The sun spilled like a mother's milk into the mouth of the den, golden and glowing as it touched each puppy and then herself. Like every morning, Leera woke and rose first, moving silently to the front of the den to find whatever meal had been left at the doorstep like a gift. This time, it was a rich, dark red meat that would fill the children's bellies for a few days. Of course, she knew the meals were not turning up on her porch without reason -- it was Astraios' doing. Leera was wary of the red man, harmless as he may seem, because of his blood connection with Tyranis. She knew better than to trust him. And she knew his lingering in her and her children's lives was meant only for intimidation tactics -- only it wasn't working.
This morning, she'd had enough. She was bitter as she poked her nose out of the den, seeing immediately the outline of his body as he sat on guard just a few paces away from her den. Jaw tightening, the mother gave a short, dry bark to get his attention. "Astraios," she said dryly, stepping out of the den as to be out of the children's hearing range. She would curl into a sit near the meat he'd delivered, holding her gaze upon him steadily and with a slow burning flame. "You're here everyday and I've never spoken to you. Come sit with me a while. Let's have a chat." It wasn't a question. "What do you think of me, Astraios? Surely you must have formed some opinion of me. Just as well, I'm sure Tyranis has filled your head with all sort of lies."
