It still felt strange at times, to have not just herself to look out for anymore. With her husband it had all come so naturally. But she found that motherhood didn't come quite as easily for her. More often than not, she still found herself questioning if she was just...imagining things. Until she felt the little paws and noses against her whenever they came to her. Still, she hardly left their side in this first month. Even snarled at anyone daring to walk too closely to the den. So perhaps some aspects of motherhood came naturally after all.

But the first month had passed so quickly and at times the exiled queen struggled to believe that those tiny little creatures had grown so swiftly. From crawling around on fluffy bellies, they'd gone to stumbling about on unsteady paws in what felt like the blink of an eye. And soon enough, she felt it was time they ventured beyond the protection of their den.

Even now she could still feel when bright day gave way to the soothing darkness of the night. It was then that she slowly moved from the comfortable furs that served as their nest and sat by the entrance of their den. With a soft rumbling chuff, the shadow cloaked viper called for both of her children, tail flicking as she waited to see who would arrive first.

@Artem @Roisin

A face that hides a secret

Dark lying mirror

code by corvus

i am a master
of a nothing place
of recoil and grace

he wakes to the sound of his mother's voice.

eyelashes flutter above crimson eyes the color of blooded oceans; the floral dew of memories and distant dreams, still clutching against his angular cheekbones like ephemeral mist. she's calling him - @Syanna - and artem begins to stir. nestled against @Roisin's soft, moon-touched body, the dark cub did not want to leave the warmth of his sister, the furs, nor the heat of the den. but his mother's voice pulls him from his reverie, and boldly, he stands upon the disheveled surface of furs and smoky earth. he moves over roisin's form, but not without giving her forehead a nudging little kiss.

dusk heralds new scents; the autumnal scent of black earth and sweet decay. the world feels strange to little artem. he is not in the comfort of his mother's womb, anymore, nestled against the visceral heartbeat of his beloved sister, roisin. no, when he leaves the softness of his mother's body, the universe feels more like a gaping maw. one filled with different fragrances, violent thoughts and a kaleidoscope of color. it blossoms all around him like a rose. a vibrant rose, full of blood and magic.

but there is light at the opening mouth of the den. a soft, glowing light, one filled with mother's voice. eeriely, suspiciously, artem sticks out his bearish skull and peeks out at the world around him.

his mother is there, and her beautiful face almost seems to glow against the tender hush of dusky lights. wordlessly, artem takes a few steps forward. the earth feels soft beneath his paws. the autumnal breeze feels like hymnal whispers, almost as sweet and melodious as mother's comforting voice. he moves towards syanna, slowly, lowering his head as he curious sniffs the ground. finally, when he feels safe, he brushes his head affectionately against her forelegs. he stays quietly beneath her, finding strength against syanna's toned, viperine body.

blood dripping from my fangs
maybe they will see me as I am

It is unsurprising that @Artem would be the first of the children to rise. Roisin laid comfortably among the soft, plush furs that @Syanna had lined their den with. It was easier to allow sleep to withhold her from the outside world; a world that felt entirely too bright and over-saturated in comparison to the dark womb that she had shared with her only sibling. It had been warm there, caressing, nurturing. Now, everything felt overwhelming. The sights and smells that assaulted her from every angle. At the moment her little nose could only smell the scent of mildew, delicately pointed ears listening to the repetitive dripping of water off the near yet distant stalagmites. Reluctantly lids would peel back to reveal strikingly irritated silver eyes. Those eyes dart around the den, searching for her sibling and feeling vacant without him near her. She rose, not because she wanted to, but because she felt tethered to the boy. One might even assume they were meant to be twins with how heavily intertwined they were with one another. And perhaps they were, perhaps they had that psychological twin connection that only she and Artem could understand. If she cared about emotions and warm and fuzzy feelings, she might have even felt sorry for her brother. Sorry that he would have to deal with the likes of her, would have to taste the disdain that echoed off of her in supersonic waves.

Another day. Another day she would care, but she knew she would not. Artem could never hate her, he would never feel anything but love and admiration for her. She was perfect, she was a divine gift from their familial Goddess. And he, he was to be her sword. Delicate paws traipse the minx closer to the mouth of their den. A big hungry crevice that beckoned her forwards in the darkness. It didn't take long at all for eyes to adjust and when they did, she stepped out into the opening. Again, the sounds would assault her first. Dripping stalagmites, voices echoing down the halls, rats claws skittering across the stone face as they ran. But the scent of her brother and scent of her mother prodded her forwards. She finds them not far ahead, Artem sniffing curiously at the ground before weaving between their mother's front legs. She too would follow, sending a little nibble toward Artem's right flank before she would squeeze in beside him beneath Syanna. Pointed ears preen forward, her gaze shifting then to lock eyes with Artem. What now? She mentally assessed, watching her brother with a hawk's gaze, meanwhile her ears could hear the slight inhale and exhale that her mother exerted from above.

table by ryuu

Silent after her call, the shadow waited. Melded into the darkness of their home until only the brilliant sapphire gleam of her eyes was visible. Who would come first? Would it be her moonlit flower or her shadow? Vibrant gaze softened when the movement of little paws announced the first arrival, drawn from comforting warmth, and pointed ears preened forward. Dark lips lifted in a softened smile.

Soon enough, the sound of those tiny steps proved to be her son. Ever watchful, she followed his every move as he so curiously inspected the ground. Soft, safe. Ears twitched towards every sound, fur raising on the back of her neck. No one would dare to come near her children without going through her. They would have their time to explore in the darkness, learn to navigate the shadows under the comforts of the quiet nights, away from the chaos of the days. Lowering her head, she softly brushed her muzzle between his ears. He'd grown so much already and she felt nothing but pride. Well, she did also feel concern. Concern for the chaos of Amaryllis waiting outside where she didn't want them to go just yet. Not with all that was happening.

Thoughts were silenced at the arrival of her eldest and she too was greeted with the same silent gesture of affection. She treasured them more than she'd dare to admit to anyone. Gifts from the Mother. They hadn't been born as royalty of any of the prides of these lands, but that didn't change that they carried the royal blood of both of their parents. And so, to her they would always be just that. "Mo laoch beag oidhche," the viper said quietly as her nose touched @Artem's head. My little night warrior. With a soft rumble her nose then softly touched @Roisin. "Mo ghealaich ròs." My moonlit rose. "An-diugh, tha sinn a 'rannsachadh," she declared. Today, we explore. Gently, she nudged them before rising to her paws, every bit the graceful queen she was always meant to be. "Is e na faileasan do charaid. A 'faireachdainn an glacadh aca. A 'faireachdainn gluasad na talmhainn fo do chasan."The shadows are your friends. Feel their embrace. Feel the shifting of the earth beneath you. Quietly spoken words from their shadow cloaked mother as their first lesson to walk in the shadows.

A face that hides a secret

Dark lying mirror

code by corvus

i am a master
of a nothing place
of recoil and grace

artem's tail swings behind him like a steady metronome, his curiosity piqued, sharpening to narrowed slits as crimson irises greedily take in the surroundings of the desolate caverns and the outside world, beyond. thick shadows swirl against his delicate, storm-cursed frame; descending down his lithe form, as mother's physique moves with a silky elegance up above him. he leans into her warmth, into her strength, finding comfort in the heat of her tender, maternal touch. his dark, lightning-touched fur blends seamlessly with @Syanna's midnight blues, and for a moment, he appeared to blend against her. truly, mother's shadow.

he feels his mother's caressive touch, first, the gentle nudging of her damp nose ruffling the silken fibers of his skull, before the rosy and delicate fragrance of @Roisin bleeds into his subconscious, and artem turns around to give his sister another kiss along her cheek. he nuzzles her, fervently, brushing affectionately against his sister with a silent purr. for roisin, he would only have adoration, he would only have love. they would share a tense connection, a bond as strong as steel, a spiritual connection as timeless and ancient as the sun and moon, itself.

although roisin might have been the oldest, artem, although still a cub, would be tall for his age, striding upon bearish, lanky paws as he listens to mother's words and follows her, but not without urging his sister to follow, too. he's still a cautious creature, little artem, curious of his surroundings, despite his mother's protective form looming before them. this is all new to him, and eagerly, he drinks what the universe has to offer.

blooded irises peer against the soft darkness, a calculative stare, even for such a young cub as artem. here, he is silent, his purring nature fading into one of predatory attentiveness. he follows closely behind syanna's heel, eager to taste his first sense of adventure. perhaps, after all that adventure, he would have some fun playtime with both his mother and sister.

blood dripping from my fangs
maybe they will see me as I am

"My little night warrior. My moonlit rose. Today, we explore. The shadows are your friends. Feel their embrace. Feel the shifting of the earth beneath you." Roisin inclines her tiny cranium upward, the tips of her pointed ears feeling the vibrations of @Syanna's chest as she speaks to them. Despite herself, she leans into @Artem's kiss upon her cheek, relishing the affection from her brother. For now. For now, she allows them this moment, hidden within the safety of their mother's undercarriage. But those piercing silver eyes glance outward, watching the shadow's that their mother spoke of. Being that she was the eldest, she took it upon herself to step out, away from the hidden safety of their mother's shadow.

Her gaze sweeps around their surroundings, pointed ears still listening to the ever-repetitive sound of water dripping from stalagmites. Her nose wrinkles slightly at the smell of the moisture and earth, but she wiggles her toes as she feels the cave floor beneath her. She would turn to glance at her mother expectantly, her gaze then shifting to Artem as she motioned for him to join her with a swish of her tail. Again, she'd pause before she would take a few steps deeper into the caverns of darkness. Darkness that she should have been afraid of but instead, leaned into as if they were an old friend. "Erre." This way. Her little voice would offer as she begins to take confident steps further into the obsidian.

table by ryuu

A shadow among shadow, she blended so easily into the darkness she spoke of. With practiced ease, she shifted to allow them to see the motion of her fluffy tail, beckoning them closer. Yet she let them take charge, content to observe and guide as needed. Hers, and hers alone for the day. So much the same, yet so different. Two sides of the same coin, light and dark in an unending dance. But what a graceful dance it was.

Pride swelled in her chest as she watched her daughter lead the way. Her heiress, her little princess. So delicate but with undeniable strength. Others would underestimate her, that she was sure of. And none would be prepared for them in the future. That much she was sure of. When @Roisin spoke, her gaze softened ever so slightly. "Stiùir an t-slighe, mo sgàile beag." Lead the way, my little shadow. Softly purred words as she stepped forward to brush her muzzle against the soft fluffy of her daughter's head.

Though she turned her gaze towards @Artem not long after. Her little prince, her little night warrior. He too would be a force. Shifting ever so slightly, soft shadow fur brushed encouragingly against her son's form before once again she seemed to fade into the darkness. Brilliant sapphires shone where they knew her head to be, beacons to still find her as they learned the ways of the shadows, as they were welcomed by the embrace of shadow and earth.

A face that hides a secret

Dark lying mirror

code by corvus

i am a master
of a nothing place
of recoil and grace

a monochromatic haven, where whispers are soft and dreams are forbidden - here, there is no saturations of light, no adamant touches of color, as deep swathes of ebony falls upon their delicate, cub frames. he and @Roisin would be made for this darkness, for the untouchable beauty of moonlight hunting. this was a only a prelude of what future to come, of the many adventures they'd endure together -

with the presence of mother @Syanna prowling powerfully nearby, artem feels bolder, braver, taking curious steps deeper into the darkness. smothering shadows descends upon his form, the lathering tenebrous hues deepening the ivory patterns along his fur, as he moves closer to his sister and nudges her once more. he was bound to roisin, bound to her in spirit and blood. he could imagine no one else by his side, and like a guiding hand, he attempts to steady himself against roisin's hip. once more artem is quiet, even as he feels the earth beneath his paws, as he inhales the stagnant flavours of mould and dust tickle his sensitive nostrils. his whiskers twitches idly, his eyes of crimson surveying the terrain, studying the jagged stalagmites that descended from their watery ceilings.

this was their world, their kingdom,
a kingdom made of shadows and dreams,
a kingdom of moonlight hauntings.