Hearthwood River the world is bigger than us.

RE: A double rainbow stretches through the sky.

They were a little older, they could hear a little better, and their mama didn’t seem to mind it so much when they stepped outside the den to enjoy the nicer weather.  Personally, Mathéo could see reason to pick a sunny patch and spend an entire afternoon snowing there, though his sister seemed hardly inclined to agree.  But now that their mother didn’t seem terribly bothered, so the young boy didn’t see a mighty need to go tailing after his younger sibling when she wandered off on some whim.
 
The fresh smell of nearby rain woke the boy.  He blinked his puppy blues, tongue curling from his mouth as he stretched out his front toes before sitting upwards.  Glancing around, Theo realized it was not a friend or family member that had woken him.  His tail gave a curious wiggle as he stood, starting to wander around the tall trees when he glanced up on a whim.  The colors caught his eye almost immediately and the young Tainn gave a surprised bark.  It was amazing! 
 
Never had he seen anything so interesting!
 
He yipped again, prancing around on big fat paws – it didn’t matter that he had no idea what they were.  He liked them.  It was as simple as that.  

Lachesis could feel himself growing exhausted but he seldom took moments to himself. When he was not tending to his own children and the blue-eyed sparrow the slender ghost was patrolling the borders, checking in on Inna and her daughter, and stopping by Kisla’s den to ensure Risaela was not straying too far. Her brother was a little more subdued—cautious—and XIX was thankful for that. Lilliana had started exploring more, her over-sized paws hungry for adventure. A sigh escaped him as his lips curled upward, his ears sweeping against the back of his crown. Although he cherished their small size and inability to get very far without needing a nap, Lachesis also could not wait for them to grow into their awkward bodies. To take them on proper adventures and show them the wonders of the Kingswood.

The time would come—eventually. XIX was trying to be patient… trying to enjoy the small bundles of fur before he would no longer be able to grab them by the scruff.

When he arrived at Kisla’s den he was greeted by one of her children, his baby blues fixated on something in the sky. He approached slowly to not startle the little agouti, his chartreuse gaze lifting to meet the colours that stretched across the sky. “It’s called a rainbow,” he offered, his tone soft as he settled down on the dirt, his peridots still focused on the sky.

stick with those who stick with you

There are several fresh rabbit tracks in the mud. Hunt Opportunity

  

So enthralled by the brand new sight – such colors he had never seen – Mathéo has no idea The Big White had come up behind him until he sat.  The boy startled for a moment, eyes big as dinner plates, until he recognized the shape.  The Big White visited his Mama sometimes, and he had puppies too; though he didn’t quite understand the concept of a meeting, the child certainly remembered the puppy introduction Lachesis hosted not all that long ago.  He recalled, too, that the man had a name, though it was long and many sounds – so he made the first one.
 
“La la la la,” he babbled, padding over to where the man sat.  He helped himself to his forelimb, sitting down to lean against the alpha’s leg as he glanced back up at the pair of twins.  Rainbow, the adult said, and it meant nothing, except that thing, up there.  “Bo bo bo bow,” he hummed, trying out the word for himself.  Half of it was missing, but surely some attempt was better than none.  “Whaddat?” he asked then, using what little language he had acquired.  There was not much more to his vocabulary, though it was expanding daily.  “Whaddat?”

@Lachesis -- Thanks for joining! <3

the Big White :')

The ghost remained where he was as the little bird tucked against his foreleg, a smile tugging at his lips. His chartreuse gaze fell from the sky, a single brow raised as the boy attempted to pronounce his name. He couldn’t stop the soft laugh from tumbling off his tongue—it was going to take awhile for any of the Hearthwood children to get his name right. It just meant he was going to acquire quite the array of nicknames…

“Yes, rainbow,” he encouraged with a slow wag of his nail, his nose pointed to the sky. Whaddat? The boy’s excitement was obvious and earned another laugh from the older male. “It happens after it rains,” he explained, lamely, trying to keep things as simple as possible for Mathéo. Truthfully, the ghost did not understand the magic behind rainbows either, he just knew they were good omens. Something to do with the moisture and light reflection… something far too complicated for Mathéo’s small mind.

He scanned their surroundings briefly to ensure that Risaela was not lurking nearby—or that Kisla had sprouted from her den. XIX would not have protested their company, especially his tawny co-lead’s, but he did not mind having little Mathéo to himself. While his duties were currently put on hold XIX hoped the rest of the pack was keeping themselves busy—tending to their patrols and ensuring the caches were full. A few more weeks and the puppies would be exposed to meat for the first time… they would all have to work together to ensure there was enough for everyone to eat.

(This post was last modified: Jun 21, 2017, 06:59 AM by Lachesis.)

stick with those who stick with you

“Ran bo.  Raaaan bow.  Bo.  Bow.  Ranbow,” Mathéo continued to babble, a happy sigh falling from his lips as he continued to watch what remained of the colors.  The secondary image had already vanished into the sky, and the larger rainbow was soon the follow.  Lachesis’ explanation didn’t mean a terrible lot to the boy, who barely even understood what rain was, much less how it could paint colors across the sky – he was far more concerned with the fact that it seemed to be running way.  The pup pressed his ears forward as it seemed to fall backwards and he stood, taking slow steps after it.
 
“Go!  It go!” he huffed, breaking into an awkward trot – a hurried pace that did not last more than three or four steps, as he tripped over feet far too large and slid into the mud.  By the time Theo looked back up at the sky, the colors were gone altogether, and the child whined loudly.  “Go?”  His puppy blue eyes searched out the Big White instead, ears pressing up a second time.  Couldn’t he make it come back?  He fixed stuff.  That was his job.  Fixer of stuff.  “Ranbow.  Pease?” he asked, picking himself up off the ground.  “Pease, La la.”

He smiled as the boy continued to repeat the word; testing it out with his own tongue as he attempted to pronounce it the same way Lachesis had. His own childhood memories had begun to disappear, for most of them were consumed by the strange pink two-legs. There were strange shadows and sounds clouding his memories and he did not remember much from his first three months of life. He knew his siblings had been present, for he could recall their scents and soft bodies, but he could not recall much of his parents. The little bird before him was so fortunate to be surrounded by wolves who adored him. Wolves who would fight for him and do anything to protect him and all of his age-mates.

The colours overhead quickly subsided, causing Mathéo to spring forward, panic etched across his pale features. Unfortunately there was nothing Lachesis could do to bring the rainbow back—not unless he mastered a rain dance and the skies decided to open up once more.

But he had an idea of how to fix it.

“Come,” he chirped suddenly, his features warming up as he motioned for the boy to follow him. “We’ll find you a rainbow.” He started padding toward the river with an encouraging wag of his tail. 

stick with those who stick with you

To the contrary, it was likely that Mathéo would have enjoyed the rain dance.  He probably would have joined in, regardless of if it opened the clouds back up or returned the pretty colors to the sky.  If Lachesis did it, than it was probably a good thing – Mathéo was a Good Boy, and so he wanted to do good things, too.  And if the alpha decided to maffick the rainbow with an elaborate dance, than the alpha’s son with do the same.
 
But XIX had other ideas, and the young Tainn had all the attention span of any other puppy his age.  So when the Big White beckoned, he picked himself up and tailed after the adult awkwardly, his gait a bit haphazard as he picked over small rocks and around puddles left by the recent rain.  He didn’t have any questions for the adult, much less how a wolf was going to find a rainbow, for trust was just so implicitly given to someone who’d shown no reason otherwise.  In fact, Mathéo didn’t pipe up at all until the gentle rush of the river in the background caught his attention and his ears pressed forward.  He hurried his trot, bumping into one of Lachesis’ hind limbs.
 
“Whaddat?” he asked, blue eyes wide.  Should they continue?

His pace was slow and careful as he ventured toward the river’s edge, his chartreuse gaze falling behind him occasionally to ensure Mathéo was not far behind. Losing one of his co-lead’s children would not over well. The ghost was surprised that silence followed them to the moving body of water, for he would have expected a flurry of questions to roll off the child’s tongue. XIX did not mind, for he was accustom to silence and often preferred it. He could not help but wonder if the boy’s quiet demeanour would follow him as he grew, or if it was just temporary. Either way, Lachesis would love him all the same. They were family, even if they did not share the same blood.

Whaddat? The question broke the still air after the little bird bumped into Lachesis’ leg, causing his features to soften as he turned to meet the boy’s baby blues. “That’s the river,” he responded quickly, his tail wagging gently behind him. He motioned for him to follow him to the water’s edge, his pace much slower than it had been before. “Stay here,” he instructed as he pointed to a rock a few paces away from the rushing water, his expression growing serious. “The river gives life, but it also takes life. You have to be careful. Do you understand?” Lachesis knew it was a lot for the boy to take in but he hoped that Mathéo took his words seriously.

He remained where he was until he got confirmation from the agouti Tainn Baranski. The ghost had promised the boy another rainbow and he planned on delivering… once Mathéo understood that there were dangers associated with the river. 

stick with those who stick with you

“Ri’er.  Ri’r?  Rivvvvv’r.”
 
The word was not an easy one to master.  He watched the newly named river with wide blue eyes, curiosity taken captive by the rushing water.  Mouth slightly agape, Mathéo was content to simply watch where he stood – for now.  Perhaps, if the Big White hadn’t given him any further instruction, that might have changed later…but now there was a Rule in place, and the young Tainn wouldn’t dare break that, even as his curiosity grew.
 
“Yeh,” he replied solemnly, glancing up at the old wolf.  He gave a nod of his head and sat down, tail wiggling against the ground as he glanced back at the rushing water.  Even the sound of it was interesting, nothing like the pouring rain earlier in the day.  That Lachesis had something else up his sleeve didn’t occur to the boy – or if it did, Mathéo didn’t focus on the idea for long.  He was promised a rainbow, yes, but grudges were not his thing to hold, and even if the promised delivery hadn’t appeared, the introduction of the river into his little world was more than enough to sate him for now (even if he couldn’t touch it).  “Riv’r,” he sighed happily.  “Riv’r.”

@Lachesis -- Sorry for the wait.  :(