Slumbering Skies

[CosmicChaos21]

This isn't based off any specific challenge, it's just a mash of bits and pieces of things.

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Fern, a bright green-furred nicheling, didn’t bother to raise her tail feathers as her mate and other royal Mulch, a red-furred nicheling with lighter markings, held his tail up high for the other members of the group to follow as he bounded through the tall grass. Technically the small group was an attempt to forge a new kingdom but Fern didn’t really feel as if four nicheling counted as a true kingdom, she just hoped they would find some wanderers soon. The feeling of grass smacking her in the snout caused her nose to scrunch as her mind returned to the present with her mate excitedly going on about the new island they’d just landed on.

“-not to mention that I don’t smell a single carnivore here!” Fern realized she had only caught the tail-end of that rambling as she heard Mulch stop speaking afterwards. “Maybe, but just because ya can’t smell ‘em doesn’t mean they don’t exist” Bandit, a black-furred nicheling with a bill and fluffy tail, said with a small sense of exasperation at the optimism and carelessness of the royal. She much preferred Mulch over Fern but she still wished that Mulch would show a little more caution sometimes. “Relax captain, if there was something dangerous here at least one of us would’ve noticed it” Fern spoke with her usual soft and relaxed tone as she found a bit of amusement at how wound up Bandit tended to be.

“I have to admit that I thought you would be a bit more wary with a pup and the heir to the kingdom on the way” All the nicheling’s attention snapped to Silver, a silver-furred nicheling with quills, as he spoke considering that he had been silent for most of the trip. “Well you said it yourself, stress would be bad for the pup right?” Fern replied, making Silver release a soft sigh. “Yes but it’s not good to just ignore potential dangers or else neither of you will survive” Silver warned in an attempt to get the pregnant nicheling to heed his words. Fern barked out a laugh at the Healer’s warning “Please, it’s not like a carnivore can just appear out of thin air so I’ll be fine” she said with an amused smile much to Silver’s chagrin. “Maybe not but a bit of extra caution would do a world of good” Silver advised as the group continued making their way through the unexplored island which only got him a waved paw in response. “I’m not gonna ignore any signs of danger but I won’t put any unneeded stress onto myself either” Silver just gave up as he heard Fern’s words as he realized that she wouldn’t be listening to his advice.

A comfortable silence stretched between the group as they surveyed their surroundings and continued forward until Mulch broke it. “Hope we can find a good place to s-” He tripped over his words causing him to give a small shake of his head before trying again “Hope we can find a good place to settle soon, we’ve been walking forever and I wanna make sure my wonderful mate gets her rest” Mulch gently pressed his side against Fern’s as he said the last part of the sentence earning him a soft smile and playful eye-roll from her at his affectionate nature while Bandit’s nose twitched at the sappy display.

 

“You two could take a rest while I go scout out more of the island” Bandit offered as she shook her paw to try and dislodge the thorn in her paw from ripping out a patch of thorns on the way. “That would be good” Fern instantly sat down, thankful for the chance to rest her paws. “Do you want me to come with you?” Silver asked as he came up to Bandit’s side with a glance towards Bandit’s paw. “No, I’d rather you stay here both in case something dangerous appears here and so if I find something dangerous I’ll be the only one hurt” Bandit replied as she lifted her paw towards Silver who quickly used his claws to pull the thorn out.

“Well don’t just sacrifice yourself if you find danger, these two are perfectly capable of fighting” Fern spoke from her spot now laying in the grass making the Captain turn around to respond. “I’m not leading something dangerous here to hurt the rest of you when I could give you a chance to survive” Bandit argued as she stared at the Royal. “Well losing a nicheling when our kingdom barely counts as one wouldn’t do any good either” Fern remarked with a twitch of her eye. “I can’t just let the unknown be unexplored when we’re relaxing like sitting dodomingos” Bandit reasoned with a twitch of her ear causing Fern to close her eyes and take a deep breath. “Fine, I can’t stop you” Bandit turned around to leave “But!” the words caused the Captain to freeze with agitation prickling up her pelt “You’re going to take Silver with you so you’re not alone” Fern opened her eyes and stared at Bandit.

“But what about you two?” Bandit asked as she turned her head to look at the two Royals. “Mulch can fight and just because I’m pregnant doesn’t mean I’m defenseless” Fern said as she tilted her head to show off her horns making Bandit open her mouth before closing it again. “Alrighty than” She caved as she realized this wasn’t a battle she could win. “Let’s go” She said to Silver before walking into the grass making Silver glance at Fern and Mulch, with Fern giving a ‘go on’ nod, before following after Bandit.
 

 

“Can we stop for a moment?” Silver’s voice cut through Bandit’s thoughts and tunnel vision. “Why?” Bandit asked considering she would rather finish this task quickly and efficiently. “It’d be good to start gathering herbs even if we haven’t found a permanent spot” Silver replied as he approached a toxic berry bush making Bandit’s ears shoot up.

“Should you really get herbs from a toxic berry bush?” Bandit stepped in front of the Healer. “Certain parts of it are not only safe but helpful” Silver side-stepped Bandit and got close enough to pluck a leaf from the bush “for example these are actually good for healing some sicknesses” he spoke as he plucked a few more and gently laid them on a small pile before using his paws to dig into the dirt. “And this” He held up a small chunk of roots “can be used to make a nicheling throw up if they get something toxic in their system” he explained as he placed it with the pile of leaves. Bandit gave a hum of acknowledgment at the explanation.

“...Could you lend me a paw? I grabbed too many” Silver spoke after noticing the amount of leaves and roots he’d grabbed. “Sure” Bandit said as she picked up some leaves and roots making Silver do the same before continuing on their check of the area.
 

 

A scent hit Silver’s nose causing him to pause and sniff the air causing Bandit to run into him before jumping back. Seeing as she couldn’t talk considering the leaves dangling from her jaws she just stared at Silver with confusion. Silver noiselessly walked forward leaving Bandit to follow with tensed muscles.

Bandit almost inhaled the leaves she was holding as she saw the scene in front of her. Fern was laying in a make-shift nest that looked like it was only held together by dreams and desperation, and some grass. But the surprising part was the two tiny bundles of fur next to her which Mulch was currently grooming.

Silver rushed over to Fern’s side causing Mulch to startle before giving the Healer some space. “Are you feeling okay?” Silver asked as he made sure there was no blood before sniffing the newborn pups for any sign of sickness or injury. “I’m exhausted and still have some pain” Fern answered with a yawn as she struggled to keep her eyes open. “Is the pain severe? Mild? Moderate?” Silver launched the questions as he took a step back after noticing no signs of injury. “It’s not severe, maybe a mix of mild and moderate?” Fern said as another yawn escaped her making Silver wince in sympathy. “As long as you’re not in severe pain we can talk more later after you get some rest” He said making Fern nod before laying her head down and immediately falling asleep.

“Do they have names yet?” Silver asked as he turned his attention towards Mulch causing him to glance over at the Healer. “Yeah, the purple one is named Nightshade and the other one is Dust” Mulch replied as he looked at his newborn pups with pure love in his eyes. “They’re good names, and they seem healthy to me” Silver replied as he let out a sigh of relief.

“I knew you should’ve stayed here, I didn’t even consider the possibility of Fern giving birth while we were gone” Bandit said after placing the leaves on the ground. “You couldn’t have predicated when she’d give birth, it was actually a bit earlier than I expected” Silver replied but then spoke again before Bandit could reply “Come help me find a spot to put these since we’re gonna stay for a little bit” Silver picked up some of the leaves and roots before walking into the grass. Bandit’s nose scrunched in annoyance but she did as she was asked and followed the Healer.
 

 

Silver paused to start clearing some grass in an area that was close enough to the other two to be nearby but far enough to have a private conversation. Bandit helped clear grass though her annoyance was still heavily present. Silver then placed the herbs he was holding on the ground and gestured for Bandit to do the same.

“Well why did you want my help with this? I doubt it was just for this” Bandit spoke after placing her own herbs onto the ground. “Because you’re stressing yourself out with things you can’t control” Silver spoke “Like with Fern giving birth, you couldn’t have known that would happen and beating yourself up over it won’t change the past” he continued before Bandit could get a word in causing her to scoff. “Well I can’t afford to make these types of mistakes, Fern being fine is just dumb luck” Bandit’s tail lashed behind her “It was important to have a Healer if something went wrong, but because I had to take you with me Fern had to give birth without one and it’s my fault” she looked away with narrowed eyes.

“I can appreciate taking responsibility for your actions but let me repeat my words, you can’t predict these things” Silver put emphasis on all five of those last words with the hope it would get through Bandit’s thick skull. “But I could’ve realized there was a chance of that happening and prevented the situation from arising in the first place” Bandit insisted making Silver look at the clouds as if they could give him an answer to the other nicheling’s stubbornness. “There is no way for a nicheling to consider every single possibility all the time and you shouldn’t expect yourself to uphold such standards, you’re just gonna burn yourself out or get yourself killed with that mentality” Silver rebutted with a stare.

“Well-” Silver cut off Bandit’s words immediately “No, at least begin to accept that you can’t predict every possible scenario” he said making Bandit’s face scrunch though she didn’t continue arguing. “Can we just finish doing what we’re doing?’ Bandit asked as she glanced at the herbs. “Fine” Silver relented and focused on trying to make a make-shift Healer’s den to keep the herbs in.
 

[CosmicChaos21]

“I still can’t believe we got twins” Fern said, having woken up after taking a much needed nap from giving birth. “Yeah, but this is an amazing omen!” Mulch exclaimed making the pups stir. He sat still and quiet until they settled back down with a breath of relief. “Sorry” He whispered which Fern brushed off with a wave of her paw “It’s fine, but what do you mean by that?” Fern asked after hearing of it being a good omen.

 

“Well in my old kingdom having twins is a sign of future prosperity and luck” Mulch explained as he glanced up from his pups to instead look at his mate. “Maybe this whole making a new kingdom thing will work out after all if that’s true” Fern smiled down at her pups with a soft smile on her face. “Omen or not we would’ve made it work” Mulch spoke softly as he gently pressed his cheek against Fern’s “but this has to work, this must be a sign!” his voice grew in volume near the end but he managed to control it enough to not disturb the pups. “You’re right, we’ll make sure our kingdom thrives” Fern closed her eyes to enjoy the contact as she felt any worries she had melt away. “That’s the spirit” Mulch closed his eyes as well with a smile.

 

 

“ThIs is miserable work” Bandit said with a shake of her pelt, spraying Silver with droplets of water. “Don’t spray me!” Silver said as a drop of water hit his nose “And besides we need to finish making this den so we’ll have a proper Healer’s den” he said as he carefully maneuvered a thorn vine so he didn’t catch a thorn. “And this couldn’t wait for another day because?” Bandit asked as she weaved two vines together with a wince as a thorn nicked her paw pad. “Because the sooner we get it done the sooner we won’t have to worry about it” Bandit deadpanned at the answer as it sounded like something that would be told to a pup “not to mention I’d rather spend a sunny day relaxing rather than doing this so we might as well finish doing it while it’s ‘miserable’” Silver parroted Bandit’s earlier word as he starting weaving the current vine he held with another.

“Well wouldn’t making a den for Fern and the pups be a better use of our time?” Bandit asked as she finished weaving together another pair of vines. “Mulch found a place that they would be able to stay dry” Silver answered as he continued to focus on his work “I’d never choose the Healer’s den over making sure pups don’t get sick” he spoke once more as he struggled with his current pair of vines. “Where are the herbs?” Bandit asked as the thought came to her as she realized that they’d be soaked if they were left out. “As soon as I realized it was starting to rain I stored them in the driest spot I could to try and make sure they don’t rot” Silver said as he finally finished weaving together the next pair of vines. “Oh good” Bandit simply responded as she finished another pair of vines.

“Oh look, only a few more vines and we’ll have the basic shape” Bandit snapped her attention towards the whole ‘den’ at Silver’s words. It was almost done and Bandit didn’t even notice as she had idly continued to weave them together. “At long last” Bandit said with a deep breath before a sigh of relief, then she focused on putting all her energy into finishing the den.

Between the two of them the den was finished quickly and the two stepped back to admire their handiwork. “We can add the finishing touches some other day” Silver spoke after assessing the state of the newly made Healer’s den “Now we can go rest for the day” he said with a stretch as the cold really became noticeable. “Though maybe doing this in the rain wasn’t the best idea” Bandit’s head whipped towards the Healer’s words with a disbelieving stare that made Silver burst into laughter. “Unbelievable” Bandit shook her head though an amused smile grew on her face at the whole situation.

“I guess we should go try and dry off before we get sick” Silver spoke through snickers. “Probably for the best” Bandit agreed as she took a step towards where the rest of the group was before glancing behind her. Silver nodded for her to continue before following behind her.

 

The pups were old enough to walk and play which was both good and bad for the two ruling Royals. Fern was relieved that she didn’t have to sit in the nest almost all day but these two had already proven to easily keep their parent’s paws full.

“No! That’s MY stick!” Dust bared her fangs at her brother as she used her paws to try and yank the stick from her brother’s jaws. Nightshade just let out a growl and clamped his teeth tighter in response and pulled on the stick, causing Dust to stumble and almost fall in the process before regaining her balance. “Daaad he won’t give it back” Dust said as she looked over at Mulch with puppy eyes.

“Nightshade, we can get you another stick if that’s what you want, your sister had that one first” Mulch said making Nightshade’s scowl, as much as she can while holding a stick in his jaws. “ ‘a’l’ale” Nightshade tried to speak while still holding the stick. “Sorry didn’t hear you” Dust’s voice held a taunting tone causing Nightshade to growl again. “Pups” Fern’s voice caused both pups to freeze what they were doing “There’s no need to fight, I have a solution” both pups looked at their mom with confusion. Fern grabbed the stick and took it before going over to a rock.

She broke the stick in half, much to the pups shock, before returning and giving each pup half of the stick. “Now you can both have it” Fern said but quickly noticed that Dust did not look happy. “This isn’t my stick, I don’t want it” Dust said as she used a paw to bat it away before turning away and laying down. Nightshade flinched at the half of the stick almost hit him before looking at the two halves of the stick.

“I guess Nightshade can have both of them then” Mulch said as he smiled to try and encourage Nightshade. Nightshade looked between the broken stick and his sister, his ears and tail drooped as he realized his sister wasn’t going to play anymore. “Mm-mm” Nightshade said with a shake of his head before turning the opposite direction of his sister and laying down.

Mulch looked between his two pups with distress at the fact this didn’t go well at all. He looked towards Fern for help with the situation. Fern just shrugged before mouthing ‘Can’t always make them get along’ which Mulch hesitated but ultimately nodded at.

[CosmicChaos21]

“Where is mom and Nightshade going?” Dust asked as she watched the two walk into the grass. “Your mom is just spending some time with Nightshade” Mulch replied with a glance towards the rustling grass left in their wake. “Can’t she do that here?” Dust asked with a tilt of her head. “We wanted to each spend time with just one of you pups alone” Mulch explained as he smiled at Dust but she just seemed more perplexed. “Why?” Dust asked another question as she slid her gaze over to her dad’s face. “Because we wanted to form deeper bonds with each of you pups” Mulch answered with an idle stretch. “Why?” Mulch struggled for a response for yet another ‘why’ question as his pup asked it.

His line of thought screeched to a halt as the shriek of a bird rang out from the skies causing him to look around before spotting the offending bird flying too close for his liking. “Oof!” Dust let out a noise as Mulch tugged the pup against him before looking at him with confusion. “Why’d you do that?!” Mulch quickly shushed the pup as his eyes never left the sky. “That’s a bird, they’re dangerous” He explained as he kept his eyes trained on the bird with laser focus. “Why?” Dust asked the question once more as she didn’t understand, it was loud sure but is that enough to be scary? 

“...They take unattended pups” Dust’s eyes widened as she looked at her dad upon hearing his words “Why don’t you fight it to scare it away?” Dust asked as she felt it wouldn’t be that hard. “First of all they can fly and I can’t” Mulch spoke with a sense of unease at the fact the bird was circling the sky above him and his pup “And something dangerous could grab you if I’m busy fighting” he continued while continuing to hold Dust against his side.

“Mom will protect Nightshade right?” Mulch froze as Dust’s words sunk in at the realization that those two were somewhere else. “Yeah, of course she will” Despite the fear he felt he wanted to make sure Dust didn’t panic. “We should see if we can find them though” Mulch said before grabbing Dust by the scruff, making her squirm before resigning herself to her fate, and walking in the direction the two went.

 

“Well I could go back and see if they’re there” Bandit offered as Fern stood over a sleeping Nightshade. “Maybe that would be the best solution” Fern agreed as she looked vaguely in the direction her mate and other pup would be. “In that case I’ll return shortly” Bandit said before standing to her paws and walking towards the kingdom’s current spot.

“I’m sure they’re fine” Silver’s words snapped Fern out of her thoughts as she looked at him “Mulch seems like he’d fight an army to keep his pups safe so I’m not too worried” he said in an attempt to reassure Fern, who closed her eyes and took a deep breath before forcing herself to relax. “You’re right, he’d never let something happen to her” Fern repeated to try and soothe herself. “Yeah” Silver simply said before looking around idly.

An awkward and tense silence fell between the two as they found no topics to discuss nor any real common ground. The two respected each other and did care to an extent but they weren’t exactly friends either, more like friendly acquaintances. Fern felt guilt worm its way into her as she realized that they probably wouldn’t have split up if she hadn’t proposed the idea of separately bonding with their pups. Maybe then she wouldn’t have to worry for their safety like this.

She did have another reason for this though, she gives benefit of the doubt since the pups are so young but she’s a bit concerned at how possessive Dust is over anything she deems as hers. She wanted to start with some light lessons in being a royal to see how Nightshade reacted to the idea but now she was just terrified at the idea of that bird taking one of her pups.
 

 

“I found ‘em” Bandit’s voice caused all three nicheling’s heads to turn in the direction of the sound in time to see Bandit, Mulch, and Dust appear out of the grass. “Oh thank goodness” Fern let out a sigh of relief before rushing over to Dust, checking her over for any signs of injury or stress. “Mom!” Dust said as she used a paw to try and push her away making Fern smile at the unshaken reaction of her pup. “Alright, Alright, just making sure you’re okay little one” Fern said as she took a step back to give her pup some space.

Nightshade rushed over to his sister with obvious curiosity. “What?” Dust asked upon seeing the look in her brother’s eyes. “Did you see it?” Nightshade asked making Dust’s face morph into one of confusion. “See what?” She asked making Nightshade point toward the sky. “The bird?” Nightshade nodded as his sister’s question making her let out an ‘oh’. “Yeah, didn’t you?” Dust asked as she looked around and noticed no signs of the bird anymore. Nightshade shook his head causing Dust to tilt her head and ask “How?”. “Sleeping” Nightshade answered only to flinch back as Dust barked out a laugh. “How did you sleep through that thing’s awful noises? I felt like my ears were bleeding!” Nightshade’s fact soured at his sister’s words but he just stuck his tongue at her causing her to do the same.

“I’m just happy you two are alright” Fern spoke with the four adult nicheling grouped together, though constant glances were thrown the pups way as nerves bit at all of them. “As soon as I heard the screech I pulled Dust close to me so the bird would reconsider” Mulch said as he looked at Dust for a few moments before returning his attention to the conversation once more. “Good thinking, those things don’t hesitate if a pup is left alone for even a moment” Bandit scanned the skies for a sign of the bird in unease at the idea of it returning.

Silver tuned out of the conversation as he mindlessly stared at the clouds drifting by. He was terrified of the pups getting hurt at the moment but now that there wasn’t even a hint of the bird’s presence he felt as if he could rest easy. His mind drifted from the current moment into other thoughts as he considered how he felt about this whole kingdom thing.

He was originally a wandering healer who helped those he came across on his travels but then a nicheling came to see him. This nicheling, who turned out to be the ruling queen of the Kingdom of the Woods, offered him a place in the kingdom where he would be protected and well fed if he offered them his healing skills. He only accepted because the stability sounded nice but he intended on heading out on his lonesome at a later point. At least…until he met a certain nicheling.

“Silver” The voice of Mulch cut through his thoughts and he flinched back at being suddenly snapped into the present. “Oh uh, what is it?” Silver stumbled a bit over his words as he regained his bearings. “You seemed a bit…zoned out” Mulch spoke as he waved his paw. “Yeah, I kinda was, sorry” Silver said with a nervous laugh as he realized it had been obvious. “We were asking if there was any herbs to try and dissuade birds” Bandit filled in the blanks. “Not really? Herbs aren’t really good for dissuading birds considering how high up they usually fly” Silver shook his head. “Well it was worth a shot” Bandit replied as she scanned the skies once more.

“We should go back home, Dust is getting cranky” Fern said as she pointed out the pup, who was currently grumbling at her brother to ‘let her sleep in peace’. “You’re right, have fun getting Nightshade to sleep” Silver gave an amused grin and Fern sighed as she realized that it would be a pain considering he just slept. “Thanks” Fern said with sarcasm dripping from her voice as she went over and grabbed Nightshade by the scruff while Mulch grabbed the much more fussy Dust by the scruff. The group turned around and walked back towards their current spot.
 

[CosmicChaos21]

I've had this stuff written for a few days now but I kept forgetting to upload it-

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Nightshade huffed as his mom went on and on about how to be a ‘proper’ and ‘composed’ Royal, did he really have to listen to all this stuff he had no interest in? His annoyed thoughts were cut off by his mom’s voice.

“Nightshade, are you even listening?” Fern asked as she looked at her pup with the hope that the bored expression he wore wasn’t reflecting his true feelings. “No” Nightshade’s voice held obvious irritation as he let out another huff to really show his disinterest in the topic. “I know it isn’t fun and games but if you’re going to rule you need to know this stuff” Fern said feeling a pang of sympathy as she could only imagine how boring this would sound to a pup.

“But Dust wants to rule” Nightshade argued as he remembered how his sister would excitedly speak of being the leader of the kingdom. She WANTS to rule so he didn’t understand why his mom wasn’t giving Dust these lessons. Fern hesitated as she thought of the best way to explain it. “Dust does have the drive, but she can also be quite…argumentive, which isn’t the best trait for a ruler of a kingdom to have” She eventually settled on but Nightshade just shook his head.

“That means she’ll fight for the kingdom and be a hero” Nightshade couldn’t see how that was a bad thing considering protecting the kingdom is supposed to be extremely important. Fern rubbed her head with her paw as she tried to figure out an easy to understand explanation. “But it’d be bad if she argued with her own subjects and made them angry with her wouldn’t it?” Nightshade scrunched up his face but slightly nodded at that explanation. “And I know you’d be more cooperative with others” Fern said with a smile but Nightshade huffed again.

“I don’t wanna” Nightshade squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head at the idea of ruling a whole kingdom. “I know it’s going to be hard to get used to but you have to give it a try” Fern encouraged as she put a paw on his shoulder, which he shrugged off and shrunk into himself. “I’ll help you whenever you need me to” Those words made Nightshade at least crack an eye open to look at his mom which she took as a positive sign.

“You don’t have to worry about making the big choices for a long time yet, for now why don’t we just work on something small like your posture alright?” Fern was relieved when her son rose back to his normal height and nodded.

“So first you’ll want to stand as tall as you can on four legs” Fern demonstrated as she stood to her full height. Nightshade stayed on four legs but stood on his toes to look even taller, making him wobble a little. “No no, you still stand on your entire paw” Fern fought to bite down laughter as she showed her son how to stand tall while staying on his paw-pads. Nightshade lowered himself so he was standing on his whole paws instead.

“Good, now you want to get rid of those low ears” Nightshade stared in confusion at that sentence. “I need those” He said making Fern snort before clearing her throat to clarify. “Sorry, I meant you need to raise your ears up” She demonstrated by raising her own ears up. Nightshade made his ears go straight up. “Not that high, it makes you look alert but it can come across as nervous, lower them just a bit” Fern specified as she realized she hadn’t. Nightshade slightly lowered his ears earning a beaming smile from his mom. “Perfect!” Nightshade gave a bashful smile at the praise.

“That’s all for today, we’ll practice more after you sleep” Fern said with a smile before noticing Nightshade was still holding the position. “You can relax now” Nightshade instantly went back to his usual posture. “That’s hard” Nightshade said with a yawn. “It can be, but you get more used to it with time” Fern said as she gently rubbed her face against her pup’s with a smile. “Now why don’t we get you off to bed” Fern said as she guided Nightshade back home.

 

 

“Well we don’t have to worry about not having a supply of thorny vines” Bandit said with a grumble as she aggressively pulled up another thorn vine. She hissed in pain as her rash behavior caused a thorn to catch her skin and slice a cut across her right paw. Silver rushed over and used his right paw to gently grab her’s before inspecting it. “I’ll grab some herbs, stay right here” He said, darting off before she could get a word in.

He quickly returned with two things including a small bundle of moss which he grabbed with his left paw as he approached Bandit. He used his right paw to hold her paw in place as he gently pressed the moss against her cut. Bandit was still processing everything that was going on so she didn’t move a muscle as Silver chewed a healing flower fruit before applying the paste to the cut.

It was only after making sure the cut was alright that he realized how close he had gotten to Bandit making him freeze before letting go of Bandit’s paw and stumbling back. “A-anyways it should be fine as long as you’re careful and don’t wash off the paste too early” Silver launched into herb talk to not acknowledge the situation he just created.

Bandit’s first instinct was to push down the feelings she was currently having but decided that she may as well see how this goes. “Well I actually have a question to ask” Silver nodded his head in a ‘go on’ motion giving Bandit the confidence to continue “I always wanted to have a mate but no one has ever really caught my eye” Bandit continued as Silver’s eyes widened “but you have, you seem very caring and even try snapping me out of my spiraling thoughts when I try to be responsible for everything” Bandit felt her fur burn with embarrassment as she prepared to actually ask the question. “Well I wanted to know if you’d like to…if you’d like to be my mate” Silver’s mind felt like it froze and fried at once as he felt his fur burn with feelings. “If you don’t want to that’s fine, I would never assume-” Bandit didn’t get to finish her sentence as Silver found his words again “YES!” The volume shocked Bandit and Silver in equal measure  but Bandit’s tenseness left her body at the acceptance.

“Well I guess that means I don’t have to worry” Bandit said with a small smile. “So we’re mates now?” Silver asked just to make sure as his mind wondered if he was reading this wrong somehow. “Yes” Bandit walked over to Silver and pressed her forehead against his “we’re mates now” she confirmed making Silver beam.

 

 

Bandit and Silver wanted being mates to be secret for some time but when Bandit’s stomach started growing it was obvious hiding it would be impossible. The two were surprised but happy with the idea of having pups as the two both wanted them anyways though they did hope to be decent parents.

“I can’t say I’m too surprised” Fern gave an teasing grin after hearing the news, both of them being mates and Bandit being pregnant “you two even spent a lot of time bonding on the journey to our new home here” she couldn’t stop a laugh from bubbling out as she saw the shocked faces of her Healer and Captain. “Did you two think you were sneaky about your feelings? You weren’t” Fern shot down the idea of there being any subtlety there as she was honestly just waiting for one of them to confess.

“Congratulations though, being a parent is exhausting but it can be rewarding at times” Fern said honestly as that was her experience with her and Mulch raising the twins. “Thank you, have any tips?” Silver asked hoping Fern’s experience would be helpful. “Unfortunately no” Fern shot that down quickly before realizing it might’ve come off as harsh “I’ve just been winging it so there’s no real strategy to it other than listen to your pups even if it seems silly” she said as that was the only real ‘method’ she’s picked up at this point. “Well at least it’s something” Bandit said with a breath.

“As much as I’d love to spend all my time talking about the unborn pups I should probably help Mulch considering he looks like he’s losing to our pups” Fern’s words brought the new mates attention to the other Royal who was trying to dislodge Dust who had attached herself to her dad’s back while Nightshade laughed at the scene before climbing up as well. Silver couldn’t suppress a snort as he saw the struggling Mulch trying and failing to wrangle his own pups. “Well you should probably attend to that then” Bandit agreed with her mouth twitching in amusement at what she was witnessing. Fern nodded before walking over to help her mate calm their rowdy pups.
 

 

Time seemed to fly and before anyone was ready it was time for Bandit and Silver’s pups to be born. Silver worked hard to bite down his fears as he did everything he could to make sure his mate survived unscathed. While he was thankful to see her survive he was concerned by the weakness she presented after the birth, going beyond regular exhaustion. But with her insistence he checked the pups health first.

“They’re both healthy as can be” Silver said making his mate let out a sigh of relief at the news. “Good thing we already had names picked huh?” Silver said mostly to himself as he hadn’t allowed any other nichelings in the den yet “Considering this one is already wiggling around more I think Outlaw would work best don’t you?” He wanted to make sure Bandit approved, which she gave with a nod, before going on to the pup with fur that more closely matched Bandit. “And so you’ll be Alloy” Silver said as he smiled at the two pups before his smile fell at a wince from Bandit.

“Are you alright? Maybe you should rest…or maybe not?” Silver considered as he feared his mate falling asleep and never waking again. “I’m fine Silver, probably just from the birth” Bandit felt no concern, she had heard of how exhausting the process could be and while this was more tiring than she thought possible she was sure it would heal in time. “...If you say so, get some rest than” Silver was terrified but keeping her up when she may need rest could be just as deadly so he ignored his thoughts swirling with unease. “You better not overwork yourself either” Bandit scolded though the exhaustion in her tone made it less threatening than it usually would be. “...Love you, get some rest” Bandit sighed at the lack of confirmation but returned the gesture “Love you too” she said before laying her head down and quickly drifting off to sleep.

Silver watched his newborn pups squirm and looked at his mate’s peaceful face before turning his head at the sound of a twig snapping. Dust gave a sheepish smile as Fern appeared behind her, the older nicheling mouthed an apology before grabbing her pup and taking her away from the entrance of the medicine den. It made him feel better as he wondered if his and Bandit’s pups would be as rowdy as those two’s are, he hoped not.