Bearclaw Valley when everyday's like a war between the will to go on
i will pry his bony fingers free
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#1
All Welcome 
AW; maybe a tiny hunt with puppies?

on more than one occasion, indra had habitually made for the old den-site -- a mistake that cost her twice her time, and great annoyance. she had been lost in thought each time, and had realized quite belatedly that she had headed for the wrong site. the new rendezvous had been largely beneficial; the pups were afforded more room, and she and laurel now once more slept under the same eave; this was the world indra liked, the cloak of security one felt being blanketed by the constant presence of family.

this time, the puppies were in high spirits as she came upon them; one wrestling the other, the squeal of someone being tormented, and the growl of the tormenter. indra listened to these signs of blissful childhood and passed them quietly, resting on a flat slab of stone not too far from where they played.
now the wren has gone to roost and the sky is turning gold,
and like the sky, my soul is also turning.
Jalapeño
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#2
I am occupying all your threads, but this looked like it needed some loving. :)

Nuna was first to break free from the play sparring that was going on, when Indra appeared. Her face was covered in drool an there was a small split on one of her ears, where someone's teeth had grabbed it just a bit too hard. Not to mention her being covered in dirt and mud from the river-bank. But to indicate that she was not entirely blameless either, there were some tufts of light fur sticking out from her mouth.

She approached the russet she-wolf with a happy grin and wagging tail, getting up on, what little space was left on the slab of the stone and sniffing her caretaker's face and nape all over, to find out, where had she been and what had she been doing. Without Nunataq.
i will pry his bony fingers free
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before long the redleaf's solitude was broken; the form of company was not entirely unwelcome, and she affectionately watched bearclaw's fiercest cub-competitor wrestled with the stone slab, and eventually triumph over its rough edges.

an inquisitive nose snuffed along her neck and cheek - for a few seconds she groomed the girl's forehead (if she was still enough to allow it). once a situable amount of saliva had been draped across nunataq's features, indra collapsed to her side playfully, swatting a heavy (yet gentle) paw in nunataq's direction in play.
now the wren has gone to roost and the sky is turning gold,
and like the sky, my soul is also turning.
Jalapeño
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#4
There were myriad of smells intermingling with Indra's own - some Nunataq recognized, but most of them were entirely new. She inhaled and analyzed thousands of particles, enjoying the sense of novelty and at the same time trying to draw connections between the existing visual concepts in her mind and the scent at hand.

This data processing was interrupted by Indra deciding that the puppy's face had to be washed thoroughly. Nuna suppressed a growl and let her do it, though she did not do much to hide the fact that she was not enjoying this. By now - being a one month older brat than before, her personality had begun to grow - she spoke her mind more often and tested the limits as well. All natural to most kids, but with Nuna's energy levels and demanding nature, this could become extra difficult in the months to come.

But a reward came, once Indra thought that Nuna's face was clean enough. She rolled to lie on her side and swatted at the pup with her paw. The girl's maw split in a happy grin and she jumped up to snap at the offending limb, and then she "assaulted" the soft, loose fur on Indra's exposed neck.
i will pry his bony fingers free
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#5
laurel might have chastised the girl for her growl, but indra did not. in indra's mind, an expression of opinion was okay -- the physical manifestation of it, however, was not. nunataq's rumbles of disquiet did not dissuade indra, who licked on with a bemused twinge to her lips.

bath-time was swift, for indra recalled a time in memory where she disliked them too. rolling aside, she was pleased to see nunataq rise to the challenge of play. her limb was met with a snap; indra pulled it quickly away, though not before nunataq's teeth scraped her fur and she dove into indra's neck-fluff.

rumbling loudly of her own accord, indra pushed back, hunched her shoulders in defense, and nudged her head towards nunataq's body, teeth searching to gently wrestle a leg out from under the girl if she was even able to reach -- meanwhile, her neck was being harried by a bevy of sharp little teeth.
now the wren has gone to roost and the sky is turning gold,
and like the sky, my soul is also turning.
Jalapeño
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#6
In response to Indra's resonating growl, Nuna expressed her own as well - a little muffled by all the skin and fur she had in her mouth. She pretended to be the big bad wolf - she tugged and shook her head, and then tugged some more. This "killing" pattern went on so naturally in her mind that she did not give much thought of, what she was doing or whether it was right, she just let the instinct guide her. Just the same way earlier discoveries of getting a hold of something in her jaws and not letting it go or simply shredding toys to pieces in a burst of vicious energy, this too felt right and very satisfying.

And then her balance was upset, because Indra managed to grab hold of her forepaw and feeling that she was about to fall down. Nuna let go and now aim her set of pointy teeth (with some very white and very permanent ones inbetween) at her caretaker's muzzle in attempt to free her foot and resume her upper hand in the game.
i will pry his bony fingers free
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#7
there were insistent tugs at her neck. fierce, insistent tugs. indra was lucky for the thick fur, for nunataq's teeth were far from blunt and she wrenched this way and that like a furred crocodile. once the redleaf woman felt her teeth on nunataq's leg she gave a swift tug - enough force behind it to prop the girl into the dirt if she hadn't changed course and went for her caretaker's muzzle instead.

indra didn't have much a defense from this; she was still on the ground, and being flat on the ground tended to limit one's ability to maneuver quickly. however, indra still grossly outweighed the girl -- as her muzzle was besieged by more painful teeth indra brought her forepaws up and placed them against nunataq in anyway she could -- and then, much like a cat with a toy between its paws, she kicked out repeatedly with her hind end, an impish gleam in her eyes.
now the wren has gone to roost and the sky is turning gold,
and like the sky, my soul is also turning.
Jalapeño
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#8
I once saw two puppies (a heavier boxer puppy and lighter border collie mix) playing, where one (boxer) with the same motion sent the other flying.

Nunataq had not anticipated danger from another angle - while she was focused on freeing her foot, she suddenly felt Indra's hind paws push against her and even lift her hind end off the ground. Well, this was something new - still balancing on three feet, she looked over her shoulder first, then lowered her gaze a little. And this was all it took for her to lose her footing and with a surprised "Uff" she was briefly airborne and then plummeted (a slight exaggeration, but sounds fun) to the ground.

A little confused and perplexed she reassembled all her limbs, made sure that the tail was in place, and then jumped back on Indra's rock. Her tail was wagging and she met the caretaker's eyes with a grin, before renewing her attack - going for tail and stopping abruptly, when she found none there. By now she must have been used to the fact that instead of five limbs, Indra had one missing, but Nuna was never the one, who coul recall details perfectly. Therefore with a confused look she looked from, whatever was left of Indra's once beautiful tail, to her and back again. This was a mystery indeed.
i will pry his bony fingers free
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#9
ahah poor collie! ngl i had just gotten the idea from my cats, which were running around the house like absolute hellions and then kicked at each other and scampered across the couch in a mini cat-stampede. i was sitting on said couch, it's not my favorite kind of drive-by.

there was careful power in indra's thrust; she had to teach nunataq, not hurt her. momentarily the girl was thrusted into the air after indra's pushback, and she seemed confused as she landed in a heap alongside the russet woman. indra's gaze roved over her form, studying her body language for any betrayal of nuna's next move.

then the girl leapt agile and cleanly on the rock; indra squinted, ears back as she prepared for the girl to launch atop her. instead, nuna went for the tail -- a cheap victory for indra, who had suffered much to have lost such an important part of her body. the reminder was sharp as a tack thumbed through bare flesh..

a passing shade filled indra's face, a sour expression she was quick to stow away. she did not want to explain, nor rest on such a sore subject -- so, to distract the girl, she clambered forward and snapped like an alligator at the girl's hocks whilst she was studying her own ropy tail.
now the wren has gone to roost and the sky is turning gold,
and like the sky, my soul is also turning.
Jalapeño
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#10
It was not Nuna's day in sparring, because Indra managed to pull off a surprise-attack on her twice. This time because the girl's hocks were quite ticklish, she jumped forward and only by a very swift movement on her side (any tight-rope dancer would have been proud of the little beastie) she managed not to fall off the rock again.

This, however, drew the girl's attention away from the tail and back to her primary target - her caretaker's upper body. She measured her with a look, then ambled forward and flopped down right next to Indra, resting her forepaws against her shoulder, while the hind was still on the ground, and began to groom the side of her face and ear. With little nips here and there, preparing to grab the ear in the right moment.
i will pry his bony fingers free
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#11
nuna leapt forward like a startled billy-goat, somehow still balanced (albeit precariously) on her high vantage. indra pushed from the rough edge of rock, for the girl had tottered past her reach.

she prowled round the rock like a cat might encircle its prey - yet nunataq was swiftly upon her, having bounced from the rock with little clumsiness. for a moment indra allowed the sweet expression of affection nunataq doled out, unwitting that the sweet girl was shortly turning into a shark.
now the wren has gone to roost and the sky is turning gold,
and like the sky, my soul is also turning.
Jalapeño
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#12
Nunataq felt that her plan was very clever, because it seemed to her that Indra did not suspect a single thing. Had it not been for the sly grin on the cub's face, one would really think that she had taken a break in the game.

Nothing could be furthest from truth. When the moment was right, she reached up and grabbed for Indra's ear. Experience, while playfighting with other puppies had taught her, that an opponent could be slowed down considerably, if held by the ear or - even better - by the loose skin just by and below the cheek.

Did she succeed in her attempt?
i will pry his bony fingers free
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#13
as with all things sentimental and sweet, they were greviously shortlived. indra had enjoyed this assumed mutual token of affection -- but her eyes flew open as teeth clutched her ear, and a wringing pain flung down her sensitive ears.

she growled and yanked her head away immediately, heedless if it caused further grief to her already aggrieved ear. fun-time was over, as far as she was concerned -- on account of nuna's betrayal, of course.

she appeared far more fiercely offended than she felt, but kept up the ruse nonetheless; coldly, as if she had been gravely wounded, indra turned away from nunataq and stalked several feet away. plopping her haunches on the ground, she pointedly kept her back to nuna, and her ears swept back in an unwelcome scowl.
now the wren has gone to roost and the sky is turning gold,
and like the sky, my soul is also turning.
Jalapeño
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#14
That idea had gone pretty down-hill - Nuna realized, while tumbling down from the rock again from the impact Indra had caused by pulling abruptly away. A bit of pondring and wriggling later, the cub had reassembled her four limbs and was standing on her feet again.

A good shake on her coat and she was ready to be back in business, had it not been for the obvious absence of her opponent on the rock. Unable to add causes and consequences, she was curious as to what had prompted the russet she-wolf to go.

And in order to get her answers, she ambled towards caretaker, took a seat next to her and with ears perked up and with few inquiring wags of her tail, looked up at her. The expression was one that conveyed a lot of sourness, which perplexed the cub even more. She averted her gaze and looked around now to see, what were the reasons behind Indra's sudden change in demeanor.
i will pry his bony fingers free
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#15
indra remained stony-faced, her muzzle turned away from nunataq and scowling off at some tree in the distance. all the while a single ear subtly turned back, attentive to the girl's clamber down from the rocks and her shuffling about the base of their playsite. indra steadfastedly stared forward, even despite the flop of nunataq's ears and the inquisitive brightness of her gaze as seen from indra's peripherals.

she could not retain her guise for long; as soon as nunataq had looked away indra sprung, catlike and quick, at the girl's cheek - a playful nip before she bounded athletically for the rock, jumped upon it, and then turned around to face her tiny assailant with her haunches wriggling in the air.
now the wren has gone to roost and the sky is turning gold,
and like the sky, my soul is also turning.
Jalapeño
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#16
Apparently, whoever had spoiled Indra's mood, had disappeared now (it never occurred to Nuna, what she had been guilty of) - that much the girl knew the moment her caretaker attacked her, while she had not been watching. Unexpected it was and it caused the girl to lose her balance and fall on her side. Next instant the russet she-wolf had leaped back on her throne.

Nuna got to her feet, but did not hurry back to Indra. Instead she appeared to have lost interest in the fighting and was now walkin around with her nose to the ground, sniffing and searching for something. Eureka! moment came a bit later, when she snatched a forgotten bone that had suffered from many sets of sharp teeth.

With it in her jaws she pranced over to Indra, showed off and then dashed away, inviting her for a chase.
i will pry his bony fingers free
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#17
indra in truth expected more spitfire from the little piranha, who instead was startled and then simply accepted the rebuke, as if it were a matter of recourse. perplexed by nunataq's sudden disinterest, indra lowered her body across the stone and visually stalked the girl's wanderings with her paws draping over the lip of the rock.

eventually nunataq seized something hidden in the grass, and when she sported it aloft its form was revealed: the worried fringe of a long-splintered bone. indra eyed it for a moment as if skeptical, and then without much a word launched from her point in the rock and harried the girl's hocks with a bevy of fiendish nips.
now the wren has gone to roost and the sky is turning gold,
and like the sky, my soul is also turning.
Jalapeño
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#18
The plan worked flawlessly and Indra did not even realize that she had falen into Nunataq's carefully designed, if simple trap. The smug look and ear-to-ear grin on her face were the only things that gave it away. They spent the next half an hour, chasing each other, the bone changing ownership around six and seven times, until it was time for a meal and a well-deserved nap.