Since his talk with Apricot, and his night with Apple, Dante had lingered closer to the den she had made her family’s home. He didn’t stray too near, but he kept a watchful eye on everything all the same.

It also made it easier to… whisk his sunflower away whenever the opportunity arose.

The thought alone had his tail swaying softly behind him as he made another slow circuit of the area, checking for hazards the children might stumble upon, ensuring no strangers lingered too close.

His black ears perked at the sound of pups at play, followed by the excited cry about searching for blue rocks.

It wasn’t as though Dante hadn’t shared the same dream, he simply didn’t know what to make of it. Leaving the kingdom to search felt like a betrayal, and truthfully, a selfish part of him wanted nothing more than to remain at Apple’s side.

Still… searching within the territory couldn’t hurt.

With that quiet reasoning, he adjusted his path and moved in the direction the child had taken, keeping a respectful distance as he followed.