Spacebound

@Cinder @Rowan, for everyone!

The rain had been unrelenting through the night and into the morning, falling in fat drops like wet bombs to the ground. The surface of the puddles it created along the depressions in the silty bank trembled as they were bombarded with the storm clouds' tears, and the cove's waters danced along in rhythm. The forest looked more alive now than it ever had for her, for now. With round, desaturated blue eyes as glossy as the soaked blades of grass out of reach, the girl watched the world quietly as her mother and siblings slumbered. Now and then the rain would fall at such an angle that it would ricochet off the dusty margin of the den, splashing cold water and a powdered cloud of dirt on her chest and face. It was instinct, perhaps, that kept her attention, lending her the motivation to take it all in with a tireless enthusiasm. She knew that there was more to her life and to this place than this den and her mother's milk, which she liked best. She just couldn't understand what that meant. The figure of her father prowled these woods, and sometimes when she was awake she would catch a glimpse of him. He would come to lick her mother's lips, as mother licked her sister's back, and after he'd affectionately regarded her and her siblings he would slip away. Why couldn't she slip away with him? With the softest of whines and as the rain began to subside, the cub would cast an unsteady look over her shoulder, studying the movements of the dark mass of soft black that was the bodies of her mother, brothers, and sister. What she knew of right and wrong was unshaped, and so it was with hesitation that she hung in the mouth of the den for a time before taking a handful of steps out into the day, flinching as a thick drop splattered just between her shoulders.

(This post was last modified: Jun 03, 2013, 03:06 PM by Corinna.)

Rowan had an exuberant confidence about his understanding of the world. He understood how tall the dirt wall was, where the dents in the earth were, and that all around him there would always be a pattern of shadows. Through the cracks in the thick canopy ahead light would stream in - when he tried to get a look at it it was nothing more than simple black and white shapes in the sky. When the light fell upon him and his siblings he could tell they were hiding different colors in their fur - sometimes red, sometimes blue - but the bushes that surrounded them were primarily green. Every time he opened his eyes it looked the same, and he felt well about knowing his surroundings.

Today there was no streaming light to catch the dust dancing in the air. It was dark, and colder than he liked it to be - but it was not night time, he could tell. Rowan found his huddle of siblings against mother's side a welcome comfort in the absence of these normal things. Something sounded on the black shapes overhead and it smelled distinctly different. Uncertain about it all, Rowan tucked his nose under Mace's belly and had fallen quickly and pleasantly asleep.

His sister's whine did not wake him up - at least, not fully. Still swimming in a warm dream the boy's eyes remained closed, but something instinctive caused him to roll in her direction. He fully expected to flop against Quil's side, almost looking forward to the softness of her round belly that would become his new pillow. He took it as quite a shock, then, when he completed the maneuver and ended up smack in the dirt, soft but cold. Immediately his eyes opened, wide and blue and brimming with confusion. Up ahead he could see Quil, staggering toward the edge of the world, toward dad's portal.

There was one thing he did not understand about the space in the tree roots: that bend past the wall where his father could somehow get in and out. He'd never seen mother go that way - had he? What was his sister doing? Ultimately intrigued by the steadiness of her direction he roused himself to his stubby feet and plodded forward. With one outstretched paw he swatted at her tail and half-growled, demanding an explanation before he decided whether or not he too wanted to take on the magic road.

adopt thea?

I didn't know if there was some kind of posting order here, so I'll just pop in!

Marching around and exploring the new territory had been keeping Destin busy for a while. He always enjoyed these walks, as the lush green grasses comforted him, reminding him of Cedar Forest, while the mist and water invigorated him. It was not hard to simply get lost occasionally, whether in thought or in the beauty of the environment. The rest of the pack seemed to be adjusting well too, which made the transition even easier. Destin saw his pack members fleetingly during breaks in duties and Kade had not called a meeting since their first arrival, so the subordinate decided to visit the den and see if anyone was lurking about.

He knew the pups had been born already before he had even arrived. The scents of new life flooded his nostrils, and he could also smell Kade strongly. It seemed the Leader had frequently been visiting his pups as much as possible. Destin had not yet seen the young things, and of course was not allowed to until Ava brought them out from the den to meet their family.

A rain was falling, bringing thoughts of worry. Although it was not likely, there was always a possibility that the quickly rushing river could deluge over its banks. The male decided to check the body of water after visiting the den, just to make sure that the water was not doing anything that could get out of hand.

Speaking of things that were not doing what they were supposed to.... Destin's walk halted as he peered through the leafy flora and towards the entrance of the den. There peeked out a small, mischievous looking form with bright blue eyes, stepping out into the world beyond the small cavern of earth she had lived in for weeks. It did not appear that Kade was anywhere around to lead them out, or that Ava was pushing them herself.

Breaking out from the foliage, the large male wolf walked over to the entrance and sat down there, looking down at the cub with a smile. "Taking a peek of the outside world, hm?"

(This post was last modified: Jun 03, 2013, 11:23 PM by Destin.)

Sleep was an activity that Cinder exceled in. The soft caress of warmth that was offered by her siblings huddled bodies and the serene protection that was offered by Ava was all the cub would ask for at this point in her life; except, of course, the tasty milk that she snuck every so often. Now would be such a time, and content in her state of half sleep, her tiny jaws clasped clumsily around one of Ava’s teats , the girl only began to stir when a certain coldness swept in.

There was a shift in the atmosphere as Quil and Rowan moved, and with only Mace protecting part of her tiny swarthy body, the girl erupted a displeased grunt before slowly blinking her eyes open. Baby blues cast directly upon Ava at first – a welcoming sight to the babe, who practically mewled this pleasure before giving a clumsy stretch, still laying on her side. Canting her muzzle to the side, it was only then she noticed two of her siblings squirming their way towards the no-den – the forbidden place that during any attempts to seek the sun had caused a gentle scruff to the head or muzzle.

Curiosity was not necessarily a part of her being just yet, nor the selfish need to out due her siblings. But play and companionship very much was, and without further wait, Cinder shifted herself, beginning to stumble her way towards the back end of her siblings… only to trip and likely crash right in to them on her way, while remaining completely oblivious to the stranger that had come to them.

like a black widow, baby

It wasn't until the sensation of cold touched Mace that he woke up. He had been fully enveloped in a warm sleep, mouth pursing and releasing as if he were dreaming of drinking his mother's milk, small feet twitching ever so slightly. His sooty black body had been the underside of the dog pile that cushioned his brothers and sisters from the floor, but he didn't mind. It was the sudden shiver that ran the length of his spine that tore him from his delicious dream. Small silver lined blue eyes lulled open, followed by a trembling yawn of great proportions; one that nearly knocked him from his feet. It took a moment for his eyes to focus, seeing first his beautiful mother and then straining his nearsighted vision in search of his siblings. The den was noticibly colder without them and a small whine of displeasure slipped from between his jaws.

His eyes caught sight of the others, standing about the exit to their home. The place that father came from and left through. Why were they there? Was father home? Even at such a young age Mace's curiosty filled him, and he wasn't about to let his siblings leave the den without him. He didn't want to turn and look at Mother, for he might draw attention, and then she would carry them back to her side. As if he were snake, Mace clumsily (in all reality) made his way to the tail side of the trio and began studying the situation at hand. Quil stood at the entrance, followed by Rowan, and then Cinder. The latter seemed to be questioning Quil at what she was doing, but there was no time for questions. He made his way from behind the group and arrived directly at Quil's side.

The light was bright even though the day was cast in looming shadows. The ground was soft and wet and squished between tiny feet. Blinking he could feel the strange sensation of his senses coming alive but did not know what it was. A strained focus in his eyes, a tingling in his nose, and then a voice filled his ears. The four had left Mother behind and so instinctively a small growl choked up in Mace's throat to question this stranger.

gorgeous set by kydnt

She'd hardly managed to make it far enough to gather any kind of satisfaction before the stirrings of her siblings sounded behind her. First Rowan, then Cinder, then Mace, who was quick to scurry to her side. Quil wasn't really sure what she was doing, or what it meant to stray from mother's side and from beneath the roots of the den that had been crafted just for them; but she did know that it was exciting to be joined by her brothers and sister and that she wanted them there. The curiosity and a glint of something innocent shone vividly in her young eyes as she looked over Mace for a moment before swinging her head to do the same to Cinder and Rowan. A raindrop fell from the grey-streaked sky to land square on the top of her head, and in a moment of surprise her attention was briefly torn from the others as she dumbfoundedly blinked the water from her eyes. Well, if they were with her, then she was on her way—out of the den and into the world, which seemed kind of warm and cold at the same time. Her tiny paws sunk into the sandy mud as she barreled forward as quickly and with as much grace as she could, which wasn't much at all. The rush of adrenaline that came with each step she took further from mum and closer to the water's edge felt good—no, awesome—and for a second she felt like flying! She was wet, but she didn't care. All around her were new things: green things, brown things, shiny things, wet things, dad...WAIT! That wasn't dad! In a monumental moment of surprise and terror the girl stopped dead in her tracks, her pale eyes falling upon the figure of someone who actually wasn't black. The wierd-colored wolf then proceeded to speak to her! She wanted to back up and high-tail it back to mum's side but she couldn't and she was frozen in place. Her back tickled wildly as the fur upon it stood up, and all she could manage was a whimpy growl and a shrill bark. They were all right behind her to back her up, after all...Or were they?! She wanted to look but she was too scared and highly distracted by all of the novel sights that loomed around her. Perplexed, she stared straight at the big stranger's face, trying to figure out why it wasn't black.

Just tossing this post in so as to not be a negligent mother :P but Ava's not gonna do anything so feel free to skip her as the thread continues.

Her eyes were barely amber slits when she caught the first one tumbling around the bend, followed by another. At once her gaze widened, looking toward her side where the four had originally been clustered, though she remained motionless. It was still warm with two, but that changed quickly as each one realized that another was gone. It didn't take long before she found herself all alone in the depression between the tree roots. Almost proud of their youthful ambition, the young mother gingerly righted her body and headed for the entrance herself.

There they were gathered, facing Destin. Delicately she would pass them by, an amused smile hanging on her jaw, and head off-sides. She sniffed out a patch of grass for herself, partially shaded by an overhanging branch with limited space for the raindrops to pass through, and slowly sank to her belly. Ava stretched lavishly, reaching her paws out in front of her as far as she could and stretching her spine with her rump in the air. Their make-shift den was cozy and certainly more spacious given that it was mostly open above them, but nothing beat a good limbering of the ol' bones. Finally satisfied she crossed her forelimbs and laid her dark head upon her wrists, keeping a watchful but non-strict eye on her four. Should Destin steal a glance he would find a welcome grin. Ava was more than content to let them interact with each other and the large male on their own, curious to see how their personalities would shape.

♥ Allie

art - threads

Any attempt to dissuade Quil from venturing off came to an abrupt halt when someone went veering into his backside. Still halfway into swatting at his sister's tail Rowan immediately lost what little footing he had and tumbled into the dirt. Wiggling away from the offending sibling he turned to exact a righteous retaliation - jaws wide and prepared to gnaw on Cinder's ear - when Mace suddenly appeared from behind and waddled right on up to the front to join Quil. Immediately his attention was redirected and he squirmed out from under his baby sister, just in time to catch the determined look in Quil's wide eyes.

Just like that she was off with Mace, and Rowan was apt to follow. Something about the four of them off on an adventure started an excited shudder in his spine, like he was full of twinkling stars. His eyes roved over the novel sights, each one blurry and magnificent and - WOAH, who was that? Indeed he looked nothing like mom and dad - he was colored more like the trees and the dirt, and he was huge. Rowan wagged his stumpy tail, absolutely delighted to make his first friend so soon. He glanced at his siblings, and suddenly felt nervous instead. They were growling and staring at this peculiar guy, so naturally he felt the furs on his back hiking up while his heart-beat quickened.

Perplexed, he fought the urge to approach the giant, wanting greatly to stay at his siblings' side if they did not trust him. Fat droplets of rain weighed down his thin coat, making him look more like a puddle of grey mud than a formidable foe, but regardless he stood his ground. Maybe, though, he decided he ought to test the proverbial waters, and craned his neck forward to not-so-subtly get a big ol' sniff of the man, to see if he smelled like trouble.

adopt thea?

#purposefulwritingfailfailfail

for all the things that you're alive to feel just

let the pain remind you hearts can heal

The view from here was both hidden and close enough to offer him a front row seat. Like arriving late to an important meeting or walking into a unfolding conversation, Kade wasn't entirely sure what was going on, but it was plain enough that something was happening and he had finished his patrol soon enough to see it. Across the clear, shallow water of the peaceful lagoon were the furry black forms of his four children, Ava emerging just behind them, and Destin there to greet the unsuspecting pups who stopped dead in their tracks at the sight of him. The rain that fell from the sky slipped down the woody bark and smooth green stalks of the vegetation that kept his presence unannounced for how, and as he navigated over the tortuous roots that riddled the forest floor he kept his silver eyes on the kids. Fatherhood was his newest endeavor and for all intensive purposes he was still an amateur. Where Ava excelled in her abilities to feed and soothe and tend to all of the emerging needs of the dark brood who grew bigger and stronger every day, Kade functioned mostly to feed her and keep watch over the five of them throughout the night. Sure, he had spent a lot of his time keeping Ava company while she was holed away and laying with the kids as they napped, but his duty to ensure her safety and their safety and the pack's meant that patrol was not only necessary but important, too. At times it felt like he should be around more. So it was with an especially excited interest that he slowly and silently crept closer to them all, hoping to surprise the adventurous little monsters. After circling the length of the sure, the sooty-hued man emerged from the forest a few lengths from where Ava lay observantly. Sharing in her quiet attention to the children's interactions, he slid to his belly at her side before issuing her an quietly affectionate nibble of greeting.

More pups emerged out of the den, one by one while sniffing the air. Light rain fell, covering their sparse-looking coats. Destin looked at them and suddenly realized how truly small they were! It seemed like they were each about the side of his paw or smaller! Smiling at them, he watched their reactions carefully. Hearing a few noises from the side, the male's ears swiveled and he turned to look at the source of the sound. Seeing Kade and Ava there, the subordinate relaxed. It seemed like this encounter was approved after all.

Turning his golden eyes back down to the pups, he sat down in place and placed his bushy tail neatly over his legs. One smelled him, another growled, the third seemed not to notice him, while the fourth was staring intently at his face with such curiosity-or confusion- it amused him. The male did not have much experience with pups and did not know quite what to say. What would he want to hear when he first emerged from the den?

The male backed up a few inches and then leaned forward, so he was almost nose to nose with the small pup closest to him. "I'm Destin, what's your name?" he asked her.