"Nothing, Mater," She called back. Firm jaws grasped her neck, and Serafina grumbled and rolled her eyes. "It's just a beetle, Mater." Mater laughed gently, her chuckles somewhat difficult to hear, muffled in Serafina's scruff. She placed her down between her paws, and began to groom her daughter.
"Mater!" Serafina complained, craning her neck around. "I'm clean!"
"No, you are positively filthy! Did you roll in the mud, again, Serafina?" Her voice was stern- if you believe adoring could be stern. Suddenly, with a loud chirrup, a little avis- it's plumage cherry red- fluttered down. It bowed, swinging one wing under it's tiny body and flinging the other out.
"Hello, young one." It chirped to Serafina. Serafina stared, amazed.
"Hello, Avix." Mater replied, her gaze warm.
"News from the King, m'lady. He would like a meeting of the Tribes in a fortnight from the morrow," All Avis' had a tendency to speak in olden terms, so it took a moment for Mater to understand.
"I'll tell the Commander, then, Avix," Avix chirped a good day, bowed again, and fluttered off.
"Are all avix red, Mater?" Serafina asked.
"Avix isn't a species, darling, it's his name. He's an Avis. But no, some are red, others are blue, or purple or pink or green... the rarest is yellow." Mater explained. "They all have the same pattern, though." Her gaze softened as she looked in Serafina's yellow eyes. Mater situated Serafina and began to clean her again. Serafina grumbled but was silent, thinking over Avix's visit.
"Mater?"
"Yes, Serria?" -Serria was Serafina's nickname.
"Can I go, too?"
"No, dearest. The Tribe Meetings won't let in cubs. Besides, you have lessons two weeks. Just settle down and be quiet. Soon, don't worry, you'll be in a meeting." I just hope you aren't aware of who you really are, by then. Mater thought, her brow furrowing. You've still got time to be a cub, and if you aren't, who knows what will happen...
---
Hehehehe.... who is Serafina, really? >:)
*By the way, Mater isn't pronoucned "May-ter," but "Maa-ter." (Like "mother", but with an "a".)
*---
[c]Lineart to owner
[c]Story to me
[c]Avis (the species, not the name), Avix, etc, to me
