When the raid concluded, Zee found herself utterly worn out. She'd expected how difficult it could be physically but never in her wildest dreams did she expect to be battling puppies who called her names like 'meanie' and 'bully'. It hurt her heart - though she'd never admit it - and the trip back home all she could think about was their poor betrayed faces. She needed a pick-me-up, and while usually Sirius was her first choice for any sort of comfort she'd found herself terribly missing the enthusiasm and joy of her first-born. He'd chosen to stay at home during the raid and Zee found herself unbelievably proud of the maturity he'd shown in that decision. Now that the pack had returned, Zee intended to find her boy and forget her worries in his bright infectious smile. "Mortis?" She called, her voice sing-song. They could play tag, hide and seek or anything else her winged child wanted to do. Anything to lose the unfair feeling that she couldn't quite shake after her battle with Eligos. "Speech"

He found the form of his mother, following his scent to the borders that ran along the Weeping woods. He crouched down further, watching her approach. His butt gave a little wiggle, but he was experienced enough now that it didn’t toss his balance. He waited until she was closer. He thought she might have looked up for a moment, but she showed no signs of spotting him, and he knew he was safe. Just a little closer… her smaller form was passing beneath him. She looked confused, knowing his scent was here, but no sign of him. He stifled a soft laugh, “Huzzah!” he yelled, leaping from the branches and falling just beside her rump. His wings flared for balance, and his knees bent to take the impact. They went down, absorbing it, and then up again. Launching him forward as he (gently) tackled her backside. She might be his mother, but he was still aware that she was a smaller wolf then he. "Mortis"

His scent had grown strong enough that she was able to pinpoint his location and it helped to hear the faint flutter of oversized feathers above her head to decide exactly where her little bird had flown. She had to make a decision and fast - to admit that she knew where he was stealthily perched or to feign ignorance and risk the collapsing weight of his very big body upon her if his puppy side of the brain was the one in the drivers seat. Trusting him came easily enough, Mortis had never enjoyed hurting others and she doubted he'd be silly enough to throw himself completely atop her. Regardless she felt the fur in her scruff bristle, her muscles tense as she anticipated his leap. Don't you dare, don't do it. She thought, and suddenly the air shifted and her huge pup landed with a thump (safely away from her) before throwing himself at her rear. She startled - a real startle, because against her better nature she was expecting his landing to be on her back - and absorbed the hit badly, rolling onto her side and then onto her back. She did her best to look truly frightened though it was impossible to keep the smile off her face. "Oh no, a vulture has come to carry me away!" Zee brought her paws up to cover her eyes, peeking at him from between her toes. [/i] "Speech"

His pounce landed much more successfully then he had expected. She jumped under his touch, and for a moment he thought me might have hurt her. His heart leaped upwards in worry, and then she was rolling with the momentum, rolling until her back was against the earth and her paws in the ear. He saw her smile.

He collapsed onto her, wings spreading out either side of him. He kept some of his weight on his paws. She might be mumma, but he didn’t fit curled up on her tummy anymore. He wiggled closer, tail swishing behind him, and kissed the paw that covered her eyes. “No vulture would dare, mother deer.” he promised, giving her beautiful antlers a small flick with his paw. “You would skewer them. Or puppa would rip out their intestines, and vow to end their bloodline. Or… something equally as terrifying.” he grinned at her.

Mortis reassured her and Zee let out a gentle laugh at his words. It was so much easier to forget her worries when surrounded by her children, though she found she missed them being small enough to hold in her arms. "I don't know about that, little bird." She returned, her smile still upon her lips. "While your father would comb the earth to find me, I'm afraid even he cannot fly." Her paws fell from her eyes and one lifted to gently touch upon her boy's soft cheek. "But I'm sure I could take the vulture, I beat your dad in a fight once, you know." Blue eyes twinkled mischievously, and she tapped a bit harder upon Mortis to gesture to him to back up a bit. As much as she loved his cuddles, she loved them more when she could lay on her belly or her side. "Speech"

Mortis backed up at her direction, giving her space. His wings hung loosely by his side as he sat across from his mother. “If you got carried away by a vulture. I would find a way to fly.” he promised her. And besides, his dad would probably throw him off a cliff himself, if he thought it might get Zee back. Mort had no illusions at who had first place in Seer’s heart.

“You know dad’s told me the story of how you beat him like… five… ten times?” Mortis teased, swatting at the older woman as she got to her feet. He didn’t see Seer’s sweet side as much as Zee, Asla or Indy did. He showed strength to Azure, and a tinge of disdain to his weaker first born. But he still loved his old man anyway.

For a moment she considered admonishing him for his response, though it was obvious enough that Mortis' words were not entirely serious. Hopefully by now he'd gotten in through his head that flying would never be possible for him, and he was merely threatening the fictional vulture the same way Zee would if it dared to take any of her pups. "It's a sweet thought, thank you." She laughed, reaching her paw up - high! when did her boy get so damn tall? - to ruffle the top of his head. At his teasing Zee's head tipped back, her laughter louder. A horrible exaggeration, as Zee could count on one paw the amount of times she'd even come close to beating her husband. "If only! For our first fighting lesson I made him chase me across a lake and he very easily had me under his paw. That wasn't too long ago, perhaps in another few years I'll near ten victories but I think you'll get there before I do."   "Speech"

He wiggled at her thanks, and lowered his head obediently so she could ruffle the fur there with better ease. It was strange to think how bigger he was then his mother. He had, for most of his life, been able to fit curled against her side. When he had started to grow, it was almost like he would never stop. When had he reached the point where he towered over her? He honestly didn’t know.

“Not ten victories, just the one. He said the two of you were in a den, and had a disagreement. And you fought. He said you’d only recently had your horns, and you used them so well to take them down. What did he mean saying you only recently had them?” he wondered. He had heard the story so many times, and that part had never made sense to him.