Ouroboros Spine fall (ghost synth)

She was getting bigger in leaps and bounds as her third moon approached, fur growing from pup down soft into something resembling a wolf. She looked sleeker, could play harder, and was learning more about her world.

Vairë turned her nose to the wind and twitched it a few times, slowing her lope down to a sitting halt, ears swinging from left to right with her head as the pup dug her toes into hard packed dirt. It was cold, but she didn’t mind much, knowing she could return to the ulaq if needed, luxuriate in pelts until she was warm, then tear off again. But for now, she was alright, though cold. She could handle it, she was a big girl now.

Little story weaver turned her slowly changing eyes to the tree she had just passed, backing her rear across the dirt until she spun to her feet and prodded at the tree’s base. There, almost hidden by leaves, a vole. Nearby, a weasel. Unknowingly, Vairë had sealed the fate of the vole, because as it watched her, the weasel pounced. The beige pup jerked her head away, horror stark on her features. It was her first taste of the world as it was for prey.

She did not understand it yet. Tears welled in her eyes as the weasel hopped away, and she let out a small, devastated wail.

The sound of a child’s cry filled the warrior’s ears as he had prowled along Moonglow’s terrain in search of prey.

Winter would be upon their door soon enough, Foxfur was certain of it. He had been busying himself with the preparations for the rest of the clan. The days were spent hunting, building storage sites for meats, marching the borders and marking them with his scent. It had been tiring, but there was fulfillment in the effort he put forth. If Moonglow could prosper in the cold season, all would be well.

Foxfur stepped through the brush and saw a smaller figure ahead of him. The shape of the young wolf was sleek and sharp, draped in a soft shade of light brown. The warrior realized that he may have only seen this child in passing. He did not know the name of the young one.

Are you teaching yourself to hunt, small one? Foxfur inquired gently, keeping a safe distance from the child as a show of courtesy.

The blubbering girl gave a sharp sob at the voice, looking over her shoulder at the man who approached, before turning to the leaves where the vole had been minutes before.

’s gone! She said, pointing to the small splatters of red against the brown of the leaves, trying desperately to explain what she’d seen.

Came..came here, went- She snapped her teeth together, sides rising and falling rapidly -then hopped away!

The pup was distraught, pointing to the red splash of color against the leaves. The warrior glanced over her shoulder with curiosity, eyeing the place where the weasel had been. The young girl was rather upset that she had lost her prize, and Foxfur did not wish to tell the pup that she would not see it again. There was a better chance to learn from the vole that had slipped into the leaves.

Can you still smell it? Foxfur asked her softly, his nose lowered to the ground so that he could sniff at the scents there. If you can smell it, you will be able to find it again.

The weary wolf smiled to the child and nodded his head for her to try.

Vairë swallowed thickly as the man pointed out that she could still find the vole.

Slowly, she lowered her nose to sniffle at the leaves. Yeah, she could still smell it. Whipping her head around, she looked back at the man behind her.

I can find it? Fawn child asked slowly.

You can, Foxfur answered her softly, his russet muzzle dipping downward into a nod.

You are a wolf, a hunter of wild things, and you can smell them even if they try to hide.

Teaching the pups to hunt had always been one of his favorite tasks as a warrior of the Starsea. There was a comfort in the familiarity of it, even with a child that he did not know. The curiosity of youth was something he believed needed shaping, but never a forceful hand. If they could find their own passions, then the warriors could teach them how to make those passions into strengths.

If you were a small creature, where would you hide? Foxfur asked her, his voice gentle.

Vairë stared for a few moments more, before her nose went into the leaves in an approximation of a point.

Here. But the…furry tube found the small fuzzy here. She said, eyebrows pressing together as her bottom lip stuck out in a fairly impressive pout.

Did..it smell the fuzzy? That was her only guess as to what could have occurred before her very eyes.

The tawny young girl motioned to a place in the leaves. Foxfur followed the movements of the child carefully. He nodded his head in agreement, though the warrior did not understand the words she spoke well enough to have done so. He wanted only to encourage her to continue trying.

The older man hung back, but he sniffed at the air around them and smiled.

I think you might have found a family of furry tubes, he whispered suddenly, stepping into a hunter’s prowl so that he could step nearer to the child, then past her. A short prowl was all he needed before the scent of weasel filled his nose – at the base of the tree, through a path of fallen leaves and foliage. Foxfur wondered if she could find it herself.

Vairë went wide eyed.

Theres more of them? She whispered, trying to copy the hunter’s posture of the white and russet man beside her. How could there be more tubes? She had only ever seen one!

Where do they live? She hissed, her ears twisted forward to listen for every single thing she could hear.

Life entered his tired frame at the sight of the young pup, moving to mimic the hunter’s stance. The days of his younger mentorship called to him. Foxfur had not realized how much he missed teaching the children, watching them grow into proud hunters and warriors.

Do you remember the smell of the furry tube? We call those ‘weasels,’ if you’d like the proper name, Foxfur spoke softly, his words were only for the young hunter. She could decide to continue calling them what she wished, but he was a teacher, and he valued the chance to offer her opportunity to learn. Foxfur lowered his head toward the leaves and sniffed, demonstrating for the younger girl.

Sometimes those scents can make a path that only your nose will help you follow.

Weasels…huh. Vairë nodded sharply, the young girl shooting the hunter another look, before focusing on the task at hand.

So…I follow the trail.. She frowned a little deeper as she thought it over, before snapping back up with a grin.

I can find the small fuzzy and the weasel! Right? She was good at sniffing! This shouldn’t be so hard!

The warrior nodded his head in affirmation, pleased that she had put those pieces together. If she could track the scent to its location, she would find her prize.

You must be quiet, or else it will be a chase that lasts forever, he warned her gently. You’ll want to follow the smell and move quietly. Then, leap and surprise it. Foxfur nodded his head, urging her to give it a try. He was certain that she would find the aroma of her weasel easy enough to follow with her snout. The trouble was making sure that her target did not hear her coming. It would scurry away until she could no longer chase it.