Frosted leaves of autumn

[Zenith]

The sun had just raised over the land and the air was cold. The leaves were painted with brilliant colors of orange and gold. Zenith let out high pitched bark, his thin tail wagging as the newborns little paws padded over the soft land. Zenith shook his short fur as he began to trot, his head that seemed too big for his body was bobbing up and down as he ran. Zenith laughed when his back paws lost its step and he tripped and fell. "ooophf" he whined and lay there. His tail wagged as he lifted up his head. His his light amber coat shining in the pale morning sun.

Zenith let out a high pitched bark and he cocked his head when he saw the grasses in front f him. His hearing had not yet developed well enough to hear the quietest of squeaks. His eyes that had opened half a moon ago were bright and curious. His orbs shimmering with the hues of dark blue, much like his mother, but his spirit something of his father, if not identical.

Zenith jumped up onto his feet and cocked his head and padded over to the frost carpeted grounds. "Momma what's this?" he asked, knowing that his mother and his brother was not far behind. Zenith inched closer and he sniffed it before licking a stem full of white frost. Zenith squealed and spat, the chillness of it made him wince.

[Firefly]

Firefly let out a yawn. the pups had wanted to go out for the morning stroll and she was not the type to disappoint them. And so she had followed her curious sons outside. The day was nice, although it proved to be a bit cooler then it should have been. But then again winter was fast approaching.
Firefly frowned at the thought and shook it off and watched her pups play with a content smile.

Firefly followed and watched as zenith began to run faster. Firefly let out a worried bark but let him run on. He had the heart of his father, she could see that. She looked to Raikan and smiled nuzzling him. "Let's go catch up with your brother" she said with a laugh.

Fly looked up and barked with a wince as she saw Zenith trip over his steps. The pups were still not used to running with their feet.
Firefly began to pad over to her amber pup but he got up and soon raced toward his next find. Firefly laughed and sighed when she saw Zenith poke at the stems of the grasses that were carpeted in frost.

Firefly padded toward him, her own steps on the grass coated in frost made crunching noises. She licked Zenith on his muzzle as he winced from the cold experience of frost on his tongue. "Silly pup. That is frost" the mother began. "It's like water turned to ice over night." Firefly explained. She would have told him snow, but the pup would even be more confused and Firefly would have to tell the pup that by this time large bundles of white coldness would fall and cover all the land. Of course the pup would not believe.

[Raikan]

Fenris had just reached it's peak and were shining onto the lands. Nearly all the leaves have fallen, littering the ground with shades of gold and orange. Raikan nosed twitched slightly and stared at the many colours around him. The pup was excited, and always wanted to explore new places. Curious and staring at every little thing, from the tall trees to the leaves on the ground. Tail wagging and his nose on the ground sniffing energeticly. He had cyan orbs just like his mother but his fur was a shade of amber like his father. But this morning his mother had let him and his brother wander and go on a morning stroll. He felt extremely happy and couldn't wait to go, he felt his Firefly nuzzle him and give a small smile. "Alright. I"ll catch up with him." said Raikan giggling slightly.

Bounding forward to try and caught his brother, staring at the frosty grounds. Oh boy! Now it's going to be fun, he too wondered what the stuff on the ground was. But like most pups, he also was interested in fun and games. Finally, his mother approached and told them about "frost". This only confused the pup, how can water turn to ice over night?

He wanted to ask more, and was extremely curious. "Frost?" asked Raikan quietly. Cyan orbs staring down at stuff was standing on. Laughing when his brother attempted to lick some, feeling that today had more things instored for him today.

A mischievious glint in his eye as he bounded forward. Suddenly, he lunged hoping to spring onto his brother.

[Chalos Autumn]

It seemed rather sudden that a shape began to make its way towards the trio in the midst of the frost-covered earth, and, though the male's steps were gentle, his form was huge. Stripes and spots of rust and deep tan tainted an otherwise onyx pelt - this was the almost too-familiar form of Chalos, Deor's benevolent Dragga. As he walked along, drawing himself closer and closer to the pups and their mother, the large varg bowed his head, dipping his muzzle in respectful greetings as he approached.

"Ah, a healthy couplet you seem you have created, Firefly." He said upon his approach, emerald eyes gazing down at Zenith and Raikan.. How he wished to have pups of his own, yet somehow she-varg had always seemed much less interested in him. Ah, well, he was sure to find someone. Someday. "Tell me, where is their father?" He knew little about Draeg's acceptance as the Dragga of Ge-Rad, for he did expect the amber varg to at least come every once in a while to visit his second-born litter. "He hasn't.. left you to tend to them yourself.. Has he?"

A sudden spark of worry crossed Chalos' mind - what if Firefly had been left to fend for herself? What would he, as a Dragga, have to do? He hadn't yet the experience to deal with fatherless pups.. His rather long tail would have drooped had he not been required to hold it so high as to show his alpha position, and the enormous varg moved closer to the pups, examining them with curious eyes. "They'll make you proud some day, Fly, I can tell." He smiled, nudging her in a rather friendly way with his nose. Then, very quietly, the Dragga whispered to the she-varg, "I shouldn't be rude, but are they going to join their father's pack? I'm sure it.. would be an insult for them to know of his affair, but I'm just curious.. You need not answer if it suits you to keep quiet on the matter." And with that, Chalos sat, watching the pups whilst worrying for their mother - she must have the most terrible heartbreak upon having to carry knowledge of Cwen around.

[Firefly]

Firefly smiled and laughed as she watched her two pups play but she stopped and turned abruptly when she heard the bracken behind her shook with a tremor as a large for moved between the vegetation. Firefly looked up and snarled, her fur raising and her hackles spiked as her cyan orbs glowed menacingly, no one was going to be able to harm her pups, no not her pups. Firefly watched as she saw the form of Chalos Autumn emerge. Firefly watched him still as he began to pad closer. Fly calmed though and her fur relaxed as she saw the great dragga dip his muzzle, and Firefly herself bowed her muzzle low.

Firefly eased and stood and greeted Chalos with a soft bark and returned his nuzzle and licked his chin in respect for the dragga wolf. Firefly smiled, "Thank you Chalos, yes they are quite the trouble makers though" Firefly said with a smile as she watched Zen and Rai. "How have you been?" Firefly asked as she sat on her haunches.

She then shrugged as a response to Chalos's question about her amber mate. Firefly flickered her tail and adjusted her position, "Umm in his pack lands I suppose" she replied as her eyes were still watching her pups a smile on her lips. though the thought of Draeg playing with his other pups brought a pang of sadness to her heart and Firefly held in a whine before it could escape. She then tried to keep her attention on Chalos. And she smiled, her eyes glittering with pride, "Yes, I'm sure they will make me proud one day" she said her eyes glazed with the admirations of the future.

Firefly then tilted her head as the dragga came nearer and whispered. Fly's ears sank and she shrugged, "Well Chalos, I know some things just don't seem right but it would be even worse to keep them here, away from their father. Do you know they always ask why draeg is away for such lengthy periods of time. I just can't keep them wondering. It would be unfair to them and it will just have to be a risk I'll take." Firefly said and nuzzled Chalos in a friendly way, "Though I would have loved to stay here in deor." she said but sighed, "But I must do this for Zenith and Raikan, they need their father. I can't keep on making up reasons. Soon they'll out grow my fibs and tall tail stories" Firefly said, though she in turn wanted to move closer to Draeg, she could be with him more, and also maybe because she could watch him, not that she didn't trust him but it was all the better to know that all she had to do was call and he'd be there.

[Zenith]

Zenith paused, his small tassel wagging behind hi as he skipped over toward his mother when suddenly something pushed him down. Zenith let out a yelp before hitting the ground his puppy paws swiping the earth as he turned his head around to see Raikan on him. Zenith barked and let out a puppy growl, barring his little puppy teeth before lunging and grabbing a hold of his brother's ear and started to wrestle with him, trying to squeeze out from underneath.

Zenith barked and managed to paw his way out. He jumped and rolled around in the autumn leaves before making a dash toward Raikan when suddenly he slid to a stop. He turned to his mother when he heard a furious growl and Zenith barked, his tail tucked between his leg and his ears flat against his skull as he galloped to his mother and leaned against her leg.

His sapphire eyes blinked and watched as a figure began to draw closer. Zenith had not yet seen this wolf, though the dragga of Deor had probably seen him in the den, when Zenith and his brother were both still blind and deaf.
Zenith looked at Raikan and as the dragga began to come closer, Zenith suddenly found something stirring inside of him. The brave little pup peeked out from behind his mother's leg and let out a low puppy growl. Nothing very intimidating, but still a growl none the less. Tail up and ears bent forward Zenith let out a snarl and dared two steps before losing confidence and backup against his mother. He played this game of padded two steps, and then back two, then padding two before the Dragga Chalos spoke kind words to his mother.

Zenith cocked his head, ears flickered in wonder as he looked up to his mother in eyes of wonder. Friend or Foe? it said. Zenith fell back onto his bottom and nuzzled his mother's leg and let out a quiet whine as he tried to eaves drop into the adults conversation. Zenith titled an ear, he had caught the word 'Draeg and he also caught his name and Rai's. What was going on. Zenith pawed his mother's leg gently, feeling the force of impatience overwhelm him. '

[Chalos Autumn]

"Oh.." Responded the oversized Dragga at Firefly's response. This meant that he would lose more members.. He needed warriors, hunters, anything to keep the pack alive and well, and now he had to deal with losing three potential members, all because Draeg had decided to grow high in a pack of his own, the legendary Ge-Rad. "I'm sorry for being such a nosy thing, miss. I ought to leave you, but.. Well, is there anything I can do for the pups?" Chalos blew out a sigh, ears pulling back against his head; children of Draeg would make brave members.. Ah, there he went thinking about the loss again. He knew he ought to stop and accept this fact, but it was rather difficult when they were within a dying pack's boundaries.

Now, the elegant Deor alpha studied the small pups, admired their adorable, frail bodies. He knew that with time they would grow strong, though the thing that bothered him was how their minds would grow - would they come to hate their father for his two-timing ways or would they forgive his sin and appreciate his giving them life? With a guilty glance to the ground, Chalos had finally fallen upon the first choice; he almost knew that Draeg and Firefly's spawn would reject the father for deserting their mother, for leaving her with her pups just before the wretched season of winter rolled around. If they grew strong enough to leave their mother's side and explore the boundaries on their own by winter, they'd be lucky.

The Dragga's mind seemed to continually retreat to the pups, to how much he would enjoy seeing the small balls of fur running about his territory, how he would love to watch his future packmembers grow up in a land free of evil. Hesitantly, the small-bear-sized varg lowered his large head, took two small steps to close the distance between himself and Zenith, and granted the pup a delicate lick on the forehead. "You have my blessing, little one.. Grow strong, make your mother, and, dare I say, your father, proud." He muttered to the small lupine, unsure whether or not he understood the leader's words.

With that, he turned back to Firefly, a sorrowful smile plaguing his gentle face. "Ma'am, what if.. Their father.. doesn't come back? I don't want them to grow without a male parent to look up to, and if he doesn't plan on coming back to this territory that so warmly welcomed him-" Here he paused, glaring at the autumn ground in near anger,"-then I have no choice but to request that I escort you and the pups to Ge-Rad, so that they might grow up with other litters and so that they will know that their father, a foreigner, is the alpha of an ancient pack. Allow them to grow as happily as they are able."