The Life of Tomorrow

[Draeg]

Pleased that his mate had approved of his decision the amber varg gave out a satisfied sigh leaned Firefly herself against shoulder, chuckling at how she seemed to be afraid that she would awaken their newborn children if she were too loud. He watched as she turned her gaze to their remaining son and stared at him for a moment before nodding her head and speaking, smiling warmly as she named the small pup and explained the origin’s behind her choice. “I’m sure he was.” He growled warmly, brushing her muzzle affectionately. Sliding his tongue diagonally across the tan femme’s face in a loving lick the amber male gazed deeply into her blue eyes for a moment before looking down up the sleeping forms of his newborn pups, his nose and ears burning with embarrassment as he heard Firefly’s words. “And exactly which footsteps would those be Ketama?” He growled, returning her nuzzle whole-heartedly. “It’s perfect, I couldn’t have thought of a better name. Get some sleep Ketama you’ve earned it, I’ll be right here watching over you.”

And so they remained that way for a while, lying side by side with their tails entwined together until the amber varg remembered that his packmates were waiting outside for him to come give them the news. Making sure that Firefly was asleep Draeg carefully rose to his feet as not to wake her and began making his way out of the den, stopping along the way to pick up the lifeless forms of his two stillborn children. His pain burned anew as he held the bodies of his dead children in his jaws and for a moment Draeg wanted nothing more than to break down and cry, with this latest loss the amber varg had lost a total of seven children now, possibly eight if Koan decided never to return. It wasn’t fair that the gods had chosen to take them from him before any of them had been give a real chance to see the world and for a split second Draeg hated them for it, however as he looked back to the sleeping forms of his mate and remaining children he was thankful that Firefly was okay and at least two of his children had survived.

As he made his way out of the den his ears perked to the sounds of BT and Lufian talking quietly between themselves, apparently anxiously awaiting for Draeg to surface and allow them a chance to see the pups. Draeg thought he heard someone else lurking outside of the den but wasn’t entirely sure, poking his head out of the burrow and taking a quick glance of the surrounding area he quickly spotted the familiar form of Gryffin sitting next to BT, the pack’s nurse. Turning his head to the side and using his body to hide the bodies of his stillborn children the amber varg quickly exited the den and padded away from the trio of femme, finding a spot beneath a gnarled oak a few yards away he scrabbled his paws against the dirt until he had dug a sizable hole.

Once that was done he carefully deposited the bodies of his lifeless children within the small depression and set about covering it up, at which point he padded back over to the group and took his place amidst them. “Gryffin, you came!” he growled, obviously pleased by the Listern emissary’s presence. “Where’s Sudak? Still at List, oh well no matter.” He nuzzled Gryffin affectionately before turning to face BT and Lufian, holding his head high in the air and wagging his tail ecstatically he spoke. “I am pleased to say that Firefly is doing fine, her labor was hard but she is strong and will be fine after she rest. She has brought two Dragga’s into the world that we have named Zenith and Raikan.” His eyes shone brightly and he seemed to swell up with pride. “All three are resting at the moment, however so long as you promise don’t disturb them you may come and see the pups. Well then, let’s go.”

[Gryffin]

Gryffin stirred restlessly, her fur on end. She did not find it very comfortable to be her lingering too long in the deor lands. After all she had not had a great history with the Deor vargs. But Draeg and Firefly had created a bridge for Gryffin to cross. But still she did not find it too comfortable and inched a bit farther away from B.T.

Gryffin was young but she remembered the ferocity of the nurse when war was waged between her pack and koran. Deor had aided their rival pack as the balkan had for them. It had been a year since that war had started and ended but still Gryffin still felt the whole gravity of it. the war had cost her drappa and aunt her life. But Gryffin pulled herself from the reverie and looked to the den to see the amber varg known as Draeg appear. Emerald orbs reflected the morning sun as Gryffin got up from her haunches and and padded toward the male when he was done with some sort of digging by the oak tree. Gryffin tore her curiosity away, afraid to hear the worst. Instead she brought herself to a more cherry note. "G'morning draeg." Spoke Gryffin and she returned the nuzzle. She smiled giving a chuckle, "No i did not feel the need to disturb him from his sleep" she replied.

She listened on and her eyebrows raised as her eyes widened, her lisp curling into a smile, "By Tor's tail! That is wonderful draeg." Gryff replied with a laugh, her auburn tail now swishing lightly behind her. the tri coloured varg of black,brown and white looked toward the den. "Congratulations, though Iam quite disappointed to hear this news late and on such a special occasion too. " Gryffin said eying Draeg with a raised eyebrow. Now when did she give birth?" Gryffin asked quite pleased to hear that there were two strong draggas birthed.

"Yes, I shall be as quiet as a mouse in the summer evening" Gryffin said and padded briskly towards the den. She looked down and briskly nodded to the golden male and slipped into the darkness. Slowly she crept towards the back of the den, the scent of mother's milk strong in the air. Gryffin slowed her pace and sat on her haunches afraid to awake the tired Dam. She turned around to look at draeg, "They are both wonderful, and I am sure they will grow into handsome fine draggas. Perhaps even make a balkar run for his money?" Gryffin joked, " and that is saying alot, seeing that i am the daughter of a First" Gryffin then sat in silence to watch the wriggling cubs. "Raikan and Zenith" Gryffin whispered her voice seemed to echo faintly in the warm den.

[Firefly]

Firefly slept soundlessly, her nose twitching and her ear prickled to every sound. Since she had began to carry her young her sense's grew sharper and more acute as she managed to pick out every little detail of her surroundings. Though asleep she could still feel the small bodies of the wriggling whelps by her belly.

Her tail curled and fell over her newborns, but an eye opened to reveal that draeg had left her side. Firefly cocked an ear and let out a soft hardly audible whine as she curled up tighter around her pups.

Just then she could hear soft paws scraping the floors of the den entrance. Could it be draeg? Though Firefly, her tan auds erect and perked immediately. her back against the entrance, brought both a positive and negative id. She would be able to protect her whelps but she would have to turn her head around to be able to see whom the intruder was. Firefly's eyes snapped open, revealing sapphire orbs that glowed and shimmered from the little light that was cascading through the entrance of the den. She then heard the stranger speak, but the strong force to protect her newborns drove all knowledge from her mind. She turned, straining her neck as her lips curled up wards in a menacing snarl, a snarl that would have frightened Firefly herself, but her instincts proved stronger then her fear as she hissed. The light in her eyes it shadowed the figure and the form showed only of shadows but when it got close enough Firefly sighed and relaxed her herself and let her head fall onto the ground. "It's only you Gryffin" she said with a relieved yet irritated voice. "You gave me quite a fright. I don't suppose Draeg is with you?" Firefly asked, letting out a large yawn and stretching out her legs.

Her eyes then wandered to the den entrance and saw Draeg standing there with the deor pack behind, she could just make them out from the back of the den. But Firefly then picked out a small figure perched at the side of the entrance. Firefly smiled, "Goldmoon" she barked, "Come here" she said softly, "Come see your new brothers"

[Draeg]

Draeg nodded his head sagely as he listen to Gryffin explain Sudak’s absence, however he found himself frowning as a thought suddenly came to mind. “Wait a minute, you came here alone? In your condition? Are you sure that’s wise?” he asked, worry evident in his tone. During her last visit to Deor Gryffin had revealed that like Firefly she was expecting, as such Draeg was surprise to find that she was traveling between List and Deor without any kind of protection. “When the time comes for you to leave, I’ll escort you home.” He growled softly before allowing her to past into the den. He watched as she brushed past him and disappeared the darkness, smiling as he watched the tri-colored femme make her way over to Firefly’s side and stare down at the two tiny pups wiggling at her side. A surge of pride rushed through him as Gryffin praised his newborn children and Draeg felt his tail wagging flickering from side to side. Firefly’s voice caught him off guard causing him to jump back in surprise as his mate spoke, a hint of irritation in her tone. Upon hearing the tan femme ask for him Draeg was at her side in a heartbeat, crouching low to the ground in a show of respectful submission and licking her muzzle comfortingly. “I’m right here Ketama, just like I promised. Sorry if we woke you but the others wanted to see the pups.” He whined, giving Firefly on last lick on the cheek before curling himself around her and draping his tail over hers. Following her gaze over to edge of the den the amber wolf quickly spotted Goldmoon hanging around the entrance alongside Lufian and BT, giving out a quick bark he invited them all over figuring that it would be better if they all came at once.

[okamiwolf]

BT nuzzled Lufian as she came close, not really noticing Gryiffin, but remembering the fight they’d had in the last war that involved Deor. It had also involved Sudak, and BT had to admit that she wasn’t very good acquaintances, let alone at all. The bitter memory made it hard for her to create a friendship from it. “Lufian, call me BT, miss is too formal. But, I‘m not so sure about when we‘ll get to see them. That‘s up to Draeg.”

BT sent an icy smile to Gryiffin, but it was mostly involuntary. “Draeg just went inside. So, I would guess she has.” They were in silence for a long while after, or it felt like such. But then Draeg emerged, and BT found herself suddenly on her feet and turning to face him, plume of silver-white wagging vigorously. She smiled brightly, her gentle composure regained as she anticipated the sight of the new borne, and a chance to be a nurse again.

“Two boys, you’re in for some trouble Draeg. Those two are going to be so mischievous I’ll bet.” she purred with a laugh, and stood tall both showing how proud she was, and that she ranked more than Gryiffin here. She couldn’t say that she didn’t like the wolf, but the stranger being in her pack lands (and an opponent once) was almost enough to make her fur bristle. “And I swear to be silent as the working ant.”

She padded softly after Draeg, and made her way to peek inside the den. She noted that Firefly was awake, and spoke softly toward her. “Do we have mother’s permission too?” she whispered with a smile, her warm and velvety voice drifting down past Gryff to Fly.

[Sudak]

Sudak had slowly opened his eyes with the stir of the ground in the List dens by his tri-hued mate. The cubs lay scattered across the den however one lay nestled snuggly where Sudak had been curled up so the cub would be enclosed in the Beta's warmth. Sudak gave an innocent smile to the snoring cub and gave a chuckle as one of his paws twitched as if he were running after the lera that populated their land. He had felt the precense of his mate standing staring at him however Sudak had not stired. He heard the scuffle of her paws as she turned to pad out of the den. Sudak knew where she would be heading. It was near to Firefly's time and Gryffin's motherly instincts seemed to be taking over. Sudak uncurled and rolled so he lay flat on the den floor looking towards the entrance. His mate was now disappering into the darkness and early morning fog that lay outside the den. The heat from the varg that occupied the den had kept the fog out so she seemed to disappear like a ghostly figure. Sudak gave one last look at the cub below him and gave a lick on his nose and rose to his paws to take after his mate. He stretched his front then rear then slowly padded after her making sure to stay far enough behind to not be noticed but close enough to keep a sharp eye on her.

Soon Sudak's suspicions of Gryffin's destination was confirmed. They arrived at the Deor List border and he heard his mate rise to beautiful song and sing of Tratto's Blessing, lifting it to Tor and Fenris. Sudak's ears had shot forward and took in every breathtaking moment of her song then he saw her dash through the borders and Sudak quickly started after her once more.

He now soon came upon the gathering of varg which Gryffin had entered. A few varg he did notice and few scents that he noticed also were present, but faces were not matching. Sudak stood in deep though hidden by the brush until one of the unfarmiliar varg, Bent Time turned as she was facing the brush Sudak stood stealthly within. A sudden flash overcame Sudak and the memory of the battle with Deor ran through his mind. The blood and fighting that had occured between the two packs, apparently this varg had triggered his flashback, and now he rememberd her aging figure.

Sudak padded through the brush as he noticed Gryffin turn to enter the den that she and himself had left not too many moons ago, to the pregnant fae, Firefly.

"Gryff, Draeg!""

barked Sudak as Gryff made her way down into the den. Sudak continued his march towards Draeg and nodded to him as he approached.

" I assume your cubs are now among us conisdering the unusual crowd gathered. "

Sudak gave a proud and joyful smile to Draeg as he stoppe short enough as to be close to Draeg but far enough from the other strange Fae that remained near. Sudak let Gryff go as she was probably attending to Firefly and Gryff probably would love to see the newborn, for she would be seeing more of that soon.

[Gryffin]

Gryffin grimaced as she saw B.T give her a smile though her eyes held the icy glare. Gryffin held in the want to growl at her, her ears twitched as she glared back and swung her head away from the nurse, ignoring her as she watched the den in the silence which seemed to have last for all for eternity.

Finally Gryffin got up when she saw Draeg and smiled though the distance between B.T and her was still clear and would probably stay that way. Gryffin's own hairs bristled and spiked on end as she padded forward. She knew that B.T was pressuring dominance over the tri coloured gryffin but at length the List varg tried to keep self control. She was not here to cause fights, she was here to see Firefly. Her mind told her. She looked at B.T and her lips curled and her nose wrinkled as she showed her one pearly white fang. Something that could have been equivalent to that of a certain fingered gesture but of course in the wolf world the sign was used in a more threatening sort of way. Her tail swished and she padded down.

**

Gryffin was about to enter the den when Draeg had stopped her. She looked at him, a scowl and irritated face on her brow, "Don't worry Draeg. I'm not the daughter of a balkar for nothing" she said with a toothy grin and smiled before tottering off towards Firefly like a pup that had promised to come home by curfew only to have skipped away merrily.

Gryffin then came upon a snarling Firefly, surprised at first she stepped back giving the wolf hybrid her space, ears flattened as she watched Firefly ease finally when she saw who i was. Gryffin smiled and chuckled, "Well of course it is me! Who were you expecting?" she said in a matter-of-fact tone. Gryffin then side stepped, "Well of course he is, he's right there" Gryffin said motioning to the amber varg.

Gryffin's ears perked though as she heard a familiar voice from outside the den. Sudak! Gryffin barked and she turned to Firefly, "I'll be back, besides i think there are other's who want to meet and greet" she said peering over her shoulder at the Deor femmes. With that she spun on her heels and dashed out of the den to make room for B.T and lufian and the young golden pup.

Gryffin barked and nearly tackled Sudak as she nuzzled him. "Sudak!You came, oh dear who are watching the pups?" Cried Gryffin but she side, "ahh no matter Fiory cannot be far from the den after all" she said and sat on her haunches. "I'm sorry i didn't tell you where I went. I didn't want to disturb you after all. and besides" Gryffin said with a laugh. You looked to comfortable with the pups stacked all around you" she said and smiled when she finally to onto topic. "Ahh yes! Firefly has had her pups! Oh do come see! " She said, her voice rose with excitement.