roughly 1.5 months |

Outside of the den, the world woke slowly. The autumnal chill made even the busy squirrels and chattering cardinals reluctant to leave the sparse warmth of the huddled flocks and leaf-lined tree stumps they had survived the frosted night hours within.

Within the den, however, his mother's body heat and the insulating packed dirt walls kept the Lăutari as toasty as he would be curled beside a hearth. He woke slowly too, but only because of how much energy his body was putting toward building thicker, warmer fur, eyes that were slowly losing their infant lapis shade, and cartilage in ears that gradually sat sturdier atop his tiny head. He remained small for his age, quick to tire and prone to entire days spent lethargic and difficult to rouse even to eating.

Today, though, he had no such difficulties. Reid stretched first, belly flush to the soft floor of the den as his toes splayed and a yawn split his jaws. A little puppy whine keened from his chest as he finished yawning and gathered his two-toned, stubby limbs beneath his insubstantial weight. He stepped toward the fleecy, warm mountain that was Mama, only for one of his paws to forget to cooperate, and the boy tumbled face-first into the side of her.

Hnff. He said, but recovered his footing so he could set both fawn-tan front paws on her ribs. His eyes, not yet set on what color they would like to be, affixed upon her - he presumed - still-sleeping face.

Aaa...Ma. If she did not respond immediately, he would attempt to scale her mountainous being a little more, closing the gap between his face and hers until his whiskers could tickle the shell of her ear. Mmmma.

Wake up. His plea was clear, and she had yet to deny him anything his sweet heart desired.

SKILL: ORATOR (1/5)

---

The world was still half-asleep when his tiny voice pulled her from her dreams.
It started as a noise—soft and slurred, all breath and innocence before the faint thump of paws pressed against her side. For a moment, she thought she was dreaming still, caught somewhere between the memory of loss and the warmth of something small and alive pressed close. Then came another little push, a muffled hnff, and the world came back into focus.

Her eyes fluttered open slowly, lashes heavy with sleep, and the first thing she saw was him—a small blur of tan and pale fur climbing his way up her ribs, his little body determined and wobbly. A smile tugged at the corners of her muzzle before she could even think to stop it.

Mm… what’s this? Her voice was husky with sleep, low and soft, the kind of tone that belonged to early mornings and quiet affection. The sun’s barely awake, puiule (baby).

She shifted slightly, careful not to jostle him too hard, and lowered her head to nuzzle his face. His fur still held that faint puppy-sweet smell of milk, earth, and herself. The sound of his tiny paws against her chest was the best thing she’d felt in moons. She remembered when she thought she’d never feel such a sensation like that again.

Good morning, dragul mamei (mama's darling), she murmured, slipping into Romanian without even thinking about it. She tried speaking to him in a mix of Common and Romanian, hoping to pass along some of her native Romanian to her son. Her tongue brushed over his head in a slow, warm lick, smoothing the tuft of fur between his ears that never wanted to lie flat. You’re up early today. Couldn’t let your poor mama sleep, hm?

She let out a soft chuff in half laughter and half love, and watched him with that kind of patience only a mother could manage. She watched him through the dim morning light filtering through the entrance, and her chest swelled, full of quiet gratitude and something close to peace.

Ma’s awake, she whispered against his ear, her tone full of warmth. Now tell me, little Reid, what adventure are we having today?

---

skill: healer (midwife) 1/5

Vidarr found himself more and more enamored with the little kind (baby). His earliest mornings he spent waking before Svajone, at least he tried to. He was happy to entertain Reid while she got more rest, as he grew stronger Vidarr expected it took a great deal out of her to sustain her little love. He woke before his denmates and decided to use his morning for a quick hunt and had brought back a thick turkey.

The bird swung awkwardly from his jaws as he walked, and he was relieved to drop the bird in the entrance of the den. His gaze settled on the pair, Reid tackling the great Mount Svajone. He chuckled and licked the blood from his maw, taking a second to clean himself up before he'd approached the pair. Good morning, auðr (precious). Every day he lowered his head to press a tender kiss to Reid's head, he found it wasn't nearly as far down. Already he was growing like a weed, soon he would be ambling about the Vale.

It was a disappointment to think of Hexx and Golde's family, there would have been other puppies for Reid to play with and enjoy. Just like with Hilde it was there one moment, gone the next, with no trails to speak of to be able to follow them. It was a mystery, especially with the threats to the lands, and he stressed over where they all had gone and what had happened to them. For Svajone, his touch was soft and gentle to her temple before he pulled the bird close to start removing its feathers. They would be fun for Reid too. Vidarr had quickly come into the role of caretaker and provider, wanting to give safety and security to both of them.

He'd always gotten along well with Svajone, and the proximity was welcome. His den had been entirely too big and too empty without his siblings or Hilde. He hated the quiet. Now he heard soft giggles and stories, there was a warmth to what had been so cold when he was alone. They were giving him a great deal without knowing it. He spat out another tuft of feathers, a couple even floating closer to tickle at their paws and smiled over at the two. How are you feeling? He asked Svajone, with the help of the Shakti-Vaes family he had access to better and more consistent supplies for her.

Mama's sleep-hushed voice brushed against Reid ears; familiarity and fondness were warm as any hearth in his veins at the sound. The soft, silken flow of Romanian punctuated her greetings - much of which went in one ear and out the other for the boy. He was still engaged in the conversation, and mumbled under his breath in mimicry of a real response, until Svajone's velvet muzzle nuzzled against his cheek. A pleased squeak and a giggle filled the den at the tickle of her whiskers against his face, eyes squeezing shut. He did not see Vidarr arrive, but his dark nose twitched just before a kiss was pressed to the little Lăutari's crown.

Mama asked why they did not sleep longer, and his answer to this and her question of adventure - his favorite word, which made his floppy ears prick and eyes go wide - were one and the same. Oo'side! He was very proud of this word, and waved his tail fiercely in expectation of praise.

Like all babies, Reid was easily distracted, and the Thing that Vidarr had brought them filled his still-murky vision as he turned to see what the man was doing. Mama was always around, but Vidarr was sometimes gone. Very mysterious, the things he did. Very mysterious, the thing that he had now. Reid backed away from the new thing until his rump pressed against his mother's side, assured that she would shield him if it turned out to be frightening. Strange, leaf-like smaller Things swirled through the air, breathed from Vidarr's maw, until a few of the smallest came to rest at Reid's paws.

Oh. Feathers.

He loved feathers. Tan paws tipped with tiny, sharp claws batted at the new toys, attention entirely secured by the turkey feathers' enigmatic movement and ethereal softness.