Whitefish River turn down for what

Osprey Jr. knew the rules: they were not to leave the rendezvous site without adult supervision. Yet the others had had their adventures, so now it was her turn. While Peregrine slept fitfully in the shade of a spruce and the other pups played a game of tag, Junior slipped away into the cool afternoon woods. Her heart beat rapidly in her chest as she broke into a short sprint, putting distance between herself and the clearing, as if its gravity might tug her back against her will.

She knew someone would find her or call for her soon enough, so Osprey took full advantage of her free time and ran around the woods like a wild woman. She eventually found her way to the plateau's southwestern ledge. "Whoooa!" she exclaimed as her mismatched eyes clapped upon the panoramic view. She'd seen it before, technically, but without an adult's shadow looming over her, it seemed so much more wild and expansive.

Using her sniffer, Junior located the head of the trail that led downward into neutral territory. She jogged down the path, crossing over the invisible boundary line (she wrinkled her nose at the scent of the Alphas' pungent urine). She approached the river bank and spent about three seconds admiring the sparkly water before leaping straight into the shallows with a bark of laughter.

Seeking some time to herself, Jinx padded down from the mountain heights and disappeared into the deep wilderness. Despite its name, she had yet to see many of the sacred bears that inhabited it. It was a shame for her, for it had been quite some time since she had worshipped Sos and Atka, but it was a thought she was constantly putting out of her mind. Another time, she always told herself, and that was enough to alleviate any guilt she felt about it.

She hadn't had any plans for the day, not even ones that were well meant, but her wandering brought her close to the plateau. As its shadow fell over her and the river that bordered it, she realized that the last time she had come here was when Hawkeye's demon had slipped out of the shadows and handed her ass to her.

With a grimace, the Alpha female strode boldly toward it, uncaring whether that same demon materialized. She was tired, and the relief of the river was more tempting than the threat of attack. She was rewarded when she sank into the water, too, because no more than three seconds had passed when the echo of a splash and the accompanying giggles floated downstream.

The Alpha female waded through the water in the direction of the sounds and found herself in the company of a small, dark-furred child. The pup's splashing reminded her of Kaskae on the beach in Shearwater Bay, and the thought triggered a wave of animosity that was entirely uncharacteristic forJinx when thinking of family. Putting on her broadest grin, the snake crept closer in the shallows on her side of the river and said, “Wanna see something super secret?”

Osprey's loud splashing and laughing obscured all other sounds, rendering her deaf and distracted. Against her knowledge, another wolf approached, proffering none of the same respect for the plateau that she loftily demanded of her own domain's berth. The child didn't even realize she had company until the white she-wolf spoke. All noise ceased as the whelp froze, regarding the unfamiliar canine with fearless but wary eyes. Her parents had ingrained in their brood the dangers of the unknown, including other wolves, but most of it was natural instinct.

Yet today was a day for bucking tradition and breaking all the rules, wasn't it? When the stranger tempted her with secretive knowledge, the toddler hesitated a few beats and then boldly declared, "Ya, show me, show me!" She didn't move yet, save for the tentative waving of her sopping wet tail as she waited for the white wolf to make a move.

The young cub responded exactly the way that Jinx had expected, causing a gleam of wicked humour to saturate her eyes. She had come to this place with the intent of wreaking havoc, but if her assumption was correct and if this child came from the pack, then she was presented with the opportunity to do much more than that.

“Okay, but I need you to come over here first,” said the pale female, flicking her snout as if to indicate her side of the shore. “You see, it's in my hidden clubhouse...” Jinx conspiratorially winked to add to the suspense, hoping the pup would be unable to resist the temptation of her own curiosity. A part of her on the inside was vomiting copiously at having to use sweetness to coerce the child closer, but it was a necessity, she decided.

The potential result was well worth any humiliation she put herself through now.

ooc: muahaha Uncle K shall (unknowingly) save the day >:)

Kisu stood at the top of the plateau, squinting down to the river. He tilted his head when he thought his golden eyes laid upon the White One, who he hadn't seen in a long time. And right next to her was Junior.

Narrowing his brow, Kisu lunged off of the cliff and strode over to Osprey like he meant business. Stopping next to the girl, he scolded her. "What exactly do you think you are doing, young lady?" Giving her a stern look, he turned to the ghost-like female with blackened paws. "Hello, White One. It has been a long while since we parted ways." Completely clueless to whatever Jinx was up to and the evil that swam inside of her, his tail swayed in a friendly gesture.

"Oookay," Osprey drawled, her eyes dropping to comb the river's surface for a few seconds before she suddenly lurched forward, moving deeper into the water. She didn't even get a chance to start doggy paddling before a scuffling noise from behind her caused Junior to duck her head first, then whip it around to face the shoreline. She spotted Kisu racing to the riverbank and she instinctively paddled in a half-circle, then waded back into the shallows.

When he rebuked her, the young puppy shook her damp body and then lowered it, her ears flattening. "I's epspworin'," the youngster replied, her tail beginning to wiggle as her uncle greeted the white she-wolf in a friendly tone. Osprey peered over her wet shoulder, sleek as a seal's flank, and pouted. Now that Uncle Kisu was here, she surely wouldn't get to see the female's hidden clubhouse, nor its secret contents.

She felt a triumphant flutter in her breast when the pup waded into the deeper water and began a tentative crawl toward her. There were two potential outcomes here: the pup would drown, or the pup would make it across. Both were favourable situations for Jinx, and she watched intently with a smile chock full of sugary sweetness to see which would transpire.

She hadn't banked on the third outcome, which was that someone would miraculously find the cub. That someone happened to be an old pack mate of hers, and though she wouldn't dare call him friend any longer, he wasn't someone she had ever wished ill toward. Nevertheless, his voice rang out over the river and in her mind, the Alpha was screaming, go fuck yourself!

“Kisu,” drawled the Kesuk female, careful to conceal her disappointment and frustration that he would arrive before the cub could make it across. If Osprey had just been on her side, she could easily have taken her and fled the scene... But it was not to be. “What a... Pleasant surprise. Shouldn't you be at home, kissing Akhlut's perfectly princely toes like a good subordinate to his highness?” It was no surprise Jinx still despised her half sibling and believed he was completely inept at leading, though he had left a long time ago and she was still unaware. “Or has he run off like I expected he would?”

Fighting to not soften his stern look, Kisu said, "Make sure that someone is with you if you go exploring, Junior. You never know what can happen." With that, he patted her little head with his paw, an affectionate gesture in its entirety.

Kisu cocked his head at the words that spilled from the White One. She seemed.... different. He kept the thought at the forefront of his mind and made sure that his niece was right beside him in case anything were to happen.

"Pied and I left the Ridge months ago. Akhlut was not a strong leader, and I did not have faith in his ability to be effective. Pied was pregnant as well, so we came to the plateau for a home that felt safe for our pups. I do not have information concerning Akhlut." Kisu was completely unaware of anything that had transgressed between Jinx and Hawkeye/Peregrine. He looked down at the pup next to him and smiled.

With a final stern reminder and a pat on the head, Osprey Jr. seemed to be forgiven. She bobbed her muzzle and replied, "Oookay." For the moment, she intended to heed her uncle. With her youthfully short attention span and willful temper taken into consideration, she would likely forget her agreement by tomorrow morning and set off on another renegade adventure.

The two adults began to converse and Junior was still too young to keep up with the big words and swift dialect of her elders. Ignoring them (though she sent curious, intermittent glances at the wolf she gathered to be called Jinx), Osprey began splashing around in the shallows. She could see small fish darting among the ripples and she giggled as she pursued them, yet they always slipped away between her toes, darting up- or downstream.

Kisu was quick to give up the goods, though luckily for Pump at Horizon Ridge, he wasn't able to tell her that Akhlut hadn't led the pack for months now. She could approve of their decision to split off from their original pack. Jinx had seen the signs of Akhlut's weak leadership skills early on, but to know that others had spotted it as well was comforting, even if it was Pied, who was still something of a sore subject with the Kesuk female.

“One of yours?” she queried, gesturing to Osprey Jr., who now splashed in the water and seemed entirely oblivious to the conversation occurring above her head. It would be good information for the Alpha to keep in mind, after all. Eventually, these pups would be allowed to venture into the lowlands, and capturing on of Pied's pups might have been a good way (in Jinx's mind) to make a point of what an effective leader she truly was.

But, alas, there would be no kidnapping today. Although Kisu was older than her, she had no doubt the male would follow with vengeance in his heart if she attempted to coax the cub to her and snatch her up, and that was something she didn't want to deal with just yet.

Kisu looked down at Junior playing and then back at the White One. "No, this one is my niece." The male had no idea that Jinx was trying to coax him into giving information, but luckily he was a wolf of few words anyway.

"Well, what have you been up to?" He looked at the white female, tail swaying a bit. He was curious as to where she had gone and what she had been up to all of these months. Kisu tried picturing her as a lone wolf, but threw that thought away. She just didn't seem the type to want to travel, at least for long periods of time. So, he settled on her joining another pack, but he had no idea which it was.

Before long, Junior grew bored of the fish and began splashing about in the water just for fun. She glanced at Jinx and an idea occurred to her. Tongue lolling from her mouth, she charged the white she-wolf, kicking up a spray of water that crashed against the she-wolf's chest and legs. Before actually reaching her, the puppy let her legs buckled and she sank down and began to bob like a cork just out of reach, kicking and giggling obnoxiously in Jinx's general direction.

His neice. How disappointing. She retained her grudge against those who had forsaken her once, however right or wrong it was to do it. Jinx didn't really know that Kisu's neice was definitely Hawkeye's daughter, or she might have pressed her advance more readily. Instead, she seemed to grow disinterested in their affairs, and even turned her body perpendicular to the Blacktail wolves as though to signal that.

“I have been busy. I rule in my own right now,” she admitted, seeing no harm in letting Kisu know this. The russet female had never given Jinx any reason not to trust him. Taking Pied as his mate was his decision, but for once the Kesuk separated the crimes of husband and wife and didn't immediately blame him for having anything to do with the piebald female. “Which I should be getting back to. It has been nice seeing you and your... Neice,” she said just as the black pup splashed her. More like nuisance. With a narrowed glance and a slightly lifted lip aimed at the giggling pup, the pale female turned to take her leave, uncaring whether it was considered abrupt or rude.

Kisu narrowed his brow in concentration as Jinx seemed to suddenly want to leave in a hurry. He said no words to her, and reluctantly pulled his gaze away from her as she sauntered off, setting his golden eyes upon Osprey, Jr.

Letting out a signature sigh, Kisu watched the dark girl splash around for a few minutes before saying, "Come on, you rascal. Let's head home." His mind stuck on the White One, and he looked back to spot nothing before making a slow trek towards the plateau so his niece could catch up.

Jinx largely ignored the pup, then announced that she should be heading home. "But—" Osprey Jr. began to protest, "I nevew sawed—" Before she could mention the super secret in the hidden clubhouse, the white she-wolf splashed to the river's other shore, hoisted herself onto the bank and loped away.

Junior blinked after her retreating figure, then blinked when her uncle called her name and automatically obeyed. "I's not a wascal!" she protested with a slight giggle as she jumped to flank him, her wet fur leaving a soggy trail behind her. She nipped at Uncle Kisu's heels, then wove in and out of his legs, rubbing her wet body against them before trotting ahead and leading the way home.