Bright blue eyes would flicker open spontaneously, the dark boy finding himself in wakefulness. He?d lift his tiny head from the den, noticing that all others were quite asleep. A mischievous look would adorn his features as he would silently lift himself from the den?s floor. His tail would wag behind him as mismatched paws carried him from the entrance with not so much as a look behind him. His grin would widen as he successfully slipped past the threshold of the den, eyes wide in amusement as he took to the nearest path. Tail would still wag erratically behind him as his puppy lope would take him down a path he?d not been on yet. Escape was his favorite game, and thus far every outing had ended in his amusement. Who or what would he find today? There was an evident skip in his step as the joyfulness of being outside and on his own would be screamed for all to see. Still his maw was quiet, he desired not to make noise. His short attention span would suddenly be grabbed by the sight of a toad upon the path. His tiny form would stop instantly, legs were straight and his expression tilted as he peered down at the creature. It would hop, and the boy?s head would follow it?s movement in a similar fashion. Bright eyes were wide as he simply watched the hopping creature. ""

Psalm was growing to be much more mischievous than she could've anticipated. He had been taught to not go far from home, and while they could hope that he would listen, he was a child and he would explore to his hearts desire. As much as she and Novel wanted to keep them safe and inside forever, it was simply not possible. But the feeling of panic that would well up inside her when she awoke to see not two, but one single child sleeping nearby, was something she could not easily shake. Somehow he had become a master at awakening before them, and slipping silently away. The initial anxiety that welled up inside her would be forced aside as she quietly slid from beside Novel. There was likely no need to panic, and upsetting Novel for no reason was not her idea of a good morning. But there still was a bit of a rush to her step as she trailed after Psalm's scent, still fresh on the ground. His paw-steps were visible too, small prints in the dirt, so she knew he hadn't been gone for long. It didn't take much wandering to find him, darting after a toad, and instantly all of her worries melted away and a smile fell over her lips as she barked softly in greeting to her son. "Psalm," she'd call out to the boy, her voice full of gentle laughter. "What on earth are you doing?" The amount of curiosity and wonder that he held in his gaze was wonderful and she padded towards him quietly so as to not frighten the toad.

The tiny boy had no idea the alarm he would cause for his mother as she awoke to only one baby still inside the den. He hadn?t really thought very far ahead, he was just going out. It didn?t matter when his mothers would awaken or how long he would be gone. He just wanted to see. The sudden bark of his mother would not cause his attention to wander, he?d heard that before. This toad however, was very much engrossing. He?d hear her approach, it was slow, yet still the toad would jump. Psalm had no choice but to follow it, so with out even saying hello to his momma he would be led off the path and into the tall grass. Right behind the still hopping toad, he didn?t mean to ignore his mother so blatantly, but he was very much too focused on the smaller hopping creature to even look away. Still, his tail would wag happily as he parted the grass. ""

- ugh messed up and edited this out -

Could he have guessed Psalm would have thought he would have been in trouble the next time he saw one of his moms, however it seemed Ara would be supportive of his game even when he seemed to not even acknowledge her presence. Still she would sneak forwards with him as he slipped into the grass. He?d feel the gentle touch as the toad escaped him, jumping under a particularly large rock. An intensely disappointed whine would fall from his lips as he plopped to the ground, looking back up at his mother. "Gone." He?d sigh as he leaned back and nuzzled her muzzle affectionately. A happy smile playing across his features now that he could focus on his mother. "Love." He?d say simply as he beamed up at her cheerily. His tail wagging erratically. ""

A warmth seemed to flood her chest as she watched Psalm with a calm smile on her face. It was different than watching Steel, and though she loved him no less, she simply loved him differently. He was her son, even if not by blood -- she was responsible for him and his well-being. A happy sigh escaped her own throat following his defeated one. "Don't worry," she told him, grinning widely as he beamed up at her. Instinctively she would nuzzle him again, happy to be in his presence again. Only when she was with her sons was being away from Novel bearable, and the moments that they were apart seemed rare at best. "We will find another toad for you." He was such a simple thing, so amused by the smallest things in life. Had she been so curious at his age? It was difficult to remember, but she saw much of herself in him, even though he was not her own flesh and blood. "I love you more," she promised him, her own tail wagging behind her. "What do you want to do today, Psalm?"

He held an incredible amount of love for both of his mothers, still too young to understand that Ara was not his biological sire. Though, such knowledge was better left unattained for now, his innocence preserved until he was old enough to understand. For now, he was blissful basking in the love of his momma Ara. She would tell him not to worry about the goned toad, and he was easy to dismiss its presence. She would even promise another toad. He?d nudge her back, leaning in to kiss her muzzle affectionately. Psalm?s small form would bound up to her leg then, his form plastering to her left paw. She only thought she loved him more than he loved her, he was sure. He would just shake his head in disagreement, sure that he loved her more. The thought was forgotten as she asked him what he wished to do that day, and he would suddenly freeze, his gaze looking rather far off as he thought about what she?d said. He had awoken to go adventuring, and his adventure had brought him to the toad. What else was out there? "Next!" he would say simply, not even wondering if she would understand him or not. ""

Being a mother was something entirely new to her, though things seemed to be coming to her far more naturally than she could've anticipated. There was still so much to learn from both Psalm and Hymn, but she knew the two boys would forever teach her things about herself and about the world -- she would only grow as a person since they had entered her life. The smile that touched her lips was a warm one, and it seemed unshakable as she looked down at Psalm's tiny form. He had nothing in mind for the day, offering a simple 'next' instead of anything of substance. She would mull over this silently, nuzzling him tenderly as he looked up at her with an eager stare. What could she possibly entertain him with? It seemed a bit daunting to find something that would excite him, but she also knew he was a curious boy, often interested in the simplest of things.. like a toad, for instance. "Perhaps we can go on an adventure today," she offered carefully. Though she wanted to bring him somewhere new, perhaps across the borders of Sawtooth, she wondered if this was the best idea. But the prospect of taking him somewhere unfamiliar to him was exciting to her, and she knew just how happy it would make him.

He still had so much to learn about the world, his sense of wonder was never in want as he grew and explored the world outside his den. Everything excited him, it was hard to say that he was ever bored, there was always so much out there to see. Even now as he lost his toad his mother was developing another plan for him. Not that he would have needed any help entertaining himself. He?d beam up at his mother, his dark ears trained on her voice as she spoke of adventure. The smile on his face would grow exponentially as he danced at her feet, "Yes, ?venture!" he would squeal, weaving in and out of her legs. He?d nuzzle her lovingly as he came to a halt, once more looking up at her eagerly awaiting his promised adventure. ""

Being a mother was something entirely new to her, but what was even more unfamiliar was the fact that she could make decisions even without Novel. Suddenly she wanted to bring Psalm with her away from the pack's territories, and she wondered if Novel would agree with her decision or not. The last thing she wanted was to upset her, or to make her thing that she wasn't watching over either one of their sons to the best of her ability. Despite her better judgment, she could agree, unable to resist the excitement that simply bubbled over from the young child. "Okay," she would say, finalizing her decision with a smile as he weaved beneath her legs. "But you have to stay close to me. If you wander off, we will turn around and come back home." There were so many things that even she had not experienced in the world, and she knew Psalm's curiosity could easily get the better of him and quickly land him in trouble. Though her tone was stern, she couldn't help but smile down at him, sure he would behave himself especially at the threat of not adventuring at all today. With that she would wander close by Psalm, heading toward the east. The mangrove was familiar to her, still laden with the scent of pack wolves who still wandered there often, and she knew that they would not be in danger here. With a nudge she would set off, not letting him stray far from her side.