Sceral was absolutely flabbergasted. So many plants that you’d never, ever see them all. It sort of slotted into the pup’s perspective just how vast and big the world was. Part of him took it as a challenge however; he’d make sure to count as many as he could. He’d tell his mum all about all the plants he saw on his amazing journeys across the world, what they smelt like and looked like. Maybe she would like that.

His mother’s kisses were the nicest kisses. They were also the only kisses he had actually received but he was positive that, yes, they were the nicest of all. Her words were the nicest words, too. Lifting a paw to gently bop her on the nose, Sceral pulled a wolfish grin. One day he’d be a great leader and he’d treat all his pack with love with like his mum treated him. “I be strong! And nice!” Sceral danced on the stop, fidgeting from paw to paw. “I’mma looove my pack.” Scrambling to lick her on the nose, the little Aesir boy inwardly promised he’d love his pack just like he loved her (but he’d always love her more than them).

Corinna stretched out before asking the little boy if he wanted to find dad. Find dad! He nodded vigorously, tiny tail wagging. “Le’s go! I wanna know how to be a good leaduh, ma!” Prancing away clumsily, Sceral yapped over and over for his dad. The big white wolf was his father and also his absolute idol. He wanted to be just like him, wanted to be big and strong and, most of all, leader. He wanted to be the best leader ever.

Sceral Aesir was a curious soul and with that came the desire to learn. What was this and what was that, who are you and who is that? He had so many questions, ones that he barely received the answers to. Of course, Corinna told him many of the things he knew but in time he would find out that she didn’t know everything. Fenru had told him that the weird thing with a pointy mouth and flappy arms was, in fact, a crow and that it didn’t want to play with the siblings. Maybe, in time, the other members of the pack would actually talk to Sceral other than just family. He knew they existed, he had seen them during his first time outside! There were lots of them! So … where were they? He had better find them. What if they were hurt?

The brave little Aesir boy exaggerated sniffing, his nose twitching and his ears flicking as if flies were assaulting him. With his nose developing almost daily now, Sceral picked out a scent that he loved very dearly: Ice. Like a sniffer dog, he lowered his nose to the floor and scooted along, tail clumsily wagging with each step. Muddy eyes glanced up and then back down at the dirt. The smell got stronger and the pup’s eyes darted up once more to see the white and grey figure of his father, resting upon the ground. Lowering himself to the ground, Sceral wiggled his butt. Mischievous little Sceral was up to tricks.

He tried his best to remain silent as he crept a few steps closer, little teeth showing in a mischievous grin. Suddenly, he raced forward and with a grand leap (though it was more like a hop), he was upon Ice’s tail. Nomf! With his mouth now full of tail, Sceral tried his best to beam at his father. “Dad!”

Gone Tomorrow

Settled on her stomach, Corinna Donata stared out into the world. She was staring, her green eyes having glassed over a long time ago. From a distance, she would appear to be asleep, resting on the hill outside of the pack's den, her two cubs nearby. But despite her vacant expression, she was alert and alive to the world. She was ready to hone in on any moving object as it approached, though she would be lying if she wasn't hoping for three specific figures to appear. @Ice, @Merlin, and @Cali had been gone for a while, she'd lost count of the days. But there had been no sign of them, despite her inner urging them a swift and safe return. Sceral and Serach had noticed as well, robbed not only of their father but their playmate as well. Jessie had been deprived her sister and companion, and Triell had stepped up to accept the responsibilities of pack leadership. It was all a mess, and not quite right - but they would survive.

With a sigh, Corinna finally blinked, letting her eyes close for a few moments in relief. Grunting, she pushed up on the hard ground, her front half rising to a sitting position. Wearily, she looked around, taking one last look at the woods to search for her missing companions. Fruitless in her search, the leader growled softly, shaking her head to clear it from her mind. There were other tasks that needed to be done. They could not sit idly by and wait for them to return, no matter how much they wanted to. Perhaps a hunt would brighten their spirits, and it was high time that Serach and Sceral were properly taught. Back legs following the lead of the front ones, the leader pushed off, trotting towards the woods in the general direction she had last seen the resident deer herd.

Gone Tomorrow

Corinna's green eyes were narrowed in a squint, peering into the distance. No longer vacant, but actively looking for something. The tell-tale signs of prey: a broken twig, a bark missing from a tree, tracks in the dirt, or a pile of poop. Unfortunately, the leader saw none of these things, though she had doubted it greatly. She was still far too close to the pack's den, visible if she chose to turn around and look. But there were no deer there; even a zoned out wolf would have been aware if there had been.

What she had not been aware of was Kisla watching her. Only as Kisla drew closer did the sound of her steps alert Corinna that she was there. Turning her head, her lips parted to bare her teeth in a grin. In her throat, the mother made a sound that was more croon than growl and she returned Kisla's nudge with one of her own. Her daughter didn't say anything, but that didn't diminish the leader's pleasure at having her company. It had been some time since they had a moment to share, just the two of them.

Tossing her head in the general direction she had been headed, Corinna pushed forward once again, Kisla following alongside her. Nostrils flaring, Cori loped along, stopping every so often to lower her nose to the ground to investigate a scent. But her search was fruitless; if there was anything to be sought out, it was effectively evading her.

One patch of grass held Corinna's attention longer than the others. There was something, but it was just slipping past her. So subtle that it was barely registering. Cricking her tail in agitation, Cori lifted her head and looked up at Kisla. "I think I'm growing old. I can't smell anything."

Gone Tomorrow

Kisla had followed along dutifully, not questioning or inquiring as to what it was they were doing. Corinna's occupation with the patch of grass became Kisla's as well, and both mother and daughter sniffed at it. But Kisla's laugh admitted that there was nothing to be found, and with a chuckle and a wave of her tail, Corinna continued on. This time, though, the pack's matriarch walked easily, close to her daughter, brushing up against Kisla's tawny furred shoulder frequently.

"You're not old," Corinna chided good-naturedly. "You're an adult, but just barely. There's still so much for you and Fenru to experience. But it's hard to believe that two years have come and gone since you wrestled with your brothers in my belly." Had it really been so long ago? It seemed like a whole lifetime had transpired between now and then; and looking around them, at the thick trees beginning to sport their autumn leaves was only evidence that a whole life had passed. These were not the same trees that Corinna had hunted beneath when she had been pregnant with Kisla, Fenru, and Rihael and nor were these the trees that had provided protection to them during the cold winter months. It truly was a lifetime ago.

The leader's inner musings were interrupted by a rustle of leaves. Coming to a stop, one paw still in the air mid-step, she craned her neck upwards. But there was nothing of interest that she could see; it was probably just a squirrel or a bird. Not prey easily caught, and certainly not big enough for the whole pack. "I was hoping to rally the pack together to hunt soon. Serach and Sceral need to learn, but it'll be harder with Ice, Cali, and Merlin gone." Glancing over at her daughter, Corinna did her best to keep a straight face, though she was certain that worry came through anyway. At least this time, the pack knew why their loved ones had gone (mostly), but that didn't make their absence felt any less.

Gone Tomorrow

There had been a time when Corinna and Kisla had not been close, and hurt emotions and their own stubbornness had darkened all of their interactions. Kisla had not been thrilled to learn that she would have younger siblings. That particular conversation between mother and daughter had not been accompanied by light touches and loving caresses. As her daughter pulled away from her now, Corinna was thankful that they had been able to move past that. Now that Kisla was an adult, it seemed that the angst of youth had been left behind. Or at least, it seemed to be that way.

But that did not mean the questions had stopped. Kisla's question was teasing, but it was a serious question, and not one that Corinna had spent much of her time contemplating. So the pack's matriarch did not answer immediately, but pondered her answer as they walked. It took a few minutes, but eventually Cori broke the silence. "You've never really seen the world. Until we left Sacred Grove, you'd never really left home - at least not that I'm aware of," she began, shooting Kisla a pointed looked and a tilt of her head. If Kisla had ventured farther, Corinna didn't want to know. "There's a lot out there to explore. I wouldn't have met your father if I hadn't left home. I imagine you'll want your own cubs one day, and you saw Fenru challenge Triell. I've yet to meet a Tainn who was content with watching the world go by without them." Turning her head to the side, Corinna did her best to look at Kisla as they walked forward. Kisla's inner fire might not have burned as brightly as Fenru's, but it was there, smoldering beneath the surface. It was only a matter of time.

The rustle in the trees broke the serious atmosphere, and talk of the world and growing up was put aside in favor of more practical matters. A hunt to fill the bellies of the Oak Tree Bend wolves, that is what they needed. Kisla was of like mind, and surprisingly, allowed that inner spark to shine through. Corinna fixed her full attention upon her daughter, meeting the identical green eyes and gauging their sincerity. But there was no reason to doubt her daughter, and the leader nodded. "What did you have in mind? Perhaps you'd like to scout out the herd ahead of the pack, gauge their weaknesses and strengths?" She was all leader now, the pleasant facade of mother abandoned for the time being. Now she had to focus on what was good for the pack as a whole, and hopefully Kisla would be ready to rise to the challenge.