Rhythm sat comfortably on the boulder above her den, her delicate paws hanging over the edge as the rest of her body lay comfortably over the surface. Her head was held proudly above her more relaxed shoulders as bright eyes lingered on the source of said pride. Rhys and Rhyme were at the valley of the knoll below, bringing terror on the prairie dog family that lived there. Her babies were becoming quite proficient in catching them, every few days they brought her a gift when they got lucky. She'd smile brightly as the dogs played with them, unknowingly becoming their undoing as her children learned the tricks while they were young. A fond smile played on her lips as she watched them play in the snow, she was still amazed at how far they had come. It seemed like yesterday they were just born, tiny and helpless, unable to escape the den and fully dependent on her. She half missed those days, being so close to them all the time. However, she felt her freedom returning and having time to herself was becoming ever more tempting. That and a quiet moment with Valentine, it'd been too long since she'd talked to him with out the pups right there next to them. Maybe she'd have to take him on another date soon.. The thought would warm her heart as the rush of a cold breeze struck her, she'd recoil slightly unsure if the boulder was the best place for her at the moment. ""

With Winter in full swing Valentine's thoughts were largely occupied with pack business. He spent a great deal of his time scouting herds and watching the sky. Imperium would be fine, he was sure of it, but it didn't hurt to plan for the worst. If things became scarce he had plans to make sure his wolves remained well fed. Probably wouldn't make many friends among his neighbors, but his people came first. A familiar squeal piqued his interest and Valentine wandered towards the sound. He knew exactly who made the noise and he knew from experience that it meant someone or something was probably in trouble, but what exactly was on the receiving end of Rhys' enthusiasm could only be determined by laying eyes on her and her quarry. Knowing the landscape well and guessing that the pups were close to Rhythm's den, Valentine headed there. His guess was good and in no time at all he was approaching Rhythm from behind with their children just barely visible in the distance. The tree was between him and his mate so he could only see a portion of her as he approached. That, and the wind was also in his favor. With those two things noted it was impossible to resist the temptation to startle her. The brute slunk closer with care; each quiet step carefully considered before he took it. He had his sights set on her tail although he was torn between simply biting it or trying to pull on it. Either way he intended to catch her attention. Rhys came by her mischief honestly. Finally he stood with his chest pressed against the rock and the majority of his body hidden behind the tree. Her tail was within reach; all he had to do was reach up and grab it. It was only a matter of making up his mind. To pull or not to pull. That was the question. Alright, he was just going for a bite. After quietly placing his forepaws on the boulder and slowly slithering closer Valentine reached out and attempted to grab hold of the end of Rhythm's tail. Why, one might ask, would you deliberately try to scare a loved one? A better question would be, why not? ""

Rhythm continued to watch the children as they eagerly chased and tormented the prairie dogs. She couldn't help but be amused at their attempts and how similar they were to her first. Her lips would curl up in a happy smile as she put her dead back onto her paws, it was a little warmed like that as she was less enthusiastic about moving. She would lay quite innocently as she watched, hoping her young ones might bring home dinner for her as well. Rhythm had no idea of the approach of the one that was on her mind, he was sneaking up on her more than stealthily. She felt completely relaxed in Imperium though, and that was her downfall as she felt the sudden chomp on her tail. Of course her thoughts went first to one of their children, they were always chomping on her tail. (She was glad the break in it had healed long before they'd been born or that would have been more than uncomfortable.) But the quick realization that it was not Rhyme or Rhys would pull a quick squeak from her lips as she jumped and turned towards her assailant, hackles raised and teeth bared. She'd quickly realize it was Valentine, and the fierce look would shift only slightly, taking on a more playful tone than deadly. With out a greeting the she wolf would attempt to leap at her giant of a lover, even if she still had hold of her tail. She'd aim to wrap her front paws around his neck and start gnawing on his upper lip. "I'll get you for that!" She'd mumble through her teeth. Not that her chewing would last long, she couldn't help herself and quickly shifted to kissing where her teeth had been previously. "You will perish by kisses!" She'd giggle, not realizing she was acting very similar to a couple of young pups they knew. She hadn't seen him enough since the winter started, and it was obvious in her actions that she'd missed him. ""

OOC: so sorry for the wait and general crappiness! :c

Hehehehehe. The little squeal he got from Rhythm was perfect and her vengeful expression as she turned on him brought a huge grin to his lips. As she spun to face him he let Rhythm's tail slide from between his teeth even though the temptation to be a butt and clamp down was very strong. Uh oh. Rhythm leaped at him and managed to wrap her forelegs around his neck. She vengefully snagged his lip and started to chew on it with enough vigor to make his eyes water - which he deserved - but the revenge quickly turned affectionate. "Oh no," he teased back with false worry. "Not kisses!" Briefly his gaze left Rhythm's to seek out the forms of their kids. They were still playing and didn't appear to be up to anything too worrying so the bulk of his attention quickly returned to Rhythm. Death by kisses, eh? He had half a mind to pull her off the boulder and exact his own revenge. ""

Valentine was grinning like mad as she turned to face him, and such an expression would fuel her desire for revenge. It was a good thing he hadn't kept hold of her tail, the break she'd received from Cascade was more than healed but occasionally it still gave her a little pain. However such thoughts would be completely forgotten as she leapt ferociously at her love. Rhythm would manage to get her paws around him, holding him tightly she'd administer her noms on his lips. Of course when it came to his lips she couldn't just not kiss him and it would quickly devolve into her affections. "Oh no, Not kisses!" Now she had him right where she wanted. She'd catch his glance towards their children, who were hopefully still playing nicely down at the prairie dog town. She was still hoping she might get dinner from them later too, but she wasn't holding her breath. They were getting close to being master hunters like she thought they would be, but they were young yet and hadn't quite gotten there. Both wolves would return their attention to each other rather quickly, "Oh yes, kisses." She'd renew her vigor in placing all the kisses she could all over his face. "You've been too busy lately. I miss you." She'd manage between her exuberant affections. ""

He chuckled. "Hey now, you can't place all the blame on me. You've been busy too." Their kids were a handful. He took them with him whenever he could, but Rhythm took care of the bulk of their care. How exactly she managed that was beyond him. When they were little he had to make one hold onto his tail and the other hold onto their sibling's tail just to keep track of them on patrols or else they'd pull him in different directions and he'd never get anything done. Her kisses were getting a bit distracting. Valentine snuck another peek over her shoulder before grumbling a sigh. "We need a babysitter." It didn't seem quite right to foist their exuberant kids off on some poor packmate or else he'd have done it already. And while he wanted to believe that his older kids were capable of watching their little siblings without renaming them or selling them or lord knows what... he didn't want to chance it. ""

He just chuckled at her words, trying to spread the blame more evenly as he should. Rhyme and Rhys were no easy babies, and if she wanted a moment of peace it was Valen who was the one to take them off of her paws which left them either enjoying each others company with the kids, or not at all. She missed him because of it, but she knew she wouldn't have traded her two little monsters for anything. Rhythm would continue her assault of kisses, as she was not yet satisfied with the number she had given to him yet. "We need a babysitter." As he said it she knew she couldn't have agreed more, but she knew just as well how hard it was to actually make someone watch over her adorable hellions. "Rhyme has taken quite a liking to Birna." She'd tell him between her furious kisses, which if she wasn't careful could have been construed as nips. "Rhys seemed to like Mercy, maybe we can set up some.. ah 'fighting' lessons." Oh she was quite the clever one wasn't she? ""

"Mm," he growled in agreement. "That is a wonderful idea." It really would be a good idea. Both kids would definitely benefit from lessons that came from other packmates and both parents could benefit from a little peace and quiet. They really were good kids. Soon enough he'd be wishing they were little again. Right now though? He was looking forward to not having to worry so much about them. Of course he'd never stop worrying about how well life was treating them, but there would come a point when they were capable of defending themselves and less likely to get mauled by a badger or snatched by a hawk. She just wasn't letting up. Valentine groaned theatrically before whispering, "Rhythm, you're killing me." In an effort to take the heat off of himself Valentine stretched upwards on his hind legs so that his was head above Rhythm's. He sought to gently lick between her ears and hopefully lull her into abandoning her kiss crusade. If nothing else he'd just have to wrestle her off the boulder and out of sight of the little ones for fiercer kissing. Their time was running out. Any second now they'd be discovered and a disgusted shriek or two would echo across the knolls. It was only a matter of time. ""

She brightened at his approval of her plan, but that didn't stop her eager affections. As long as she had a surface to kiss she could have sat there torturing him all day. Now the question would become how long did they have to wait to get these little lessons underway? They would both give her and Valen some time as well as learn some tips and tricks from someone that was not their parent. More experience made for better fighters, and Rhythm had no doubt that her little bundles would be the best. She knew that her affections were becoming too much for him, she was beginning to feel a longing in her belly and she' hated that Rhys and Rhyme were so perceptive. It always seemed like the moment they even thought their dad was coming by they were right there eager to interrupt any intimacy. She wouldn't have had it any other way though, she had her happy little family and they were all together. Rhythm would sigh heavily as he shifted himself, giving her a final kiss as his form soared above her own. It was most certainly time to get these kids in school. "That was the point you know." She'd remind him as her gaze looked up to him mischievously. ""