Larkcall Lowlands Out of Order

5 weeks - The gradual process of weaning begins and they can now follow adults for up to 1 mile from the den.
RE: Phoenix, you misstep on a hill and roll your ankle.
For @Askan

If mother had been cranky when she stepped out in the rain after being told to stay, she was gonna be really mad if she caught her this far out now! The boundaries her parents had set were already beginning to chafe and the young girl, with a rumble in her tummy, had decided to go and find her father. Over the past week or so he had started feeding her too, and she found the meals he provided more filling than the milk that had sustained her so far in her short life.

Problem was, she hadn't had a lot of practice using her sniffer yet.

In the beginning it had been easy, her father's trail fresh, but as the minutes ticked by, crossing paths with other trails, both new and old she had quickly veered off unknowingly and onto Askan's trail instead. When the dark back came into sight, she knew it wasn't her father - but he was one of the around wolves so he was equally ok for her to bound towards in a demanding fashion.

What she hadn't anticipated was the roll of the tundra hidden beneath low vegetation. A single misstep and her little ankle rolled, sending the girl crashing in a heap towards the dark adult. She wasn't often one for crying, but this really hurt! When she righted herself and tried to place pressure on the limb she yelped, and then burst into a fit of terrified tears. What if she never walked again?!

(OOC: Phoenix is the cutest thing. This thread is gunna kill me.)

Askan was brooding. In and of itself, it wasn't all that unusual, after all he spent a lot of his spare time pacing around, thinking bitter thoughts about his past. However, he rarely did it so close to the den. For one, he didn't want anyone to see him, lest they use it as an opportunity to mock him. And two, he had always appreciated his privacy. He liked the others well enough, he had no real complaints about them and they had been kind enough to offer him a chance, but his social skills were still supbar. And so, he found it a little stifling to spend too much time with the others. In time he would get better, he grow accustomed to sharing the company of other wolves, but for now he would just be his prickly self.

With that being said, Askan did have a soft spot for the pup. He would never admit it, and honestly he didn't know why he liked her so, but she was good. So when he heard the thumping of little paws, he didn't glower or get annoyed. He simply stopped his pacing and waited for her to screech to a stop. He had no idea as to what she wanted, but it probably wasn't too important, still he was happy to share her company. 

Phoenix didn't skid to a stop, she tumbled and her loud, pained yelp was more than enough to make Askan dash to her side. She'd fallen. Dammit it. Her father was going to kill him- well maybe not literally- but he'd be mad. Surely. And the blame would likely fall at Askan's feet. He swallowed his panic and instead turned his attention to the little pup.

"Shh shhh shhh." Askan hushed her as he gently nudged her with his nose in an attempt to offer her some comfort. "You're all right. It's not broken. You'll be okay." 

At least he assumed it wasn't broken. He had seen a broken leg before, it was  mangled and grotesque, the result of being kicked by a caribou. But her leg looked fine.  In time hopefully it would be.

"What are you doing out here anyway?" Askan glanced about. They were a fair distance away from the den. And he knew for a fact that Phoenix wasn't allowed to stray too far from the den, at least not on her own.

At least her mother would be happy, if she could never leave the den under the tree again. Her sobs were cut through with a concerned series of shh's and she decided to take a moment to breathe, but the sobbing only ceased momentarily. His words finally registered with a few heaving gasps "Not broke? But...but..." she tried to place pressure on the limb again and wailed "Ooouuuuchhhieeees!" She curled the limb up to her chest, taking a few more deep breaths before wobbily hopping forwards with her front leg and shuffling along with her back.

@Askan's question was only met with a determined look. "Tree boring, hungry." But her stomach was all but forgotten to the throbbing of her aching little leg. She huffed heavily knowing it was a long hop back to the den (if she could even find her way) but if she had to live with three legs she'd best get to practicing.

Her second hop was not as sucessful as the first, her wobbly legs failing her and planting her face cleanly in the low lying vegitation. She gave the ground a cross look before pushing up again with a huff. She would not be carried.

Askan couldn't blame her even if he had wanted to.  Sitting around bored and with a rumbling stomach was no ones idea of fun, especially considering that she was so young. Still, this here proved that it wasn't such a good idea to let her roam about unattended. Askan shared the same frame of mind that until she was of age, she should stay where it was safe. That being said, he wasn't going to scold or lecture her. It wasn't his place for one, and secondly she didn't deserve it. She was hurting, vulnerable and Askan was going to do his best to try and help her feel better.

"I know. Next time though, if you want to go exploring call for me and I'll come too." That way at least she'd be safe. Besides, spending time with her did not sound unpleasant in the least. He liked Percy, she was good.

His ears twitched at her whines and again he took a step forward to try and console her. This was rather unpleasant. He was no healer, he didn't have any experience or know how when it came to injuries. His ideology was to walk it off, but that wouldn't work for her would it. It would be pretty callous really and she of all people didn't deserve that. Little Percy sure was determined though, she had spirit and Askan couldn't help but smile a little in admiration. Even though she was in pain she wobbled to her feet and tried, she wasn't going to back down, no matter what. If only everyone carried such fire within them.

"You're doing good." Askan didn't hand out compliments often, but when he did they mattered. The little wolf heaved herself to her feet and tried again. "That's it. Put the weigh on your other legs. Like this." Askan balanced on his three to show her how, but ended up wobbling unsteady himself. He pretended not to notice."There, how's that?" 

(This post was last modified: Aug 08, 2016, 04:47 PM by Askan.)

There is a moose carcass that has been scavenged by coyotes nearby. +15 Health

The invitation to come exploring was met with a sceptical glance, the bigs were always so busy, would he really let her come along if she asked next time? She tucked the offer away, jiggling this way and that to spread her legs a little wider, thinking it might give her better balance. It certainly looked like @Askan's legs were spread a little wider, but maybe that was just that he was so much bigger than she was.

Had she not been so determined to be cross, she might have brightly beamed a smile at Askan's encouragement, as it was, the hint of a grin merely pulled at the edges of her scowl, not unlike his own regular expression. She was serious! She wasn't a baby and she could do things just like the bigs! A determined huff left her small body as her eyes checked the ground under her feet. She had rolled a fair way down the small hill and there was little doubt this would be easier for a first timer on level ground that wasn't so densely covered with the waving yellow grasses. Still, her determination shone through. "No carry me. I can do it myself!" She warned her companion sternly, eyes focused on the top of the the small incline.

Perhaps it would be easier if she went faster? With a burst of puppy speed and determination, she lurched forward swaying this way and that while she bobbed up and down but never quite managing to fall over again until she reached her goal. Panting she lay there, her small tail thumping the ground proudly. "You go!" she called back to Askan with a smile, thinking this could become a very grand game indeed. Could he get (all three adult steps) up here on three legs?

Askan huffed a little in amusement at her sudden, sharp denial. He hadn't actually intended to carry her- not yet at least- but now that option was off the table. If she wanted to do it on her own, then fine, Askan wasn't going to complain. It was good that she was independent, but it occurred to him that perhaps being an only child was making her a little too independent. He'd grown up with three overbearing sisters, he'd never been alone. Someone was always tugging at his ear or tail, using him as a plaything,  or something to sink their teeth into. He shuddered at the thought, those were trying times.

There was little Askan could do about that though, he'd try to keep her company and lead her away from trouble but he knew he wouldn't always be there. She'd have to start listening to her mother and show some sense of self preservation. Not that Askan intended to lecture the little pup, he knew it wouldn't go down well and he didn't want to be that sort of guy. Gods knew that at her age he wouldn't want to have his ear chewed off (not in the literal sense) by an elder. 

"Alright, I won't." He promised, warmth lingering in his voice.

Taking a step back to give her the space she needed, Askan watched as she hobbled to her feet before plopping down onto the floor in a tired, but accomplished pile. Askan couldn't help but smile back at her, and his eyes were alight with uncharacteristic warmth. He didn't know how she did it, but she never failed to make him feel lighter, like he was free.

Askan looked back and forth between the slight incline and the resting pup. He could make it easily on all four feet, but three? He had never been the most graceful of beasts, but if doing so made Percy feel better he believed it was worth the risk. If he was careful he probably wouldn't fall arse over tit. Hopefully. 

Askan rolled his eyes. "Yeah yeah, I'm going." 

Stepping forward, Askan stood at the base of the tiny slope and as before he held his back leg up as though it were lame. It was all about strategy, he simply had to put his feet in the right place. This wouldn't be too difficult for him. Taking a deep breath, Askan began to make the climb, if you could even call it that. Using his bulky shoulders to make up for the penalty, Askan pulled himself up with his front legs, kept himself balanced with his third and hopped along with his forth. It was awkward, it felt unnatural but it wasn't hard. He'd managed to do it in a few seconds flat. He looked down with a victorious grin. He'd done it!

"See?" Askan beckoned her from atop the slope. He was now standing firmly on all four paws. "Just do as I did. Take it slow, watch your step."

(This post was last modified: Sep 10, 2016, 12:36 PM by Askan.)

Percy might have been cross at how easy @Askan was making it look if she hadn't already decided to make this a fun game. When he joined her up the tiny slope she looked up at the dark man expectantly, waiting for him to take a break that was no doubt as needed as her own had been. But when he didn't move to sit beside her, instead only placing his carried paw on the ground, she sprung back to her feet. In her excitement (hindered by a puppy's short attention span), she had forgotten how much her right forelimb ached and seemingly double hopped as she transferred the weight back to her left limb and pulled the injured joint back to her chest with a scowl. If it wasn't broken then how long was it going to ache for?

The pain felt hot and while her scowl was redirected to the tree line that marked the den in there somewhere, and her throbbing limb was begging for rest, she had left this morning because she didn't want to be there. "Can we go water?" Her scowl had softened to a shy smile as she turned her gaze on Askan. He had said she could go places with him, would it really hurt if they went to the stream instead of the tree? Maybe if she was lucky, the older wolf would be thirsty enough to take her there, (instead of back to her parents for a scolding).

(This post was last modified: Sep 11, 2016, 12:02 AM by Phoenix.)

Her smile was as bright as the sun, and Askan was happy to bask in it. In fact, he returned it with one of his own. Sort of. Smiling, it felt a little weird to him, particularly if he noticed himself doing it. The muscles in his face weren't used to moving like this, it felt odd  but it wasn't nearly enough to sour his mood. It'd take a whole lot more than that to ruin his day. Granted, it could happen, but despite his pessimistic nature he was willing to at least ignore it for now.It was easy to with Percy by his side.

"Hmmm." Askan titled his head and pretended to think about it. "I dunno, your mother'll be mad..." Before Percy could deflate with disappointment he continued, with a coy smile pulling at his lips. "But she doesn't like me anyway, so what's the harm? Let's go take a dip."

Jessie's distaste for him was obvious, fortunately the same could not be said for the little one. Perhaps it was because she had no one else to be with. She had her parents yes, and they loved her dearly there was no denying that, but she didn't have any real companions. No one to have fun with.  Askan was a poor substitute, but he was happy enough to fill in the part when he could. Perhaps, once the pack was settled, others would come and join the ranks, maybe then he wouldn't feel so nervous about their borders and lack of security. It wasn't like he could do anything about it anyway, aside from play his supporting part. Which he was happy to do, make no mistake. He was a grumpy goose, but he was content- in his own bitter way

"Come on then pup." He motioned with his head for her to follow. Though knowing this little spitfire, she'd want to take the lead herself. He didn't mind, as long as he was by her side. That was enough for him. "Time'sa wasting."

(OOC: You wanna respond and then archive this? Or wrap it up as it is, I'm game either way.)

(This post was last modified: Sep 11, 2016, 08:08 PM by Askan.)

One more from @Askan and we can claim LP :D

The young girl's expression soured when Askan mentioned her mother being mad. Was he really going to tell on her? She had promised to not go away but the tree was so boring and everyone was always busy. It just wasn't fair!

The mention of her mother not liking Askan was met with obvious puzzlement however, it was quickly brushed aside as he conceded to her request, tail taking up a merry wave as she hopped along the larger wolf's side, attempting to bounce just enough to press kisses of thanks against his chin. She really didn't want to go back to the tree just yet.

It was slow going with only three legs to propel the girl but finally, the swaying grasses gave way to the wide, shallow stream. Without a second thought, the girl raced forward, her remaining good front leg slipping on the slimy stones just beneath the surface with an almighty splash. Eyes and mouth wide open, her chin hit the water with a spectacular splash! But when she realised her head wasn't going under her tail began to wave, her sheepish grin trying to convince the older wolf she had meant to do that. Pushing up with both limbs it seemed the cool water eased some of the throbbing in her sore leg. "Feels better!" she declared rather proudly. So it wasn't broken after all. "Sekrit. Ma not know," she decided with a nod. Whether or not Askan decided to play along would be seen.