Sex: MaleAs Darrah grew older, he started to notice more. Take the weather for example, It was definitely getting colder now. He had tried to ask his elders why but none had given him a satisfying answer. What he understood was that winter was coming, what he didn't understand was what winter was. The tree's were slowly but surely turning from deep greens to all sorts of gold, orange, and red. Why was this? Winter? He had asked someone what leaves looked like in winter, but they told him they ceased to exist in the snowy months! Why do they look the way they do now then? And for the sake of all that is anything what on earth was snow?! Questions like these only made the pups head spin. Maybe he was far to curious for his own good. The inky Tainn boy took a long deep breathe, letting crisp air fill his tiny little lungs. Even if he didn't understand what was happening in the world around him, he couldn't deny that the aroma that everything emitted this time of year was truly intoxicating. Today was a day for finding answers. Darrah was to set off on his own and find out more about his surroundings. Not too far though, he didn't want to make his mother worry. But where to start? Obviously asking his pack members wouldn't help. "I don't think I should bother them anymore about this kind of thing.." he thought to himself.. Not even sure if they knew anymore than he did at this point. "I'll just go investigate the tree's. Stare at em for a while. Maybe I'll be able to see something nobody else can!!" he scuffed in pride, head held high. To him, this was a brilliant idea. |
It was with a slow, quiet gate did the dark cloaked man trail his son. He had no idea where Darrah was going, nor what he was doing. Curious, and the protective parent he was the Tainn attempted through stealth to find out. Though Darrah was not one that gave Triell the most anxious fits, one day that may change. Who could say it would not be this day? The boy was full of the questions of the world, and if he was like his father he would soon be searching for answers.
Sure enough it seemed he was musing about the trees new appearance. They were different, reminding Triell of fierce fire. The boy talked aloud the father grinned to himself, feeling that Darrah would learn a thing or two as he had set out. The elder Tainn did not reveal himself, he stood back in the shadows, looking upon his child. Another picture he wanted to keep. Darrah was not the tiny, black ball who slept at his mother's side any more. His baby fat was slipping away, his legs lengthening. It would not be long till he would meet Tri's gaze. He hoped he was around to continue to see him grow. He and Zera would be hunting on their own, dragging their catches back for all to see.
It did not seem right to spy long, with a wag of his tail, he came to sit beside his boy. "What do you see?"
The sprout found himself lost in his own head, seemingly gazing at amber leaves. 'Well if I had to describe it.. They are dying aren't they? The tree's.. The grass... It's all dying.' His nostrils flared, taking in the sweet smell of cool, fall air with each breath.'There is one thing I've noticed... The birds are leaving.. I haven't seen as many around recently. I wonder if there is a connection..' This thought actually scared the lad a bit. If other animals were leaving was his family safe? Shouldn't they follow the others? He doubted the birds just up and left for giggles. There was something going on. As the leaves tumble down around him, his concentration fell briefly on something else. someone else. "What do you see?" ..When did his father get here? "Dad.. I.." he thought for a second on his words. "Dad are we safe here? The leaves are dying and I've noticed some animals leaving.. But others keep saying winter is on it's way so I know they've experienced it before. Do things continue to die? Why do the birds leave but we stay?" He could of gone on and on, but thought his dad would already be pretty bombarded by the sudden mass of questions. "I'm sorry.. I'm just so confused about all of this.. Everything was so green not to long ago.. Now it's so colorful and I have no idea why!" Finding himself exhausted, he gave his father room to talk. |
The elder Tainn drew a thoughtful face, letting his orange-yellow eyes look at the very trees Darrah had. He could understand his confusion, Triell had been bewildered by the sudden tumult of changes that seemed to happen one after the other.
"We are safe here Darrah," he firstly murmured with no trace of doubt, gaze flicking to hold his boy's own bright stare. "When the world gets colder the Bend will be the safest place to stay." For his other questions, the father strode forward, purposefully crunching the dead leaves with his paws. He was rolling around words in his mind, before he titled his head back to Darrah. "The leaves die because the trees have to sleep through the winter. If they still had them when it snowed, their branches would break. They might not survive." Triell explained, knowing he may have to describe snow as well. Since someone else could have, he would wait for the query.
"Other animals leave because they are not suited for the cold, and neither can they sleep through it. We Darrah, are made for this bitter weather. Notice how your coat has gotten longer? How you are getting tall? We were made to thrive in winter."
Darrah much trusted his father, maybe even a little more than everyone else in the pack. Triell was his role model. As every dad should be to their sons, So when he said they were safe at the Bend the pup decided to no longer question it. He was safe. A sigh of relief fell from the boys lips before his father began moving forward on the crackling dead earth. He listened carefully to his fathers explanation of what was happening to the earth around him. "Sleeping.. he thought. "I guess that makes sense.. But.." The lanky youngster was told by someone else that snow was light and fluffy. How would that make branches break? He continued on to listen to the reasoning beyond the animals departure before deciding to talk. "We're made to thrive in winter... That's why I'm getting taller? Strange." He was a little puzzled, but his height was the least of his concerns right now. "Dad what is snow then? I heard it's cold and white... and soft. But it's heavy too? Why does the snow come? And how is it fair that we can stay right here at home but the other animals have to find somewhere else to live? Do they come back when the snow goes away? How does the snow go away?" The more questions answered, the more the boy had to ask! Why was everything so.. Confusing? |
There was comfort found by Darrah's quietness. His trust in his father's words. Soon enough he would see winter for himself, and understand better. The father's hope was it would be kinder than last. Couldn't it be? The boy's rolling questions continued, and so he reclined to his haunches feeling this may take the day. He did not mind at all having a talk of the world with his son. These were his favorite kind of conversations.
"It's hard to explain. There's nothing quite like it." He didn't want to compare it to mud, and nothing else seemed close. "Yes, it is white, cold, and fluffy. It will pile on the ground, and trees. Last year there were places where it was taller than me!" He exclaimed, hoping that may help sort a picture. Snow shouldn't be something feared. "It's fun to roll in, and you can even eat it. Triell pointed to the spot beside him, gesturing for the boy to sit. "The lands need a rest. Little by little it will get warmer. Come spring this place will look brand new. I don't know why we get to stay, while others go. I only know they return with the heat. What do you think?" He met the bright eyes of his child, genuine attentiveness upon his dark mask.
Darrah's eyes widened at the thought of something so mysterious growing taller than himself. "How do we not get lost in the snow if its that big dad? Is it harder to get around then?" The image of snow in the poor boys head was so obscured from the actual truth. What was to come for him could only be pictured as a monstrosity. "Can we sniff our way home in the stuff?" Did snow have a scent? He could vaguely remember snow also being described as frozen water... But that was also ice? "Hey dad... Is snow Ice?" if that were true, he had hoped his dad to be impressed by what he just said. "But he just said you can eat it... If it's edible then it cant be frozen water because you drink water! Someone's wrong here.. Someone's got their facts mixed up... It can't be my dad though.. Rolling around in frozen water.. Wouldn't we drown? What is frozen anyways... When someone is cold they say they are frozen... Cold water? Ugh!" his brow furrowed in frustration. Maybe this was something he just had to see for himself to understand. "I only know they return with the heat. What do you think?" What did he think? He wasn't sure he knew anymore. Who knew seasonal changes could be so frustrating! "Well maybe...... I think maybe because birds have feathers and we have fur right? Maybe they get colder so they find a new home for a while.. Plus maybe they can't fly in frozen water... I can't really see a bird wobbling around on the ground.. I mean if it gets taller than us then that's like..... 50 birds!!!" he gasped. "Dad they have to leave then! If they stayed they would die and then we would be eating dead birds forever. That's no fun." He was almost positive he gave the right answer just then. Darrah stood tall and proud. |
The tall dark wolf was quiet, thinking how to describe it better. "It depends. Some times it becomes hard like the ground, and you don't sink down far. Other times you have to shove through it. We often stick the Bend, where the trees help prevent from getting so high. We will only leave to hunt when the time comes." The leader hoped the herds did not diminish as they had last year, but he would not mention this to Darrah. They would just have to see. Triell was trying to keep caches full, and he was sure everyone else was doing their part.
Pointed ears twitched at the mention of Ice. The name breathed life to memories, and made the Tainn miss his pale friend. Though Triell knew Darrah had taken note of the likeness of elements, and for now placed the image aside, a pleased smile tugged at the side of his maw. "They are quite similar. If it's cold enough ice is a lot harder though. What else have you discovered?" He queried, wanting to know more about his child's world.
There was amusement to the leader's eyes, at the young wolf's explanation. "See, you know more than you think. If the birds didn't leave, they wouldn't return to have baby birds right? We wouldn't have any birds eventually. Then who knows what else of the world would be thrown out of balance."
Darrah was beginning to understand a little better, his father was very good at putting things in perspective for him. Though he was still a little confused, winter didn't seem nearly as scary. "Is it dangerous to go hunt with all that stuff everywhere? What do we hunt when the snow comes? Do the deers leave like the birds do?" all of a sudden he was far more concerned with the thought of food than snow. Perhaps he was getting a little hungry. 'I wonder if I'll be able to hunt with everyone in the snow too..' His stomach grumbled.
His dad seemed truly interested in what he had to say, and that excited him like no other. "Well if Ice is harder then is it a water rock?" If snow was cold white fluffy water and ice was a harder version of snow.. Then it only made sense for ice to be a water rock. "And maybe there are ice boulders too and caves made out of ice and we can live in one dad!" Nothing would ever be cooler than living in a den made out of water rocks.
The Tainn yowled at the mere thought of no more birds. "Dad without birds who would eat the bugs? I don't wanna eat the bugs!! I think I'm glad the birds don't leave.. Maybe you could eat the bugs instead. " If it came down to it, he would be more than happy to let his dad eat the bugs. He couldn't stomach the thought of having to eat a wiggly worm.