[ P ] Little Wishes [Bonding Thread]

**Bonding Thread**

T

he morning was warm and inviting, as spring seemed to be passing by as swiftly as a gust of wind. His youngest children, three beautiful daughters, were only a few weeks only now. They had only recently opened their brilliant eyes, and already, the girls were becoming curious of the outside world beyond their cozy nest. The pups were still too young to wander far from their den, as they were just starting to toddle around. Watching his girls wobbling as they walked, so unsteady and adorable beyond words, brought Cian immense joy.


And today, with Mama Clover’s permission, Cian was going to introduce them to just part of the great big world they had arrived into.


Of course, the world of Rionnach was a little less great and a lot less big since the threat of war had crept into the ember man’s consciousness, but in the Highlands, they had been safe thus far. There was no word of any Royalists coming this far north. For now, Cian allowed himself to enjoy these family moments. He would not allow them to tarnish his own world.


The large brute was trying daily to make memories of everything – how different each of their little cries and yelps sounded different. The softness of their fur, their itty bitty ears and fuzzy paws. Already, their little personalities were beginning to blossom. And just like their older siblings, they seemed destined to be adventurous little wolves.


The little girls were eager to follow their father, who did not lead them very far, for Cian didn’t need to. The pups stumbled and giggled over the worn path. It took a little while for the pups to make their way over, but they finally reached their intended destination: a patch of dandelions growing in the morning sunshine.


”Now, my little wishes, these here are called dandelions. See the pretty yellow flowers? These ones are very important, especially for Mamas,” he shared with his girls, though he did not elaborate any further. He continued, using an enormous paw to gesture toward the other sort of dandelions: ”When they have the big, fluffy, white clouds sprouting out on the ends like this, that’s when they’re very important for all the rest of us.” He lowered to his belly to be closer to his daughters’ line of vision, but even then, he was quite enormous compared with his babies.


”These ones, you see, are just what a wolf needs to make a proper wish.” After earning a puzzled look from a couple of his daughters, Cian continued. ”Yes, all you have to do is blow that little cloud away with your breath. First, you find just the right dandelion. Then, you make a wish. Then you gotta give a big puff of breath, like this.” Her pursed his lips and blew his breath to send the little white bits flying in every direction. ”Alright. Who wants to try?”


The pups were not shy in their approach, and soon, they were attempting to blow some wishes of her own. Still being so little, there was little success. Before they gave up, Cian inhaled a deep breath into his lungs and released it in one breath. Every dandelion surrounding him and the pups offering up all their seeds, and the white "cloud" dispersed like confetti, causing the girls to giggle as it swirled around them in the breeze.

He announced with a big smile, "Perfect! Now all of our wishes will come true. Good job, little loves."

art and code by Yahtzee-Penguiduck