Zephyr had been exceedingly patient while his mother recovered and the puppies began to grow. Having a litter of little ones almost ready to roam the halls was equal parts exciting and terrifying; what if they didn't like him? What if they thought having a bird for a brother was weird, and rejected him? He knew from experience that even adult wolves found him scary to look at at times and an intimidating presence in their homes, what if the puppies felt that way too? With half his heart he worried and worried and worried, while the other half swelled with love, affection, and unbridled excitement.

Today was the day that the puppies would be unleashed from their bedchambers and it was all Zephyr could do but not sit outside the door in wait. He made himself a place on the floor of the great hall instead, set on winning the small hearts of the younglings with some of his favorite things - food. Hopefully the alluring scent of the meats laid out carefully around him would bring a curious and hungry nose over while he absently busied himself by passing a small child's toy back and forth between his talons. The picture of subtlety.

"Zephyr"

Of course they had seen the giant bird before. Especially the ever inquisitive Dusk who was always sticking her nose into something new. Her parents had told her all about her big, feathery brother and she was dying to meet him. Being let loose in the castle was such a mental stimulant, however, that the tiny black inkblot completely forgot that her bird brother existed!

Without an ounce of grace, Dusk slammed into the stones at the bottom of the stairs. It was a good thing that puppies were bouncy and she uttered little more than a huffy Oof before she was scrambling across the stones once more. Fire opal eyes went wide and her mouth dropped open in awe as her gaze landed upon the massive avian.

"Woooooowwwww..." she whispered, eyes twinkling as she approached Zephyrus. "Big brother, You're so pretty! Can I touch your feathers? Can I have one? Do you think I could grow feathers some day? What are you doing down here all by yourself?" The little soot stain began to wiggle excitedly and soon couldn't help but start bouncing around in circles like a lunatic. "Do you wanna play with me? What can we do?!" Yeah... Dusk had a lot of energy, but she was just so excited to be alive and to have such a cool big brother!

"Dusk Carpathius"

It was not possible to miss the sounds of tiny paws and bodies crashing overhead and Zephyr tipped his head to track the noise as they tumbled down the grand stairs and scampered off to play and explore. The crashing sounds continued at the base of the stairs and into the hall where he sat patiently waiting and before he knew it, a pitch black puppy exploded out into the room. The raptor dropped his attention from the toy, giving the child a grin as she whispered, seemingly awestruck by his presence. It was a much better reception than some he'd received over his short life.

"Hi!" The bird's peep was all he could get out before his little sister had begun to drown him in questions. Zephyr watched her intently, devoting his every ounce of attention to the new puppy and loving her more with each word she spoke. When her endless questioning had ceased and her wiggling body began to bounce, Zeph found space to reply. "You're pretty too! I don't think you need to grow feathers, you have such beautiful long and flowing fur. But here - " Turning his head to his tail, he began to fish through the feathers there until he'd found one that was about ready to be moulted - black like the color of her coat. He plucked the feather swiftly to minimize the pain of it, maneuvering toward his new sibling to place it gently with his beak behind one furry ear. "- Now you can touch it whenever you like, and remember your big brother is always here for you."

She wanted to play (which was fine, Zephyr still loved to play too and it would be seasons before he grew into a more mature mind to match wolves of his age) but it brought up a question. What did baby wolves play? Would his mother and father pluck him alive if he took one of their little ones on a flight around the castle? Perhaps he should wait until they were older for joyrides. "What do you like to play?" He posed back, contemplative. Wolves as far as he was aware hunted, fought, made things and explored. "We could play hide and seek in the castle. It's a lot more fun to play with a bird because I can't smell where you are."

"Zephyr"

Dusks eyes widened as Zeph called her pretty. The girl had never thought of herself as pretty. She was just black. Later on in life she would gain faint, smoky stripes, but for now, just straight black. The bird claimed that she didn't need feathers, and she watched as he rummaged around in his plumage until he chose a feather and plucked it out. The girl's eyes practically bulged out of her skull and her mouth dropped open as he placed the gleaming obsidian feather behind one of her ears. It was the nicest gift she'd ever received and it honestly almost made her cry. Dusks lower lip quivered for a moment and she launched herself forward, embracing the giant avian as best as she could while mashing her cheek into the feathers of his chest. "Oh, thank you! You're the best big brother ever!" And no one could convince her otherwise.

Still mesmerized by the fact that Zephyr had given her a whole feather, it took her a moment to realize that he was talking to her. "Hmm? OH!" The pup hopped back and hunkered close to the ground, pretending like she was stalking something. "I like to play Predator and Prey. I'm aaaaalways the predator because I'm going to be the best fighter in The Hallows some day!" Dusk then seated herself and looked up to the bird, her head canting slightly to the side. Normally she was full of confidence, but as she looked at him, there was vulnerability in her blood orange gaze. "Do you think I could be? The best fighter, I mean." Since he was the best big brother, his opinion truly mattered to the girl. He had mentioned Hide and Seek while she had been thinking, but Dusk ignored that for now. Maybe once he soothed her worries, she'd be willing to play.

"Dusk Carpathius"