Willow Ridge for snakes among sweet flowers do creep

@Isuni

Sven's ears perked as Enoki addressed him, and her condescending words were answered with a brief flash of his teeth. Part of him wanted dearly in that moment to announce that he was the one that had led it into the den in the first place, proving that he knew what he was doing. Luckily, the boy wasn't that easily swayed by his temper, and silence remained his choice until she opened her mouth again.

What she had to say elicited a snort from the near-yearling.

"It's gonna bite me from like, eight feet away," the estimated length of the willow whip if he would have completed tearing it down, "but let you just crawl over it? And if you got it by the damn head why wouldn't you just kill the fuckin' thing?"

Man, he didn't like this woman. She was so uppity, treating him like a stupid kid, acting like she was an authority on snakes, talkin' shit about his mom. Yeah; Sven was never letting that go.

A night under the stars Morganna suggested, and that didn't sound too bad. Hell, as long as it was no one he liked having around wandering in there, it didn't much matter to him just how closely the den was watched. Once the pack as a whole was warned, it would be their own damn fault anyways if someone got too close. Sven reclined, thoughts falling in line with his aunt's as he no longer felt drawn to contribute.

Then Morganna got back up, and his snout and ears raised to curiously watch her. Very subtly within his heart was a thin strand of fear that she might make a mistake and get bit, which would ultimately be his fault. Yet he very much trusted his aunt's intelligence, and when she moved past the mouth of the den entirely this worry vanished. When it became clear what she was doing, his tail thumped against the ground in approval. A wry little smile curled his lips as she voiced her warning, the nasty child hoping Enoki might not heed such caution.

@Enoki is up next -- hoping to finish this round by 5/23, and then we can wrap it up?  :3

Around and around they went, each wolf with their own idea on how to deal with the nasty thing.  The woman bit back a sigh as she eyed the others – each idea had its own merit, she supposed, but each its own risks.  Sven’s seemed hard to execute, while Enoki’s held far more immediate danger, if not to the piebald, than the other wolves within the rattler’s range.  Before she could weigh in, the alpha moved with a certain air of getting shit done, and Capable tipped her head to one side.

Deciding she’d not risk either Morganna’s or the snake’s ire, she did as the swarthy female commanded, and took a step back.  It turned out the woman’s thoughts were not entirely unlike her own, but instead of catching the snake from behind, she simply sought to startle it.  The vibrations did not take long at all to bother the uninvited guest as the thing coiled and hissed – and with no warning at all, sprinted from its newfound shelter into the sunlight.  It clearly had no interest in remaining, not with that racket, but upon meeting all those legs.

The snake came to a halt and reared up, shaking its tail again.  Let me pass, it seemed to say, and Capable saw no reason not to.  Warily, larruping warily, she took a few more steps back, and tipped her head towards the other two.  “Let it go,” she intoned, “and I don’t think it’ll be back.”

bring me home, bring back what's stolen,

Capable

like you're supposed to

A wild dissertation appears!

Where Enoki had expected to hear just a fraction of the minimal amount of praise for her idea and knowledge presented to the others at least, instead her ears were grated by the disdain of both Sven and even @Morganna in her more subtle way. Internally it was a mixed battle of what next, splaying her ears back in embarrassment for clearly being of no help although her heart was in the right place, or putting that damn child in check for such disrespect to his elders. "Because not everything has to result in a form of violence." she retorted. The piebald woman had thought her former reprimand when the boy was a mere child would have done some good, but clearly he needed a whole lot worst than a few good nips to an ear. He needed a solid beating. Just the thought alone was enough to have her ebony lips twitching in threat to raise in response to the boy's words, but it was the presence of their leader that kept such displays at bay. Surely she would just protect the boy considering who his father was.

An ear then pivoted off to the side before her head turned to watch with curiosity what exactly the peachy woman was up to as her swarthy frame came to nestle against the side of the den, taking heed of the warning and pacing backwards to a safer distance opposite of Capable before Morganna began her digging against the rocky surface. Like a bolt of lightning the reptile was darting free from the noisy confines of the inner chambers with a hiss and a rattle until suddenly the scaly creature paused its escape to rear up and offer one final warning rattle. Much like her fellow pack mate, the two toned woman took further steps back as well to give the retreating creature a proper escape route back toward the woodlands where it belonged. There was no need to escort the creature if it was going to leave on its on willingly.

OMG I'm so sorry I didn't realise it was my turn! This is Morgs exit.

Sven's words elicited a growl of warning lacking proximity to reprimand with teeth or a shove as her own mother might have offered her had she ever thought to run her mouth in such a way. He was getting older now and had best start learning his place. No matter what words his father had spun, when his birthday rolled around the boy would find himself as just another subordinate and not above being reprimanded by those above him. Hell she wished they'd all just stop walking on eggshells and work together to raise these children right. Her mother had never hesitated to right her when she was wrong, and a savage loner with intent to kill was a different matter to pack mates working together for the greater good of the pack.

She could only be grateful that the others heeded her warning and let the creature go. Moving to place four paws back on the earth she had to wonder just how the creature had gotten in there. While Enoki's plan may have had merit in a much more open setting, at the end of the day she wasn't going to risk such a long serving member of the pack by forcing them into a confined space with such a venomous adversary. She walked back around to offer a nudge of thanks to @Isuni, and a similar brush of her nose against the cheek of @Enoki, a small smile offered before she chose to speak, "Mother woulda killed me if I let yer try ter get it out alone, she's dealt with snake bite before. If it had'a been in the open..." she hoped her suggestion was clear enough and it was closest she could manage to an apology. @Sven's horrid attitude left him offered more than a reprimanding glance before the leader took her leave. There were caches to check and borders to patrol.

But perhaps first, some lunch...

Because not everything has to result in violence she said, and the scoff this encouraged within the boy was barely audible. It was a snake, a scrap of scales and cold blood and dangerous to boot. To end its life could hardly be considered unnecessary brutality, but where in his toddling months he might have continued to pipe up his objections, this Sven was old enough to spot and avoid such aimless arguing.

Instead, his eyes remained on the show before them all. Still seated safely away, he did not need to move a muscle when his toy shot from the pitch black and into the waving grass. Capable and Enoki both gave it a wide and wise berth, and soon the poisonous thing was gone. Pity, but at least it hadn't gone sour in a way that would bite him in the ass.

Morganna returned to them, and as she did Sven at last lifted his rump back off the ground, tail swaying easily behind him as it always did when his aunt drew near. Yet while the women got a purr and a nudge, he was met with a cold shoulder and glare, instantly defeating his good mood and causing his lips to turn downward in a frown. What the hell was that about?

His pale gaze watched her leave him behind without a single word, and his growing displeasure further morphed his mouth into a scowl. Whatever, he decided bitterly, turning on his own heels to take his leave.

(This post was last modified: Jun 16, 2016, 10:50 PM by Sven.)

With the snake’s departure seemed to come the dispersal of the other wolves.  Morganna rewarded both of the females with a nudge and a low rumble – but Sven was given no such acknowledgement.  Uncertain as the redhead was about the youngest Archer, she found the snub to be a bit odd.  Apparently, the youth felt the same way, evident by his face, his silent retreat from whence he came.  Her mouth twisted, but she said nothing.  It wasn’t her place.  She was a subordinate, and this was not her family.

Giving herself a firm shake, the wolf looked in the direction the rattlesnake had moved one last time.  She could not see scale nor rattle, and assumed the thing had gone elsewhere, somewhere safer to sun itself in peace.  Good.  She had no interest in seeing the vile thing again, either. 

With nothing else to say, she gave Enoki and Morganna each a nod of thanks.  It was nice, she thought, that the women here were so capable – and did not hesitate to act.  Were the same to happen in her birth pack, well…her mother mighe be an alpha, but she’d not do anything without her mate.  Isuni turned tail and began to trot off – she needed something better to think about.

Fade.

bring me home, bring back what's stolen,

Capable

like you're supposed to

@Morganna @Enoki @Sven -- Thank you all for joining!  :D  Feel free to collect your LP!

A wild dissertation appears!