Broken Timber Pines Song of the rainy day

@Ember and Bracken only, please pm if you want to drop in!

The sky is dark with storm clouds.

Iopah didn't have to look up to know the storm was coming. She could hear it in the way the leaves stirred over-head and could feel the change in barometric pressure on her sensitive whiskers. The pale wolf slowed and turned to look over a gray shoulder into her forest. It was quiet and still, the only movement her gold eyes caught was the sway of salmonberry bramble and the quick flit of a woodpecker. Hopefully the other set of parents had taken shelter and were safe. Her eyes scanned again for a trace of @Silentium and, even though she knew the rain would not hurt him, she still worried. Iopah sent out a low chuff into the air and hoped it might reach the yearling and he would be careful with her warning.

Just as soon as that sound faded in the forest, the sky opened up. Iopah winced at the sudden downpour and let her now-slender figure seek brief shelter under a fallen tree. All around was the soft chime of water striking leaves, but the mother craned her ears for a different sound. This was the first rainfall since their birth and she'd hoped it would wait until her brief walked finished. Clearly, it hadn't and now there was nothing but to hurry back through the rain.

Her back and sides were speckled dark with moisture by the time she returned. She shook off briefly before entering, but it was raining and she could feel the lingering dampness. Her daughters were just as she left them and Iopah swept her muzzle around each to draw them nearer. Already they had grown, but their world remained as small and protected as before. Soon, that would change. Outside the rain continued and the storm drew closer.

Fair warning, this is my first time writing for a pup...

With a soft mutter, the pale child snuggled closer to her sister.  Something had roused Ember from slumber, but she wasn't ready to wake up just yet.  The darkness behind her eyelids was comfortable, and with Mother somewhere else, she wasn't feeling very adventurous.  Sleep nearly found Ember again when she sensed a definite change in the air.  She couldn't quite pinpoint what was happening, but she was aware of a constant, dull sort of mumbling where before there was quiet.

At last Ember abandoned the idea of sleep and opened her eyes.  Facing the interior of the den, she saw nothing unusual.  Her home had seemed large at first, but now it just felt smaller and smaller.  She twisted her neck around as well as she could to see behind her.  The light at the other end of the den always hurt to look at after spending so much time in the darkness, but now it seemed a little dimmer.  Nothing in the den was as interesting as that distant glow, and now that it wasn't painfully bright, Ember took the opportunity to watch it.

Just then, the light vanished.  Ember squealed and let her head drop back down in response to the change.  Hardly a moment passed before the large form of Mother appeared and the two pups were swept in close to her.  Normally Ember loved cuddling into the soft warmth of her mother's pelt, but now it felt strange.  It was almost like someone had licked Mother clean and now she was drying out.  That had never happened before.  What was going on?  Ember looked toward her mother's face, confusion shining in her wide eyes.

Aw! I think it looks fine. I'm using this from the Development Guide as a reference (cause this is my first from-birth puppy as well)

"Hearing begins. Puppies are now extremely mobile and begin to understand the basics of the world around them. As the pups' eyesight improves and starts to focus, they are able to recognize family, siblings, and other objects around them. They are keen to pick up patterns in speech, sounds and words and may mimic them to practice social skills."

It was quiet and it was dark and her belly was still full. Bracken was oblivious to the entire world, sound asleep next to her sister. Tiny gray ears flicked just once as the rain started. The unfamiliar sound registered on some subconscious level, but it was so gentle that it was quickly pushed aside. Danger was an idea that she couldn't even comprehend yet. Charcoal ears flicked again as something stirred nearby. Still asleep, her neonatal reaction was to nestle closer to it. Her black nose met up a soft surface and Bracken took in a drowsy breath. The breath was filled with the reassuring scent of her sister and the familiarity was enough to keep her asleep even as Ember roused.

It was the squeal that finally woke her. Bracken flung herself into wakefulness, legs flailing wildly as she tried to roll onto her belly. She didn't protest her mother's touch, but it did take a moment for her confusion to fade into memory. Wide eyes searched unevenly, but were much too blue and young to see very much in the dimness.

Finally Bracken let herself be swept in and turned to push her nose into Iopah's fur, seeking the comfort she knew was underneath. What she found was't what she expected. The fur wasn't soft and warm like it usually was. It was... different. An anxious whined pushed from her throat and she kept searching, growing more frantic as the differentness continued. Now she really wanted the comfort of nursing. Every spot was damp and cold under her nose, eventually Bracken toddled backwards and let out a high-pitched yip.

(This post was last modified: Jun 11, 2015, 06:37 AM by Bracken.)

sorry for the wait! I added in some thunder to give them something more to react to, you're welcome to incorporate whatever storm effects you'd like!

Iopah thought nothing of the rain. It was such a common and ordinary that it escaped the mother's notice that it might seem otherwise to her daughters. She had pulled both pups close under her, a movement that was becoming familiar and she expected both to settle back down with her.

The surprised noises and uncoordinated movements were anticipated, but they didn't subside as she would have thought. Iopah meet a pair cloudy blue eyes and tilted her chin at the pair. She hummed before asking, "What's the matter?" and shifting a little more; stretched out more thoroughly on her side now, instead of propped up using her front legs. It wasn't that she believed they could understand her yet, but it was a habit and she hoped the low hush of her voice would soothe them. A tiny muzzle nosed at her belly and Iopah went still, knowing immediately and giving the pup a chance to finish her search. She could see Ember's curious gaze still and could hear the increasing anxiety in Bracken's whine. Pale brows drew together in puzzlement and the woman looked over them just as a low rumble of thunder was felt in the den. Oh.

"It's raining, it's only a storm." Iopah murmured soothingly, but knew the explanation would mean little to her young daughters, she was already leaning towards them as the words faded. She reached to touch her dark nose to Ember's miniature one and ran her tongue down the tawny girls back. Pulling back slightly, she quietly nudged Bracken back to her side once again. Another vibration of thunder was felt through the ground. A pale ear swiveled to the outside, but she did nothing more. Iopah could not stop the storm, or whatever else might come, they would simply have to grow used to how the world was.

Mother's golden eyes, just distinguishable through the darkness and blur, met Ember's. What the pup found there did little to comfort her, as Mother looked almost as confused as she did! A distant growl erupted a heartbeat later, surprising her enough to knock wobbly puppy legs out from under her. Mother was wet, the air felt funny, and now something was growling! Whatever was happening, it certainly couldn't be good!

But nothing could calm a child like the soft voice of her mother. Ember felt that all would be okay when she heard Mother's words of comfort, incomprehensible though they may have been. These sounds that Mother and other wolves made -- they had a pattern, and Ember just knew they meant something. It wasn't like the other sounds that occasionally filtered into the den; these sounds were intentional. That made them important. Eager to begin deciphering the code, Ember tried to copy her mother. "Sss-t.  Ssstoh-mmmm." The pale pup ceased her efforts when Mother reached down to kiss her nose. Mother was so nice.

But then Mother licked her! All the way down her back! The warmth of Mother's tongue felt good, of course, but now Ember was wet! She squeaked in protest and stumbled backward. Since Mother was here and seemed comfortable with the weird air and the intermittent growling, Ember felt more confident and turned to take a step toward the light at the other end of the den. Anything to avoid a bath! "Ssstoh-mmmm.  Toh-mMMmm." Alien as the sounds were, they felt good on the pup's throat and she repeated them idly as she gazed a the dim light. Then, the light turned really bright for a really quick moment. Ember froze. What was that? It was like a blink, but the world went white instead of black. A second or two passed before a crackling snarl burst through the air and sent Ember careening back into Mother's soft form. Even the damp of Mother's fur was better than whatever was making those scary noises!

sudden Bracken muse!

It did no good to complain. No matter how pitiful and heart-wrenching her cries, the strange noise had kept right on going and her mother kept on being wet! Bracken bobbed her head from side to side, looking for the one individual who usually sided with her. Where was her sister? It was dim and mother was in the way, the gray pup shuffled to her feet and tried to set out. She was going to find her! Ember always made stuffs better! A large, pale muzzle blocked her path and Bracken let out another wail, more indignant than surprised.

Iopah tried to nudge her closer and the tiny pup protested. Just as soon as the girl came into contact with her mother's belly and the guiding muzzle went away, Bracken was clambering away. She stumbled over Iopah's out-stretched legs and tried to summon her sister. "Urr-ruff!

There! Ember was standing in... that place by the... Ember was other there! The gray girl was toddling forward, tail wiggling happily, when thunder began to crack outside the den. Bracken skidded to a halt as her sister rushed back to their mother. The noise rumbled through the den, at first making the girl crouch in fear, then rising as the sound morphed into vibrations. Every hair was shaking by the time she reached Iopah and no time was wasted before trying to forcibly wedge herself under her mother. Ember might be exciting to follow, but mother was always safe. She shivered, no longer caring that the pale body that sheltered her was slightly damp.

Both girls had fled to their mother before that first peel of thunder ebbed away. One was burying into her thick pelt while the other was nearly underneath her now. Iopah sighed and the sound was swallowed up in the soft drone of rain overhead. She shifted and felt both tremble against her as she pondered what to do and how to help them. Childhood was such a long time ago for her, and while Iopah knew similar things must have frightened her, she couldn't remember getting over those fears. They were such fuzzy memory's, everything else that had happened in her birth-pack overshadowed those indistinct feelings of contentment and safety.

There was no question her daughters would encounter other things to put this storm to shame. Despite her attempts to keep them safe, they were growing, and soon they learn of the far more dangerous world. But she could help them here, could keep them from one fear, at least. The mother drew back, just enough to reveal both pups, and gently tapped both front feet on the floor of the den. It was a little too cramped to play this game; Iopah felt her rump scrape against the ceiling as her play bow deepened. She didn't care. The lightning flashed harmlessly outside as she gave a soft playful bark to them. Thunder shook the ground as her paws dragged backwards teasingly across it. If it was "only a storm" as she'd said earlier there was no reason to not play during it, was there?

The dampness of Mother's fur didn't matter anymore. She was still warm and soft, and now that Ember's curious spirit left her, that's just what she needed. Nuzzling a little more into Mother's fur, the little princess cowered down and waited for the scary weirdness to go away. Then Mother's comforting form suddenly lifted away! A stream of whimpering yips escaped Ember's lips and she reached in all directions with legs and nose to try to find Mother again. Why would she go away when something so terrifying was nearby?

Bluebell eyes looked up to search the den visually and soon found the enormous form of Mother rising like a mountain, her pale coat glowing softly in the gloom of the den. What was she doing? Ember stared for a few seconds before Mother's playful bark informed her that she wanted to play. Ember's yipped response was cut short when another flash and another rumble arrested her attention again. The den entrance seemed to flicker with white light every so often, and a nearly-petrified pup turned to face it so she could study the unnatural sight. Then she looked back at Mother and whined. How come she wanted to play now?

After a few more seconds of watching the dim lightning flashes, Ember began backing up. She tripped over one of Mother's paws a few paces later, then lunged at the offending object to deliver a punishing nip. The strange light and sounds were still a threatening presence, but just maybe it wouldn't bother her if whatever was doing that saw how vicious she was. Besides, Ember thought, Bracken always wanted to play, so if she didn't join, it would just be her sister playing with Mother and Ember all lonely and scared off to the side. That wouldn't be any fun. No, Ember would beat Bracken to the game! Having nearly forgotten the storm already, the brave girl crouched down and clumsily pounced toward Mother's face, aiming for an ear.

Bracken was far from sure about this. Considering the pup's usual fondness for games and playing, her fear must have been great for the hesitation she gave to the whole idea. When mother moved away, daughter flattened to the ground. She watched Iopah draw back, a helpless shivering huddle of nervousness on the soft-packed dirt. Not good, a nasally whine insisted through the roll of thunder. The storm answered back in a deep rumble and her slate-blue eyes went wide. There was one more sound of sadness as her next whine was breathed out with a quavering exhale.

Her eyes rolled around the den, scarcely recognizing her mother's invitation for what it was -certainly not in the midst of a storm! It wasn't until Bracken's sister moved forward that her eyes stopped their random searching. She watched Ember, starting to scoot forward as her sister moved backwards. Even now, she didn't want to be left behind. The game was watched with confusion, slate-blue eyes darting back and forth, and gradually she forgot about the storm. It was still there, of course. It rumbled and shook in the background, but her attention was more on the game now.

When Ember managed to catch the ear and pull mother's face down just a slightest bit, Bracken couldn't resist. She lurched forward with a soft growl for her target. Iopah's foreleg -the leg Ember had stumbled over earlier- was outstretched and the pup made a beeline for it. She straddled it, flopped a puppy butt onto mother's elbow and struggled to wrap her tiny jaws around the carpal joint. There! Her 3.5 pounds of weight were sure to over-power her mother!

There is a family of deer nearby. Hunt Opportunity