Oh, don't close your eyes,

maybe @Maral?

They sat outside the den. Puppy blue eyes observing around curiously — they never got too far. There was always the others, those she started to deem as family alongside her mother. A deer, a woman, and a brother. He was smaller then them, similar colors to her, but was slightly differed from the rest of them. Most of the litter was in colder-hues, and Faust wondered why they looked slightly different? Or why did they stop her from leaving the den? Their mother didn't. .. Well, she didn't come back until very late sometimes, and other times, not at all.

Faust sniffed, the heavy smells of the scented forest and birds were all around. Her ears twitched, she had a slow reaction to the turning of the bustling bushes and wondered who that was? Unaware of what dangers really could be. They thought nothing of it — for the world was warm.

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Despite her efforts to avoid the Queen's new litter, Maral's curiosity often got the better of her. She would lurk, silent and with every effort to remain unseen, eager to catch a glimpse of the new babes her mother had only recently whelped - more so since news had reached her that already they'd been weaned.

She was unsure of Célnes' feelings toward the cubs, though the shadow had her suspicions. Their arrival had been a surprise to all among Elkshire, their dam included, and Maral's mind continued to return to what Aldritch had told her: we've been replaced already.

The young Déorwine did not share his resentment. She'd felt their mother's neglect, of course, but the Queen did not dote on her newborns. They seemed to be more of a burden to her than anything else, considering how little time she spent with them in recent days. Maral often pitied her little brothers and sisters from afar, but did not move to offer her

Not until she spotted the girl, alone, beyond the safety of the Queen's chamber.

Maral moved in closer with a low, crooning sound to attract her attention.


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Faust knew her siblings, those born before. She was a quick-witted child, and absorbed what she knew.. Especially now there was only few to show her ropes within the world. She knew the dame was separating herself, but had yet to truly realize they the abandonment that was occurring. As she wasn't completely absent in their life, but more then a mother should be. Though no alone within this heartless word, for the rest of her 'kin' took care of them.

"Mawal," she slurred, English on the roof of her tongue but pronunciation not correct, though she did try to say Maral. This sibling wasn't as prominent around as Warwick was.. In-fact Faust couldn't say she knew any others, just vaguely so there was a bunch more. The concept of a father was never there, and thus did not know she had one, or even the word.

Bobbly as she went, the young Deorwine moved away from the den and after the sister. Though she looked back with her baby-blues, a gazing whether her other siblings were to venture forth, as they seemingly always did so. Though bastards, they still were bond together, and adventured as they must. But as none came out.. She continued — and looked up, and down.

To her own paws, back to Maral's. They were slight similar!

"whith."

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The girl was receptive to her big sister's presence, and padded forward to greet her. Maral, despite her own approach, felt incredibly on edge. She'd deliberately placed distance between herself and the Queen's newest litter since their surprise arrival because she barely knew how to interact with those her own age, nevermind such little children.

Socially awkward, the shadow wasn't so sure that she could trust herself around them.

Her fur bristled along the length of her spine when the cub attempted her name, yet her heart melted into a puddle of happy goop. Maral rumbled to herself, frustrated by the mixed signals her own body gave, and she looked down coolly as her young sibling investigated her with fresh eyes. Fault piped up with another word, one Maral didn't initially understand, though she was quick to realise a comparison had been made.

She lifted her offending limb, paw dangling just above the pup's head, and twitched an alabaster toe to confirm.


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Faust was looking at Maral, wide-eyed and studying them, despite not knowing behavior. She could see the bristles, the fur that rose for some reason and she could only wonder why ; was she cold? Was something upsetting her? Sometimes their mother bristled lightly when she looked displeased over something, and didn't think it was herself.. Or was it? Innocence at the peak, learning and absorbing as she went ; her paw stretched out, flexing it while returning a gaze at Maral's white toes.

"We same?"

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The child, undeterred, continued to reach for interaction. Maral observed in silence; had she been this eager to be noticed as an infant? She couldn't remember. Her memories of early childhood were few and far between and, while she failed to recall much of the trauma she experienced, the affects remained in the form of crippling social anxiety and a natural distrust of others.

Still, there was pity in her for Faust and her littermates. She knew how they would suffer in some ways, yet did not find herself able to protect them from it.

Maral blinked, dark eyes sweeping over the cub as she presented her own little feet and piped up in question. For a long pause, the shadow felt lost. She knew how to answer, the truth of it, and considered how such a young mind would likely interpret the words as innocent.

“The very same,” she managed at last, even though it hurt to say, as mahogany eyes lingered sadly on her white toes.

Maral hoped Faust wouldn't learn to hate herself as she herself often did.


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And she smiled. Although herself and her littermates were similar, some decorated within whites ; she noticed her older siblings were not like so. Vermillion had left before Faust got a clear memory of her appearance, but she looked far more like @Seaver then actually herself, for the grays and few segments of whites was within the thoughts. Warwick looked none like them, dressed in a beautiful shade of brown itself and not a speck of other upon him ; a dazzling golden gaze upon him.

Though Maral, was closest to Faust and the rest of the siblings. A darkened, cold brown amongst the white like herself that all that the child do was smile in a slight rejoice, of feeling lightly like her older sister.

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She was so small, and innocently happy. Maral observed quietly as Faust beamed up at her, seemingly delighted that they were the so similar. It was fortunate, she supposed, that the cubs were too small to learn of their faith - how He who guided them would frown upon the white of her furs. The shadow wondered sadly if she'd been anything like her little sister when she'd been her age, and if it'd been the acknowledgement of her tainted pelt that had drained the joy from her life.

Maral settled her belly to the ground to be more at the girl's level, and propped her white-tipped snout atop an outstretched forelimb. In the absence of their mother and any other guardian, she supposed the job of reluctant baby-sitter fell to her until someone noticed the kid was missing.


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Maral was bigger, as Faust observed and gazed more intently. The same, as her siblings, as her mother, and yet.. Different. She wasn't as tall as they held, nor' that long-legged in disposition. She was different from the other Deorwines, and the younger frost-tipped one didn't realize it was due taking from another lineage, quite heavily. When she thought of her older siblings, them being within warm hues, she stood out.

Matched more with her littermates then her own... Faust approached and just.. Bapped her nose.

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Maral didn't really like that the kid stared at her so intently, with such wide eyes, and she felt oddly threatened. Her hackles pricked, tickling the hide of her nape and shoulders as they prepared to lift, and she curled her upper lip to emit a low growl in warning. It wasn't that she wanted to be cruel to the girl - Faust simply needed to learn that gawking was inappropriate, and without proper socialisation she could easily provoke the wrong wolf.

Faust, seemingly eager to push Maral's buttons, inched forward to raise a paw and "boop" the elder sister's snout. The shadow pressed her ears back and parted her jaws then, her rumble louder, and she clacked her fangs in the pup's general direction. She did not nip at her pelt, not yet, but she hoped a sharper warning would suffice.


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