Fallen Tree Cove Nothing I couldn't say

6/23/2015
Weather:
76° F, 25° C
Sunny
3:04 PM

OOC: Family thread! Little Ernie's going to say his first word - maybe the other little ones will try speaking too? Welcome to participate are: @Neha @Aleister @Namid @Vespertio

It was one of those warmer days that Cernan was finding he wasn't particularly fond of. It always seemed to be warmer the brighter the sky was. Sometimes it even made his fur feel sticky, and he hated that. Thankfully, the secure walls of the birthing den offered a much needed retreat. The stone was cool; good for resting against when he was too warm. Sleeping against his siblings sometimes got too uncomfortable in the heat, but for the most part the air in their little haven stayed at a nice equilibrium. This sunny afternoon had been much like the others. The children awoke from a nap, engaged each other in a few minor tussles and games before the summer heat convinced them to stop. Cernan had wiggled away from the other two, seeking out the chilling power of the cave's walls. The siblings seemed to be settling down some anyhow, but a couple baby growls or two still broke into the air every few moments. With the others becoming otoise the tubby child waddled off on improved legs; managing not to face plant until he was sitting against the stone. The youth rested before his mother; a tiny pink tongue floating around while his sides heaved in an attempt to cool him. He was the biggest, so he heated up the fastest too. The boy flopped onto his belly unceremoniously, spreading all four of his stubby legs out so his stomach had maximum contact with the ground. He continued panting; his big blue eyes drifting upward to seek the face of his dear mother. Sadly, she did not seem to posses the power to cool him down, only warm him up, as learned on multiple fruitless occasions where the prince cuddled up with her only to find more heat. No, holding still near cooler things seemed to be the only way to remedy such a situation. As the icy pools of his eyes roamed over the face of his dam, the child's tail offered a few weak wags. He could see her much better than he had originally been able to. Perhaps the new dimension his eyes had revealed was taking shape? Was it changing like he was? Now he could make out her eyes, her nose, even the parts of her body that mirrored his own. She had legs too, but they were much much bigger. He marveled at how she never once tripped or stumbled on those stilts of hers. Of course, the boy didn't really have names for all of these things yet, but he knew they existed at least. Cernan was a bit of a shy boy; preferring to stay quiet unless he needed something. His silver sibling, on the other hand, seemed to make noise just because she could. Up until now, the tubby prince had only mimicked parts of words; giving up on them when it no longer seemed entertaining. Still, he had managed to store away the understanding of a few names and other meanings. He knew when his mother wanted them to come closer, to stop hurting each other, to eat, sleep and so forth. He even recognized the sound she used only on him. It seemed that his siblings each had a different one too, and so did their dad. For now the thoughts simply drifted through his idle mind. The poor thing was still heaving in an attempt to cool himself. With a groan, the youth resigned his head to the floor, looking much more like an open-mouthed pelt rug than a puppy. Wolf © Kurt Thomas Hunt Photography Background © Chesapeake Bay Program Manipulation © Jenandra

The sun was shining bright today just as it had in days prior. Rays of sunlight warming everything below including the wolves that inhabited the lakeside. Often times forcing most if not all to seek the shelter of the communal den to escape the heat by using its cooled rocky floor, or throw themselves at the mercy of the lake to rid the sweltering heat threatening to melt their fur off. Today was no exception as Vespertio made his rounds on nimble paws as quick as possible before slipping into the welcomed shade of the cave like den Namid had claimed as the birthing den. Silvery woman nestled inside as expected with the brood up on their more stable limbs to tussle with one another, but the fun didn't last long for his growing children as they too faced the wrath of the approaching summer heat. Cernan, his largest boy opting to sprawl out entirely in one corner to absorb the coldness the stone beneath his belly offered. A smart move on his behalf.

Skidding carefully around his remaining brood as not to disrupt their games, he came to occupy his usual location behind his wife after adorning the top of her crown with an affectionate kiss. Murmuring against the silvered hairs that lined her skull neatly here. "Why don't you go stretch your legs for a moment and grab a drink at the lake? It's scorching today and I don't want you to dehydrate yourself. I can watch the pups while you're gone." A small swish of his tail accompanying his words. Over the past weeks since their arrival he had noticed the restlessness that consumed her. Yes, she clearly loved the children with all that her heart could muster, but even he knew she yearned to be back on her feet and out of this confined hole. A silent observation that she need not utter a word about. This was something the Vuesain man had began to pick up with the strengthening of their bond. Coal tinted nose pressing to her shoulder in a silent gesture to skedaddle while she had the chance to escape motherhood for a moment and gather a lung full of fresh air.

Rolling partially onto his side to gather some coldness from the rocky environment, the darkened lips upon his face parted to allow heavy pants to push out breathes of hot air. Red tinged tongue protruding through to dangle loosely over his lower row of canines while his intense gaze began to surveillance the happenings of his children. Cernan still plopped on the stone floor in attempts to cool his overheated fluff, Aleister and Neha emitting low growls as they tumbled over each other in childish wrestling. The sight bringing a grin to their father's proud muzzle.

Namid Veusain To anything else it might have been a pleasant day, but to a wolf it was hell. Even with their summer pelts, they were likely to be roasted alive in the heat that seemed to permeate from everything. It was especially muggy from the rains that had washed over the lands for the past few days, causing the lake to swell. Luckily she had picked her den in a spot that left plenty of room between its doors and the shore. Still, she worried about their other members and what should happen if one of them were swept into a eddy that no doubt swirled near the edges of the banks. She would simply have to trust that her members were capable swimmers, and if they weren’t that they would learn fast. The heat was even affecting them in their little shaded alcove, where even though the rocky den hidden between stone walls and beneath earth it was still getting strong drafts of musty summer air. The pale queen’s tongue lolled from her maw as she panted in an attempt to cool herself down, her mismatched gaze traveling down to see that her pudgy son Cernan seemed to be attempting much the same thing. She felt horrible that she couldn’t cool them more, for licking their pelt the wrong way to allow the air to better reach their skin could only do so much and only left their soft pelts in disarray. How Aleister and Neha managed to keep up their play she knew not, and apparently neither did their sibling as he opted to separate himself and lounge on to cool stone floor. Another heated body was added into the mix, and despite how much she loved her husband she could almost groan at the swelter that his body brought. However, she swallowed that feeling and chose to be glad that he was there. He’d been able to divide his duties excellently to the point that there was scarcely a day where he wasn’t able to spend the end of the day with them. She knew somewhere in her that she was lucky, and that not all alphas were able to spend their time together like they had been with their brood. It was also a thanks to their members, who seemed to be keeping their borders and patrols active to allow their king some time off. She gave him an affectionate nuzzle, rounded auds swiveling to catch his words as he spoke. "Why don't you go stretch your legs for a moment and grab a drink at the lake? It's scorching today and I don't want you to dehydrate yourself. I can watch the pups while you're gone." he insisted, and the mother couldn’t help but give a hesitant pause. It was hotter than some days and she worried for the health of her children, but with his insistence and assuasive personality she wasn’t able to resist in the end. “Alright, you are on duty now. Prepare yourself,” she said with a wink, gathering herself to her paws with a slight groan. The queen moved to give each of her children and bump of her nose, “Mother will be right back, try not to give your father too much trouble you hooligans,” she chuckled before turning and exiting the den. Once she was outside she took in a deep breath, inhaling the scent of all things nature around her and enjoying the faint breeze that blew by. Moving forward she headed toward the shore to drink and soothe her parched throat. "Speech." And if that mockingbird dont sing...

OOC: Going to go ahead with this post but @Neha and @Aleister are still welcome to join!

The king of the cove was the first sight to manage to grasp the young child's attention. His recognition was instant. It was “dad!” The sound was short and easy to recognize; especially after his dam had repeated it so. Still, the heat had not quite dissipated from him, so the youngest Vuesain didn't exactly leap for joy. Instead his wide eyes followed the brown wolf as he moved for his usual place at their mother's side. His two guardians always seemed to want to be so close to each other. In this heat he couldn't fathom why, but on other occasions he supposed it was something like he and his siblings did; purely for comfort. These larger beings were like him, after all. Captivated, the prince stared on while the smooth tones of his father's voice circled about the den. His little ears cupped forward as best they could, managing to register some familiar sounds. “Go,” “you” they were very simple utterances. Still the connection of them both happened slowly, coinciding with the way the man pressed his nose against her side. She... go? He wondered, unable and unwilling to articulate the words out loud. His mother's sweet voice responded next, prompting the child to shift his wonder-filled gaze. Her words didn't quite manage to lodge themselves in his mind, but her next actions did. She'd gotten up, and instinctively her motion prompted the boy to his haunches. She was so much higher up than him now. He met her nudge with a clumsy lick; the faint beginning of a smile daring to cross his features. “Mother,” “back.” Oh, she was leaving. His grin faded with the slow realization, despite her gentle laughter. He didn't like it when she left, even if she always returned. Mother...The boy looked on after her, still panting as he leaned against the rock wall. Completely enraptured by her retreating form, and still quite absorbed in his own thoughts among the quiet growls and pants of his family, the youth's pale eyes could not leave the entrance. When finally the grey shape disappeared, a soft, almost inaudible sound pressed past his lips. “Muh...” Cernan was barely aware that he had made any noise at all. The quiet child simply sat there with his tongue lolling as if nothing had been said. In reality it was the shortest possible sobriquet that could be used in reference to his mother, and the beginning of something very big for the Vuesain's youngest child. Wolf © Kurt Thomas Hunt Photography Background © Chesapeake Bay Program Manipulation © Jenandra

Golden optics watched as the silvered silhouette of his wife dissipated behind the blinding veil of the den's entrance after giving each child a small nudge in a temporary goodbye. Bottle brush shaped tail swaying lackadaisically at his rear to express the content mood Vespertio had found himself in. The motion strong enough to bring forth a gentle breeze to circulate about the enclosed den, offering the clustered family a small relief from the heat prior. Tawny head lowered then to rest upon the tops of his outstretched paws with a soft sigh passing over the swarthy coloration of his lips, a hint of a smile still present. Both eldest siblings continued their tussling; an event that wore out the king of the lake just by spectating, after their mothers departure, but Cernan seemed displeased by this new factor of mothers missing presence. A hushed 'muh' almost escaping their current caretaker's sensitive hearing.

Flicking forward rust tinged audits, their father lifted his head from its rested position to make due of ensuring the word was not a figment of his parenthood imagination. No sign of comprehension was to be seen upon his youngest son's mousy complexion, instead his sight was greeted only with the lolling of a tiny salmon tongue. No, the child couldn't have muttered his first word already. Were they not too young still to begin speech? Crediting it to mere delusion from the heat, dark rimmed crown returned to its pedestal upon creamy paws. "Your old man is going senile already, Ernie." Vespertio chuckled lightly as the corner of his lips pulled back to widen the visibility of his smile. "I could've sworn you said muh." Of course, he didn't expect his words to make a lick of sense to the boy. Not at this stage of life, yet.

(This post was last modified: Jul 10, 2015, 11:42 PM by Vespertio.)

Namid Veusain The cool breeze felt good as it ruffled her pelt, a rumble burbling in her chest as she made her way as far down the bank as she could. The rains had caused the lake to rise, flooding some of the beach front property that belonged to the Cove. All pack members were advised to be careful around the sides, for in wet conditions such as these it was easy for bank to give way under paws and send one plunging into the water where they could be swept under by an eddy. It was treacherous unless a wolf knew how to properly navigate it. One of her paws landed on the soil, the ground giving way beneath it and she moved back with a start. Perhaps she herself was a little rusty. Slightly shaken but unperturbed from her task, she paced for a moment. Her multi-colored gaze scanned the ground for a right way, moving forward to hesitantly test the strength of where she placed her weight. Some seemed weak, but one place seemed steady enough. Choosing this as her path she moved forward, carefully sliding down to the water’s edge. Satisfied with her small victory she lowered her head, tongue fishing at the rippling surface and allowing herself to slip further into the water. The cool liquid coated her pelt, burying itself beneath her fur and cooling her steaming skin. She sighed happily, standing there for a few moments before turning and returning to dry land. The pale queen gave her pelt a shake, spraying water this way and that. As she stopped she looked to find a root growing from a washed away part of the band. Heavy moss was growing on it, clinging to the surface and soaking in the water like a sponge. This gave her an idea. Moving to it she lifted a paw and began to scratch the moss away from the root, grasping what pieces she could get in her maw. Once she was done she placed it on the ground and began to roll it between her paws, forming it into a tight ball. Picking this ball up in her teeth she went to the lake again, soaking the moss ball in water before turning and moving back toward the bank with the sodden thing. She was sure to be quick with her return, less the heat steal the liquid from the clutches of the lichen. She entered the den to find things much the same, expect for a noticeably shocked and perhaps proud expression on Vespertio’s face. “I brought a present,” she mumbled over the new toy, dropping it with a splat in front of her son. He seemed to be the hottest of the trio, and while the other two were otherwise preoccupied he would busy himself with the cool ball. She grinned, waiting to see if he would take the bait. "Speech." And if that mockingbird dont sing...

There is a rabbit\'s nest nearby. +1 Health

The rumbling tones of his father's voice were the first things to break the pup's concentration. Curiously he tore his gaze from the exit; casting attentive pale blue eyes over the agouti male's face. None of these utterances were making any sense to him, but the child stared on anyway. Even if he didn't understand it was fascinating to hear his parents talk. However, delight soon lightened the prince's expression. Dad had said his name! Cernan's pastel eyes widened; his lips softening into a slight smirk at the recognition. His father's tone was a sort of playful one, which was always good. The boy's intrigued, amused expression only intensified when the gentle laughter met his little ears. Daddy was happy, with him it seemed. The king's last word erased the smile from the youth's face. Suddenly he remembered the sound that had just barely snaked past his tongue moments before. Had he... communicated with the bigger being? Could he even do that? The confusion was plain on Cernan's face as he stared doe-eyed at his secondary caretaker. The gears had not quite clicked. Now his father was staring at him too; like he expected the pup to do something. Quite unsure, the prince's mouth hung open gingerly. He'd been focused on his mother then, not his sire. He had a different sound entirely attached to him. Before the little tot could begin wondering what he was supposed to say, the voice of the grey guardian mumbled in. Again his limited attention was stolen away, first toward his mother, but swiftly torn again toward the new object she'd dropped on the floor. He'd barely managed to smile in greeting before his eyes locked onto the peculiar ball. It was unlike anything he'd encountered before. A questioning glance found its way to the queen's face, and he discovered her to be happy looking. This ball couldn't be bad then, right? Slowly the child rose, plodding curiously toward the new toy. It looked like the green stuff from outside, but shorter. It didn't come off in leaves or stems at all. The thing smelled weird too. Again he looked for his mother, just to be sure of her confidence in this ...thing. No worry or concern laced her features, so he did the next thing that came to mind – bite it. Abruptly the boy released his grip, licking his mouth as the alien liquid pooled between his jaws. It was like milk, but tasteless and more runny. And it was so much colder! His little brows did their best to furrow. Cernan regarded the liquid fuzz ball with the most serious expression he could manage. Rather than fill his mouth with the stuff, a paw was cast out next. Again the liquid pooled around his touch. This time it came across as quite refreshing. His paw felt better! The other foot joined in, until his tiny body was sliding forward onto the ball. Oh this was much better! For a moment he simply slid down to the floor; crushing it under his pudge while the water seeped into his fur. Cernan resumed his panting, looking up with droopy eyes at the bringer of such a wonderful gift. She always seemed to know how to help them. However, it was not long before his puppy fluff had soaked up most of the water, leaving the ball dry and flat. He got up slowly, pawing at the much lighter moss collection. How did you get more of the stuff out of it? A realization began growing in the Vuesain boy's head as he looked up. His eyes searched the den for his father, locking onto the man for a brief moment. Maybe, just maybe he could try making the sound again. Dad had definitely heard it before at least, and it wasn't even meant for him. If mom understood, would she know what he wanted? Looking cautiously back to his dam with bright eyes, Cernan gave it another try.  “Mmm...” How did it sound again? His tone was hushed, airy even. “Mmuh?” His pupils slid from parent to parent. Was he getting it right? He knew he was trying to refer to his mother; to get her attention just like she did when she said their names, so his eyes rested finally on her. Hopefully the brown guardian would understand. Would his mom?   Wolf © Kurt Thomas Hunt Photography Background © Chesapeake Bay Program Manipulation © Jenandra

The sound of approaching footsteps outside the enclosure soon came to lure the patriarch's attention away from his son, golden optics greeted by the return of his beloved wife whom had something peculiar lodged between her jowls. From what Vespertio could see it was definitely lichen of some sort, but its visual texture seemed off. It lacked the dull softness he often saw it obtain upon its wooden seat, instead holding a more shimmering aspect to it. The soft plop it offered when hitting the den floor answer enough. Rising his skull from its rested position on his outstretched paws with ears pricked forward in curiosity, a slight angling of his head could be seen to express such more so. Now, why hadn't he thought of that? 

Focusing his attention to his overheated child a bemused smile returned to his ebony lips at the likened curiosity that was etched upon his tiny facial features. Pale blue eyes mesmerized by this new gift that brought relief from the scorching heat even if only temporary. Once all the liquid had been absorbed by his fur, disappointment came to cross over Cernan's features before those tiny eyes shifted to settle on his father's face temporarily. “Mmm...Mmuh?” came that noise Vespertio heard earlier that he swore was fictional. Evidently, it wasn't. Pushing up with his front limbs to reach a sitting posture, a flash of multiple emotions crossed over his dark masked face. Pride, joy, encouragement. "I knew I heard it earlier! Little Ernie is trying to say mom." A grin adorned his lips now, golden gaze coming to lock onto the mismatched of his wife, tail waving a million miles an hour it seemed behind him from the excitement of his son's first word. Even if it hadn't been papa or dad.

Namid watched with a wide smile as he took an interest in the bundle of wet moss, sniffing at it before looking up at her with confusion. She nodded for him to continue, her mismatched gaze warm as she watched. He turned and bit it, jumping back with surprise likely at the moisture it held. He pawed at it, his expression turning to something that she could only describe as rapture. His other tiny paw joined in before, in the end, he was all but tackling the wet ball. Water soaked into his belly and if he had known how to groan she suspected he likely would have in that moment. She was happy that she had been able to provide him with something to cool him down, but she frowned slightly when he got up and prodded at the ball unhappily. Peering at it she found it to be dry, the cooling moisture gone. Her son looked from her to Vespertio then back to her. “Mmm…Mmuh?” he bumbled, her ears pricking forward.

As soon as the connection was made at what he was saying she froze, her mismatched gaze widening before it seemed that her whole body was enveloped in a glow. He had just said his first word, and it had been mom! Her attention went to her husband as she smiled broadly, tail thumping happily against the ground. ”He is! He is saying mom! Oh goodness, this is so exciting!” she gushed, returning her attention to the little prince. “Yes my darling, mom. Mom will go and get you some more, you just wait!” she exclaimed, carefully picking up the ball before dashing out with vigor. Nevermind the heat, her child was speaking! She dashed, not wanting to miss a minute as she went back down to the area she had been in. She scraped off more moss, dipping a larger wad into the lake water before turning and bolting back. The pale queen re-entered the den, panting but still as excited as ever. She dropped the dripping bundle in front of her son, sitting down next to her husband and watching with fascination hoping to hear him say more.