Larkcall Lowlands i'm screaming submission

 @Sphinx | set 2 days after this thread (Aug 14) -- morning, overcast 
he's basically at the WRF borders being nosey

He did not know why he kept going south. Curiosity, perhaps. Boredom, maybe. Or a deadly combination of the two.

All he knew was that he could hardly stop his oversized paws from tumbling through the lowlands, a little skip in his step as the monadnock grew smaller behind him.

Trees loomed menacingly in the distance but they beckoned the little Kael forward, feeding his youthful curiosity and propelling him forward. He hoped to go undisturbed this time, for this was merely an observation mission. He had not gotten close to the golden fields last time, for he had been interrupted, but this time he was determined. He would not succumb to distractions.

Zig-zagging through the dry terrain the smudge maintained a swift pace. He still had not grown into his legs just yet but, as the days passed, he continued to grow taller. The little smudge hoped he would surpass his father in height, but with his mother’s smaller stature, he was beginning to doubt that he would. But he remained hopeful, for it was certainly still a possibility as long his legs continued to stretch and grow.

The expanse of gold ahead of him was both breathtaking and exhilarating. It was the furthest little Cyril had gone from his home on the monadnock. Stalks of sunshine stretched as far as the eye could see and while the smudge wanted to plow right through them he knew he couldn’t. The stench of wolves was overwhelming for this was where the Fields pack resided. He had been told never to cross pack boundaries without permission and he was not in the mood to be scolded by strangers (or his parents).

Like a good boy he hovered around the borders, completely enthralled by the rye-filled field. His nose twitched as an array of new scents bombarded him, most of them nameless and only adding to his curiosity…

 

It was yet another boring, overcast morning when Sphinx decided to leave the confines of the communal den beneath the roots of the lone oak tree that stood tall within their gold painted home, a quick shake starting the process of pumping some much-needed energy into her lanky legs that she was starting to notice were getting longer and her paws a little less oversized. Of course, she still had tons more growing to do, but the idea of one day being big and strong like her parents or even bigger and stronger had a wide grin splitting the black lining of her lips to reveal pearly whites. Maybe Sphinx would even be good enough to be a Guardian like Askan! Surely the special outings to the Lookout were helping that cause right?

That hill was no joke and every time she returned her muscles ached the next day, but in the end, it only made her stronger and Askan that much more proud of her. And secretly she really really loved making that grumpy man proud. It was a full-time job fixing that broken man, but lil bug enjoyed every second of her work day.

On today's agenda, though, she was content with letting the man make the climb alone and just stroll about her home. Her nice and flat home. Her muscles still ached from her most recent climb up the Lookout and the thought of doing that again had her groaning internally. Maybe she'd find something to entertain herself with like an old bone or maybe a mouse to chase. If she got really bored she might even take a trip down to the pond and watch the small animals that came by for a drink in the summer heat.

That would not be the case as Sphinx lazily followed the gold lined borders, a black smudge in the distance catching her attention. From where she was they looked a whole lot like Chimera, but something seemed off and last she knew he was still in the den sleeping the morning away. Who was this then? White framed lids narrowed against the encroaching rays of sun through the collection of clouds above and focused their gaze suspiciously on this unknown figure, keeping herself hidden like a ninja in the stalks of rye while watching their every move. Maybe today would be the day she could put some of her lessons with Askan to use! But oh how her legs hurt and she didn't really feel like chasing anyone or anything. Waiting and watching she could do. Waiting and watching was good.

There is a deer that was killed by a lynx nearby. +10 Health

Now that he had finally reached the sea of gold Cyril wasn’t really that impressed by it. A frown tugged at the corners of his mouth, his yellow stones narrowing as he stomped along the borders, unsure of how long he should stay. Perhaps, if he kept walking, something would capture his attention. Or at least make the trek south worth it.

The clouds hung low over the mountains in the distance, capturing his attention briefly. He wondered if he would ever make it that far south. Was he even allowed to venture to the mountains, or was that off limits for the Whitestone prince? His frown deepened. Cyril did not like the idea of anything being off limits for he wanted to explore it all. Boundaries were terribly boring. He exhaled sharply through his nose, his tail twitching in irritation as he continued along the border of the fields, his dark fur threatening to cross over the invisible line.

However, the scent of another stopped him in his tracks, causing him to stumble and nearly face-plant onto the dry ground.

Stranger danger. His eyes narrowed into soft slits as he scanned the stalks of gold, his throat suddenly dry as he prayed they would not spot another wolf in the distance. Surely if he had managed to sniff them out they were already aware of his presence… but where were they?

Puffing* his chest out the boy glanced around once more, an impish grin replacing his sullen frown as he stuck his right leg over the imaginary line in an attempt to lure the stranger out of hiding. He just hoped that the stranger lurking in the rye had a sense of humour and would not tear off his hide for being so bold.  

(This post was last modified: Aug 15, 2017, 03:58 AM by Cyril. Edit Reason: *meant puffing, not buffing, oopsy :x )

At first, this stranger seemed alright and of little worry, since he managed to stay on his side of the invisible line well enough but that didn't stop Sphinx from sucking in a sharp breath each time he would teeter a little too close for her comfort during his investigation. The tall stalks that shielded her hiding place rustling slightly once she remembered to exhale the air she had trapped in her lungs the moment he would return to a safer distance away. It was during one of these exhales that things shifted and suddenly she was pinned beneath the narrow stare of yellow eyes, a loud gulp sounding as she hoped her cover hadn't been blown.

Time seemed to freeze in place and Sphinx's heart hammered in her chest waiting for the black smudge to either call her out of hiding or return to whatever it was that lured him here in the first place, but the speckled Avalon would not get off the hook so easily this morning. Soft amber eyes began to narrow themselves further once the mystery pup began to move and what she saw had her eyes widening and jaw going slack in sheer over dramatic horror. He was going to cross the border!

Suddenly her opinion about this bold dude took a sharp nose dive. Oh no he wouldn't! Quick as lightning the young girl shot up and shot off a bark toward the black smudge in hopes of deterring him from entering her home, her golden sea of gloriousness and wonder. "Hey, you better not!" She cried out. Mommy won't be happy and trust me you don't like when my Mommy isn't happy. She thought while gradually coming to realize that now that in the process of stopping him she had revealed her no longer secret hiding spot, eyes widening further and batty ears splaying back. Oh crap!

The boy had no real intention of crossing the border. He liked his hide firmly attached to his skin and all of limbs in their correct places. After his first encounter with the silver-eyed pup Cyril had become bolder (or brattier, but he preferred the former). He simply was trying to expose the hidden wolf as a simple hello! simply would not do.

His little trick had been effective as moments after he’d placed his limb over the invisible line a voice called out from the rye.

Hey, you better not!

A triumphant grin stretched across his dark lips as he placed his paw back down beside the other. A single brow raised as his yellow gaze fell onto the spot where the voice had called out from, his maw canted slightly to the side. He so badly wanted to run through the tall grass and expose the small voice but Cyril knew better. Threatening to cross the border was one thing, but actually crossing it was another—and it was a very bad thing.

He teetered at the edge, his little chin leaning over as he flashed the voice a cheeky (toothy) grin, his dark plume wagging slowly behind him. “Or what?” He retorted, his voice filled with a devilish attitude he was not aware he possessed. “I ain’t scared of no grass!” He added as he stuck his tongue out, hoping that his actions would lure the creature from the depths of the rye…

Or what? Oh, how she could count on all her toes how many times her brothers have used that line to bait their sister into something she knew she shouldn't do and this stranger was about to be no different. There was something about being given a little lip that the speckled child couldn't ignore. He wanted to lure the speckled child out from the rye then out from the rye he would get.

Silence reigned supreme as Sphinx hunkered herself down low to the ground, her belly brushing against the soft soil underneath while she army crawled forward toward the black smudge. “I ain’t scared of no grass!” the voiced called out and peeking upward slightly she could just barely make out the flash of pink between a few stalks that shielded her from view, rump wiggling in preparation for what was about to happen and maybe afterward he would become scared of the grass and what he couldn't see within.

Counting in her head...1...2...3..."ARGHH!" She called out like a battle cry before lunging forward with all her might to pounce on the black smudge, the momentum of her attack sending the pups tumbling backward slightly away from the invisible line she had to defend and moments later Sphinx rose to stand above her pinned invader. A giant grin plastered on her face and tail wagging a million miles an hour. "Or you get pinned by the great Sphinx. That's what."

Cyril should have kept his mouth shut. But today, much like the day he had come across the silver-eyed girl, he was feeling bold. Fearless even. Which he was beginning to realize was a recipe for disaster.

With one brow cocked and his nose twitching he waited for a response from the grass. He had an idea of where the voice had sounded from but he was not willing to cross the invisible border. For all he knew the small voice was accompanied by a bigger, much scarier wolf. He was unsure of relations between his pack and the wolves that resided in the gold sea, but he certainly did not want to make it worse by acting so foolishly. He also did not want his parents, or Everly, to be disappointed in him. Being around so many adults meant Cyril had to act much older (and smarter); he did not want them to think he was nothing but a stupid pup.

ARGHH! The sound took the small smudge by surprise and he stumbled backward, his yellow eyes wide as he watched a speckled pup fling herself at him. Too taken aback to move, the girl met her mark, and the boy was sent tumbling with her. Why does this always happen, he thought, glumly, to himself as the girl pinned him, a cheeky grin painted across her dark maw.

Great Sphinx, huh?

With narrowed brows the boy pushed his hindlegs against her stomach (like he had done with Risaela) in an attempt to fling her off of him. “An’ what makes a Sphinx sooo great?” He taunted her with a crooked grin, an ear tipped to the side as he continued to push his paws into the soft fur of her stomach. 

 

If only @Askan could see his lil bug now, defending her home and stopping their perpetrator in their tracks with a successful pin like the proper guardian in train--- "Ooof!" Whatever pride the speckled pup may have been feeling in that moment was soon washed away beneath the sensation of hind legs shoving against her fluffy stomach in an attempt of freeing himself, the trick doing its intended effect as sure enough one more shove from his paws had Sphinx leaping back a little and huffing in displeasure at having her shining moment stolen right from under her.

What made her oh so great he asked? Well, who was Sphinx to let an uneducated fellow skip out on a most valuable life lesson! Hopefully, they had enough toes on their paws to keep track and list all the totally logical and not far-fetched reasons why she was exactly that. Great. But where did she truly begin? "I just am." She settled with, nodding her head firmly to show there was no room for discussion on the matter. Either you accepted it or not. "Who are you?" That was the burning question that hung on the tip of Sphinx's tongue the moment she laid eyes on the smudge through the grass. "Are you great too?"

The boy nearly breathed a sigh of relief as the girl stumbled back, releasing him from her tiny paws. Flipping (ungracefully) from his back to his paws the smudge eyed her cautiously, unsure of whether she was going to launch another (completely unprovoked!!!) attack on him. He hoped that this trend of attracting girls who pummelled him would not continue as he grew into adulthood. There was only so much tackling and pinning he could handle. Especially when the attacks caught him off guard and made him look like a dummy.

I just am. Huh. His head tipped from side to side, the corners of his mouth falling slightly. It wasn’t a good answer but it would suffice. He did not feel like prying—mostly because he didn’t really care what made her so great. Who are you? He thought about being cheeky but last time it didn’t work out so well for him—and he felt all sorts of wrong afterward, like his parents would have been disappointed in him. This girl also was not as annoying as the silver-eyed cub, even if she had managed to pin him, too. He’d let that one slide.

“I’m Cyril,” he chirped, his chest puffing out as he squinted at her, his ears pinned forward: “an’ I am pretty great. Maybe even greater than you!”