Blackberry Fields Bundles of Blackberries

Kova Lagina

memoria et lux

Kova stiffened, his shoulders locking into position as the child's legs shook from his sugar high, as he readied himself to attack Atlas. However the strangers attention was distracted by a strange noise. Kova followed the dark wolf's gaze and sniffed the air as the noises increased their intensity. Then for some reason all was quiet. Cocking his head to the side curious about the noise, Kova noticed the male glance to him then take off.

Excitement filled the gray boys chest as he raced back towards his blackberry bush and claimed it by rubbing his body along the lower branches. Unfortunately this resulted in a number of sharp pricks jabbing into his fluffy coat before Kova jumped away from the plant in pain. He looked over his shoulder and back and began licking the area's where it hurt. Luckily for him the pokes of the thorns hadn't pressed hard enough to make him bleed.

Temporarily uninterested in what Atlas was doing, the young prince shook his ruffled coat then began picking at the berries on the lower branches of his bush. The strange noises started up again attracting his attention for a few moments before the boy's eyes settled back on the shadows under his plant.

It wasn't until Atlas called for him that Kova paused what he was doing and turned to look for the males shape. Out of view form the pup, the Nytrox wolf was looking over a vernal pool which was fast drying up; the fish causing the strange noise as they tried to desperately escape. Kova moved towards the males voice still unable to see him until he passed by three large clumps of blackberry bushes. Then the pup scuttled over quickly to look over the rippling water. Surprise lighted his curious face as the boy saw fish for the first time in his short life. He glanced up at Atlas with wonder in his eyes. What are those? and what is fish? He asked while staring at the dark wolf while an "O" shape formed on his awed parted black lips.

Atlas Nytrox

Kristen

It took a moment for Kova to find him and he’d grown worried at first that the prince might not have been able to find where he was. But, to his relief, the youngster came ambling along around the clump of bushes not long after those thoughts effectively vanishing them. A look of awe creased the boy’s face as the fish began to jump again, trying to fight each other for the rapidly diminishing space within the confines of the pond.

What are those? And what is fish?The question provided some amusement to the yearling, however he knew that it was a valid question. Atlas didn’t judge him for it, as he knew that there were many things that young Kova had yet to experience and see. Fish, apparently, were one of those things. “Fish are animals that breathe water. They swim around in it, live in it, and taste very good. Here, I’ll catch one so you can see it,”He explained, inching toward the bank. The male paused when he was paw deep into the liquid, dark auburn gaze scanning the top of the water to check for any sign of the aquatic animals. Suddenly, one leapt up and actually hit him in the face before falling back down to its habitat and disappearing. His usually expressionless features turned up in surprise at the event as he’d fought to keep his yelp inside. Giving his head a shake he went back to the task, eyeing beneath the lapping waves. A flash of silver and a moment later Atlas was back on the shore with a floundering bass in his jaws. Dropping it on the ground he sunk his canines into its spine and jerked, a ripping sound being heard before the fish gave one last spasm then laid still.

Kova Lagina

memoria et lux

Kova's little eyes widened as Atlas looked over him with an amused grin then explained to the pup what fish were. As the male answered his question the little boy pup was able to think up another question when yet another word he did not know entered the conversation. He glanced down at the fish staring at the creatures slipping fluidly through the shallow water. Their bodies packed together like sardines; the bass had no where to escape from the yearling who was readying himself to teach the pup how to fish.

What is swim? The question was uttered low as Kova watched Atlas lean over the water and look down upon the sad slimy creatures. He yelped in complete shock as a fish startled the young Lagina by jumping out of the water accidentally hitting the dark yearling in the face. Once the wet creature fell back into the water Kova looked at the pool and back again to Atlas. A wide smile curved onto his features before the cub started laughing hysterically.

Only able to calm himself down when Atlas resumed staring into the water leaning in close to the ripples, Kova held back giggles and leaned himself forward to watch. He flinched backwards as the blackish wolf moved fast enough for Kova to miss half the action. Then suddenly there was a fish thing flopping on the ground. Or at least it kept flopping until the Nytrox male ended its life with his strong jaws. Tentatively Kova poked the slimy creature with his paw. The musky scent of fish enveloped his nose instantly making the boy cringe backwards. It smells... Kova whined softly before looking at the dead fish then back again towards the live ones in the water.

Most of the fish looked like the one that Atlas had caught. However as Kova peered down into the pool he was able to spot one that was different looking from the fish sitting on the ground sticking up the air next to him.

Are their different fish like there are different kinds of birds? The question left his mouth quickly as Kova looked over his shoulder at the dark wolf.

Atlas Nytrox

Kristen

Kova’s reaction to the fish was nothing less than what he expected. He had, in fact, had the same reaction when he’d first seen one of the scaly creatures. He’d remembered how bad they’d stunk to him because, after all, pond water didn’t smell that amazing. This was probably courtesy of them swimming in their own filth, but he tried not to think of that too much or else he’d be thrown off them for a good while. That wasn’t a good thing to have happen when they’re one of the few things that you could find mostly year round. They weren’t too bad to eat, a little chewy but good at fattening a wolf up for the winters.

Atlas noticed that a thoughtful look seemed to have passed onto the young Lagina’s facial features as he eye’d the water intently, and he wondered what it could be that the young boy was thinking about. His thoughts were answered quickly as Kova inquired ”Are their different fish like there are different kinds of birds?” This question made the salt and pepper speckled yearling think for a moment. He considered all the birds he had caught and all the rabbits he had done likewise. After a moment he nodded, “Yes, there are different kinds of everything. There are different kinds of wolves, and different kinds of plants too. This fish is a bass, but I’ve caught a trout and a salmon before. They taste different.” He replied, sitting down onto his haunches and preparing himself for the next barrage of questions he knew would come of the pup.

(This post was last modified: Jul 28, 2014, 11:18 PM by AtlasNytrox.)

Kova Lagina

memoria et lux

Kova looked back to the pool with a happy wag.That is a bass fish... I wonder if the other weird looking one I saw before is a trout or a salmon fish? The child thought quietly while looking over the reflective ripples of water before his paws. His grayish ears swiveled forwards listening for the fish to make their own kind of noise, but the only noise he could hear was the water splashing around. Pawing at the water a few times Kova watched as the fish flee from him pushing their bodies over on top of and through each other. He leaned forward and stretched out a paw trying to touch one making all the fish wriggle and jump to get away form him. Water splashed high falling on the Lagina pup's face making him blink and flinch backwards towards Atlas.

Sputtering angrily and shaking out his wet fur the platinum lad growled darkly as he stared down at the fish. Glancing back to Atlas, Kova lay his hears to the sides of his head. Atlas can you show me how to catch one? The pup poked at the water a third time wondering if he could get the stupid fish that got him all wet.

Looking back to the pool Kova spotted the one odd fish out of the bunch of bass. A smaller white perch flitted around the larger bass trying to avoid the pups desperately reaching paws. That one that one! Kova begged while nipping at the water then glancing to Atlas with droplets hanging off his muzzle and whiskers.

(This post was last modified: Jul 30, 2014, 02:06 AM by Kova.)

Atlas Nytrox

Kristen

Atlas watched the pup carefully, eyes faintly narrowed as Kova played around in the receding water line. He was so easily amused by, well, everything. It sort of amazed the giant that he could be so easily thrown off by things. However, the boy also seemed to ask many questions and, by doing so, he reminded the speckled yearling much of himself. Though Atlas hadn’t been much of a talker, he had always been seeking knowledge in one way or another. The world was a gigantic place even to one as big as himself, and there was a lot to understand about it. Nobody knew everything there was to know, but every day he knew more than he had the previous. Such as today he’d met a new friend, the young Lagina pup, and learned many things just by that.

A splash brought him back to attention and for a moment he became worried that the pup had fallen in, but in turning his head he found that all that had happened was that the boy had been slapped by a fish much like what had happened to him. A real smirk was brought to his lips at the utterly appalled look on his face, one that suggested how dare the fish do that to him. In an obvious act of vengeance Kova looked back at the brute and asked Atlas, can you teach me how to catch one?” A mildly thoughtful look crossed his face, strange how Kova had brought Atlas to expressions, as he thought. The boy was only two months old, though at that age their teeth were like small knives. He remembered when his siblings had tried to play fight with him, their teeth scraping across his skin like thorns. Perhaps he could catch one? It didn’t hurt to try.

Bobbing his head in a nod, Atlas turned his attention to the fish that he had indicated. This would definitely be an act of revenge. “Alright. What you need to do is crouch down and keep your eyes on the bass. Then, once it’s close to the surface, lunge for it and try to bite it around the back. Once you’ve caught it, drag it to the shore and I can try to kill it for you. It’s a little tricky to severe the spine,” He explained. He would have let the boy do the killing if he managed to actually capture the young looking fish, but he doubted he had the jaw strength to do so.

Kova Lagina

memoria et lux

Kova frowned as Atlas smiled at him. Trying to shake off the wet from his fur and growling at the water, the Lagina cub furrowed his tiny little brows. His blue orbs glanced to the water then back to Atlas since the male had erased the amused smile and was moving forward. Glad that the older wolf wasn't smirking anymore the wolf pup took his eyes away from Atlas now thoughtful face. Out of the corner of his puppy eyes Kova could see Atlas beginning to move. Excitement crept into his fur when the child realized that the Nytrox wolf would help him to catch a fish.

Doing exactly as the taller blackish wolf instructed, Kova crouched down low to the earth hugging the bank with his belly as he did so. He leaned forward with his nose almost touching the water just like how Atlas had been before, then nodded enthusiastically while the male told him to keep an eye on the fish he wanted. Giving the single white perch amidst a pool full of bass the evil eye, Kova watched quietly. He sat impatiently allowing the tip of his tail to twitch every so often. He didn't exactly know what "killing" or "sever" was, but if that meant getting the fish to stop moving so that he could play with it and not get slapped then Kova was all for "killing" it.

Minutes ticked by and Kova's tail was twitching to the left every two seconds. He was about to give up when the fish finally came close enough to him while nearing the surface of the water. He aimed quietly then pushed forward snapping those little teeth around the fish's belly and tail end. Immediately feeling the pull of the fish trying to snap away, Kova freaked out jumping backwards with the fish still in his mouth and tumbling into Atlas body. The fish slipped out of his mouth and onto the earth flopping around outside of the water. Staring wide eyed at it, Kova was too surprised to move.

Atlas Nytrox

Kristen

It was like watching your favorite tv show, watching Kova. This was a big deal for him, to be trying to make possibly his first catch. If anything, he felt like he was intruding on a special moment. But, he was also happy that he could help and be there for it. It meant that he was really bonding with his new family, and he really did like the young Lagina boy. His spunk and curiosity was something that made him very likeable and easy to get along with. Even though he seemed to get agitated when things didn’t go his way sometimes, he was a pup and things like that would happen.

Suddenly, Kova lunged forward and Atlas jumped to his feet heart hammering for the young boy. He felt like yelling an encouragement of some sort, and nearly howled with joy when he floundered back, falling into the giants leg but with the fish none-the-less. The boy sat there in a daze at what he’d just done and the aquatic animals was just flopping there with gills gaping. Unwilling to let any animal suffer, the yearling moved forward and closed his own jaws around the spine of the fish and twisted with a jerk of his head. The fish gave one last spasm then went still and Atlas placed it on the ground in front of Kova. “That was amazing Kova, I’ve never seen anyone your age catch one! You should show it to your parents, they’ll be so proud!” And not only them, he thought, for he too was proud of his little friend. Great things were looking up for young Kova, and Atlas hoped he could be there to see it happen.

I have permission to fade this from Kristen <3

Kova Lagina

memoria et lux

He still had a sugar high from all of the blackberries the silver child had eaten a while before his fishing lesson. So when he had sat on top of Atlas paws dazed, Kova was only still for a few moments as the black yearling stepped forward and "killed" the fish. Shaking his face and coat, the gray pup watched with wide eyes as the Nytrox yearling bit down hard on the fish's spine.

Is it hard to bite? The question was only mumbled by the grayish lad while he pushed himself forward onto unsteady energetic paws. Then he slunk forward to poke at the deathly still fish before looking up at the older wolf. The smile that covered his face stretched from one ear to the other as Atlas praised young Kova. The princes tail began wagging furiously banging on Atlas legs and the earth while Kova pulled the stinky fish closer to him. He batted at its head before pausing to look into the creatures unblinking eyes. Suddenly scared of the fish's eternal stare, Kova slid to the left of it and switched his eyes back to Atlas. Oh Oh! Daddy would want it I think, cause he's hurt! Kova yipped happily before bouncing around the fish. He circled it twice then tried grabbing its head like Atlas had. However the fish was too big for his mouth to really grip onto its head. A few more experimental nips and bites around the fish occurred before Kova was able to once more grip the fish on the thin area just before its tail. Then he half dragged, half carried the fish back through the bushes while Atlas looked on with amusement.

The little Lagina might get tired from the sugar high crashing while he dragged his prize back to the den. So Atlas followed keeping an eye on the youngster.

(FADE OUT)