Wolf RPG

Early morning and the chill and the frost lay across his black, red tinted fur with a thin layer of white. Blue eyes opened with a groan, and he lifted down head, watching as the small flakes fell from overhead to land and disappear into the ground beneath his belly and paws. Large feet lifted him, and he stood shaking the rest of the frozen dew from shoulders. 

A yawn split his face. there was a changing of thing sbetween him and @Arlette, but what that meant he didn't dwell on, yet. He was very much a go with the flow guy, and he would see what life had in store for him. 

He briefly thought of @Akavir and @Eshe. He had given them congratulations and he had spoken to the latter quite a bit, but he had noticed his best buddy largely had become quiet and away from him. Were that on purpose, he wasn't sure. But he also realized Arlette was right he couldn't do much about it. He loved them and it caused him pain sometimes, but what was he to do if no one spoke to him.

His mind circled to @Wren with shame and guilt warring in equal measures and a little bit of hollowed out anger. He didn't know where she was or why. Maybe it had been his fault she had left. He hadn't been very kind and yet he felt she hadn't either so maybe it was for the best he didn't seek her out. 

He stretched outward, long legs forward, shoulders and back cracking and shifting and with a soft grunt he began to trot towards the borders. He wasn't an old man yet, but he realized quick he couldn't do some of the things he had done at 2 so easily now at 4.

Cygnet had taken her time to creep as close to the bustling cluster of brush, listening to the chuckle of several partridges all gathered there likely for warmth. Their feathers helped them blend in almost perfectly with the dried, brown stalks, but their chatter and the scattered footprints surrounding the shrubs gave them away. Cygnet used her own camouflage- remaining close to the ground, pressing her belly into the light covering of snow, pulling her paw up to cover her dark nose and squinting her eyes whenever she thought she might be suspected. 

Once she found the little gap that she assumed was the entrance into their shrubby home, she waited there, until the snapping of twigs indicated that they would come out to forage. The moment she spotted the first hen poking its head out of the gap, she lunged. 

The birds beat their wings and had to thrash in order to crash through the bushes and into the sky- but not quickly enough. Cygnet was weaselly and lissome yet, and managed to sneak into their gap quite well, snapping at the first bird she encountered as it tried to flap away. It pecked at her cheek but with a couple vicious tosses of her head, the hen went silent, dizzied. She withdrew from the bushes as the other birds scattered overhead, and quickly pinned hers to the ground, before promptly decapitating it. 

She was hungry, and yet she wanted to show her catch to Arlette before she ate it. So with a bouncy trot, and her stubbed tail held high, she began to trot through the packlands in search of her caretaker, feeling quite proud of herself-

until she caught sight of Arric. 

She slowed, and stopped. Her tail fell, and twitched; showing irritation in the same way a bobcat might. Surprisingly, though, she felt herself wanting him to see her catch too- to realize what a fine hunter she was becoming- and so she tipped her head up, allowing the bird's wings to sag, making it appear larger than it was.

Something had disturbed the brush nearby. Arric saw as birds flew up. He didn't scent any interlopers so he largely ignored it. Figuring it was one of his pack mates or perhaps a weasel.

A small white and grey furred beastie came from within the nrush and stared at him. It was clear she wasn't happy to see him evident hy the dead pan expression and the twitchy tail. And yet a silver lining, a second chance even maybe.

She lifted her head showcasing a dead bird, its head gone. He saw what she was doing but ignored it mostly at least mak8ng it appear bigger.

A amile lit up his blue eyes and he spoke.

Heya Cygnet. He almost called her cyg, but wasn't sure how she'd appreciate it.

Catch that large thing all by yourself? Look at you being awesome. Great catch. Youll make a fine hunter.

Pride lined his voice, because who wasn't proud and happy when littles learned.

She was applauded, which was likely what she had wanted to begin with- but what surprised her most was how little she when her achievement was acknowledged. It wasn't enough- it wasn't having the right effect. She didn't feel flattered by his words and instead, felt the sinking feeling of disappointment. She wasn't sure why, but she found herself wishing he'd been dismissive, or that he'd tried to take the bird from her. It would have been so much easier if he'd just given her some reason to be angry with him. 

Frustrated, then, she fumed, and her ears flicked back. She growled and shook the bird as if it might at least wipe the grin from his face. It felt wrong, having him look at her like that. She bristled and snarled defensively, whale-eyed. All of this positive talk? It just felt wrong. She didn't want it. And as much as she wanted to give the bird to Arlette (or at least show it to her, before devouring it herself because she was, at the end of the day, a very selfish little girl) she no longer cared for it. She flung the bird toward him and with a huff, turned to stalk off.

Arric had been himself he had done what he could. He had given the girl her space. He had offered his pride and his gladness for her catch and yet it seemed. Disquiet reared its head and her reaction had him reeling and as such he didn't know what to do. He had done nothing wrong, what was wrong with this child.

He didn't know what to say, but he gathered the bird to himself. She had thrown it after all. 

He stared at it unsure. I'll take it to @Arlette. She can put it in your space to eat later.

And he lifted it and turned, a little deflated.

Arlette had been around her den. Mostly cleaning, but that cleaning also turned into more digging. She was making it a little deeper so there was some more room if Cygnet joined her. She left it open to where the girl would want to sleep but if it was with her then Arlette would welcome her in to the warmth of her home.

Bits of sand were flying from the opening as the female kicked it outside. It was a stark difference with the frozen ground and the rich soil she kicked. She would have to bath later because she was covered in dirt.

She halted abruptly, ears pinning back. So he was going to take it to Arlette? And take all the credit for it? At first, she wanted nothing more than to wheel around and go grab it again so that he wouldn't get to take credit for her kill, and ward him away from it in the process. 

Nothing stimulated her more than conflict, after all. 

But in the moments where she paused to consider what to do, he'd already picked up the bird, and had walked off with it. She whirled around, wild-eyed, only to see that he'd left with her catch. Overwhelmed, she made a soft snip with her teeth and began to pursue him, knowing he couldn't be too far ahead. He hadn't bolted off. 

When she caught sight of him, she uttered a demanding, high pitched bark and stomped one foot on the ground. Bared teeth, still with gaps where they had yet to fill in, demanded that he drop the bird.

She was there huffy and demanding and truthfully it was kinda cute. All puffed up like some sort of kitten. And yet part of him didn't like her demand. She was spoiled or something. He didn't know what. But it was her kill.

He dropped it, but placed a paw on it. And looked at her.

Don't take that tone with me little girl. You were the one to toss it not me. I'm only giving it to arlette tell her you caught it.

She watched the bird fall and took a step forward, warded off by his steady gaze and firm, but calm tone. Now she felt as though she was being teased; and while she had no doubt that he absolutely would deliver the bird to Arlette and tell her that Cygnet had caught it, she detested the notion of Arric doing anything noble. It would surely earn him a smile, and that was a prize she wanted for herself. 

It was because of how calm he remained that she tempered her instincts. Had she caught a flash of ire or tyranny in his eyes, she might have lunged to snap at his ankles and free the bird for herself, but she saw now that that tactic wouldn't likely work. More than anything, she wanted to avoid being scruffed and pinned to the ground, but second to that was getting her bird back. 

She took two steps forward, ears still flicked back but not flattened, and more gently this time, tapped her foot against the ground. She avoided his gaze, and showed him the whites of her eyes as she averted her gaze but kept him well within her peripheral vision. It was about as much deference as she was willing to show, and even that grated on her nerves.

Arric had realized something the days after hia first run in woth Cygnet and observing her. It was better to be calm amd patient with her and act unbothered. It was reaction she wanted.

He removed his paw and stepped back. Watching her with the strange quiet calmness.

We gotta learn to get along you and me.

But he wasn't entirely certain how to.

Her softened body language had the desired effect; he stepped back, and she watched him with a bombastic side-eye, before she lunged forward, slipping lightly as she snatched the bird, and then scrambled back a few paces so she might avoid a swipe if he'd been trying to trick her. Nothing came but words, though, an olive branch. 

Cygnet regarded him, her breath fanning the bird's feathers in soft puffs; giving it the illusion that perhaps with her touch it had been resurrected. Her gaze found his, and she searched his face for any sign of sarcasm or intensity. Finding nothing there, she huffed, rolled her eyes so hard it was practically audible, and began to prance off- with the intention of presenting the bird to Arlette herself.

Cygnet stared at him. Amd he didn't move. Merely watched. Ahe flounced away and he shook his head. A small chuckle in his chest.

She was lucky she was cute. She was strange that was so true. But weren't they all here in the creek.

Her ears remained turned back- listening to see if he might follow her. Her wild imagination pictured him giving chase, and how delicious it might be to be hunted down, and have her catch dragged away from her. The thought of such conflict made her heart race- but when she glanced back over her shoulder, she saw only that he'd laughed softly, and shook his head. 

She felt disappointed. Arric wasn't the sort who would do such things. It should have been a reassuring realization, but she was nearly an adolescent- and thirsted for conflict. She huffed, and continued on; she would have to find drama elsewhere.