White Fir Notch The Song of Us

For @Raela @Gent @Aleris and @Lucia

It was too warm.

Whining lightly, the pup wiggled slightly in an instinctive attempt to find a way to become cooler. But the young pup was met with some resistance. A small whine was released as he noticed the weight of two others atop of him. His sisters had climbed onto of him at some point during their sleep and if it was any other time, he'd appreciate but his skin felt too warm.  So the young pup managed to wiggled out from underneath of the puppy pile without waking his sisters.  For the moment. His sisters just cuddled closer to each other, to hold onto the last dregs of Ryker's warmth as said sibling shuffled awkwardly forward. Though his sight had improved since being able to open his eyes, everything still seemed a little bit too...fuzzy to him, like his fur.

Ryker shivered a little, now he was no longer blanketed by his sisters but curiousity got the better of him as noises from the outside caught his attention. He shuffled forward carefully towards the entrance of the den, knowing his parents often went out into this...Outside, they called it. His sisters and he had been Outside a few times of course, under the care of his parents and close by packmates, though he only understood the games his sisters and he played.

The soft light of the morning sun lit up the sky Outside, the calls of many birds and other animals drawing the young pup's attention, making him poke his head out of the den. His sisters and he were allowed out of the den now, under the careful gaze of his family.  But everyone was either asleep or busy doing  things. Ryker tilted his head side to side as he tiptoed a few feet Outside before plopping his behind down on to the ground. Beside the songs of the birds, which Ryker liked the sound of (there were so many sounds! How could there be so many?!), he didn't quite yet understand it was the feathered creatures who made the noises.  But that didn't bother Ryker. They sounded nice and he wanted to listen to them anyway, without his sisters always interrupting him!

(This post was last modified: Jun 01, 2016, 12:55 PM by Ryker.)

The oldest of them always seemed to sleep like a rock. The pup's larger frame, along with her sister's smaller one, had joined together to claim what space they could on the third one's back. For a time this had worked; until the cloudiness of her dreamless sleep began to fade. Something shifted beneath her, and Aleris instinctively clung to it even while barely conscious. Why was everything moving anyway? Alas, her head rest escaped, leaving the sisters to curl obliviously back up next to each other. That was, until something else disturbed them.

The strokes across her face pulled the young child out of her slumber with a long yawn. The girl's fuzzy head drifted upward and she recognized the disturbance immediately. It was one of the big ones; and her scent told the little pup that this was the one that fed them too. While there was comfort in this, the sensation of heat all over her was not, and the pup groaned out a disgruntled mrr in response as her blue-green eyes glanced about. She leaned back, rising from the ground to sit up and stare out at the dark shape blocking a small part of the light from entering their home. Her mother's voice grabbed the girl's attention for a moment then. The words were unknown but the tone came in clearly, and Aleris returned the friendly sentiment with a faint wag of her fuzzy tail.

Turning back, she squinted to make the fuzzy form appear more clearly, but it only helped so much. She recognized it quickly as probably belonging to one of the other smaller ones, like her. She'd seen them wander up there before after all. In actuality the oldest of them journeyed up to the light pretty often. The big one turned its attention to her sibling then, and Aleris was overcome with an urge to see what her brother was doing. Her big paws cooperated in getting her to his side; albeit in a bouncy, unbalanced way. She touched her nose to the boy's fur, verifying that it was indeed her littermate and also greeting him in a way. A single black ear rotated sharply forward, followed by the youth's wide-eyed gaze.

The noises were so strange. They were different when it was dark, and then there was the overwhelming array of colors and shapes out there. The cooler breeze helped immediately, but it was still a little hot. She was distracted now though; absorbed by this other world just like each and every time she entered it. So absorbed in fact, that she didn't notice the approach of her mother until she was being nudged gently forward, and hearing her gentle voice again. It was all the encouragement she needed really. Aleris toddled bravely forth after only a second's hesitation and an upward glance; setting her nose to the ground and taking in all the new smells around the den. Their subterranean home always seemed to smell the same, but here, well it was different every time!    

(This post was last modified: Jun 02, 2016, 02:27 PM by Aleris.)

Even watching them rest was a wondrous experience in and of itself. Their little paws and faces twitched in activated sleep; strengthening day by day while the little ones dreamt of who knows what. Did they even have enough life experience yet to dream? She would probably never know. One scarcely remembered this far back into their childhood, and Raela was no exception. It was so warm out that she had to resist the urge to cuddle up to them and add to the heat that was undoubtedly circulating within the pile of bodies that had formed after their last meal. 

The matriarch was content to snooze with her head resting on one paw, turned inward toward the children as always. Sadly, the den would be cooler than the outside, though the breeze might have been of some help. A whine woke her from her rest immediately, and the new mother turned to find her only son desperately trying to wiggle his way out of the heap. While she looked on with concern, Raela refrained from helping him out just yet, though inside she wanted to, and was rewarded with the young boy's eventual success. He would be stronger for it, she had to remember. He wasn't suffering, and this was no big deal. A warm smile spread across her face as she watched passively; while his fuzzy frame toddled down the tunnel. She'd been hoping to take the group outside again soon, and maybe this was the perfect time.

She had nothing to worry about, at least at the moment. No dangerous scents had drifted into the den in a while, so it was fine if the little one wanted to go and sit at the entrance. With a few attentive glances to Ryker's position here and there, the Queen shifted toward the sisters, passing her tongue gently across Aleris first. The larger girl seemed to wake pretty quickly, and couldn't have been that deep in her sleep. She chuffed with amusement at the small groan. "Oh, I'm sorry to wake you up," she began, watching as the child turned to stare at her. "It's pretty hot in here huh? We can go outside if you want." Her voice lilted at the end, and her oldest seemed to answer with a wag. 

Satisfied, the woman turned to the tiny form of her youngest next, giving her the same gentle waking as the other two gathered near the entrance. Knowing Lucia, the girl was likely to bolt at the opportunity as soon as she was conscious. The thought brought a grin to her face. Lucia might have been the runt, but she sure made up for it with her spunk. As soon as the last of them was awake, she strode toward the exit. Aleris almost seemed to jump when prodded, and Raela supposed that she must have been deeply enthralled with the world just then. "You can go out," she affirmed, smiling at them. Her older daughter made eye contact only once before taking the bait, as usual. Now to get the other two out of there so she could squeeze outside too. She touched her son's back next, knowing he would probably the hardest to get going. With any luck, Lucia wouldn't need an ounce of it. 

When all of them had emerged into the sheltered clearing Raela tipped her head back to summon their Dad. She was almost forced to stop the howl early just to laugh, as Eris joined into the song instinctively with her own high-pitched, wavering notes. 

            

Lucia's uncoordinated paws skittered beneath her as the bed she had very much been enjoying broke into pieces and just upped and left her. Grogginess took its time in leaving her, and for a moment she merely squeaked her upset and watched the shadows move around her. When at last she was able to realize that everyone was leaving the den, the girl was onto her paws in the next heartbeat, frolicking after her mother's tail. As they maneuvered through the tunnel, she made sure to give it a few good bats, but once they left the darkness to be bathed by the sun, her attention was utterly stolen.

Her siblings stood before her, and Lucia did not hesitate to shoulder her way through them, encouraging them to "go go go!"

The song didn't matter to her, not at this moment when everything was still so new and she had yet to adjust to any of it. Sure, they had been out before, but the whelp was so young that each memory was still fuzzy and the world lost none of its novelty with each reveal. With a series of excited yips she bounded forward in a zagging pattern, chasing this way and that after sights that failed to hold her attention for more than a second. There was so much to stimulate her senses, and she wanted it all.

Ryker let out a small squeak when his sister pressed her nose to his back, having been utterly enthralled in the bird song and failing to notice her approach. He curled into himself, planting his front feet squarely in front of him and flattening his ears, looking as if he was pouting because his sister had surprised him. He didn’t like being surprised, not one bit, because that meant it a bad feeling settled in his chest that he did not like one bit!

His mother came up behind him, her touch gentle as she encouraged him out of the entrance. He grumbled a bit, squinting a little more before him. The world was still fuzzy to him and everything seemed either too close or too far. It made his little head ache if he tried to concentrate too hard on something that was a few meters away so he didn’t do it often. He often walked slowly whenever they were outside, nose hanging low to the ground in an attempt to keep an eye on it and other things that might trip him up. However, it often meant he would run into things anyway, like his parents legs, which he stuck very close to usually.

his other sister bumped into him, as she was trying to get out of the den and that’s what it took to finally encourage the boy stumbling forward, making him nearly trip over his own oversized paws. He managed to catch himself, half glaring/half pouting after the forms of his sisters as he hung back near the entrance. There was enough room now for Raela to come out and lead them where ever she had planned for them.

Already close by, it did not take long for Gent to reach his family after @Raela had sent up her summons for him. The man had been about to embark on another trip around the pack lands to ensure that everything was as it should be, but time with the children and his wife was easily enticing enough to pull him away from his duties. After all, it wasn't as if the pack's security was at all lacking.

Once arrived he greeted Lucia first, the girl already having made it several yards ahead of her siblings and mother. The child gurgled with happiness to see him, her windmilling steps growing even more erratic as she wriggled with joy. A grin spread easily over his dark features as he bowed his head to snatch her up between his jaws. She squawked in protest, but once deposited beside her sister she did not hesitate to turn right back around and wind herself around his ankles and over his paws.

He chuckled and nosed Aleris affectionately before sending a woof to Ryker, beckoning him to come say hello too. His cobalt-shaded tail waved high through the air as at last his pale gaze was drawn to Raela's warmth, tongue snaking out to graze her cheek.

"What's up?"

Her brother's squeak drew the pup's ears forward with interest, though all attention soon fell to the rest of the world as it so often did. She was still quite young to be dealing with subjects like empathy. Nothing appeared to be amiss, to her, and Aleris Lieris plodded forth to do some exploring. All was ignored until that strange sound rattled her consciousness appeared. The fuzzy black shape whirled, finding the source to be the big one behind her. She wondered vaguely if she too could sing, and mere heartbeats later the child tipped her ebony nose to the treetops, finding that she could indeed.

The girl broke her high-pitched and ill-tuned notes to smile, then giving it another, more passionate attempt. Her tail wiggled with momentary joy. The guardian made happy sounds as well, even looking down to grin back. In the next instant, a single black ear rotated backward, catching the sharp, excited tone of her diminutive litter-mate. Aleris' focus soon followed, and she watched the blurry shape bound further and further into obscurity. The energy was infectious as usual, and it nearly forced the toddler to her feet. An answering yip burst from her tiny lungs as she gave chase; following the other small one toward whatever interesting things she might have found.

The excursion was short lived though, as the shape stopped and veered sharply left. Confusion manifested across her blank face and wide blueish eyes. There was another form over there, a bigger one! Recognition set in and this one too received a chirp of greeting. The child bumbled ahead, bouncing more up and down than forward. Her sight eventually managed to fill in the details of his face reaching down to nuzzle her. Aleris' tail flew a mile-a-minute, nearly knocking her off of her paws. The young wolf even attempted to rear up on her back legs, to better reach him with her innumerable kisses, only to stumble back onto four just before disaster could strike. Four was hard enough.

She grinned happily as the muzzle withdrew itself, once more rising high into the air. The pup stood watching, wagging still as the great black wolf and the guardian met. They were often here together. They were familiar, and this was good. The sounds they made were nice, and so everything was fine. She joined in attacking the new arrival's feet and the Lucia between them intermittently. Her barely-emerged needle-teeth always demanded things to bite, after all.

(This post was last modified: Jul 19, 2016, 03:43 AM by Aleris.)

Just as expected, the smallest of the bunch awoke as if shot by lightning. Raela accepted the tail-attack willingly, and failed to hold back a chuckle as Lucia barreled headlong into the world, unfortunately shoving aside the already startled Ryker in the process. Her heart had gone out to him the moment she heard his cry. The mother's touch was gentle, but Lucia had not been so kind. Her ears cupped forward with concern as he just about tumbled out from under the strings of moss that covered the entrance. 

To her dismay, as soon as the boy was stable again he was also motionless. With a quiet, softly smiling sigh the agouti-pelted woman pushed herself up into the sunlight as well. Her front legs drew forward in a long stretch; golden eyes carefully trailing the exuberant bounds of her two daughters. They didn't get too far, usually. Raela's divided attention then fell toward her son's irritated form. Not everyone was going to leap from the den at the first opportunity, she knew. She could not force the pup to play any more than she could force a squirrel down from a tree. 

Instead the Queen offered what she was able to. Her pink tongue, having first rolled out in a yawn now reached down to kiss the lad once on his fuzzy cheek. "You alright?" She inquired mildly; fully expecting the child to recover quite swiftly. The puppies usually did. After glancing him over once the matriarch sent up her call, and within minutes the black King was with them. Her creamy tail set to swaying as he drew into sight, quickening its pace as she watched the girls fall all over him; especially Lucia. Her lips pulled back in a grin overflowing with warmth and pride. The little ones were their whole wide world. 

She stepped closer as he greeted them in turn, accepting the man's affection most willingly, and with a sweet nuzzle of her own. How perfect the world seemed with the whole family together. The Queen answered his question with a broad smile. "Well, everyone now," she replied with a mirthful glance toward the tiny warriors below. "How about we walk them down to the Springs?" Her voice floated eagerly on the summer breeze as her muzzle motioned west. "...if you have some time. It's certainly warm enough," Raela added, feeling the patchy sun on her back. She couldn't dismiss the possibility that he was busy for a little while yet. Sometimes tracks had to be investigated, kills cached and the like. Her enthusiasm would not alleviate such necessities, though her sunshine eyes shown vibrantly as she awaited his reply.   

            

totally did not realize it was lucia's turn, sorry @Ryker!

Lucia never appreciated being picked up. The little girl didn't much like anything that limited or controlled her. Thankfully, the temperamental girl was quick to move on from such slights, and once back upon the ground she held nothing against the mammoth that had displaced her. Her affection for the ones who always cared for her was immense, and it showed as she insisted on nuzzling against his ankles and gnawing on his toes. She wanted his attention, but before her impatience could grow, her sister was accompanying her.

A squeal flew out of her throat as she skylarked with the other, chasing her around the tree trunks that were her father's legs. Each time Aleris' attention shifted onto her, the runt met the other girls' nips with batting paws and behavior that would eventually develop into jaw sparring as she grew older. It wasn't even noticed that their brother did not join in, or wasn't near them at all. The boy was rarely ever as fun as her sister, often too sensitive and less active. Not in the way that Lucia liked, anyways. Maybe one day she would be a bit more sympathetic toward him, encourage him to join them.

Or maybe she would just be as emotionally stunted as her growth was.

omg, I'm so sorry I took so long. ;-; I have no excuses

Ryker was still pouting when his mother leaned down and gently laid a small kiss on his cheek. The touch swiftly changed his mood, the gesture tickling slightly as a light giggle bubbled out of his chest and into the air. There was no way he could stay pouty for long, particualry when his father showed up and and big grin crossed the pup's face.

But of course, his sisters rushed in first to greet him, jumping around his legs and nipping at him. While he did patter towards Gent with a wagging tail, he hung back so not to be in the way of his sisters playing. He hated it when his siblings unexpectedly bumped into him with their playing and sent him tumbling to the ground. He loved them with all his heart of course but sometimes they did get a bit annoying. They were always so active and bouncy. Even if he joined in sometimes, he liked just watching things even more.

Their parents were talking above their head, Ryker noticed as he tilted his head back and perked his ears up. His mother mentioned something about...he frowned as he found he couldn't quite understand the words his mother had spoken What were they?

"Swing?" He questions outloud, looking at @Raela with a puppy sized frown and tilted head.