Moonspear i, robot... you, jane

Keeping it vague as to who's watching over her. :)

A few days had passed since Sialuk and Saviguk had moved to the rendezvous site. There was something delightful about having a little more freedom to roam and see things that were going on around the mountain. The flowers made Sialuk sneeze, but she didn't mind (much). There were a bazillion scents she didn't know and wanted to learn.

Sialuk kept within the sight of her guardian, glancing at them and waving her tail back and forth to assure them she wasn't going to leave their sight. As far as that was concerned, she'd been an obedient child. She did not attempt to run off from her parents or whoever was watching her. And why would she? Kukutux and Jarilo were nothing but good to her.

There were new children. 

Mira was not sure how she felt about this. On one hand, they were not her siblings- why were they here, in the rendezvous? On the other hand- she had bested her sister and brothers, and wondered if she could establish herself above these ones too. She would damn well try. Alpha of her litter, she thought herself- now she had to be Alpha of all the kids. 

And so as Mira slunk along among rocks and grasses that grew between cracks, she finally spotted the little white wolf- unlike any other wolf she had ever seen in color. It was towards this child that she charged with jaws stretched wide, eager to attack unless stopped.

Still open to one other!

Out of nowhere came a flash of teeth as Sialuk was outright attacked. "Taken by surprise" did not even begin to summarize how the silvery raindrop experienced this. Everybody has heard of "fight or flight," and something deep within her screamed fight right now. The other cub was larger than her, but by how much... she wasn't certain. A guttural snarl fell from the usually quiet girl's mouth as she fought back.

Her cousin had her front leg in her jaws, but Sialuk wrenched it free, pulling no punches as she went in for her own attack: straight for Mira's head. She had scuffled with Saviguk a time or two, but they knew each other. This was decidedly different. The outcome of this felt like it would mean something.

Hydra idly followed the trail of her daughter, pleased when it led to the rendezvous of her cousins. Further pleased to see her initiate the interaction as she did. Her children often scuffled, and so it was no wonder that Mira sought to engage Sialuk. But there were plenty of new elements here she was certain her daughter was all too unaware of. Sialuk, for as short a time as she had been there, knew the rendezvous better. 

But Mira was a vicious little thing, and not one to let the odds that could be stacked against her stop her from action. She simply had yet to learn how to use that to her gain. Hydra settled onto her hindquarters to watch, wondering if her nephew might emerge, too, to aid his sister... though perhaps he was resting.

cameo for now, bc she's watching!

Rolled a 1 for damage.

Ever since coming to the rendezvous site, Saviguk had been having the time of his life. There was so much wide-open space...much more than in the constricting walls of the den! He could finally really stretch his legs. And of course, get into all kinds of mischief. 

His obsession with random, inanimate objects was growing. Especially those he could seek his teeth into, or with bright colors or shiny surfaces. He was seemingly always on the search for his next trinket. Perhaps he was growing into a hoarder of sorts, brimming with excitement to show of his latest find to anyone who'd pay attention. New scents of other children were all over the place. He was eager to meet them, ready to make friends with his undiscovered cousins. Except that today, the stars weren't exactly aligned in their favor.

He never went far, keeping at least one eye or ear tagged on Sialuk at all times. She had proven time and again she could handle herself, but as a burly brother, it came almost as natural that he would want to look out for his pale sibling. So, when a charging dark shape streaked through the grass unexpectedly, followed by an enraged cry from Sialuk, he was quick to stop what he was doing, having muddied his paws in a puddle. Fur flying, the tangled bodies mimicked much of their previous games...only this had a different feel to it. Sialuk was not enjoying this. She was mad. Her anger in turn, fed into him. Pinning back his ears, he went flying to the black and white girls, mouth agape. "Hey! Le'er go!" He screeched in his best booming voice, charging at Mira to knock her off his littermate.

What started as a simple scuffle quickly dissolved into something more. Sialuk came for Mira's head, as she had expected, a counterattack was only natural- but the next aspect threw her entirely off guard. Another child came barreling forward- at first glimpse, she believed it was one of her own brothers, but no, his coloring was different, nape too.

He sought to tackle her, and though in any other situation she might've turned to fight him, she had never encountered a match like this before. Two on one. It felt unfair, and that frustration boiled within her. Stuck between who to face, she tried to push forward, but only found herself slamming into Sia's incoming jaws while her haunches were knocked by the boy. She writhed violently wherever she had been grabbed upon the head, seeking to shake herself free from the girl's grasp.

With her brother's help (although she certainly didn't need it!), Sialuk was able to grasp Mira's hide. She was not out for blood, and therefore did not break the skin. Satisfied that her attacker would not attempt another round, Sialuk backed off, shooting Saviguk a look to do the same. The raindrop shook her coat, trying to ease the tension among the small group. She had not liked that Saviguk had intervened, as she could handle herself, but she had to admit that he had made it easier on her. Next time, she knew she could handle Mira all by herself.

She cast her cousin a discerning stare, trying to convey that any further attacks would be dealt with similarly. Mira was bigger, but Sialuk considered herself strong, and she knew that if she needed it, Saviguk could and would step in if she asked for it (and even if she didn't ask for it, apparently).

Sialuk backed off, but Mira did not enjoy how she had been bested so easily, even in such a minor scuffle. Though there was a stare cast her way, Mira shot a menacing one right back, gaze never leaving her paler cousin.

Perhaps Sia believed next time she could handle Mira alone, but the shadow would've argued otherwise if she could- her next ambush would be more careful, she was sure of it. But even this dent to her ego, she would try not to let it affect her. There had been two of them, after all- and Mira decided to believe it was an unfair fight anyway.

Uncomfortable, she finally let her gaze fall, and begin to lap gently at the skin that had been pinched between teeth, as if it was an open wound.

Mira's gaze fell, and Sialuk licked her lips, appeased with the show of deference. When Mira licked her "wound," Sialuk's gaze softened. Had she done that? She could not remember a time she had ever caused harm, and knowing that she had done so raised some conflicting feelings. So often, she had watched anaa work to treat wounds (most of them Sialuk's). She took a step closer as her ears slid forward and her posture relaxed. She could not smell blood, or she would have rushed to find something to fix it.

Only after Sialuk had let go and Mira didn't try and pull another move, did Saviguk step back. His brows were scrunched, his gaze hard and stern. His dark fur was bristling just slightly, tail held upright stiffly. He glanced to his pale, raindrop sister and searched her, head to toe. She was unharmed, not surprisingly. She was a tough little cookie. 

He noted Mira licking her lips, as if she had an actual wound there, but could not smell any blood. This did not lessen the sharpness of his eyes on her. His whole body language screamed 'don't you dare try anything funny'. In truth, Saviguk was really just standing on the sidelines, ready to play mediator and break up another brawl should it happen again. Satisfied that their cousin appeared to have been put at bay, he sent Sialuk an encouraging look as he began to turn away, so they could go find somewhere else to play, away from Mira.

The girl tried to step towards Mira, but already the serpent did not trust her. It did not matter that she'd lost- she bore her teeth silently to the raindrop with sharpened gaze. The boy was ignored as long as he kept his distance. She did not want to be the one to leave this place, in the end- and was thoroughly satisfied when the siblings went to find somewhere else to play.