The little girl had rose early that day, earlier than she normally did. She was six months old now, of age to start training for something to better herself and the pack. But her heart hurt. She didn't want to think about doing such things. She was still afraid of strangers, wary of the girl that Hercules had brought home. But in the end the girl was no one to be afraid of. She wasn't really that scary, and in fact was really nice. Philotes was just taking a little while to warm up to her was all.

In the end she felt safe and secure in the Estuary. Her family was still strong, even if her mother was gone. Still... she felt a little disconnected from her siblings. Mneme didn't want to play as much anymore and Aether was still distant from her. She felt lonely...  So she would go to seek out her older brother, not yet understanding the fact that being an alpha meant that he was busier.

"Hercules?" The child would call as she neared his densite. Was he even here?

"Speech"
'thoughts'

Art by Evelyn

Ever since he had taken the position of Patriarch he had found himself incredibly busy. He didn't realize till now how much work went into keeping an eye on even a small pack like theirs. But, even with all the work, he was happy to be in this position. He enjoyed caring for everyone and protecting them. Today though he was trying his best to rest at least for a little while. He was lounging under one of the trees that dotted the Estuary when he heard his little sister's voice calling for him. His ears perked up and he lifted his head from where it was resting on his paws. He hadn't gotten to spend much time with his youngest siblings which was really a shame since all of his other siblings were gone... Nudging that thought aside for now he quickly got to his paws and trotted out to find Philotes, quickly finding her dark form. Seeing her reminded him so much of their mother and it made him happy and sad at the same time. Having a reminder of Natalya around him constantly was like a double edged sword. He just hoped his sister would grow up to be as wonderful as their mother had been. He smiled and trotted over to the quickly growing girl, his tail wagging gently behind him as he got closer. "Are you looking for me, Philly?" He leaned down and gave the top of her head an affectionate lick. He looked down at his sibling curiously, wondering what it is she wanted. "Talk" "You" Think

Philotes would perk her ears as Hercules drew closer to her, wagging her tail back and forth some. She would give an eager nod of her head, pressing her smaller body up against his as the affectionate lick. She was practically clinging to her older brother, a soft whine leaving her lips. She would look up at him with bright silver eyes, giving a nod. "Uh huh... I was." The little girl would frown deeply, not moving an inch from his side. She just wanted to be loved on.

"I'm lonely..." The girl would confess to her big brother. "Mneme and Aether don't play with me really anymore... and daddy is so sad..." She would swallow hard, burying her face into his chest. "Herc... Don't leave... don't ever leave..." She would start to cry. "I don't want to lose anyone else!" She would start to shiver as well. "Promise Herc... please promise!"

"Speech"
'thoughts'

Art by Evelyn

Hercules frowned a little with concern at his sister as she desperately clung to him. He wouldn't make any move to pull away. Instead, he would let her lean into him and he would give the top of her head and ears a few more affectionate licks. For a moment all of his concerns about the pack were pushed aside and replaced with worry for his siblings. He realized that he hadn't really gotten to check on his youngest siblings much since their mother's death and he wondered how loosing their mother so young was effecting all of them. He knew he missed Natalya dearly, but he had also gotten to finish growing up for the most part before he lost her. His warm gaze softened with concern and a sad smile touched his lips as she spoke and begged him to never leave. He gave her cheek a little nuzzle and replied, "I'm not going to go anywhere for a really, really long time if I can do anything about it, Phily. I promise." He thought for a moment and added, "I'm sorry Mneme and Aether don't wanna play any more. Give them time, maybe they'll come around, eh?" He made a little mental note to check on his other siblings as soon as he could. "Tell you what, why don't you start coming on patrols with me? I would love the company. And maybe you could get Charmeine play with you. I'm sure she'd like that." He smiled hopefully. Anything that would ease Phily's anxiety even a little bit was good in his book. "Talk" "You" Think

Philotes would get a gentle nuzzle upon her cheek before her brother spoke, making his promise. It made her feel a little better that he wouldn't disappear, that he wouldn't be taken away if he could do something about it. She would give a little nod as for his added note as well. She missed playing with them, but she understood that both needed their own time to adjust to how things were now. She would frown a little as he spoke again, though mostly because Charm was brought up. The girl would lower her gaze and whine.

"Are you sure Charm is really nice, Herc? I'm kinda scared of her. She's really really hyper." Her silver eyes would lift to him, ears perking some. "I wouldn't mind coming with you on some patrols though. I think it would be kind of neat." She would shuffle her paws a bit awkwardly. "Do you think I'm big enough Herc? I won't be a burden to you?"

"Speech"
'thoughts'

Art by Evelyn

He frowned a little when she whined and lowered her head. His ears drooped back a little. He hated seeing any of his family unhappy, but seeing his sweet little sister upset broke his heart. She asked about Charm and he smiled reassuringly. "I'm very, very sure. I wouldn't have brought Charmeine here if I didn't think she was nice. She is hyper, you have that right, but she means well. She's just really excited to see you is all." He would have to remember to mention to Charm to maybe try to tone it down around Philly... if that was even possible for the hyper girl. She seemed to perk up a little at the thought of going on patrols with him, but had her concerns as well. He gave a little shake of his head and replied, "You won't be a burden at all. Patrols are usually pretty boring. It'll be nice to have some company!" He smiled and his tail wagged a little against the ground behind him. "You're never a burden to me, Philly. I'm always happy to have you around." "Talk" "You" Think

Philly would give a small nod as her brother spoke of Charm again. She supposed that made sense -- if her brother had thought Charmeine was mean or bad he wouldn't have brought her here. She would feel a bit better at this, and she would find herself smiling again. "Mmkay... well... I guess we can try to be friends then!" The young girl would say happily. "Maybe she'd like to play tag? Do you think she might?" She would press up against him again, her tail starting to wag again.

"...and we can make sure that the patrols are not boring anymore! We'll have lots of fun~" The young girl would pounce away from him, dropping into a play stance and wiggling her butt in the air. "Can we go on one now? Plllllleeease? We can make up games to pass the time as we go too!" Her mood had definitely lifted, thanks to her older brother of course.

"Speech"
'thoughts'

Art by Evelyn

Once Hercules addressed her concerns, Philotes seemed to perk up considerably. That made Hercules perk up as well since his little sister's happiness was contagious to her protective older brother. He grinned happily when she mentioned being friends with Charm and laughed when she asked about if Charm would play tag. "I'm sure she would love that!" he replied with a little nod. He was positive his hyperactive friend would love to play tag with Philly or any of the pups for that matter. She was so eager to go on a patrol and insisted so strongly that they would have fun that it was impossible to deny her request. He chuckled and rose to his paws with a little shake of his fur. "Okay, okay, we can go! Come on! Just make sure you stay close to me, alright?" he finally replied as he gave into her pleading. He turned with a little wave of his head toward the border and started trotting toward it, but he kept his pace so that his smaller sister could easily keep up. "So what kind of games do you have in mind, sis?" "Talk" "You" Think