Cut Rock River If I Fail What Happens Then?

For @Pip <3

He could hear the call of rushing water, drawing him in like a moth towards the full moon. How long had it been since he left the river? Since he'd even encountered running water? The thirst that tore at his breast was much more than a simple need to drink, it was his heart beckoning, aching to be back where it belonged. This was not his river, he knew enough to be sure of that, but the captain still longed to be by water once more. So he followed his ears, tongue lolling out of his mouth in quiet gasps, his pulse racing as he hurried through the miniature pine woods. He was still continuously baffled by how tiny the trees were down here, so different from the towering redwoods he'd grown up amongst. He couldn't help but think that was where a dragon belonged, the kingswood, surely no place could be better suited; So why did you leave? His ponderings were interrupted when he reached his destination, the subtle rumble of the water rising to a powerful roar as the river rushed by his feet. Golden eyes grew circle round, glittering with life in a way they hadn't for many months. Still panting excitedly, the boy looked up and down the waterway, nostrils flaring with the familiar scents. No, this wasn't Hearthwood, these banks were marked by large sheets of flat rock, extending out into the water, making a rugged, russet-brown floor beneath the clear liquid. And the difference begged to be explored! With a wide grin, the young wolf stepped out into the water, his heart soaring at the thrill of once more feeling it run across his paws. It was almost as good as being home again; Why did I ever leave?! Word count: 295 ”Speech” Thoughts

Burtn @DA & Dawnthieves.de

@Kyrios - Here, have a Pip and a fish.

Pip had been disgustingly ill when she woke that morning with painful, gut-wrenching retching. After hiding her sick from any concerned packmates, the sea maiden had sought the comfort the river always offered. It was far from silent, but the white noise of Cut Rock's rapids allowed her own thoughts to drift as if buoyed on the water itself. She let her thoughts and worries of the future flow downstream, away from her for at least a little while.

Despite her heavily swollen belly, the mermaid had worked every day to hunt and fill caches until her paws were sore and her back aching from the added weight she carried. She'd felt them kick that morning. With glee, Pip had turned momentarily to the wolf closest to her only to retract her excitement before sharing it. Her dragon was the one who should feel such a thing. Their shared creations. Their pups. And yet, guilt had overtaken her at the thought of selfishly hoarding the wonderful moment to herself. It was that which had led the small female away from Grizzly Hollow - again - and into the forest.

Fishing always took her mind off her troubles. Pip was no green fledgeling osprey. She knew better than to go for prey stronger than her within the river's depths. But today, her eyes were bigger than her stomach and her better sense.

Just downstream of an excited pup, blissfully unaware of his presence, the sea wolf had plunged her muzzle into the depths to catch hold of a tail she knew better than to try for. Honestly, she'd expected the sturgeon to swim out of reach before she was anywhere near it, so she found herself surprised when her teeth latched firmly into leathery hide. And despite all of her experience with taking on aquatic prey, this one was far stronger than any she'd dealt with in the past.

Intuitively, Pip knew she should have let go. But as the sturgeon whipped its tail back and forth and dragged her head deeper under water, the wolf instinctively bit down harder, bracing herself against the stony surface she was perched on. Her soundless growls manifested in bubbles under water as their battle raged on. It would end with the fish either relenting to its persistent captor or the sturgeon dragging her under to drown. Even as her lungs burned for the need for air, the thought of her pups' stress was in the back of her mind when compared to this one fight.

The flat rock formed a solid floor under his paws, so different from the mud he was used to. But the rush of the water was as familiar as his breath, and he felt like he was finally breathing fully again. Eyes closed, he focused fully on taking it all in, feeling a growing tightness in his chest. Thoughts of home streamed through his mind as the river across his feet, worry and regret mixing with the still lingering hint of anger he held towards them all for chasing off the dragon; And by extension Karina and her daughter. Most of all, Kyrios wondered about Atropos and how she was faring without him, a stab of guilt shooting through his heart. Leaving her was the hardest thing he'd ever done -counting his many days of wandering hungry and alone on the mountain – but in the end, she was still with their father and the pack. Out here on her own, Bennet needed him more, and he was not gonna give up on her; I'll find you Bean, I WILL! So consumed was the boy by the wonder of senses and his churning thoughts, that at first he didn't notice the stranger either, steps as silent as her tongue. Only when the loud splashing of her battle with the sturgeon reached his ears was he torn from his own self, golden eyes flicking open and sweeping the banks. There, a number of leaps downstream, he saw something. At first he wasn't sure what, half submerged in her struggle, the wolf looked like some strange beast, comprised only of a wet rear end and wildly waving tail. But as the lad looked closer, taking a few steps through the water in her direction, he soon recognized the half-wolf, eyes widening and ears pricking in alert. Now that he realized what she was, it was also clear that she was in trouble, the water frothy and wild with her thrashing. And Kyrios moved quickly to help. Hurrying through the river, leaping high against the force of the water, Kyrios called out to the stranger as loud as he could: "Ey! Am comin' jus'… Hold on!" He had no idea what force trapped her under the surface, but he knew for sure that if she didn't come up soon, she would drown. So he went straight for the rapids at her head, ducking under himself without a moment's thought. His snout bumped hers as he veered around under water, trying to see through the mess of bubbles and grit. In the end he had to trust his sense of touch above his eyes, and all he could discern was that her teeth were locked around something down there, probably trying to pull it up, but it was pulling back. With no more time to plan, the boy snapped out, losing his teeth about the first and best thing he found, intending to help her drag it out, before she was dragged under. Word count: 498 ”Speech” Thoughts

Burtn @DA & Dawnthieves.de

@Kyrios

Turbulent water frothed angrily at her sides, manifested by both the rapids and the anger of the leviathan at her jaws. Pip's sides heaved for air and she was reminded of a time she thought she'd forgotten when she was naught but a pup toddling about and exploring the world around her.

'Stay in the tidal pools,' Mother tells Pip and her siblings, gaze stern and demanding obedience. By the look of Blitz's innocent smile, she knows he intends to disobey as soon as Mother isn't watching. That will be his problem - and Niq'x's when she is encouraged by him. Pip has already left the pair behind to splash happily into a nearby shoal where ocean life is ripe and easy to reach. Plunging her little muzzle into the crystalline water, she plucks up a large conch shell and yips in surprise when a slimy muscle touches her cheek. Abandoning this toy for another, she entertains herself until Auntie comes.

As soon as she spots Tallulah, Pip stops playing, tucks her tail, and ducks her head. Auntie doesn't like her because she can't talk like Niq'x and Blitz. She's not sure why, but she hears her whispering to Mother sometimes about her. About how she's not right or something. She tries to pretend it doesn't hurt her feelings. She's not supposed to be listening in on adult conversations after all.

'It's okay, little one,' Tallulah whispers, her voice sickly sweet. Pip tilts her head and warily looks at the pack's Healer. She's never been that nice to her before. 'I want to show you something. A treat,' she promises. A treat? From Auntie? Her black-tipped tail wags hesitantly and she splashes after her. 'Good girl,' Auntie praises and Pip's so happy she could cry. But she doesn't! She doesn't need Auntie to get mad at her for crying.

Pip follows Tallulah out from the tidal pool and has to leap to stay above the rising water. The little girl shakes her head and sputters, but does her best to keep up. She doesn't want to disappoint Auntie by falling behind. A sudden wave knocks the pup off her paws and sends her tumbling head over heels under the water. As soon as she rights herself, another wave crashes over her head. Auntie is no where in sight now and when she tries to chirp out, water rushes into her mouth. Sharp teeth are suddenly at her nape and yanking her free from the angry sea before she is tossed into the sand. It coats her face and stings at her eyes and any attempts to paw it away only results in more there.

'What did I say, Pip?!' Mother's voice snaps at her. When she finally blinks the sand tearfully away, she sees her siblings looking at her in shock - she never got in trouble like they did - behind her mother's legs.

'What's going on?' Pip turns at Tallulah's voice and looks to her Auntie hopefully for an explanation.

'She deliberately disobeyed me! Right after I told her no!'

Gently, Tallulah looks over Pip's head and tells her mother, 'I warned you she would be a burden to care for...'

A trick, she realizes. A mean, nasty trick.

Pip felt a warm muzzle brush against her own and her orange eyes flew open under the water. A wolf had joined her, grabbing the other end of the fish to help her bring it ashore. She blew water from her nose as soon as she cleared the river's surface and sucked in greedy, heaving breaths. With the sturgeon flopping now, Pip let go with her teeth and lay on top of the monster fish to finish catching her breath, half-slumped over it.

While both wolf and fish gaped, Pip peered at the stranger and offered a weak smile of gratitude while her sodden tail flopped messily against the ground. Only once her lungs were not burning quite so badly did she stand to finish pulling the fish away from the edge of the river; it would be a shame to lose it after such a hard-fought battle! With that taken care of, she offered the pale coated male her full attention. Despite her obvious swollen belly and need for sustenance, she nudged the now still sturgeon towards the wolf. It was thanks to him that she was alive at all. He certainly deserved a reward.

It was a strange feeling, his teeth sinking into the scaly creature , but he had little time to wonder as his pull joined the tawny wolf's, dragging the writhing creature free of the water. As the broke the surface, the resistance all but disappeared, sending Kyrios tottering backwards, his rump slamming against the rock under the low water with a splash. Stunned, the boy's grip loosened, fish and fisherwoman continuing on their own trajectory, landing back against the shore. The lad gasped, shaking his head and shoulders in a shower of tiny water droplets, golden eyes blinking at what he'd helped drag up. The fish itself was a beast, unlike any he remembered seeing in Hearthwood River, and certainly bigger than any he had eaten as a pup. The woman, well, she was quite cumbersome herself. Her limbs and frame were short, head and tail small, but her middle bulged oddly, giving her a peculiar roundness. Kyrios couldn't help but stare, looking at wolf next to fish and trying to decide which was fatter. He'd never seen anything like it. As she got to her feet to pull their catch safely ashore, she waddled comically – had he not had better manners, the boy would have laughed at the sight – and then she turned to him, forcing his attention to shift to her eyes. Their eyes met as she nudged the fish silently, clearly an invitation for him to eat, and he could feel his teeth starting to water instantly. Raising his tail from the water, he shook his fur out again before stepping to her side, over their prize. Next to his own, emaciated body, she looked even rounder, but the boy forced himself to look at her face, smiling warily. He wasn't about to turn down the offer of food, yet he hesitated. Seeing the lines under her eyes and sunken cheeks – paradoxically she appeared famished even with her swollen belly; Maybe she's sick? Lowering his nose to the fish, he cast another glance at her flank, ears flicking curiously. The rest of her was so lean, she appeared almost bloated, like a carcass that had lain out in the sun for too long. Kyrios shook his head, lifting it back up to meet the woman's eyes again; She almost died to catch this thing..! That spoke clearly enough to the starving boy, regardless of her fat belly. "No," He declared, pushing the fish back towards her with one paw; "Y' fought for it, 'is yours." Hungry or not, Karina and Lachesis had raised a gentleman, and there was something in the dark orange eyes that spoke to the protective nature within him; "Y' must be famished." Word count: 449 ”Speech” Thoughts

Burtn @DA & Dawnthieves.de

@Kyrios

He was a kind boy, Pip thought with motherly affection. By his thin appearance, it was obvious he was hungry. And yet, for her sake, he would turn down such a feast? And for her sake, he would risk being carried away by the river as well. Forgetting herself, the little mute stepped over the fish and reached forward to lick his face sweetly in gratitude, tongue washing over his cheek, an eye, and forehead. Stepping back to offer him space then, the sea wolf turned her attention back to the sturgeon's leathery hide. If he would not take it for himself, she would take it for him.

The mermaid's teeth dug between armored scutes to peel away a generous amount of meat meant for the lad. Politely, she set it before him before returning to the fish and gulping down a quick bite for herself. While it was her habit not to eat in front of others, the developing lives in her demanded sustenance then and there. She looked over at her new acquaintance shyly, wagging her tail again in encouragement for him to take his share. He had more than earned it. Without him, she very well may have drowned! It would have been a fate ill-fitting a wolf of the sea.

Curious about her young knight, Pip wondered where it was he'd come from. She'd never seen him around Cedarwood before and his scent was unfamiliar. Lucky that he happened upon her when he did. She would have invited him to join her back to pack territory at least to house him for the night for what he'd done. But without another to extend the invitation for her, the fish would have to do.

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

His stomach growled loudly. He was a fool and too cocky, and he was going to starve to death because of it. Really it was ridiculous, this fat woman hadn’t said a word to him, even after he saved her catch and quite possibly her life, yet he would let her take the whole prize simply for the look in her eyes; How have I survived this long? She was an adult too, small sure, but perfectly capable of taking care of herself, or so she should be. He had no business coddling her, a stranger to boot, she wasn’t like his little sister’s at all. Yet one look in those dark orange eyes and he was sold, doomed to forget his own needs like some refined idiot. It was lucky for him that she was too good to abuse his stupidity. Her advance took the boy completely by surprise, his body frozen in place under her kiss. He couldn’t remember the last time someone touched him like that, so gentle and affectionate, her tongue leaving a tingling wet trail across his face. Since Karina and Bennet had left Hearthwood, Kyrios had been without a mother figure, and while his father was both present and loving, it could never quite fill out that hole. His sister might have been his main concern when he decided to leave home, but there was no doubt seeing his ‘mother’ again had been an attributing factor. All of these thoughts rushed through his head as the stranger pulled back, leaving him stunned while she took to dissecting the fish. He only managed to regain his composure once she set down the meat at his feet, goldenrod eyes blinking down at the offering, and then back to her as she retreated to take her own part of the meal. His teeth watered, stomach growling again, demandingly. “Th-thanks,” He managed, smiling awkwardly down at her before he bowed to finally fill his achingly empty belly. Silence stretched as they ate, though it was a pretty comfortable one, like pack mates sharing a kill; Something the youth had only experienced sporadically. But it felt nice to have company. Once the pain in his gut changed to announce it was full, much sooner than his eyes would have liked, Kyrios stepped back, lowering his rear into a heavy seat as he licked his chops. He studied the stranger once more, again puzzling at the odd bulge of her middle. Even the stockiest wolves he’d ever seen hadn’t looked like that, and the rest of her was so delicate and petite. His mind burned with curiosity, but etiquette kept him from addressing the question. Instead he cleared his throat and said: “’Am Kyrios, it’s nice t’ meet ya.” Word count: 459 ”Speech” Thoughts

Burtn @DA & Dawnthieves.de

As the young knight offered his thanks, Pip smiled widely, her tail waving in smooth, happy motions with even a little curl to the end of it. Satisfied when he dipped his head to eat, the pregnant wolf began working on her own meal. Though the fight with the sturgeon had tired her, nothing seemed to quell the woman's hunger enough. Her uterus was so bloated with pups that it left little room for her stomach meaning shortly after she ate, she was starving again. Feeding for more than just herself was difficult!

She enjoyed the young wolf's companionable silence and was grateful he didn't seem to expect conversation. Pip was the least suitable wolf for such things, but she remained a good listener for those that needed to fill the air with their own words. The little sea wolf continued eating even after the pup had finished and sat, forcing herself until her belly bulged even more uncomfortably. Copying him, she sat and let out a rather embarrassing belch in response to his introduction. Pip's ears fell back with embarrassment and she dropped her head as if to help cool the heat that had risen to her cheeks. And just like that, she was hungry again, but managed to control herself and not go for another bite.

She lifted her orange eyes back up to gaze shyly at @Kyrios before chirping out a soft reply that did not seem to suit the monstrous, guttural burp she'd just let loose. Despite her social transgression, the mute felt comfortable enough around him to lay down so that her belly could spread out to the side and not be caved uncomfortably by her knees.

She ate as hungrily as he did, but despite her size, not for much longer. And afterwards she was quick to lie down, seeming quite exhausted from the whole ordeal. The lad wondered if perhaps she was sick, and it was some strange illness that left her bloated, not unlike a carcass left out in the sun. With this in mind, he tactfully ignored her gaseous emission, raising one paw to cover up a small jawn, adeptly keeping him occupied while she regained her composure. Once she laid down, his attention was restored, gallant smile once more on his face as if nothing had happened. There had to be something wrong with her, the way her stomach distended almost comically, bulged out next to her as an independent entity. But whatever it was, she didn’t seem overly bothered, looking up at him with kind eyes and making an odd, but happy sounding noise. Kyrios stared back, blinking a few times and flicking an ear, trying to make sense of the sound. If that was her name, he had no chance of recreating it, yet it felt rude to ask her to repeat it. So he just nodded, smiling back a little awkwardly. The silence stretched heavily, and Kyrios glanced down at his paws, scraping at the gravel. Finally, he licked his lips, looking over at the ‘chirp’-woman with a sheepish smile; “Uhm… Well, thanks again fer sharin’ the fish. It was really good.” Then he didn’t know what else to add, glancing back down at the remains of their meal. His poor, starved belly was churning with the sudden influx of food, making him a little queasy. And yet he found himself wondering if he could sneak another bite. Word count: 289 ”Speech” Thoughts

Burtn @DA & Dawnthieves.de