Turtleback Lake [BWP] Today 4 U

For @Makvala R u ready to cause some mischief. Set initially within the borders of DS but will move outward. Conditions: Light rainshower, 18 mph winds with 36 mph gusts, 65F 18C

The weather was muggy, surprising because of the rain that had been drizzling throughout the day. Normally the drizzle didn’t bother them as much, but the wind had been howling like a banshee and nearly every attempt they made at leaving left them being almost swept away by the wind. So, begrudgingly, they’d stayed within the confines of the den. The boy was sprawled out in the corner of the den, rubbing absently at his muzzle. It had been a little itchy lately, likely because some of his adult hairs were starting to grow in. His once creamy white fur had started to darken in places, namely along his muzzle and eyebrows. It wasn’t a lot just yet, but in time the boy would develop a dark smudge in these places.

He was alerted from his prodding by the sound of shuffling. The boy laid still, ever so slightly turning his head to see his sister slipping from the entrance of the den. It wasn’t like they weren’t allowed to leave without being supervised. After all, they always ran into someone when they went on an excursion. So, in Lee’s mind, this meant he was plenty protected. Maybe even too protected, really. After all, they were a whole 9 weeks old. They weren’t helpless babies anymore!

The boy followed after the girl, trailing behind in an effort to go undetected. At least, with the wind being as loud as it was, he didn’t have to worry about being heard. Where was she going?

(This post was last modified: Jul 08, 2018, 08:16 PM by Leith.)

crawl on my belly 'til the sun goes down, I'll never wear your broken crown

Makvala quickly realized she did not like being confined to the den, or any area really. Her paws wanted to constantly carry her places – they always carried her back to her mom and pa. Perhaps when she was older, she could become a savant scout, who knew all of the lands like the back of her paw. Of course, with this image in mind, she wondered why her parents wouldn’t let her out? She wasn’t afraid of any wind and they went out in it all the time! Her nose twitched, the weird and awkward feelings she felt as she started to grow towards her adult size. She was far from fully grown, but everything was quickly disproportioning and it affected her coordination – giant paws not quite carrying her as gracefully as she had learned to be the past couple weeks. Her mother had assured her that it would not last forever, but Mak was hesitant to believe that.

She would sit idle no longer! With determination, she pushed out of the den, determined to travel farther than she had ever previously gone – the border! Her parents wouldn’t be happy, but in theory they would never even know about it. She just had to be back soon!

Her growing head and paws weren’t the only event she was hesitant to believe. Her brother, the troublemaker, seemed to be having the same thoughts as her. Though she was often irritated with him, she was glad when she noticed his scent trailing behind hers. She hadn’t noticed it for too long – she hadn’t been able to hear it but after she took a couple turns, she was able to smell him. “Watre you doin’, Lee?” She asked as she turned her head, her ears perking up as she cocked her head to the side. It was too windy to provide some snarky retort to start a fight, even if she thought that was the most interesting thing to do with Leith’s particular brand of trouble.

(This post was last modified: Jul 07, 2018, 08:10 AM by Makvala.)

He was sure that she hadn’t noticed him, and so he trotted along behind her with little reserve. He stayed far enough away just to see her rump, convinced that that would keep him in the unknown. When the girl suddenly turned he did well to skedaddle behind a tree, though it didn’t take long for her to call out to him.

The boy knew when he’d been caught and didn’t try to hide it. He walked out from his hiding place and made his way toward her. She didn’t seem mad, which was a rarity for the girl toward her trouble-making older brother. It was...weird. He offered his normal mischievous grin, tail waving behind his thin frame. With age he would become broader, but for the moment he was just as gangly as his brother. ”Wha’ d’ya mean? Ya can’t ‘spect me t’ sit ‘round with Lazy Leggy can ya?” he replied. “There’s too much fun t’ be ‘ad. Now, where’re we goin’” he said, motioning her to lead the way with gleaming eyes.

crawl on my belly 'til the sun goes down, I'll never wear your broken crown

Upon his words, and the nickname he’d bestowed upon their brother, she rolled her eyes. It was true Makvala fashion. “He ain’t lazy – just cautious.” She defended him as she continued to move – if Leith could keep up, he could hang. A part of her knew she could blame him (as the family’s resident troublemaker) if they were caught. “I’m goin’ farther than we’ve ever gone before… if you’re goin’ then ya need to keep up.” She was the one who, when older, would be built for the run, the adventure, the scouting of foreign lands and the hunt, much like her mother.

It did not take long for the girl to try and pick up her pace so she could get to newer lands faster. She loved how no place seemed to be the same – different trees that were all different heights and shapes and widths – it was like everything was unique and had a purpose. She made a mental note to ask either mama or pa about it to see if they could explain to her why everything was like that. "I've heard th'adults talkin' about a place called th'border." She finally revealed a location to him. "I'm gonna find it."

“Uh-huh. Wha’ ever ya say,” he grunted in response to her comment about Legolas. To him there wasn’t really a difference between the two. If you were cautious you weren’t likely to go out and do anything. That’s why he wasn’t. He wanted to do everything and in order to do everything you had to throw caution to the wind. Leith the bold was fearless.

He moved to her side, auds perking in interest when she mentioned that she was going to go farther than they’d ever gone before. Boy, he <i>liked the sound of that</i>. His grin widened,  laughing when she told him to keep up. Mak was faster than him, yes, but Lee was a determined little sucker. He wouldn’t admit it, but he was having a little trouble keeping up but that wouldn’t stop him from trucking in.

His head whipped to the side when she mentioned the borders. He’d heard Ma and Pa mention the borders to the other adults but never paid much attention to it. He’d been too busy pestering his siblings. But, it seemed his darling little sister had paid plenty enough attention for both of them. “An’ Ma an’ Pa think ah’m th’ troublemaker. Well, lil’ sis’. Wha’ ya got on this border stuff?” he asked cheekily.

(This post was last modified: Jul 07, 2018, 07:35 PM by Leith.)

crawl on my belly 'til the sun goes down, I'll never wear your broken crown

He called her a trouble maker and she vigorously shook her head. “Not a twoublemaker!” She defended herself as she playfully batted at his ear. “M’just an adventurer.” She said again before she started to explain what he knew. “’pparently th’pack doesn’t go on forever… s’got borders and outside those borders are other packs, n’other lands.” She explained, remembering hearing her mother speak with someone about some other pack nearby before she’d left to follow papa on the hunt. It was fascinating, to learn about everything there was outside of what was considered the “known world” to them.

She supposed she could have just asked her pa to show her the borders, that it might be safer… but she also didn’t want to take no for an answer and feared he might be hesitant to let her venture that far. Both him and ma were clear on the rules they had set down when came to travelling and playing – it’s why Leith got scolded for messing with Leggy!

She figured the borders would just be farther away from the den, and that’s why none of them had ever reached them. She didn’t know how large the territory was, but she didn’t care either. She’d find her way to the borders regardless of how far she had to travel or how tired she got because of the distance. “I wanna see what’s outside th’Surge.” She supposed, given his bold and aggressive nature, he’d be good company to have even if he annoyed the hell out of her.

There is a deer carcass being picked over by three coyotes. They spot you and become territorial of their kill.

Makvala was insistent that she wasn’t a troublemaker, but boy did this seem like trouble to him. And he knew trouble, after all, he was the king of it around those parts. She playfully swatted at his ear and he growled at her, though there was clear amusement in his gaze. He listened as she started to explain the borders, intrigued by the fact that there were other packs and other lands besides their own. To him, their land was already so big. To know that there was more of it was...well, he almost couldn’t wrap his head around it. “Ah’m bettin’ they’re not as awesome as us though,” he replied with a flick of his tail. Because, really, what could be better than them?

Still, she mentioned that she wanted to see what was beyond the Surge. And he couldn’t let her get the best of him, so obviously he was along for the ride. “‘ow much longer ‘till we find ‘em do ya think?” he asked, starting to grow a little impatient.

CRAWL ON MY BELLY 'TIL THE SUN GOES DOWN, I'LL NEVER WEAR YOUR BROKEN CROWN

Mak grinned at her brother – they agreed on something! No way anything was more awesome than their ma, pa, and everyone else who’d been taking care of them the past couple weeks. It was fascinating, watching the adults interact. They already knew what they needed to do when they woke up – she didn’t even know what she was doing until she was actually doing it! It just went to show how much she still had to learn. The small agreement she’d had with her brother was quickly forgotten in favor of annoyance when he asked how much farther.

Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Why couldn’t he just enjoy the adventure instead of wanting to rush to the climax? She rolled her eyes again. Her eyes always got a workout when he was around. “S’not too much farther.” She insisted, picking up her pace as best she could without sacrificing stability. She first caught the strong scents that lined the borders – she assumed they were different adults from the pack. She hadn’t learned any names yet, mainly because the only name she ever really heard was hers and that was when she was getting yelled at for wandering.

It was then that she spotted the coyotes, narrowing her eyes at them as she leaned towards Leith who was supposed to be “brave”… he was entitled to his own opinion. “What’re those?” She whispered to him, hoping he knew because she did not. They weren't indigenous to pack lands, because she was sure she would have seen them before if they were. They didn't look super friendly either - in fact they looked a lot like her when Leith pounced on her.

(This post was last modified: Jul 08, 2018, 08:56 AM by Makvala.)

@Lachesis @Kyrios

She said it wasn’t much longer, but he wasn’t so sure. After all, they’d never been to these borders so how could she really know? They could be walking forever for all he knew. Leith didn’t like to work hard for the things he wanted. Instead, he tried to get others to do the work for him. In his humble opinion that was really the way to go. His tongue hung from his mouth as he panted, but he trudged along still.

A pungent smell suddenly came across them, stronger than any smell he’d scented before. He knew some of the scents in it, like Ma and Pa, but otherwise he didn’t have much of a clue. Maybe it meant they were getting closer? Yet, little did the pair know they’d crossed completely. It wasn’t long before they came across the coyotes, or, in Leith’s mind, the weirdest wolves he’d ever seen. And, they were making mean faces at them. Makvala asked him what they were, and he had no idea. But, he didn’t like what they were doing. “Oi! Wha’dya think yer doin’, makin’ them faces at us. Ain’t yer mommas ever tell ya tha’s bad manner?” he yelled at them, his own hackles bristling.

Apparently, that was the wrong thing to say. Suddenly, one of the coyotes was charging them and every ounce of bravery he had in his body was trickling away. “Run Mak!” he yelled, skittering back and bolting toward where they’d come from. Him and his big mouth.