Hollowheart Keep Alea iacta est

Naira, you lost your footing - @Asphodel and @Hemlock first, then I will reply with Naira and the rest of the pack are welcome to join in.

The afternoon knows

• NAIRA •

what the morning never suspected

The sun had not yet decided to peek it’s shining face over the horizon when the tawny woman woke. Under the thick cover of the trees that made up the Ghastly Woods, she could not yet see the tell-tale lightening of the horizon, but in her bones, she knew it was there. Her nostrils twitched as she tried to ignore the ache in her spine and the awkward stiffness of her hips. She had hoped that with time, the pain would subside but it had not happened yet, and so she had to wonder if it would ever fade at all?

Gritting her teeth she stood dropping her nose to nudge at the sleeping bundles at her side, they were more than old enough to walk the short way back to the main den, and with her aching joints, she was certain they would hardly struggle to keep up. The rest of the pack should be waking by the time they reached them, and now was as good a time as any.

Moving out into the open air, her sleepy children stumbling on her heels she began to pick a cautious path back towards the large outcrop that would mark their journeys end. The ground was wet underfoot and the leaves lay thick and damp. Perhaps she wasn’t so wise to be attempting this trip with sore hips and a swaying back in the near dark, but she had always been just a little stubborn, and once her mind was made, there was no convincing her otherwise.

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i am not spoiled;

Asphodel

...my parents just love me.

It was time to go. This much Asphodel knew but she had been to excited to care too much about where. The Hollowheart Keep pups had been confined to a small area apart from the rest of the pack ever since their birth and Asphodel, at least, was burning for release. She wanted to see the world with her own eyes rather than hear about it from her parents. She wanted to taste the fresh air beyond her tiny sliver of Earth. And she wanted to discover new scents, feel new ground.

Asphodel beamed as she followed her parents through the den's exit for the last time. Her body, now disproportionate and awkward, welcomed the small bits of sun that pushed its way through the thick canopy of tangled branches and dark green leaves. The cool breeze outside the safe den walls made her shiver, but more with delight and ecstasy than any change in temperature. Asphodel was rident. The creamy furred pup turned her head and searched for the one thing that gave her as much comfort, or more, than her mother. "Hemmock!" she hissed, spying her brother just leaving the dark den. "Hurry up!" She hoped her impatient tone would spur her less energetic sibling to move a little faster. Asphodel wanted to reach wherever they were going, something called a "pack," as quickly as possible and if anyone slowed her down she was going to tear somebody's ear off. Of course, that would take extra time because she would never do such a horrible thing to Mommy or Daddy or even "Hemmock," and would have to go find some other wolf to punish. So it better not happen.

Asphodel kept close to her mother's side while they walked, always encouraging Hemlock to move faster even when his pace was matched with her own. Her brain outran her body's capabilities and she couldn't stop herself from demanding from others more than even she herself could do.

Outside it was dark, and the air still held a distinguishable chill despite this being the ‘warmer months’. Of course the child had nothing colder to compare it to, so as his mother and his sister left his side, shakes began to wrack his tiny frame and a small whine of protest could be heard leaving the young prince’s lips. It was too early to be out of bed! Too early and too cold.

When his protests went unheeded, he quickly gathered his spindly legs beneath his gangly frame and bravely followed in his sisters wake. The ground was still wet with dew and although his mothers steps were slow enough to allow both him and his sister to keep pace, the journey itself seemed daunting for a child that had never travelled more than a few meters from the entrance of the birthing den. His apprehension was quickly brushed aside however as his sisters waving tail came in sight...

With a short burst of speed he closed the gap between them, tiny puppy teeth aiming to wrap their way about her quickly thickening tail with a small war growl of challenge and a bounce in his step. Mother was with them. Nothing could possibly go wrong...

Quick post to get this moving - backdated to cover the recent absence (she does recover, don't panic - just covering IC'ly why she's been a lazy sh*t). She does have a mild case of hip dysplasia so this may be an ongoing issue that will worsen as time goes on. @Mapplethorpe, @Sagacity, @Chulyin, @Couth, @Evann, @Quick, @Nova - reply at will.

The afternoon knows

• NAIRA •

what the morning never suspected

They had made it about half way there when the Hemlock decided to rough house with his sister. A small growl of warning was cut off short as the tawny woman’s spine seized up and her rear legs gave way beneath her on a wet pile of leaf litter that had spilled across their path. An almighty yelp left her mouth as she fell, more than loud enough to wake the sleeping pack a short distance away, but what was smarting even more than her hips was her pride. She took a moment to pant in an attempt to gather herself before she tried to recover her sprawled limbs beneath her. Dirt was smudged across her muzzle and chin from the awkward way she had tipped forward as she fell. While she managed to push up her front, her back legs remained splayed behind her, any attempt to put pressure on her legs resulting in more small involuntary yelps to leave her chest. She had tried to move too soon, and now her recovery time would be more than doubled.

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(This post was last modified: Jul 12, 2014, 12:17 PM by Naira.)

S-OR-RY this took so long. D:
@Asphodel @Hemlock

It was early, so early. The rising sun hadn't even started coloring the sky with its usual display of gold and rose, so why was she awake. Stretching out her limbs and rolling over on her other side, the brown shewolf tried to make herself more comfortable in the tight space of the den, hoping to once again be nuzzled in the peace of sleep. But to no avail! Her brain had decided that it was time to get up, and she might as well follow its directions. It was when she was on her way out of the shallow opening under the outcrop, that she heard the pained cry of a familiar voice; Naira! Forgetting her morning stiff legs and the grumpiness of being up so early, the young girl hurried over the wet leaves, anxiety painted on her face. She came soon enough upon the scene, and watched with eyes wide in terror, for though she was no healer, it was clear to the sable lass that something was severely wrong with the leader's body. "Mi... Miss Naira, wh-what happened?!" Evann gasped, still staring at the sprawled legs of the older wolfess. Then, without waiting for answer, she raised her head and called for help, howling specifically for @Couth to come quickly to his alpha's aid. When she lowered her head again, her eyes fell, for the first time, on the pups. Two small, light-brown forms, almost too small to make it through the thick layer of leaves on the forest floor. For the moment, they seemed to be locked in a brawl, none of them yet to have noticed their mother's predicament. Evann wanted to step over to them, keep them occupied so they would not see the state Naira was in, but she hesitated, knowing the protectiveness of a wolf mother. Instead she looked back to her leader, concern in her chocolate orbs, she wouldn't approach the children without her permission. Word count: 325 Thoughts”Speech”

Burtn @DA & Dawnthieves.de