Seven children. Gods, it was as if each child past the fifth was as exhausting as three others put together. A wolf did not have enough hours in a day to tend to seven, and Zee was beginning to feel that against her best efforts, some children were not getting the same attention of the others. Vanta, Kite and Crux's disabilities did add to that, each pup requiring special care and encouragement but never did Zee mean for it to suck attention in turn from the rest. Today, she decided, was Andy's day. At the break of dawn she snuck out from her bed, working her way to the pile of snoozing puppies and poking her young daughter's nose with her own. "Up and at 'em" She whispered with a smile, encouraging the pup to come along with her with a gesture of her head. Andy had started to develop something that Zee's keen eyes had not missed - unmistakable tiny bumps, atop her skull. What form the horn or antler may take she could not say (after all, Briar's had become something very unique and unlike Zee's own) but either way, the girl would have questions. Questions the horned Queen Mother was prepared to answer and guide through with patience. At the end of the day perhaps if they had time, they could even work together on a craft to decorate those newly sprouted horns when they came. She led her daughter down the carved stone staircase and toward the obselisk and it's burning fire. Already she had ensured snacks for the morning were prepared, and even some drinks that Zee had been promised were a delicacy among puppies. Some sort of milk, with coloring stirred in, heated to a comfortable temperature. She settled upon a laid out hide and let her gaze fall upon her young daughter, warmth in her eyes. "How have you been feeling lately, Andy?" "Speech"

Andromeda dreams of the stars in the night sky. She walks out, in the inky blackness of space, among the planets and touches the very stardust of creation. As she runs her paw through a nebula, the pup feels someone gently poke her nose and the dream shatters to pieces. Reality takes hold, pulling the girl into the waking world where she sleepily blinks her eyes open to find her mother’s face near her own. A soft, loving smile appears on the pup’s lips as her mother whispers to her and gestures for her follow.

Pale blue eyes widen in excitement as the pup quickly unravels herself from her siblings and begins to follow after her horned mother. A headache is already blooming in the area where two small bumps have appeared on her head but it does not stop Andy from being with her mom. Small paws carry her alongside Zee and, when they reach the laid out hide, the pup eagerly sat down, looking up to her mother with youthful joy and anticipation. It seems like she hasn’t had much time to be alone with Zee and she is grateful for this.

Her mother’s question has the pup’s lips turning downward as the pain slides to the front of her mind and Andy absently rubs a paw across the two small bumps that have appeared. After a moment she says, “I’m okay momma. Just… my head hurts sometimes. And these things get itchy.” Big puppy eyes look up at Zee as she rubs the tiny nubs again, frowning at the discomfort that they cause her. However, just as quickly as the frown had appeared, a smile blooms in its place and she coos, “Am I going to be like you?” A paw points to her mother’s horns in question excitement taking hold at the thought.


"Andromeda Fatalis"