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+--- Thread: Redhawk Caldera I lost my shoe. (/showthread.php?tid=21673)
I lost my shoe. - Towhee - May 04, 2017
Towhee didn't know how to react to Titmouse's disappearance. On one hand, she missed her brother terribly. She loved all of her inner circle fiercely, though none more so than her siblings. It felt like someone had ripped a hole in her chest. It ached constantly. And this was the flip side of the coin: she also felt incredibly angry at Titmouse for abandoning them like this. Towhee couldn't really know whether or not he had left voluntarily; she simply assumed he had run off on some adventure or another, leaving the rest of them behind like they didn't matter. And that boiled the Xi's blood as much as it made her want to weep.
She was particularly sulky on this rainy Thursday morning as she rounded the borders, straggling about a quarter of a mile behind @Elwood. Towhee felt a strong urge to stop and cry, though she stiffened her upper lip. So far, she hadn't shed any tears over her stupid brother and she refused to let it happen. Titmouse was an outsider now—such a bitter pill to swallow—and Towhee needed to harden her heart against him like any other stranger on the proverbial street.
RE: I lost my shoe. - Orca - May 04, 2017
Trying to get more active with my little Elfin!
And a quarter mile behind Towhee trailed Orca.
She shared some of her sister's feelings about Titmouse's sudden disappearance. Mostly, she didn't understand why he was gone. It was different than when Stoat and Oriole had died; while she didn't quite grasp the concept of death just yet, she knew that they would never come back. They hadn't had a choice. But Titmouse? He was still alive, he just wasn't here.
From somewhere up ahead, Elwood made a low barking sound, indicating for the girls to pick up their pace. Knowing that Towhee wouldn't have heard him -- and also noticing that he failed to make any sort of physical signal towards his deaf goddaughter -- Orca hastened to catch up to Towhee. She gave her a nudge and signed, -Come on.-
RE: I lost my shoe. - Towhee - May 04, 2017
Orca's appearance beside her startled Towhee out of her funk. She furrowed her brow initially, then quickly relaxed and waved her tail when the other girl motioned for her to pick up her pace. Glancing forward, she caught sight of Elwood just as he faced forward again. Towhee shot Orca a grateful glance and quickly hastened her slow plod into more of a light jog.
As they strode flank to flank, Towhee mumbled her inner musings to her sister. "Tit's an outsider now, you know. If he came here, I'd have to kill him." Her speech was already slow and difficult to understand at the best of times, yet it was clear by the glacial cadence of her words that the mercenary apprentice was just putting two and two together and thinking out loud. She grimaced.
RE: I lost my shoe. - Orca - May 08, 2017
The girls accelerated, their strides nearly matching as they followed their godfather at a distance. There was silence between them for a few moments, save for the soft crunching of grass underfoot, then Towhee spoke. Orca tilted an oversized ear, listening to her sister's garbled speech. Unfamiliar wolves would have a hard time understanding her, but growing up alongside the deaf girl, Orca had quickly learned how to decipher what she was saying.
She hadn't really considered the fact that Titmouse's disappearance meant he was an outsider. What if he hadn't meant to become an outsider? The grown ups had looked for him -- and that was what Elwood was doing presently, keeping his senses alert for any sign of the boy -- but hadn't been able to find him. She was certain that he hadn't done it on purpose.
"No you wouldn't," Orca replied, shaking her head. -He's still family,- she insisted, coming to a standstill so that she could sign the response at Towhee.
RE: I lost my shoe. - Towhee - May 08, 2017
She didn't catch the few words Orca spoke out loud, having glanced ahead to see how much space was left between themselves and Elwood. But Towhee turned in time to see her sister shake her head, then sign a response. The Xi's teeth sank into her lip. She shook her own head, her expression growing a little thunderous. Orca and the others might be able to afford Titmouse the benefit of the doubt but Towhee simply couldn't imagine he had gone away against his will. He had made his choice. They were practically grownups (or at least that's how Towhee felt)!
"So?" Towhee said, unaware of how sharply it came out of her mouth. -He left us,- she continued in her preferred method of communication. -Just like...- Ah, what had his name been? Raven had taught her how to pronounce it, along with telling her about her batch of older siblings. She hadn't met most of the time but she could just barely remember... "Gannet!" she blurted, smiling at her sudden recollection before her expression grew stormy again. "I'd have to kill him too," she explained in a no-nonsense voice, peering grumpily at Orca's face as if to add, "And it's not like I'm happy about it."
RE: I lost my shoe. - Orca - May 10, 2017
Orca frowned, watching Towhee raptly as her sister switched from speaking to using sign language. She shook her head again, disagreeing with Towhee's beliefs but also with the fact that she thought she could kill Gannet. Titmouse? Sure, maybe. He wasn't the smartest or the fastest. But Gannet was bigger and older and more experienced. And while that wasn't Towhee's point, Orca fixated on that fact.
-You couldn't kill Gannet,- she signed back. -He would beat you up!- Even though that was far from the truth -- Gannet was just about as harmless as Eljay, though he certainly had a size advantage.
RE: I lost my shoe. - Towhee - May 11, 2017
She half-expected Orca to argue with her that she couldn't kill either one of their brothers based on principle. Towhee even prepared a retort about how family didn't start or end with blood. But her sister took her by surprise. While she did argue, she came at it from an entirely different angle, causing Towhee to come to a sudden stop.
-No he wouldn't!- she signed indignantly. -I'm a mercenary in training! You don't think I could take him on?- Although there was legitimate indignation in her face, she did smile a little as she stood there and playfully flexed and posed to demonstrate to Orca that she was totally strong enough to kick Gannet's ass if it came down to it. Never mind that she couldn't even recall how big he was or what he even looked like.
RE: I lost my shoe. - Orca - May 15, 2017
When Towhee halted, Orca did too. Elwood kept walking; he glanced back at the girls and, seeing that they were preoccupied, he rolled his eyes. He continued strolling, knowing that they would catch up with him sooner or later.
Her sister proclaimed that, because she was training to be a mercenary, she had the skills to fight Gannet. Orca unknowingly imitated her godfather's expression from only a moment before, her eyes making an exaggerated circular movement to show that she didn't believe Towhee. "Nope," she said, this time foregoing the sign language in lieu of using one simple word.
She backed up a few paces, tail lashing, then said, "Show me!"
RE: I lost my shoe. - Towhee - May 16, 2017
Orca scoffed at her, which Towhee knew to take lightheartedly, although there was a small flare of real indignation. Didn't her sister remember all the times Towhee had kicked her butt? Surely she knew the Xi had skills. But here she was, teasing the stockier pup, taunting her even.
Towhee's eyes flashed when her sister invited her to bring it on. "You asked for it!" she crowed, pretending Orca was a trespasser—maybe even Gannet specifically—even as she sprang at her. A playful growl reverberated noisily in her throat as she snapped at the other pup's left forepaw, her lips pulled over her teeth to avoid a real bite.
RE: I lost my shoe. - Orca - May 16, 2017
She got what she asked for. In the next instant, Towhee had launched herself at Orca, feigning ferocity with a rumble. Orca backpedaled quickly, barely managing to pull her left forepaw out of Towhee's reach -- and really only by luck. There was no skill involved in her maneuver; her steps simply aligned so that the young mercenary couldn't land her pretend bite.
But still, Orca was impressed. "That was cool," she said breathlessly, grinning at her sibling. -Can you teach me?- she signed. She had no aspirations just yet as to what trades she wanted to take up in her lifetime, but seeing Towhee move so quickly and effortlessly had just piqued her interest.
RE: I lost my shoe. - Towhee - May 16, 2017
Although her bite didn't hit its mark, Orca quickly dispelled any feelings of failure by praising Towhee's effort. The Xi straightened out and couldn't help but beam at her sister. Praise meant a lot more coming from her than most others. It further pleased Towhee when Orca requested to be taught. The young mercenary's eyes flicked ahead to Elwood—he was little more than a gray speck in the distance now—before she refocused on her litter mate and bobbed her head eagerly.
-I'd love to! Do you think you want to be a mercenary too?- she asked excitedly in ptero. -Either way, I'd love to train you. How about you try to attack me now so I can practice my blocking?-
RE: I lost my shoe. - Orca - May 21, 2017
-Maybe,- Orca signed with a shrug of her shoulders. Truth be told, she hadn't given much thought to trades just yet, and none of the adults had pressured her to make a choice. But that didn't mean she wasn't paying attention; she knew that Raven and Eljay were caregivers, and that her sister specialized in medicine while Eljay often looked after the puppies. Her godparents were both mercenaries, though Elwood was a hunter and Finley was a scout. There were so many options, and Orca simply hadn't considered the possibilities for herself just yet.
But she was still intrigued by taking lessons from her sister. Towhee invited her to try attacking her, so that she could show Orca how to deflect such an onslaught. She nodded her assent, then squared her paws up beneath her, shifting her weight as she prepared to pounce. She really had no technique, so when she did move, she flung herself haphazardly at Towhee, mouth wide and claws outstretched. The probability that she would connect with her target was slim, especially since the target was much more experienced.
RE: I lost my shoe. - Towhee - May 23, 2017
She didn't attempt to dodge Orca's attack, though she pivoted (just like Uncle Elwood had shown her) and presented a shoulder to blunt the other pup's nose even as their bodies became nearly perfectly perpendicular. She also nudged her backside rather forcefully toward her sister's chest, effectively hip-checking her for good measure. She smiled in satisfaction when all of this not only stopped Orca's momentum but forced her backward a step.
-See? That's what I'll do if Tit or Gannet shows up here,- she said with a sneer that wasn't entirely malicious. -They'll try to run in here like it's still their home or something and I'll toss them out on their...- Towhee paused, once more checking that their godfather was too far away to "overhear" before making a relatively new sign: -Asses!- The sign might not be familiar to Orca but it wouldn't take a lot of imagination to figure it out, as it involved the Xi slapping her own butt cheek.
RE: I lost my shoe. - Orca - May 23, 2017
She wasn't prepared for the swiftness with which Towhee responded. Her sister blocked her attack effortlessly, using her shoulder and hip to stop Orca's forward momentum and even knock the wind out of her. Orca stumbled back, eyes widening with surprise as she caught her breath. As she righted herself, Towhee was already gloating about how she would do the same thing to Gannet and Titmouse.
"Okay, maybe you're right," she said. She raised her brows at the new sign her sister employed, then imitated it with a giggle -- once, twice, then three times consecutively.
RE: I lost my shoe. - Towhee - May 24, 2017
Towhee beamed (a bit smugly) when Orca relented, her jaws splitting into a wolfish grin when her sister emulated the new sign. -Don't let Uncle Elwood or Aunt Finley or Raven see you make that one,- she signed conspiratorially. -I just made it up and I don't want them to know about it.-
Speaking of their uncle, he had nearly vanished from view. -We should probably try to catch up.- She thought about proposing a race but an even better idea struck her. -Hey, we should try to sneak up and attack him, practice our skills and test his! What do you say? You can come in from the right, I'll come in from the left,- she thought aloud, placing herself just outside the borders so Orca wouldn't have to leave the safety of the territory.
RE: I lost my shoe. - Orca - May 26, 2017
"Okay," Orca replied obediently, but not before sneaking a quick glance in Elwood's direction. When she determined that he wasn't paying them any mind, she made the gesture once more. She tittered, then straightened up as Towhee made a suggestion. She wanted to sneak up on the Alpha male; naturally, Orca thought it was a great idea.
With an eager nod and no further verbal agreement, she motioned towards their godfather with her head. She then picked up a trot, swinging to the right of Elwood's path and keeping her paws as quiet as possible as she slowly began to close the gap. She kept one eye trained on Towhee, watching her more experienced sister for cues.
RE: I lost my shoe. - Towhee - May 26, 2017
Orca agreed and soon they were on their way, stealthily creeping up on their beloved uncle. Towhee smirked as she glanced sideways at her sister, then refocused upon the Alpha male's gray backside. She had no way of gauging how much noise she was making, though she ran fleetly, feet light on the ground, in a manner she had seen Phox using as a hunter in training.
The closer they came to Elwood, the lower she crouched, skimming along the ground like some kind of beetle. When they came within fifty yards, Towhee paused just long enough to exchange a look and silent signal with Orca. She then burst forward, hoping to ambush their godfather before he had a chance to react and evade them.
RE: I lost my shoe. - Orca - June 02, 2017
Carefully, Orca mimicked Towhee's movements, although these came more naturally to her than defending herself. They weren't hunting actual prey, but her instincts kicked in and helped her remain low to the ground and move relatively quietly. However, the grass rustled softly underfoot, and she didn't notice the slight twitch of Elwood's right ear up ahead.
When there was a subtle gesture from Towhee accompanied by a sudden acceleration, Orca leaped forward as well. She bounded towards her godfather from the right, grinning as she went in for the "kill."
RE: I lost my shoe. - Elwood - June 02, 2017
Figured I would cameo with him. PP however you want Towhee's "attack" to go! :)
Some time ago, Elwood had noticed that Towhee and Orca were no longer right behind him. He had continued on his way, trusting them to be left to their own devices. After a while, though, he sensed movement behind him. One ear twisted back briefly was enough to confirm his suspicions; the girls were sneaking up on him. He could hear the grass beneath their paws, although he had to give them credit for their stealthiness.
Naturally, he was more than willing to play along. When they suddenly came at him from both sides, he gave a surprised yelp. Orca collided with his right flank and he overexaggerated a stumble, veering towards the left where Towhee was executing her own maneuver.
RE: I lost my shoe. - Towhee - June 05, 2017
Whether or not he'd heard them coming, Elwood reacted as if totally surprised, which pleased Towhee deeply. Even as she reared onto her hind legs and brought her forelegs down across his back, a gleeful grin tugged at her lips. "BOO!" she cried loudly (way too loudly, really), drumming her paws harmlessly on her uncle's shoulders before pushing off and coming to stand astride him, tail waving. She winked across his back at her sister as if to say, "We did it!"
She had entirely forgotten about her rotten feelings over Titmouse's recent disappearance. Now Towhee was all wound up about playing the warrior. -Can we spar after we finish the patrol, Uncle Elwood?- she asked, a little breathless from the playful attack. -Are we almost done?- she added with good-natured impatience, suddenly spinning in circles in her eagerness to keep playing war games.
I figured this might be a good place to fade this! :D
RE: I lost my shoe. - Orca - June 14, 2017
Orca crowed happily as Elwood lost his footing and tumbled to the ground. She hopped back, avoiding his flailing limbs as he fell, and then moved to plant her forepaws on his shoulder as Towhee straddled him triumphantly. A moment later, when Elwood started to right himself, Orca backed off, tongue lolling from her mouth and tail swinging to and fro.
She looked at Towhee, who was signing to their godfather about sparring. "Yeah, can we?" Orca agreed verbally, to which Elwood replied, "Sure. Come on, girls." She playfully bumped into her sister's shoulder before falling into step behind Elwood once more, hoping that the remainder of the patrol would be short and sweet.