Quaking Vale silent in the trees

tag @Lauraceae but this is open to any QV wolf
sunny | early morning

He was growing tired of the same striped trees. As the days passed Sachiel became familiar with each tree trunk and their individual markings, committing them to memory. There was more he wanted to see—more he wanted to i>explore—but he also did not want to stray too far from the dens. His parents were often busy, tending to their duties when they weren’t caring for him, which meant that the little Leigh spent a lot of time on his own. But he did not mind. Sachiel just could not stand the trees any longer, for they taunted him.

With his back pressed to warm ground Sachiel’s denim blues focused on the cloudless sky above, his brows furrowed. The world above him was often skewed by the abundance of trees and the agouti did not get to see much of the sky. A frown creased his lips as the realization as he grunted in annoyance. Surely there was somewhere among these trees that he could see more of the endless blue above…

Flipping over to his stomach the Leigh scrambled to his paws and began to shuffle through the trees, leaving the dens behind him. He did not worry about getting lost, for he knew the trees like the back of his paw. He just needed to see more of the sky… even if it was just a little sliver. Anything was better than attempting to peer through an array of branches…

He would deal with the repercussions of his little excursion later. Right now adventure was far more appealing than the inevitable scolding he would receive. It was worth it.

ridge is a mature character

aka he curses a lot due to his frustation with his memory loss

x

ridge associates colours with moods/feelings & uses them to describe others

Time for Cas to be a bad influence xD

Castel loved spending time around the pups - to be perfectly honest, she envied both Sahalie and Neha for being their primary caretakers. It made her think of Niles, and of the future. Her health was improving, and if it continued, then... maybe pups weren't an impossibility for the two of them. Not that they were official or anything - yet. It was just that there was no one else she'd rather start a family with, and there was no one else she could imagine ever being as happy with as she was with the dark-furred boy that she'd met all those months ago. Hell, she hadn't even thought she could want more than Niles and Quaking Vale, until the pups came along.

Now she wanted more. She wanted to be a mother, and if she was healthy next Spring... maybe Niles would want them, too.

But for now, she would busy herself by visiting Sachiel. She hadn't brought any specific toys or presents - this trip was just to be a playmate. Neha had returned to her duties, and Draven was busy. It wasn't good for the little boy to be by himself so often, and Cas considered herself a decent enough replacement.

It appeared, however, that the boy was not at his den. Brows knitting up in confusion - and a bit of concern - the silver-dusted girl lowered her nose to the ground and picked out his scent trail. She hummed a bit and didn't hesitate before she followed. She wasn't worried for the child; there wasn't much to get into, and he was young enough that he probably hadn't gone too far. So, instead of panicking and rushing after him, she went at an easy trot, sniffing every now and again to make sure she was going the wrong way.

Before long, a dark agouti pup came into her vision, just ahead. A smile crossed her lips, and she made sure her pawsteps were light as she approached him from behind, intending on sneaking up on him. Her tail gave a wag, and she waited until she was right behind him before placing her head over his shoulder. "Where are we going?" she asked in a stage whisper. Maybe they could make a game of his little excursion.

A lynx has left behind the remains of a deer. +5 Health

While it might have appeared that the boy was not paying much attention to his surroundings he was doing just that. Instead of focusing on the path in front of him Sachiel gorged himself on the striped trees surrounding him and the sunset hues that encased the land, despite the sun rising instead of falling. He could still spot chunks of blue overhead, taunting him. A frown creased his pale cheeks as he shuffled forward, his brows pinched tight in determination as he meandered, aimlessly, through the trees.

He had been so captivated by his surroundings that he had not noticed the scent following him or heard the soft steps behind him as they drew nearer. He was too busy studying the curves in the trees and the way the grass had flattened in certain spots, a clear sign that this path had been travelled before. It was not until the russet wolf spoke that the child had become aware of his presence.

Sachiel jumped slightly, alarmed by her voice as it cut through the still air. His movements immediately ceased and he glanced up at her, his baby blues darkening slightly. We? So she wasn’t punishing him? He frowned, unsure of whether he could trust the older female. However, as his milky gaze found the sapphire stones nestled in her skull, his worries began to dissipate. Her eyes rivalled the sky in colour—the sky he longed to see. His scowl only deepened as he motioned upward with a flick of his maw, his ears falling back against his crown. Want to see! He screamed but no words came out.

He hoped she understood.

ridge is a mature character

aka he curses a lot due to his frustation with his memory loss

x

ridge associates colours with moods/feelings & uses them to describe others

What the attitude this little one had! Laughter bubbled in the subordinate's chest as she watched the pup jump, and immediately turn narrowed eyes at her. His reply to her question was nonverbal, as she'd expected - he was still a baby, after all. His little frown became more pronounced, and he motioned upward in response to her question. Her brows furrowed a bit in confusion, and she glanced up at the overlaying canopy of trees overhead, trying to decipher what the boy had meant by his action.

"Silly puppy, we can't go up, we're not birds!" she teased lightly, and then realized what he'd meant. Oh. "Oh!" she exclaimed, appalled at her own density. "Do you want to see the sky? Is that it?" That made much, much more sense than wanting to go up into the air, as she'd initially thought. She could understand why he would want that, as well. As much as she loved her home here in the Vale, she did miss wide open spaces and bright blue skies.

Her tail waved and she tapped the child's ear with her nose. "I can definitely help you with that," the silver-brushed girl told him, trying to recall a place where there was an opening in the trees that would be enough for the pup. The little clearing that she and Niles tended to sleep in was open and bright in the daylight, and if the clouds had dissipated a bit, then he'd definitely be able to see the sky there. "C'mon, kiddo!" she urged, taking a few steps in the direction of the clearing and glancing back to see if he was going to follow her.

His frowned deepened at her first statement, his brows pinching together in frustration. He knew they weren’t birds and couldn’t go up—surely she did not think he was an idiot?! A soft grunt escaped him as he quickly became annoyed with the blue-eyed female, his own baby blues deflecting away from her as he studied the trees in the distance. Sachiel was just about to stomp away and resume his adventure alone when the girl spoke once more, her voice growing more excited as the words dripped off her tongue and filled the space between them. His head snapped back to its previous position and he gave a quick, urgent nod. Yes, he wanted to see the sky!

Blinking at the brush of her nose against his ear the boy tapped his paws impatiently against the dirt. Sachiel feared that if he took too long to find the sky it would disappear behind the trees once more and the moon would return. He did not mind the darkness of the night sky or the soft glow of the moon, but it was not the same as the vibrant blue he often saw poking through the trees. C’mon kiddo! Finally!! Without hesitation the boy scrambled after her, his tail wagging frantically behind him. An excited chirp escaped him but nothing more. His lips remained tight as he followed behind the russet girl, excitement fuelling his frantic steps.

ridge is a mature character

aka he curses a lot due to his frustation with his memory loss

x

ridge associates colours with moods/feelings & uses them to describe others

Again, the pup's attitude was quite hilarious to the girl. She had to train her face carefully in order to not laugh at the little one's reaction to her incorrect assumption. A part of her wanted to ask, 'did you just expect me to understand you perfectly without words, silly goose?' but she couldn't imagine that would blow over well with the child. If he was annoyed just with a misunderstanding, he'd probably be downright pissed with her teasing him. But damn if it wasn't tempting - Cas had always had a hard time controlling her tongue.

It was becoming quite obvious that the pup wasn't much of a talker, but the little patting of his paws and chirp he released when she began leading him off was absolutely adorable. A soft laugh escaped her, and she set her steps to be slow enough for the tiny wolf to keep up with her. She didn't talk much on their way to the clearing that she and Niles preferred to stay in, instead just leading him along and keeping close.

"Here we are!" she proclaimed, opening up the bushes with her muzzle so that Sachiel could walk out into the clearing. A smile curled the corners of her lips. "Plenty of sky for you to see!" Her tail wagged happily as she looked over at the tree she and Niles usually slept under. Their imprints were clear in the grass - Niles' very large one and Cas' very small one. She turned her attention back to the pup, excited to see his reaction to the expanse of blue sky above.

He was not sure if the blue-eyed female was trustworthy, for he only knew her by scent, but she promised him sky. That was enough to get his little legs moving. As they moved Sachiel studied the trees that passed them, noting their individual patterns and committing them to memory. He wasn’t sure if the forest would ever end—was the world filled with trees and only trees?! No, there had to be more. More colours and shapes. Eventually he would see it all. He hoped.

The girl with the skies for eyes did not speak as they moved and he was thankful. It was not that he did not like her, or her voice. The little Leigh just enjoyed the silence as it was easier to see when his head was not clouded by noise. Her lips did not crack until they reached their destination. Here we are! His forehead grew tight as he padded, hesitantly, forward. He glanced up at her briefly, unsure of whether or not the girl had led him into a trap. Swallowing his doubt the boy stepped through the bushes, his baby blues sweeping up to opening in the trees above him.

His mouth fell open into a soft ‘o’ shape. It was so blue! There were small tufts of white skewed across the expanse of blue. It was everything he had dreamed of and more.

ridge is a mature character

aka he curses a lot due to his frustation with his memory loss

x

ridge associates colours with moods/feelings & uses them to describe others

Sachiel is the cutest thing <3333

The pup's expressions were quickly becoming one of Cas' favorite things ever. It was hard not to laugh as the little one stepped out and saw the expanse of sky, probably for one of the first times in his short life. It was clear that he enjoyed the sight, his mouth popping open in gobsmacked awe. Her tail started wagging a little harder behind her, glad that she was present to witness this milestone in the little one's life. Cas had been feeling quite a bit more solemn lately, and was more focused on the impact she had on others rather than just her own little adventure of life.

It was much more rewarding to be present for everyone else's adventures.

"The sky's pretty, isn't it?" she asked, tipping her head up to take in the sight, as well. She'd seen the sky countless times in her life, but the fact that this was the first time the pup was viewing this much of it was humbling. It reminded her that he might not even know the words to describe it. "The sky is blue, and filled with those white things called clouds," she explained, taking her attention off of the expanse to look back at Sachiel. "Is your favorite color blue? I prefer green, like the trees, but blue is a beautiful color, too." She smiled, her tail still waving behind her with almost as much excitement as the little pup held.

His little rump collapsed against the ground as he arched his neck back, his baby blues widening as he tried to drink in as much of the sky as he could. How far did it go, he mused quietly to himself as he scanned the expanse of blue above him. The words caught in his throat and he swallowed them immediately in fear of sounding stupid in front of his current companion. His ears swept back against his crown as he immersed himself in the moment, forgetting, briefly, that he was not alone.

Her voice cut through the silence. The boy nodded slowly as he allowed his gaze to fall on his blue-eyed packmate, his lips curving upward slightly. She began to explain the wonders of sky, announcing that the sky was drenched in blue and the pale fractures were clouds. At this he tilted his head up once more, his gaze narrowing softly. He liked these clouds. Another question rolled off the female’s tongue, causing his ears to twitch as he contemplated a response. Green like the trees. His denim gaze lowered as he studied the array of colours surrounding them, trying to decipher which one he liked the best. Blue was nice; it was the colour of water, the wondrous sky, and her eyes. It was a soothing colour; it made him feel calm. Green was also comforting, but it was much harsher. Earthy.

Suddenly he frowned. Sachiel did not know which one he liked the best. He quickly refocused his gaze on the clouds floating overhead and he made his decision. “W’ite,” he answered simply as he offered her a toothy grin. White was neutral. It was void of all the colours; therefore, he did not have to pick one he liked best. 

ridge is a mature character

aka he curses a lot due to his frustation with his memory loss

x

ridge associates colours with moods/feelings & uses them to describe others