THE YOUNG DRAGONS

As the light of day slowly began to fade, the sun sinking further into the horizon with each passing moment, the expectation and excitement began to build in the humble clearing upon the mountainside. The three adolescent males had come early in the evening to check on their mother, only to find she had not left the den all day. It seemed as though they would have new siblings before the night was over, and so they had remained close at hand. At first they were an excited mess of flinging paws and waving tails, jumping atop each other and tussling around the clearing. But eventually the initial excitement had worn off and when Jericho emerged only to shortly thereafter rush back into the den, the three boys settled into to wait. How long would it be before they knew of their new siblings? They did not know much about such things, and so they laid down nearby - far enough away from the den's mouth to keep them from hearing the details of what happened within, but close enough that they would know if something went wrong.

The largest of the litter lay stoically with his head lifted, forepaws stretched out before him and hind legs tucked neatly beneath his body; his ears strained forward as garnet eyes remained fixated on the darkened opening into the den where two years prior he and his siblings had been born. On one side Viserion laid in a similar fashion, though his overall demeanor was a bit more relaxed, less stress and tension evident as he simply waited for the inevitable. He was patient with the passing of time, while the brother that laid opposite to him beside Drogon was anything but. Rhaegal's hind limbs were sprawled out behind him and his forelegs extended towards the den. Every so often he made to creep forward on his belly, his curiosity about what was happening within the den unrelenting. But each time he moved to get closer Drogon's fixation on the den was broken just long enough for his jaws to flash a nip in Rhaegal's direction. On one or two occasions he made contact and Rhaegal would bare his teeth and slide back to lie next to his siblings. He glanced towards Kalseru, wondering if she was as impatient as him. Well, were they brothers, to be rough housed with and taught how to be princes? Or were they sisters, to be protected and looked after and Kalseru's responsibility to teach how to be princesses? Maybe one of each - a boy for Rhaegal to take under his wing and a girl for Kalseru to tutor. Wouldn't that be fun?

Only moonlight illuminated when the faint, strained sounds from the den finally ceased. Viserion became more intent as his golden eyes looked out through the darkness, and his nostrils flared to take in the new scents that drifted slowly from the den. Still, the young dragons waited, for some unseen and unspoken signal that they could safely approach. It was a primal instinct that finally told them such was safe to do, and the white fringed blonde boy was the first to move forward, though his brothers were close on his heels. Rhaegal bounded forward, quickly overtaking Viserion and almost immediately slowing down to drop to his belly and crawl the last few feet to the mouth of the den where he had slept every night since his birth. Soft whimpers were made to request his mother's permission, and that of her mate, to be so close at such a time. Viserion, too, mewled to Daenerys and Jericho, requesting that he be allowed to partake in this most important of events for a mated pair. A quiet, rumbling growl reverberated from Drogon's throat; it was a soft sound and as close as he would come to making the sounds his brothers did.

When it was that a conciliatory noise came from within the den, Rhaegal poked his head through the opening, Viserion's popping into view only half a second later. They blinked rapidly, letting their eyes adjust to the darkness as Daenerys moved and allowed them their first look at their three baby sisters. Garent eyes pierced the darkness as Drogon stepped into the entrance, seeking the forms of the three newest lives to fall under his unyielding protection. They, much like their elder sister, would be the most well guarded princesses Moladion had ever known.

VISERION -- DROGON -- RHAEGAL