Strikes of gold lines engulfed her until all was black. It was too dark to even see herself, but she could feel her movement. She could feel her own vibrations in the darkness, or was that even her? She couldn't even tell. Just when her curiosity settled itself, she stared forward into sparkling golden eyes, finding a hidden comfort in them. But just by being lost in the medals, fear set in and it was instinctive to run from it. But there was no where to run, she didn't even exist. It was only those dreadful leering eyes. She woke in tiny, almost silent whines. Her bodice gently rolled, farther from her siblings even though she was already no where near them. It must have been far from sunrise, but the baby refused to close her eyes again. She silently walked over to her parents, something she absolutely never did. Once in front of them, she gently laid her paw to Natalya's foreleg and then turned her head to Helios, almost wanting the comfort they always tried to give her but she always refused. But without waiting, she walked out to the outside of the den, not going any farther because sleep dug into her skin. She sat down outside and closed her eyes to listen to the insects that lived in the grasses. "Talk"

Sleep was always light for her. Natalya was always prepared to wake at the slightest movement or sound, a perk heightened senses but a curse that kept her from truly deep sleep but on rare occasions. She awoke to the first stirrings of her daughter, recognizing them as the familiar signs of a nightmare plaguing the girl, but her eyelids remained closed. A tiny paw would soon touch her leg, but only briefly. That was an odd behavior for Chione, and it drew the Matriarch to her feet. She stepped over her other children to follow one into the night.



She would seat herself quietly beside the child, wrapping her tail gently around her, offering warmth in the chill of the night air. She allowed silence to pass between them for some time before speaking. Chione, my dear, you musn't let those dreams keep you from sleep. I worry for your health, you must be constantly exhausted." She paused, turning her muzzle down toward the girl. "Tell me, what do you hope to do when you get a bit older? Once you reach a year, you will have to choose a specialty."






talk, think

Not soon after she took a seat, Natalya came out to join her. her tail swept around the tiny child, Chione awkwardly moving in to lean against her haunches. Her gravel orbs stayed toward the ground, only slits of her optics showed. Her mother told her that she needed to sleep, that she shouldn't let the dreams scare her. But she didn't understand. As for being exhausted, sure that was true. But after so many hours of not sleeping, it became her own nature. Chione didn't get this whole "Worry about others" thing. Or just the "family deal" in general. But Chione said nothing, nor moved to the woman's useless eyes laying onto her. But instead of prodding her to go back to sleep, she intended to ask her of what she wished to be later on. And though she kind of thought of something she refused to share it. But Chione was still too young to think of a job for her later life. "I done know," a drastic pause came to the end of her sentence. She wasn't sure what to call Natalya. She was so detached that calling her mama or mommy just seemed odd. But mother was too professional. And she was actually concerned to call her by her name. So she just shut her mouth without saying anything else. But she truly did not see herself wanting to be anything. But then she thought of how odd it was that Charon hadn't come to greet her yet, maybe it was too late for him to come out. But he had done it before? But she was far to tired to be on the prowl for him. "Talk"Think

It had been such an unfathomable amount of time since the children had been born. It felt like only yesterday, yet at the same time years ago. Through all of it, Chione had been distant. Something plagued her child beyond simply nightmares, but she had been unable to figure out what exactly. She had heard mention of Charon she believed, and she desperately hoped that her daughter had not been approached by that heathen that now roamed within their lands. She would mutilate any of the lesser family that so much as looked at her children.



"Perhaps you will be the pack beauty," Natalya muttered with a chuckle, dipping her maw to gently press her nose to her daughter's brow for a moment. "If there is anything you wonder about or want to try, please tell me. I will help you in any way I can. I want you to be happy with our family." Her voice was gentle as she pulled away and turned her head out to the river that ran just off the front of their den. She inhaled, enjoying the scent and feel of the fresh night air.






talk, think

Chione rose her eyes to her mother, a tiny smile forming to her lips but nothing else. It did make her feel happy, she wasn't any type of daughter, or family, but her mother speaking of her through a gentle voice made her stomach warm. Darling, only the voice of Charon would speak, She can't even see you. And Chione had believed it. The smile had quietly slipped away, and as Natalya's nose went for her body, Chione pointed her nose down and her mothers soft muzzle touched the top of her skull. She would allow it, she wouldn't fight, but Charon had her thinking otherwise of her own beauty, or mother thinking her as such. Her mother took her focus to the stream of the valley, using what senses she could and found all the beauty in that. What was it like to use your feel and your smell to enjoy anything? But chione would turn her head back to her mother and would watch as she admired it. "I'm not really good at anything," She knows that, dearie. As Charon were to always bring her down. "I'm not." She would follow her last sentence, but partiality responding and agreeing to Charon. "Talk"Think

"Oh I doubt that," she responded immediately to her daughter's negative assumptions. Her heart broke at the disappointment she heard in Chione's words. Natalya understood feeling useless. As a child she had been put through the same rigorous training schedule as her brother and at first she had felt useless. It took her many seasons of practice to even be able to guess where he was in their battles, and many more to learn to defend herself. At that time, she was certain she would never be good at anything.



"You never know if you're good at something until you've tried it, and even then it takes practice. But already from what I have heard from your father and noticed around you I can think of one thing you are very very good at." She turned a smile on her daughter, hoping to bring some joy to her in this rare moment they were sharing. "You have a wonderful imagination. That means you are creative and artistic, and those are very rare qualities among wolves in our family. I think you take after Apollo in that way." She tried not to let sadness leak into her voice as she said his name. How had her clever son turned out to be so unfortunate? Why couldn't he see the love his family had for him? Natalya hoped and prayed every day that her young children, Chione especially, would not take after him that way.

Great. Apollo came up again. Sure he was the big brother, and the only big brother. Chione didn't know anything of Hermes, she would know one day but she didn't know now. But anyways, Chione and her littermates were with their parents a lot more than Apollo. She didn't understand why Nat would be so hurt when it was three against one. Three of them should make up plenty of the loss for one of Apollo. They should just be enough. "As you see she would rather be with Apollo than you. Why don't you tell her to get out?" Chione shook her shoulders to make Charon's voice leave. It was rare that she even wanted to have a conversation with either one of her parents. Charon would not ruin this moment for her. "What do you... think I can do?" She would gently question. She wasn't sure where creative and artistic would take her, especially if it was rare in their family. "You can't do anything. Your not good for anything." "Talk"Think

Her daughter was hesitant to accept that she had a place in the pack, but she spoke up nonetheless to ask further about it. Natalya couldn't help but grin at seeing Chione show some enthusiasm about it. It wasn't often she was enthusiastic about anything at all. "Chione, my dear, I believe you can do anything you wish. Your creativity is also wisdom. You could be a wise Oracle, helping to care for the family and to deliver the messages of the gods. You could use your cunning a warrior, outwitting your opponents at every turn. You could be a huntress, formulating the best strategies to take down prey."

She crouched low to make herself even with the child, licking her on the cheek as she went. She wanted nothing but to encourage her, to see her interest in her family grow. "You have a powerful mind, Chione. You can use it any way you like. And I, as your mother, will help you."

She would not move as her mother came down to her and licked at her cheek, neither accepting or declining it. But as Natalya continued to encourage her, it wasn't changing anything. Charon had gotten to her head, she was destroyed for the night. But she would sleep on it. "I think I'm ready to go back to sleep." Toneless. Haunches would rise as she re-entered the den. Her tail would sweep past her mothers, latching on gently before disappearing into the darkness of the den. She would lay in a curl away from her siblings and father, and hoped that Natalya would join them instead of her. And her mind would drift off to those deceiving golden eyes. -Exit Chione- "Talk"Think

Chione went cold again. It happened quickly, suddenly. One moment she was warming up to her mother, conversing with her as if the relationship between them was healthy and normal. The next, she was walking away. Natalya sat outside for some time after on her own. While this hadn't been entirely successful, it was a step in the right direction. Hopefully they would soon be able to develop the relationship she desired. She did not want to lose touch with any of her children ever again. She took a deep breath of night air before returning to her husband's side, unaware that she would get only a short rest before waking again.