There weren't many here he could fight, or train from.
He knew of Raleska, who has puppies. Rosalyn and Erzulie - puppies. The puppies - puppies. Aningan - too busy.
So the list of people who could help him train was narrowed down to two.
Tundra and Rosencrantz.
Darn puppies.
Rowan had been hunting non-stop with Tundra and by himself. He even went out with Aningan once, but that was kids boring since Aningan didn't want to talk about anything.
It was hunting, yeah, but Rowan had questions.
He'd find the man again when he could talk.
He wanted to properly test out his skills and see how well he'd do against an opponent who may or may not try to shred him. Tundra wouldn't, Rosencrantz might if Tundra wouldn't mind so much.
Maybe.
The boy trotted through the territory, looking for someone to train with and for something to catch. Despite all their hunting, the food was always running out.
Erzulie's form become apparent over the horizon, and she looked like she was struggling with something.
He quickly lept into a lope to bring his paws swiftly to her to lend a hand.
She was a mother, she didn't need to fret so over this.
Though as he drew up on the scene, it looked like she was dragging a rock.
A wobbly rock.
"The heck is that? A wobbly rock?"
It must be some sort of animal as the woman wouldn't waste time on such an unimportant task, surely.
He approached the thing with caution, sniffing it with the highest curiosity.
It smelt like salt and poo.
"A seal," he murmured. He'd never heard of one before.
So if a rock in the ocean was moving, it might be a seal.
She supplied him with more information as he approached the pale fat she spoke of. He didn't need to have a whiff of it, he got it from back there.
He licked it, even daring a little nibble.
It was salty bitter and the flavour coated his whole mouth. The boy stuck out his tongue, shaking his head. "Icky."
Yeah, he'd eat it is he was hungry.
It seemed to be ideal for a slowly hungering pack with many mouths.
He quickly helped her with the rest of he cache. It didn't seem fair for her to be doing all this work so soon after birthing. But he was certainly interested in seeing more.
"What happened to...Khepri? Where is he?" He asked, still unsure of the boys true name and used the one he thought was correct.
Oh, so Khepri wasn't Scarab.
"He gave me a fake name the..." and everyone else in Blackfeather. Why? Was he in danger?
The boy's brows furrowed as he let Erzuile set the meat into the cache.
He was sad to hear he'd left again, especially after he'd tried so hard to help bring him home.
Oh well.
He didn't think Scarab as shy. A little weird maybe, but not shy.
He helped to cover the meat, listening to the woman. He loved her accent.
"I'm glad you're so sure," he replied.
He'd hate to not see the boy again, he was good company.
"What to seal's eat?" he asked. If they were carnivores like themselves, they would be more dangerous. He wondered if he would see some alive today.
She seemed shocked, but also understanding of the revelation.
"He called himself Khepri." Perhaps it was the name of another pack member or family.
But she thought is was to protect Rusalka, but Rowan didn't know better.
A name didn't protect your face.
He tilted his head to her at her statement. Maman meant wise, he guessed. Or Mother. He smiled at her, glad for her confidence. He listened to her. She knew a lot about a lot he thought.
Rowan snorted at he comment of seals being gluttons. "That's why they're good to eat then." He knew that if something ate a lot it got fat, and too little made it skinny. Could there be such thing as a skinny seal?
But if there was one, there were others. "What else eats seals?" He asked as they were launched into a fast pace. He was surprised to say the least at the speed, but said nothing. Mother's were more resilient than he thought.
She seemed to fall into quiet contemplation after he's revelation.
Did it mean something? Did Rowan want to pry more?
No, he didn't think he did.
So he left her to mull over her son for a while longer.
Soon enough though, she fed him some information about more sealife.
Bigger than bears?! Rowan had seen a bear once, it didn't look very happy and was huge, though his companion at the time told him it wasn't even big!
His eyes widened, "You're shitting me," he replied, shock evident in his tone. There was no way that sharks existed, but it was Erzulie. She didn't seem like a liar.
But he took her warning of the possible mythical creature. Nah, he didn't want to go far in the water if there were those things in it.
He helped her collect more blubber even if he thought it had a rather foul taste. He wasn't going to pussy out on an important task just because he didn't like the taste.
He fell quiet, letting her tell him more tales of the ocean she seemed to know so well.
He wondered how he knew so much, but didn't think to ask.
Whales sounded mythical too. But these edible rocks existed so why not.
He too cut away some of the fat and tried some more of the blubber. He still didn't think much of it.
He started to get to work at taking out another section to put in another cache.
"Whales sound just as unbelievable as sharks," he grinned, "But if I see one, I'll remember, and I'll wish." He didn't know yet what he'd wish for, but if he saw one today it'd be for Scarab.
"Next you'll be telling me there are fish with horns," he jested. But little did he know.
The ocean was too large for him t comprehend, and held such a plethora of life neither he nor Erzuile would understand them all.
He let her eat as he worked on the seal, ignoring the flavour and taste which was dulling to him now, being not so salty and bitter.
I'm happy to end here if you are
He could feel her change.
Her soft distaste that crackled in the air.
Where there horned fish?! Had she seen them?
Rowan didn't really want to ask.
She seemed to brush away the thoughts like waves ate pawprints in the sand, and told him he'd gathered enough. He nodded, licking his lips of juices and blood.
"I'll help you take it to them, if you want."
He didn't know if she had plans for Rosalyn to come by, but thought it would be a good idea to offer.
thank u for the thread <3
"t'ank you, rowan," erzulie murmured through her mouthful of seal meat, and then she paced onward, content to walk alongside the boy as they made their way across the flat ocean-lands to the rise in the earth where her den was made.
there, she made introductions between the yearling and her own daughters, calling to the others for a meal of what she had come back bearing.