Hollowheart Keep aut viam inveniam aut faciam

for @Asphodel, Hemlock and @Mapplethorpe

The afternoon knows

• NAIRA •

what the morning never suspected

Never before had it taken her quite this long to recover from giving birth. There was an ache in her spine, an awkwardness to her stomach that made it feel like her organs hadn’t quite settled back into place, her hips felt wide and displaced, and when she walked there was an cumbersome sway in her steps as though her rear legs couldn’t quite keep up with her front. No longer in her prime, and having had far from an easy life, her body was betraying her.

She supposed that she could call for @Nova, leave the now yearling in charge of the pups while she took a turn about the borders, for surely it would be movement that would remedy her ails. But once she finally found her way to her feet, all thoughts of moving more than the few steps it took to get outside of her den were gone as she flopped heavily to the forest floor. The meager sunlight that managed to fight its way through the thick canopy finding a way to warm and ease her aches and pains. Just a few more days... she silently promised herself. She was sure all would come good in just a few more days.

She had lost track of how many days or weeks had passed since their birth. Surely they should have made the move back to the main den weeks ago but she just hadn’t been up to the short trek, and while the birthing den was small, it was cosy and secluded. She wasn’t sure she could tolerate others just yet with such an ache in her bones and the fuzzy exhaustion that came with lack of sleep eating away at her limited tolerance... but the move would need to come sooner or later.

Laying her head down on her paws, she watched the den entrance with half lidded eyes. She had such beautiful children, and she would not begrudge them their own time in the sun... so long as they behaved and didn’t wander too far she was happy for them to join her. A small chuff of encouragement was offered in their direction to let them know that all was safe and well. They could come out if they so wished.

template base by GINNYSAURUS | image by GREY

Are other HK members able to post as well?

The den had grown colder...less comfortable. Something was missing, something necessary for life. Nestled against the far wall of the birthing den, with her brother wrapped around her fragile body, Asphodel lay half awake while she tried to figure out what was missing. Her body remained still, her breathing deep and regular as her brain half-heartedly investigated the problem. It was too confusing...too...uh...What? Asphodel jerked awake, unable to remember what she had been thinking about, and immediately missed her mother's comforting presence. The tiny puppy lurched to her paws and searched frantically for the missing queen. Without second thought she opened her mouth wide, revealing shining white milk teeth, and howled long and loud. "MoooooooOOOOOOOooOOOOoooooooom!"

An answer came immediately in the form of an encouraging chuff from just outside the den entrance. Asphodel wasted no time in scrabbling her way towards the sound, yelping every time her paws slipped out from under her chubby body and her rump thudded on the floor. Fortunately for her and her short legs the den was small and the journey out into the open didn't take too long or cost too many annoying stumbles. Every day the child's coordination and stamina improved as she mastered the workings of her joints and discovered her center of gravity. Mock battles with her brother had become more realistic and flowed, rather than a messy combination of wrestling and biting accompanied by screamed complaints and high-pitched growls that were meant to sound aggressive. Of the two siblings Asphodel had proven to be the more athletic and adventurous one, but also far more careless. A majority of the trouble they got into was caused by her thoughtless actions. By some incredible luck, both puppies were still alive.

Asphodel didn't hesitate before shooting out of the den into the filtered sunlight even though the brightness of the outdoors blinded her. Following her sense of smell she made her way towards Naira and aimed just perfectly to bump into her mother's nose. A joyful smile brightened the face of the young princess upon finding her mum only to be twisted by a comical expression that was supposed to replicate her mother's when she scolded Asphodel or Hemlock. "Bad!" Asphodel kept her eyes on Naira's, hoping to get the point across, before bounding away to frolic through the nearby undergrowth.

(This post was last modified: Jun 03, 2014, 07:48 PM by Asphodel.)

I'll get another thread up shortly for the rest of the pack, we can skip Naira for a bit now if you'd like (I want to use her RE in the den move).

Although the young boy had been awake when his mother pulled away, he chose instead to stay by his sisters side. If he moved away she would grow cold and while she slept so peacefully he was happiest to look over her. Slightly larger and far more bold, the boy was in awe of his sibling, and when she chose to push him around, even at this tender age, he was careful in the way that he fought back, cautious of doing anything that might cause her to cry out in pain or upset her unnecessarily.

But it would seem his meagre size wasn’t enough to keep the girl content because in an instant she was up and racing towards the ominously bright entrance of the den. The boy took a moment to pause as he followed in her wake, the clearly defined line between the dark safety of the den and the bright and dangerous ‘outside’. A small whine left his chest but his mother continued to make that reassuring sound and his sisters proclamation of ‘Bad’ rung clearly in his ears. Wanting least of all to disappoint her, he bravely stepped forward and into the light.

He hadn’t noticed the way his body shook with tremors in the dark place, but he noticed their absence now the sun beat down on his pelt (muted as it was by the heavy canopy overhead). Bright blue eyes took in his surroundings with obvious awe, the wind teasing his fluffy puppy coat, the way the branches creaked menacingly overhead... but the fear was pushed aside in the presence of his mother. She wouldn’t let any harm come to them, and so he was content to romp along in his sisters wake, never further than a few steps behind.

(This post was last modified: Jun 04, 2014, 02:16 AM by Hemlock.)

The Hollowheart Keep princess had sniffed many a fallen leaf and sufficiently scratched at the dirt in several choice locations before she realized that something vital was missing. Hemlock! The pudgy pup spun around and raced back towards the den which seemed miles away due to her small size, but in reality she had not wandered far from it. Asphodel's paws were a blur, carrying her at top speed towards her brother. Her gait was rather inefficient but it worked for the child, excluding the few occasions when she stumbled and plopped to the ground. It was happening less and less now, and it was easy to regain her footing when it did. Her world was expanding daily as her body grew accustomed to it.

Once she broke through the undergrowth, Asphodel spotted her mother and, at her side, Hemlock. Not slowing down in the least she rocketed towards them, her eyes fiery and her grin full of joy. "Wahooooooo!" Feeling the rhythm of her pace now, stumbling didn't seem possible. But just as she began to slow down her paw was snagged on a branch that tore away a portion of her rightmost front toenail. Needless to say, the girl tumbled to the ground and rolled the rest of the way to her mother all the while wailing in pain. Naira's chest took the brunt of the impact.

"Maaaaaamaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!" she shrieked, lifting her injured paw. "Oooooooooooow!" This was becoming a regular occurrence. Asphodel was slightly hurt daily, and her response was high pitched and inflicted as much pain on others as she was feeling. Her blue eyes demanded sympathy and her tiny body quivered as though in agony.

Asphodel, princess of Hollowheart Keep, had thoroughly taken on the role of drama queen.

(This post was last modified: Jul 21, 2014, 04:37 PM by Asphodel.)