Imnir yawned and looked around sleepily. For a brief moment he didn't recognize where he was, but then he remembered that he was in Naomi's house. It had been quite some time since he had woken up there. It made him feel a bit like a pet, waking up on soft blankets rather than in his pile of shavings in his stall, but he didn't mind this time. He would greatly enjoy sleeping here for as long as he needed to, in order to keep his daughter safe.
Unfortunately, his other children had different owners, so he couldn't protect them all the time the way he could with Dela, but he trusted Seven to take care of his son. It was the owner of his other daughter that made him worry a bit. This was his first mokai, and Imnir didn't really feel comfortable having her so far away without a trustworthy mokai around to keep an eye on her, but at least the human was a guardsman. If nothing else, he could keep her safe the way he keeps the compound safe, right? Right.
Even though he couldn't be with his other pups 24/7, he still made a point of spending as much time with them as he could. For now, though, it was morning and he had to... Wait, where was Dela?
Imnir sprung up out of bed and looked around frantically. She had been right next to him when they fell asleep! Had she wandered outside? What if something happened to her?
"Daddy!" Dela squealed excitedly as she pounced on her father from behind the couch, pawing at him and giggling. "Daddy, you're awake! What are we going to to today?" Her tail was wagging very quickly, and she began running in a small circle around him.
It was rather unusual for her to behave this way, at least around anyone other than Imnir or Seven. Dela made a point of trying to act proper and aloof when around other mokai, but she didn't have to hold back her excitement around her parents or siblings. After all, she only had to behave like that around others so they'd know that she was their superior, and that they should treat her nicely, but her family knew exactly how special she was and she had nothing to prove to them.
"Ooh, ooh! Can I watch you fight today? Pleeeeease?" She put on her best puppy dog face and stared up at Imnir pleadingly, "I want to see you show everyone how big and strong you are!"
Imnir let out a sigh of relief as Dela appeared suddenly. She was only playing, nothing to worry about.
"You want to watch a fight?" Imnir tilted his head, "Sweetheart, I don't know if that is safe." In the back of his mind was the image of Erebus, and even Ai. He knew that they hated him, and he wasn't sure what they'd do if they found her. She was obviously his daughter, she looked just like him except for her markings, which favored Seven's side, but her color was clearly his.
"Don't worry though, I'll see if I can get Naomi to bring you to watch me some time. Just not today."
"Awww, but daddy I really want to watch you!" She frowned, "Please?"
Imnir thought for a moment before speaking, "Tell you what, if you can wait in the nursery without getting into trouble until my fight is over, I'll take you exploring." He nodded, "It will be an adventure, we'll go somewhere that neither of us have gone before. How does that sound?"
"Wow, really? A whole new place? Oooooh, yes please! But you have to promise that you'll let me come see a fight some other time, ok?"
Imnir chuckled to himself and gave Dela a gentle lick on the side of her face, "Of course, my little princess. Anything you want."
