Fool's Gold Chasm widow's gift

For @Enera~

June 9th; Cool and dry; Early morning, before sunrise; 56° F, 13° C

With Woya den-bound, Adelard was stuck in a loop between guarding the den and scouting for water. The yearlings were independent enough now; he did not have to constantly worry about them. Every couple of days, he had a mind to seek them out, even if only to catch sight of them. A check-in of sorts. At the moment, though, without water close by, he hoped they were all coping and eking by.

Summer was supposed to be the time for cygnet scouting and the last days of egg-stealing. This year had decided otherwise.

As the Leader dragged his feet across the forest floor, dust kicked up in his wake. The forthcoming rising of the sun only promised another day of dry, summer heat. Having quenched his thirst only a few days ago, Adelard yearned for nothing but a day's rest in the shade.

Along the outskirts of the den clearing, Adelard turned about in a circle and sat. His ears twitched, simply listening to the sounds of the mewling children deep within.

had a dream so big and loud

JUMPED SO HIGH I TOUCHED THE CLOUDS

Restlessness itched at her paws, keeping Enera from sleeping more than a few hours at a time. She knew that was bad; her mama had always kept her on a regular bedtime and rising schedule, but without her warmth and her stories Enera found sleep elusive. She spent most of her evening gazing at the stars and wondering which one was her mama. She hoped she was next to her parents and Sirius.

It had been nearly a month. One long, lightning-fast month since mama left and Enera thought her world would stop turning. Perhaps that's why it went so fast; each day stretched an eternity and yet every time she blinked she felt another week slide by. Her sisters were up and moving now, terrorizing Woya and their foster siblings. Enera knew she should spend more time with them, but she was just so busy bringing water back.

Sleep continued to escape her and with a heavy sigh Enera rose. "Good morning, mama," she murmured to the collapsed den that protected mama's body. Next she turned her paws toward Woya's den. It was still early, but maybe she could find some rest if she knew they were well. She paused when she spotted Adelard laying there. Enera hadn't counted on talking to anyone; she'd been pretty good at avoiding the others for the most part. After a brief internal battle, she padded over and laid next to him, close enough that if she shifted they might touch but far enough for him to keep his space should he want it. "Hey dad," she said quietly, not wanting her voice to carry and disturb the sleeping mother and pups in the nearby den.

She watched Adelard carefully, wondering if he would still accept the term now that he had his own real children. He didn't need her anymore.

He had thought twice now about having a proper lay-down, but a little voice - one that was not his own - decided he stay awake. "Hey dad." His russet ears drew upward in the dark. Though the sun's first rays barely lit up the world, Enera was quick to spot. A tender smile came easy and he regarded her with kind eyes. Had he been sitting up or standing, he might have pressed his nose to her temple and preened the base of her ear. Perhaps another time. She seemed a little more reserved, on second thought...

"Hey, small teeth," an affectionate term from another time. He hoped it was still a welcome sentiment. "You're up early..." He could have quirked a brow but in new and uncertain times like these, most of everything was a bit skewed. It took a moment for him to find all four feet beneath him and, with a cant of his head, he gestured to the ferns in the distance. A walk always helped the morning start off a little better. He whispered, "Let's get you some breakfast."

         

ADELARD

heat stroke, bring the fire black smoke, I take it higher

had a dream so big and loud

JUMPED SO HIGH I TOUCHED THE CLOUDS

The greeting with her nickname helped sooth a worry that gnawed at her more than Enera would admit. He still loves me, she thought, a coil unclenching in her stomach. She'd barely got settled when he stood and beckoned for her to follow, which she did with a flicker of interest. She shrugged as she caught up to him. "Couldn't sleep," she said, finding her voice a little freer with her adoptive father. "Haven't really since..." Well, maybe not that free.

Her ears pricked slightly at the mention of breakfast. A hunt with Ad would be... nice. Keep her mind busy, and maybe after she might find some rest. "What did you have in mind?" she asked, allowing her volume to rise slightly as the distance between them and the den grew.

"What did you have in mind?" At least the girl had perked up some. Losing Rhaegara had not been easy on anyone. Even him. He never even truly apologized for that one night when they had that nasty falling-out. For that, he was sorely rueful.

Now, he gazed upon his friend's daughter, knowing full well that he would protect her at all costs. He loved Rhaegara, even still and despite what had happened between them. The only place that unrequited love had to go now was to her daughters... and, the eldest one, in particular, was important at this very moment.

"Well, the one rabbit warren in the west is getting sparse," he noted as he started to bring her away from the den. "We're close to wiping them out, but there may be easy pickings still." The drought had probably changed the snowshoe hares' breeding cycles. Still, Adelard was hopeful. He was careful, and the others were also wary. Their pack was resourceful if not frugal and miserly with their assets. Otherwise, "I did save a small bit of dried turtle from yesterday. Still in the shell, if you'd want it."

         

ADELARD

heat stroke, bring the fire black smoke, I take it higher

had a dream so big and loud

JUMPED SO HIGH I TOUCHED THE CLOUDS

Enera padded after Adelard, careful to keep her paw-steps light. She watched him with interest - the most emotion she'd shown beyond anger in several weeks. It was good to spend time with her father-figure, especially now that her mama was gone. He would be busier with his own kids once they were old enough to leave the den - which would be any day now - but if she could have at least this last bit of time with him she would cherish it.

The eldest Rayvne considered her options. Turtle wasn't so bad, and she could use the shell to transport water, but... "A run sounds nice," she said. Feeling the air rush through her fur as she pursued a rabbit might just be the pick-me-up she needed, and the fresh meat would certainly help settle her. Maybe once she'd run and eaten sleep would take her for a while.

The silence, even if only briefly, was comfortable at least and Enera seemed glad for it. With some thought, she decided on a run, which Adelard figured was the better choice. An exercise in tactics and some physical exertion in rounding up a simple meal would do them both some good.

At first, his easy gait sped up only a little, but once he caught her eye with a smirk, he kicked up the pace. Going only as fast as to keep the girl hot on his heels or not far from his flank, he bounded through the ferns. "Come on!" he encouraged. "Race you there!"

The warren wasn't far, as much as Adelard could tell or remember. Once a booming little community, several of its tunnels had collapsed from hunting. On approach, after a few minutes of a moderate sprint, the Leader came to a stop. His maw hung open, his lungs working to catch his breath. It wouldn't do if one loud exhale ruined this precious opportunity. He smiled as he looked back at the yearling with a quirked brow, "You ready?"

         

ADELARD

heat stroke, bring the fire black smoke, I take it higher

had a dream so big and loud

JUMPED SO HIGH I TOUCHED THE CLOUDS

Her decision seemed a good one, as Ad picked up speed, and then again, and then with a grin he took off. Enera rolled her eyes in mock annoyance but sped up to keep pace with him, racing through the trees toward their breakfast. When he skidded to a stop so slid up next to him, kicking a small cloud of dust up from the dry earth. She turned to look at him, breathing harder than her, and a small smirk tugged unbidden at the corner of her mouth.

"Winded, old man?" she asked, voice quiet. "We can take a moment to let you recover if you need." her voice was teasing and lighter than it had been for a while.

(This post was last modified: Jun 24, 2022, 11:36 PM by Enera.)

He cast the girl a toothy grin, grateful for the spark in her words. This was the Enera he had known from the very start. In jest, he let out a low exhale, "Psssh, ya got me beat." The little wave in his tail played along. His heart thundered but his breath came easy in a matter of moments.

When he regarded her again with a lift of his head, he turned toward the direction of the burrows. "You know how to hunt one down?" he questioned, one whiskered brow lifting again. Surely, Rhaegara had taught her well. Adelard just wanted to be sure of it.

         

ADELARD

heat stroke, bring the fire black smoke, I take it higher

had a dream so big and loud

JUMPED SO HIGH I TOUCHED THE CLOUDS

Bantering with Ad was easy, like falling into old familiar steps. Of course he treated her like normal. She'd been silly to think he wouldn't. He wouldn't really abandon her, even if he was busy with his real children. He still let her call him dad. She offered him a sly smirk. It wasn't much and it didn't last long, but it was something. "'Course I do," she hummed, gently nudging him.

She glanced back in the direction of the warren and hesitated. Why had she chosen this? She hesitantly shook her head. "I've never... actually caught one. Just... just if they were already hurt." she didn't want to say that her mama hadn't had the chance to truly teach her how to hunt rabbit - just the theory. They'd been busy with other lessons.

(This post was last modified: Jul 14, 2022, 08:32 PM by Enera.)