Sex: FemaleShe now had two new little siblings she had to look after. The thought made her anxious but at the same time greatly excited. She was no longer the youngest Athesila within Secret Woodlands and Enia could not wait to teach her brothers what she knew. Perhaps Cinaed was just as thrilled to have other males in the family closer to his own age that he could share bondage with. However, when the dark daughter tried to think of exactly what it was she could teach them, she came up short. I've lived so long and what do I even have to show for it. That was not to say that she thought herself old but certainly unaccomplished for being a yearling. With this in mind, she stopped by the cache and grasped a hare within her jaws. Maybe her mother could provide some clarity. The hare firmly grasped within her jaws, Enia made her way to the birthing den, not wanting to disturb her mother, for she was surely exhausted with her two brothers. When she grew near, the young girl shuffled her paws to let her mother know that she was outside of the den. Light brown eyes peered inside, dropping the prey at the mouth of the den. Her voice was soft and hesitant, “Momma, can I talk to you?” She shuffled her paws nervously in front of her. Enia did not want to be a bother but at the same time she wanted to get these thoughts off her chest. |
For a blessed moment, the den was quiet, the twins both asleep, piled one on top of the other. Their mother enjoyed the brief rest, her own eyes closed though she remained alert, expecting that either boy could wake at any time and try to take advantage of her inattention. She wouldn’t sleep without someone else keeping watch, and so that would have to wait until Miccah returned from the borders, to take his evening shift by the den. It was hard work, for both of them, split between leadership and parenthood, and they were both worn. But soon enough it would be over, the puppies in the care of the whole pack, their older siblings especially, and though Aideen longed for that day, she also knew she would miss these peaceful hours, alone with her sons. Footfalls outside drew her attention from these future ponderings, copper eyes flickering open, then narrowing against the afternoon light from the small opening. Her youngest daughter’s soft voice made an ear twitch, brows lifting in surprise. She quickly moved to answer, careful not to jostle the pups as she slipped out of the den, a tired but genuine smile on her face. “Of course dear,” She greeted the black and white girl, planting a soft kiss on her crown once she met her out in the light. Her smallest daughter had grown so much, from the tiny grey thing she had been at birth, and into a beautiful young wolf. The unusual mixture of her parents’ features had given her a unique coat of contrasting markings, framing her delicate face and accentuating gorgeous, light brown eyes, a few shades more golden than Aideen’s own. Pride and love swelled in her chest as she sat down across from the girl, a gentle wag to her tail, the lines of fatigue on her face mostly erased by a bright smile; “What can I do for you, sweetheart?” Word Count: 322 Thoughts "Speech" |
 The girl’s heart instantly warmed at the sight of her mother’s form. Enia returned her mother’s affections happily, glad to be in the presence of her mother once more. Her two brothers took up a bit more of her mother’s time than she thought they would, but the young Athesila girl did not complain. After all, she had been there only a year ago and could understand how important they were to the growth of the pack. Her mother’s devotion to loving them, just as she had loved her, made Enia care for the strong woman all the more. With her tail wagging behind her in pure happiness, she pushed the hare forward, her words soft, "I brought this for you." Settling down in a comfortable position, she thought quietly about how to bring this topic up to her mother. The dark girl did the best she could to provide for the pack but she felt like she was just doing what was needed. I want to be able to do something that momma can ask me to do! And only me. Perhaps her thoughts were selfish but it was something that concerned her, just like possibly having to help her brothers in the future. Taking a deep breathe, she proceeded, "I guess, I just. I don’t know how to explain," she paused for a moment before blurting out, "I want to be able to do something for the pack." For my family. |
Her older children had been such a big help in caring for their new brothers, even Flair had taken her stint sitting by the den and often brought small kills from her many attempts at hunting. And Enia too had not come empty-mouthed, sliding over a plump rabbit with an enthusiastic wave of her tail. Aideen smiled at her daughter and the gift, touching one paw lightly to her stomach; “You’re going to make me fat if you keep this up!” She teased lightly, but her eyes were shining with love and gratitude. The pups were always hungry, and feeding them exhausted their mother’s reserves, leaving her in a similar state. She silently longed for the day when she would be able to hunt for herself again, but at the moment, she was dependent on the continuous gifts from her family and other pack mates. They both took their time settling in the dappled sunlight, shining down through the canopy. Silence stretched then, and Aideen narrowed her eyes, studying her daughter more closely. She really had come a long way from the dark little form that used to follow her around like a shadow. She might have stuck closed to her mother in size, but it was still quite the difference, and it seemed to have happened all at once. Of course that was a silly notion, but especially these past months with her pregnancy and caring for the newborns, Aideen felt like she hadn’t seen much of her youngest daughter; Certainly not enough..! She often felt like she was neglecting her last littler, with all her focus on the new pups. But soon enough they would be old enough to leave the natal den, and she would be able to spend more time with her whole family. And until then, it was moments like these that counted the most. Enia finally gathered her thoughts enough to speak, and Aideen’s thoughts returned to the present, zeroing in on her daughter’s words. The statement took her by surprise, though maybe it shouldn’t have. Her children were all so different, Cináed never seemed to have doubted his place in the pack, filling the role of older brother and protector for his sisters, and moving on to guarding the whole pack as he got older, following in his father’s footsteps. Then there was Flair, wild and egocentric, following her whim and jumping from task to task as she pleased, filling in where it was needed without ever settling on a particular role; And she would certainly never dream of asking for help figuring out what to do. But Nia had. The monochrome girl occupied a strange middle ground between her sibling’s intense personalities. She had never been as sure in her place as her brother, but didn’t act out because of it like her sister. She was a quiet and thoughtful soul, with a big, kind heart. In truth, Aideen had always assumed her youngest daughter would follow in her own tracks; She certainly has the potential! But until now, while the girl had often followed her mother around the territory when she went to collect herbs, it hadn’t evolved beyond a few notes about this or that plant from the medic. She’d figured the girl was still too young to grasp the concepts of healing, or perhaps she simply wasn’t all that interested. She couldn’t deny the small twinge of disappointment she felt at that, but it was her problem and not Enia’s, she certainly wasn’t about to force her own wishes upon the girl. So instead she answered gently, eyes meeting her daughter’s lighter gaze with a solemn expression; “I understand, you’re growing up, you want to find your place in the pack.” Her voice was kind, but with a serious undertone, addressing the yearling like she would any adult member of the pack; “Have you thought of anything specific that might interest you? There are many ways to serve the pack, in with such a small group as ours, we can use it all.” At this she smiled, lightening the severity of the words. Though the Woodlands currently housed only a pawful of wolves, they were loyal and a tightknit family, and Aideen didn’t worry about their numbers. But it did mean that many opportunities were open to the yearlings, and she hoped they would recognize this privilege and take advantage of it. Still smiling, encouragingly, the leader sat back and waited for her subordinate’s answer. She wanted to help Enia achieve any dream she might have, even if it wasn’t what she had personally hoped for the most. Word Count: 769 Thoughts "Speech" |
| "Well," Enia started, a light smile dancing on her lips, "we need t’ take care of you, so you can take care of my brothers!" The yearling’s tail wagged at a higher speed, light brown eyes peering up at her mother in adoration. These were the moments that Enia loved to capture the most, when her mother looked at her like she was the most important old in her life. Of course, in reality, Enia knew that wasn’t true. Her mother had many “most important” wolves in her life, it just made the young girl feel loved and appreciated to know that she was one of them. What Enia also appreciated was when her mother took her words into serious consideration. The dark yearling knew she did this because whenever she was in thought her mother would go silence. It was not uncomfortable and Nia basked in the thought that her mother was thinking over what to say to her – to fix her dilemma. A beaming smile overtook the girl’s features when her mother finally spoke, her head bobbing up and down in confirmation. The girl’s mother understood her and it only reinstated reasons as to why she was such a good matriarch for the Woodlands. Her question, however, left Enia stumped. Dark lips pursed and eyebrows drew together in thought. Anything I’m interesting in? There was one thing, a hidden desire but she was always too afraid to say anything. What if they thought she just wanted to go away? Her father had even asked if she wanted to leave. Enia knew in her heart that it was something she never wanted to do, but she did want to travel. The petite girl cleared her throat, licking the back of her teeth before she finally spoke, "I don’t know, Momma. I guess…I’ve always wanted t’ explore the lands in a way, but I don’t want t’ leave. My heart is with Secret Woodlands," the girl rushed to explain, eyes wide. She didn’t want them to think that she was abandoning them. "I love our family more than anything and I want t'do anything that I can to help out. I just…don’t know what it is." Still confused – perhaps more now – the youngest Athesila daughter let out a deep sigh, her eyes cast towards the ground. |