backdated to a week-ish after the birth, traveling to the Vale after the wedding
For Adonis, Yojimbo, Firebright, Prism & Halo ♡
but open to any members of Dawnbreak that would be traveling with them.

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Is this what motherhood was? A never-ending upheaval of expectations, and a continual moving of what she thought her limits to be?

Was it strange to be enamoured with the intensity of it, rather than overwhelmed? Finally, her heart had its purpose, and its soul had found its longing.

Whatever fulfillment the maiden had found in her starry storyteller, she found oceans of depth in the blurry, bleary, baby-blue eyes of her four children. They looked like him; they looked like her. It was mere insanity to look at them, and see an extension of herself.

Of her father.
Of Adonis’s mother.
Their tiny faces were reflections of ancestors neither of them would ever know.

The distance between the rainforest and the north was grand, but made far shorter with the use of the tunnels. Still, whatever rest Euphemia had found amongst the halls of Tianlong was undone with so much movement of her postpartum body –

however, soon her babies would know Frostfang Vale. Their home, secured by their grandmother and grandfather and nurtured in perpetuity by every aunt and uncle one could count. There, they would play with their cousins and make those memories that were so foundational to childhood.

But first, they had to get there.

The new mother blinked against the light of morning. At the moment, they beheld an array of sleeping, curling cubs, – but she knew that her aching paws must take to their accustomed path once more.

At the end of this day, was home. Soon, all would begin to stir. For now, they slept. They looked so peaceful, even Adonis, who was ever-calm anyway; and Euphemia felt a swelling in her chest that was impossible to put into words. It was incomparable to anything she had ever felt before;

so, she steeped in it like they were warm water and she were the herbs for tea. They drew out her essence, and made her more. Quietly, her tongue darted forward to swipe at one of the baby's foreheads.

She would want to remember these moments, all the smells and the tastes and the sensations, in the years to come.

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It had been an adventure, that is for sure! A story to be written among the stars, of great interest to anyone who will listen.

Tianlong had been most hospitable, and their pups were well taken care of by their wonderful mother. Adonis made sure her every need was met. If she wanted something, he did his best to ensure she got it.

Adonis did enjoy the sights of the rainforest land, so different from anywhere he had ever gone. The birds were of many different colors, and the mountains were even shaped differently…he didn’t even know that could be a thing!

But the adventure here had to end. It was time to go back home, to the den they picked out, to where their children will play and grow.

He awoke when Euphemia did, their eyes falling upon the beautiful little bundles. Their little bodies twitched in their sleep, and Adonis felt his tail wagging behind him if he wanted to or not.

”This is the morning we set forth. Tell this one…have you rested fully? This one will not have you journey on tired paws,” he asked, a flash of concern on his molten eyes. Childbirth was no joke, and he was willing to stay as long as she needed. He kissed her upon the forehead before standing, and then nosing each pup gently.

”The little ones seem strong! Their spirits burn brightly already!” he grinned, then lifted his eyes to look outward. ”This one knows that Hexx will aid us upon the journey. Dawnbreak is rich with kindness, and this one is grateful for it.” he said with a bit of a yawn, wondering if Hexx was up and ready for the day ahead too.

Hexx had been awake long before either parent stirred, old habits had made certain of that.

By the time morning began filtering through the trees, the soldier had already inspected the path ahead, and stretched stiffness from old wounds. When voices finally disturbed the quiet behind him, one ear turned toward them before the rest of him followed. Already up, he rumbled.

Hexx remained just outside the space the family shared, a quiet presence while he waited for Euphemia to decide she was ready. He did not crowd the new parents or intrude upon the fragile quiet within, but neither did he stray far. Heavy paws stayed planted near the entrance, his attention turned outward toward the surrounding land more often than inward.

Standing guard came easily to him.

Euphemia was Tiberii's sister, and that alone carried weight but Hexx did not need blood or friendship to justify the responsibility he felt. They were Dawnbreak's own so were the four small lives tucked safely within the den. That was enough.

When Euphemia was ready to move, he would be there to see them home.

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While true awareness of his surroundings is yet to be a development, he's come into the grand ability that is seeing, and this is novel enough to occupy him when eating or grooming or dreaming does not. What a full schedule he has! Now, sense and reasoning are also evasive traits he's not quite able to harness, but this is a fault of his age rather than much else so it's an immense revelation for him when he wakes this time and he feels... not humidity!

Yojimbo's been warm and dew-touched and crankily hot beneath the pile of his siblings, he's never been—cold!

He yawns, twists, and kicks at the soft someone beside him before blinking blearily at who he's come to know as his world: milk-giver, not-milk-giver. "Bah," he yawns, and stretches like that of a lazing feline with his forelimbs tucked and hind limbs sprawled out. "Bah."

Yojimbo curls into himself following this great expression of energy and attempts to return to his busy work of dreaming.

Life had just begun, and Halo did not find much to cry about, aside from when she needed something. Food, attention, warmth...

So perhaps it was often that she did, in fact, cry, but to her, all was well in the world. Her world. Small as it was so far, but it was warm, and it was hers.

For now, she slept, tucked against the belly where milk came, pleased to be still and down amongst bodies just as warm as hers. Noisy, too.

Sounds were just that. Voices from mother and father were gibberish, and the keening sounds beside her blended into her own.

There was one beside her, one she found herself drawn to despite knowing nothing at all. Where he wriggled, she followed. When his nose found her, she did what she could to follow it blindly, squeaking but willingly. When he cried, she joined in. When he slept, she tucked her rounded head against him until she, too, succumbed to slumber beside him.

She is up! The girl of a fire amongst the coals wiggled with excitement…for what? For life! She knew not what was going on, but she was here for it. The little one crawled on her belly, yipping and yapping every now and then for…something! She knew not for.

Firebright enjoyed every sense she had acquired. Smells! She loved the smell of everyone around here. Hearing! She loved the voices of mother and father, and the sounds of the world outside that would bleed in every now and then, like that of the buzzing cicada. And now SIGHT! She can see her parents and her siblings, the one she snuggled with every single day.

She hears the noises of her brother and immediately her little head turns to him. Little paws push her around as she crawls to him, looking to chew on Yojimbo’s ear gently. Mrah she responded, ignorant of the changes that were about to happen to their little world.

skill: 0/5

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Adonis roused and admired their children with her. There were so many moments that they passed together, like this – heads bowed in together, gazing in amazement at the four.

I fear we may have tired paws for years yet to come, she whispered back, placing her attention on the two tiny males of the litter. Euphemia hadn’t realized it until days after the birth, that she had sons. Subconsciously, she had been expecting the same as her own litter – all female.

Despite this, genetic tradition had carried through in the twins, Prism and Halo, so interesting opposite when she and Aurelia were direct replicas. That Firebright was already a handful, like Tiberii and Father. Oh, and having four! Mother had only had litters of four. It was this small wonder that kept a hidden smile just behind her lips.

The maiden had never before felt so connected to her mother.

Not, when she encountered the pink flame, and had fallen in love with Adonis. Especially not when she had decided to attack the chained wolf; no, in that moment, she had learned to be relentless. When she must move her newborns across the continent, she had learned to be focused.

Somewhere along the way, looking at those small puppies ripe and teeming with innocence, Euphemia found it in herself to be soft again.

The mother tipped her nose upward, blinking any final bits of sleep from her eyes. She was glad Hexx had returned to them, and was glad for him now. With the presence of two of Dawnbreak’s most stalwart men, Euphemia felt confident. She felt fortunate. She felt –

Hexx… Thank you, she said in an accidental non-whisper, correcting her tone to something more hushed mid-sentence. She wrinkled her nose at herself, then decided it was time to wake the children anyways. It would only be for a moment, and they were sure to squall, but it must be done!

The travel would lull them to sleep within minutes, anyways.

Spirits bright, children. It’s time for you to meet your Vale, she said in a firmer voice, and pressed her nose against the side of one little round balloon-belly. They would need to eat, and quickly, if they were to make it home before nightfall.

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