ooc: never actually wrote a thread like this before, sooo I guess just go with it xD

It was long before dawn when Creed woke. Lazily he rolled over to peer at his kids sleeping forms and a smile tugged along the corners of his mouth as he stared at them. They already were growing so fast that a part of him wished they'd stay this tiny and young forever. He knew it was an impossible thing to wish for, but already they filled him with such pride and joy. Five healthy children - he certainly couldn't ask for much more. With the thought of how much they were growing, another idea came to mind. It was about time for them to see the outside world for the first time. The thought made him grin. It was still quite warm, but he had no doubt they'd enjoy themselves. With that thought in mind he slipped from the den silently so he wouldn't wake them. Stepping outside he enjoyed the warm breeze that ruffled his fur before he headed off to one of the rabbit dens that littered the area nearby. It seemed like he'd even woken before the birds. Finding a den to dig up was easy enough. He could smell one of the hares resting inside so he tore at the earth relentlessly until he had a gap big enough for his fluffy head. He snatched the terrified rabbit from its whole and swiftly snapped its neck before it could really struggle to get away. He wasn't sure how they would react to the different form of food than they were used to. Other than milk and some chewed up meat portions here and there, they had never actually seen a full rabbit before. The idea of their curiosity made him grin and he headed back towards the den at a trot. Dawn had just broken out across the sky and already it was climbing higher and higher with each minute. Colors sprayed across the sky and he paused to stare at it before continuing to the den. He didn't really expect them to eat the rabbit, but he figured getting them used to the idea of what their next food source would be was a good start. At the very least it'd be a fun chew toy for teething and the eventual bones would be good at well to chew on. So he dropped it outside the den before padding into it where the kids were still soundly asleep. Smiling to himself he watched them for a moment longer before finding it within himself to disturb them. "Wake up kids. Ah've got a surprise for ye all." Walk, "Talk" Think

He slept soundly with his siblings around him, and the large pup snuggled into his sibling at his side. He couldn't tell who it was, he was fast asleep. Occasionally his ears and paws twitched, small whines and muffled sounds leaving his maw. He was chasing a big buck in his dream, and he was going to catch it for his family to make them proud. He was just about to leap on it when it kicked out to try and strike him. He yipped out loud, spinning in his dream. But he lashed out with his hind legs within the den, and felt his paws connect with something. Or was that someone? Blinking open his blue and yellow eyes he looked at his litter mates. Had he kicked one of them? He hoped not! That would be bad, he didn't want them to be angry with him. Carefully he stood up, placing his too-large paws on the ground before jumping out of the pile. Glancing around, he noticed that he wasn't the first one awake. Were was his father? His white ears pinned towards his skull, and he took a few cautious steps up towards the mouth of the den. Peering out, he couldn't see him anywhere. Lifting a leg, he was tempted to go out and try to find him, but he hesitated with his paw in the air. They weren't allowed to leave the den yet, Fable didn't want to disobey direct orders like that. But what if Da was hurt? Whimpering, he paces back and forth at the entrance to their den, keeping his eyes peeled for their father. As soon as the grey and black man came into view, Fable's white and grey tail lifted as it wagged at an alarming speed. Letting out a sharp bark mixed with a whine, he bounced where he stood. It was like there was something blocking him from going out, he didn't dare do it with Creed watching him. It was then that he noticed that there was something in his mouth, a little white thing with a poofy tail. Oh, was that a bunny? He had seen them outside the den some times, as well as that herd of deer that crossed the plains. Was it for them? Could he play with it?? He was trying his best to tone down his excitement, but he couldn't help it. Fable was usually a pretty calm boy, but he was enthralled by all these new things that they were learning. He wanted to drink it all in and impress his siblings and parents, it made him feel to happy when he made them proud. When his father entered the den he bounced beside him, but tripped over his paws. He hit the ground with a thud, glaring down at the paws that tripped him up. They were just too big! Grumbling, he leaning down and growled, biting at his front paws with his sharp little puppy teeth. That would show them! Except when he chomped down, it hurt a little. Fable's demeanor quickly changed as he pouted, looking over at Creed and his siblings to see if they saw his oh-so graceful movements. It didn't keep him down for long though, as he jumped back to his paws and trotted after Creed. He told his brothers and sister to wake up, but he was already up! Did he get a special prize for being the first one awake? "Da, is that for us? That a bunny, rwigt?" he squeaked, leaning down to sniff at the still carcass. It wasn't moving as much as the ones that he saw outside. "Why it no hop no more?" he asked softly, wide eyes finding his father's face for an explanation. Walk, "Talk" Think

The brightest, bluest eyes a youth could have opened slowly.. his newly raised ears still curled at the tip were twitching as he listened to the sound of his father's pawsteps leaving the den. Wait, no! But... he was so tired, his eyelids did not agree with his brain and he fought them as they tried to lower and close his vision. The image of his father walking away faded and reappeared a multitude of times before the poor, sleepy child forgot why he was fighting so hard to keep his eyes open in the first place and gave in to the craving of slumber with a heavy sigh as his muscles relaxed. In his own dream, he had rushed out of the den and followed his father.. yipping at the sky and letting off powerful howls that he couldn't even realistically pull off quite yet. They were as deep as his dad's, and together they sang to the sky. It was a pleasant dream, vivid and it felt so real that little Knight ended up actually releasing a high-pitched howl right there in the den while dead asleep. It ended abruptly when his brother kicked him sharply in the ribs, Knight's bright blue eyes opening suddenly as he quickly tried to stand and get to his feet. What was going on? With his ears back, the startled youth managed to get his front two limbs to pick up his chest, but his hind legs did not want to cooperate in his current state of panic. No, they fumbled, his weight shifting to force him to sit sideways as he then watched his brother run to the entrance of the den. What?? No! They couldn't leave yet! Knight huffed and pulled together all his focus to get his hind legs to work properly, finally bringing himself to a stand so he could toddle over to his brother's side. It appeared Fable had no plans on breaking the rules today, but oh how Knight longed to cross the invisible barrier built by their love and trust for the parents, knowing that if they had been told to stay.. it was for good reason, and Knight did not question that in the slightest. He was still learning, but the bond of this little family was a good lesson in itself, paving a clear pathway for the child in the right direction. He had been hovering behind Fable, looking out to see what his brother was looking at, up until the point when their father's figure emerged and then he rushed forward to stand side by side with Fable. His own tail wagged in unison with his brother as he shifted his weight on his front two paws, indecisive about what to do with the short limbs that so desperately wanted to run and greet him. Instead, father dropped whatever it was and came to greet them and Knight gave him the biggest grin the child could provide. 'Ah've got a surprise for ye all.' The child's head tilted to the left curiously, oh what could it be? More chewed up meat??! If father would allow, the child would attempt to jump up and hold his weight on his father's leg, trying desperately to smell Creed's lips for any promises of food. It certainly smelled like food! He wagged his tail and would let his pink tongue flick a few times before running over each of his chops, anticipating.. but then his brother began to ask questions about the 'bunny' that Knight had almost entirely forgotten. He let his weight fall onto his rump as he sat and looked outside of the den, his eyes wide as he realized that the thing was not a thing, but was a creature. A creature that wasn't hopping anymore. He had no concept of death at this point, no idea that the poor thing's heart had stopped beating, but something about how still it laid outside of the den captured his attention and gave him an eerie chill. Something wasn't right about it, he wasn't sure what but like Fable, he looked up to his father's face waiting for the answer.

Oblivious to his father leaving the den, Exodus snoozed on, laying on his back, his plump little body sprawled comfortably. His pudgy belly rose and fell with each sleepy breath, his forelegs extended over his head, his hind legs spread lazily, toes curling every now and then, while his tail lay flat on the ground. He could have slept through a storm at this point, and he might not have budged. It wasn't until his father had returned, and two of his siblings were already pestering him, that Exodus finally stirred. He drew his forepaws in toward his chest as his hinds stretched out, before he flopped onto his side, straining to prop himself up onto his elbows. He opened his tired eyes, blinking slowly, yawning. He slowly turned his head to see his brothers pacing around Creed, and a silly little smile crossed his face. Taking a deep breath, he forced himself to stand up, slowly shuffling his massive paws as he made his way quietly over to those who were awake so far.

What were they all excited about? He looked to Knight, and followed the boy's somewhat wide gaze to the body of a rabbit just outside the den's entrance. Oh, is that what had everyone's attention right now? But, how did it get there, and why wasn't it hopping away like the rest of them always did? Exodus toddled over to his father, and plopped his big rump down so he could more easily look up to his towering parent. Groggy, he hadn't heard anything that had been said so far, so curious himself, the little boy would pipe up. "Da, wha' is dat?" he asked, tilting his head, causing his beige ears to flop to the side, his multi-hued eyes wandering to the rabbit outside before looking up to his dad again, "Are we goin' huntin'?" Of course, it didn't occur to him that the prey animal was already dead, after all, he didn't know the first thing about hunting just yet. But, he was curious and he knew his dad would have a good answer.

Valor was oblivious to the world as their father left the den. He, much like Exodus, could have probably slept through a natural disaster without being aware of it. No dreams came to him in his happy slumber as he practically sprawled out in all directions next to the puppy pile that was his siblings. It wasn't until he heard three of his brothers stirring that he finally opened lazy eyes to peer at his family. He hadn't noticed that Creed had left, but he noticed the lack of a parental figure with them which immediately caught his attention. Eyes snapped open further and he raised his head to look around. Glory was the only one asleep now and the rest of them were milling around the mouth of the den by their father. Feeling a lot more awake now he sprung to his paws clumsily and his large ears flopped over as he tried to prick them up to get a good idea of what was going on. A playful energy coursed through him as his curiosity grew. Bounding over to his siblings he wiggled over to stand next to Exodus and grinned eagerly. His tail was waving back and forth as fast as a turret as he glanced back and forth between Creed and the outside of the den. It wasn't until he saw the rabbit that he understood (sort of) what was going on. The rabbit itself was confusing to him. He'd seen one before outside the den, but it had been moving. This one was laying far too still and that bothered him. His brows furrowed as he looked back towards their father. He'd missed the majority of the questions the rest of his siblings had pelted the gray man with so of course questions of his own would fly towards his lips. "Daaaaaaaa' I'm hungwy. Wha's the bunny not movin' for?" He said, looking back towards the strange rabbit. He smelled food on Creed's lips, but he noticed none of his other siblings were eating so it didn't seem like he'd brought anything for them yet. Walk, "Talk" Think

It seemed some of them were already early risers. Fable was already at the entrance of the den to greet him and he beamed down at his son happily. The thought of them getting up while he was gone was worrisome, but it seemed they all respected the boundaries set by him and their mother which was a relief. He'd always been more of a wandering soul, even at a young age, so he'd certainly given his parents some hell. He'd been worried that his children would take on that trait, but so far they were all behaving admirably. Maybe he'd get lucky and they'd be this easy to handle for a while to come. The boisterous energy made him envious. Where it all magically came from so early in the morning was beyond him, but it made him chuckle. Fable was the first to meet him, on clumsy paws, and an amused laugh escaped him as the young boy hit the ground and then proceeded to bite his paws. With a watchful eye he stared at Fable as he realized that his own teeth hurt and then he shook his head with a grin. At least they were learning. Fable didn't stay down for long though before he was up again and already pelting him with questions. He'd already noticed the rabbit he'd brought them, but that was only half of the surprise. He'd purposefully left it outside for a reason and he couldn't wait to see their faces as they got to make their first trip past the entrance of the den. "Aye, Fable, it's a rabbit." He chose to leave the second question unanswered for the moment. How did you explain to a child what a dead thing was? So he put it off and instead looked down at Knight. He seemed to have been the second one awake and appeared to be just as eager as Fable. He stood as firm as an oak as he strangely marked son used him to stand up on his hind legs. It seemed the boy was hungry, but Creed hadn't brought them any food yet. He licked the top of Knight's head before he flopped back down to look at the rabbit. The boy seemed fully distracted yet no questions came from him like they had from Fable. Exodus seemed to finally be awake. He seemed to be a bit more sleep than the other two, but still curious all the same. He shook his head at the questions he asked. "No son, we're no' goin' hunting, bu' it's a rabbit." He explained with a smile. Valor was the next to be awake and, like the others, already had noticed the gift sitting outside. "Ye all will get ta eat in a bi'. Follow me ou'side and ye'll get ta see tha rabbit." He glanced toward the last sleeping child. His only daughter out of the litter, bu she was fast asleep. If she hadn't woken up thus far he wasn't going to disturb her. Glory could always join them later. With that in mind he waved with his tail and motioned for them to follow him. He left the den entrance before looking back to give them an encouraging look to follow before he padded over to the rabbit and sat down behind it. He watched them curiously, with a grin on his face, to see how they would react to it. Walk, "Talk" Think

The boy was disappointed when his father didn't answer his second question, but was quickly distracted when he spoke to all of them. Wait, OUTSIDE? They were allowed to go out now? Ignoring everything else, the large boy barreled towards the entrance, only to skid to a halt at the mouth of the den. They had been so firm telling them to stay inside, it seemed wrong to be doing it now. Looking over his shoulder at his father, his head tilted to one side as his ears flopped slightly. Outside was okay, right? When he saw Creed motion with his tail he let out a yip and leaped passed the invisible barrier and onto the dry grass of the plains. The grass crunched under his paws and Fable stumbled backwards, tripping over his too-large paws and landing with a thump on his butt. With wide eyes he lifted his front paw and looked at it, and then towards the grass. Fable's eyes misted as he saw the crushed grass, slowly lowering himself until he was flopped on the drier earth by the den. Staring at the stomped blades he looked up at his father with those big round eyes, sniffling slightly. "Da, I hurted it! I hurted the gwound. It go CRUNCH and breaked under my big fa' paws! I a monstwer!" His call was rather dramatic, but he honestly thought that he had hurt the grass. Feeling melodramatic, Fable knew that he has ruined his first trek outside. He squished the grass dead and now he was a bad, bad boy. Would Creed be mad at him? He didn't mean to hurt it! He didn't even know what it was, but it had made a sound that didn't sound very nice. It was hurt now, and it was all his fault. Replacing his head on the ground he covered his muzzle with his paws, his flanks heaving as he let out a soft whimper. Now his brothers would think that he was a fool too. Oh no, he knew that he should have stayed inside! Scooting his bum backwards in the dirt, he kept backing up until his rump hit the den. He wanted to crawl inside and go cuddle Glory, but he also wanted to stay outside. Cause, outside was cool, besides hurting the ground. Peeking out from his legs, he turned his brothers to see what they were going. Would they hurt the ground too? Or was it just him 'cause he was so big? Walk, "Talk" Think

The boy watched around him as his brothers seemed to swarm the entrance, it made him grin and thrash his tail about wildly against the den floor as he watched them come up to greet father. Yeah, dad was a really cool dude! Even to his brothers. He was mindful of each of his brothers, and even of his sister as he shot a glance back toward her and noticed her sleeping. He didn't understand how she could sleep through such a welcoming party for their father, but when Creed started speaking he grabbed the child's attention once again. In an instant, Knight's white bottom was up and his tail wiggling just as wildly as before with newfound excitement. He would trot after Fable as he ran toward the entrance, though Fable's unexpected halt caused Knight to bump right into his brother's bum. "Oof." He would attempt to nip at his brother's hind legs and get him to move forward, though right as he was about to make contact with his teeth- Fable was rushing out in the blink of an eye. A wide grin came across Knight's features before he bolted after his brother, though he seemed to hold a bit more grace. He was mindful not to follow to closely behind this go around, and had time to side-step away from his brother each time he stumbled. He slowed down to sniff the ground around them and waddle over to the rabbit dad had left.