visiting time! sorry for the lengthy/rambly post, it seems i've been neglecting denver. ; ; <3 for niro, mara, and maggie. set whenever/wherever (northern border), in the early afternoon.
It had been months since Denver had gone anywhere outside of the realm of Salsola. His time had been better spent tending to his young spawn; they were rambunctious and mischievous and everything he had been terrified of. They got into everything, had to be watched constantly. Thankfully, they had quickly learned to puppy-proof their home. Even still, the kids managed to find trouble daily.
They were curious little things, and not quite so little anymore. Denver couldn't carry his son for nearly as long as he could only weeks ago, especially with the child's squirming and complaining. Houston's vocabulary was limited, but that didn't keep him from questioning everything. 'Daddy, what's that?!' he'd squeal while pointing at anything and everything. Sometimes he'd even do it after Denver had given an answer. The mutt had to laugh; he was sure he had been the same way. Florence and Memphis were gorgeous girls, and clever, but not so intense as their brother. Once he'd have hated children like his own --or any children at all-- but they were his blood, and it was different now.
There was something else now, too, though. Magnolia had been begging him to go and visit the Court to the south ever since Niro visited not so long ago. Denver remembered the mohawked man as his first encounter with Cours des Miracles. It hadn't been such a bad place, but the ivory mutt had been younger then, and less grounded. He'd wrinkled his nose at the first sign of something that wasn't what he'd been looking for. Now, he had no reason not to visit his mate's family and show off his own. Salsola was his family, too, and they were both strong.
It took them too long to get there, and by then Denver was grumpy. They should have taken horseback, he knew, but that would have meant two horses, with him riding one. He had never learned how to ride, and even if he had his terror would outweigh his ability. So they had taken most of the journey in one evening, with the pups trailing behind for some time, or getting piggyback rides from their quickly wearying parents.
The next morning their trip resumed, and finished several long hours later when the sun was high. Each child complained of hunger, of tired feet, of wanting a nap. It was that time of the day, and Denver could have used a nap, too. Instead, he encouraged the kids gently, promising fun adventures ahead. He shot a pale blue gaze to Maggie, and nodded hurriedly for her to call for Niro, knowing he would recognize her voice first.
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