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.