Poem was astounded at how fast her five little puppies outgrew her belly. The last few weeks the children were closing in on weaning day, something the new mom was both dreading and looking forward to. By now their teeth were very much developed and nursing was becoming more painful with each day. The pups were given solid foods and were all eating on their own by now. Each one was unique and special, their personalities all swiftly developed and Poem adored each one. Everyday was a new adventure, and as they got older their spirit of exploration only grew. They were mostly well behaved pups, and even if she was nervous the day was coming they would see the outside world.

Part of her wanted to keep them small and inside the den forever, the nervous new mom knew the infinite amount of ways a puppy could hurt themselves. Still, their sense of adventure, curiosity, and exploration would not and would not be quelled. So when the sun broke through the clouds on that late winter day Poem decided that the time had come to introduce the puppies to the wider world.

Her little family was waking up slow, the sun would surely bring them to wakefulness soon. Poem nuzzled into Sparhawk’s cheek and enjoyed a moment of quiet with him and their five babies sprawled throughout the den. With a yawn Poem stretched and shifted, surely she would begin to wake them. She learned quickly that you didn’t disturb a sleeping baby, but she was just as excited as they were to introduce them to the outside and sunshine.

She’d been caught by her momma more than once staring out the entrance of the den. It was probably the cold drafts that slipped inside when she poked her little silver features through the fur blanket that kept the warmth inside. Surprisingly she wasn’t the first to wake up that morning. Shae was curled up on Poem’s hip and as she moved and stretched the young puppy was brought to wakefulness. Even with the fur on the door Shae could tell that this was the brightest day of her life. The sun had yet to truly shine and the little girl felt excitement well up in her chest and sleep was swiftly forgotten about.

Shae ignored the massive yawn that overtook her features as she lifted herself to tiny paws, her dark tail already wagging at her hips. The puppy stumbled around over her siblings and mother before making her way to her daddy. She loved her mom beyond comprehension, but no one could compare to her big warm father. Her sleep was gone but she still aimed to curl herself underneath Sparhawk’s chin.

”Wake up, daddy!” She tried to whisper but it was still loud enough the rest of the den would be stirring swiftly if they weren’t already. She wiggled excitedly, feeling the difference in this morning, she just knew something was about to happen.

Satire found herself at an interesting crossroads. Curious, but laid-back. Relaxed, yet yearning for adventure and to see the outside world. It was mostly internalized, but she occasionally caught herself glancing at the entrance of the day and wondering if and when she could see the world beyond. She had been gazing out when her mother started to shift, a wide and carefree grin lighting her features with a soft puff of her chest. She glanced at her littermate, a soft giggle at Shae’s words. She was so loud.

While she liked her father, her mother was her favorite person to curl up against. Still, it didn’t stop her from making her way over to him upon hearing Shae’s words to join in on the action. She never wanted to miss out on something like that, after all. “Yeah, daddy, wake up!” She joined in on her littermate’s antics as her tailed wagged from side to side, butting her head against her father’s stomach in an encouraging manner.

There was just so much to see and even more to do! She didn’t get that feeling that the morning was different, she just liked when her entire family was awake and interacting with each other. Forgotten in that moment was the yearning she had been experiencing in the peaceful bliss of the morning silence, and her entire attention was cast to the situation at hand.

Poetry was curled up by his mother's chest, initially sprawled haphazardly and fully trusting his parents to not squish him. He felt so safe nestled near Poem's soft, warm fur. The boy was just starting to notice how alike he and his mother were in certain ways. In the light of the fire, he often found himself comparing his paws to hers, since that was the easiest part of himself to see. However this morning, a new, brighter source offered to shed some light on the family within the warm den. Poetry groaned and shifted, facing his mother to bury his face within her chest. It was too early for a fire to be lit yet - what in the world was father doing?

However, some familiar voices caused his dark ears to twitch, and soon he found himself peaking up from Poem's chest fur. Dual toned eyes were immediately alight with curiosity, wondering what his siblings were pestering father about. Shae and Satire were trying to wake him up, and the boy was taken by a little wiggle before he jumped from his nest. He didn't get far; by the most generous estimations, Poetry was able to land halfway on his mother's shoulder. A small growl was uttered through grit teeth as he shimmied all the way up, craning his neck to see both Shae and Satire at different ends of Sparhawk. Well, father was covered so time to wake up mother. Gaze swept down to his mother's features and Poetry grinned as he turned to face his target fully. Another little wriggle from a dark rump and he pounced forward again - aiming for Poem's ear. "Up! Up!" he chanted, sharp teeth snapping accented by his small growls. Sometimes, love hurts.

Fable didn't necessarily love sleeping, but she did love naps. The little girl slept in short bursts interspersed with furious activity. Since she slept in such fits, it was of utmost importance that she slept soundly - which is why she reflexively snarled when one of her siblings stepped on her face as they swarmed their father. Fable had fallen asleep between Poem and Sparhawk, possibly in the middle of a bedtime story. Since her father was the target of everyone's efforts she had no choice but to wake up. She opened one eye and then the other, prolonging the final moment as long as she could until she finally streeeetched out and woke up. "Shhh! Daddy's trying to sleep... and so was I," Fable grumbled, her small ears flat. They hadn't quite managed to stand up on their own anyway, but her displeasure was still evident. "Momma, make them go back to bed! Please," she added sweetly. Momma was the very best at telling them all what to do and they usually listened.

Could life possibly be any better? Sparhawk didn't think so. This was the highest point in his life so far. He had a loving wife who took his breath away. He had a pack to care for and to care for him. Most of all, he had five glorious children. The best bits of Poem and himself mashed into tiny little beings. It had been overwhelming at first; the prospect of having created life. Now that he'd had a few weeks to fully wrap his head around the situation, he was more than content with his lot in life. Shuffling and moving was a normal occurrence by now and so Sparhawk had taught himself to sleep through it. What he couldn't sleep through was the screeching and howling of his children as they tried to wake him. The redwood man woke quickly, but feigned sleep. Then, without warning, he lashed out, grabbing Shae and Satire since they were closest and pulling them in to him in a hug. "Awake, awake." He assured his children that he was alive and well. Placing a lick on the heads of his giggling captives, he released the pair before sitting up. Fable's little voice, full of annoyance, brought a chuckle from the big man. Like her father, she enjoyed getting her sleep. Reaching over Poem, the new father nuzzled into his daughter. "Is big day, moya devushka. Everyone is verrry excited to go outside." He'd made them a promise to take them out today. He'd even crafted a harness and basket that they could sit in to take them, one or all, out on patrol with him. It seemed that Nel was sleeping through the whole thing, but Poetry was biting on his mothers ears. "Poet..." the man started a little sternly before scooping the boy off of his mother. "Mother's ears are too pretty to bite." He placed a lick atop the pups head and placed him on the furs with his sisters. "Once we have breakfast, we go out, yeah?" "Speech"