The clearer the day, the colder the night,

@Hawking @Teodora @Warwick perhaps?

"..Mama?" She could see better, though blurred and could only slurr voices, she stirred within the slumber. The den was empty and as she moved and bobbed around there was none but the squirming of her own siblings. The figure that she knew as a mother, as the giver of life gradually left more and more and Faust — tearing up with a sobbing and a desiring of so as she stirred and gently so, tried calling out for the dame that had left them to their own deeds in the end, only one occasion, visiting and sleeping with. She didn't know though it was the beginning, and only was in fear of the sudden absence.

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 Oh, oh no. They were awake! He was often left to watch the youngsters but before now they were mostly just quiet little potatoes. Quietly slumbering or only making unintelligible noises… but now? He was unsure what to do when they started speaking. Should he talk back? Explain what was going on? He let out a call for Teo as she was much more experienced with this stuff, she was nearby anyway, helping him when he needed backup with the pups.

 Like now.

 While waiting for the more experienced she-wolf, he would slip carefully into the den. Squeezing and carefully sliding into the area with the pups, where he would try to provide a warm body for them. ”She’ll be back soon. I promise. Just, uh, go back to sleep.” He lowered his head to boop Faust gently on her little noggin with his nose, hopefully reassuringly. He didn’t want them upset, he just wanted the cute little pups happy. He was trying his best.

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^^

She didn't go far.

How could she? Teodora was loyal to @Célnes without a doubt, there was no question nor fault yet she... she struggled with the way the Queen seemed so unattached to this litter she had recently born. She had seen the way the Queen had began to wither away and she wondered where her mental state truly lay, for she had held some form of maternal instinct for the first -- so why did she hold nothing of the sort for this one? Teodora was often eager to look past the way the white of fur were held in disdain for the lineage that the Queen was born from but it was harder to turn a blind eye to when such innocent little ones were at the brunt of it by being touched of it.

The maiden longed for a family of her own and the Queen, blessed to have more children turned them away so easily -- it made Teodora's heart weep. Still, her loyalty did not waiver but she had decided to be there as much as she could for the children and seemingly, the Queen found it within Teodora's abilities as she left them in the care of the maiden and the stag. The woman lifted her head as she heard the call from Hawking and she wasted no time in trotting over as she began to lower herself to her belly to peer into the den, a smile soft upon her features.

"Oh, what is the matter little one?" she cooed, ghostly gaze peering to Hawking with concern. ^^

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Familiar figures to Faust. One who now had stubs upon his face and she knew who they were but a name voided so. Somehow one way or another the figures of what a mother should be was at large but she knew not what to name these individuals who were gradually becoming more visible within the youngs life. When the mother was gone, it was always them and the biggest brother. She can see and hear better, voices of warmth that calmed such a child who then swiveled clumsily toward Hawking, tumbling into him and raising her head to look at Teodora.

She opened her mouth, frowned, and re-tried, words she knew not how to say, "w.. were mam?" even she knew, they were not her parents, and yet akin to one.

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 The child would not be cajoled into sleep so easily it seemed, though she did tumble clumsily to his side. He didn’t really know how to answer and when Teodora showed up he was very thankful for her presence. Throw him in the midst of a fight anyday, but this? How did one navigate the field of children so easily? Teodora always seemed so good at it. Like she was made for gentleness and kindness with the little ones.

 Now, he looked towards her, eyes all but pleading with the unshed words of help when the little one would not be placated with his gentle words. Where Celnes was, he couldn’t answer that. Probably patrolling or tending to her many duties that seemed to lead her far away. Hawking was not as perceptive to pick up that she was a tad neglectful to the current litter. How could he? He had no experience with children so young nor did he know how royal parents navigated this sort of minefield to balance parental duties with their pack. When it had been him and Crux, he felt that his father was always available… but he’d been older than these guys and able to follow the man around rather than dependent and confined to one area.

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^^

Hawking pleaded and Teodora's giggle was soft, thinking the stag ever so enchanting. He was gentle with the babes and it made her heart swell happily that these children had more than herself to be at their side. Certainly she held no blame towards the Queen for her detachment from them yet it saddened her to know that this litter was so very different for the Earthen Queen than that of her first.

Upon Faust's question, Teodora would shimmy closer upon her belly to gently swipe her tongue along the babes crown, "mama is near, little dove," it was not quite a lie for Celnes, she assumed today was within the territory yet how did one even begin to try and tell a child that their mother was not interested? You couldn't and for one so young, Teodora would not even try. "How do you feel about spending some time with Hawking and I, hm?" she cooed softly, perhaps they could distract the girl from her young questions.

"I think I might see a cuddle party in our future," she cast her silvery-blue gaze to Hawking, the sadness there, swirling, but ultimately she would press on. ^^

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Teodora felt similar to her mom. She was brown — a wolf, and a female. Her gaze fell to Hawking before started to squirm toward her, a desire of warmth of something of a familial touch of so. She sniffled, lightly, feeling a rather dreariness within the gut of her stomach like something was wrong but was too young to tell or know, just that she didn't feel well...

And threw up Teodora. Maybe she had digestion issues.

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