Blacktail Deer Plateau breakin' my heart (pretty brown eyes)

@Easy or @Dauntless

It just so happened that before she could make her way to the border for an evening round of marking, Moonstone caught an intriguing fleck of white not too off. Her ears perked atop her head as she looked from her right, back ahead, then to her right again, before beginning to skulk off in the direction of the little vermin. It was more than likely a rabbit, but on the off chance that it might be something more interesting, she pressed onward.

Feel free to throw Dauntless in here still, Sarah!

Easy giggled as she chased after her sister, the white of Lavender's painted coat making her easy to spot through the dark foliage. She was sure Dauntless was around somewhere, too, but his earthy coloration made him much harder for the girl to spot. It was far easier to chase Lavender, and so - true to her name - that was what Easy was doing.

"I'm gonna getchya!" she hollered, though she was actually far behind her sister. Lavender had gotten a head start, since anyone could tell from a mile away when Easy was looking to cause trouble. But, to her credit, Lavender just laughed and kept running, apparently unwinded from the game. The same could not be said for Easy, who was a bit chubbier than her streamlined sister.

The hard hunter's gaze smeared across Moonstone's face was dropped almost instantly, once she'd heard the giggles and calls of Grayday's girls. She slowly lifted herself back up to full height, not wanting to startle the pair in doing so, then slowly circled around the side of their path, hoping to intercept. Hello, she called out, her voice gentle and smooth. Being around children always had a way of lifting her spirits, even when they were at their heaviest, so she did hope that they would cooperate.

There was a darker girl who Moonstone recognized as Easy, and the starkly beautiful Lavender standing only a bit off. She gave as welcoming of a smile as she could, then sat back on her haunches.

Easy didn't catch up to Lavender, and they both stopped short at the sound of an adult's voice. They were a bit further from the rendezvous site than Daddy preferred, but not too far that Easy expected to be yelled at.

They'd both seen Moonstone around before - enough that, when Easy brashly approached the older wolf, Lavender was right beside her, tiny tail-nub wiggling in greeting. "Hiya!" the dark girl chimed, echoing her painted sister. "What're you up to, Moony?" she asked, rearing up on her hind legs and planting her grubby paws agaisnt the older wolf's chest so that their faces were right next to each other.

Moonstone giggled and rubbed her cheek against the darker one of Easy, finding that puppy fur was always significantly softer than adult coats. Something about stress and lost time, she didn't know, but she was sure that the loss of her conditioned coat was one thing she would have some serious trouble getting rid of. It was funny to see how the tiny stub on Lavender's backside wagged so fervently back and forth, but it was so darn adorable that Moonstone would have never questioned how it had gotten that way.

Talking to my favorite little ladies, of course, because even though they hadn't known each other for very long, time wasn't an issue when it came to bonding with most children. She beckoned for Lavender to come forward and gave a small rub of her nose, gently moving Easy back down onto all fours in the process.

Easy puffed out her chest, glad to know that she and Lavender were not just Daddy's favorites, but Moony's favorites, too. Of course, they shared that space with Dawn when it came to Daddy, so it was extra special with Moony, who still didn't know their older sister.

"We're practicin' our huntin'," Easy revealed, reluctantly allowing Moony to displace her paws. When she stood on all fours again, she did a little dance, excited to be having a grown-up conversation with a grown up. "Daddy says he wants us all to be fat before wintertime." Lavender nodded along excitedly.

Oh, really? Moonstone asked with a look of approval on her face, I think I can help with that. She gave a wink and stood back up, only to crouch down to her belly and beckon each girl to a different side. It might have been a bit excessive (Moonstone was only on the lookout for a mouse or something of similar size), but she figured learning through demonstration and practice was the best way. Follow me, she whispered, then began to slowly inch forward.

Lavender and Easy exchanged twin looks of delight and wasted no time in tromping after Moonstone. Their pudgy, cumbersome bodies crashed through the brush and leaf-litter at a deafening volume, and frequent giggles and shhhh noises peppered their journey - but Easy was having the time of her life. She was on a hunt! With Moony!

"What're we gonna catch?" the girl asked at a stage-whisper. Beside her, Lavender hissed out another shush! Easy, of course, paid her sister no mind and quickened her pace to trot underneath Moonstone, her back bumping the pale woman's chest as they went.

Just as it seemed they were, Moonstone was enjoying herself much more than she'd imagined. The sisters gave off an interesting energy that she thought to be akin to the abalone shell; sacred, healing. Easy, being the more eager of the pair, managed to find her way under Moonstone's belly, forcing her up a bit. She laughed when Lavender (read: the lawmaker) gave a firm shush to her sister, then gave a tiny lick of approval to the top of her head. What do you wanna catch? she retorted, hoping that the request would be clear at the least and doable at best.

"A dragon! Roar!" Easy shouted, just as Lavender called out, "Turkeys!" And, of course, Easy's mouth popped open in joy, at that. "Yeah, a turkey! Daddy loves their feathers! We play games with them and they make him all drooly and happy!" she declared, darting out from under Moonstone's legs to twirl in a quick circle. "Will you help us get Daddy a turkey, Moony, please please please?" she begged, alongside Lavender's own petitions.

A turkey? Moonstone asked, suddenly finding herself back standing at full height, her head cocked in amusement. A turkey would surely be a prize, but to take one down would be...well, it was unlikely. She thought for a moment about some other, more realistic options, like, Why don't we start with something smaller? Do you know what a finch is? If there were any left around here — being so far up north, the birds had more than likely already begun their journey — then it would make for an interesting learning experience. 

Moonstone nudged Easy and Lavender toward one another, hoping that they would cooperate in a short game of follow-the-leader, in which they would be at the head. Look for feathers, she told them, posturing herself for the hunt once more.

Easy didn't know what a finch was; Daddy didn't talk about other animals unless they were dangerous or a food source, and the male was hopeless at catching small birds. "What's a finch?" Easy asked, though she and Lavender moved ahead on Moonstone's suggestion (Easy would not be commanded). Looking for feathers was a common passtime, and the two girls were soon entrenched in a giggling competion of who could hold the most feathers at once.

Moonstone drew in a slight sigh, disguised as a laugh, then began to explain, Imagine a turkey, but only big enough to fit in your mouth. Not too big, not too small. It was the perfect prey for girls around this age, so she thought; the birds could do no real damage, and chasing them would be plenty fun. Lavender sniffed happily along beside her sister, though with such an intense focus, it almost brought about a giggle. She found it funny how a girl only a few months old could have more concentration inside of her than Moonstone ever would.

Any luck, ladies?

Easy tried to picture a tiny turkey and found the image to be awe-inspiringly cute. Determined now to catch one for her father, she began sniffing around at trees and bushes, looking for the scent of feathers. Daddy had brought home plenty enough for her to know what they smelled like, after all.

The problem was, there seemed to be bird-scent everywhere. Easy couldn't seem to find any high concentrations of the scent, even though Lavender's searching had turned up a pretty blue feather.

"I saw it first!" the girl lied, lunging for the prize in her sister's jaws. Lavender - with her smaller, sleeker body - wheeled away just in time. "Hey!" Easy shouted, affronted. Another game of chase ensued.

Although a bit confused (and maybe a bit disappointed) by the sudden change in the girls' attitudes, Moonstone thought it'd be easier to sit back and let them enjoy their game of chase than to try corralling them into a much less entertaining bird hunt. Besides, this was safer and more constructive; they had years to learn how to hunt, but only so long to enjoy each other's company as children should. 

While they chased one another in the name of pride, a small, wobbly figure walked right into Moonstone's path of sight. She stayed completely still, hoping that the girls were far enough off to not disturb the already skittish prey, then lunged with as much precision as she could. The bird escaped, just barely making it through the small opening between her paws, but with a quick rearing up and a snap of her jaws, Moonstone had found herself a catch.

Both girls had turned around at the flutter of wings, and now stood very still, eyes wide with awe and adoration as they feasted their eyes upon their nimble and talented friend.

"That was so cool," said Easy, tail whipping excitedly. Both girls rushed toward the paler female, Easy rearing back to get a close-up sniff at the bird. "You just... grabbed it. Right out of the air!" she was saying, while Lavender added her own excited commentary.