Sacred Grove I Just Wanna Go Home!

Prosper had woken with his brothers and sisters, left the safety of the den with his mother.. and then played with the other puppies just outside of the den like every morning. However, Prosper had begun getting full of himself the more he grew.. the less awkward his paws and legs became.. Why stay around the den? He wanted to go *EXPLORING*! So.. when his mother had wandered off leaving them in the care of the pup sitters... Prosper wandered off, picking his way carefully through the underbrush surrounding the den site.. his little stick like tail following behind him. It didn't take long for him to lose site of the mouth of their den.. but he could still hear the yapping and playing of the puppies that grew up with him.

After a time, Prosper found it boring to be chasing sticks and other inanimate objects.. and decided that he'd impress his father and bring home a big, juicy rabbit! Never mind the fact that the rabbit would probably match him in weight... Puppy-blue eyes glanced around until he found what he imagined to be the tracks of a rabbit! And a big one at that! So away he went, his hind end wobbling with the effort to navigate the treacherous path laid out before him. Fortunately for the rabbit he was tracking - seeing that he was such a good hunter... his attention was diverted by the colorful wings of a butterfly that landed on his nose.

Going crosseyed, the little two month old puppy tried to focus on the colorful thing.. before it fluttered away and he blinked, yapping as he charged after it. <b>"Hey! Come back!"</b> The butterfly of course, ignored him.. but he still tried, going as fast as his little legs could carry him. Belly crawling over some monumental branches that were in his way.. They had to be ten feet tall! <b>"FLUTTERBY! COME BACK!"</b> He'd had to raise his voice to call out to the thing.. maybe it was deaf? Unfortunately for the small pup, he was paying more attention to the butterfly he was trying to catch.. than the footing beneath him. Before he knew it, he was running, and his front paw hit nothing but thin air.

A blood curdling yelp escaped him as he pitched forwards, his headlong rush sending him careening over the cliff! In reality, it was only a foot drop or so into the river, but to the terrified and now VERY wet puppy.. it had been the longest fall in his life! Prosper screamed in terror as the water covered his head, throwing him this way and that, tossing him about as if in the paws of some giant beast. The precious few seconds he could surface were spent squealing and screaming... gulping air as fast as he could. As much as he wouldn't admit it, he was terrified and not above calling out for his family to help him. <b>"HELP!!! PWEASE!!"</b>

This was the repeat for what felt like hours.. but in reality was only minutes.. his saving grace came when a sizable branch thwaked him in the back of the head and he spun around, latching tiny teeth onto it, managing to keep his head above the water while his paws flailed around to grab onto the floating branch. As the river began to smooth out, Prosper managed to get halfway up on the branch, hooking his front legs onto it so his elbows acted as a 'brake' of sorts to keep him from sliding back into the river. <b>"Someone....? Help me...I just wanna go home!"</b> Prosper didn't realize that as he was floating downriver, his cries had been drowned out by the rushing water.. the tired little pleas for help even further drowned out by the water.

After about thirty minutes, Prosper found the river turning... the current growing gentler.. and allowing his feet to touch the ground. A frantic splashing followed his race to get out of the water.. and onto dry land. He smelled things here.. but he couldn't smell his family.. his parents. Finally on dry ground, the exhausted pup cried out a few times, his tiny frame wracked with both sobs and shakes from his ordeal.. the ears that usually remained perked on top of his head were drooping low, the right one almost covering his eye.. water dripping from every inch of his pelt. He was cold... he was miserable.. and it was well past his lunchtime - so he was hungry. Prosper forced himself to his feet and pulled himself up the river bank, whimpering pathetically the entire time.. before he managed to get far enough away from the river to suit his comfort zone.. and collapsed near the roots of a tree. <b>"Please....? someone...i just... wanna go home..."</b> Where was he?

(This post was last modified: Jul 04, 2011, 12:12 AM by Prosper.)

<blockquote><span class='word'>Chow</span> time had always been one of Fenru's favorites on his growing list of likes and dislikes, but instead of lingering by or staying with his siblings today, he settled by a tree away from where Kisla and Rihael would begin playing any moment now. He as just about to snap at an intruding grade of grass - that was seemingly inviting itself into the pup's shallow dirt pit - when he heard something. Not just any sort of something, however... <i>whimpering.</i> Almost confused, he looked over to his brother and sister before assessing that the cries were not coming from them... even if the voice did sound a little like Rihael in particular.

He got up from his place and sneakily made his way over to the river bank, where he was not supposed to go, following the sounds of sadness with a keen ear. The pebbles felt smooth under his paws, also cool and hard to the touch, very much unlike the grass and forest debris he was used to. He craned his neck down to lick one of the gray stones and found that he did not like the taste of it at all. It was definitely nice to touch though, but never mind about that. The voice he had been trying to find started to <i>speak</i>... Words, too! His mouth gaped open in surprise as he turned to find small wolf tucked up against a tree that looked almost like the one he liked to sit and play by.

<b>"WoOo?"</b> he voiced, tilting his head as he approached the pile of spiky, wet fur. He used his nose to analyze the creature as he stopped within two feet of the unusual sight, but almost immediately found that the small being was a puppy... <i>Like Rihael and Kisla... like him!</i> Fenru's eyes lit up and his tail began to wag. <i>Who was this?</i> He absolutely wasn't an "Uncle," he was too small to be one, nor was he a brother, he was a bit bigger if not a little older than him. <b>"Hey!"</b> he trilled, a wide grin lifting his cheeks. <b>"HEY!"</b></blockquote>

(This post was last modified: Jul 04, 2011, 12:20 AM by Fenru.)

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Prospers whimpers faded as he huddled in as small a ball as he possibly could, his dripping pelt matted to his sides, making him even more miserable. What was worse, the burrs and dirt stuck to his fur! He had tangles right under his tail.. and they hurt to walk with...All in all, the grand adventure he had set out to have had turned miserable.. horrible and just all around terrifying. The shouts of another brought his bedraggled ears up, his puppy-blue eyes looking around until he located the source of the shouts.. another puppy? Prosper had seen plenty of puppies.. his four brothers and sisters.. but this one... he was darker than his other siblings.. They were all lighter than him.

The older puppy lifted his head and blinked, sodden tail wagging slightly as it thumped against the dirt. At first, he'd thought this puppy was one of his siblings.. but after the fear that he wasn't lanced through him, he realized that this puppy had to have parents! They could take him home! Prosper sniffled, using an overlarge paw to try and wipe the last of the water out of his poor nose... water that had lodged itself uncomfortably where it didn't belong. <b>"Who're yew?"</b> His mother had been trying to teach him manners.. but he was big and tough like his dad! He didn't need manners!

<blockquote>The puppy stirred and Fenru was quick to take a step back just in case it decided to lash out at him or bite just like Kisla often did with his tail. Fenru blinked, it blinked back. He watched as the other pup tried to clear his nose, wiping his paw around his muzzle. <i>What had happened to him exactly?</i> Fenru jumped as Prosper asked who he was. <b>"Fennnn,"</b> he babbled in reply, answering just as his parents often asked him and his siblings.

He peeled his tongue away from the roof of his mouth, letting it loll out of his mouth before he tucked it back in its place. <b>"Who... who you?"</b> he then asked, reaching a paw out but instantly withdrawing it. The other puppy might do something to it. <b>"Wet?"</b> the word rolled off his tongue as he directed another question toward the whelp. It was one of the few words he didn't like, actually, and it made him briefly wrinkle his muzzle in mild dislike. He was genuinely curious about why Prosper was soaked in the first place, though, and he hoped the temporary expression on his face expressed the fact.</blockquote>

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Fennnnnn? What the hell kinda name was that!? Prosper scrunched his eyebrows together as he frowned before shaking his head hard - trying to dislodge the water in his ears...He shook himself hard enough that he ended up knocking himself over with a rather undignified squeak. There were a few moments of flailing ineffectually before he righted himself and carefully got to his feet. The two month old tilted his head at Fennnnn and felt water drip down from his ear into his eye.. which made him shake his head.. then sneeze. The sneeze sent him back to his butt... and he sighed, looking rather put out by the idea that mother nature seemed to want him to *SIT*.

<b>"P'sper!!"</b> While he might have been able to talk... even hold a conversation of sorts.. most of his communication still stemmed from squeaks, grunts, and puppy growls.. The syllables in his name still gave him trouble.. and the 'perrr..' at the end came out more as a growl than anything. <b>"Wet?"</b> He tilted his head, trying to decide who was wet.. until he realized that the other puppy was referring to *HIM*. Now Prosper didn't mind getting wet.. in fact.. he rather enjoyed playing in the puddles around their den when it rained.. but this wet? No.. this was a BAD *VERY* bad kind of wet! This wet had stolen him away! <b>"BAD WET!"</b> Prosper whined, his floppy ears folding back against his neck as he hunkered down in a huddled, shivering mess. <b>"lost...."</b>

(This post was last modified: Jul 04, 2011, 01:42 AM by Prosper.)

<blockquote>The little Tainn watched with bewilderment as the masked puppy before him did a series of antics. Frowning, shaking, squeaking, sneezing, sighing. <i>Whoa.</i> Even Fen didn't move <i>that</i> much. Well, not unless Rihael was play-fighting with him or Kisla was trying to get him to snag onto her little ploys. He watched as the pup remained sitting and took this as a cue to also sit for the time being.

The Grizzly Hollow youth gave his name. Fenru's brows rose. <b>"Psssp... per,"</b> he tested out the word. <b>"P'sper? Sperrr."</b> He smiled, liking how it sounded. It took a bit more muscles and lip to produce the right pronunciation but, after "Mum" and "Uncle" and the occasional "Daa" with "Kis'a" and "Hael," "P'sper" was definitely fun. He listened as his newly found friend acknowledged the word "wet." <i>"You...wet,"</i> he wanted to say, but Prosper as quick to catch on. His exclamation about how bad it was to be drenched, Fenru gave another jolt, gasping slightly in surprise before Prosper whimpered and shivered.

<b>"L-Lost?"</b> he echoed. That was new; he'd never heard that term before. What did that mean? His brow furrowed and he looked at Prosper sadly, worried after discerning that he wasn't all right. <b>"Ahhm Mum-mum?"</b> he asked, trying to ask his companion if he should get his mother. Perhaps she would know what to do.</blockquote>

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The sodden little puppy was absolutely terrified... He remembered 'Aunt Vlarindara' once telling him that if any of them ever got lost to sit in one place... and not move.. or make any noise until they recognized the howl that called to them. He *KNEW* he should sit here...right by this tree and wait for someone from his pack to call for him.. but it was so *HARD*! He kept shivering, not from the cold, but out of fear - while he liked this other little puppy... he still just.. really really wanted to go home.. to *HIS* mum... The mumbled words from Fennnnnn's mouth perked his ears up as he realized the puppy was talking about mum's! Did he know his mum!?

Prosper wagged his tail slightly, nodding again - one of his still sodden ears flopping over to cover his eye. <b>"Mum! Home?"</b> Maybe this little pup knew how to get him home! Oh, how he hoped so... With that outlook, the terrified pup stopped shaking and bounced to his feet, taking a set of short hops in Fennnnn's direction. <b>"MUM!"</b> Was the rather happy squeak that escaped the Grizzly Hollow puppy, more of a high pitched yap than anything. He was still wet... still cold.. but he could go home! YAY! His backside was wiggling with enough force to almost put him back on the ground, his tongue lolling from his mouth as both ears perked forwards, sticking up as they SHOULD...it was rather obvious that the idea of a 'mum' excited the lost puppy.

(This post was last modified: Jul 04, 2011, 12:29 PM by Prosper.)

<blockquote><i>"Mum! Home?"</i> Prosper jumped to his feet and Fenru's eyes widened as he drew closer. The Tainn toppled backwards in fear that his friend would tackle him. He rolled over onto his stomach and looked over his shoulder at him, his tail wagging enthusiastically. <i>"MUM!"</i> Prosper had squeaked. Fenru was all smiles now; perhaps he <i>did</i> want to meet his mother.

He looked over to where he had come from, where the river bank pebbles, mud, and cold soil turned into parched dirt and sprigs of grass. After pointing with his nose for a brief moment, he looked back at the masked pup and got to his feet. <b>"Mmmum..."</b> Fenru took three steps forward then glanced back at Prosper, wondering if he would follow. He didn't wait long, however, and was soon toddling past one of the Grove's large trees.

Then something occurred to him... He stopped and immediately settled down on his rump. If he brought Prosper over, then his brother and sister would want to play with him and also ask what was wrong. Maybe Prosper wouldn't want to be his buddy anymore and play with Rihael and Kisla instead. No... "P'sper" was Fenru's friend. <i>Fenru's only...</i> He didn't want to share. Raising a voice that indicated that he wanted one of his parents to come running, he tilted his muzzle upwards, releasing a rather high-pitched cry.</blockquote>

(This post was last modified: Jul 04, 2011, 10:03 PM by Fenru.)

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With the new outlook on going home, Prosper waddled awkwardly after Fenru, running smack into his back when the other pup just plopped back down... The small pup umph'd as he tumbled to the side and lay on his back - one of his ears folded over his eye, the other sticking up at he rolled over on his back and stared at Fenru upside down. <b>"BarrooOoOoo?"</b> He blinked when Fenru called out to his parents and scrambled to his feet, his entire hind end waggling. Well! now that that was over... He could play! Adults would surely come running.. right? Prosper yapped, crouching down with his hind end in the air, his pointed tail waggling animatedly behind him as did his rump.

Constantly being told to 'be gentle' with his siblings made Prosper slightly wary of tackling this littler puppy.. He didn't know that 'be gentle' meant he COULD tackle them.. so instead, he waited for the first 'attack' to have some fun!

Hope it isn't too soon for Hael to be up in hurr :]

---

Hot on the ultra-familiar scent trail of his brother, Rihael bounced along in the least sneaky way possible, unaware that throwing caution to the wind wasn't exactly the best way to stalk anyone. Brimming with energy as usual, the oldest of the Tainn pups had left Kisla behind nearby; not that he meant to ditch her coldly of course, because Rihael was just not a little guy who could wait for somebody who couldn't keep up with him. But suddenly, his big, dark-tipped ears flew upward— Fenru was yelling! Was something wrong?

<b>"Fen-oooo?"</b>

Hael came bounding over, puppy-blue eyes wide— and then he saw the stranger, and Fenru with his butt on the ground. The oldest Tainn blinked, standing still, normally buzzing tail at a halt. There was... another one of them? Another little wolf, but he wasn't anyone Rihael recognized... and what was wrong with Fenru?

Hael didn't even try to hide his excitement at this new puppy; instead he scampered forward, tongue lolling out of his mouth with glee, brushing gently against Fenru's side on his way over to the new wolf. He was... bigger? Rihael had never seen someone small like him who was bigger or taller than he was. Instantly he set about sniffing the new pup, standing right in front of him.

<b>"Who <i>you</i>?"</b>

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