This night, Kindhearted invited her to take a stroll. It would seem impossible just a few months ago for her, but now she has fully adapted to the swarm's way. Her children were the cubs of the swarm. Not a single wolf ant ignored them, and if the younglings took a step outside the nest, a soldier always accompanied them. It was rather heartwarming to see how these fierce beasts kept a close eye on the clumsy pups and expressed concern about any dangerous tricks. When Bug still lived in the village, there was a small kindergarten. Keepers looked after other children for payment but never showed this level of care. It almost made her feel jealous. Afraid that her children might grow closer to others than to her, she tried her best to spend as much time with them as possible. This led to the swarm's confusion. Her unwillingness to leave the cubs was seen as a sign of mistrust. Finally, and reluctantly, Bug gave up. If she didn't, her overprotectiveness could hurt her relationships with the other wolves.
The worry she felt slowly let go. She was turning back and looking toward the nest more rarely now. The feeling of walking in the woods, the fresh night air, and the opportunity to stretch her muscles - all this made her feel relaxed and happy. 'I didn't know I missed strolls so much until Kindhearted took me on one,' grateful for the chance Bug caught up with the wolf and affectionately nuzzled his mane.
The pair wandered with no goal. She didn't want to hunt, just to walk with her beloved, enjoying the quiet scenery. They crossed the creek and even reached a familiar trail that villagers sometimes use. For a moment, Bug stopped, wondering if they should turn back. But it was night. No one would dare to enter the forest. She easily climbed the hill that had been a remarkable obstacle to her in human form. At the top was still a crevice where Eshan and Rasha had made her climb down.
Bug looked inside the crevice. It was dark, and a few more dry leaves had fallen inside it. However, no trace or scent of the egg-like artifact could be found - it was long gone. Staying close to her, Kindhearted looked inside the crevice, too. A funny thought crossed Bug's mind. 'What if he uses it, too? What if he can turn into a human, like I have learned to turn into a wolf ant?' He looked at Bug with concern, not understanding what she was looking for.
She imagined Kindhearted as a human. 'I think he would be quite bulky, with long black hair. Would the beard look good on him?' she chuckled at such a picture. Kindhearted tilted his head, looking intently at his mate. Suddenly, a glimpse of guilt struck Bug. 'No. He wouldn't like me having such fantasies. Isn’t it offensive to try to change your partner so much just to suit your own or society’s tastes?'
He gently tapped her nose, but she looked away, avoiding meeting his golden eyes. He walked around and coughed. The wolf was gazing at her questioningly. Bug couldn't hold back any longer. She laughed and ran. Her teasing reached its goal. Kindhearted accepted the invitation to another silly game. They spent most of the night outside the nest, flirting and playing. 'I guess it doesn't matter now. We are fine just like that,' thought Bug, as they lay down on the grass to catch a break.
The hot summer sun lit up the narrow strip on the horizon when they felt the ground trembling. Bug instantly recognized the feeling of losing balance. She was used to earthquakes, but this time it scared her. Her imagination drew horrible pictures of tunnels collapsing and burying her precious children in the den. She broke away from the spot and sprinted all the way towards the nest, and Kindhearted followed her.
They reached the swarm in no time. On the soft grass, the pups were playing with Spot and Dawn. As soon as their parents stepped onto the meadow, panting from the run, the cubs rushed towards them. They whimpered in excitement, jumping around. Everyone was safe. A wave of relief flooded over Bug. She turned into a human and grabbed the happy pups, embracing them all at once.
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The earthquake damaged some tunnels and rooms, but no one was hurt. Creek was in the storage room when the soil fell, but he managed to dig himself out with the help of others. This incident made Bug wary of the nest. The safe place, their home, still had its vulnerabilities. She never felt claustrophobia, but the thought of something bad happening to her children was unbearable. This time, a simple fix wasn't enough. As a new queen, Bug began the reconstruction of the nest.
She inspected every room and tunnel with Three-Legged together. As a mature worker, Three-Legged identified all the weak points, and, under the supervision of the queen, the wolf ants reinforced the load-bearing walls with cut-down tree trunks. The reconstruction took a while, but the result calmed Bug down. Now she could worry less, knowing that everyone was safe. She also used this opportunity to solve another problem. As the cubs grew stronger and bigger, the queen's room became too cramped for the entire family. Bug liked to sleep with children and her mate. So, with the help of the workers, she widened the den.
Just like many times before, after solving a problem, the swarm returned to their peaceful life. Recently, the cubs have followed the aphis cows around, poking them now and then to ask for nectar. Their craving for sweet things was cute at first, but soon enough, Bug restricted her children from doing that. If she didn't, they would ignore other food completely.
"No," Bug shook her head firmly when Rainstorm tried to approach the aphis cow that the shepherd was taking back to its nest. Changing into her human form, she decided to teach them simple gestures. As her son moved closer to the cow, she repeated, "No. You've had enough for today."
She lifted the cub and headed towards the meadow. With his ears held back, Rainstorm moved his head around. Others followed them, excited about this new game. Bug breathed in the night air. Her son's fur tickled her skin. She released Rainstorm and sat down on the grass. Kindhearted approached them. The cubs started playing tag, running around their father. He put his paw on Storge, making his daughter sit still for a while. Bug laughed at how obedient the pups became with just one gesture. She stretched out her arm and gently stroked Kindhearted's muzzle. He raised his head so that she could also scratch and stroke his throat.
Enjoying the warm night and a lull of her usually restless children, Bug looked up at the clear night sky beyond the treetops. A long-forgotten memory popped up in her head: the similar summer night she had once spent with her mother after a long and hard day.
"Look at the sky. Can you see that cloud-like thing around the stars?" Bug pointed at the stellar cluster that could be seen during clear weather. The pups followed her finger with their gaze. "When I was a child, my mother told me it's a staircase to heaven. Don't you think those groups of stars look like the footprints of a wolf ant?"
Bug chuckled, watching as her words puzzled the cubs. Storge placed her paw on the ground, then sniffed the footprints it left. She looked at the sky, then at her own paws and the soil again. 'She is so smart,' Bug stroked her daughter's head. Kindhearted was lying by his family, listening to his mate's words. When Bug looked at him, the wolf soldier tilted his head. The memories of her mother that usually saddened her in the presence of her family made her heart feel warm. Bug glanced at the sky once more.
"Your grandmother is waiting for us at the end of this trail. And we will all, in our own time, climb up that staircase to meet her and each other."
