keepin my eyes wide open

<blockquote>He rolled to his paws, shaking his coat quickly to rid of the dry needles that had sunk into it's wiry texture. He did not need those jabbing into him later, and though he would not admit to it, he liked to appear somewhat clean. He tossed his snout with an faintly amused snort at himself. He really needed to see what this thing was, and trying to pounce on it was not working. He just couldn't operate his legs to snatch the thing with his paws nor his teeth. It was driving him insane. It had four legs, but it was -what had mother called it- gareen? Something like that, as it matched the grass, and the tips of the trees. What the lad did not understand was it's eyes. They were huge, round, and bulging. Why? Why? Why? Did it make it see better? He tipped his snout to the side, trotting behind the naked creature as it hopped further along.

<b>"No!"</b> He barked at it, demanding for it to stop. He forced his thick, wobbly limbs to hurry, stepping out around, in front of it. <b>"Can, weave,"</b> he said, his darkening brows knit in a deep scowl as he lowered his head to the poor frog. He had every means to stop it, and for a few moments the frog did not really know what to do,certain if he moved it may be his last. Renier half smiled, and decided to take a sniff. When he brought his black nose to the green skin, it was sticky! His nose stuck for a second. He panicked immediately withdrawing from it, while lifting a limb to brush off the weird goo. <b>"Hey! Nuh, uh,"</b> he scolded the frog, while shaking his head. It shouldn't do that.</blockquote>

(This post was last modified: Jul 28, 2012, 03:38 PM by Renier.)

Sibyl was napping in a small dirt indentation she had scraped out alongside a fallen log. Or, she had been, until a small bark pulled her back to consciousness. Tiredly, she lifted her head and yawned, then glanced around for what had made the noise. It was soon apparent that the source was a tawny cub stalking along the ground after some creature. She recognized him as Renier, although she swore he was bigger than she'd seen him last. His awkwardly growing body was seemingly not cooperating in letting him catch the critter.

Sibyl watched him with interest for a moment. Just what was it that he had found, anyways? From her low angle on the ground she couldn't quite see what Renier was looking at. A brief flicker of concern crossed her face, worried that whatever he was stalking might be something dangerous, perhaps a spider or a snake even. Well, she wasn't going to let anything bad happen to one of the pups while she was around. She drew herself to her feet, and as she rose the tiny quarry made a leap. Sibyl sighed, then laughed nervously, <b>"Oh, just a frog"</b>. She was up anyways, so she might as well take a look too.

Renier went in too close for a sniff and as he shook his head in disapproval, Sibyl laughed again, this time out of amusement. <b>"Renier,"</b> she called his name softly, to both catch his attention and announce her approach. She came to a stop at the boy's side, scrutinizing the small slimy frog. <b>"Just what have you found here?"</b> It was more a question for him than for her. It was obvious to her what it was, but she wanted him to think about it.

(This post was last modified: Jul 21, 2012, 01:53 AM by Sibyl.)

<blockquote>The frog looked at him with it's huge eyes, which would flicker to the side of the wolf cub. It needed to escape, this time it was more afraid if it jumped it would be caught in teeth. Renier was soon distracted by a high trickling laugh. Who was laughing at him? His brows dipped downward, and he shot his head upward to see. He was most surprised to see Sibyl, though he did not remember it to be her name. The sight of her, her scent were the same though, and his tail half flicked in response when she called to him. If she would have continued to laugh he would have had to told her to stop, she did not. She came closer, inspecting his latest discovery.

<i>"Just what have you found here?"</i> The lad had no idea what he was to say. His brows deepened in tighter lines of his thought. Mother nor Father had ever told him what this was suppose to be, and this was his first encounter. It was not in Renier to say I don't know, so he thought, and then it came to him. His, now green eyes (working on changing to gold one day) widening he tipped his head up toward the lady. <b>"Gareen,"</b> he smoothly answered with his tail wiggly behind his fuzzy haunches. It was "green", that had to be right to a point didn't it?

It would be than the frog would attempt it's escape. The large wolf could eat him, and he was not sticking around to wait. So he jumped, and he jumped and he jumped trying to make it to the distance stream. The young Lyall would catch the green flash, and cry out, <b>"No! Come 'ere!"</b> Turning on his stubby legs to attempt to catch the creature.</blockquote>

Sibyl waited patiently as Renier puzzled out an answer. Whether he knew what it was, she wasn't sure, and she felt a twinge of guilt for having asked a question he might not be able to answer. Thankfully, he had figured something out. He turned his face up to her and with great confidence told her that the creature was <i>"Gareen"</i>. Sibyl stood silent for a perplexing moment. Little Renier had presented her with her own puzzle of just what "gareen" meant. She stared at him, her head slowly tipping to the side as if to roll the word around her head. Gar-gar-grr-grreen? <b>"Oh, it's green."</b> It dawned on her, not that the frog was green, though it was, but rather, the word he spoke was meant to be as such.

By the time Sibyl had figured all this out though, the amphibian had resumed its hopping and Renier had given chase. The frog was not particularly fast, but for the cub it proved a challenge. He shouted after it, but the frog certainly did not listen. Who could blame it. Sibyl trotted after Renier, easily catching up to him and his quarry. She could easily jump forward and catch the critter, though she didn't. Frogs weren't her favorite thing to eat, often they tasted like the nasty puddle they lived in, but they were quite easy for her to catch when she had been on her own. She didn't want to take away the boy's "catch", but she couldn't let it get away from him, either.

Lithe limbs carried her around both Renier and his frog, and she placed herself right in the path of the hopper. Lowering her head, she snapped her jaw with a clack in front of frog. Scared by the teeth that had suddenly appeared before its slimy face, the frog veered off to the side to avoid being caught between the two wolves.

<blockquote>He would have no idea he had given her something to think about. He had stated it perfectly, and did not see where another question would be at all. A single brow half lifted at her simple statement as if she was a few geese short of a v. Had he not just told her it was green? There was little time to say what was on his mind, or even think about it more. His green thing was getting away!

Paws pounded hard against the ground, if by pushing them harder he may pick up more speed. He hated how Sibyl so easily caught him, and he could not go as smoothly. His frustrations could not be revealed, every ounce of his energy was in catching that frog. He drove himself faster, shifting into at least one quicker gear. His little face scrunched up in determination. He was too far away, than he noticed Sibyl had blocked it's path. He slid to a stop, ready to jump on the amphibian. The frog reared to the left, and Renier pounced on empty air. <b>"My frog!"</b> He yelled, at the same time struggling to make a stand. It was too late, he could not see the frog, and he hung his head in defeat. <b>"Frog,"</b> he quietly whispered, wishing it would come back. The frog continued hopping, fast and far to Jasper Rocks where it hoped to find safety.

The boy turned, looking to Sibyl. What was he suppose to do now?</blockquote>

Sibyl lifted her head and stepped back as Renier made a flying leap at the frog, or rather, the space where the frog had been right before. She flinched, startled by the sound of the pup collapsing with a thud on the ground, having missed his mark. Perhaps it was for the best that the frog had gotten away, as Sibyl was sure if Renier had caught it, it would be a squashed mess. She watched the critter hop away with impressive haste, and with a quiet rustle it quickly disappeared into the bushes. Her attention was pulled back to Renier as he wailed for the frog. She looked down by her feet in time to see the pup pick himself back up off the ground. He looked so morose and disappointed at the escape of his little pet.

Sibyl gave him an apologetic smile. She couldn't pull another frog out of thin air, so her words were all she had to offer. <b>"Sorry Renier, sometimes they just get away."</b> She said softly. Renier was looking up at her, expectantly, as if she might offer him his next form of entertainment seeing as the last had disappeared into the trees. Sibyl glanced around, hoping to see some other friendly face that might offer a solution to "what next", but she saw none. It was just her and Renier. No one had said that Sibyl <i>had</i> to keep her eye on him, but she felt it was her obligation to. She couldn't just let the pup run around on his own, after all. And napping wasn't particularly productive anyways, no matter her penchant for it.

What did pups even like to do? It had been a while since she had been one herself, so it was difficult to get into the mindset of one. <b>"Well... Would you like to go on a walk with me? Have you been past the den, yet?"</b> She asked, unsure. Again, she glanced around, this time wondering where everyone was. And why was Renier chasing things around outside alone? When she looked back to Renier, it was with a wary expression. <b>"Are you supposed to be out here?"</b> She certainly didn't want to get into trouble.

<blockquote>Life was full of disappointments, and Renier would have to learn the hard way as everyone else did. Sometimes your frog just got away, and there was nothing you could do about it. Her smile comforted him a little, but he could not smile back. He did not understand why the frog had to run off. He stiffly bobbed his head at her answer, but could not draw his faded blue eyes from looking at her, as much as he wanted to shield his disappointed face. The boy had no idea what to do now, and was very hopeful she would. She certainly had proved she could hang around pups when they had first met. Dark brown head cocked to the side, his ears cupped forward in wait. He could go find Ryvet, or Taima. They were only back by the den playing, Mom checking in now and again when she was trying to get them something to eat.

He half struggled to simple waddle back to where he probably should be, where no one would have to fret over him. She suddenly invited him on a walk. His little eyes lit up, his wormy tail wiggling, and he let out a happy yap. Of coarse he would love to go! He bobbed his head in yes to her first question, and shook it no to her second. He had not been very far recently. They were allowed around the den, and even where he was he was certain he would be scolded for. Then to his horror she asked about that. His eyes shifted downward to shield them from her own. <b>"Um.."</b> He gulped back, not sure what to say. He wasn't sure how to lie, and even if he did he would not know what to say...how to sound convincing. <b>"No,"</b> he finally let out in a pent up breath. He should not be out here, but he so badly wanted to explore with Sybil.

He tipped his nose up,<b>"Momma said stay by den, but I...I find frog."</b> His head cast back down, almost in shame. He rarely understood why his parents worried so much. He did not ever see what they were afraid of. <b>"But..um we walk back?"</b> He said, looking at her hopeful again. He wasn't sure how to get back at the moment any way.</blockquote>

The prospect of a walk had brought wriggling excitement to the boy, but the question of whether he was supposed to be out dampened it faster than a fire-hose on a candle. Sibyl's red ears folded back. She hated being the "bad guy" and causing an end to Renier's fun, but being on his parents bad side would be worse. He was looking away from her, staring at his toes, and his sad expression wrenched Sibyl's heart.

Sibyl smiled at his confession of being led astray by the frog. <b>"Oh, Renier, it'll be alright. I think if we get you back soon, your mother won't mind."</b> Sibyl couldn't make any promises, but she imagined that he wouldn't get into <i>too</i> much trouble once he was brought back. When he looked up to her she was glad to see that his face wasn't so morose. <b>"Good idea, I'll show you the way home."</b>

Sibyl turned towards the den, its location well marked within her memory. Renier hadn't gone far enough to leave the general vicinity of the den, just far enough to not quite see it anymore. Sibyl didn't like to be too far from others, but she wasn't a puppy, she couldn't sleep inside of their den. And even if she could, their tiny paws poking her in the eye didn't sound very appealing. So the little clearing Renier had ended up in on his frog chase served as her preffered sleeping place, close enough to be near but not intrusive. She moved slowly as to allow him to walk easily at her side. It wasn't a long walk, but at pup speed it would seem a bit farther than it really was.

She wasn't going to scold him for going too far, she was sure he had and would hear enough of it from his own parents. It would just make her feel mean to do so. But she could at least offer him a little advice. She kept moving but tilted her head towards him as she spoke, watching him out of the corner of her eye. <b>"If you ever get lost, if you remember what your home smells like, you can use your nose to find your way back."</b>

<blockquote>The shame he felt he could not name but, it lifted when seeing her gentle smile. He kinda thought she was a softie, but he had not expected the reaction. Surely, he should be scolded and taken back. She took in his words, his idea, and his gray eyes widened in surprised. He could not believe what he was hearing. <b>"Okay,"</b> he murmured back, quite happy to not only not anger his mother, but have some one for company. Much as he cared for his siblings and parents, new faces, new adventures were, lets face it, more exciting. The frog was forgotten and he jumped to his paws, taking a step forward. She easily out walked him, and he scurried faster to keep up with her longer strides. He couldn't wait till his legs grew longer, as he was often assured they would.

Paying little attention to where they were walking, he kept his chill titled up, and his eyes on her more golden coat. <b>"Why you that color?"</b> He asked, his eyes narrowing from the brightness of the sun that loomed above the trees. He had never understood why wolves were different colors. Taima and him were sorta the same, while Ryvet and Calla were much more alike. He realized they took after their parents, but did everybody? Did it depend where they lived? Or what order they were born? He did not once think it was rude, or unnecessary to ask. He thought it was pretty grown up to try to talk. He usually had not cared too, but he was getting better at it.

He half-stopped when her creamy muzzle cast down toward him, and his ears shrank back out of mere instinct. She still did not scold, but offered some sound advice. His nose. <i>Oh yes!</i> That was right! He just, well he was still trying to figure it out. It was so confusing, there was a lot of smells, and a lot he wanted to follow. He put two and two together. <b>"Like momma? And you?"</b> He inquired, he could recall their scents when he took the time. What did home smell like? His brow crinkled in thought, and he decided he should just ask. <b>"Home smell like that?"</b></blockquote>

She kept her eyes on the path ahead, but a single ear was tilted down to the pup, keeping watch over him with sound rather than sight. The quick cadence of Renier's paws reassured her that he was moving along beside her, albeit lagging behind at her ankles. She slowed her step even further, checking over her shoulder to make sure he was getting along alright. Just as she looked back, she noticed Renier was inspecting her side with great interest. Suddenly self conscious, she wondered if she had put on too much weight recently. To her great relief, he actually just had a question about the color of her coat.

Her face scrunched in thought. That certainly wasn't something she had ever wondered about, but it was a good question. Her tawny hues were definitely owed to her parents, and it was difficult telling her and her brother apart. Though her sister turned out looking a lot more like her aunt... To further confuse the issue, Sibyl had never seen a white wolf before she left the prairies to head North. She supposed that had something to do with the colder weather, more snow, maybe? But she hadn't yet experienced a Northern winter to be able to tell for sure.

She hummed thoughtfully before she answered, a little unsure, <b>"Well, I think the color my parents were had something to do with it? I look a lot like them, and my siblings do, too. The color of a wolf helps it blend in with the surroundings, so prey don't see us sneaking up on them."</b> She hoped that answer would be succinct enough for the curious pup.

She had kept on walking, and after offering her advice with a glance back at him, he faltered on his feet. She blinked, her lips tugging downward for a moment. It seemed like he would expect her to scold him then, but he then looked considerate of what she had said. She nodded, smiling again, <b>"Yeah, sorta like that. And the plants, and the dirt, and even everyone else in Grizzly Hollow."</b> A look back forward showed her that the familiar mound that the den was set into was now visible, peaking through the trees. <b>"Almost there,</b> she murmured. She really hoped that she was right, and that Miss Jaysyek wouldn't be mad at little Renier for going too far.