Swiftcurrent Creek People writing songs that voices never shared

@Mae

It was a very rare occasion that Akavir would let him alone with the kids. He figured it was cause he tended to teach them naughty words and let them explore more than they should. Frankly, he was the fun uncle and their father was the gatekeeper. But Arric also knew when to draw the line. And sometimes though he loved the little shits. They got on his nerves and he had to regroup within himself.

Today they were napping and he lay nearby, tail stirring up the dirt and dust as he moved it back and forth over the carpet of green. Little pieces of the grass flying throughout the air. Little tiny heros searching for a place to lay their seeds so they could grow more plants.

Mae wasn't sure what to think of Arric. Mostly, she associated him with the new vocabulary she'd been picking up of late — but he seemed to make Akavir very happy, and that certainly earned him points with Mae. When she woke from her nap to find Arric lounging nearby, her tail stirred the air softly. She yawned, stretched, and made a show of rising very slowly.

Then she marched over to him and greeted him with an affectionate Shit, because that was by far her favorite word that she'd learned from him, and because she'd come to think of it as a term of endearment of sorts. After a moment, she looked around for Akavir, and then cast an inquiring glance at Arric. Shithead? Where. Was. Dad.

Mae picked up all the bad words he said and honestly he should curb it. But he really didn't want too. And it wasn't entirely his job. Oh he'd help Akavir out and as she got older he'd be sure to let her know you can't speak that way in polite company, but for now. Who was it hurting?

Arric booped her head with his nose. Hey little shit. He returned her greeting of choice. Then his ears tilted forward as she asked. He chuckled and felt a full on laugh coming, though he tried to hide it. She called her dad shit head and he was for it.

I don't know where shit head is. Wanna find im?

Her tail wagged furiously when he called her little shit, and Mae nodded in response to the question that followed. Excitement surged through her in the next moment, and she gave a little hop and a bark and turned around in a circle. She always wanted to find Akavir!

Mae didn't wait for Arric. She whipped around and started to search for the freshest scent trail to follow, her head low and her legs a blur beneath her while her tail flagged behind. It took her a few moments to find something, but when she did, she halted and looked up at Arric with eyes bright. Let's go! her expression beckoned eagerly.

He saw her tail wag and that was enough for him to forever christen her little shit. He laughed and shook his head, but he got to his large paws. The other's would be fine with Sharkdik and he followed behind the little girl that had him wrapped paw around paw easily.

He plodded along behind her content to let her lead were she would. If he needed to step in at some point he would, but this was her adventure and he was just happy to be along for the ride.

Mae led Arric in excitable silence for a time, until she came upon something — well, something very smelly. But fascinating! The little Mayfair was immediately distracted by the small pile of squirrel leavings, which triggered some still-brewing instinct inside of her.

She stopped to sniff around it, then followed the trail of the squirrel's scent right to the base of a nearby tree. Mae squinted up the tree, then looked at Arric, confused. How had it gotten up there?

Arric coughed and wrinkled his maw. Ah gross Mae. Looks like you found some Squirrel Shit. And he wrinkled his nose at them. The word taht usually was laced with affection, now showing it's other meaning and it was not a good one. Though the nuances maybe lost on the child.

He followed behind and looked up and chuckled. You found some Tree rats little shithead. Squirrels. They climb trees. Fast little bastards.

At this point, Arric just enjoys teaching her naughty words.

I love it lmfao

Mae squinted again. Why was he calling this shit now?! The nuance of it was very much lost on her, but there were more pressing matters at hand, so she quickly forgot about it.

She wanted to climb a tree. Just a few seconds ago she hadn't even known it was possible, but now Mae had no other goal in life. This was it. The meaning of everything. Except, when she braced herself to jump with a few shuffling steps backward and launched herself up and directly into the tree trunk, it did not go as planned at all.

Her face smashed into the wood and she dropped straight down, sending up a cloud of tree-bark dust on the way and turning her fur into a mess of splinters and bits of wood. Mae landed in a heap, but popped back up immediately, swaying slightly. Wanna be fas' bassard, She mumbled, and fell backward, not quite unconscious but certainly dazed.

Before he could stop her. She ran full bore at the tree and tried, and failed Spectacularly. He snorted and quickly covered up his laughter with a You okay mae.

He sniffed her over and grasped her by the scruff of her neck, speaking over a mouthful of Mae Ruff. Alright little shithead. I love you, but adventure's over for you today. Lets get you to @Arlette so she can look you over.

Arlette was making sure she was getting more familiar with the territory. Sometimes she got a little lost, but overall, she had a good introduction from her daughter. Arlette also wanted to set things up if she would need to heal someone. She had already gathered some of the basics. Luckily most plants were in bloom so there was lots to gather.

The female was currently digging up some burdock roots, just so she had something for infections. She was digging away at a plant when she heard someone approach. She turned towards the sound. Arric was there, with a dark pup in his mouth. She instantly perked her ears up. She loved pups! "Hello!," she greeted, tail wagging.

A trip to the den revealed two sleeping boys—likely exhausted from play earlier, and, of course, a missing Mae.

Akavir huffed out quietly and as if on autopilot, began to trail in the direction it seemed Arric had gone… no doubt chasing after Mae somewhere.

He caught up decently enough—the hulking view of Arric not easy to miss, but when he caught sight of Mae dangling from the man’s jaws, he quickened his pace, a frown beginning to cloud upon his features.

With a jog in their direction, Akavir’s eyes drifted over to a pale she-wolf—scarred—bright eyes—with the faint scent of his Beta on her. The newcomer Arric had informed him of, no doubt—Bellatrix’s mother. But it was the pup that dangled in the jaws of his hulking friend that truly held his attention, and he began to close the distance between them.

Mae was too dazed to put up much of a fight. All at once her head hurt, her eyes hurt, and it seemed very much as if she was spinning in place even as Arric held her. She blinked hard a few times, but didn't register much until Akavir arrived; even the unfamiliar woman went ignored.

Immediately her ears flattened guiltily at the sight of him. She looked away and curled all her limbs inward in an awkward attempt to get closer to Arric and farther from Akavir. Mae was certain her father would be angry with her, and more than anything she did not want to face his ire right now. Everything hurt, and she wanted comfort — which Arric provided much more readily, with his patience and his easy-going demeanor.

Arric bowed his head and gently laid her to her bottom and then with swiftness, he laid down to his belly and wrapped his large legs and paws around her smaller body as if cradling her and he looked at Arlette and then to Akavir.

Mai and I were on an adventure looking for her elusive dad here and the little shithead, decided to try and move fast and up a tree like a squirrel. Nailed her noggen right into the trunk. Didn't you MaeMae. Can you look her over Arlette? If she's really good and listens close and does what the healer want's I'll take her to the river for some fishing and swimming.

He knew the perfect spot. Where there was shallows enough that she could swim and play and catch little minnows.

Arlette watched as another black male joined. She noticed right away he carried himself differently. The way he also was worried for the pup confirmed to her that this was their pack leader, Akavir. She dipped her head politely to him as he came past. Though she doubted she was really noticed.

She watched the interaction of the three. The pup that looked a little uncomfortable, and the worried dad that seemed to want to inspect the pup in Arric's jaws. Arric put her down between his paws, as he went to lie down. Smart. She liked it. Arlette's brows raised at the language the male used though. That was rather surprising. Arlette listened to the story. Ah, excitable pups, they would get themselves in trouble. "Of course," Arlette spoke.

The woman stepped closer, but not without a glance if she had approval from the father. She knew how parents could be around her injured young. If she was injured. Arlette moved in closer. "Hi there. I'm Arlette. Do you feel any different from before you hit your head?," she asked. "Maybe an ouch, or funny?"

As he neared, Mae quailed away from him—pressing further to Arric’s embrace, and the Beta was swift in his comfort to the girl. Laying out to the ground, keeping her tight in his arms, Akavir watched with a lurch as his little girl turned away from him, torn in the moment on focusing on listening to the event that had transpired, and wondering what had occurred for her to pull away from him like that.

And then Arric more or less spoke it: they had been trying to find the ever elusive dad.

The guy who was never there…

And he felt the sting of it as if Arric’s fangs had torn at his heart. But he steeled himself—trying to mask the emotion from playing upon his features.. because this wasn’t about him. Not right now. It was about ensuring Mae was okay.

He moved aside—quietly letting Arlette closer to inspect his daughter—focusing on the moment now, his eyes rapt upon the girl nestled in Arric’s arms, hoping that one day this would only be a humorous story and not the beginning of a tragedy.