"In a place where little water falls with little to no bird calls, and plants are hard to find: There are large roots greatly entwined, in the ground under the Father Tree."
Wisdomchaser continued to sing softly to herself as she returned from her patrol to find Whiteroot, Dapplespot, and and Gingerroot watching over the pack's youths. It was unusual to see the apprentice away from Swiftthinker's side but it was a welcomed sight. The girl had been so shy when she first came.
Whiteroot looked up as the dark female wandered into the little clearing just before the Father tree and called. "Back from patrol, Wisdomchaser? Any sign of trolls today?" He grinned. For all his joking around Whiteroot was a fun soul to be around, he was a cub at heart, which made him a good candidate to help with watching the pups. Wisdomchaser smirked softly back in answer.
"If there was you'd surely have smelled them on me long before I arrived."
Dapplespot and Whiteroot had a laugh at this before going back to their game with their group of pups.
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The pup kept to herself most times, finding herself wanting to see the water more often than not. She was happiest around the water, and mother hadnt told her anything differently.
She did need to like her namesake after all, right? Silentwater was a quieter Wilddog, her voice not being something that was heard a great deal. She smiled a little her eyes lighting up as she looked at the little river of a stream, and placed her paws in it, splashing.
She had escaped the pupsitter, and she was sure if she was caught she'd be herded right back into the group. But she preferred this time to herself.
She smiled again, and sighed. Why couldn't life be as simple as the water running past her paws?
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Unknown to Silentwater the pupsitters for that moment were actually well aware that she had wandered away. As long as she wasn't going too far, or near the pack's borders she was allowed to wander. There are adults all around throughout the pack lands, being such a large pack, and there were no other large predators that they had to immediately worry about. Some groups might have called it irresponsible, but the Peke Na had been rearing pups this way for generations.
Someone in particular had noticed, though. She followed the sound of splashing just to make sure that it was indeed play and not a pup drowning in the streams or river nearby.
Silently "creeping" up on the pup and stopping to stand about a foot behind her Wisdomchaser couldn't help grinning. To see little ones enjoying themselves so freely made her feel a swell of contentment. Were her parents, Shadowpaw and Morningstar, watching over the pack even in these new lands, seeing the legacy that they and their foreparents had left to this tenth generation?
"Well now, and just what have we here? A pup wandering off from her watchers?"
Her tone was amused, but playful. A pup's curiosity was only natural, and Silentwater lived up to her namesake very well.
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She hadn't realized another approached her in her play. She was much too busy keeping herself entertained splashing in the cool waters. But when the voice echoed in her ears, they perked and she stopped dead in her tracks. Looking slowly over her shoulder she saw the older female, and smiled a little. She was hoping she wasn't in trouble, and if she was, then maybe her sweetness could sway the other and have her feeling a bit more lenient. But Wisdomchaser didn't seem at all upset.
She wagged her tail, and cocked her head, approaching the older femme.
Her paws were larger in proportion to her body, but such was the body type of a pup. She was a happy thing, and could remember telling mother how excited she was to grow and get longer legs. How she wanted to run without tiring!
"I didn't wander! I mean.. Not really... I was... playing!" She chirped.
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Indeed she wasn't in trouble, and Wisdomchaser just laughed softly at the child's response, leaning over to nose at the top of her head lightly.
"As long as you don't go so far that they can't hear you. Always within hearing range of one of the adults, never near the borders or the hunting grounds."
There were no lessons to teach them such things, after all, so it was up to parents and pack members to instill it in them and then remind them over time. They found it was the best way to teach, when the memory would be at it's most fresh, usually when the need arose for such a lesson.
"How is the night finding you, pup? You wouldn't rather play with the other pups, Stillwater?"
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The pup nodded, accepting the warning of keeping out of the hunting grounds, and within ear shot of the pack members. She was okay with that. She understood, and rarely did she actually break such a rule.
She smiled again, but with a shy shake of her head she blushed. She looked back up at Wisdomchaser and gave a little grin, that looked more shy than mischievous.
"No, ma'am. I prefer to be on my own. I find I learn more. I have friends, but they are'nt really... pups." She responded. Silentwater had made friends with her surroundings. The animals, the water, the trees.. She rarely had time for other pups such as herself.
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Wisdomchaser's grin eased into a soft smile that easily reached her eyes, which softened as well as she gazed down at the smaller female. Someday she'd grow into a new Wolf name rather well, the Chief suspected.
"Oh? Who are your friends? Would you introduce me?" She asked, glancing towards the stream and the trees rather knowingly. In truth they were all their friends of the pack in some way or another, providing shelter, food, water to quench their thirst and also feeding the plants and the Father Tree, and light, like the moon over head.
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She cocked her head, a smile on her lips, though she was sitting there blushing as well. How could she admit that the friends she had didnt have names, besides what they were known.
"Well.. There's Running Water." She said, motioning to the stream. Looking at the trees, she smiled with admiration. "Green Tree, and.. Well..those are my friends."
She said, cocking her head wondering if the other would find her odd. She hoped not, she just preferred nature to others.
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"Running Water and Green Tree, well those are old friends of the entire pack! You certainly have good taste in friends, little one. They've protected us from the heat of Day Star for years, even before this forest became our home. Has anyone told you that tale yet?"
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As it turned out no one had, Wisdomchaser was glad to offer her storytelling skills in this matter.
So, while the others were busy looking after the other pups Silentwater was treated to a story of her own. It really didn't take long for the others to find them, though, at which point they too sat in. It was rare to hear the Chieftess weaving a howl, but for the young ones time could always be made.
The lesson would be driven home best by this, and though they hadn't kept Silentwater's original desired solitude, hopefully Wisdomchaser was able to let the pup know that it was okay to just be herself. The pack would never ask for more than what each member was able to give.
