however, she wasn't feeling terribly sleepy. With her mother resting, and siblings still snoozing, it seemed a perfect time to go explore.

Except – she'd never gone out with only the moon to guide her before.

Deciding she didn't want to be completely alone, the female swiveled around and grabbed on to a silver ear. Knowing Kino to go exploring as often as she did, the cub tugged on his ear gently before letting go, trying to urge him awake with a soft, low whine. She wanted to go outside, and she wanted her brother to come with her. If they were together, maybe they could find something really exciting – and who knew, if it was dark, maybe no one would notice they'd gone off exploring! It was always the adults who spoiled their fun, and Ari was eager to get a little further into the territory of the Round Stone Crest pack before her mother or brother picked her up by the scruff and deposited her back in the nest their dam had made for them.

Impatient, Ari shoved her nose against Kino's muzzle again, crooning more insistently as she tried to engage him to play.

Tiny yips filled the den as the young silver pelted Lagina dreamed, dreamed of the outside world he had become so fond of. His vision had become better, though not perfect quite yet, and this meant that he could see more things. He had been able to see strange flying animals darting through the air, his ears having lifted to be able to hear their only slightly muffled songs. That is what he dreamed of, being able to fly among them. It was a strange thing, and he did not truly wish to be able to fly. It was simply a curiosity, a part of his imagination that went wild. No, the young boy, in truth, was happy to have his paws planted firmly on the ground. It would only be when he got older than he would discover the joys he would feel in running, which would indeed feel just like flying.

A cold, wet nose pressed into his cheek which he chose to ignore. It wasn’t an uncommon occurrence when the trio slept that they would roll into each other, pressing against one another for warmth or just out of unconsciousness. It wasn’t until he felt sharp teeth latch onto his ear that he bothered to open his eyes, a whine escaping his lips as he lifted a paw to bat at his siblings muzzle in an attempt to knock her off. She seemed to agree, releasing her hold and allowing him to roll open and blink his hazy, sleepy eyes. His small muzzle opened wide in a big yawn, a groan rolling from his tongue before snapping his jaws shut. His half-mast auds barely twitched toward his sibling, who was still pawing at him with a whine. What could she possibly want? He knew she enjoyed naptime just as much as the rest of them, so why would she choose to wake him? She once again shoved her muzzle against his, crooning for him to engage her in play. Though he was tired, he knew his stubborn sibling wouldn’t stop until he agreed with her wishes. The boy moved his head to nip at her nose, his tongue smearing over her muzzle with amusement for no one liked being covered in saliva.

Finally, finally, the princess managed to rouse their father's doppelganger from his rest. Any protest Kino might have was disregarded – she wanted an adventure, and an adventure they would have. As far as she'd noticed, the youngest of their litter wasn't nearly as adventurous as the other two, and thus Draven was left to his dreams and his forty winks while she urged the middle child onwards. Tiny tail wiggling, she crawled forward, only to have her snout covered in slobber. Were she not so intent on sneaking out without waking their mother (and thus, spoiling any possible excursion they might have had), the pup would have cried until their dam awoke to scold him.

As it were, she whimpered softly, raising a forearm to wipe the disgusting saliva off. When she couldn't reach, her silvery sibling was taken as a handkerchief, wiping her snout upon his back before she finally set about communicating her plan. Words were still a bit beyond them, though it would be in the not so distant future that their playful puppy babbling would become snippets and bits of their mother and father's language.

For now, though, she only began to pad forward towards the entrance to the world, pausing only to glance over her shoulder and cast her eyes back on Kino. It would be no fun if he stayed behind to sleep – what would she do then, without a partner in crime? Ari gave a soft squeak, her tail thrashing behind her like a thin whip. "Knnnn?"

What could only be portrayed as amusement showed on the boy’s face as his siblings looked at him in disgust, slobber covering her maw. Her admired his handy work as she fought to wipe it off her face, raising a paw to bat at her ears before she suddenly went forward to wipe his spit off on him. He gave a small yelp as he darted to the side, glaring at her for giving him a taste of his own medicine. However, he wasn’t really mad. If he’d been mad, she’d likely be down an ear at that moment. He gave his pelt a shake to rid it of the awkward mushed down feeling that came with being wet. The sensation, he’d found, was not pleasant and especially not when their mother gave them a bath. Her tongue would wipe over them with greater surface area and leave him feeling downright weird. No, he, much like other boys, preferred to simply stay dirty instead of having to go through the embarrassment and annoyance of a bath by mom.

The prince was surprised when his sister didn’t come at him, as she normally would have in any other situation. In all honesty, he was surprised she hadn’t bitten his muzzle off as soon as he’d licked her. She wasn’t one to take he or Draven’s crap, and if they did something to her one could bet that she would retaliate. He’d learn soon enough to just leave her be unless he really wanted some amusement or something of the like, just as he’d learn more of his fascination with the world around them and with being alone. Until then, he was content to goof around with his sibling and follow after. Which was exactly what he did as he followed her the way she was going, toward the familiar light out of the den that led to the outside world. He was more than willing to go with her, their mutual excitement about the world to aid her in exploring. Plus, he felt an unrecognized duty within him to protect his sister even though she was older than him. She was still a girl, and thus meant that she needed a male to protect her. At least, that’s what instinct told him. So, her followed her lead into the open then waited to see what she wanted to do once they got there.

She got her way. She always got her way. When she was hungry, Minka made sure she had something to eat. When she was cold, she had her siblings to cuddle up with. When she was bored, it seemed Gent and Raela were willing to play outside in the sunshine with her. The world was an interesting, fascinating place, and so far, no one had been able to tell Marianna 'no'. While it was unlikely the holophrase was not in the adults' vocabulary, it certainly wasn't in the toddler's, and she wasn't keen on learning it any time soon. Behind her, her silver-crested sibling toddled along. Ears pricked, she offered him a keen smile before exiting the den, footfalls soft as they crept away from their sleeping brother…and sleeping dam.

Waking the alpha would be more problematic – she was likely to corral them back inside for a rest. If she was tired, their playtime outside was limited. But joy of joys! It seemed Kino and Ari were scot-free, able to wander in the pale moonlight as they pleased. The other adults were no where to be seen, either. Scents overloaded her wriggling nose, but not of them belonged to the adults she saw frequently.

With a soft yip, she bowed down like she'd seen Raela do when she started to play with the stick. It was an invitation, her stumpy tail wriggling behind her as she bounced her oversized feet. Kino was out here, but it was no use if he just wandered around like a stick in the mud!

The silver prince saw what his sibling was attempting to do; lead him outside. His ears raised in interest, having finally risen from their closed state. Though they weren’t fully upright they were still at an angle that allowed him better hearing, and it had caused quite a shock when he’d awoken one morning to find his world had been opened just that much more. First his eyesight had been clearing, and now he could hear all these amazing sounds! It had only made his nearly daily explorations that much more exciting! His puppy blue gaze followed his sibling up and out of the opening, her attempts at tip-toing amusing him. She looked rather funny to say the least, with her gangly legs that none of them knew quite yet what to do with. His gaze followed her until his legs began to do the same, moving forward at a leisurely though far from gracefully trot. He offered her a questioning whine, curious as to what they were doing out in the open in the middle of the night. His gaze trailed up to the sky and widened at what he saw.

Never before had the boy seen the moon. He had seen the sun plenty of times, basked in its warmth as if it were his mother’s fur, but the vast glow of its yellow rays were nearly nothing compared to the silver strands that emitted from the large white object in the sky. He knew it wasn’t something like him, and that it wouldn’t reply to any noises or attempts of play he made. The boy had tried that with the yellow ball of light and it had done the same, just sat up in the sky slowly inching its way to the west and ignoring him. Truthfully it was rather rude, for who could ignore the prince? His attention was drawn back to his sibling as she emitted a quiet bark, staring at her quizzically as she bent down into a posture he knew well. It was the same posture that the agouti woman had used and that the large black man had used as well. It meant play, and with the excitement of his new surroundings pumping through his veins he figured he would join in on her fun.

Bowing down into a mirror of her stance he offered a quiet bark of his own, understanding that if they woke up their other sibling or their mother their game would quickly be over. He swatted his paw in the air at her, as if to taunt his sibling. His puppy gaze narrowed and he opened his maw to stick his tongue out at her, mocking her to say “bring it on.”

The moon had not captured Ari the same way its rays had imprisoned her brother. While its soft glow had penetrated their den before, she'd before laid her baby blues upon the celestial body. Even so, its beauty did little for her – the child sought experiences, pleasurable and otherwise, and a quick glance at the floating sphere was enough to sate her for now. It could be observed from their mother's side, or simply by poking a head out of their comfortable home – while they had their hard earned freedom, it was best to take advantage of it.

Unquiet, she gave another soft, breathy bark, and this time was rewarded with Kino's attention. To her delight, the middle child caught on quickly reflecting her play bow before offering a challenge of his own. When the silvery pup did not barrel forward, the princess was happy to take up the charge, bumbling towards him with all the speed her chunky body and over-large paws could muster. Eyes sparkling, she thrust her weight into her friend, born of the same blood, and happily nipped at his scruff.

All play was lighthearted and loving – the russet pup had no reason to have nothing less than adoration for the male who joined her at her mother's teat, curled up against her side for soft sleep and pleasant dreams, and happily accompanied when her curiosity demanded an adventure. Yipping again, Marianna grabbed him by the top of his scruff, trying to tackle him to the earth as she wrestled joyfully.

His quick compliance to his sibling’s wishes seemed to make her quite excited, a puppyish grin adorning the young silver prince’s maw as she gave an excited wiggle. He was unsurprised when she made the first move, barreling toward him in an ungraceful but practical manor to bowl him over. Kino didn’t need to pretend to be taken over by his elder sibling, her bulkier build and weight did that for her. He toppled over, driven to the ground by the tawny pup and he gave a quiet yelp. She nibbled at his scruff, not hard enough to hurt but enough that he felt it actually tickled. A laugh built its way up his throat as he wiggled his way around, raising his hind legs to kick her off of him. However, just as he was standing up and thinking of the prospect of getting true footing he was once again thrown to the ground as she grasped a much firmer hold on the roomy skin on the back of his neck. This time he was really surprised, and it showed in his louder squeal. He wiggled like a worm, his only main protective system when it came to these fights with his siblings. The boy hoped to wiggle out of her grasp, and half the time it worked. She might have been bigger, but that just meant she was a tad clumsier and less agile than he. He kept squirming and squirming like a willy worm, attempting to break free of her clutches until he would finally succeed.

Her plan had worked! As far as Marianna had planned out the charge in the first place, that was. Bumbling into her brother, they both toppled downwards in a heap of uncoordinated limbs and chubby bodies. She landed on top of her younger brother, much to her delight and her advantage, but the silver specter did not take this lying down. (Nor did she expect him to – that was not the Lagina way!)

As he began to rabbit kick her middle, the princess squirmed unhappily, trying to get away from his toes and tiny claws. It didn't hurt so much as it itched her, and that was not a sensation the child particularly enjoyed. Just as she was beginning to slide away and Kino find his feet back underneath his torso, she managed to get a much firmer hold on the boy's ruff, not unlike their mother would grab them when they'd wandered too far from their den without supervision. (Which was getting much easier, by the way, when Kino and Ari often wandered in two different directions. While not yet conspiring, they might consider it in the future – the unplanned plan had been working so far!)

The squeal the princess was met with was almost enough to let her go in the first place, and her brother took advantage of the breath lapse as she began to squirm. Giving a bark of protest, she stumbled after him, trying her best to hang on…but a few seconds later found the princess free again, Ari toddling after him as her sides heaved. The game had been fun – but the toddler found herself a bit tired now, glancing over her shoulder towards their den before giving her littermate a meaningful look.

Should they return, before they were caught?