White Fir Notch mellow thrills

AW but special tag for @Emrys

The rain was gone for now which left the girl a chance to escape from her den. Out into the world, she went. She was used to traveling a little bit further now than she could not too long ago but of course, she (usually) had a companion with her. With no ready and willing to take her out today she moped about the front of the den. Maybe she could go find those other kids or even try and find one of her big friends.

With a groan, she gnawed on a stick. Hawthorne wasn't exactly sure where it had come from but she had kept it around as a toy for times like now. It didn't hurt and seemed to be able to take her gnawing unlike her mother's tail or legs could. Her disproportioned paws tried to hold the stick in a way that it wouldn't move but it would also be accessible. It took a few tries at first but eventually, she had it down and was happily destroying the stick with her baby teeth.

Yet Hawthorne couldn't find the entertaining forever. Picking up the stick in her mouth she did her best to drag it along while she roamed aimlessly. She couldn't (and wouldn't) go too far but she intended to find adventure and excitement while the sky wasn't dropping down wet pellets.

For once it seemed the rain was giving them a break though all of the rain they'd had since spring had arrived had left the notch a little soggy. He was thankful at least that he wasn't making his rounds that morning with a wet coat as he had been in the past weeks. There were times on his rounds that he did miss Gent and the conversations they would have. Emrys still wasn't ready to replace his friend for them either which made them a little lonely but as with everything else he felt it would take time too.

He was weaving his way through the trees on his way back to the den to check on the children and Jynx as was his routine now. While he didn't much care for Sylva, she still had a lot of work to don't regain any trust, he did care what happened to Hawthorne. He found her to be a spunky little pup and rather liked the time he could spend with her. He wondered what she would be when she grew up and hoped he would never have to see the day when she might leave them.

As he came across the den he noticed the pup who was growing quickly wandering outside her den. She had a stick though looked rather bored and a smile crossed his maw. “Hello there,” he greeted the pup as he neared the den, “Where is your mother and why isn't she occupying you?” He asked once he was standing just a few feet from Hawthorne.

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She was content to move along but it seemed some voice had other ideas. She stopped focusing on where she was going and looked up to see her pale friend. It had been a while since she had seen him and she was so glad he was here! Although he didn't seem as happy nor did he seem angry or upset. Her tail swished behind her as she held the stick looking up at him.

Oh. He had asked a question.

Hawthorne set down her stick reluctantly before looking back up at the bigger wolf. "Dunno." Truthfully she figured her mother was out getting food or gathering more stuff for the den but those things didn't interest the young girl as much as exploring did. Look where exploring had taken her! She had found her friend. Much more exciting than staying in the den like an obedient child. "Wha ya do?" She asked in a poor attempt to figure out what he was doing. Maybe she could follow him or he could tell stories. She loved her mother with all of her heart but goodness she was bored when the bigger comforting female disappeared.

The young child picked back up her stick and tried to hold it out to him. Perhaps he'd like it as much as she did or be proud that she had found such a nice toy.

If he could he would spend the day with the Notch pups taking them out to learn their home or maybe teaching him something about the plants. As a beta he could have done so but as a leader he had to make sure everything was running smoothly each day, or at least he felt he had to. Though it had been under his and Jynx leadership for a few months now he still felt he had to keep a close eye on things and make sure he was available to his subordinates.

However, seeing the young Riverflow looking rather bored outside her den caused him to want to rethink that. She was chewing on a stick as puppies often do and for a moment he wondered if he had when he was her age. It seemed so long ago and the way his mother had been with him, perhaps it bothered him some this pup was left alone. The pale leader shook his head, he was there and could keep his young friend company until her mother returned.

Upon his approach she did ask Hawthorne about her mother and got a more distinctive response than he had before. “No matter, we can do something until she returns,” he said glancing around the area before turning back to the youngster. “Rounds,” he stated thinking that she meant what had he been doing. Then he lowered his head to meet her tiny gaze, “Would you like to come along see what it is?” He asked despite having finished his rounds already.

He chuckled as she held her stick out to him, “It's a fine toy, you can bring it a long if you like or keep it here so it stays safe?” Either way he didn't mind what she did but he did understand how proud she was for finding it. “Maybe you can tell me how you found it while we walk?”

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When asked if she would like to go along, her head (along with the stick hanging from her jaws) nodded furiously. "Yes! Yes! Yes!" Her mind screamed for she could not express such feelings with her toy in her mouth. Of course, it hadn't occurred to Hawthorne that she could simply set the stick back down to be able to talk to her pale friend.

She realized this as he offered an idea to set it down. Hawthorne's tail still swayed as she turned around and set down her stick in the mouth of her den. Without missing a beat, the Riverflow turned around and bounded back towards @Emrys with a wide smile. "We go!" She stopped to nudge his leg before she crawled between them in order to take the lead. Certainly, he wouldn't mind. This was her friend after all.

"I find it whens esplorin'!" She chimed happily and tossed her head over her shoulder to give the pale man a large grin. Hawthorne was obviously proud of her discovery of the toy. It was slowly becoming one of her favorite things. "Like it?" The young girl asked with a wide-eyed look to Emrys. Maybe she could find one for him too!

He had been considering finding someone to go on his rounds with him each day but it was a hard role to fill. Before Gent had gone he and the dark man would do them together and for a while the pale leader had been reluctant to have anyone join him. It had been a time for him to spend with his alpha and he had grown close to the man during that time in the mornings. Now he'd been doing the alone for some time and felt he needed to have someone join him. Ryker would have been the obvious choice but with the youngsters confession he wasn't sure that he wasn't right choice.

Seeing Hawthorne outside her den with her stick it struck an idea in the healer, perhaps it was something she could learn. It would certainly give her purpose and though she was still young he did enjoy her company. After asking her if she would like to come along with him he couldn't help but grow amused as she tried to answer him with the stick still in her mouth. Subtly he suggested leaving the stick behind which she seemed to like the idea since she promptly turned and left the stick where she could find it later. “Yes, we can go now.” As he moved to lead her in the direction he needed to go she nudged his leg before coming between them and taking the lead. He didn't mind and followed behind her as they started the rounds together.

She then explained how she'd come by the stick, “Where were you exploring?” He asked so she would know that he was interested in her story about the stick. Though she wasn't his own child he did care for Hawthorne just as much as he would his own. He only wanted the best for her just as he had before she was born. A smile parted his lips as she asked if he liked the stick, “I do very much.” He told her, “It is quite the prize.” He could tell that she was quite proud of her find.

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Her ears flicked softly at her question. Where had she found it? She thought about it for a few minutes before coming up with an answer that seemed rather logical to her. "'round the trees." Hawthorne announced with confidence. That was where she often saw bigger sticks so perhaps she had found her smaller one around one of the many trees. "Priiiize." She mimicked the word and let her tail sway behind her. The girl indeed liked that word! "My prize!" Hawthorne chirped with glee. The stick was her prize and only hers!

Then as she thought about it, she wondered if perhaps Emrys would like a prize too. He was a good friend and Hawthorne thought good friends deserved just as nice prizes! "Em want prize?" Her wide eyes looked up at him before she looked back towards where they were walking. The Riverflow girl wanted to pick the best stick for him. It might not be as nice as her own but it might come close! She started swinging her head and examining each tree with a good hard look. Hawthorne had to wonder which one might hold the best prizes.

"Hmmm." She hummed aloud before stopping and looking over to the pale Notch leader. "Know good tree?" He was older, surely he would know the best trees around this place.

The pale leader had made a point to ask about her stick and where she'd got it. Since it seemed rather special to her he wanted her to know he'd taken an interest in it. The answer she gave cause Emrys to chuckle, “That is a very good place to find a stick such as yours,” he commented. He should have known he would get an answer like she'd given. Hawthorne was still too young to know the names of places but she would one day. He smiled as she repeated what he'd called her stick, “Good,” he told her and then she called it her prize, “Yes Hawthorne it is your prize.” He felt she should have something to call her own.

As they walked through the forest Emrys wondered what his young friend was thinking about. He was caught off guard when she asked him if he would like a prize. The thought of him having a prize had not occurred to the pale leader but he would not deny her, “I would love to have a prize,” he told the girl as they continued walking. As he looked down at Hawthorne he could see she was already on the lookout for the prize she would get for him. He was sure that she would find him a good stick and any stick she got he would love.

Her hum brought his attention back to her and when she stopped he did as well. He met her gaze as she looked up at him and asked about good trees. “I do, we are actually coming up to them just up the path a little ways.”

(This post was last modified: Jul 12, 2017, 05:10 PM by Emrys.)

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

Hawthorne Riverflow

The lovesong of the buzzard in the dogwood tree

Well of course it was! The tree had had plenty of places for her to pluck any old prize from but she had hand selected this one to be her very own prize. Forever. She wasn't willing to share her own prize but she would be willing to help another find one as nice as her own. For she had to be the best prize picker around. She just knew it.

Her tail whipped behind her gray and black form as she bounded ahead. She would pick just the right prize for her pale friend. Hawthorne figured he might need a larger one sense he was much larger than she was. As he declared that the good trees were just up the path, she took off. Awkward puppy legs working overtime as she turned her head back and forth to take in all the trees around them. There were so many to pick from but she knew that the best tree for prize picking had to be close by. Emrys had told her these were good trees and he certainly wouldn't lie to her, would he?

An older fir tree that stood taller than the others in the area caught the young Riverflow's attention. She halted to look behind her and make sure that her company was still following. Once she checked, she moved towards the tree to disappear in its foliage and do her best to chew off a big branch. Hawthorne had been lucky and her prize had been on the ground waiting for her but it seemed that Emrys's prize was going to need her to work.