The world was getting small. Eilidh did enjoy the large figures, mother and father, and the small ones, brother and sister. Words were starting to occasionally make sense and link together in her little mind. The comfort of her mother’s belly was nice, but there was light coming from somewhat else…somewhere she wanted to go to.

Her feet worked now! However, they were not very good at the whole walking thing. As she stood up and put one paw in front of another, she wobbled and fell in the dirt. It did not hurt through, and she got right back up! Her little tongue dangled slightly out of her mouth as she looked rather determined, making more steps towards the light.

”Ba..ba…baaaroooth…” she said, turning her white head touched with brown back to her brother. Her little tail wagged behind her, her eyes bright and curious. She felt she learned from her prior walks, and even though she just tumbled a bit….she was ready! She wanted to see what this light was about, and she she yipped at her brother and sister…they have to understand, right?

With her new found confidence, she turns her head back around. She sees…something out there. What, she had no idea, but she felt this urge to go forward! It was then her little legs went. Sure, it wasn’t pretty. She did not go in a straight line like she imagined. She went way to the left, but with her surprising momentum, her little head popped out of mouth of the den as she plopped on her belly.

It was magic! There were so many colors, and her little eyes stayed open wide as she took in the bright blue sky and big white clouds. Is this where all the light came from? The little pup was in awe!

Unlike his sister, Faolán was perfectly content in the dark coziness of the den. It was where all his favorite people were, where safety lived. Curled against his mother and sister, he felt secure, until Eilidh began her wobbly adventure. He watched her suspiciously as she toddled, tumbling down and scrambling back up again. But then she started heading toward The Light, and unease prickled through him. He didn’t know what was out there, and he had no desire to find out.

Except… Eilidh vanished. The Light had taken her!

A string of panicked yips burst from him as he scrambled to his paws, stumbling over himself in a frantic mess. His sister! Slow though he was, he babbled desperately to his mother as he went. Maaa… baba… da… Didn’t they see what was happening?!

Nearer the den’s entrance, his cries turned into soft, fearful whimpers, terror knotting his little chest. But forward he pressed until, at last, his head popped out beside Eilidh’s.

He froze, overwhelmed, shock, horror, awe flooding him all at once. The world beyond was so bright! Strange sounds filled the air, ones he had never heard before. And yet, despite his fear, his little tail began to wag eagerly behind him.

[today was a very important one for the pups. lestan could scarce believe how fast they had grown, even if he had seen it once before. eilidh led the babyish charge, toddling her way to the yawning den and its spill of sunlight beyond. little faolan followed, though the mayfair had come to see that their son was developing a more cautious personality. creeping behind them, lestan brought saorlaith forward so that soon a trio of heads gazed out of doors. a b-beautiful day for it, their father commented quietly. his earthen ears were lifted, wondering which of them would be the most daring on their first full leave from the den. in equal parts was his heart filled with love and with a bit of sorrow for their quick flight upward.]

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cameo! <3

today was a very important one for the pups. lestan could scarce believe how fast they had grown, even if he had seen it once before. eilidh led the babyish charge, toddling her way to the yawning den and its spill of sunlight beyond. little faolan followed, though the mayfair had come to see that their son was developing a more cautious personality.
creeping behind them, lestan brought saorlaith forward so that soon a trio of heads gazed out of doors.
a b-beautiful day for it, their father commented quietly. his earthen ears were lifted, wondering which of them would be the most daring on their first full leave from the den. in equal parts was his heart filled with love and with a bit of sorrow for their quick flight upward.

Her head turns to see her brother. She could feel his concern towards her, although she did not understand how to really interpret it yet. He came to join her regardless, and she nipped at his maw gently.

Father brought sister up to them, and Eilidh yipped in reaction. She listened intently to his words, her desire to mimic and understand them growing with each and every day. ”Beuuu…Beuuut ful…dada beauuuuut ful,” she says with her child voice, moving her mouth and tongue with slight irritation as they were not exactly doing what she wanted them to do.

Then…the terror. A grasshopper jumped before them. Eilidh yelped in a panic, her front paw smacking the ground three times. Her form pulled back with the tiny yelp. Her eyes barely even caught the form of the creature. She only got to see it for a moment and it was so…different. Not like her parents. Not like her brother and sister. Quickly, the thing hopped away, which caused Eilidh to smack the ground three times again. She looked up at her father, ears back, and eyes full of worry. Her little form pushed against her brother for comfort. Do they need to be concerned? Was everything okay? She looked to him to know what to do!

He nipped back at her, the playful action easing some of his nerves. And yet Faolán still couldn’t believe his little eyes. There was so much to see! So much to do! Soon their father stood beside them, encouraging, protective. All three siblings gazed out at the vast new world beyond the den.

He listened as his sister babbled to their father, her voice becoming more comforting with each passing day. Now what? Could they… go farther? That was ridiculous. Right? Nothing was really stopping them. Gathering what little courage he had, Faolán decided to be brave for his sister’s sake. Slowly, tentatively, he crept forward, one clumsy paw placed in front of the other. He would make sure they were safe.

It wasn’t so bad, until the creature attacked.

Eilidh’s yip of panic snapped his attention, and he turned to stare the grasshopper straight in the face. Horror shot through him, and with a shriek he bolted back into the den.

Dadadadadada!

A frantic mess of limbs, he tumbled over his sisters in his terror, finally pressing himself against them, desperate for comfort as his little heart thundered in his chest. Never again, he decided.

Nonononono.

He did not like this new world.

[his eyes were soft, worried when he looked at eilidh. he gathered her up, counting the six percussions and wondering at them. off the offending insect hopped. the mayfair was just about to reassure his daughter when faolán chose the next moment to beat a loud retreat! quickly he tugged eildih along, following her brother back to the den. it is a g-grasshopper, he explained. n-not a monster. it c-cannot harm you. they are necessary and im-important to the earth. his voice was even but he was more dismal now, wondering if they would outgrow this fear of the world beyond. l-look. for them all, for daughters and son alike, he pointed to a tiny little spider weaving her web in the twigs above their den. the g-grasshopper is m-more scared of the sp-spider than you are of the g-grasshopper. a fable, a parable. something like that. something lestan hoped would help.]

his eyes were soft, worried when he looked at eilidh. he gathered her up, counting the six percussions and wondering at them. off the offending insect hopped. the mayfair was just about to reassure his daughter when faolán chose the next moment to beat a loud retreat!
quickly he tugged eildih along, following her brother back to the den. it is a g-grasshopper, he explained. n-not a monster. it c-cannot harm you. they are necessary and im-important to the earth. his voice was even but he was more dismal now, wondering if they would outgrow this fear of the world beyond.
l-look. for them all, for daughters and son alike, he pointed to a tiny little spider weaving her web in the twigs above their den. the g-grasshopper is m-more scared of the sp-spider than you are of the g-grasshopper.
a fable, a parable. something like that. something lestan hoped would help.