Ocean's Breath Plateau Our own little universe

All welcome; playing Pine and Sumac together

The gulls were in an uproar - a cacophony of shrieks and squawks, shrill cries that some would consider bothersome. Not 'Mac. Their clamoring was a melody, a sea shanty serenading the Mackenzie as he padded gently across the heating, coarse sand. One particularly curious bird, however, decided to descend a bit lower to inspect the party that had gathered beneath it: one large, dark male wolf, with four little ones in tow. At this, Sumac's demeanor immediately shifted, and a quick flash of his glistening teeth was enough to send the bird scrambling skyward once more. He would take no chances with the safety of his brood. 

As if it nothing had occurred, Sumac's easygoing expression and stride returned, and he laughed as he glanced over his shoulder at the four bundles of soft fluff that trailed behind him. Becoming a father had been the greatest gift of his life, and he sincerely hoped his girls would come to live their own lives as fully as his love was for them. He'd invited @Raindrop to join them, but he understood if she was absent from their party: after all, she had her own business to attend to, and perhaps she'd appreciate the moment of peace to herself.

Padding a little further, his gilded eyes found what he sought: a small tidal pool, formed by the recession of the tide. Perfect! He closed the distance and turned his head this way and that to examine the pool's contents. Sure enough, small critters of all shapes and sizes meandered in its still waters, waiting for the sea to return them to their wider world.

Looking over his shoulder once more, his deep baritone notes floated on the passing sea breeze: "Pine! @Ponderosa! @Angel Oak! @Silvertip! Come, come!"

He laughed again, eyeing the tiny world contained at his paws. He hoped his offspring would enjoy discovering it as much as he had.

Pine merrily skipped to her father's side, looking up at him with admiring evergreen eyes. What wonders would he show them today? Papa always seemed to be a wellspring of new adventures, as if he was a magician conjuring up shells, birds, and interesting rocks to dazzle them anew. 'Mac offered her a warm smile that encompassed his eyes, saying nothing before gently motioning to the pool with his maw. 

The girl's glittering eyes were drawn in the direction her father was pointing, and they lit up even more as she gazed upon the tidal pool. Small crabs, snails, urchins, even fish and other unknown things moved beneath it's glassy surface. A gasp escaped her tiny maw as she rushed forward, just to the pool's edge, gazing intently below.

"Look, Papa! Look!" she exclaimed, her tiny tail wagging furiously behind her.

<333333

Raindrop had indeed decided to stick behind for this one, as she would take this time to get back out and hunt. The children were starting to eat meat now, at least, regurgitated meat. She took to the fields and woods in search of food, but she urged Ponderosa to go and have a good time. She was a cautious one, but that was okay.

With her mother’s encouragement, she trailed behind the rest of her sisters and father, as they moved across the warm sand. She and pine stuck close to Sumac’s side, as ‘Rosa felt most comfortable there. Partway on their journey, a curious bird had come close, and when she watched her papa fiercely defend them from this feathered foe, her eye were aglow with admiration. 

The wilds of their home were a little scary, but she knew she had nothing to fear. Soon, they were brought to another tide pool, like the ones they had visited not that long ago with mom. She now knew what these were, and was most curious about the little critters scuttling around. In an act of learning, she licked the water, and to her surprise, it was not fresh, it was salty and icky. “Bleh!” And she shook her dark head, sticking out her pink tongue. “Daddy, dats icky.”

Yo! Good to see you again!!

She gladly followed her sisters out at her father’s call. She trotted up behind Rosa with a swish of her small tail as if saying hi.

They had gone on a small field trip to a tidal pool, she had gently bumped a turned over crab back on his right side, then turned to see something. A small turtle walking out toward the water slowly, she followed it sweetly, accompanying it until it completed its journey into the deep blue sapphire colored sea. Then, A grey and white feather laying on the ground catches her attention, she picks it up in her maw and takes it over to father, “Pa! Pa! Look what I found! Put it in my fur, please?” She wanted to wear it in her fur as a kind of earpiece, near her cheek fur. Her tail now continued to wag happily.

She looked to her mom in the distance with an affirming affectionate glance. She nodded.