Hush, it's okay

RE: Woya Nash, you awake to glowing eyes staring at you from the dark. AW!

The smoke was finally clearing, but its effects were not so fast to abate. Nash's lungs still hurt, @Eclypse was still sick, and everyone else was still struggling through their lethargy. The hunt had been a good exercise, but he at least had needed a long rest after. At least now he could breathe clean air outside the den, and could leave the safer space for other members of the pack to take advantage of. Even more so now they had a second elder to be concerned about with @Tulip suddenly arriving.

At least she made his mother happy.

Tonight he'd chosen to sleep just outside the den's mouth, where he could keep watch but stay close. He'd been sleeping well, until something - he wasn't sure what - woke him. He went from a dream to wide awake in an instant, lifting his head and scanning his surroundings. His gaze caught on the culprit: a pair of eyes, glowing in the dim moonlight, watching him from the shadows.

I think I need help, cuz I'm drowning in myself

I hope its okay to toss her in this! I'd be down for a spooky outcome!

The smoke lingered, continuing to hold the wolves of the Cove in its grip. Everyday the elderly woman hoped it would finally vanish and its affects would wear off from her family. Her own health was the least of her concerns, per usual. With her age came bouts of sleeplessness, no longer being able to sleep all the way through the night nor stay up throughout the day without a nap, much like a young pup. This particular night was no exception. She laid quietly just within the den, not having been up for more that ten minutes when she her Nash stir outside. A single silver tipped ear flicked towards the entrance as he head remained atop her forelimbs. It wasnt until she heard him sit up did she decide to investigate.

"What is i-" she began to ask in a hushed tone before catching sight of the glowing pair of eyes. Instinctively her hackles stood on end as a quiet warning growl rumbled in her chest.  The dim moonlight masked who owned the glowing pair of eyes which only added to the uneasy feeling that had washed over her. Without even thinking she moved in front of Nash as her maternal instincts surged into over drive. She would protect her child and everyone else who slept within the den.

Word Count: 221

(This post was last modified: Oct 15, 2023, 12:16 AM by Moonshadow.)

He wasn't aware of the low growl rumbling in his throat until his mother's voice joined his and suddenly she was stepping in front of him. He jumped to his feet and moved to stand at her side, his hackles raising. She was his mother, but he was both leader and guardian of the pack and he would not hide behind her when there might be a threat.

Glancing at his mother, Nash slowly advanced on the eyes. His head was low and he moved only a tiny step at a time. His nose twitched as he tried to catch the scent of whatever visitor they had. He was going to feel silly if it turned out to be a deer or something equally harmless. If it was a badger or a fox, however...

Nothing hit his nose and Nash paused, ears straining forward and pausing his growl to try and catch a sound from the thing. It didn't even appear as a silhouette in the dark; just two, glowing eyes, watching them without emotion.

I think I need help, cuz I'm drowning in myself

I am so sorry about the wait! :( <3

Her focus remained lasered on the glowing pair of eyes that hauntingly stared back at them as Nash moved out from behind her. He stood next to her with hackles raised also growling low at the mystery. Her silver dusted audits stood at attention atop her head. Her gaze only waivered once, when Nash began to approach slowly. Her breath hitched expecting something to move at his advance. To both their surprise nothing did what they expected. Blinking in confusion Moonshadow released the breath she was holding and inhaled deeply. There was nothing lingering in the air to alert them to another creatures presence. How curious...

Carefully, the mother too moved slowly towards the apparition. She was completely taken aback at what was happening. The feeling in the air remained unsettling, something was off.

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My turn to apologize for the wait

Nash's mother was at his side even as he slowly stalked forward, hackles on end and head level with his back. He held himself low, coiled like a serpent ready to strike should the eyes make a move. They didn't even blink, just watched. He hated the lack of scent, the lack of direction, and as much as he wanted to chase the apparition away from the den he was also just unsettled enough to fear stepping into the shadows. It was almost like he was a pup again, hiding against his mother's flank from the nightmares that lurked in the night.

"Mom," he said, voice still quiet and rumbling with a growl, "what do you smell?"

I think I need help, cuz I'm drowning in myself

She held her inhale as her brain worked out the information her nose collected. A single silver dusted ear flicked in response to the question while pale moon colored eyes remained fixated on the ghostly ones before them. Nothing. There was absolutely nothing unusual on the cool night breeze. No prey or the scents of family, just the scents of the trees and the lake, and the lingering smoke. Her hackles prickled once more as her investigation lent her no help. "Nothin'. Nothin' other than smoke n' the trees." The ebony mother responded in a hushed voice. Afraid of waking anyone else up or chasing away the apparition before they learned who what it was.

Cautiously the Cove elder stepped towards the glowing set of eyes, never once taking her own off them. Her large paws stepped with confidence that had been gained through a lifetime of walking the terrain. Adrenaline coursed through her veins giving her a sense of youth as she was prepared for fight over flight. "Who are ya?" She practically hissed at their silent invader as if it could answer them. Her other senses weren't providing answers, maybe the eyes could...

Word Count: 000

They slowly crept closer, both on high alert, and Nash was trying to keep one step ahead of his mother. He too smelled nothing and made a frustrated noise in his throat that interrupted his low grumble. "Me neither," he said, pausing for a moment to try again. Of all the times to have such an invader on their territory, so close to the den where they slept... how bold.

He was sick of the mischief. Whatever this unmoving watcher was, they weren't afraid of him - but they should be. The leader suddenly darted forward, teeth snapping where a body should have connected to the eyes - only to click closed on air. He stopped, sitting down in his shock, staring at the shadows around him, and then he began to laugh. "It's a reflection," he chortled, forgetting for a moment to be quiet as he looked up at the small leaves, just shiny enough and at the right angle to reflect the moonlight back in an eerie glow. "We were afraid of leaves! He shook with his laughter, only just now remembering to contain the volume so as not to wake the others sleeping not far away.

"Oh, it won't rain all the time, The sky won't fall forever, And though the night seems long, Your tears won't fall forever."

Frustrations flared as the ebony Eastfall pair couldnt figure out what stared so daringly at them. Her son echoed the lack of sensory information. A growl was bubbling deep within her chest when he lunged. His inky form was a blur of shadows as he lunged. Moon's own frame braced for the impact, coiling like a rattlesnake ready to strike, ready to assist in showing this intruder out. The snapping of his jaw on air rang out, the vibration reaching her silver dusted audits in surprise. The shot to attention as her head raised a bit in surprise and confusion.

Her hazy gaze took in him moving to sit and confusion continued to wash over her. What was happ - then he began to laugh and the onyx woman took a tentative step towards him. "Its a reflection." The hold that confusion had on her melted away as her own shadowy frame joined his and took in what he was looking at. It had indeed been the leaves reflecting the moonlight that peaked out from behind the clouds. Her own laugh joined his as he retorted how they had been afraid of leaves. "Oh ya don't remember the stories yer Dad and I use to tell ya 'bout the killer leaves?" She joked giving him a nibble behind his ear as she came to sit besides him.

 

Word Count: 226

Archive after yours?

His mother was clearly ready to leap into a skirmish behind him, should it be necessary, and then showed his same confusion when he started laughing. Confusion was clear in her eyes until she stood with him and looked, and relaxed. Nash was still chortling when she nibbled behind his ear and he flicked it, twitching away from the tickle and looking at her with eyes watering in mirth. "Oh yeah," he played along, "but I thought those were supposed to stay on the other side of the lake. You left out the part where the trees could migrate!" He hunched over, trying to repress the new wave of giggling. He didn't want to explain to the rest of the pack that he'd been concerned with protecting them from leaves.

Sure, some leaves could be deadly, but not these ones. Who knew a bit of moonlight and a shiny plant could cause such disruption to one's evening.

Laughter finally subsiding, Nash looked back up at his mother. "Come on," he said, "let's get back to bed before the dust decides to get in on the joke." He placed a kiss to her crown and returned to the den mouth, where he laid back down to keep watch. The tree better beware; he was onto it now.