Her siblings were out and about, and she had been gnawing on a bone not far from their den. Her little fangs left marks on the smooth ivory, and any lingering meat was long gone. Mostly she was just bored, and felt like chowing down on something. When she heard her mother shuffling her way, she let go of her victim and bounced to her paws. She trotted over to her mother's side, and wound about her long, pale legs. She was still a little thing, and fit easily under her mothers stomach a she got in the way. Not on purpose of course, but she looked up into the golden face of her mother and wagged her tail happily. “Mumma, Daddy gave Pyr a job, can I have a job too?” she puffed out her chest, trying to look strong and independent, like she could do anything asked of her. She wanted to be helpful, and to learn, and she wanted to spend more time with the golden lady that had birthed her. She breathed in the familiar mix of herbs and otherness that was her mother, the scent mixing together into something that could only be described as home. she knew home might be moving soon, an idea that frightened and intrigued her. Home was here but maybe home could also be elsewhere, so long as all of her family was with her. “Mumma, will there be herbs in our new home, too?” she asked, as the thought of scents and familiarity entered her mind. "Speech"

Art by pimsri

Serene Validis With news that the entire pack was going to be uprooted from the grapevine cathedral and moved to a more stable location, made the fawn woman very uneasy. So much uncertainty in such a plan, especially with so many young pups to keep track of during the move. Here in the cathedral, the thick vegetation offered a buffer between her pups and the predators that would seek an easy dinner. But once they left this haven, it would be all hands on deck in order to successfully move all the pups. Serene, being the mother of five said pups, was extremely anxious about the whole ordeal. Maternal instincts told her to take them all, to ensure their safety personally, but logic told her this would not be the case. Serene took a deep, lasting sigh as she moved towards her herbal garden, the plans of the future move weighing heavily on her mind. Perhaps too heavily, as she was suddenly tripping over one of her daughters, seemingly out of no where. She was startled at first, but a small smile graced her lips once she recognized the charcoal girl as Felicity. Her fierce little princess. Mumma, Daddy gave Pyr a job, can I have a job too? She pursed her lips as she thought of a possible job for Fel to do. Amber orbs glancing around the densite hoping something to spark interest. But all that remained was her overgrown garden... but that could work? "I was just about to go weed out my garden before the move, would you like to help me, my love?" Carefully would Serene lean down and lick down some wayward hairs from along the girls neck before she would move towards the garden, carefully stepping around the young pup. Mumma, will there be herbs in our new home, too? This had Serene humming in thought. "That's a good question Fel. I'm not sure what herbs will grow in the castle, but your father said he will lay claim to a vast garden too, so I imagine there will be plenty of herbs there." The golden woman thought hard about the territories he spoke of, trying to remember any details of such places in her previous travels. Which made her remember the time shared in the castle walls. She chuckled softly to herself, shaking her head as she reached the garden. "You want to know something cool? Our new home in the castle, is where your father and I first met. Many, many, moons ago." Strange she had not realized it sooner, but it made her heart melt at the thought that they would create their new home in such an important place. Shaking her mind off of it, Serene peered down at her beloved daughter and smiled brightly. "Let's get started shall we?" She would move to carefully dig around one of her planted herbs, aiming to pull out a suffocating weed from her beloved plant."See this plant here? This is a weed. It hogs all the space and nutrients from my beautiful herbs. Like a monster. We must save the garden from their evil clutches." For some reason, it was always easy for Serene to play into the creative imaginations her pups seemed to possess. Perhaps she enjoyed the idea of fighting monsters just as much as them. Amber orbs would watch carefully to see what Felicity's next moves were, her gaze light and ever so loving. "Speech" <

She wound about her mother’s paws, and Felicity noticed a miss in her mother’s stride, as the pup got in the way. She glanced up at her mother’s face, wondering if there would be annoyance in her expression, but of course there was only love and a smile. Fel grinned back at her mother, and leaned against the inner side of her forepaw, head brushing against her mothers chest. She breathed in the scent that was more familiar to her then anything else in the world. The smell that had filled her life from the moment she knew what life was. Right now her mother was bigger and stronger, and knew more about anything then Felicity, but the pup even then, knew that she would take on any demon in the world to keep her mother safe. That was the Abraxa’s way, to never back down, to fight for her family. It was still only an idea to Fel, and well she agreed with it she didn’t yet fully understand it. “Yes, Mumma!” Felicity agreed, grateful to be given a job, to prove she was an adult and could handle responsibility. Her mother had to step around her very in-the-way form, making her way to the garden, and after a moment Fel jumped back to her feet and followed, shaking the licked feeling free of her coat. “Mumma, what’s a Ca-stle?” she wanted to know. Home was going to be a castle, and that sounded very different from the grapevine she knew. “Can you show me where in the Ca-stle you first met? Why did you meet there and not here?” “Yes Mumma” she agreed, watching first as her mum dug around a plant that smelled like the scents in the den, like the herbs her mother always smelled of. She wrinkled her nose in thought as she watched her mother work. That weed was a monster? A (to Fel) ferocious growl started in her belly, making its way up her throat and out her maw. She pounced on the next weed, the growing growl still vibrating in her chest. “Rrrrrr-gr-rrr!” she tore the weed to pieces, far different to the delicate and precise way her mother had tackled the garden. As she fell upon her victim with relish, she realized that the herb she was suppose to be protecting had gotten all tangled up in her claws too, and had perished. She stopped abruptly, jumping away from the plant. “Mumma, mumma, I broke it!” her ears were against her skull, her tail tucked against her legs, as she looked at her mother in surprise. The little herb had been so delicate, she hadn’t even noticed when her claws had gone through its stem as well as the stronger, thicker vines of the weed. "Speech"

Art by pimsri

Serene Validis Mumma, what’s a Ca-stle? This was a tricky question Serene was not expecting, though since her young had learned the art of words, they had continue to hammer her with hard questions she never had to think about before. In truth, it was enlightening to be around a pup, to have them show you the world through their pure eyes. It was something Serene loved so dearly. The golden dam would hum softly to herself as she thought of a way to explain the appearance and fundamentals of a castle. Finally, she would make a sort of clicking sound with her mouth before answering her young daughter. "The castle is like a mountain made of fine stone. Unlike a mountain however, you can walk between the stone walls and travel all around. The stones are very strong, so no wolf can go through them. That's why daddy chose it." Suddenly realizing that may have been a bit of an confusing answer, Serene would quickly add; "I'm sure you'll love it." Her next question was a bit simpler, and so Serene was quicker to respond. "I would be more than happy to show you." Thinking back to that fateful day in the stone castle had Serene's heart fluttering. The charming, charasmatic young male that had weaned Serene out of her secluded shell. Who would have thought the two would be mated with such wonderful pups? "Well your father lived here in the Cathedral, but I come from a land far north of here. I was out exploring for the first time ever, when I saw the castle." She smiled softly to herself as she relived the memories. "I felt so drawn to it, I didn't know why at the time but, after meeting your father inside, I knew it was the Gods that lead me there." After successfully removing one of the sufficating weeds from around her beloved plants, Serene would turn to see how Felicity would handle to task set before her. It didn't take long for her spirit to run away with her work, and soon the golden mother found herself holding back a light laugh seeing her daughter vanquish the demon so passionately. But when the charcoal girl seemed to jump back in fright, all laughter was gone as amber orbs looked at the pained face of her young daughter. Mumma, mumma, I broke it! Serene offer a small smile still, walking over to her beloved girl and nudging her shoulder softly. "That's alright Felicity. You just have to be a bit more careful, here come with me." Serene would usher her daughter to yet another herb under attack by a ruthless weed and sat down on her haunches. "You are so much stronger than you yet realize my love, that your power consumes you at times, as it does your siblings." She would then move to take one of Felicity's paws and place them at the base of the weed, gently directing her to dig more towards the roots than the plant itself. "Herbs are so much more delicate than us however, so you have to be very gentle when tending to them. That means pulling back your urge to lash out at the weeds surrounding them, because you might destroy the very thing you hoped to protect." Soon the weed's very core was exposed, and Serene would lean down and nudge it towards Felicity, hoping she would grab the plant and pull it now. Once she pulled it out successfully, Serene would sigh happily, leaning back on her haunches and smiling brightly down at her girl. "I might make a healer out of you yet, my love." "Speech" <

The silence was filled with the soft humming of her mother, and Felicity found herself tilting her head, listening to the gentle sound. It flowed easily from hum to words as Serene began her explanation for the pup. A stone mountain? It sounded glorious already. She was going to find the top of the stone mountain, and howl to the stars, she just needed to find it before her siblings did. She grinned, as she thought through her plan. “Thanks Mamma” Fel said, as Serene promised to show her the place she had met their father. She wondered if it would be magical and romantic. And then stuck her tongue out at the thought. Romance was still gross, even if she was also curious about her mother and father meeting. After her debacle with the plant, her mother would return to her side, and nudge her shoulder gently. Felicity would look up sorrowfully into her mothers golden eyes, her own where big and round and lost, hints of plant still sticking up between her pads and teeth. There was more then one spot of mud on her chin. She let her mother lead her from the graveside of the herb, and together they approached another one. This time, Felicity paid more attention as her mother indicated the plant. She let her mother move her paw, letting the impedage go a little limb until she realised what her mother wanted from her. When she understood, she would aid in the digging, making her way towards the root. She felt like there was an important lesson in her mother's words, but she was still much to trapped in the throes of despair of the dead plant to figure out what it was just yet. As she successfully found her way to the base of the roots, and was directed to pull it out, she gripped it in her teeth and tugged, pulling it free of the dirt, and tossing it gently to the side. In light of her successful, there was an instant change in her mood, and she grinned up at her mother of her dirt-splatter fur. With precarious balance she managed to pull herself up on her hind paws, and with Serene leaning a little downwards, was able to put a paw on her mothers cheek, and give her muzzle a loving lick. “Your the best Mumma in the whole world.” Felicity told her, before releasing her hold, and attempting the uprooting on her own once more. "Speech"

Art by pimsri

Serene Validis Being able to teach her daughter the same skills Serene's mother had taught her, brought on so many emotions and memories, but above all she felt proud. Proud to have such a beautiful, caring daughter who wanted to spend time learning the art of gardening. Proud to have given life to all of her children. Proud to have raised them in a way where they wanted to stay and spend time with her, rather than sprint away the first chance they got. Pride filled her very being seeing Felicity work hard to free the weed from the dirt, and the pure joy she felt seeing how happy her success made the dark charcoal girl, it made her smile grow wide across her maw. Serene leaded forward to place a loving kiss across her young's forehead, but was stopped by Felicity's sudden movement. Her little girl reached up on her hind legs and placed one of her tiny paws on Serene's face, demanding the attention of her honey colored eyes. She stared lovingly at those little eyes, so similar to her own, and found nothing but love staring back at her. A gentle kiss was placed on the fawn woman's cheek, followed by the sweetest words ever spoken to her. “Your the best Mumma in the whole world.” The best mumma? Serene had always worried she wasn't being a good mother all the time, no matter how much she tried. But now she was being validated as not only a good mother, but the best. Perhaps it was simply a child's word, but to Serene, it meant the world to hear Felicity say that. Overcome with emotions, the fawn mother tried her best to swallow the lump in her throat and hold back the tears that wanted to fall. Instead, she would unleash a relentless amount of kisses onto her sweet little girl; her motherly love crossed over her cheeks, head, down her back. She could scoop up the pup and hold her close for years if she could. "You mean the world to me Fel, you and your siblings. There's nothing I wouldn't do for you, you know that right?" It was the purest truth; Serene would go to war for her children, her devotion and protection was fierce and unquestionable. The world would know her wrath if any harm was to come to any of her children. "Speech" <

Her mother would attack her with kisses, and Felicity giggled, letting herself fall to the earth as through defeated under heavy assault. She kissed her mother’s chin when she got a chance, and her Seren’s own kisses had let up. She adored her mother, and didn’t mind showing and having affection shown to her, at least where her siblings couldn’t see and tease her for it. It was true that most of them angled more towards the arts of a warrior then a healer in his family, and with that in mind she would be a little less affectionate in their presence. Despite this, she would still always be happy to walk at her mother's side, and take her cherished advice to heart.

“I know mum. I feel the same. Family is everything, right? I want you and dad and my siblings to be together forever, happy and safe. That’s why I want to learnt to fight as well as to heal.” unusually somber eyes looked up at Serene as she spoke with a little less of her puppy antics now then she usually did. She was too often playing and enjoying the life they had here to consider anything but, but living in the risen Empire it was easy to know that war existed. To hear the boosts of other wolves.

She shook off the moment, giving her mother another smile, before digging her nose back into the soil in an attempt to free another herb from the strangling grasp of weeds.