Dead Empress Backwater Throw a Stone

Happy 4th of July! Pups are 6 weeks and 6 days old.

It was another boring cloudy day, a hint of rain could be smelled but no such thing fell upon the earth. The sky above was dark and cast a gloom upon the woods. Euna walked alongside the babbling creek, still safely tucked within the territory, but increasingly bold with her ventures. Today she hadn't cared to be as careful to sneak away from her siblings, hadn't gone quietly or watched her back, didn't care if they followed her or not- so long as it wasn't @Torianna . That would be unfavorable.

The child carried on at a slow steady pace, uninterested in anything around her. Everything simply seemed boring to her today. She was tired of the cloudy summer haze and the same old same old with her family. An adventure usually perked her up, but she didn't have anything in mind. She shuffled to a stop, peering down at some of the pebbles beneath her paws, and sighed. Boring.

Dead Empress Backwater
— through trials to triumph.

Tuwile had been resting beside the creek, eyes unfocused as he stared unblinking at the flowing water. The gentle trickling of the creek had lulled him into some sort of trance, though he'd always been quite spacey to begin with so it was hard to tell what was the cause.

He was there for a little while, happily unbothered and firmly within the realms of his own mind when a loud sigh nearby broke him out, akin to glass shattering.

He blinked.

His head slowly turned, spotting the familiar form of one of his siblings further along the creek. After a moment Tuwile got to his paws in a mess of wobbling legs, slowly and silently making his way over to her before plopping down on his haunches vaguely next to her. Blue eyes looked at Euna, nose twitching as he stared silently at her.

Euna's ears perked at the soft shuffling sound of pebbles. The pup looked up to meet the beady eyes of her littermate... unnerving. He was sitting there, watching her, not saying anything. "What Tuwee?" She asked in a defensive tone, arching a brow.  Her brother was rather odd, clumsy too. She wondered if she could get him to do whatever she wanted in that moment.

A mischievous glint sparked in her eyes as the gears in her brain churned. She looked around them for something she wanted, landing on a captivating stone out in the water. It was pink and smoothed flat by the creek."You seesda rook?" She asked him, not bothering to meet his gaze before barking out a command, "Go get."

The girl now turned to look him over curiously, waiting to see if he'd venture into the creek for her. Getting his paws wet so that she didn't have to.

Dead Empress Backwater
— through trials to triumph.

One Kiss away from Killing

BACK OFF, I'LL TAKE YOU ON, HEADSTRONG TAKE ON ANYONE

Her defensive tone was completely lost on him, and he simply pulled his lips back in a puppy grin at her. When she looked away into the creek his gaze followed, nose wiggling from the effort of smelling the air, trying to figure out what exactly she was looking at. He could only see smooth pebbles, looking identical to the ones further down the creek.

She spoke again, and his ear twitched in automatic acknowledgement, though he continued to stare out at the creek. He understood her words well enough, though confusion was present on his face for a moment, trying to figure out why she didn't just go get the rock she so desired.

When he looked back at her she was staring at him, almost impatiently so. After a moment Tuwile got up and braved the cold water. The pebbles were slippery, and he almost fell but managed to keep upright without getting dunked into the water. But now he was stumped. Which rock was she after?

He looked back at Euna quizzically, a low sound rumbling in the back of his throat, not aware that he was standing atop the pink rock she had her puppy sights on.

He didn't answer her first question, merely smiled at her. The girl cocked her head curiously at the boy as she stared him down intently. The flick of his ear was met by a wag of her tail. Euna, now resting on her haunches, sat on her tippytoes. Leaning forward in anticipation of whether or not she could get him to do her bidding.

She lit up with puppy glee as her brother stepped into the water. A big grin spread ear to ear on her maw, nodding her head in encouragement as she stumbled forth. "Clumsee Tuwee," She teased softly as her tail swayed vigorously behind her.

Her brows furrowed at his confusion and she looked frantically about for the pink rock. She wanted that one! The girl whimpered softly, approaching the water's edge and pouting. "Where go?" She looked around him to no avail, frowning, "Pink rook" She whined out at him. This was only a half success. She could get him to do what she wanted, but what was the point if he couldn't get it right? A bit of anger started to boil up in the pup and she stomped her paws against the shore.

Dead Empress Backwater
— through trials to triumph.

One Kiss away from Killing

BACK OFF, I'LL TAKE YOU ON, HEADSTRONG TAKE ON ANYONE

Her energy levels raised to a frantic level, almost radiating out from her and to where he stood. Tuwile could not understand what was amping her up so much, had she not wanted him to go out into the creek? He was getting a little confused now, and her wailing was certainly not helping.

He could tell she wanted a specific rock, that much was evident. As for which one? "Pink rook" wasn't as descriptive to him as Euna apparently thought it was, and through her angry stomping at the edge of the creek Tuwile turned his sights down to the pebbled creek.

His brows furrowed, brain working harder than it ever had before. Thinking heavily did not come naturally to him, but he wanted to try for his sibling. There was a smooth one right below him, an obvious different shade to the rest, and he decided that one would be the one he grabbed.

His paws were ineffective, scrabbling uselessly on its smooth surface. After trying and failure he went for the plunge, shoving his face into the water to grab at the edge. The water was cold and the rock hard against his puppy teeth, but he mouthed at it, finally lifting it out of the water. It wasn't heavy, just difficult to keep a hold of.

He coughed, spluttering slightly from the rush of water into his mouth, but Tuwile was victorious. With his tail waving high over his back he puttered through the creek until he was back on dry land, dropping the smooth rock into the dirt with only a marginally perturbed look on his face at the taste of sand in his mouth. It was crunchy and made a most awful sound to him when he closed his jaws together.

Euna remained whining at the edge of the water in frustration as her brother scrambled to figure out her demand. She watched him futilely grasp for the rocks with his paws and barked sharply with disapproval. Then he dunked his face in and she fell silent, ears pressed forward, tail high and wagging over her back. Was her plan working, finally?! Could she actually get him to do what she wanted, with the outcome she wanted? Tuwile pulled the rock from the water and she grinned ear to ear. "Yes! Yes!"

She danced around her brother once he made it to the dry shore, avoiding contact with his wet pelt. Happy yips parted her jaws. Euna turned to scoop the rock up, "Pink rook mine!" She shouted gleefully before a calmer, "Thankyee Tuwee." Her voice was mildly muffled by her full mouth. She looked at him with bright puppy eyes. She could indeed get him to what she wanted and how she wanted! She giggled, wondering what she might have him do next.

Dead Empress Backwater
— through trials to triumph.

One Kiss away from Killing

BACK OFF, I'LL TAKE YOU ON, HEADSTRONG TAKE ON ANYONE