Ballad yawned as she allowed sleep to roll off of her that very early morning. It was time. The moon was high in the sky and they had hours until the sun’s light would touch the sky. The perfect moment to give praise to Tor and then Fenris as the day dawned. She was blessed with two daughters, so much like herself they would find guidance more in Tor than her counterpart. She hoped that Lament was out there somewhere, able to worship Fenris as she did with the moon goddess.

”Sizzle, Spark.” Ballad spoke softly as she nuzzled her young twins into wakefuless. She tapped out her emotions with a paw, excitement. The girls seemed to pick up their family’s sign language quicker than speech. ”Wake up my loves.” She nuzzled into their soft dark necks. ”It’s time to be blessed by Tor.” This was no unique experience, since their birth she had repeated this ceremony every week. This was the first time they would be walking themselves though.

No matter the culture or personality one of the big universals for puppies was sleep and it clung to Spark a little stronger than it might others, so it took a few moments for her to shake off its grip, and as she blinked open silvery gaze, so like her mother's, the girl's attention went immediately to her mother's paws, watching the excitement in her movements. She signed her own emotions, her movements were slower, more clumsy than her mother's a combination of the last dregs of sleep and just having less fine motor control than an adult but her emotions were still expressed: Excitement, curiosity.

"Are we leaving?" She asked, the meaning clear, leaving the den. She rose to her paws, a little faster than she might have otherwise, her excitement moving her in more ways than just the words in her paws. She stared up at her mother, eyes wide as she waited for an answer. Her expression wavering only slightly as she felt her very first big rush of excitement in her life.

Question me? All of your doubt feeds my desire.

Nox climbed the sand-dune that overlooked the beach and sparkling waters. The wind nipped a bit harsher today than it had been. Light paw steps struck the ground though the pace suggested she moved with purpose. Lupa asked where she was off to and she told him, explaining that unlike most instances, he could not join her because ‘bringing a strange man along for a visit would not bolster trust’. Though he grumbled and muttered a bit, he gave little in the way of resistance. Nox thought perhaps he understood why she needed to make the trip. In order to soothe a restless mind, one often needed to pick old scars. So, in order to soothe hers, she found an unlikely outlet: A mother and a litter of newly born pups.

Though they could not provide her with the one thing she desired… Nox thought their presence might bring her peace. Before setting out, she scoured the beach in an attempt to pick out a suitable gift, or rather a peace-offering. After aggressively throwing a majority of the carapaces back into the ocean, she finally found one worthwhile. A gust of wind-lashed deep into her side, all the way to the core. She hissed and craned her head away to shelter herself from it, careful not to drop the shiny trinket clamped between her jaws. After some time, she reached the incline that led up to the falls. While it was not especially steep, she was relieved to finally reach the top. The thunder of a waterfall signaled she neared her destination. Nox pushed through layers of vegetation until she found the hidden spot in question. However, before entering she gave a light-knock. “Hello?” She peered into the darkness, trying to make out whatever lay inside. “May I come in? I hope this is not a bad time.” Nox asked out of courtesy, intent to not make the same mistake twice.

I'm gonna make my own empire.

Thanks to Bird for the table help!

She had been waiting for this day much like their mother, eager to finally take the weekly practice and turn it into reality. To finally be blessed by Tor meant everything to Sizzle and it was finally time for the real thing. It was difficult for the young girl to sleep with her excitement, but it had finally come once everyone was settled in for the night. When it was time to wake, however, it was like the girl had been awake for hours. She rose quickly to her paws, mimicking her mothers tapping over and over as they gathered themselves.

Excitement. Hurry. Excitement. Hurry. Her paws tapped anxiously, eagerly waiting for the ceremony they'd been preparing for for as long as she could remember. When another poked their head in and spoke, Sizzle jumped and turned to face the newcomer. Looking at her twin for a moment, her silver gaze then sought out mothers looking for any sort of clue as to who this was.

Spark woke up slowly, her beautiful silver eyes barely blinked open as Ballad nuzzled her encouragingly. Sizzle seemed to wake up quite a bit faster, but both girl’s signed excitement in their little dancing paws. Ballad smiled inwardly, but outwardly the emotion could only be seen in the happy way her own paws tapped them out. They were making preparations for this night for so long now, the girl might have been more eager than their mother. Ballad lifted herself to her paws and nuzzled both tiny children before they had a guest appear there to join them.

Ballad looked up to see Nox had reappeared here after the invitation she had offered the day that they met. She hadn’t quite been able to answer Spark’s question, but would answer them both. ”Hello again, Nox.” Ballad spoke softly as she herded her boisterous children. ”We’re just on our way out to be blessed by the moon goddess, Tor. You’re welcome to join us if you wish.” She added to Nox as she moved to lead the little group from behind the waterfall and up to its peak. ”Watch your step!” She reminded the two girls, but maybe Nox as well, as they ascended the moist mossy trail to the top of the waterfalls. She helped her tiny girls up along the way and as they reached the top she placed herself between the pups and the rushing water. ”Alright, any moment now she’ll begin to rise over the horizon.” Ballad explained and pointed towards where sky met land and the moon would rise for them.