Zee had watched as her disabled daughter had struggled through the Col. Rumours had reached her off her son’s opinion of her and the other crystallised pups and it seemed as though the same rumour had reached Vanta. The pup was only days into her freedom and already was becoming reclusive and shy - traits Zee did not want to see rooted in her nor any other of her children. She waited until the sun had set in the sky to call for her daughter, her faithful companions taking places upon her shoulder and around her neck. The toucan and viper had been lifelong friends of the once-Queen, but her days of fighting were nearly over. They would serve their next master with the same devotion and kindness they had her, of that Zee was certain. She arched her head over her shoulder, offering the toucan a nuzzle as she waited for the child to answer her call. "Speech"

Freedom was exhausting. There was a big wide open world to see and explore, and yet Vanta could not properly see it no matter how hard she tried. The light of day was excruciatingly painful and made navigating difficult beyond belief, but that was when the pack was active. Nothing was the same when she barreled down the steps into the valley at dusk - voices were more hushed and less animated, the pawsteps she had come to recognize were far and few between. The atmosphere changed so drastically, leaving Vanta always wondering. She wanted to see the light of day, and not in a way that was blinding.

She was not the only child of her litter to be born a bit different and had found comradery in her sister who shared her disability. Kite had chosen to have a sort of blindfold made to protect her eyes, seeming to embrace the struggle easier than Vanta could manage to. She did not want to hide her eyes, she wanted to adapt to the disability and overcome it. Though it was easier said than done. It had seemed as well that karma had blessed the other blind girl, gifting her a companion that had found it’s way into their den and chosen Kite as her own. Why hadn’t a friendly cat chosen her?. It wasn’t fair - and the whispers that reached her of her older brother’s opinion of her only solidified that the reason she hadn’t been chosen in that way was because she was undeserving. Wallowing in her self-pity while Kite was embracing her differences.

Her mother’s call rang out gently through the Col and Vanta wormed her way out from the pile of sleeping puppies to answer. Making her way carefully down the steep slope and toward the obelisk, squinting against the firelight and positioning herself so it was at her back and not impeding her vision too poorly. “Yes, mama?”

Vanta’s arrival brought a sad smile to Zee’s lips, a reaction that she struggled time and time again to hide each time she saw one of the disabled children. How hard would their life be, cursed in this way? The knowledge that she could not improve their quality of life was hard to accept, especially as she wondered just how much fault lie on herself and Sirius for going through with a litter at their age. “My little Vee.” She smiled, wrapping her paw around the child and pulling her in for a hug. “I wanted to have a chat with you, if that’s okay?” Giving the illusion of freedom, independence and choice was important for the growing child’s confidence. If she did not wish to have this discussion today, they could set it aside for a more appropriate time. Anything to bring up the spirits of the crystal-touched girl. "Speech"

Her mother brought her into a tight hug and Vanta leaned her large head into the fluffy chest with a contented sigh. At least - even if certain family members seemed not to approve of her - she’d have her parent’s love forever. Neither of them had treated her or her disabled siblings as lesser than the next, a fact that Vanta greatly appreciated. “Okay, mama.” She agreed softly, tipping back her muzzle to look up at her ageing mother in curiosity.

“What’dya want to talk about?” Hesitation touched her voice gently - an internal worry that she’d done something wrong and was due for a reprimand. She had hardly had the independence to make mistakes so far, what could she have possibly messed up already?

Zee lowered herself to the ground, keeping her forepaws wrapped around the child but bringing herself more to the girl’s level. Already she was large - likely to meet the same milestones as so many of her dire-sized siblings. Lifting a paw, she gave a gentle stroke upon Vanta’s cheek. “I know you’ve been struggling a bit lately.” Zee did not give her daughter room to refute the statement, but kept her voice soft and non-judgemental so she could see that there was nothing to be ashamed of. “I thought I might have some things that could help you.” Ducking her head, she invited the toucan to move up her spine and further onto her shoulder, feeling as he shifted his weight to look down between Zee’s paws at the child. From within the fluffy fur of her neck, a second creature revealed itself. A shiny-scaled viper, small and aged just like her owner. “These are my two best friends in the world.” She said softly, watching as the companions stepped down off of her and into the grass at her paws. “They’ve been by my side for as long as I can remember. They were a great resource for most of my life - a font of knowledge and strength, a source of comfort when I was sad. They’ve seen me through slavery, they guided me through wearing a crown, they have been with me through every part of my life good and bad. I’d trust them with my life.” The toucan gave a soft croak, his crystalline bill parting. “And now I’d like them to be that for you.” Zee shifted her weight subtly, putting enough distance between her and the pup in her paws that the companions could move forward to greet her. “Along with being capable fighters, they have spent their lives accompanying me on every journey. They know this world as well as I do, I know that they can guide you as well as any companion could. With one pair of eyes in the sky and another set around your neck, you will have the independence you deserve.” She paused, her head tilting slightly as she regarded her two long-time friends. “I only regret that I never named them. Perhaps that’s something you can give to them, if you choose.” "Speech"

Vanta listened quietly as her mother explained to her the companions who had accompanied her. The toucan peered over Zee’s shoulder at her - opening a beak that was crystalline, just like her. The pup blinked at him in wonder. “Is he.. like me?” She asked softly, lifting a paw to gently touch it to the creature’s curved nose.

The snake drew her attention next, slithering through the grass and up onto Vanta’s leg. The feeling of strong muscle coiling and climbing up her limb and onto her neck was discomforting, but once the viper was settled within the fluff of her neck she felt.. stronger. More protected, at the very least. The snake’s tongue flicked out, tasting the air and reminding her that there were other ways to see that were not through one’s eyes.

Lost in a state of shock, Vanta had little to say. Mother was giving her a gift beyond what she could have ever imagined. Two trusted and life-long companions who saw her through countless situations safe and whole. Would this make up for her failing eyes? Would it bring more risk to Zee, who would need to learn to adjust to their absence?

Zee gave a small chuckle as the pup questioned the toucan. “In a way.” She mused. “He does not suffer disability because of his uniqueness. The crystal brings him strength - but it also does to you.” She reached her paw forward, brushing it along the crystalline saddle upon Vanta’s back and then booping her gently between the eyes on her mask. “Your eyes are not the only thing that has been touched by this phenomenon, you’ve inherited from me another uniqueness. These pieces of fur are crystal too - like your eyes and like his beak. However they are not detrimental. This layer of crystal will defend you from harm. Feel the hard touch of the fur and imagine biting on it. Your attacker would be hurt more than you would.” This much she knew from experience, having her own layer of crystalline fur gained after the events of the Long Night. The mutation did her a great service at the Hallows’ tournament, allowing her to take home the pride of first place. With her companions settled comfortably upon and around her daughter, Zee moved to her next gift. Pulling from her side a wrapped up hide, she pushed it gently towards the child and gestured to it with her nose. “This is for you as well.” "Speech"

Vanta remained for the most part speechless, absorbing her mother’s words and frankly feeling quite overwhelmed by it all. She lifted her paw to gently touch upon the strange fur that framed her eyes, never noticing before that it was any different then the rest. How had mama groomed it, if it would pain someone to touch? Her ears slicked back against her skull in shame, but somewhere inside she felt the pride of having something to balance out her faults.

The toucan stepped forward to run his beak through the short crystals upon her muzzle - a gesture of affection and acceptance that brought emotion to Vanta’s eyes. “Thank you.” She said to him, and then to her mother. The pup tried to think of more to say, but the silence was broken by yet another gift. This one, wrapped carefully in hide.

She drug it between her shaking paws, beginning to unwrap it with care. Tucked within the pelt was yet another gift - a bracelet made of leather and gemstone. They were clearly too big for her - likely at this point they would cover not just her wrists but the majority of her lower limb - but had been given an adjustable length of tie on the back so they could fit her small arms now and be sized thicker later. In the middle a symbol had been charred delicately into each front. Vanta squinted down toward them, distinguishing a bear with rope on one, and a snake coiled around a pair of horns on the other. She looked up at her mother in silent question, holding the bracers gently in her young paws.

Zee was pleased to see the night going well, and while her daughter was unusually quiet, she knew the pup enough to recognize the emotion in her eyes and understand that the silence was born of awe and appreciation and not of rejection. Not giving the girl a chance to stew in the silence, she moved the conversation forward again and again. Showering her with love through these sentimental gifts, doing her best to raise her spirits before the depression could take a proper hold upon her young mind. “These bracers were crafted from something I found a long, long time ago. I do not wear them, but they’ve had a special place in my den from the moment they became mine. One day I will tell you their full story, when you are older.” She had no intention of scaring the child with stories of the Firefly Man who had gifted her the bare accessory when he’d taken away her horns. “These symbols represent your father -” Pointing first to the bear who held the gordian knot, “- and myself.” shifting her paw to the companion bracer, to display the set of horns and the snake curled around them. “I hope you wear these and remember where you come from, and how much we love you. No matter what.” Turning the bracer over by Vanta’s paws, she showed the pup the back of them. “There is a blade that fits here, though you will only be allowed it in supervised periods of time to learn it’s use. Until you are older, of course.” Smiling, she released her daughter’s paws and took a step back, admiring the crystal-touched pup’s soft and awed smile. "Speech"

The sentimentality of the bracers was apparent immediately, bringing a thankful smile to Vanta’s lips as she stared awestruck down at the bear and snake symbols. A reminder forever of her bloodline, of the wolves who had made her and those she would one day grow to make proud - hopefully. She clutched the bracer pair tighter (hardly acknowledging the mention of the weapon that could attach to them) and held them to her chest, leaning her head against the toucan at her side as he preened her once more. “Thank you, mama. These are amazing. I’ll never forget, I promise.”

The present had been wrapped in a pelt - did she get to keep that, too? It would be a good place to keep the bracers safe until she chose to wear them. Reaching out her paw, she returned to the wrapping and reopened it, intending to place the gifts back inside. Though something else was there. A weird strip of.. Fabric? Squinting in confusion, she looked up back to her mother. “What’s this?”

Zee had almost forgotten about the other gift she had tucked into the bundle of inheritance. Her smile dropped as Vanta pointed it out, her paw reaching to intercept it before Vanta could grasp for it. “This is very important.” She said firmly, believing in the words even if she didn’t quite know why. “I’m sorry, Vanta, but I can’t tell you why. I do not fully understand myself.” Zee hesitated, turning the band-aid over in her paws with reverence. “It was given to me by a God. He promised it would protect our family - that’s all I know. Now I give it to you, the next generation, to hold and to cherish until the day it is needed. I hope that when it is time, the Gods will give you a sign…. But I can’t be certain.” "Speech"