Viserion had been the first to ask; ever inquisitive and curious about the world that slowly began to expand before his minute paws. The question had come late one night, when his brothers and sister slept and Jericho had been off patrolling the fringe of the clearing that stretched out from my den sight. Though he bore the voice of a child, the wisdom in his young eyes had simply rested upon me for a moment before he had asked, “Who is our father?” It had never been my intention to keep the story of their lineage from my progeny; I had only been waiting for the right time to enlighten them. They were still so young, barely having roamed from the den in these first few weeks of their lives. My own exhaustion was partly to blame for their lack of wandering thus far, the toll of a strenuous birthing. But Taliesin and Jericho had been there for me every step of the way, hunting for me and tending to pack business as I could not. It had not gone unnoticed, the often times questioning look in the boys’ eyes when they looked upon Jericho. He was an ever present companion in my life these days, one I would never give up. Having him in my life had been an unexpected joy that I had not realized how greatly I needed until he was here. Of course they had Uncle Taliesin, but that was not a title I wished for them to associate with Jericho. He was something else entirely, to which I could give no label. And so he was simply Jericho, Jer, sometimes Rhaegal even teased the name Jerry into play.

That night I had given Viserion that one tidbit, a reward for his curiosity and want of knowledge about himself. “Leonidas,” I told him, and then caressed him just behind his right ear with a few soft licks, soothing his inquisitive mind and allowing him to rest. Another day I would tell him more. Another day I would enlighten all four of my children to the bold lineage they bore within their blood.

Every day they grew more restless, testing not only me but Jericho as they tried to make mad dashes further away from the den than they knew they were permitted to go. Soon I would no longer be able to deny them their want for adventure. Perhaps tomorrow I would awaken fully rejuvenated, ready to take on the world with four rambunctious whelps in tow. Today however called for rest, and I lounged easily within my den. Kalseru was curled up napping at my side, while Rhaegal and Drogon wrestled with Viserion’s keen eye looking for the perfect vantage point to insert himself into the tussle. A single ear tilted towards the den entrance where Jericho lounged protectively just out of sight. It was only when I heard him shift and rise that my head turned towards the cave’s mouth, both ears pressing forward, wondering if he was just off to hunt again, but suddenly knowing it was something else. My heart leapt as a familiar feeling rose in my chest, hardly believing I had not realized it sooner. I glanced back at the children with a huge smile, and of course Viserion was the first to notice, his tail giving a single wag as his head cocked slightly to side. I winked at him before quietly rising to my feet even as I heard Meryl’s voice ring out in search of me.

Jericho’s words reached me just as I emerged from the den, and I rubbed my side fondly against his in our usual greeting. Ever since that first day we had met, there had been almost no boundary to our friendship, for in his warmth I found a comfort I had never known I needed. While I cared deeply for him, the male who stood just beyond him had captured my very soul, and he was my most treasured friend. Perhaps this visit was exactly what I had needed, for the excitement of greeting my imprint gave me newfound strength. Of course he would be the one to put the finishing touches on my healing, even if he had brought to salve or balm to do so. In one fluid motion bodice ran alongside Jericho’s and then I stepped forward to press my nose into the cheek of Meryl.

Drawing back I looked him over, glad to see that the wounds he had born when last we had met were properly healed. “How are you? Has Yin faired well? What of your children; I wish to know everything, Meryl.” Of course I had felt the boundless joy in his heart only weeks prior to my litter’s birth. I stepped back and glanced at Jericho, an ear tilting back towards the den, knowing it would be mere moments before my young dragons burst forth to investigate the goings on beyond their doorstep. Eyes returning to Meryl, I waited eagerly for tidings of how his life in Diveen was going.