Savages

Rather than humiliate Mercy, or make him feel even more self-aware, she avoided the topic of talking about Mercy and his relationship with Aponi altogether. She seemed more interested in the den, and though Mercy did want to be able to say he'd found and made the den himself, he was not too proud a creature to ask for help, especially when he figure that K'arnae would have had more experience digging dens than he, and would therefore improve the den's appearance if he actually had an expert on his team. It was either do it himself and come up with something mediocre, or enlist the aid of a friend who could help him make it something really nice. Of course, this was simply an assumption- she looked as though she was a few years older, so surely she would have had more den digging experience, right?

He was also touched by her offer, and took that as a sign that she was willing to help out and become his friend. Mercy stood and bowed his head graciously to the woman who continued to make him feel welcome in the pack. "I'd definitely appreciate the help," He said with a smile, lifting his head to turn his gaze up finally. "I'm....Assuming you know more about this than I do, I'll let you take a look first and see what you think needs to be done." He said gratefully, moving out of her way so that she could further inspect the den.

"I'd like to get the insides of the den to be nice and smoothe," He said, frowning down at his paws, which he was sure would leave ugly scratch marks behind. "I need to make it bigger, too, so we'll both fit. But the location seemed perfect," He said, beginning to talk again like a foolish, romantic dreamer who speaks of his ideal home.

MAGNOLIA Glen

TEMPLATE © NDA OF RCR & RPG-D

@Mercy

Indeed it was her like for children that had the woman more inclined to assist with the youth’s venture, but it was also to ensure that the den was not only crafted, but properly reinforced for him and his companion. True, she did know a bit more about crafting a den, but rather than boast this fact, she simply smiled instead; a modest glimmer to his compliment as she took careful stride toward the beginnings of the home.

Bending down gradually, she poked her head inside the dark interior to give a quick assessment of the progress made so far. She took note of his expectations and already began to formulate a method to give the desired effect. The earth was not as easily malleable as one might find in the forest, not always smooth like the walls of a stone den. But there was a pleasant consistency of dense earth to fortify the walls. What they needed to do now was widen the interior without compromising the integrity.

“Assuming you and your friend will make this den permanent, you will first need to hollow out a cache for the two of you,” she informed him as her soft voice echoed through the interior. “A small section for reserves in the instance either of you become sick. Being from the heart of the pack means that there may be a moment when we cannot reach you in time. Being able to sustain yourselves in the meantime is important.” Turning her head, she placed her nose against the inner most wall and pushed against it. A small bit of earth fell away but nothing to cause alarm. But from what had fallen she spied tiny roots; a good sign that the earth was fertile and steady.

“When it is warmer,” she continued, “both of you will need to keep the walls moist so that they do not crumble. As we widen the den,” the female winced as she shuffled back from the opening. Unfortunately the move had applied too much pressure to her leg. “-I will show you how. But before then,” she exhaled while carefully reclining to her haunches. “Have you fed?”

He was impressed simply by the way she moved toward the den and began looking around. He wanted to ask her what she was looking for, he wanted to know if she was impressed with what he'd found, and had a bit of fear that she might say it was no good at all, but remained quiet to allow her to concentrate and judge correctly. She pushed her muzzle against one side of the wall, after talking about a cache and he nodded. They would definitely need somewhere to store food, especially if the next winter was as cruel as the last had been. In the meantime, he intended to keep both himself and Aponi well fed, so that they could grow into their bony skeletons. A bit of earth fell away when K'arnae moved her muzzle away from the wall, but she didn't seem concerned, so he put his faith in her judgement. If she'd been alarmed, it would have meant something was wrong, or that the den was not trustworthy.

Not knowing that clay, when dry, became brittle, he tilted his head to the side and asked "Why?" He and Aponi would have to keep the den's walls moist? "And...How?" How exactly should they do that? By licking the walls? He didn't like the ide of having to take great measures to ensure that their den was humid enough. If it rained off and on, wouldn't that be enough? They were quite close to the stream, but he didn't feel good about diverting its path so it would come even closer to their den- if a flood hit, it would certainly drown them in their own home, so he did not like that idea at all. He hoped K'arnae would have a good answer for his question, which wouldn't take up too much time.

When she stepped back and asked about hunting, his ears and tail perked. The hunter in Mercy had begun to awaken yet again, now that he did not have to obsess about guarding Aponi. K'arnae said she would continue to teach him about den digging, but for now, she seemed to want to hunt, and Mercy was in agreement with this .He shook his head. "No, but I'd love to go for a hunt," He said, figuring that it would be a good way to repay K'arnae for her efforts.

MAGNOLIA Glen

TEMPLATE © NDA OF RCR & RPG-D

@Mercy - *snickers*

The female’s tail fanned with an odd sort of pleasure; not stemmed from the youth’s lack of nourishment since his arrival, but for the opportunity presented by what fodder they could scrounge. The female had assured her younger counterpart that she would show him how to keep the walls of the den moist during the hotter months, and what better opportunity was there than what was afforded to them with this hunt. “Well then,” silencing a wince as she took a step around towards the stream, she beckoned with a subtle flicker of her tail for the young male to follow. “We will have a different kind of hunt,” she announced, apparently growing more relaxed in the mottled grey’s presence.

Her limping was kept to a minimum as she pushed herself to proceed without too much of a notice to the pain, but at times would pause to rest her throbbing limp as she glanced over shoulder to make sure the young one followed. The trickle of the stream led them to its edge without much difficulty, and it was there the female pricked her ears forward to signal a ‘halt’. They would indeed be hunting, as was implied by the notion of food, but not in the sense of hunting for furred gamed. Their prey was more of the slippery, scaled sort.

“Have you caught fish before?” the female inquired as she looked to her charge expectantly. This was not a test to his skill, but a question of how far his knowledge of hunting went. Any wolf could learn to stalk and chase prey, but few had the patience or insight to stalk and catch the slippery creatures of the water. “Look here,” she urged him, gesturing with a slight tilt of her muzzle toward the water’s edge.

Though Mercy had become somewhat cold and skeptical toward strangers while he'd been out in the wilderness with Aponi, he found it quite easy to both trust and like K'arnae. She was quite intriguing- a very large female, who obviously had an injury, but he couldn't imagine what it would have been from- a valiant fight? Curely she was the sort of noble wolf who would have only become injured in a battle against another large, well-trained wolf, and likely for a good cause as well. He thought quite highly of K'arnae already, who knew enough about den making to help him create a good one for Aponi, and who also knew that he was probably hungry- he was a young man, of course he was always hungry! But she was offering help without being critical, and hadn't seen fit to tease him about the very obvious affection he felt for Aponi. He appreciated the way she treated him; she made him feel as though he was worth something, even though she was offering to be the teacher in this situation. He felt like a beloved pupil, and felt himself more eager to learn.

He was interested again when she said they'd have a different kind of hunt. He opened his mouth to question her, but decided instead to simply follow her lead and allow himself to be surprised. He followed alongside her, and as soon as he heard the sound of water he got a better idea of the hunting trip she'd had planned, and truth be told, he felt a bit sheepish and lost as well. He'd begun hunting seriously when the snow had begun to fall, which had made fishing a sport he hadn't been able to enjoy much or perfect. Now that the streams and rivers were open again he would have more opportunity, but he did not know the tricks and trades of doing so. Fortunately, the look on K'arnae's face made it seem as though she had a secret that she was almost willing to share- she knew how to fish, and she looked as though she was willing to teach.

Immediately, he crouched when she gestured for him to take a look. Before he moved forward, he spoke in a hushed voice. "I don't know much about fishing," He admitted quietly, as though frightened to scare the fish away with his voice. He inched forward, so he could barely see over the bank and into the water. He looked up at her, then, to see what he should do next; in the meantime, he tried to remain perfectly silent and still.

MAGNOLIA Glen

TEMPLATE © NDA OF RCR & RPG-D

@Mercy

The quiet female waited until her young companion was near the creek's edge, smiling softly to herself like a wolf with a secret. But of course it was not just a secret she kept, but her intentions for the lesson yet to be revealed. She gave the boy a moment to acquaint himself with the water as she smiled more opening to his humble confession. "That's alright," she assured him, stepping from her own edge to stand nearer, if not just behind the young male. "I would be happy teach you, so that even in lean times you and your companion will not go hungry." Of this she could promise.

She waited patiently, but only a moment more before she took another step towards young Mercy. Just enough that her shoulder brushed against his own, but applied little to no pressure... as of yet. "But I will tell you this," her muzzle tipped with a knowledge cant. "There is but one way to learn to fish... And that is to dive in." Then all at once, she forced her shoulder into his while angle her body to use her bulk as an additional force. Admittedly, it was a strain to her injured leg, but not enough to detour the female from her desired intention. Whether her pushed for the boy to fall into the creek was successful or not, the large woman slipped her own matted hide into the cooling waters with a splash.

Laughing to herself, she waded in the chest high waters waiting for either a retaliation or for the young male to join her if her attempt ended in failure. "Here," she chuckled. "I'll show you a way to fish and kept your den moist in the warm months." Though she hoped the latter could be seen by their present, and possible comical situation.

He liked the idea of keeping Aponi fed even during tough times. The thought of ever seeing her gaunt and thin again horrified him, and he knew that as he grew and became a more capable hunter, he would not have to worry about such things. Fishing seemed to be an alternative, or so K'arnae seemed to think. He peered carefully over the edge of the bank into the water and ended up flattening his ears against his head as soon as he realized that they stuck up, and could possibly frighten fish away. He'd only barely noticed that K'arnae hadn't adjusted her stature either, but he had faith that she knew what she was doing. And he was more focused on his reflection and trying to spot something moving in the water when he felt an unexpected and solid brush to his shoulder.

He ended up stumbling forward- not quite as clumsily as he had when his mother had sent him flying arse-over-tea-kettle in the water the last time he'd seen her, but both his forelegs and chest went down into the water and he craned his head back to avoid getting water up his nose. K'arnae too went into the water, whether on purpose or because of her own momentum, and Mercy, once he'd shaken the water droplets from his eyes, gave her an incredulous look, only to see the somewhat proud look on her face. He shook his head. "We'll have scared them all away at this rate!" He said, for now he believed she hadn't intended to take him fishing but just to have some fun in the water. He wasn't opposed to it- the water was warm enough that he didn't mind being submerged for a bit, but he did want to get things done, and playing in the water wasn't on his list of things to do.

"I don't know how thrilled Aponi will be if your idea of keeping the den moist is keeping a soaking wet wolf in it," He joked lightly. "Should I run back to the den now and shake off? That'd probably do it," He said with a nod. That would work, he thought- but he didn't see how splashing about in the water would help them fish.

MAGNOLIA Glen

TEMPLATE © NDA OF RCR & RPG-D

@Mercy

The older female smiled at the young male's observation, glad to see that he had taken to his new situation with mirth. Indeed he was right, no doubt their little exploit would scare the fish that once swam near away. However she was ready with a well experienced observation of her own; "This may be true," her kind smile did not lessen. "Yet as surely as the river flows, other fish will take the place of those lost. We only have to be still."

She was pleased to find that Mercy had taken her intentions and put them in relation to the lesson she had for him. No doubt his companion would not be so happy to return back and forth to the creek thoroughly drenched, but when the summer heat was blistering and there was no cloud for reprieve in sight, they would be glad for this tip even if they did not admit it. Shaking her muzzle slowly, she intended to halt his retreat. "Just a moment," turning her bicolored sights to the rippling surface, she kept herself relatively still to allow only the flow of the creek to pass around her. Patience was always a forte of the female, for one had to have a considerable degree of it in order to contend with the often unruly nature of pups (and some adults). To remain as still as she was at present was simple, though the challenge came with the balance of three legs as she slowly, very slowly raised a front forelimb.

A small fish flittered past, brushing against the creme fur as they were drawn by the creek's gentle pull. It prodded a little, then prepared to slip by... til a heavy paw swung in jerking the small silvery thing from its watery road. "Grab it!" She exclaimed as she stumbled back just a little. The catch sent sailing til it hit the side of the creek, threatening to drop back into its haven unless caught.

Lawl, did you accidentally archive this? :P

There was a stillness about K'arnae that Mercy enjoyed. She was patient and while she obviously had a playful side, she wasn't foolish, and hadn't lost track of their goal, which was to catch a fish. She was mature without being as stern as the wolves in Hollowheart Keep. Due to recent circumstances, Mercy could remember very little about his mother being playful or kind, or being forgiving at all. K'arnae, he felt, was more mothering and caring. Here he was, a new member of the pack but someone had already welcomed them in like family and had taken him into their guardianship, even though it wasn't entirely necessary. It was good, though, to have a role model, someone who could show him things he hadn't already learned and temper the wild, arrogant spirit that he like most other teenagers was plagued with.

She looked down at the water and he did as well, at first only looking at the water between his legs. He grimaced slightly when he saw the green, slimy bit of algae clinging to the rocks, and thought about moving his paws further away from it but held still when K'arnae spoke, alerting him to something in the water. He tried his best to move his eyes, not his entire head, and it took him a moment to see it, but she'd been right- a fish had eventually come along to inspect her furry legs. The fur, he noted, swayed just as the algae did. The fish came remarkably close, and he found himself wondering if fish could smell...Certainly they couldn't- otherwise it would surely smell the wolf it was swimming so close to, would it not?

K'arnae's sudden movement caused Mercy to shy backwards a bit in surprise, having not expected her to smack the fish out of the water. She hadn't smacked it at him- he'd snapped at the water that'd been flung his way out of instinct- but at the bank, where it flopped, trying to get back to the water. Mercy fumbled and slipped on the algae-covered rocks he'd been inspecting before, but was able to reach the fish just as it reached the shallows, where its spine crested out of the water. It was too shallow for it to speed away and Mercy grabbed it, and without thinking, swung his head and threw the fish further away from the water, rather than simply clamping down on it. It was slimy, like the algae. He wasn't sure he liked that.

Nevertheless, the fish was more or less caught- it was far enough from the water now that it wouldn't have even been able to see the surface and flop its way back. And Mercy sat on the ground, blocking the way, watching as it picked up bits of grass as it flipped this way and that. He grimaced slightly. "Slimier than I thought it'd be," He said, still slightly grossed out by the feeling of fish in his mouth. He'd eaten fish before- but they'd been dead, not squirming and wet. When they were dry, they were almost rubbery, which he could stand. But cold, wet fish wasn't quite as appealing.

"speech"

MAGNOLIA Glen

TEMPLATE © NDA OF RCR & RPG-D

@Mercy - I so think I did ;__; Feel free to lead us out with a fade :D

The female stood in the creek with bated breath as the fish went sailing then slapped against the shore. Her eyes were wide and immediately sought the movement of her young counterpart, hoping that his instinct would drive him to catch the fish before it slipped away. At first, she snapped at only the water, but a moment more and he found the flopping critter heading back towards the water. She gave an earnest bark to urge him not to let it get away, and sure enough he took the slippery devil in his jaws… and flung it further from the waters.

K’arnae raised her head in laughter, no doubt the feel of the fish was not something the young male was used to. “Well done!” she boasted none the less as she found her footing over slick rocks to walk towards the shore. When near the soft banks, she hopped onto the drier grass but did not yet shake out her pelt. “You did nicely,” she drenched tail fanned lightly behind her. She could feel the weight of the water bearing her down somewhat, yet her disposition was too well hyped on the excitement of their lesson to truly allow the weight to pull her down. She smiled. “With time, you will surpass me,” she stated not with an attempt to pacify, but with truth to her words. Such was the nature of the youth to become better than their seniors. It was an expectation she had long since come to expect and genuinely looked forward to; the testament that the knowledge from their senior had been successfully administered to bring forth the potential of the young.

“But for now,” her ears perked attentively as she pulled herself to the present. “Shall we head back to your den? You have a means to keep the den moist and your companion fed; what we need now is to section out your cache.” Gathering the fish between her jaws as it took its final breath, she turned. “Come, young one,” rose a soft, endearing trill as she began her careful trot back towards the denning site.