Grizzly Hollow flown the coop

@Oula and anyone else that might be around the den!

Roland's world thus far was a small one. For some time it did not extend past his mother. Her smell. The feel of her fur against the soft sensitive leather of his nose. The warmth of her body and the taste of her milk. It gradually extended from there as the sun rose and fell time and again. First he became aware of a gloom just past her body as his eyes opened. Then he came to know of a light past that gloom, and his nose began to detect a few more scents. Roland soon after acquired a sense of hearing, soft and muffled as it were, and so then could be aware of the world in a new way.

His body developed alongside his awareness. His growing strength allowed him to explore this expanding world and be part of it. He became able to move from his mother's side and was able to stay warm even if she left him for a while. The den walls he now knew. The light however he stayed away from. Not until his eyes were able to handle it better. Not until they were able to see through it. Roland came to realize that his sharpening eyes were revealing to him another world beyond the light, just as they had revealed the light beyond the gloom earlier on.

Curiosity drew him closer. But it took the boldness that had been bubbling in his mind to finally rise to the surface of his psyche and stir his paws up the slope of the den until his silver face poked beyond the entryway. Here he sat on his rump and lingered squinting into the sun. By the same instinct that kept him close to his mother the warmth gradually drew him out. His steps were tentative and he went no further than a few lengths of his own body before he stopped and sat again to observe his new surroundings.

There was much to take in.

Oula had stepped out for a bit to stretch her limbs and get herself a meal, trotting through the cedarwood if only to get a breath of fresh air. The last vestiges of winter had finally yielded to the golden sunlight of springtime. While in the evergreen forest there wasn't much change in the canopy besides the vivid green tips found on the ends of the cedar boughs, verdant foliage had sprung up from the once snow-covered ground, small blooms prickling forth and bringing with them the chattering birds and humming bees. Spring was a time of promise, though at this point Oula couldn't tell exactly what was in store for the pack of Grizzly Hollow. She hoped that with three litters there wouldn't be too much struggle, though by some fortune, or rather misfortune none of the women had borne particularly large litters. But for now Roland seemed to be growing like a weed, as healthy and vigorous as Oula could have hoped for. She would have liked to say he was happy as well, but at his age there was no way to tell if he even had a concept of such a thing yet. 

Finishing her jaunt, Oula rounded back towards the slab of limestone her den was tucked beneath. She stopped in her tracks as she saw something small standing outside of the den, her heart lurching for the briefest moment until she realized it was her son standing there in broad daylight and not a hungry stoat. The mother couldn't help but chuckle at her mistake, padding forward towards Roland and dipping her head downwards. Oula ruffled the boy's ears, licking from the tip of his nose to the crown of his head. Although she would have preferred to know when Roland was stepping out into the world at large -- it was a large world, after all, and there was no telling what could happen to a young cub alone -- she was immensely proud of her son for doing it on his own. 

"So proud of you, little Roland," She hummed, nuzzling his cheek. "Look at you, walking out here all by yourself."

It was perhaps the longest span of time in which Ophelia had not gotten into any real trouble. Though the yearling had burst into her mother's den immediately after birthing, there hadn't been any true consequences for it, only encouraging the behavior. As such, the pale princess had dropped by multiple times a day to bring her mother and new baby brother gifts and snacks or simply just to cuddle and provide warmth. Not that cuddles were necessary anymore with the way the weather had turned. Finally, spring had decided to show its face and the sun beat down over green. All the green.

Along with the gift of spring comes the gift of abundant prey, and Ophie has found that the bunnies are spawning like...bunnies. Having stumbled across a den, the yearling greedily ate two of the six inside and carried all but one to a nearby cache. The one she carried with her to Mama's den, intent on offering it to the little one as a plaything.

The princess paused in her steps and blinked in surprise to see @Roland out and about. She smiled and approached with a swiftly wagging tail. "Brought ya a gift!" the girl declared, setting the nestling rabbit in front of her young brother. "It's food. Or I dunno. Will be soon for ya. How long until he can eat meat?" she wondered, aiming the last question at @Oula.

He leaned forward on his toes. His little snout made small circles and his breath came in short eager breaths. There was much to smell: the grass beneath his paws and the earth, the floral traces on the breeze, the hardier scent of tree bark. Scent alone would have kept the pup occupied for hours but, unable to multi-task and handle all the newness at once, his attention was divided. His ears perked to the chirps and tweets of birds and to squirrels chattering, and for those moments his nose was closed. Then his head was on a swivel as his eyes sought to gather all the shapes and movements, at the expense of scent and sound both.

His mother coming toward him startled him for his attention had been focused on a dancing sprig of fern. Roland's eyes shot open, and he rocked back on his rounded rump and almost toppled himself over, but he was able to catch himself. The soft hairs along his nape and spine were spiked until his mother drew nearer and he could smell her. Then, recognizing her, he relaxed at once. He did not understand all that she said to him but he understood the sentiment: he had done good. He basked in her praise and affection — leaning in to her nuzzles and seeking to press and rub himself on her. His small, salmon tongue flicked against her leg. But there was no chorus of whines and whimpers as would be common for a pup — Roland was quiet.

Celebrating his mother's return and his achievement was short lived. Once more he was startled by a large shape approaching — but this time he did not calm as the other she-wolf drew near and his raised hackles remained so. He did not recognize her, nor the foreign thing she placed in front of him. Roland's muzzle wrinkled and his black lips rose a bit above his incisors and baby canines. But still there was no sound. Just a hard stare that flicked between the wolf and the rabbit as his tongue darted out to lick uncertainly at his mouth.

This time the pup held his ground, emboldened by his mother's presence.

There is a moose carcass that has been scavenged by coyotes nearby. +15 Health

@Ophelia

Oula happily rumbled as Roland returned her affections, her tail swishing quickly at her hocks as he returned the sentiment with his own tiny tongue brushed against her forelimb. The mother glanced up as she heard someone approaching, finding Ophelia with a rabbit tucked between her jaws.

Oula's ears perked up in pleasant surprise. When had Ophelia become so helpful? Was it simply the slow but steady process of maturing, or was it the responsibility of having a baby brother? Oula chuckled at Ophelia's out-loud pondering as to whether or not Roland could make use of her gift yet. "Why thank you, that's very kind of you." She said, her tail swishing pleasantly, stepping forward to lap at Ophelia's cheek in a small kiss. With Roland as quiet as he was, his growing agitation with his sister's appearance escaped her notice.

"After the next new moon," Oula answered with a nod. A little over a month from now, which seemed like a long while yet, but Oula knew how quickly these early days could fly by. "But not a lot at first. And it'll have to regurgitated it until his jaws are strong enough to chew it himself," She added for Ophelia's sake, finally glancing down at Roland. The boy looked absolutely furious, all puffed up in a way that would have been intimidating if he was any taller than her ankles. Though what exactly had him so riled up, she couldn't tell. Was it the rabbit? She supposed it was his first time seeing such a thing. 

"Oh, it's just a little rabbit, Roland. Nothing to be afraid of, see?" She assured him, thinking that the dead rabbit was indeed the issue. Oula reached forward, nudging the bunny with her paw and flipping it over.

Pleased by her mother's approval, Ophelia wagged her tail with pride, her smile light and sweet. "No problem, Mama. I guess you can have it instead." Though the thought of another moon going by before Roland could make use of any meals she brought him seemed rather daunting, she imagined he could still make good toys out of rabbit ears. She'd simply strip them for him and leave them as an offering while Mama ate the rest. Maybe she could teach him how to play tug if he was willing.

The yearling realized now how little she'd truly played with her siblings as a pup. She'd been so busy trying to explore the world around her - or deliberately disobey everyone - that she missed out on the fun times they could have had. While she still remained bitter towards Joan leaving the way she had, she missed her sister dearly, and Felix even more so. At least her littermate had the possibility of returning sooner rather than later. As for Joan, Ophelia was of the mind that she would never come back. Mama may not feel the same, but Ophie simply refused to hold on to the illusion.

When @Oula looked down to reassure @Roland there was no need for his behavior, Ophie snorted. Her infant brother's response was similar to her usual response to an unknown. The pale princess trotted just as boldly over to him and placed a heavy, albeit gentle, paw on top of his head. "Careful now, little brother. Learn from me and don't bite off more than you can chew. One day, you'll find out it bites harder than you thought." She recalled vividly her meeting in the woods with a certain white male who'd been so much larger than herself and relatively calm until she'd goaded him into action. While she was certain she would make other mistakes, Ophie was unlikely to make that particular one again.

He was observant. He did not miss the amiable interactions between his mother and this new wolf. His blue eyes danced between them and the rabbit, which while strange, was the least of his concerns. It was not moving. Or making noise. But even he himself was slower to trust and accept that there was no need to be suspicious of the newcomer, he recognized that his mother was not, and from her took his cue. He relaxed — fur flattening and tail sagging. But it would not last long. His attention was stole from the other female as his mother nudged and flipped the rabbit, and in the next moment a paw descended on his head.

Roland hauled his head back with hostile surprise and fixed Ophelia with a dark look and a muzzle rippled in a silent snarl. He understood that the gesture was a non threat but nonetheless did not approve, and he made that well known. In time he would learn to better hide his feelings and his intentions, and perhaps learn to tolerate contact when he needed to in order to advance his agenda. It would do him no favors, he would learn also, to be too honest.

Eyes trained on Ophelia, he shuffled closer to the rabbit. Even as his head bent so that his nose and his tongue could investigate and explore the game, his attention was unwavering. Slowly, the scent of meat, of blood and fur, started to stir him. His eyes fell from the wolf and squared on to the rabbit. It was not done consciously, but he moved to possess it. He climbed on top of the prey, mouthing and tugging at the fur and covering as much of its body as he could with his own.