Oak Tree Bend don't let me down

At eight weeks, the girl was toddling about quite quickly. She was eager to explore the world, though her parents were always swift to pull her back to the realm of safety. Today, however, Treyah was far more lax than usual, though her pudgy puppy body was sprawled upon a patch of grass just outside of the den. The heat beat down from the sky, and with the humidity in the air, Treyah released a lazy yawn, feeling her eyes blink heavily as she was tempted to be lulled to sleep.

Still, her head remained lifted, and her tail would sweep through the grass blades behind her as her blue eyes cast upon a bright yellow butterfly. It swiveled through the air, causing Treyah's head to tilt slightly, and with a gentle yap, the girl lifted one paw in its direction, thumping to heavily upon the ground in an invite to play... though it simply continued to flutter through the air. With a languid effort, the toddler pulled herself up, taking a clumsy step forward as her nose aimed to touch at her new friend -- it evaded her, and a grin spread fully upon her muzzle. Taking this game as one of chase, the girl bent her tiny form down, wiggling her rump in the air as she made to gain some balance.. before she would launch herself and puppy jaws to slide through the air in an attempt to catch her friend.

She was bored. Horribly, terribly bored. It was hard for a girl to amuse herself while her brother napped and her mother worked. At least, that was what she assumed Speiden was doing – it seemed the other wolves always needed her for something, no matter how big they were! S’alie wasn’t around either – the chubby pup gave a little woof, but no one came running. @Mako didn’t even seem to stir from his dreams, and so the child took it as permission to leave the den. Certainly, if he wanted to play, she had to assume her littermate would join her.

It seemed stumpy legs would not have to take her far to find her any fun, for not long after leaving the den did she run into another pack mate – an agemate, no less! Marina gave a small yip as she bounced over to Treyah, chunky tail wriggling behind her as she watched the girl bounce into the air herself. The seal clicked her jaws in excitement – she didn’t understand whatever game the other girl was playing, but it seemed fun. Once the other pup had landed, Marina bounded after her.

“Play game?” she asked, eyes bright.

The yip drew her attention swiftly – the tawny girl’s muzzle snapped in the direction of the other, and she perked notably when she realized it was another around her age. Lost upon her was the fact it was likely she had seen the girl prior at the pack meeting – instead, Treyah took to studying her dark fur, her own tail giving a wriggle of excitement as she took a step forward. Long forgotten was the butterfly who had deftly escaped her clumsy jaws, though, and with a cant of her muzzle at the girl’s question, Treyah’s eyes also brightened. “Yah! Wha’ game?”

She paused then, and before the other could even consider coming up with a prospect of entertainment for them both, Treyah slid her forepaws down closer to the ground in a partial play bow. “Who you?” It mattered little, really, but the girl was recently fascinated by her other pack mates – watching them rove about Oak Tree Bend was something she enjoyed from the safety of her den – and on days like today, where she was able to sneak out of Naira’s view – she considered this a great feat, though in truth, was only just outside of their den. Treyah had a lot to learn about stirring some mischief and trouble.

@Treyah -- My impressive slow streak continues...but cannot let my lil' bebe down.

Marina chirped with great delight the moment the other pup noticed her, temporarily forgetting the butterfly’s existence entirely. Surely, this was to great benefit of the invertebrate. The little otter child toddled forward gracelessly, brushing her muzzle up against Treyah’s in a playful butt. “Play!” she chirped again, clearly quite pleased the other girl was willing to indulge in her quest for entertainment.

She might have answered, might have even remembered that butterfly from a moment ago, but the alpha’s child had another question, and the Coho youngster had to pause and think. There were only so many things she could keep in her mind at once – and truthfully, that number was currently quite a small one.

“Mariiiiina!” she announced proudly, puffing her chest out. “I Marina. Who you?” she replied, parroting the other child’s question. Oh, yes, names were given at that very large collection of a great many wolves, but if Marina could remember each and every one of them introduced, then she’d surely be a genius. But what were they talking about a moment ago?

“Oh! Game, yah? Yah?” She looked around, baby blue eyes searching for the butterfly she’d seen the other toddler chasing after before. “Chase? Chase? The flutter bye. Chase?”

“Trey-aaah,” she offered, unable to keep from drawling the name on her puppy tongue. Of course, she had assumed the other girl would have known this – didn’t everyone know her? But she did not dwell on it – for the prospect of a game was far more intriguing and any shadow of doubt that etched in to her mind at what she knew about the world was quickly diminished as Marina recommended one of Treyah’s favorite things: chase and play.

“Yeah!” She toddled further out of the den, her tiny nose picking up as she had seen her parents do often enough – but the scents that came to her were undiscernible in her youthful age, and all she could note was that the ebony pup before her smelled like home. “Chase the buh-fly,” she coaxed, before skipping past her companion and initiating the game without further question. The butterfly continued its evasive dance – seemingly aware that two curious cubs were now ploughing after it with their best efforts set forward – and Treyah elicited a tiny bark, unable to contain her excitement much longer as her tiny paws propelled her forward. Her little nose bumped upward, hoping to reach forward and nudge her prey, but she was far off from her target – and far too clumsy.

There is a family of deer nearby. Hunt Opportunity

“Tree-yyaaaah? Okay.”

Okay. Kind of weird, but she could live with that. Not like Marina was anything less weird, if she really thought about it. Also a mouthful. She liked Mari. Rina was good too, both of those were easier to say. Frankly, someone could say ‘hey you’ in her general direction, and the young Coho puppy would probably respond with no shortage of enthusiasm.

Names were quickly forgotten however. It didn’t matter much, not when the other girl wanted to continue to play games. (Treyah was quickly chalked up on Marina’s ‘Good Things’ list. Anyone who wanted to play with her was a good wolf.)

Bouncing awkwardly after the Tainn, her stumpy tail wagging rapidly. The other puppy found the butterfly and Marina increased her speed (and thus, increased her generally clumsiness), bouncing as much as she was stumbling and falling over her own feet as puppy blue eyes followed the bug as it flittered hither and fro through the air. That she had no idea what to do if she actually caught it didn’t hold any water, it was simply the joy of toddling after the tiny creature with a friend – at least until the butterfly started to go up where neither girl could reach.

“Uh oh,” she whined, slowing as she peered upwards. “Go?”

With the very basics of what would be puppy etiquette and pleasantries aside, her newfound companion was quick to reveal her enthusiasm for play – her own dark form loping after Treyah. The girls zoomed probably more haphazardly than the butterfly, none gaining ground enough to catch the likely panicked little creature. What might have been tolerance displayed by the butterfly seemed to have waned, and the colorful critter started shooting further up – and in turn, much farther from reach.

Treyah, perplexed even as Marina’s gentle whine stirred her ears to cup forward, rocked back now, a frown storming upon her features. Pushing back to her hind legs, the girl was all but tenacious as she tried to rear up to, stretching her tiny snout upward as if she could even possibly graze the butterfly with her nose. Forepaws tilting up, Treyah’s ambitious struggle lasted only a few stolen seconds before the weight of gravity would pull her front back down, and with a soft whining whuff, the girl caught herself clumsily, her ears now pressed back in distress that their toy was entirely vanishing before their eyes. “No fair,” she grumped, calling out to the butterfly as it twirled away.

The tiny friend was gone…

Marina’s mouth twisted into a small frown as she squinted, tipping her chin upwards as the butterfly continued to drift further and further into the air. The poor creature had probably had quite enough of the puppies’ antics, fearing for its own life (or at the very least, the well-being of its’ wings) as it escaped sharp, needly teeth.

Marina didn’t know, though. All the little Coho knew was that the game was at an end, and perhaps she had wandered a little further than she was supposed. Surely, her mama would come looking for her soon – and if she didn’t, Marina always ran the risk that her brother would spoil her fun and turn her in for going where she wasn’t supposed to. (Without him, that was. Mako only tattled if she did something without him.)

Turning to Treyah, she watched the girl’s brief balancing act before allowing herself a defeated sigh. “No fair,” she agreed, ears flipping backwards as she studied Treyah for a moment. Was she allowed out here? What would her mama say?

“Home,” she suggested after a moment, glancing back in the direction they came. There were still puppy tracks in the mud. “Play ‘gain? ‘morrow?”

One more post from each? :)

Blonde brows were pulled down over puppy blue eyes making sure her displeasure was well known, but when the other girl echoed her sentiment she managed another small smile. Tiny bodies could only handle one big feeling at a time and the site of the other dark puppy was enough to chase the bad feeling away. At her suggestion of home, the young Tainn realised just how far they had trundled and with her mouth shaped in the universal signal for uh-oh, she nodded rather vigorously. If @Reiko dobbed her in she'd be in big trouble and she disliked it more than enough when she was just in regular trouble.

Toddling closer to the Coho pup, Treyah bumped a tawny shoulder against the black wolf's flank. "Yeah play 'morrow!" She promised with another happy smile. Maybe the smelly boys could go play in mud while the girls found another buh-fly to chase. "Racie home?" She suggested hopefully, one last game before their parents caught them surely couldn't hurt? But she wasn't going to wait for an answer either, @Marina already having an advantage of longer legs being several weeks older. She giggled as she attempted to steal a head start, hoping her new friend would give chase one last time before nap-time.