Secret Woodlands Black Star

For @Cinaed <3

- Midday, Sunny - 82 ° F/28 ° C

The day was warm and bright, the height of summer shining down over the Thicket. Many furred creatures might wisely choose to stay in the shade in such heat, and certainly the Woodland wolves were very thankful of their sheltered territory. One particular wolf of the pack though, rather than seeking rest in a cool spot, had chosen instead to seek out the sun, resting in a rare ray of light that filtered through the dense canopy. Aideen dozed on a wide, flat rock, just a short distance from the den, enjoying the warmth that had soaked into the stone over the morning. This was one of her favorite spots in the thicket, one she had discovered shortly after she first came to the pack. That was a lifetime ago now, a time so different, it no longer seemed real. The alphess stretched her back, opening her eyes a jar as she shifted for a better position. She could just glance the small clearing in front of the den through the trees, lit by the greenish glow of sunlight through leaves. Some of the pack might be resting in the cool, underground space, she wasn't sure. The pups though were all out and about, big enough now to wander the territory on their own, old enough to understand the boundary of the border. They had grown so fast, the fluffy little bundles she'd given birth to transforming into lanky, wild creatures with their own quirks and character. A soft sigh fell from the mother's lips, it was hard work, being a parent, but she wouldn't trade it for the world. She was truly blessed. Word count: 274 Thoughts ”Speech”

Dawnthieves.de

 

So sorry this took so long to get up @Aideen

The young chocolate cub was racing around through the territory, exploring, learning, and being as quiet as he could be about it too. His sisters, after all, could be tricky, particularly Flair, and so he was always on guard for when they might try to sneak up on him, because he wouldn’t let them win and sort of fight or scuffle they might bring to the table. It was intriguing to think about and to look at, how the things were changing, how much he seemed to love the darkness the thicket provided and yet he found himself seeking the sun at every chance he got.

He was still figuring it all out, and it was one of those things that would take time, even though he pushed it every day… this curious wandering was what had led him towards a break in the thicket, the sun and the rocks… and his mother laying on a rock, a smile lighting up his face with the wag of his tail, his puppy blue eyes blinking for a second before his voice squeaked out a greeting. “Hai momma!” He was running towards her now, awkwardly on his paws as his nose twitched lightly, his head cocking curiously to the side, wondering what she was doing, though he didn’t ask.

Movement registered out the corner of her eye, and the fox-like woman turned her head lazily, ears waving casually over her head. Here, in the heart of her own territory, she felt as safe as could be, and she only wondered which of her pack mates it might be, returning to the den-site. A smile lit her face as she focused on the dark figure, a perfect miniature of his father, coming towards her gleefully. Surely it would make any mother's heart swell to have such a gorgeous son, already strong and conscientious even in his lively youth. "Hi there," She answered softly, warmth glowing from her in contest with the sun above, as she watched his bumbling approach. Cináed had already grown to more than twice the, already formidable size, of his birth, his murky puppy scruff starting to give way to more sleek, black hairs. Unlike his sisters though, his eyes showed no sign of change, and Aideen would not be surprised if he retained the same deep blue gaze as his father. It would take time yet though, for him to reach the same size and bulk, his frame lanky and awkward now, with oversized ears and clunky paws. No doubt he'll grow me overhead though, the mother thought to herself with a proud smile, tail giving a casual wag behind her. "And what trouble have you been up to today dear?" She asked as the boy came near, lifting herself up a bit to stretch out her back. Copper eyes blinked a few times against the light before turning down to the boy again, shining brightly. He might not be as wild as his middle sister, but there was no lag of mischief in his heart, even if he mostly knew to act responsibly. And really she wouldn't have it any other way, however exhausting it could be. Word count: 312   Thoughts ”Speech”

Dawnthieves.de

 

PLOT WITH ME!

Shallow water has trapped several fish in a small pond. Hunt Opportunity

The grin on his face was innocent but far from nudnik as his tail wagged, his nose crinkling a little and his eyes narrowing slightly because of the sun shining down on them. He knew what the sun was, and he knew it’s warmth, but given the locale of the thicket, he wasn’t quite use to the intensity that the clearing offered him or his eyes… something he was sure he’d adjust to after a little bit of time. Mischief burned in his heart to some extent, but his desire to see his mother and find out what she was doing have overtook the desire to press towards the borders to get a look outside of their home.

Of course, he would have been completely responsible and would not have strayed too far from the marked lines if he had done that… unless he caught one of his sisters going farther, and then he’d only go to bring them back home. “Nothan! I’ve just been ‘sploring the thicket again… finding hidey spots!” It was almost a tad defensive, but more playful than anything as he found himself sitting on his rump, collapsing onto it with a thud and a curious tilt of his head. “Whatcha doin’ momma?” He always had a million and one questions to ask everyone, even if he didn't ask them all.

Smiling down at her son, she felt her chest prickle and swell. She could watch him forever. With his father's colors, the boy already showed promise of growing into a true duplicate of Miccah. But for now, with lanky legs and odd proportions, he reminded Aideen much more of his namesake, sending a small stab of yearning. But it died quickly as Cináed answered her question, eliciting a bright chuckle from the vixen. She highly doubted there was anything left for the boy to explore, his curiosity send him out looking way too often; Like his uncle indeed! Before she had time to ask what he had found, he unsurprisingly asked a question of his own, making his mother's grin even brighter. At least this was one of the easy ones, and she was happy to answer, reaching out as she did, to nuzzle the lad's ear; "I'm just enjoying the sun. Gotta soak up all we can now, before winter comes." She moved her nose through the dark fur behind his ear, giving his head a few affectionate licks before pulling back, looking down at him once again. He'd grown so much! It felt like only days ago, she'd brought him into the world, yet here he was, almost halfway to reaching her height. But she wasn't surprised, with Miccah's big frame it was likely that all their children would grow over her head; Best enjoy it while it lasts. Shuffling sideways on her rock, she reached out a paw to fold over her son's shoulders, urging him closer. "Come, feel it on your fur!" She motioned towards the sunny patch beside her, smiling widely. Living under the dense canopy as they did, it was rare that they Thicket wolves got to truly feel the sun, which was even more reason to treasure it now. Word count: 306   Thoughts ”Speech”

Dawnthieves.de

 

PLOT WITH ME!

The sound of his mother’s laughter made his tail wag lightly from underneath his weight, watching her with that wide puppy grin. It was hard for him to find something to make him frown at, unless it was his sister and her relentless antics that drove him up the walls and brought out his worst side. He shook his head lightly at his mother’s touch before hearing her answer and looking up at the sky, allowing himself to push himself up to put his paws on the rock as another question followed suite, true to his nature. “How come it don’t show through most o’ the territory?” He asked as she urged him to hop on the rock next to her, something he didn’t think twice on before he was wiggling up there, settling down next to her as he continued to look up, paws directly out in front of up.

It felt nice and hot against his back, his shoulders rolling lightly, hearing soft cracking sounds of cartilage around his joints cracking, nothing that caused pain, just something from growth and development and the amount he rolled around, fighting his sister. “It feels good! What is it?” Curiosity most definitely killed the cat… but that was because it drove the wolf.

Her son, ever inquisitive, she doubted his curiosity would ever end. It was one small thing that made him so like his namesake. Aideen smiled at the thought as she shifted to lie down beside the boy, her muzzle sliding lightly over his scruff, grooming the unruly fur. She couldn't help but chuckle a little, wondering exactly how to answer his questions; It's never the easy ones, now is it? But she could hardly blame the boy for wanting to know. Turning her nose skyward, she took the easiest first, gesturing to the thick canopy all around that small crack of light. "The trees block it out in most places," she explained, turning her eyes down and stretching out a paw so the shadows of the leaves fell on it in a mottled pattern; "Look! The light can only get through where there are no branches or leaves." He shoulders shrugged slightly, leg slipping back underneath her as she cast a casual glance around them; "You're hard pressed to find a good sun-spot within the Thicket." The petite wolf turned her attention back to the dark pup, snuggling closer despite the warmth of the sun. Her nose went back to picking over his coat lightly, smoothing any messy spots and brushing away stray hairs. It seemed so natural to her, preening them, feeding them, making sure they were always contend. Sometimes she was surprised, her own mother had never been the coddling type, but it came instinctually to the Woodland queen. Whenever she was around the pups she was making sure they looked their best, had everything they could ask for; Of course he always asks the tough things… Her brows furrowed a little, voice more thoughtful as she described further: "The sun, hm…" She paused to nibble at a small knot of matted fur, loosening the hairs before continuing: "The sun is life. Its warmth and light makes the plants grow, and it even helps you grow a little too." Pulling up her head, she smiled down at her son, trying to gauge what was going through his head. It wasn't exactly an easy thing to understand, she herself had only fully learned of the suns importance from Nina, when she studied medicine. As a herbalist it was important to know what made plants grow in certain places and times, and not others; And a healer should always keep the power of the sun in mind. She remembered Nina's teachings, sunlight was important for all life. Aideen tilted her head slightly, looking at her son with bright eyes and raised brows, waiting for the next question she had no doubt was coming. Word count: 443   Thoughts ”Speech”

Dawnthieves.de

 

PLOT WITH ME!