Fallen Tree Cove Little things that make me smile

@Chenoa

For many days he'd been searching for signs of Tulip and what might have happened to her. The dark alpha feared the worse but he still held out hope since they hadn't found her body. His searching however was taking a toll on him, one he wasn't as young as he used to be anymore. More than that though he hadn't been spending so much time with his family as he would like. He'd gone out to look for Tulip early while his children slept but returned just after noon to spend some time with his daughter.

Chenoa already was starting to remind him of himself when he was a pup. He wondered about the kind of wolf she'd grow into. It was all too soon for that but it wasn't too soon to take her on an adventure like he'd once done with Lunette when she'd been younger. The new father made his way to the den after getting a quick drink at the lake.

Upon reaching the den Kajika stuck his head inside, “Chenoa, my dove are you in there?” He called to her from the entrance.

In her short time on this Earth, Chenoa had found that she loved everything. She loved playing just outside of the den, and playing inside of it. She loved her parents, and her brother, who sometimes pulled on her ears. She loved mid-afternoon naps, and when her belly was full. Being cautious was one thing, but disliking things was hard. That's why the sound of her father's deep voice bouncing against the cool walls of their den forced her tail to beat wildly against the ground. A vigorous nod was followed by an exclamation of, "Da!" And Noah stood to greet him. "I here."

Waiting to hear Chenoa's voice from inside the den gave the dark alpha a moment to realize he had a choice to make. Tulip had been on his mind, she was like a daughter too him and he worried something really terrible could have happened to her. He had to make the best effort he could to find her and that meant he would have to be gone for longer than a day.

His ears came forward as he heard his daughters tiny voice announcing she was there. He chuckled, “Yes you are,” he said nuzzling her cheek with his nose. “Now that you are how would you like to go see the water with your da?” He asked her.

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Chenoa's nose crinkled, but she still giggled as her father leaned down to press his muzzle into her cheek. She returned his affection by parting her jaws, in an attempt to rake her teeth along the underside of his chin. Eventually, she would come to realize that this action could also be considered as a sign of respect, but for now, it was just an expression of her own delight.

As her father continued to speak, the youth went into a fit of butt wiggles. "Yes, peas!" She squeaked, excitement churning through her chubby body. Now Noah wasn't an adventurer by nature, but if her father said that it was okay for her to see the water, then the inky girl was beyond thrilled!

When looking upon his daughter he couldn't help the smile that seemed to be permanently etched across his features. Her show of affection toward him just widened it and sped the rhythm of his tail. When he was having a bad day it was always a comfort to know he could return to his children and they would brighten it.

Elwood and Chenoa were growing so quickly and already their speech had improved to where he could understand them. It was bittersweet really but he chuckled as she confirmed what he had already suspected, she wanted to go see the water. “We should get started then, we've got a lot of water to see,” he said before moving toward the familiar path. “Maybe we can do a little swimming once we get there.” She was still a bit young but she could put her paws in the water and get the feel of it.

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Chenoa's head bobbed wildly up, and down, though she had no idea what swimming was. All that mattered to her was that she was safe, and with her father, who had never steered her wrong before. She thought to possibly invite Elwood, but Kajika was already moving away, and maybe it was alright to be selfish just this once? It would be nice to get their father all to herself for just a little while, and surely there would be another swimming trip in their future?

Tiny legs moved underneath of the girl's round body, only stumbling over the occasional rock, or branch. She'd gained quite a bit of control over her wayward limbs in the last few weeks, and it felt so nice to put them to work. "Da whu swim?"

The path he'd chosen to lead his daughter to the lake was a familiar one and in time he was sure she would become familiar with it too. He walked a slow pace ahead if his daughter to make sure she could keep up on her little legs. The new father always checking to make sure she was with him, the last thing he wanted to do was lose her. Birtie would probably kill him if that happened though he would probably be beating himself up enough for the both of them.

Each time she stumbled the dark man wanted to help her but he chose not to. Her strength would come each time she picked herself up and continued on. He knew that from his own experiences and he wanted Chenoa to be strong willed like her mother. At the sound of her voice he looked down to her with a smile. He gave some thought to how he would answer her question before speaking so that he would put it in a way she'd understand. “Well my dove it's a little like walking on the ground except your in the water and you have to move your legs a little differently.” Kajika didn't know if she would fully understand until she actually went swimming but that was a start.

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Chenoa ambled forward, intent on keeping up with her father's much longer strides. Her pale pink tongue peaked out through her teeth as she concentrated on not falling, and was pleased to find that she didn't stumble as much as she had only days before. Each time she lifted her chubby frame up from the ground, and attempted to close the distance between them. Someday she'd come to understand that this was an imoortant lesson, but for now, it left her a little perturbed. He was too fast!

Her face crumpled in response to Kajika's explanation as she attempted to picture what this whole swimming thing looked like. Perhaps one had to stand differently on top of water? The only real experience she had with bodies of water were with the occasional puddles that formed outside of their den, but one certainly couldn't walk on those. "Oh. Ok!" She nodded vigorously, but still had absoloutely no idea what he was talking about.

The dark alpha couldn't get over the progress his children were making with each day that passed. He was proud of the both of them and could see them growing into something great. He just hoped they would stay on that path just as he had. He didn't let on how much he wanted to help her but he would pause and make sure she was okay each time she stumbled. Chenoa was going to be a strong girl who might take over the cove one day.

They were headed to the lake to go swimming. He'd tried to explain it to his daughter as they walked down the path that would lead to the lake. Though as she responded to him he wasn't sure that she got it quite yet. “Don't worry little dove you will understand everything once we get started.” Looking a year he could almost see the break in the trees where the path lead down to the shore. “And it looks like you will get learning in just a few minutes.” He was rather excited to be teaching Chenoa about swimming.

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"Mmmmkay." Her voice was hesitant, but that hesitation did not show on her features. Instead her mouth was turned up into a smile, as though she had already accepted that this was something she would understand it in time. He was always patient with her, and so she knew that whatever this swimming was, she'd be able to get the hang of it.

Slowly-changing eyes flickered up at the horizon as Kajika spoke, but she wasn't tall enough to see whatever he was looking at. Sometimes being so small was frustrating. "Can't see Da!" Of course, she could just wait until they got closer, but it would seem that patience was learned, not inherited.