The shuffling of tiny paws across dirt is what awoke the queen. Giving her eyes time to adjust to the gloomy darkness of the den, the she-wolf soon focused on her three pups that were trying to wrestle nearby. Her gaze switched to past the tiny bundles, to where Zina, the second queen, was dozing comfortably, her sides rising and falling in rhythm. All seemed quiet, though there were voices coming from outside; the pack was still awake, enjoying the last bits of the meal they had hunted down. The female had already gotten her fill and had retired to the den when she heard her pups crying out for her. Her eyes fell back onto her pups. 

She had three of them; Mira, whose fur was a light grey with thin stripes of black running across her back. Her face was lighter, almost a creme color, the color around her eyes a faded white, also running down her muzzle. Her marking would most likely fade out into one color when she got older. Then there was Renzo, his coat looking like that of a raven. His fur was the thickest of his siblings. Her third pup, Shikoba, was the most unique to her. His fur was an auburn, almost like that of a fox, but a bit more saturated. The queen did not know exactly why his color had come out like that, but she was not going to argue with it, because it looked healthy and clean, just like her other pups. 

However, despite their playing, she knew that it was soon time to go back to sleep. Zina's only pup, Kilment, was already an apprentice-in-training, given to her son of all wolves to train. However, instead of joining back into pack life, Zina had chosen to stay in the queen's den to watch over the pups. She was a very good mother and Nasira was thankful for the extra pair of eyes. Trouble seemed to be brewing on the horizon and anytime she ventured too far away from the den, she felt a chill run down her spine, causing her to rush back to her pups. 

"Come now pups, it's time to settle down," Nasira told the excited bundles of fur, who were still trying to wrestle. It looked like Mira was actually winning, though Shikoba seemed to be getting the upper-paw at times. Renzo was more laid-back, deciding to break up the little battles whenever they got too rough. 

All three gave whines of protest. They were still learning their speech and would rather use sounds than words, but Nasira and Zina were teaching them well and they were all quick learners, as pups mostly were. "But mommy, we're not sleepy," Mira exclaimed. 

"There will be time to play tomorrow, I promise," Nasira murmured, her voice soft as she shifted herself upwards, bending down to pick up Renzo by the scruff. He didn't protest, letting Nasira put him back into the soft bedding, which was made of feathers and moss. Shikoba was next and he put up quite a little fight, trying to wiggle his way out of her grip but she held on firmly and placed him next to his brother. Mira simply padded over, half-stumbling with her small legs. 

"Good pups," Nasira settled back down, giving each one a lick on the head as they tried to get comfortable. 

"It's cold," Shikoba grumbled, the siblings huddling close against each other. 

"It is winter, my son," Nasira responded. She too felt the chill of the night. Luckily, there was no wind, or else it would be colder. The den was warm enough, keeping them protected from the worst of the weather outside. "Huddle in close to keep warm." 

There was silence for a few moments and in the darkness, Nasira assumed the pups were finally asleep until Mira spoke up again. "Can you sing to us?" 

This time, there was no argument amongst the brothers as they all looked up at their mother expectingly. Nasira would often sing her pups to sleep, and if Zina were awake, she would join in, using songs they learned from their own family back in the day when they were small. "Alright, young ones. But we can't wake Zina, so it'll be quick." 

Clearing her throat, Nasira pondered on what song she should use this time. Usually, it was the same tune over and over that the pups would fall asleep too. Since they did not personally know the names of the songs used, they couldn't suggest at which one they want to hear, so Nasira would have to think up something. In this case, she knew which one and waited for her pups to settle down once more before she began to sing, her voice quiet, but still audible. 

"Lay down your head and I'll sing you a lullaby
Back to the days of loo-li lai-lay
And I'll sing you to sleep and I'll sing you tomorrow
Bless you with love for the path that you go"

Unknown to Nasira, Zina was actually awake, a soft smile upon her face as she listened to Nasira's soft voice echo through the den. 

"May you bring love and may you bring happiness