Parents Ambushing?, by Fey McKercher [1761 RWH]

Dirk's yelp of surprise caused Lionheart to quickly look up from where he'd been playing with his cub-brother. The huntress was mock glaring at his father, who had a strange smirk of satisfaction even as she slapped his arm hard.

"Don't sneak up on me like that," she growled, making her slap into a solid punch. Lionheart found it fascinating that his father grinned and wrapped himself from behind her and then seeing Dirk slightly melt from a private sending. She looked around the tree truck, looked at the tribesmates walking not too far off, and nodded with a happy grin.

Then Lionheart stared as Surefire dragged a non-protesting Dirk off a bit away from the Elder Tree.

"Watch Boldscout?" Dirk half asked before disappearing with a mischievous smirk. All he could do was nod as they vanished. Boldscout just giggled and tossed his shoes far from him. Lionheart thought he heard Dirk's voice trail off and away.

"...next ambush won't be that easy."

One Sides, Two, by Fey McKercher [1761 RWH]

"We need to talk."

"..."

"Nah ah. Sending doesn't count. You have to use your voice."

"..."

"Oh, now the looks instead. I swear you're more stubborn then Halfkin. Mystic has an excuse, you don't."

"..."

"I'm not picking on you! But how is Boldscout or Lionheart going to fall asleep to your soothing voice if you never talk?"

"..."

"Yes, soothing."

"..."

"When I'm upset with you, you know what I do. So, think of talking as practising. It's nice."

"..."

"For howling out loud, it doesn't have to be outside! Here in the den at least; all I'm asking."

"..."

"So, I have to start sending more and you'll talk? How about I feel calmer a lot more thanks to a beautiful sound in our little den instead? Think about what we could be doing instead."

"..."

"Please?"

"..."

"Hmmm?"

"Alright, Dirk."

"Was that so hard, Surefire?"

Annoying Silence, by Fey McKercher [1760 RWH]

**Dirk.**

The mental growl tinted with exasperation. She turned a cheerful smirk to her lifemate, who was doing that adorable frown he did. Getting riled up just made his blue eyes flash a bit more interestingly. 'Down, huntress,' she thought as she made her way to him.

"Yes?"

**Did you go hunting with him again?**

Dirk was in too good a mood to bring this up again. Light game and tracking didn't count as true hunting so what was the harm of strapping their son-cub to her back and going? Halfkin seemed to find it amusing. So did most of her family, come to think of it.

So she rolled blue-green eyes and handed the bag of two nut-crackers and a ravvit to him.

"Next time you can come protect us from the big, bad, ravvits," she drawled with a smirk. The glaring blue eyes may have flickered to a softer hue. At least they glanced behind her to where Halfkin was bringing up the rear. Dirk could see them exchange a few eye flicks, eyebrow quirks, and lip twitches that might have carried a whole silent conversation.

Dirk looked over her shoulder where black-haired Boldscout was watching. His fumbling of her sheathed dagger, given whenever Surefire didn't take it away, was brushing her hair across her neck.

"If you don't talk, cub, you and me are going to have some fights. You know that, right?" Boldscout grinned a silent giggle that was echoed with his mother's merry wrinkled nose.