wild, wild whisper blowin' in the wind

<blockquote><i>Daybreak; Mostly Cloudy; Current Temperature: 57° F/14° C</i>

Taima Lyall might not have been the strongest in her litter but she was not about to let anyone think she was timid, shy or anything of the like - namely weak. Truth be told the personality of Cedarwood pack's third daughter was to be likened to a sparkling firecracker or a bomb that absolutely refused to be diffused. Even though her father had constantly caught her trying to sneak out of the old bear den a majority of the night the girl was wide awake as she toddled away from her siblings and into the early morning light. Borden, she discovered, had already left for his morning patrol. Beaming, she inhaled the crisp, cool air, greeted at first by only the silence of dawn. If Dad was nowhere to be seen, surely Mom was nearby. Or... Vice versa.

Her large ears swiveled forward and as she stood still she realized something. <i>What was that?</i> Her right ear turned to the side then back to the front; her sapphire blue eyes lifted up into the treetops. Somewhere, no, everywhere, the air was filled with... Chirping, whistling, cooing. <i>Birdsong</i>. Taima's nose began to twitch as her senses registered new, curious scents apart from familiar aroma of her family. She was just about ready seek out what exactly was giving off a sweet woody aroma when something loud buzzed by her ear. She turned to acknowledge it, but her eyes widened when she found there was no one there. She frowned then stalked off in the direction she thought it went. With her tail waving about behind her, she closely inspected a patch of flowering black hawthorn plants. <b>"Bzzz bzzz!"</b> she mimicked through her teeth, calling to the being that had passed her. <b>"Bzzzz! Come out!"</b></blockquote>

<blockquote>She had always been a light sleeper, except for those rare occasions she was to exhausted her brain had little power to think of her fears. It was with her first litter of pups she had gotten little rest those first few days. She had always been worried she would move and crush one of her children. Or one would wonder away, and she would be deep asleep to realize one was in need of her help. Of coarse it was rubish. She though in slumber was always aware where each one was, and how close they kept to her for heat and comfort. It wasn't until they got a little bigger she realized how silly it was to fret. None the less this time had been no different. Now, especially after leaving the den to see the outside world the pups had stepped up their game. If it were not for Borden she wasn't sure how she would have kept the four Lyalls contained. How blessed she was, if she was sleeping he was watching, and they swapped turns. Least, she hoped so. She was not sure if her love sleep much, but as always never knew what to do about it. A quiet sigh she carefully shifted her weight to her other side, and half asleep counted the bodies beside her. There was one missing.

Mismatched eyes shoot open, and struggled in the darkness to see where her fourth cub was. It was when she raised her head, pricking her ears forward she had a good guess who had escaped. <i>Taima</i>. A fond smile, she gently nuzzled the three soft head, and with a lot of effort like a silent, balancing act she freed herself from the den, and into the first morning light. A cock of her head, she scanned the forest looking for the mousy coat of her young. She was looking when she heard the Bzzz of a little wolf voice. Her heart faintly fluttering in it's worry, she turned on heal headed toward her curious daughter. She made no rush, she took a moment, walking quietly upon the scene to simply watch her explorer in recent discovery.
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<blockquote>Oblivious to her mother's watchful gaze, Taima continued her search. The branches were sharp and scratchy against her small muzzle but it did not stop her from withdrawing and looking the clusters of white flowers. <b>"<i>A-bzzzz,</i>"</b> she tried again, her brow beginning to crease in disappointment with every second that passed without being replied to. She held out a paw and pressed it against a low, stocky bramble. To her surprise the buzzing resumed and something small and yellow caught her attention out of the corner of her eye.

She struggled to get her sapphire eyes to focus, and when they finally did, she jumped back at the sight of the peculiar <i>black-and-yellow thing</i> with clear <i>things</i> on its back! Really, now... <i>what</i> was that? Taima's stance stiffened cautiously, then after a few seconds of just watching it clamber among the flower petals she let out a brash bark in warning. The sound seemed to make spread its wings and take off; the youngster turned around and began to scurry back to the den. What she didn't expect was to see a towering ivory figure just ahead of her, bathed in a section of sunlight.

<b>"Mum-ma!"</b> Instantly relieved, she scampered towards Jaysyek's side then nuzzled the side of her face into her ashen forelimb. After taking in her mother's comforting scent, she looked up into the Hollow leader's face in worry and limply pointed with a paw towards the barbed thicket of flowers, <b>"A <i>bzz bzz</i> dere!"</b></blockquote>

<blockquote>She stopped not to far, nor awfully close to the bushes and wildflowers of Taima's exploration. She was faintly aware she may have been looking for a bee, and took a step closer as if to be assured it was not a wasp instead. Young cub kept buzzing, and Jayse's face was risen with a smile. She did her best to keep any amused laughter from coming to life, aware her daughter had not spied her yet.

It was a little harder when her bright, blue-eyed child had caught her prey in her eyes. She was most surprised, and the look on her face was darling in the mother's mismatched gaze. It was these little moments she lived for, and would never be forgetting. Patiently she continued to merely watch, waiting for what her bold girl would do when she let out a warning to the little insect to keep back. Maybe, Jaysyek could worry less knowing at least Taim did not rush at the unknown, least not yet.

When the moment came, the best name she had been given, crying from the tiny jowls she met her daughter half way to greet her in return. A joyful, smooth laugh evaded her, and she dipped her head to nuzzle her cheek atop the mousy colored head. Her pale mask smoothed as she collected herself to a more serious state when Taima indicated about the bee. Thoughtful, she lowered her head, and nodded. <b>"Yes, a bee."</b> She said, giving her it's name. <b>"Those do bite so it is best just to watch them, or leave them be."</b> She winked, before quickly pressing her nose to Taima's elbow crease in attempt to tickle her child with a light bzzz sound of her own.</blockquote>

<blockquote><i>"Yes, a bee,"</i> her mother cooed. <b>"Bee<i>ee</i>,"</b> Taima echoed in a soft tone, unsure of whether she liked the sound of it or not. She glanced up at Jaysyek. <i>"Those do bite so it is best just to watch them, or leave them be."</i> The girl frowned. The flying stripe-y thing had started it. It buzzed past her ear! it had <i>dared</i> her to follow it. Her ears had turned forward at the idea of leaving it alone but within seconds they relaxed again. Jaysyek pressed her nose into the crook of the girl's arm and almost immediately she squirmed and rolled over in attempt to withdraw from the leader's reach. A peal of laughter erupting from her throat.

She tucked her elbows to her torso and draped the back of her forepaws over her cobalt eyes. <b>"Noooo!"</b> she wailed, her black-tipped tail waving about in the grass. <b>"Go 'way bee! NO!"</b> A tickled smile formed along her maw and after sometime she unveiled a bright blue iris to check if Jaysyek, or rather "the bee," was going to attack her again. <b>"No,"</b> she firmly stated again, her grin practically touching the slowly darkening features that mimicked her father's own masked face. <b>"No bee here."</b>

Taima covered her face again and giggled. <b>"Momma not a bee."</b> Her carnation pink tongue poked out and she peered at her mother through the small gap between her stocky paws. <b>"We go... we go out t'day?"</b> she asked quietly, hoping Jaysyek would understand that 'out' meant beyond the invisible circle that served as the acceptable play space for her and her siblings. Dad always denied her that privilege morning, noon, night <i>and</i> early morning, and he enjoyed that freedom <i>every day</i>. She was old enough - or so she thought. Maybe if Mom went with her she would be allowed to explore a little...</blockquote>

<blockquote>She tested the word on her tongue, and Jayse smiled proudly to her tawny daughter, while bobbing her head in a slow rhythm. It was deja vu to be naming everything again for each child, and trying to keep up with their wondering minds. This was something about being a mother she enjoyed the most, sharing the world. She noted the small frown, and was set to set it upside down. The laugh of her daughter was beautiful music, as it would always be. She became a pest though, attempting to nudge her nose wherever it could find a less fuzzier spot of flesh. Taima turned, and wiggled, taking cover under her own paws. She tickled a moment longer, pulling back at Taima's objections, and tipping her nose again until the no was a definite thing. A grin of her own, she lifted her muzzle away, but kept it downward to stay on Taima's level. Her grin would only rise further, and a joyful laugh would erupt from her throat. <b>"No?"</b> she would ask in an innocent voice. She would look around, as if it had been a bee again. Of coarse her daughter was not fooled, and that was the fun of it all.

<b>"Hmm,"</b> she would say as if pondering the thought that she was not a bee, <b>"I guess I'm not am I?"</b> She licked at her creamy toes, before withdrawing. What her child was thinking she did not know, and in earnest her eyes were glued to her face, waiting to see. They were darkened by the protection of her thick limbs, and Jayse half titled her head at the question. If Taima was older she may have said they were already out, but she realized what she wanted. She wanted somewhere besides the boundaries of the den. Where should they go?

<b>"Yes, we sure could,"</b> she finally answered, standing taller, momentarily glancing around. She would see nothing, nor catch anything on the wind to stand in their way. The other pups, this was what caused her lips and tail to twitch. It was decided they wouldn't go to far, just somewhere new. She took a couple strides forward. <b>"Where too, Miss Lyall?"</b> She would ask, letting her daughter take the lead. How far could her little paws take her?</blockquote>

<blockquote>Finally lowering her paws from her face, her ears perked up and she let out a resounding <b>"<i>Yaaayyyy!!</i>"</b> The girl uncurled from her defensive poise then clumsily gathered her large paws underneath her. <i>"Where to Miss Lyall?"</i> Taima's tongue lolled out of her mouth and her tail whipped about the air behind her. <b>"Over there!"</b> she trilled, turning in a circle in front of Jaysyek before leaping across the forest floor in bounds that were just almost too large for her to take. Once or twice, she nearly lost her footing, but quickly regained the energetic bounce in her step.

She reached the edge of the clearing the excitedly romped around a tree, stopping just long enough for her to make sure that the leader was coming. <b>"Over there!"</b> she chirped again. After waiting a few moments, she ambled toward a flowering hedge then disappeared within it only to emerge on the other side. <b>"Mom!"</b> she called over her shoulder. <b>"Look! C'mere!"</b> She cavorted over towards a tree then began to curiously stare up at the branches above her. A pair of beady black eyes ogled back at her before the creature opened its ebon beak to scold her with a harsh <i>CAWW!</i> Taima glanced back towards the hedge again, her puppy blue eyes seeking out a sort of curiosity that mirrored hers in her mother's face. <b>"Look, Momma! Whazzat?!"</b> Truth be told, Taima, being such the rascal she had grown to become, had often seen this particular bird whenever she came to the certain point beyond the den site. She had first seen the feathered thing when she had sneakily trailed after Borden when he did his routine check-up on the cubs. It seemed to be constantly looking for something but exactly what... the girl could not figure out, even if the bird was often discovered to be perched on that branch after Borden had had a successful hunt.</blockquote>

<blockquote>Sweet little, Taima. It was bittersweet to walk alone with her daughter, precious for the time they spent, bitter because her thoughts were upon Trisden. It did not seem like such a long time ago they had been doing the same. It had been a year ago, and realizing such made her heart a heavy thing. Where were her oldest children? <i>Hocus,Trisden, and Arlette?</i> Were they well? Were they happy? Did they miss home? Leaving was part of growing up, it was strange without them...withotu knowing.

Crown snapped to the side, Taima's voice breaking her from her unhappy thoughts. It was settled she should treasure this moment, and her smile returned to it's rightful place. Taima, proudly and with no hesitation, taking the lead, she sped up to keep up with her delighted daughter. <b>"I'm coming,"</b> she assured her, knowing it would take a few more years of time to slow her down. Her bundle of brown, and tawny disappeared into a rather pretty bush, of delicate flowers. The mother did not panic, she was just in time to see her bright eyed child find exit. She urged her to follow, and Jayse did her best to keep pace. One, she could keep up with, and she looked back to make sure no other Lyall's had greeted the day. So far, they were still sleeping. Surely they could find her by her trail. Muzzle turned back, she was greeted by a face full of questions. She drifted closer, smile steady. The pair ended up beneath a tree, and atop it was a crow.Taima, allured, instantly spotted the creature.

<b>"That's a crow, they like to eat our leftovers,"</b> she supplied, reclining back to her haunches to stare up at the black bird. <b>"Do you see him a lot?"</b> She queried back.</blockquote>

<blockquote>The grin on Taima's face softened into a look of awe as discovery dawned on her face. The bird was specifically called a <i>crow</i> and it <i>ate their leftovers</i>. A peculiar picture came to mind and she tilted her head. Imagining Dad offering, sharing, or even allowing this <i>squawking</i>, beaked creature to feast on what he couldn't eat was... well, <i>odd</i>. At least, only odd in a sense that wolves were not the only ones that ate what they ate. <i>Meat</i>.

Her mother's question brought the youngster's attention back to her face. <b>"Umyeahhh,"</b> she nodded. For a second she fell quiet, rather unsure as how to tell Jaysyek about how she realized that when the crow was about the area, it meant that Dad had recently visited the area, either stopping by to deposit a small meal or to enjoy a catch in solitude. She decided to just spit out the root of her association with the bird's presence. <b>"It... When iz here, Dad's been here."</b>

Without warning the girl stood up and bounced about the immediate area, settling just long enough to plant her nose near the tree's roots. The crow, startled by Taima's sudden movements, took flight and evacuated the area altogether. Taima's tail began to wave about and she looked back to her mother with a bright smile, <b>"See?! Here, smell! Dad!"</b> She sat down and dropped her chin to where it was just slightly obvious the masked leader had laid in that very spot an hour or so ago. Sprawling out and then rolling onto her back again, she beamed up at Jaysyek. <b>"<i>Cuh-row</i> bye-bye..."</b></blockquote>

(This post was last modified: Oct 05, 2012, 08:40 PM by Taima.)

<3 sorry
<blockquote>As mother's will do, Jayse looked upon her daughter proudly seeing the knowledge spark in her eyes when the new information processed. All her fears of being an awful, terrible mother without an idea what to do were a lot smaller than what she had imagined. It was only because of her children she managed at all. How smart they were easily picking it all up, craving it, and wanting more. It was necessary to life, just as breathing. To learn and grow. No one could ever be done with either.

Tail drifted close to her hocks, her answer quickly given. Jayse was about to further question, letting the learning continue when she noticed her daughter's mask take on a more thoughtful expression. <b>"Really?"</b> She ask, letting her own eyes light with surprise. <b>"He must know what Dad has huh,"</b> she added, just something else to think over.

Jayse was soon surprised, shifting back to her haunches and Taima launched herself toward the tree trunk. An amused, yet puzzled raised brow she watched what this inspection was all about. The crow had cast himself to the sky, Taima proudly offering her a smile. Her taught exclaimed, and Jayse realized what she was showing her. <b>"Dad?"</b> She questioned, and ventured further to investigate too. If to satisfy her daughter she let her nose drift over his familiar scent, and nodded. <b>"You're right,"</b> she said. Then she laughed at the upside down pup, a broad smile lightning up her face. The leader tipped her nose back to the sky,<b>"Yes, he's afraid of Taima."</b> She would tell her, in a playful deep voice. It would be with a soft growl she would playfully attempt to nip at the scruff of her daughter's neck.</blockquote>