Hushed Willows I could be an accident but I'm still trying

@Dusty Rose wanna catch a run away baby? All welcome otherwise!!

Mama had gone away, and Foxglove was pretty peeved about the whole thing. Why couldn't she go, too? And what about @Dahlia and @Petal? For a time she sulked and was inconsolable. She loved her uncle @Everett dearly, but he just wasn't her mother; any comfort he tried to offer her went ignored.

The jailbreak was inevitable. Foxglove took the first opportunity she found to slip out of the den, picking out her mother's scent trail within minutes. She didn't hesitate to pursue it toward the borders. Surely Everett would notice her absence soon, but Fox hoped to be well on her way by then. She just wanted to see what mama was doing out there.

Look, I don't know what Dusty's been up to. Probably something needlessly sneaky. Maybe that's why no one's seen him around all that much. But he was around. Y'know. Doin' shit. Finding things.

Things like this bite-sized little punk.

He'd caught her scent before he saw her, and it was lucky that he had. If he hadn't, there would've been nothing to stop him from making her a meal. As it was, the thought still crossed his mind. If she was out on her own, she was fair game, wasn't she?

But then, damn it, he thought about what Reverie would think, and how she would feel —

So flower princess was not on the menu.

"Hey, lunchmeat," he said, stepping into her path. "Are you trying to get yourself bird-snatched? 'Cause this is how you get bird-snatched, wandering off like this."

The last thing Fox expected was to be interrupted by a man she'd never seen before. She halted in her tracks, eyes going wide. A stranger!

Unfortunately, no one had taught Foxglove about stranger danger just yet. She lifted her chin and barked happily, tail stirring the air at about a hundred miles an hour now. Maybe he knew where mama had gone. Fox danced in place as if she might communicate her question via charades.

The tiny wolf didn't answer. Dusty Rose couldn't say whether or not this was strange, since he'd scarcely had the chance to stop and chat with them. It was hair-raising to have her here in front of him, since an irate mother usually followed.

The urge to pounce swept through him again. He ought to do it quickly if he was going to — the kid would probably be missed, and he wasn't about to fight anyone for the honor.

But really, it was kind of cute.

"You're definitely your momma's daughter," he told her, just a little regretful of this fact. It was definitely not on the menu. "Alright, twinkle toes. I won't eat you today, but you're goin' right back where you came from. Got it?"

His tail wheeled in idle enjoyment. Kids were kinda neat, weren't they? But he wasn't gonna be caught with her just so she could finish her dance. He nudged her back the way she'd come with his snipey black nose, hoping to corral her back where she belonged.

This man sure did talk a lot! Foxglove watched his mouth move intently, nodding along as if she understood every word he spoke. She didn't. But she certainly enjoyed being spoken to!

Godeed, Fox tried to echo his last words. GodeeeEEEED! She reared up onto her hind legs as his muzzle descended toward her, forepaws flying out to wrap around his face. Of course, she immediately planted her mouth over his nose. It was slimy and not exactly pleasant, but Fox didn't care. G'deed. She mumbled again, muffled by the nose in her mouth now.

The coywolf wasn't offended, exactly, when a slimy mouth and sharp little teeth landed on his nose. Anything that came near his face was like to end up in his mouth, too. Still, his ears flew back in dismay, and he gave a firm little shove to knock her harmlessly away.

"Oh, it speaks," he said, his tail lashing. He gave himself a moment to let the irritation bleed away, still contemplating his next move.

"Rosie," he said to the child. "Say Rosie. RO-SEE."

If the kid could say his name, perhaps it didn't need to go back where it came from. Perhaps it would be fun to see what other cool tricks he could teach it.

Her.

Whatever.

She thought it a bit rude when the man shoved her away. But he kept speaking to her, so Fox figured that all was well. They were friends now, weren't they? She bowed playfully, wondering if he would chase her.

But he seemed very concerned with these particular mouth-sounds. Ro, She tried, falling onto her side with a dramatic flop and rolling to her back. Her next attempt was aimed toward the heavens, mouth wide. ROOOOO! Fox exhaled noisily. Her voice dropped to a stage whisper. See.

She leaned her head back, muzzle tilting toward the man as she peered at him. Was that what he'd wanted?

His brushy tail lashed without his permission when she started to holler. Noise-making was among his favorite activities, but it was one he rarely indulged in when he was living around full-blooded wolves. His racket had never been much appreciated by them in the past, and he wasn't keen on drawing attention to his mixed heritage so long as everyone else seemed keen to ignore it.

But he recalled that Blossom was sorta coyote-looking. And this pipsqueak was a blood relation of hers, wasn't it? So maybe she was part coyote as well.

He liked her more immediately.

"Good!" he cheered, lowering himself to his elbows in a playful bow. "Louder, though, squeaker. Say, ROOOOOOOSIE."

He sang it for her, loud and ululating, his tail still wheeling in the air.

Foxglove was happy to imitate him, pleased to have the man's attention all to herself. And no stinky Dahlia around to ruin it!

ROOOOOSIEEE, She yelled. Her very first full word, though no one but Dusty Rose would ever know it.

But she was still quite young, and quickly grew tired. Eventually the man began to herd her back toward the den, and Foxglove was content to make her own way there. She wanted a nap now. Mama would be back later, she was sure.