Oak Tree Bend smells like teen spirit

OOC COMMENTS: @Treyah @Sahalie @Naira @Triell @Drift @Darrah This is also open for anyone else who might like to join! There are just a lot of people to tag, so I only did family ;~;

It seemed like years passed by without any sign of the big fluff that brought warmth and food. In reality, it hadn't even been twenty minutes, but the cub had already decided that it was high time he took matters into his own paws. Positively starving, he lifted his pudgy body from the cool Earth below, and waddled his way towards the light. That was the last place he had seen her, and so it only made sense to check there first.

Gurgle.

The faint noise was startling, to say the least. Reiko was used to noise filtering into the den from the wall of light, but this particular noise came from somewhere inside. Clumsily turning, his blue eyes scanned the small cavern. Everything seemed to be in order. Ok, back to business. He'd find his mother and put an end to the emptiness in his tummy. Spinning back to face the entrance—and nearly loosing his footing—the boy chanced a step.

Gurgle.

His tiny lids narrowed, unable to comprehend that the noise was actually coming from his stomach. Turning once more, Reiko decided that it would be best to put an end to whatever that sound was first. Gurgle, growl, gurgle. His disproportionately small head swiveled every which way, trying to pinpoint the noise's location, but his instincts weren't quite there yet. Even so, it always seemed to be just on the other side of him. Since left, and right were getting him nowhere, the boy tried looking down. Ah-ha! There was certainly something there. Two tiny brown something-or-others stared up at him. Stepping backwards in an attempt to get a better look at them, the cub found that when he moved, so did they. Wild! Now if they would just stay still he'd be able to investigate.

Another gurgle broke his train of thought, and pulled him away from the paws below. It was closer than it had been.. or at least he thought so. Oh! The noises were coming from below. Happy with his newfound discovery, the cub continued back-stepping, positive that whatever it was making the gurgles was bound to be revealed at some point. Unfortunately, he realized too late that he had been stepping out of the den, and into the blistering sunlight. Instead of freezing at the sudden onslaught, he simply squinted while his body kept going. There was ground, and ground, and suddenly nothing. Tumbling down the small slope mountain, he landed in a heap below. There was nothing left to do but shriek for his mother.

(This post was last modified: Jun 17, 2016, 07:37 AM by Reiko.)

She had only left to grab a quick drink, perhaps taking a little too long to get back given the still tender age of her final litter. She had looked under the log with some trepidation, it was such a lovely day, surely if she chose to rest just outside for a while, soak some sun into her silvering fur, then she would be near enough to hear if the children woke (forgetting to take into account her less than stellar hearing). Eyes shut tight she allowed herself to stretch, legs inching across the edge of the den entrance just in time for little Reiko to back over them.

The feeling of small limbs against her own was enough to cause her eyes to shoot open, a barely contained chuckle of amusement leaving her mouth in a chuff as he tumbled over and over down the small embankment where she hadn't quite managed to move the soil back from the entrance. As his piercing shrieks filled the air she inched a little closer, reaching out to brush her nose along the top of his head. "Up you get," she offered rather gruffly, affection coming through in the smile on her face. "You left your sister behind, do you want to wake her up so she knows?"

Ready to erupt into a full-blown fit, the boy felt the familiar warmth of his mother's nose run across his head. His shriek's stopped instantly as he realized that she didn't seem upset. Like a deer-in-headlights, the boy waited for her to make any kind of scene, wondering if her reaction was just delayed. His answer came as the woman spoke, her tone soft and soothing to his ears. Cocking his mousy head to the side, Reiko latched on to his sister's name. The very minor bumps he had sustained were completely forgotten as he stood to bound forward. "Tuh-ray!" All excitement now, he toppled forward only to pick himself right back up unfazed.

When Treyah did not answer, he looked to the matriarch. "Mumum!" He squealed, making sure the woman was paying attention before he gave her direction. "Tey-uh!" Using his maw to point towards the entrance, he encouraged the woman to go in and get her. He normally wouldn't have bothered to use a middle-man, but the thought of repeating the fall he'd endured moments ago wasn't at the top of his list. Not to mention the fact that his mother was huge. She could have just reached in and brought the bundle of fur that was his sister out in one fowl swoop, whereas he would have to tug at her scruff. Even then, the feat would have taken far too long for him to accomplish. No, it had to be Naira.

(This post was last modified: Jul 18, 2016, 09:06 AM by Reiko.)

It would seem the boy wished his mother to dob him in, a smirk offered as he tried to encourage her to drag @Treyah from her blissful sleep and into the blinding light. No, despite popular oppinion she wasn't so cruel. "Shhh!" she gently gestured. "Treyah go nigh-night." She tried to explain to the young lad. "@Reiko play, Treyah sleep?" She suggested gently, hardly expecting the idea to take hold. She knew from previous litters that if one child was up they would expect the other to join them in whatever misadventures they may concoct, so in an attempt to distract the lad she twitched her tail, the movement made more obvious through the small thump of her tail against the earth.

If that wasn't enough to grab his attention, a paw inched closer to poke the boy in the rump, a low, quiet but playful growl offered to lessen the blow as she continued to try and entice him into a game. She would have to be careful with a child so small, but she wasn't so robust herself anymore, she would have to make the most of what play she could get in before her children grew too large.

His mother shushed him, but the reasoning was lost on the boy. "Trey up!" He insisted, egging the woman into waking his sister once more. She couldn't go nigh-night! Not when he wasn't tired. A small movement caught the corner of his eye, just enough to force his head to spin. His mother's tail hit the ground hard enough to stir some primal instinct deep within his belly. Picking up one paw and then placing it one pace ahead of the other's he waited much like a cat. When he detected no more movement, he had to wonder whether it had even happened at all.

His mother confirmed his suspicions however, as the low rumbling of a growl erupted in her throat. Already old enough to know the difference between her 'You're in trouble.' and 'I'm going to get you.' growl's the boy bounced forward. He didn't have to be told twice. Releasing a growl of his own, Reiko bounded straight for her. He knew nothing of her age, or growing frailties, or that moments like these would come less and less as he aged. So it wasn't with the intent to savor it that he opened his mouth to reveal little pin-prick like teeth, but rather all the ignorance and bliss of youth.

@Reiko's actions were closely watched and measured, his reactions weighed against those offered by her older sons. Hemlock had been far more reserved and Adonis even more so (she had missed out on Datura's formative months and it still caused her a pang to acknowlege as much, even now). This one was a go-getter, and as he grew she was certain he would become a handful for the rest of the pack as well as his ageing parents.

Her growl seemed to be enough to completely pull the boy away from his sleeping sister and what more could she ask for? As the brown lad rounded on her with teeth bared, she gave her tail another thump and a twitch was offered before she heaved herself upwards. Naira took 2 steps away, pausing to wait with her tail waving in invitation, even going so far as to bow down and slap the ground with her paws. Was he going to try and catch her? Dare to toddle a few more steps away from the safety that the entrance of the den offered him?

Two more steps and another low growl. Come and get me! she challenged with a smirk. Just a little bit further.