Pookastone Scowle i choke the land in carbon

Trigger Warning: child death. Walrus has found Tooth dead of malnutrition and dehydration. @Claw for relevance.

She hadn't come back as expected, and after a few hours even Walrus began to feel pinpricks of concern. While her daughter was eager for independence from her harsh mother, this would be the first time she'd chosen to just not come home at all. Grumbling bitterly to herself, Walrus at last pushed herself up onto her paws and went looking for the errant pup.

It didn't take too long to find her, curled up and stiff as a stone in a crevice amongst the Scowle. Walrus knew the youth had passed before even approaching, the tiny corpse far too still to be her Tooth. She pulled it from it's hiding place, and deposited the deceased whelp onto the earthy ground at her paws to better inspect her. Too weak. She'd simply gotten too weak. Walrus sighed, and settled her nose atop the thoughtless crown, inhaling her daughter's scent for the last time.

At least she still had a son.

Don't need to reply if you don't want to. More or less for character development

As the hours ticked by Claw could tell Mother had grown tiresome of his sibling's antics until a boiling point had been reached. Tooth had yet to return to the collection of crevices that made up their makeshift abode. Both pups had been drawn to their newfound independence the she-wolf offered them like moths to a flame, alas it would soon be discovered that one such moth couldn't handle the heat such a dangerous flame offered.

Curiosity enveloped the young boy as his gaze watched the silhouette of his mother rise and venture off no doubt in search of his wayward sister with little more than a grumble that flitted off her tongue. Not one to miss a guaranteed scolding from their mother upon his sibling, the dark-coated child rose to his own paws and followed just close enough to keep up yet allowing enough distance between them that her frustration couldn't be shifted unto him.

It hadn't taken the mother long to seek out her missing child and it was here that Claw hung back a little more, pausing and watching intently for the show he thought was about to begin, but something wasn't quite right. Tooth hadn't budged from the hideaway amongst the crevices as they approached. Instead, Walrus had to pry the child herself from the spot and laid her upon the ground where the pup lay still. Far too still despite the gentle prodding of their mother's nose against her crown.

Claw's curiosity was heightened at that moment, taking a couple of steps forward to better look at his sleeping sibling who would never wake up again. He didn't know how at that moment he knew, perhaps it was the unusual gentleness their mother offered her, but Tooth was gone.

Only the strongest would survive in this world.

Speaking of... the boy had followed hot on her heels, but she did not necessarily consider the impact this would have on him. She had seen siblings die, had killed twice herself when pushed too far. Death was an unavoidable facet of life, especially for those not cut from durable enough cloth. When Claw began to draw closer, Walrus took a step back to allow him to investigate and say goodbye as needed.

If he came near enough, she would lower her muzzle to his warm, whelp-scented scalp and give a few encouraging licks. It was a rare display from her, but she was proud of him and wanted him to know that.

"My brave, strong li'l Claw. It'll be easier ter travel now; we c'n go anywhere yer like."

(This post was last modified: Sep 09, 2022, 05:30 PM by Eros.)

His mother made no effort to thwart the boy's attempts at coming closer to the deceased form of his fallen sibling, nor were there any signs of reprimanding for having followed in the first place. In fact, a rare display of affection was offered to the boy in the form of a couple of licks on his dark crown as he slowly approached closer with dark-tinged ears splayed back hesitantly. Only silence was evoked from the young boy as his puppy blue gaze focused solely on the lifeless silhouette of Tooth, unsure of what exactly he was feeling inside nor what words there were to say. Would the Tooth he knew vaguely even hear them now?

Weak. Tooth had been too weak. Claw turned his snout away from Tooth at the thought of having such a weak sister until the sound of his mother's voice broke his trance enough to shift his gaze toward her, drinking in the rare words of praise she offered like sweet honey. "Go." The single word was repeated. There was nothing left for them here.

Go he answered her, and Walrus nodded. So be it, then. Her luminescent gaze rested upon Tooth's still corpse one final time, and then she stepped over the emaciated frame to move east, toward the mountain's looming shadow.

They would find other children then for young Claw to interact and tussle with, and she had an idea of where some might be. She expected her son to follow as he typically did, and did not feel the need to look back and check for him.

"Have I told yer of the Great Moth?" she asked, thinking perhaps a story would be a good distraction from his young mind. Moving on from his sister's death was best, and dwelling upon what could not be changed did nothing but mire wolves.

His answer was heeded shortly after it had been spoken and oversized paws diligently fell in line following behind the silhouette of his mother as she began to venture away from her sister's corpse and toward the looming shadow of a giant hill Claw struggled to find the top of. He wondered what was up at the top of it while they walked, knowing not where mother was leading him next, but his trust in her was unbreakable.

One form of curiosity was exchanged for another the moment his mother's voice broke the silence that had momentarily developed between them, dark ears pricking forward and the speed of his paws picking up to saddle up along her side as they walked. Oh boy storytime! "Tell, tell!" Claw barked with excitement, a wide grin settling on his maw that showcased that childhood innocence that hadn't been entirely tainted by their small family's tragic luck.

The young boy listened intently as Walrus began to tell the tale of the Great Moth, the duo soon enough disappearing into the distance towards whatever adventure struck next.

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