Why so sad, bunny? Can't have mine,

 

There was not many times she took her children near the edges of The Elk's Crown. Though they claim more then a fair share, that didn't stop from the occasional roamers that came through. Most was settled rather peacefully, and with the occasional rogue through words of disdain at her - yet did nothing, and left. The Queen always gave it but a smile, for what was the point to get worked up over the smallest of interactions? In the end, her focus was only onto the pack of Elkshire, and of no one else. To ensure the survival and growth ; to rule. 

They grew bigger though, sentences forming and proper walking.. They of course, were not big enough to truly provide anything to Elkshire, and only for now, was but a litter needed protection. She was toying with different ways to raise them, for all that it was, Celnes was a new mother. She did not know the best way to raise them. She had switched to distance, to kindness, to strict, though not yet true leniency. Kept an iron look out for them.. Even when they were training with @Remus.

Some would always be left within the presence of @Vaskian, @Teodora, @Calliope, and even occasionally @Cynefrid who watched over their more sickly days. She didn't remember if she told the new recruits of her children.. Like @Nikitas and @Niklaus, though surely they had smelled and heard of their presence within the woods. Which made the wonder on what was @Buck, @Corliss, @Alcott and even @Vivian were doing today.

Though today was to be one of those more peaceful days, as she brought them all to the outside of Sleeping Doe's Range. She watched them, coming outside of the shades of the trees.. The Queen laid down, ushering them forward to come closer to herself and not to stray too far. The land was open with a field of yellow grass, and only the very few flowers remaining. She licked @Aldritch clean, before moving onto a bathe of @Rohesia.  Her daughter @Vermillion idly looked around within her paws, alongside with @Calhoun close to her chest.. Seemingly staring down at his sister. @Warwick remained aside of the only gray child, with @Maral keeping but a usual distance. Though @Edith, as curious as ever was wandering around with a following @Melrose. She was happy to see her rather sickly daughter moving around ; perhaps taking her eldest daughters energy.

To be in a bliss, she felt at peace.

Within the opening of the field, and the elk grazing in the distance.. All seemed like heaven, a family that she thought to never truly have.

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tags for references! feel free for anyone to join, especially puppies!

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On a still but glorious day, they were all on the move again. All chasing in tow of their queen. Sometimes racing one another in spurts of juvenile energy as they crossed the lands claimed by their own.

He thought perhaps it was the same route as his rendezvous with his mother, but his mind was astray at some point and he realized he was on a path that wasn’t all too familiar to him.

Once they reached what seemed an endless field, that cupped the side of their woodlands, he sat aside mother, quietly, his silver-coated brother next to him.
 
But as it became apparent they weren’t moving from this chosen picnic spot, he eventually turned to his mother; always his curiosity getting the best of him.

‘Mother?’, he waited his turn politely until she would turn her attention to him if that meant finishing bathing one of his sisters first. He cleared his throat when those Halloween-orange eyes glanced his way, ‘What is this place called?’, he was starting to build maps within his mind, of all the locations within their boundaries here.

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The young prince had no idea where they were going once their mother led them astray from their usual confines. Eventually, she settled in the open grass that stretched beyond their woods. He was hesitant to leave at first, knowing all too well that they were not to leave the woods before, but she gave no instruction to stay and so he would continue after some of his siblings had passed.

Flowers sprinkled the field of yellow, some withering with the late season, though he mostly paid them no mind. Flowers were for the attention of girls and he could do something more becoming of a prince. Calhoun wandered close to his mother's chest, peering over to see what she was doing as Warwick voice his own question, one he was very much curious for the answer as well.

“I thought we weren't to leave the woods.”

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They were exploring again. Célnes lead to an unknown destination, not telling them where they were going. Edith was buzzing with excitement; she loved exploring. As they walked, Edith would occasionally tumble after her siblings as sudden and unexpected waves of energy surged through her.

Their mother had brought them to a sprawling range, and Edith was enamoured with her surroundings. The plains were expansive and washed in gold; she had never seen anything like it. While Warwick and Calhoun sought Célnes’s company, Edith siezed the chance to explore. She wandered away from the group, seeking the taller tendrils of grass nearby.

It wasn’t long until Edith realized that she was being followed by Melrose. Her sister seemed to be in better spirits today, and she would be nice (for now). ”Wanna play?” she asked, dropping into a play-bow. She had an excess of energy to spend, and running through the plains seemed to be a good way to burn off her excitement.

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Vermillion stayed by her mothers paw, but couldn't deny a curiosity and went a bit outwards in that wonder. The plains were covered in a golden grass unlike the small patches of fields within the forest. There was as well as colorful flowers, she could see some of them bitten away by something, and an eye slowly looked toward mother, if she was the culprit. Gingerly so though, the ruby-eyed Déorwine started to slowly cross away from the paws, and approach a small red one.. It smelled good.

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"She cannot play Edith, remember, your sister is more delicate," though as she was gently bathing Rohesia, when seeing Edith proning her other rosey daughter to play.. She lifted Melrose up and planted beside herself, shaking her head slightly toward her eldest daughter and explaining so. Melrose was a rather fragile girl, often being sick and remaining silent through most of her days - often or not Celnes didn't let her play with the others and kept her close, or taken in by another when there was days she needed to go out, "play with @Maral, alright?" though she used her head to push Edith slightly in the motion of her young copycat nightwalker girl.

"We are in Sleeping Doe's Range. There are exceptions to coming here - but never without me," and licked both of her curious sons head. It was a rare picnic outing that she allowed so, for though they claimed such a land.. It was never officially safe, and many often came and left as they so pleased. But they hung closely by the border of The Elk's Crown, and with guards wandering the forest ; the Queen felt relatively safe for just this one outing. When they were older though, she was ready to take them out further for that of hunting.

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The day was a pleasant one, and after nosing curiously at all the new sights of the range that bordered their forest hone, Maral was content to settle in the shade for a time.

She closed her eyes, though her dark ears twitched at the movement and voices of siblings who lingered and communicated nearby, though it was the mention of her name that had her eyelids flutter open. Maral lifted her muzzle from atop an outstretched forelimb and blinked toward Edith and their dam, the latter of whom suggested that the two sisters play amongst themselves.

She scrunched her nose, having never been one to frolic or wrestle with her siblings. The shadow preferred to remain in the background, to watch and avoid, so she remained silent at the suggestion of such activity.


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Sleeping Doe's Range...he had never heard of it until now, but his eyes wandered feverishly with the new sights and smells. Large rocks cast shadows at the edge of the meadow, taller than even the trees but far more jagged. A few of their beloved elk also grazed here, chomping on the flowers and grass as they huddled together to ward off predators. Clambering out of his mother's arms he trotted a few paces off before looking back with a flick of his tail. “So we can 'splore?”

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Edith sighed and rolled her eyes; this was why she wasn't kind. It only gave her grief, and she felt much better tormenting her siblings. Eventually, Edith would have started playing rough with Melrose, but she planned to let her fragile sister ease into it. Célnes then suggested she play with Maral, and Edith nearly laughed, but she restrained herself. Absolutely fucking not. She would have rather swallowed a porcupine; Maral was one of her tainted siblings, and there was a special kind of roughness that Edith would bestow upon them. 

Thankfully, Calhoun saved her. She turned her attention towards the horizon as he spoke, her gaze following the line of jagged rocks. Adventuring was a good idea, she supposed. "Yeah," Edith agreed, prowling to join her brother's side. She smiled sweetly at him, pleased with the distraction, and then turned towards their mother. "It looks so cool out there," she said.

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The lick and education was well received, his tail wagging contently from his mothers care and attention. His eyes shot to his brother and then to their wide open surroundings, his other sibling was then sharp to want to follow their younger brothers lead, and Warwick listened in wait of mothers granted permission. Though, the land was quite barren, there wasn't much to explore.

With an ear twisted in wait of her green light, the prince had nose-dived and rummaged the tall, dying grasses. Here were many scents that were unfamiliar to him, there were certainly not of elkshire folk. Was this the unspoken danger his mother forewarned when she said they couldn't venture here unescorted?

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"Keep within my eyesight." She warned them, but nodded gently to their desire to explore a bit. As the plains were open, she found it easier then usual to keep an eye out. Especially as most of their coats were relatively dark, a clashing against the more golden grass. She smiled gently at them and their curiosity in the world, but kept close to Melrose and hung her sickly daughter within her paws. She wouldn't want her in particular wandering around, but the Queen was hoping the freshness and the open look would give her a bit of energy, especially since they can see the sky and mountains so clearly.. 

Though too, Vermillion and Maral didn't desire either, and Celnes thought that was fine.

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Like Maral, she didn't desire to go.. And kept beside Melrose, looking at her sister in curiosity. She doesn't speak much to them, as mother tends to hoard her and keep her away with the excuse of 'sickly.' She was tended often as well, and wondered if she too were to grow sick, would the Queen treat her the same? Shaking her head, ruby-eyes glanced toward the three siblings in particular that seemed like a trio of sorts, and often went out and do other stuff..

'The Holy bundle,' or so, and Vermillion preferred to stay out of their taunts, so she turned to @Maral and asked, "are you going to play with them?"

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And so their request had been granted. A quick glance was all that was given to Edith and Warwick as they joined his side, a lopsided grin quickly spreading as he bounded forward. He knew already that they would follow, even if he didn't know where exactly he was going.

So long as they remained within eyesight they were allowed to wander and luckily for them that would be fairly easy given how empty the clearing was. That did make finding some amazing waypoint harder though. Everything interesting looked to be so far in the distance, but he'd still gallop freely much like the elk they worshiped.

Actually... he had never been close to the herd. Vaskian was the only elk he had seen up close, were the others nice too? Calhoun slowed for a moment, his eyes shifting to those that slowly walked the field or laid to rest. “Last on to the elks a rotten carcass!”

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They were permitted to explore within eyesight, and Edith's tail began to wag. Sleeping Doe's Range was expansive, with very little clutter that could obstruct the valley's views. Moreover, the barren lands would allow them to explore further than they had before. 

Edith turned on her heel and hurried to Calhoun's side, her tongue lolling as they raced through the field. Once they were out of ear-shot, her brother slowed, and she did, too. As he challenged them, Edith glanced in the elk's direction, admiring them from afar. Her observation did not last long, knowing she couldn't allow her brothers to beat her. 

"You're on!" she said, bounding off towards the herd as she accepted his challenge.

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With his nose so occupied with the discovery of scents amidst the dying forage, he nearly missed the challenge thrown by his brother, and as his head sprung up to attention, his sister had already snapped up ahead. 

His mind was then ahead of his body; trying to shove his paws into motion and to get him to the target Calhoun had said was the finish line.

A little growl was all he mustered under the umbrella of his frustration, attempting to gain ground that was gulped up by his sister and brother ahead of him. Not caring to glance over his shoulder to see if any other competition took to the race.

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The boy’s little spur of the moment challenge would grant him a beginner’s head start, though it would only be a matter of time until his brother and sister caught on. Edith was first to bound at his side, though as he caught sight of her pelt colors blurred in the corners of his vision he would only push his legs to go faster in longer strides than his usual. Warwick would be slower than the two, his start slowed as he desperately tried to make up time, but it was probably safe for Calhoun to count him out of the race.

Little legs would send all three bounding towards the elk at speeds that could only feel fast to a child. Of course the elk saw them coming, perhaps cautious at first, though wise enough to know none of them had the strength or fangs to harm them. As Calhoun led the way, few backed away, insisting to keep the children in front of them while Cal continued towards the center of the herd. At some point though one of the bucks would seek to put an end to the boy’s childish excitement and stepped before him with a lowered crown and snort through blackened nostrils.

Putting on the breaks, Calhoun would skit to a stop just before the lowered antlers. The buck made no attempt to charge, again knowing they were too young to harm his herd, but he would remain defensive all the same to protect the weary members of his group. For a moment Calhoun only stared in awe as he got the chance to look close at the elongated prongs. Of course he had seen Vaskian’s up close, but it had been some time since he saw the man… hey where had he gone? Shouldn’t he be around with the rest of the herd?

When he failed to back away, the buck moved again, shaking the rack atop his head with a swing of his neck, a single hoof scraping at the ground in another warning to back up. Having been herded before by Vaskian, something about the movement seemed to click in his mind as a puppy tail wagged close to his legs. “Oh— sorry Sir.” Most likely he would not understand him. Most of the herd did not seem to talk like Vaskian or Vivian had which was a bit disappointing, but he spoke anyways before turning on his heels in a circle to his siblings. “I don’t think he likes our game.”

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