I'm afraid of what I'm risking if I follow you,

looking for kids!

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They were growing so large, that it felt a bit too short how they were as small as but two of her paws and now could topple her over. Chubby and sweet that they were, all little girls who held dazzling personalities. Ah.. But admittingly she sometimes worried for @Dalmatia, who was but a little bit shyer then the rest ; but she looked healthy every other way. They were guarded safely, tucked into the vale where no one could harm them, not even the uncle tiger, who lovingly visited. He was such a michevious fellow, Aries thought with a smile as she tucked into @Olive 's den.

"Hello little one's, how are you all?" She would hope they were alright with her, something to be familiar with.. Just enough to check if they were alright appropriately, but imagined their mother was doing that plenty of fine. Maybe it was just her little excuse to see children. The twins @Aurelia and @Euphemia were always an amazing sight, and the little girl @Tiberii who was a copycat of her father was growing more beautiful everytime. Ah, but perhaps handsome was the better choice, she was a little tomboy.

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There she was.

Her white buffalo.

Elusive, fleeting, the pale apparition had swept in and out from the den over the ensuing weeks, seemingly just long enough to communicate strange things to her parents before flitting off again into the bright light that lay beyond.

Today, she would catch her.

Aurelia crouched at the mouth of the cave, plump bottom raised firmly in the air as her chin scraped the hard ground. She frowned, furrowing her brows - she couldn't mess this up. The child demanded answers, and she would have them today. Who was this strange woman who looked so like mama, yet smelled so different? The only way to find out would be an interrogation.

Her target entered.

She waited stealthily - patiently - then launched herself into the air, colliding squarely against one of Aries' long forelimbs. “I got you!” she cried triumphantly, reveling in the victory of the hunt. “Why you look like mama, when not mama?!”

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She surely was not expecting such an attack! A twinset rushed forward, latching onto her leg with a victory as she pronounced that Aries was caught within her trap. Was that a pride she saw? Even attempting to lightly lift that now coiled paw was left with a heavyset of a child clinging upon it. It shouldn't be too surprising they did not know her ; pups grew so much that she would be unrecognizable from the birth and her time elsewhere.. Was that a tear the hare could feel? She held back, lightly hurt that she was so forgettable..

"My sweet," would she coo', "I am what you could say.. A friend of your mama, I was there for your birth." How she would bend down lightly to try and lick her head-top, Aries's small attempt of assurance that she meant of no harm and only wished but to see their striving and health. With Duskguard being but minimal members.. It seems they were not used to strangers too much —

New determination set for the midwife, who wanted to help change that and introduce them gradually to herself.

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As Aries lifted her offended limb, the pudgy child clung onto it with a fervent vigor, nearly clearing the ground in the process. She stared up with baleful eyes, as if accusing the woman of trickery simply by having a similar coat to her own mother's and a shared lightness of speech. To her young, developing brain, things that were similar were same things - like her twin sister Euphemia, identical in nearly every way, sharing the same role of 'sibling'. So should it not be that this woman was also an offshoot of mother?

But that couldn't be, because she had only one mama!

She slid off from the woman's leg with a soft 'thump', sitting on her bottom and making sure never to break eye contact with her.

“I don't remember you when I was borned,” she said succinctly, “I would know, 'cause I was there!”

Child logic was immaculate.

Rising to her paws, Aurelia shook out her fur, scrunching her nose as Aries would bend down to give her a reassuring lick. Faintly she saw something wet upon the grey she-wolf's cheek, glittering faintly in the light, and she recognized that to be - a tear?

Though she would likely never grow to be well-versed in emotions of a more tender nature, something inside of her stirred, and she reached up to touch her nose against Aries'.

“Sorry,” she said awkwardly. “I... if you a friend of mama, you my friend too. Okay?”

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She was alone within the cave, content to lay around and gnaw at the end of a stick to relieve the discomfort she felt. Her mouth had been feeling especially sensitive in recent days, enough to make her want to refuse the meat her father sometimes brought and instead nurse all the time for comfort it brought. Dalmatia was a needy and whiny baby that day, demanding of mother's attention, and weaning definitely was not going well for her.

A voice from beyond the den's threshold distracted the speckled girl, though she did not move to investigate right away. She licked her milk teeth and pointed her muzzle toward the outside world, raven-ripped ears twitching in an effort to pair the visitor's tone with a face in her memory. She did not know Aries well, but had seen her drop by here and there, and she believed her to be safe.

Curious but hesitant, Dalmatia stepped forward to peek out into the open. She caught sight of the midwife, blue eyes searching for her kind face, and greeted her with a soft little smile should she glance her way.


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She wasn't sure what enacted the chance, but Aries was visibly pleased. What was any tears that fell were now gone as she nuzzled gently back to the little one, who seemed to pity. Although she had not realized such a sparkle came! But all the more pleased she was more well-liked by her, "we are friends?" she asked confirming, smiling ear to ear as slowly a golden gaze looked at another..

Aries knew her, of course everyone knew ; a little infamed for her.. Cautious attitude and shrieking that could be heard across the vale, but nonetheless another beloved little girl between Tiberius and Olive. Splotted a bit, a coat that she had particularly seen before, but.. She didn't shriek at the silvered pearl, "will you be my friend too?" she asked.

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Grumbling inwardly, Aurelia nodded. Yes, they could be friends - at the cost of her great white buffalo, alas. Perhaps she would have some other great purpose one day that didn't involve slaying Aries, but she felt a little robbed of her hunt.

At her prey's sudden shift in attention, Aurelia, too, looked back, and saw the familiar speckled shape of Dalmatia peeping around the corner. Reflexively she winced, anticipating a scream - but this time her sister only smiled shyly, still too cautious to approach but clearly not perceiving the woman as a threat.

“Yeah,” Aurelia said after a pause, scratching one of her drooping ears with a hind paw. “We friends. I'm bored! Wanna play - wanna hunt. Dalmatia! Why you hiding?”

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It did not take long for someone to notice the half of her spotted white face that was visible to the outside world, and the adult lifted her gilded stare to regard her. At once Dalmatia withdrew with a soft gasp, before curiosity got the better of her and she dared to peek out again. On her second glimpse outside she noted another pair of eyes looking toward her, more familiar, and she mustered a sheepish little smile as two questions were directed toward her.

"Friends" were not something that Dalmatia had ever considered having, for she had more than enough family to compensate. She had her mother and father, and several sisters to play with and stand up for her whenever they she needed them. It couldn't hurt to have more, but young Dalmatia could not trust as openly and easily as her littermates appeared to.

She hesitated and did not respond, not quite ready to step forward, and was content to wait and watch for a little while longer.


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"It's alright, you can take your time." It was progress that the young splattered child did not scream at Aries, but still remained a politeful, quiet distance. She could only smile and assure that she was not going to force her or even step any closer ; maybe with a bit more time and her sisters temptations she would be lured to come out.. Aries very much wanted to be closer to them, as helpful figure as she tries to assist Olive through her journey of motherhood.

"Would you like to hunt for mice with me?" Perhaps she could take them out onto that mini-adventure, for surely they had already been introduced to meat and hunting as a whole.. A little bonding time with the foraging of mice. For a moment there was other prey she thought, but a mouse seemed the most safe method if Aurelia wished to hunt.

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Music to her ears.

She still didn't understand the impulse or where it came from, but the innate desire to do things had already grown strong within her temperament even at such a tender age, and she lurched forward with an entranced expression.

“Yessssssss,” she hissed, her eyes growing wide as saucers.

Aurelia, whip-like, turned to stare at Dalmatia nearby, motioning with her head for the little speckled child to come out and participate.

“Mice are small, smaller than us,” she explained, hoping that would be enough to entice her out. Turning back to the tall, pale woman, the pup wagged her tail, plump bottom swaying right along with it. “Show us! Wanna hunt!”

What did it feel like - were they crunchy?

Soft?

She quivered with anticipation.

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She blinked, her velvet ears sweeping back then pricking swiftly forward as she heard the silver she-wolf entertain Aurelia's request. She asked if she'd like to hunt mice, and the idea sparked little Dalmatia's curiosity. She'd never seen one with her own eyes and, despite her anxiety over new situations she felt a very real fear of being left behind.

So she crept forward, her spotted tail tucked and her head low as she padded quietly to join her sister. She licked at her lips and briefly pressed a flank to Aurelia's for comfort, then looked up with wide blue eyes at Aries in a silent plea - can I join in, too?


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"I know a secret place where the mice like to linger," she looked at the two with a kind gaze and giggled lightly, "it's a secret just between us," Aries said with a luring as she moved herself up, and motioned toward the den entrance. She looked over at Dalmatia, a begging and pleading gaze of wanting to join that was different of the hesitance earlier ; though she did not speak, she still was brave enough to step forward with a curiosity and go along with Aurelia, who was more then pleased to know of the hunt.

She knew a few places the mice adored — near the corners of the vale there was a fleet of boulders surrounded by high grass that they tended to swarm to. It was the ideal place, Aries thought, to take the young and even more with any desires if they wanted to learn to hunt better and more. Her paw flickered forward, 'after you' as she motioned toward them to follow after and for once, depart from the den.

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Aurelia felt the warm pressure of her sibling suddenly lean into her side, and a pleased smile crept up the corners of her mouth. Dalmatia was a fearful little thing, but she hated being left behind (or left out in general), which made for a tumultuous conflict of interest for the girl - in the end, however, her desire to be included often won out. The ashen pup thumped her lightly with her tail in affirmation, glad that her speckled sister had decided to join the 'hunt' after all.

“You'll have so much fun,” she assured her, wriggling excitedly. This was the most worked up anyone had ever seen her.

New things new things new things -

Their guardian gave the go-ahead and Aurelia took off like a shot, abandoning the pair entirely as she bounded through the grasses toward the precise place Aries had been thinking of.

Had Aurelia visited it already? Had she been practicing stalking mice in her free time even now, in preparation for her debut as the finest, most sure-footed hunter Duskguard ever conceived?

Maybe.

Probably.

Yes.

The pup came to an abrupt halt at the boulder site, stopping a few yards away so as not to frighten their prey with her sudden presence. She sank into a noiseless crouch, only the tops of her charcoal-backed ears visible above the tall grasses.

Gods, they were taking forever. Dalmatia was probably walking... and Aries didn't look like she ran, either.

“C'mon, guys,” she whispered-barked behind her, seeing their fluffy shapes emerge into view. “We don't have all day!”

They did, in fact, have all day.

“Okay, so - first you kind of crouch, right, to be less visible - guys come on, crouch - but then how do you still sneak up on them? They always seem to spot me,” she said in quick succession, eyes wide and unblinking with the never-ending thirst for knowledge. Aurelia was not always a wolf of many words, but when it came to a point of interest, she was unstoppable.

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Aurelia welcomed her with warmth and encouragement, as she often did. The spotted child mustered a thin smile for her sister as she beamed her way, exclaiming that she would thoroughly enjoy this little outing. Dalmatia was not so confident, but she was hopeful. Her own tail swished at her dappled hocks as she blinked up toward their silver-furred guardian, then padded along quietly at her littermate's heels as they moved off from the densite.

As they went, Aurelia practically vibrated with excited anticipation. Dalmatia observed her as she chatted with enthusiasm, painfully aware of a budding feeling in her own gut. She wished she could be as confident and outgoing as her sisters. Jealousy pinched at her brow, fleeting, before guilt cast her cornflower gaze downward.

The adult said a very curious thing, and Dalmatia lifted her ears in surprise. “But,” she said in a small voice, “isn't it bad to... to keep secrets?” From their mother, their father? An anxiety fluttered to life in her belly as she blinked up in expectation of an explanation. 


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There was light laughter when Aurelia bounded off, even before Aries could lead them to. Perhaps it wasn't that much of a secret as the green-eyed twin found her way to the area of the mice, "you want to observe where your paws are going. Light steps, to make the least amount of sound." She fell with the orders of the young, a little fire-ball despite coming from tranquil parents.. Well, somewhat ; there was a moment of frown thinking of the messes Tiberius kept entering to and wondered whether it was some sort of curse, like the curse of the Everfrost was picked upon his pelt, "do you feel the wind? you want to be downwind. Your scent can carry." She motioned by lightly moving away to the area that was, smiling as she went.

Her head twisted toward Dalmatia, "when someone tells you a secret, it means they trust you, but it also is up to you whether this secret is safe to keep. Will it hurt someone? Will it cause harm to those you love? It's important to differ what is something harmless in a moment, versus what can cause an issue for others." An honest in thought, for though secrets were not always good, and neither was lying.. It'd be a fools game to live in a world and pretend there aren't. Some secrets taken to the grave and others told, but what mattered is, who does it hurt in the end?

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Aurelia followed the woman's instruction dutifully, picking her way with careful precision toward the area she had indicated. She looked down at the earth as she moved, little paws daintily and methodically avoiding the treacherous fallen leaves that would surely give away her position should she misstep. Aries offered further insight, telling her to remain downwind lest any prey catch her scent - she'd never thought of that! She was so busy smelling prey herself, she didn't even think they had the brains to pick up on hers, too.

Adrenaline coursed through her veins, enjoying the thrill of the hunt, feeling her body naturally sink into a predator's stealthy rhythm while -

"But," said a small, high-pitched voice from behind them, "isn't it bad to... to keep secrets?"

It took every ounce of her strength not to immediately whip around and violently shush her sister, but thankfully Aries stepped in before she had the chance.

Well, it was a long way around the issue, but hopefully it would quell the inner turmoil within Dalmatia's tender heart. Her speckled sibling was always so caught up in doing the Right Thing she probably missed out on a lot, so it was important that she learn how to navigate these kinds of caveats to better herself in the long run.

“Yeah,” she agreed in a hushed whisper, still thoroughly engaged in her task. “Plus, it's not like, a secret secret, it's more... 'withholding information'.”

A useful phrase she had learned from someone among their ranks, but she would never name names.

“So how close do I gotta get before I pounce?” Aurelia asked, changing the subject back to what truly mattered, giving her tutor a keen look.

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