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 Posted: Wed Jul 06, 2011 4:01 pm
 "Mama, over here!"
As usual, the pup was ahead of them. He called himself Chibi, though everyone knew it was Chibiterasu in full (and nobody knew why), and his was an indomitably curious spirit. Apparently being around a bunch of adults had made him feel the need to act like a bunch of puppies in response.
There were still places where he had been burned that were obvious, though they didn't seem to slow Chibi too much. Or if it did, he wasn't making a show of it. It had been a month or so since Ethelinda had found him, so he had had time to heal under her care, though he remained stubbornly small for his age; either from previous malnourishment or runt status, none could be sure of at the time.
The pup was panting, as was probably the rest of the group by now. It was midday and cloudless, and the sun was not letting up, nor had it since the morning. The grass underpaw felt dry and cracked - something that made thy young male nervous for reasons only his "mama" could discern. But, more importantly to him -
"I smell water!" Chibi woofed happily, turning to the four adults to await the praise that surely was due. "Up ahead, behind those trees! Hurry up, slow pokes!"
Maybe he was just that thirsty to be able to smell water.
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Posted: Wed Jul 06, 2011 7:57 pm
 Chibiterasu’s enthusiasm for life never ceased to amaze Ethelinda. If not for the fact that he was still healing, and the fact that she had been the one to find and save him, she would never have guessed that the pup she called “son” had nearly lost his life in her latest disaster. Regardless, she watched with maternal affection as he pranced about, all over-sized paws and boisterous excitement. Not even the oppressive heat or the crisp grass could dampen his spirits for long, though she did worry that it would upset him, given his recent experience with fire.
“Alright, Chibi,” she called, her grin coming out in her voice. “Very good. Lead the way.” In truth, water sounded divine, though, ever-aware of the possibility of danger, she added, “And be careful!”
It was far too hot for her to go chasing after him unless it was strictly necessary, but that did not mean she could not worry. Truly, she had never been so aware of the seemingly endless supply of potentially dangerous situations that the world had to offer until fate had brought her to this pup. Of course, she had sometimes obsessed over what the next disaster would be, over what could go wrong and when and how, but this was different. This was about a pup she loved like a son, though he did not carry her blood in his veins. This was about someone special to her. Ethie was learning all of the joys and fears of motherhood, and she would not have it any other way.
Even beyond that, she now had a group that they traveled with. Isolde, the lovely beta female, had accepted Ethie and her pup into her group of travelers without scorn. In fact, Isolde had welcomed them. Truly, it felt as though fate was finally smiling upon Ethelinda. Perhaps her luck had changed at last. Pondering the workings of fate and the intentions of the beta, Ethie followed her pup to water.
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Posted: Fri Jul 08, 2011 12:37 am
 Isolde frowned.
She didn't like that the pup was always running off that way, and that the witch was always so obliging to his whims. Where she had come from, pups who acted that way would soon enough find themselves at the bottom of a cliff, not coddled in mommy-dearest's paws.
But this isn't that place, she reminded herself, for perhaps the hundredth time this week. She had been out and away from those peaks for ages now -- long enough to have formed her own pack, practically, from the riff-raff she had gathered -- but still they clouded her thoughts. Try as she might to remind herself that she was now living a higher, nobler life...that rough part in her soul seemed firmly fixed.
Ah well. Soon enough their plans would come to fruition. If the stories she'd heard were true, they would come across the wall of roses, and then the gateway would lead somewhere magical. To a life she had always wanted for herself. To her prince charming.
In Isolde's mind, the territory was really more of a castle, a dramatic and beautiful oasis filled with flowers and rivers and outcroppings of stone. She hoped she wouldn't be disappointed when she actually got there.
"Don't get too far ahead," she called to the pup, but she did not quicken her own pace to catch up. Instead, she carried herself with head held high, the walk of a visiting debutante -- just in case someone was watching. She glanced sidelong at her male servants (for that's how she considered them - servants) and smiled a somewhat haughty smile. At least they were behaving.
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Posted: Fri Jul 08, 2011 5:24 am
 As he followed behind the rest and off to one side of Isolde, he looked ahead through amber-brown irises at the little whelp. The pup was at times quite irritating, but he always made sure that he'd not grow overwhelmed by the childish innocence that the youth held. Despite whatever hell the pup had been through, he remained ever so optimistic. Yet it was that innocence he could use as he slowly tried to gain Chibiterasu's trust.
The others knew not why, for he would not say, best to let him think he just doted on the little fellow, even if at times he became irritable and might snap at the pup. Of course, shortly after he'd have apologized and brought the pup some colorful plant, usually a flower, or a fish he'd managed to catch, despite his blurred vision in one eye. Of course, fishing wasn't as difficult as hunting, but gathering herbs and berries was still easier.
He cared little if his own body was overly thin, giving whatever portion he was to receive to the fragile whelp, if it meant that someday he might be able to use him in order to seek vindication. Isolde knew not that while in all outward appearances he seemed to be behaving, inwardly he was not.
”A drink of water might be nice,” he murmured, water meant life, but also, a chance to fish. Still, they were on their way to a particular destination and he doubted Isolde wished to take a break and cool down in the water or snack on some fish. Though he'd bet his fur, that Chibiterasu would like to do all of the above.
There were times, he'd even play with the pup, until another of his splitting headaches overtook him. He really hoped that one would not assail him today.
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Posted: Fri Jul 08, 2011 4:11 pm
 Though his face remained as blank and wide-eyed as a statue's, Tam was smiling to himself. Very strange, he thought, that all the wolves that Isolde came upon were so quiet and introspective. When he wasn't walking quietly and listening to his own thoughts, he fancied he could almost listen in on theirs. Ethie was fretting, Kinapak was doing something closer to brooding, and even Isolde was fantasizing about the Order. That guess was easiest, as there was a zealous gleam that began to shine in her amber eyes when she spoke of the pack, the wall of roses. Even thinking about it made his heart quiver, and he loped forward to walk beside her, his cheek turned away in graceful deference. He hoped she would talk to him.
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Posted: Fri Jul 08, 2011 5:26 pm
"Well I won't go ahead if you hurry up!" the pup cheerily replied to the gleamy-eyed beta femme. Chibi liked how she looked like a pretty nice sky, even if the purple bits were kinda weird. While he knew that she was called Isolde, he like to call her whatever he liked: "Nighty" was his favorite. Of course, their leader kinda didn't always like being called nicknames, so it was his special codename when he talked with Mama; oh, how Chibi thought himself so clever!
Ethelinda's encouragement spurred him along to bounce to the fringes of the forest, wanting to play scout for the slowpokes. He peered between the trees, ears tilted forward for the sound of water.
What he saw instead made him go: owo.
"Mama! Mama, Tam, Izzy, Kinnie!" he suddenly barked, apparently excited or anxious about something. "I saw the forest move! Come quick!"
He really wanted to go on his own, but past circumstances had made Chibiterasu less inclined to be alone.
"I saw something green moving in there!"
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Posted: Fri Jul 08, 2011 5:52 pm
Alarmed, Ethelinda hurried ahead, moving with absolute silence, for all the good it would do now that Chibi had shouted. Still, her first priority was to protect him, so she quickly caught up to him and scanned the forest ahead for any sign of movement. She saw nothing, but her instincts said that her pup was right. They were not alone.
Gently, Ethie nudged her pup back, keeping him out of harm’s way before glancing at the others.
“I believe he is right,” she murmured to Isolde and Tamarack. “Something is there.”
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Posted: Fri Jul 08, 2011 6:56 pm
Isolde spared half a glance at the rust-colored male who trailed them when he spoke, but her eyes kept sliding back to Tamarack. She looked upon him fondly, the way someone looks at a beloved pet. She opened her maw to say something to him, but was interrupted by the pup.
Izzy? She winced. Well, there were worse things he could call her.
"What does he mean the forest is moving?" She muttered, and shook her head. And there went the beldame, she thought as Ethelinda took off after the whelp. She sighed. The female's maternal instinct was respectable, but she would get herself killed some day trying to coddle that pup.
"Kinapak!" She barked, without looking back at him "Run on ahead and see what they're going on about. Tamarack...stay back here, with me." She crowded in a bit closer to her would-be body-guard, ears sweeping forward, all senses on the ready.
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Posted: Wed Jul 20, 2011 12:41 pm
Kinapak was weary of them all, but most of all the one who liked to call herself leader, Isolde. One day soon he'd like to see her fall from her own pedestal. Did no one else see at all, that she was only interested in her own gains?
Hearing the whelp not far off calling out a nickname he had dubbed him with, he was not so vexed. He had nothing against it, though he preferred others use his full name, Kinapak.
When he was told by the so called leader to go forth and check it out, he realized it had to be because he was the most dispensable. Someday she would learn, that even the weak could rise above, if they were clever enough. One simply had to gain the trust of the next generation and twist them to ones own end.
With a bow of his head, "As you wish m'lady," and went forth to investigate that which the pup had seen.
"Do not go too close young one," He glanced at Chibiterasu before glancing ahead and slowly creeping toward the movement the whelp had mentioned, sniffing at whatever might be lurking. Picking up some scent, he began to follow it, though the pounding headache which had suddenly assailed him made it difficult to concentrate. He was however determined to preserve and learn what it was that the pup had come across.
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Posted: Thu Jul 21, 2011 11:08 am
Kinapak would only see normal trees and normal grass and normal dappled sunlight throughout. This frustrated Chibi, who assured himself that he wasn't hallucinating due to thirst. "I saw something, honest!" he told his mother upon being nudged back, quickly darting past her paws again to join the omega. "It was green and had a short tail!" His dark eyes squinted into the foliage in vain. Where had it gone?
Chibi felt very foolish and, as most abashed kids did, decided to validate his find. "Maybe it went to the river?" he suggested to the group, ears pricked at the faint sounds of rushing water within the greenery. He was sharply reminded of how thirsty he was and ached to move forward. "Can we drink even if it isn't, Izzie? Pleeeeease? I'm real thirsty."
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Posted: Sun Jul 24, 2011 1:25 am
Green and short-tailed? Well, that certainly narrowed it down. She rolled her eyes, but nodded an assent -- and then, realizing that she'd trailed some distance behind the others, said aloud, "Yes...yes, we may as well stop for awhile and rest. Get a drink and regain our bearings."
Especially because she was rather certain that they were close to their aim, and it would be good to discuss this with the others before they were right atop it.
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Posted: Sun Jul 24, 2011 12:54 pm
Ethelinda frowned upon seeing Chibi dart forward again. It could be dangerous. However, upon hearing Isolde’s consent, she moved toward the river before her anxious pup could get too far ahead, knowing that he would take off as quickly as he could. What was a mother to do?
Well, for now, she would make sure that this mysterious, green, short-tailed beast, should it exist, could not get a hold of her pup. She would worry about the rest later.
Her priorities straight, she ghosted ahead, silent as a snake.
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Posted: Sun Jul 24, 2011 2:49 pm
Tam swallowed, contemplating his own dry throat. Better that than to think on creatures fluttering through the underbrush; his skin twitched, the bites and gouges left by Avialae's birds stinging anew at the memory. He padded quietly before Isolde, the slow, subtle tension building inside his legs of the minutes before a race. He glanced at his beta, tasting at her mood and intentions, and dropped his eyes as she spoke. They were close, then.
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Posted: Sun Jul 31, 2011 12:08 pm
At one with the forest, logically Ethelinda made it further than the rest in a shorter amount of time. The river laid ahead within yards of her position before long, but she was also graced with a peculiar glance at . . . was that the creature her son had seen lapping at the river?
Green, for sure. Very green, and very gaunt from the looks of it. Hard to tell, given the even darker green cloth covering most of the wolf's body.
It stopped lapping at the water seconds after Ethelinda's arrival, jerked its head up with sudden alertness, and then turned tail and ran. She couldn't get a good look at his face from her distance, but she might have caught that this wolf indeed had a short tail.
On cue, Chibi bumped noisily into his mother. "Over here!" he called to the others behind him, tail whipping. "River! Big river!" And then, with a joyful yip, he snaked past Ethelinda's paws to go dive right in to the slow-moving body of water.
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Posted: Sun Jul 31, 2011 9:35 pm
Ethelinda was, indeed, the first to arrive at the river. And as such she saw…a wolf? A very poorly wolf covered in…what? Some sort of cloth? All of him was so very green, or at least, he seemed to be. The she-wolf could only stand and stare as his startled eyes met hers and he took off before she could decide what to do about him. Oh. And he did have a short tail, after all…
Not even her son slamming into her legs could take her attention away from her thoughts. The others, as they arrived, did not seem to notice anything amiss. Not even Chibi had seemed to notice the strange, green male. In fact, Ethelinda could almost believe that she had imagined him, if not for the faint scent that still lingered in the air and the sheer vividness of the memory.
But, should she tell the others? They should have no reason to disbelieve her, but they might think that she was merely protecting her son’s claims. The loyal thing would be for her to tell Isolde, in case the green wolf was dangerous, but, did it really even matter that there was another wolf nearby? From his poor physical state, he was clearly a loner. Vagabond would be the proper term. How much harm could he bring to four adults? Add to that the fact that he had fled at the first sight of her and that did not add up to a threat.
Still, Chibi was but a pup and he could be rather reckless at times, as pups were wont to be. If he were to wander off while the green wolf was still nearby, he might be in danger. Then again, if he knew that the green wolf was nearby, he might purposely try to seek him out. Of course, if he did not have confirmation, then he might try to find proof on his own and end up in danger that way.
This was pointless! She was only going around in circles.
Perhaps silence would be best for now. After all, while something left unsaid could later be said, something, once said, could never be un-said.
That decided, she turned decisively away from the point where she had lost sight of the green wolf and indulged herself in a long drink of cool water, keeping an eye on Chibi to make certain that he didn’t go too deep and keeping her other senses as alert as she could, to be certain that the green wolf did not return.
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