It was a strange question. Why should she not do so by herself? She was self-sufficient, capable, and had learned to be incredibly quick at cleaning common areas and preparing hides, stripping carcasses of important items. When the Saatsine left a kill, it was she who returned to take the dew claws as Cen had taught, who harvested the antlers from the skull. Preparation for move was forte, and though not so much in active stay, it should have been reasonable assumption that she was just as capable of learning that as she had all the other things of Saatsine-- if not because it was her job too, and no one else's. Cen expected her to learn by observing, and to repeat their traditions. It was especially true that her den did not benefit others, and so they would not help her, for they never had.

I suppose I am too embarrassed to ask him for help. I am doubtful he knows how to..... Aivar was the only option, other than the red boy which her master's wife had spoken of, but she refused to be so easily replaced in work by one of her peers.

But it's nothing I can't figure out! There were few things which had stopped her. A survivalist, if nothing else; although, the failed attempts had been disheartening at first, and the beginning of a den should have been started weeks ago. She wondered if more experience would have allowed for that knowledge, but perhaps the stress and first-time things had prevented more reasonable decisions. Would it have been wiser to pick a place higher in elevation? Lower? And how far must she be from the rest of camp so that she and her children did not disturb the rest of Saatsine? Already, a nightmare of a thought, being within such regular proximity of Caan's new family that her kids might make mistakes with Meleys' and Iglux's children. The beatings would be horrendous. At least at a distance, there would be more control of their whereabouts and interactions. Her greatest fear was seeing her children be children and cause an accidental scar or injury to one of the important bloods. Which was all of them!

Chest out, inhaling deeply, looking at the beginnings of a hole where roots were not as prevalent as they'd been in other areas. She was able to dig around them this time, for last time she kept burrowing into them!

If I'm being honest, I'm not sure what I'm doing. As a little girl, I do not remember ever having a den in the months my memory starts. I was inside a tree hollow like some squirrel! I thought it was wonderful, having it all to myself. But after seeing the other mother's dens here, I'm pretty sure that isn't a usual decision!