I was, in fact, pleased to be left in the company of my youngest daughter this day. Normally I would be somewhat hesitant in the knowledge that I was to be charged with the care of a pup, after all, babysitting really isn’t my thing, Zeivah and I never quite seeing eye to eye on what I believed to be ‘safe and appropriate’ play and she deemed ‘dangerous and destructive’. Honestly, was it truly my fault if I believed a rack of antlers was safe for a child to play with? I was never given any playthings as a child, never even truly encouraged to play so how is it my fault for trying? Besides, as far as I was concerned the antlers were not only fun, they had been educational, the children learning quickly not to bite the damn pointy ends. Zeivah didn’t know what she was talking about….then again, maybe she was all the wiser for keeping the pups with her when they were young. Perhaps it was Cat Eye who was the fool for giving me charge of our daughter for an entire day. Like I said before though, I am pleased, it’s about time someone set the girl straight on the matters of life. Of course, I trust Cat to have taught her the basics, but lets be honest, she was never a very…normal wolf, my imprint and I have no doubt she will have made some attempts to diminish Oswin’s opportunities to learn about her angelic heritage and blood rights. Fortunately, I exist for that purpose. To fill my darling daughter in all that her Mother has surely deprived her off.

Such thoughts had only managed to place themselves within my mind for the barest of moments before the girl in question came barrelling towards me as I lay in the shade of the cliffs of Diveen, the black and white child launching herself with outrageous energy at my shoulders, teeth and tongue aiming to assault the perfection of my features with her attempts at affection as I chuckled, jaws parting to playfully grasp at her own before I rolled in flamboyant style, one limb reaching up to lazily grasp the girl and pull her against myself and down and onto my chest, effectively tumbling her atop myself and into a playful heap. I nuzzled at her once more, playfully, gently, aiming to roll her black and white form back into the dirt as I moved to sit up, stretching, before lifting to my feet, violet gaze drawing from her own to look towards the autumn leaves as they fell, even now, from the trees that dotted the landscape of the golden plains of my pack land. Oswin darted about my limbs, attempting to grasp the leaves in question as I gave a gentle roll of my eyes at her childish exuberance. Honestly, did they ever stop? I had forgotten how entirely…excitable children were. Perhaps there is a reason we stop having them after a certain age, or females do any way, then again I had missed this. I had missed it desperately. I wasn’t done being a Father, I needed to be needed and some part of myself couldn’t help but allow a grin to dance across my features as her questions and energy. Maybe Isola and Azrael and Calista and Ally and all the others didn’t need me anymore, hell, maybe even the assassin were beginning to see Malina as there new leader, as they should, but I…..I still needed someone to need me and I had that within Oswin. I regret nothing that brought her to life, nothing at all and though never will I ever admit it I believe I owe Cat Eye a debt of sorts, for giving me this daughter, a child born of the soul.

“Sic amica video foliis et sic spectant simillimus matris tuae quamvis personaliter puto oculi tui oculos multo melior, nemo?”
(Yes darling, I see the leaves and yes they look very much like your Mother's eyes though personally I think your eyes are much nicer, no?)

I spoke in the ancient tongue, the words I had insisted Oswin learn, much to Cat’s disdain I am sure. Half-Angel or not it didn’t matter to me, no child of my blood would be denied such heritage, the right to learn words as ancient and old as time and allow her to converse with her half siblings in fluency. Cat could deal. The girl would be fluent if I had anything to do with it, her sweet little voice already forming the words so well. My lips pulled into a pleased smirk as I sat, content to watch over her as she played amongst the leaves before it seemed another thought had captured her mind. I felt both eyes lift in surprise, her violet gaze seeking my own.

“A moose?”

I asked, somewhat perplexed as to why, out of every creature she could have chosen she had come to the decision that a moose was clearly the obvious choice for her ambition and truly, while I admire her….energy and evident enthusiasm I am not entirely sure a moose is the best beginning prey- even for a mighty warrior such as myself. I scowled mildly at her repetition of her Mother’s words, the girl clearly having misunderstood the sarcasm with which I am entirely sure such a comment had been given by the black vixen. What would she know anyway? I could catch a damn moose, well, maybe not entirely on my own. I snorted, tail flicking before I allowed my lips to fall into a grin once more, looking down at my perfect child, chuckling softly as I regarded her. How the hell was I going to get out of moose hunting? Surely she’s not old enough to know much about prey and seasons, we shall see….

“Unfortunately, little angel, this is not the season for moose. I am afraid there will not be any about for us to catch, but I agree, if your Mother wants you to learn to hunt as she so clearly does then I think you should. Come, we shall find something….marvellous for you to hunt and take back to Mama as a present, how does that sound? Would you like that?”

Two can play at this game, Cat Eye, darling.