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 Posted: Mon May 18, 2009 11:18 pm
 The serpent-sided wolfess watched as the pups played right outside the den.
The same den she had raised Akiva, Beauty, Piper and Abital in. The same den she had once loathed. Why would she've loved it? It had brought her only pain. No -- Tabansi had brought her only pain... Her lips wrinkled for a moment, but she took a deep breath and let it out in a sigh, and her muscles relaxed once more.
The past... It didn't seem to matter now. She had been lost, once upon a time. She had lost both Tauro and Laos, her loving siblings. She had been lead astray from her home...
But home was where the heart was. Home was, surprisingly, Gomorrah. Home was Tauro and Seiphyr. Home was especially her little babies, Novik and Switch. They were her pride and joy. She could consider them no less. They were the one thing that turned her life around.
And they were now nine and a half weeks old. My how time flew.
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Posted: Mon May 18, 2009 11:21 pm
 Novik did circles around his brother, paws rising and falling in tune to the beat of his heart. He tossed his head back and forth, little utterings and growls coming up his throat, but he wore a grin. His little blue tail wagged wildly and his two-toned eyes glinted in the afternoon sunlight.
The day was nice, spring weather. There was a soft breeze that rippled both pups' coats. Novi flopped down beside Switch, placing a paw on his shoulder and giving a little shove. Surely there would be something fun to do today... "You wanna play tag?" he asked, knowing that he always won that game. Probably because Switch's vision was little-to-none.
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Posted: Wed May 20, 2009 9:29 pm
Tauro lay in the shade of the den entrance, her hind legs flopped one way while her head was upright and alert, watching for any danger that may threaten the pups. She had grown used to the rhythm of the pack. She still did not trust Gerda's daughters, nor forgive them for the thinly disguised disrespect they showed their mother, but the alphas were not cruel and her family was fed. She could ask for little more.
The little boys had grown much from the lumps of fur that had once lay at Gerda's side. Tauro found it harder and harder to physically halt their play when it became dangerous and rough, and they were no longer so cooperative if she picked one of them up by the scruff in her maw. It made foster-parenting a little difficult, but on the other hand so much more reward. Now that they could see and hear, they had grown personalities, something she found fascinating.
Well, mostly see. Novik seemed as healthy as a wolf could be. Switch, however, seemed to have inherited some of her family's trend of deprived senses. No matter. She only took care to watch that he never felt isolated, and that Novi didn't always outperform him.
Tauro glanced at Gerda as Novik suggested a game. "Tag again," she muttered.
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Posted: Wed May 20, 2009 10:50 pm
The white creature watched the darker to the best of his weak eyes ability, observing his playful movement more so from the periphery than straight forward. The banter and fluttering of his brother's movement was enticing enough. How could a young pup such as himself ever willingly turn down play? It was unheard of. Wagging his tail was the first response. Cocking his head to the side was the second. The large blue paw that suddenly pressed against him sent a little shiver down his spine, having not seen it coming, but knowing it was Novik, he balanced himself and used one of his own to paw at the other pup's leg.
"Tag, again? Nah, that don't seem right," he argued, his voice light and thoughtful, "How 'bout we play hide-n-seek?" While Novik had the advantage of sight, Switch was pretty darn good with his nose.
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Posted: Thu May 21, 2009 12:13 am
Novi grinned over at Aunt Tauro, his tail beating the earth. Her voice was wonderfully familiar, like a fresh drink of water to the loving pup. He loved his entire family. He had been born with them, after all and knew nothing of his other sisters and brother from a separate litter. Why would he assume that alpha Piper was his sister? She didn't have the family's serpents...
"Of course, tag again, Aunt Tauro!" he barked softly, though his heart fell when Switch didn't agree. Maybe his brother didn't want to play... That would be a first. And then... "Hide-n-seek! Hide-n-seek!" he squealed, dancing to his feet and doing circles around his brother. "Yes, lets! Aunt Tauro's it!"
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Posted: Thu May 21, 2009 9:54 pm
"Oh… yes!" Tauro answered, replacing her half-formed expletive with an affirmation. Sniffing around the den pretending to be confused just long enough that the pups would pride themselves on their hiding ability without getting bored and then hiding obviously enough that they would find her for a whole afternoon wasn't her idea of fun--or it hadn't been, once. But this wasn't Tauro, this was Aunt Tauro, who would climb to the moon and back for her little nephews if they asked nicely. She refused to be the only one dragging around, though.
"Maybe momma wants to hide, too?" she asked, looking pointedly at Gerda before covering her eyes with her paws. "Twenty… nineteen… eighteen…"
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Posted: Tue May 26, 2009 6:50 pm
His tail wagged further as Novik decided to give into his suggestion, thankful he didn't have to run for his life with his brother close behind only to be caught because he had collided face first into a mangled tree stump. At least now he had a chance for victory. And victory he would have! He looked with narrowed competitive eyes at his brother, moving to bat at him once more, but was interrupted as Novik cried for their Aunt to join. Now this would be interesting!
"Cool!" he called, even more so as he watched Tauro's blurry form move to join in on their escapade. His tail swished harder at the prospect of his mother joining, swinging his hips, but he did wonder just how she would be it. She couldn't call out if she was after their trails or not. No matter. She communicated to them in her own way and he suspected she'd work with what she had just as he did.
As Tauro started counting he sprang away, putting his nose to the ground while his eyes darted in every which direction, looking through his periphery to see if he could visually spot a good place he could hide away in. Switch hushed himself, his maw closing, ceasing his panting while his paws trotted about.
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Posted: Tue May 26, 2009 10:36 pm
Novi grinned up at Aunt Tauro, his tongue lolling out of his half-closed maw, tail sweeping the ground in short, quick strokes. She often played with them and for some strange reason, it was always more fun when she did!
He gazed over at Momma, who lay sprawled right outside the den. Her tail was curled around her and the dragons on her side -- so much like Novi's own fierce serpents -- rippled as her fur blew in the spring breeze. Momma smiled at him, a smile that reached her silver eyes, and Novi danced over to her. "C'mon, Momma!" he cried, nipping at her face. "Come play!"
He let out a little squeak as Tauro began her countdown and scrambled after Switch, eyes searching for the perfect spot...and he found it, right inside a rotten old tree trunk. Carefully, he fit himself inside, curling into a ball and keeping his body still.
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Posted: Tue May 26, 2009 10:39 pm
Gerda's eyebrows raised at Tauro's suggestion. A smile cracked her lips. Of course... 'Aunt' Tauro didn't want to play alone. She'd often been roped into the boys' games and although she seemed a little put out sometimes, she always played with them. It made Gerda's heart swell to watch her sister, her long-lost sister, scramble after a pair of troublemaking puppies. She took special care around Switch, who had seemed to inherit some of the family's faultinest, especially. Luckily for her, Novik seemed normal. For now. She would watch him as he grew. Who knew what lurked under the surface.
Slowly she stood as Tauro began her countdown, winking at her sister before taking off to find a space large enough to accomodate her large white body.
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Posted: Thu May 28, 2009 12:25 pm
"3… 2… 1… 0!" Tauro finished, and she sprang up, her tail wagging. "Ready or not, here I come!" she called. She pressed her nose to the ground and began sniffing. Who to find first? Would the boys be disappointed if she found them before their momma? Of course not; they always enjoyed the game no matter what, and the first one found got to seek next time, as well as help the current seeker, which was always fun. To build some anticipation, she paced one way and then the other, all the while growing slowly closer to Novik's hiding place. She sniffed all around the base of the stump, making sure the black pup knew she was coming, and then popped her head up to peer into his hidey-hole. "Found you!" she barked cheerfully. "Come on, Novi, help me find the others."
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Posted: Mon Jun 08, 2009 9:17 am
Switch ran straight past the tree his brother had spotted, tumbling over a sapling along the way, and flicked his ears back to listen to the countdown his aunt rang through the air. He could just pick up the shuffling of his mother as she joined in on the festivity. Putting his dark nose to the ground, he attempted to sniff out a better path, but finding this took longer than anticipated, he gave up the use of his nose and instead dove toward a dark mass before his eyes. Spines from the cedar bush scraped against his underbelly as he slid across its top. Wiggling, Switch managed to bury himself in the leaves, twisting as he attempted to get some comfort in this prickly hiding spot.
He paused, listening as his aunt finished her countdown. His panting jaw closed while his head twisted as if to hear her movement a little more acutely.
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Posted: Sun Aug 02, 2009 6:25 pm
Novi's ears pressed forwards, nose against the inside of the tree, against the bark, striving to hear his aunt's countdown. He was briefly aware of Momma passing the tree, in search of her own hideaway. His fur bristled and laid flat, excitement racing through him.
Tauro began to sniff around the tree. His paws extended, claws scraping the bark. He froze. Surely she didn't hear that, but it -was- Aunt Tauro we were talking about. Then, her head appeared above him, grinning jovially, and his tail began to thump the stump. "Ya found me!" he cried happily, bouncing after her.
Nose to the ground, like he'd seen Switch do so many times, he began to sniff out Gerda's trail. His tail flagged up as he nodded in the direction of a very large fir tree. He grinned at Aunt Tauro and jerked his nose in that direction.
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Posted: Tue Aug 04, 2009 9:34 pm
Tauro smiled to herself, and at her nephew. Why had she worried he'd be upset about being found? Now came the best part--stalking momma. She followed him closely as he sniffed at the ground, secretly following the scent trail herself. Sometimes the pups would imitate simply to imitate, without recognizing the real reason for a behavior--like sniffing at the ground and running around instead of actually following a scent. This time, however, he seemed right on the mark. Gerda was, in fact, up ahead in a copse of trees.
"Let's sneak up on her," Tauro whispered to Novik. She crouched low to the ground, unknowingly teaching him another skill--how to creep and ambush. Her mind was only on the face she hoped her sister would make when they sprang upon her.
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Posted: Mon Aug 17, 2009 5:02 pm
The distant call of the jubilant pup alerted his brother to the fact he was now it and in charge. He shrunk farther down into his cover, finding a few prickly leaves up his nose at the attempt and backing up he wiggled his nose in distress. Exactly where were they and who were they pursuing? He couldn't see them coming, but his forward ears listened intently for his aunt and brother's excited giggles.
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Posted: Tue Sep 01, 2009 12:27 pm
Novi grinned up at Tauro, tongue lolling from his mouth as he nodded. His tail paused in mid wag, his strides becoming stiff as he crept closer. To Mom. He would scare the daylights outta her and surely she'd make a sound! He grinned gleefully and leapt!
Gerda saw them coming. She kept her body low to the ground, tail silent and still, tongue inside her mouth even as she wanted to pant with a trill of excitement. Her youngest son was upon her; he knew where she was and he would be expecting surprise from his mother. She smiled slightly, stiffening as his paws landed among her fur and she opened her jaws in a silent shriek of surprise. Rolling over, she nipped his side, grinning like a banshee. Oh, what fun! Her tail thumped the ground and she pulled him in close, licking his face.
Novik grinned as she licked him, careful and loving and motherly. He snuggled against her, then stiffened and pulled away. "Moooooom!" he uttered out, nipping at her face. His ears flicked back and forth and his two-toned gaze fell on aunt Tauro once again. "Now we gotta find Switch!" he barked and raced over.
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