babies breath in the breeze

The two girls were growing fast, and learning even faster. Already well out of the den, and ready to explore the world that awaited them. My oh my, did the time ever whirl past. He was almost certain the two had been born only a few hours ago. Of course, he was decidedly enamoured with them, but that was a personal secret more than anything. It was not his place to parent them, so he offered only what Miss Shaye asked of him. Once or twice, he'd heard the two call him uncle. Surely that was an error, but he wouldn't dare correct them.

The male heaved out a heavy breath. The cold air f the late winter morning was doing absolutely nothing for his lame hind leg. There was an ache in the knee that was screaming at him more than usual. He'd stashed a tiny amount of juniper berries, still attached to their nettle covered twigs, in a small hole he'd scraped out of the den wall. Rolling laboriously onto his belly, he lifted himself ever so cautiously onto his feet so that he could amble over to it. A few of the berries would be enough to help him start the day. He prayed his grunting and groaning didn't wake the children, as it was almost certainly too early for any of the sleeping wolves in this den to be awake.