Frost switched it up this time went he decided it was Valanga's turn He decided they would go out in the evening, before it got dark. With the summertime came the fireflies and he thought it would be fun to go out before the fireflies came out. To see the willows in the evening time. Plus she should be wide awake so they could get right down to taking in the sights far from their den. He headed to the willow that hid their den and peeked his head in through the leafy curtains. The kids he assumed would still be up.
"Valanga," he called out as his eyes looked around for her.
He hoped she would be up for the evening away from the others and to hopefully show her some of the sights that were hidden within the other willow's. He hoped she would have fun and of course she may get to be up a little past their normal bedtime depending on what they get into.
Val’s asymmetrical face shot up abruptly from the darkness, a wide grin already on her features as she scrambled toward her father as quickly as he half-asleep body would allow. She weaved playfully between his legs, all the while keeping her face upturned to see his. “Daddy!” She greeted cheerfully and bit into his leg with a force that was every bit playful, even with her needle sharp milk teeth.
She loved her siblings dearly, but she would be a fool to turn down time alone spent with her father, and had no intention of sharing his attention if he was going to give it exclusively to her.
He didn't have to wait long before the bright eyed girl was bounding towards him. He chuckled in amusement, his tail wagging as she wove her body around his legs. She then playfully bit into his leg and he chuckled again, reaching down to gently nibble on her little ear.
"Valanga," he greeted softly in return. "How would you like to do some exploring with me tonight?"
He didn't think she would turn him down, but he liked to see the excited reaction he would get out of each of them. He was excited to show her around and nighttime was so much different from the daytime. Even the animals that were active at night were so much different. He hoped that in their time together tonight she would have fun. He also hoped that these type of memories would last the rest of her life time.
“Yes, daddy! Yes!” She yapped and danced at his paws before prancing a short distance ahead of him. Her paws moved independently of each other; lifting one as the other fell, all the while her small body wiggled with excitement.
She had never gone out at night before, the prospect was enthralling and as the sun finally set Valanga ran forward in an erratic surge of surprising speed. Most pups were afraid of the dark, but not her, especially not with her father watching over her and keeping an eye out for danger.
She ran in diagonal lines and wide loops but always returned to her father’s side to bounce playfully at his barreled chest. More than once she lost her footing and fell over herself, her awkward proportions still acting against her, but always recovered quickly as though her moments of clumsiness had never happened in the first place.
He chuckled in amusement at her excitement, his eyes bright with his own excitement. When she began to move ahead of him he fallowed at an easy, long strided pace. He kept a watchful eye on her all while the rest of his senses remained alert. They were fairly safe within the pack lands, but she was small and it wouldn't take much for her to be hurt by something. Although she did prove him wrong when she stumbled over herself, but quickly got back up and kept going. Everything was different at night, but it was also beautiful and as a lighting bug lit up close to his face he grinned and paused in mid step.
"Valanga, quick come take a look," he gently called as he watched the bug flutter down into the grass before him.
Gently it would blink it's light every couple of seconds. He knew that the life at night wasn't something the pups could see much off since they tended to be bedded down by the time he was back from evening patrol. So any little piece or creature they came across, he hoped to give her the knowledge he knew and pass it on to her.
She scurried back to her father with avid excitement and stared wide eyed at the twinkling bug as it weaved in lazy circles around her father’s head. “What is it?” She asked, mesmerized as the lightning bug’s small light flickered in the darkness. “Is it a star?” She asked excitedly, her blue eyes wide with amazement.
Valanga had never actually seen the stars; she had tried to stay up late enough once to see the sun set long enough for the stars to become visible but she ultimately fell soundly asleep before the moon even began to rise. She had managed to glean small details from them from others; that they were small, and bright and covered the sky. The small bug didn’t cover much, but maybe she thought, a swarm of them could blanket the night sky.
He watched the lightning bug as Valanga joined him. She was excited to learn what exactly the creature was and as he looked down to her bright eyes he smiled even more, his tail gently wagging.
"It sure looks like a star doesn't it?" he agreed.
It did look like a blinking star, if it wasn't flying around his head he would have been okay letting her be right on her guess. Things didn't always go like anyone liked and he would have loved to not take her joy away from having the right guess, but he needed to also teach her.
"This little guy is called a lightning bug" he said as he glanced back up to it. "They are always out in the summertime."
He looked down to her as the bug fluttered down to land on a blade of grass before the two of them.
“Likning bug.” She repeated to the best of her ability. “I like the likning bug.” She said gleefully then dissolved into a series of giggles. “Why’s it glow like that?” She asked, still grinning and tilted her head as she asked. She had no doubt that her father would know the answer to any question she might ask, because in her mind he was the smartest, and strongest man to ever live.
Without waiting for an answer, the girl found herself distracted trying to chase the strange bug, and proceeded to dart off into the semi-tall grass surrounding the willows. Her crystalline eyes shone even in the darkness alight with wonder as the moon began to rise.
His ears shifted forward slightly as she tried her best to repeat the bugs name. She almost had it correct and Frost couldn't help but smile, proud of her being this close. She then asked him a question, why did the bug glow like that and it brought back memories of his mother and his puphood. It was one of the very same questions he had asked her one night and he could hear her soft, kind tones telling him the answer.
Before he could answer her, her attention was taken and she was off chasing the bug. It made a short deep chuckle rumble from his deep chest as he casually fallowed her into the tall grasses, able to see over them with his height. He briefly glanced at the moon that was beginning to come out, a bright moon even though it wasn't a full one.
He watched her chase the lightning bug, his own eyes bright with amusement. The night was beginning to come alive as the moon rose and the animals of the night began to stir. Crickets would begin to sing around them and the bullfrogs began their deep croaks from the water.
