Reaver had been notably absent, though the white banshee and her two little hellions seemed not to even notice. Jaidah notices, she always knows when he is gone, but it is preferable to his always trying to weasel one away to feast upon. They were weak, even she had to fight not to take one, it would be so easy, but mothering instincts prevent her taking. Widow had shown promise, hunting and learning about her surroundings, learning the twisting tunnels of the caves by herself and not truly being a needy pup. Mostly, the young girl kept to herself and busied herself with bloodshed or finding a way to cause it. It was Gehenna that Jaidah and Widow both seemed unable to comprehend, her inability to come when called would one day lead to disaster, but still, Jaidah could not find it to take that opportunity to pounce. Mostly, the three females lived in relative peace, though Jaidah always longed to see her hooded miscreant in the night.

She needed him in more ways than she thought, craved his company and yearned to see him each morning she put her liver colored nose out of the hole in the wall. Some days there would be a fox, coyote, and once he had even brought her a spring pup. These were the things she knew showed his depth of feeling, that he would provide for them, feed them so they could remain strong and grow quickly. But, it never would be enough for the all white snake, and always she would yearn for him personally.

This day finds Jaidah and the girls within their cave, the mother having just returned with her daughters after another attempt to teach the red faced Gehenna to hunt. She could barely catch a mouse, let alone something bigger, and the lack of attention always angered Jaidah. Widow, on the other hand, she took quickly to the lessons, even taking down a young fawn Jaidah had brought back alive. Soon, it would be time to teach the stronger girl of the two to hunt wolf as her parents did. Widow squirms in the strong grip of her mother, trying to get away from the rasping tongue that tore the blood away from her permanently red-stained lips, Jaidah making deep growling purrs in her chest at the pleasure of cleaning her favorite daughter. She allowed Gehenna to sleep, watching the clean mouthed female as she dozed in the back of the little cavern. "What's that sound, Mother?" The small, sharp tones of Widow sound out after the first sign of Reaver, his deep growl reverberating off the walls of the Grotto.

"Your father, dove. He is here, show your strength when I tell you to come. Remember..." Widow interrupts then, reciting what her mother always tells her, "Weakness is for prey," the simple words bring a sparkling smile of pride to the white dragon's face. "Good girl." And bright jade green turns toward the entrance of her den to find the white trunks of Reaver before her eyes. An indescribable joy fills her, and at his demanding snarl, Jaidah rises and gives a responding growling yip. Slowly she moves, building his anticipation for her, those electric pale jade gems finding the darker green of his own, ears attentively forward, though she stops just out of his reach.

A sharp inhale as the wildness of his scent kicks her hormones into gear, a slow show of fang in the fashion of a smile greets him, and the handsome planes of his face are once more seared into her retinas. "Home, now? Stay forever." She speaks plainly, demanding he not leave her again before she comes fully to him. Grace-filled strides eat up the space between his mass and hers, then, she closes the gap completely. Instantly, she collides with his body, her shoulder against his, her fangs down his side as she reaffirms the bond they seem to form between them. It is not a request she places on him, but more of an order, a needy one. She sends rough nips up his throat to his chin, licks to his lips, and she buries her nose into the fur at the base of his ear, letting him know just how much she needed him here, wanted him there with her in all things. Missing any creature was never part of her plan for being in this place, having children had not been either, but these gave her reasons to want more. She wanted to give them more, they needed somewhere safe to hide, somewhere they could not be bothered and could be surrounded by others with the same tastes.

"Someone wants to meet you. She has done well." Jaidah tells him of their daughter, admitting she sees no weakness in the girl, but he would judge this. "Widow." She calls, and the little red and black and white girl comes quickly behind her mother, staying well out of range of her father's fangs. Completely comfortable, even in the face of danger, Widow sits and simply stares. She prods his form for weakness with a look that would rival his own in such a thing, finding none, she decides to wait until her parents show her she can approach, knowing better than to get too close to monsters who don't wish it. Should Reaver approach her, she will stay sitting, until he gets up on her, in which case she will simply submit to him as she does to Jaidah. It would always be best to mind her manners in this situation, though she will not speak a word just yet.

mother & daughter ;; five & zero ;; reside no were ;; kept by reaver

{13 chimes on a dead man's clock,

tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock}