Broken Timber Pines and we'll dig a big hole

@Iopah, mommy daughter bonding time??
Dated 11/13 - Clear skies, mid morning.

Eager paws carried her swiftly through the giant's forest, gold eyes shining with that light that never seemed to die. She was on a mission, determined and unstoppable, as it had been set within her mind upon waking how today should be spent. She and her sister's growth had been exceptionally rapid lately, lending the girl a perhaps, perhaps not, false sense of confidence and maturity. It was by far time for her to begin doing as her parents did and solidifying her working future within the pack, for certainly she was old enough now, right? As she thundered along, she sought her mother.

At times it was difficult to exactly pinpoint the leader, given how thickly covered the entirety of the territory was with her scent. Iopah was diligent, productive, regal; everything the girl wanted to be. Her father too was a wonderful role model, but her mother was her hero. She took the task as just another challenge each time she wanted to seek out the alpha's company, developing her tracking skills as she attempted to find a helpful scent cone within the air. Pursuing the known routine, she deviated as Iopah's freshest trail did, and within a reasonable amount of time was able to find and approach her.

"Mama!" she called out, far too excited to wait for the woman to be brought into view by her quick strides. "Hey, I wanna talk to you about somethin'!"

lol Bracken has turned Io's knee-jerk reaction into 'gdi, now what have you done?'

It was far from unusual to have one of her daughter's following after her. The mother stopped, shoulder still leaning against the cache she had been reinforcing, as the rapid footstep approached. Her ears curved to the sound and gold eyes watched the rustle of foliage in the nearing distance. Bracken was always tagging along and for all the youngest Reinier's energy, she seemed to be unable to entertain herself. Iopah halfway expected this to be her younger daughter once again, begging for a game or perhaps retelling her most recent adventure with @Arion.

Iopah was pleasantly surprised to be proven wrong. With one last sweep of a fore limb, she shifted enough earth to shore up the branches that sheltered the cache.

"Yes?" She hummed back to Ember, having only time for one last glance at the cache before the girl rushed into sight. They were similar -her two daughters- but their boundless energy seemed to have a different type of intensity. As the youngster moved towards her, Iopah was quick to close the distance and pass a muzzle protectively over her pale-coated daughter. Heaven help whatever force dared to strike against her. "Did something happen?" She inquired, finding nothing amiss and settling back with an inquisitive gaze. Already they had grown so much; Iopah found herself nearly eye to eye with her eldest.

Ember thought little of her mother's searching eye, and bumped her slightly-slimmer muzzle against the matriarch's throat affectionately as a smile overtook her lips. Behind her, her cold-thickened tail bounced around joyously and her paws pranced in place. Not only did she adore being in her mother's presence, but she was thoroughly excited for this conversation to undergo. In her ever optimistic mind, she was certain that it would go exactly as she had rehearsed.

"Nah," she answered, forcing herself to recline and permanently ground her paws. "Well, actually, I found a suirrel," the memory jumped suddenly into her mind, and her sharing of it was just as impulsive; her mother had asked, "and he was like, 'nee nee nee nee nee,' and threw an acorn at me, so naturally I was like," a paw flailed through the air as she gnashed her fangs together and growled animatedly, expressively telling this piece of the story; that she'd swiftly slain the rude little creature, "and that's how I got my breakfast,"she finished with a proud nod.

"Oh, but uh, no... I wanted to talk to you about maybe... taking on a job. Like you and pa and the other adults do," she spoke up at last, calming down as it was business that was upon her tongue. "I wanna help out, 'cause I'm old enough now."

(This post was last modified: Nov 30, 2015, 02:37 AM by Ember.)

lmfao, Io and her long-standing squirrel obsession/hatred has been passed on!

In this moment there was no question that Ember and Bracken were not sisters. Iopah was very familiar with the footwork in her older daughter's I-can't-stay-still dance. She saw it every time she attempted to corral the younger daughter. Stifling a chuckle she nudged back, the infectious excitement making it's way into her eyes regardless. Hopefully at least one of them would grow out of it; she wasn't looking forward to tending a new litter along with two over-eager yearlings this coming spring.

Her brows rose at the retelling, following along with vested interest. Stupid things. They were always spoiling the hunts and shrilling obscenities down at the wolves. It deserved what it got. "Soon it'll be cold enough for them to sleep through the winter." She promised her daughter. For several months, at least, there would be peace.

The change in conversation was unexpected. At first, with all the hedging, Iopah wondered if it was bad news after all. Oh... "I see." It was a strange feeling, trying to imagine her daughter as an adult. A large part of her wanted to keep her children safe and close forever, but life didn't work that way. "Was there something you wanted to do?" She prodded curiously before posing a more all-encompassing proposition. "It would be a good idea for you to learn a little bit of everything." If she expected the adult to be jacks-of-all trades, then it was only fair she expected the same of the pups.