Secret Woodlands Texas Forever

All Welcome
July 1st, Early Evening
Partly Cloudy - 63F/17C

His brothers were keen to go wandering from the den whenever the opportunity presented itself, and Silentium assumed that was where they had gone now. He however was more than happy to wait here until they came back, or until someone insisted that he go for a walk around the territory with them, which happened every once and while with his mother. At this point it was pretty clear that he was learning much slower than his siblings, who filled the days with constant questions about everything while Silentium was well... silent. He could speak, but his words weren't as clear and were few and far between. His right ear though it stood alert as all times never moved with the left when sounds alerted him, and if it sounded only on the right side he was apt to miss it altogether. Even with all of these obvious differences between the siblings no one had outright said anything about it, at least not in front of the boy. So over time he had grown cautious, happier to be near the den or at his mother's side than out exploring or breaking the rules. Now he was settled in a sphinx like position as the sun began to set against the trees, painting everything in an orange and red light. His eyes which recently began the transition from puppy blue to the vibrant emerald green they would hold as adults flicked around the clearing lazily as he took in the scene, happy exactly where he was.

Miffliness-Stock & BmAStock @DA & Dawnthieves.de - Table by PuppyThief

Several times now she had come upon the two darker pups, @Unitas and @Pacem, exploring beyond the den clearing. It was normal and a necessary way for them to learn. Sometimes, however, they ventured too far beyond the point that Iopah was comfortable with. Only then would she reveal herself, shepherding them back with low chuffs and the hard bridge of her nose if they seemed resistant to the idea. But in all that she had only caught glimpses of the third child. There was nothing about the sight or smell of Silentium that drew outright concern, but it was unusual. Puzzling.

Today she found the pair just beyond sight of the den. They were playing a game that seemed to involve a worn mule deer antler. She smiled indulgently at the sight, pressing herself into the shadows and slipping away. In a few months this simple tactic would not hide her presence, but for now it worked.

Mouth open and tongue lolled out in a wolf laugh she continued on her way past the den. Light-footed and moving quickly she entered the space. And stopped at the sight of Silentium, clearly as surprised by his presence as he was of hers. The indecision passed quickly. Her mouth dropped back open in a universal smile. Not nearly as fearful of inadvertently harming or starling this litter, her front half started to crouch in a play bow. Watching him expectantly, waiting for a reaction or move from him. The hunter in her was studying him closely, trying to figure out the missing puzzle piece to Silentium.

His curiosity had gotten the better of him and after a short patrol of the borders, making sure the scent of Secret Woods remained as strong and prominent as it needed to be, he ventured toward the heart of the pack in search of them. The puppies had been an subconscious interest to him, and though he didn't dare visit them on their birth and had only met with Pacem in a short encounter, he was interested to see how the others were faring. He never lingered further than a few meters to the mouth of the den, knowing Nina was never far off and heavily protective of her brood, he watched them from a distance on most days and felt a sense of pleasure knowing that they were healthy and well; it was a sign that their pack was strong.

On this day he bared a small gift, a piece of rabbit meat he had scavenged from a carcass that was beginning to rot, it would be pleasurable prize to the litter and possibly provoke in them the urge to rough house--which in his eyes was a friendly display to see who would be their future leader. He did not know the young males well, in fact they were still much too young to still to decide their personalities but he knew, from being a father, that eventually their true personalities would show face. He wondered which dark pup would take their father's place, or would it be the russet mute that he'd heard so much about, the one that looked so much like his mother but was struck with a slight disability--he had faith that each one would eventually find their place.

Clenching the prize in his jaws he came to his usual spot which concealed his pale tawny coat in a cloak of green trees and waited patiently for one of them, the most curious of the bunch, to poke their head from the den. It would not be long now before they grew more interested of the world around them. As he waited he noticed Iopah, their second and lead hunter and watched her momentarily with a wrinkled brow, her display to play with Silentium, the only youth to show his face, brought a smile to his lips and he chuckled to himself at this display of vulnerability. He had never known Iopah to be this intriguing, and as the days went by he saw different sides of her that were more inviting this he stepped forward, confident that his company would be welcomed. "Now don't scare the lad Iopah," he spoke, a chuckle leaving his mouth at his teasing, "hey bud, I brought you something, I'm not sure if your mother has given you anything like this before but I'm sure you'll like it." he dropped the meat to the ground, nudging it toward the russet male with a smile on his lips. He was not sure if the youngster could understand him but he waited with patience for him to react to the solid food at his feet.

silence is golden

silentium hervok

silentium est aureum

The sound of pawsteps approaching broke his lazy spell and SIlentium turned his head expectantly towards the sound. He was lucky that the she wolf who entered came from his left hand side or he probably wouldn't have known her presence until she was right upon him. The boy was becoming good at reading the body language of others, he had begun to rely on it and it made him slightly more comfortable around the others of the pack. This strange woman's display confused him though, he had seen his brother's form this position and had done it himself, particularly before playing, but he had never seen an adult do it. What was wrong with this woman? The blonde boy didn't realize it but a small frown had formed on his muzzle, something that would become characteristic of him as he grew into adulthood when he was confused or thinking hard.

Silentium had been so focused on trying to figure out what the strange woman was doing that he had missed the arrival of another male. His sudden voice startled the pup and he flinched away from it, breaking the eye contact he had held with the fae until then. Instantly his tail tucked beneath him, never before had he been with so many adults at once, at least not without his mother there. He was overwhelmed. The boy struggled for a moment to gain control of himself, none of his brothers would react this way he knew and he would be embarrassed if they saw him like this. So having completely ignored everything the male had said he puffed his little chest up and demanded the best he could, "Wuh-Ere is Mum?" It would probably take a moment for the adult to understand what he had said, which had been an attempt at Where is Mum? though the first word had been slightly mangled.

She persisted in her play bow, even as a frown began to etch itself onto Silentium's face. As he studied and tried to puzzle her out, she waited him out. The frown was not what she expected, but then her pup experience was not extensive. It was her best option. He must have seen this posture before, and from his intense gaze Iopah knew that he could indeed see everything just fine. So she remained, stillness marred only by the slow swaying of her tail above her.

Koda's voice broke the stalemate. Both ears flicked sharply towards him, but she kept eyes and wolf-smile on Silentium, more intent on catching his reaction. There was something unusual about the pup and she was keen to discover it. Her tail wagged briskly in singular response to Koda's teasing. Silentium reacted adversely to Koda's arrival and Iopah's tail slowed. The sight of the pup cowering, body lowered in fear, made her react unexpectedly. She was not a mother, had not even baby-sat a litter, but a protective urge rose up in her just as strong as not. Her head snaked around, eyes sharp and hard as they searched for Koda's. Meeting his gaze, her tawny-edged ears swung forward.

It had been months since she'd reminded Koda of his rank. And now, with them both being Seconds, it was pointless. Face turned away, angled so the youngster could not see, her teeth flashed briefly in clear warning. It was not rank she was invoking, but caution. He had startled the pup, and she was reacting the only way her maternal instincts would allow. Once reassured that Koda understood, she lowered her own body, dropping her hips and pressing her belly to the ground.

She understood that Silentium had asked a question, managed to make out the last word 'mum', and put together his query. "I think she's at the cache." Nina's scent had been strong there, and Iopah assumed she was taking a meal. She spoke clearly. Even in her low sphinx-like pose she was watching him closely. "Do you need us to get her?"

(This post was last modified: Aug 11, 2014, 02:58 AM by Iopah.)

His adult counterpart was quick to react to his company and when she displayed her teeth in warning, he did not react, instead he stood in his spot with erect ears and a look of pure confusion on his face. He had not noticed that his approached had startled the young prince, he had been far more interested in presenting his gift of rabbit that the pup's well being had gone unnoticed--after being checked into place by Iopah he sought for Silentium's face, realizing almost instantly his mistake. His joke that Iopah not startle the lad had backfired and it made a feeling of guilt rise in his gut before he shook the feeling free to once more assess the meeting at hand. He had plenty time left to recover from this incident and had intention to make it up to the russet boy.

He did not speak when the tawny woman did, allowing her the floor as he remained the backup, listening as she spoke to comfort him. He was concerned about his mother, probably for reassurance that his security was not too far off and he glanced in the direction of Nina's den long and hard, turning back to Silentium once more without a word. He did not know what to say, and suddenly felt unsure if his company was needed. Iopah had handled the situation fairly well, the male was more than likely too wary of him to trust, and the anticipation of Silentium's reaction over the meat had died along with his confidence. He was rusty around pups, he was man enough to admit this, but he was too stubborn to give up just yet, he'd missed far too much of his own children's youth and would repay it through the Hervok brood--he would attempt to guide these young males. "Sorry big guy, I'm Koda. I didn't mean to startle you, I'm a nice guy usually, honest." and he smiled awkwardly, wanting nothing more than to gain the dwindling trust of the russet pup. "I can go find your mom myself and bring her back, just to show you I'm not as mean as I look."

silence is golden

silentium hervok

silentium est aureum

The boy hadn't spent much time around males, only seeing @Mirren occasionally when he came to talk to mother or check on them. Even then he had never spoken to him before, so this would be the first time he was talking to a grownup who wasn't a female. This made him infinitely more wary towards Koda than he was towards Iopah, who though puzzled him he still felt he could trust. Again silence stretched between the trio as Silentium struggled to figure out all of the words that had been said to him. They had all been said so fast, and many he had never heard before particularly cache, startle and honest. In the end he decided that both adults knew where his mum was and they were willing to go get her, which was enough to placate him. She must be close enough if they could go get her that easily.

Realizing that both the male who apparently was called Koda and the female which the male had called Iopah were staring at him the boy frowned back. Then he remembered that he hadn't answered their question, rather he had just thought his response in his head. Quickly the boy shook his own blonde cranium to signal no, though he didn't say the words out loud, the amount of speaking he had already done had been a struggle. It was then the emerald eyes focused upon the dead hare upon the ground. Looking up warily at Koda the boy slunk forward until he was close enough to properly inspect the thing then he dropped his gaze back to the prey. The pup had never had proper meat before, only some that had been regurgitated by his mum which he still found disgusting. Sniffing at the brown fur Silentium cautiously stuck his tongue out and licked it. The fur tasted disgusting nothing like his mum tasted like when he licked her. Shuddering the boy pulled away, why had Koda brought hi this thing?

She was beginning to wonder if perhaps Silentium would rather they leave. When he turned his frown back onto her, her gaze softly averted, focusing on a stray tendril of grape vine fluttering just behind the den. This was all she could do to lessen his stress. She would make herself smaller --her belly was still flush to the ground-- and avoid eye contact to make him more comfortable, but she wasn't leaving quite yet. He was only a pup, vulnerable and coddled, but he had to meet his family. She was still put-off by the stark difference in behavior with Unitas. The goal in wanting to meet this pup had not been forgotten. There was something different about him. This encounter had confirmed it for Iopah.

As Koda spoke to the pup her gaze drifted, idle-like, back to the youngster. She watched his ears... no. A single ear angled to catch Koda's consoling words. Both of her ears tightened at the discovery. It took Silentium a moment to process everything, and Iopah rested her head on her front feet to wait it out. He nodded and there seemed to be no easy way to respond, so she just continued to watch. Her head lifted, encouraged by his curiosity, as the pup crept forward.

When he withdrew Iopah began to inch forward, her movements mimicking Silentium's. Similiar, but for different reasons. Silentium has been cautious of the adult male, Iopah was being careful not to startle the pup himself. Koda was not a threat. To illustrate the point she glanced up at him, don't you dare laugh, and beat her tail against the ground. Delicately she sank her incisors into the rabbit. She gave a gentle tug and it skidded across the dirt towards her, it's feet jerking as if cavorting about. Even for an adult wolf it was entertaining to watch. Her jaws opened and it slipped back to the dirt. "I bet Unitas would play with it with you." She suggested, hoping her familiarity with his would relax him.

Sorry, this sucks!

This meeting was beginning to turn south. He wondered for a moment if it were better if he left Silentium in the care of Iopah while he went off to do something he was actually good at, like patrolling the border or mingling with the adults. It had been some time since he interacted with youngsters, a little over a year actually, and it had become apparent to him that he were more rusty than he originally thought, at least for the golden boy's sake, he had Iopah to ease the tension. He watched without a word as she began to entice him into play, her stance was comical but he did not dare laugh, he knew that the situation required them to be sensitive to the young Hervok's needs and Koda wanted nothing more than for Silentium to like him.

When Iopah took up the rabbit kill he felt his stomach lurch, it had not been intended as a toy but as a meal for the male to enjoy seeing as he was probably not used to meat. Pushing aside his feelings of disappointment he watched with anticipation for Silentium's reaction as she once again enticed him into play. The pup was timid, he could obviously tell and thought immediately of Pacem, the Hervok brother he had met not too long ago. Pacem had been outgoing and curious, his sense of understanding interested Koda, but this young male was different, he was much more quite and timid. It was befitting of his name and therefore he did not comment when the male seemed to take longer than usual to warm up to his pack mates, he only hoped that this would improve as Silentium aged.

(This post was last modified: Sep 04, 2014, 12:38 AM by Koda.)

Arla and Emma are the ish and made my pretties!
Koda will most likely always be accompanied by Chiron unless otherwise stated, or requested.

silence is golden

silentium hervok

silentium est aureum

This female really was strange, now she had her belly in the dirt and was inching along with her eyes focused around him. Was he scaring her? Frowning at the thought the emerald eyes followed her movements until she reached the hare, the male all but forgotten. Iopah's tail beat at the ground like she was happy but still she lay in the dirt, Silentium didn't like that, he didn't want her to be scared. Suddenly she was on her paws again and the rabbit was dancing along with her, hopping and rolling about in the dirt as if it had come back to life. With a gasp the pup's eyes widened but his shock was quickly followed by a giggle, he liked this game.

It had been subtle, and done in an unconventional manner but just like that Iopah had won over Silentium's trust. Walking towards her and the rabbit now the blonde face was adorned by a wide smile and his eyes shone with delight. Koda was behind him now and in typical pup tunnel vision was completely forgotten, the fact that he had brought the gift was moot, for the woman had been the one to make it dance. Suddenly it was offered that his brother come, and not even @Pacem but @Unitas. Shaking his head forcefully he begged, Wu-ill you puh-lay?" Silentium didn't want to show them this new game that was just for them, or share his new friend. They would come in and beat him at the game, she Iopah how dumb he was, how he couldn't do what he was supposed to. No, he wanted this just for him.