Moonspear ^__^

Treepie peeked out of the ulaq today, their eyes roving over the dirt and grass before swinging upward to behold the trees and the blue skies beyond. Fluffy white clouds drifted, sending shadows skittering across the ground. Birds trilled noisily, prompting the child to cock their head first this way, then that way.

It was all so inviting. Pie couldn’t resist the impulse to trundle outward. A sunbeam immediately warmed their face. The child stopped after a few steps and gazed upward again, eyes squinting against the brightness. Their little tail swayed gently as they returned the sun’s smile.

They basked for a few seconds, then turned their snout when a spring breeze kicked up, soughing across the mountain and delivering a thousand smells into young Tiuttuk’s nose. They took them all into their lungs, whiskers twitching and little flanks billowing.

Hope you don't mind me! hehe

Amongst the smaller birds singing their sweet songs sat the shadow of Arsène. He perched on the branch of a nearby tree, his beady, scheming eyes watching the young pup take in its surroundings. It was so small. Fresh from the den. The crow wondered idly if he would be able to lift it into the air if he got a solid enough grip on its scruff.

The tiny wolf seemed to be enjoying the peace, but Arsène couldn't resist introducing it to a new noise. He hopped along his branch, black feathers shining in the sunlight, and sucked in a deep breath.

CAW, CAW, CRRRAWWW, CAW.

His own raucous song shattered the peaceful storybook scene, sending the smaller birds flying skywards.

Delighted to have you!

They could see and hear pretty well by now, though smell remained their strongest sense. Treepie could leaf through smells like a storybook, the wind ruffling the pages and bringing them hundreds of little snippets of all sorts of tales.

A loud burst of sound distracted Tiuttuk from their reading. Their eyes—already yellow, peculiar as their calico markings—lifted again. Several birds took flight, though a large blackbird remained clasped tightly to a bough. He gleamed in the sunlight as Pie’s ears pricked to hear his raucous song.

The babe’s throat rippled and they let out an approximation of the same noise, although Pie’s sounded a bit more like, KEKEKE!

Despite the ruckus around them that he had caused, Arsène kept his gaze eagerly upon the child below to see what sort of reaction he elicited from it. Tiny ears perked upright before it let out a similarly shrill, disruptive sound that caused the crow to tilt back his head in laughter. He was surprised such a tiny thing could emit such a noisy sound – oh, how proud he was!

With no further encouragement needed, he swooped down from his perch and alighted upon the ground before the wolf pup. The patchwork pattern on its coat reminded him of his smaller, fancier-feathered brethren; it certainly seemed to have their voice box. With a tilt of his head, Arsène hopped a little closer with an urging cackle.

"Again, again!"

The crow laughed! It sounded so different from a wolf’s laugh, yet the child was certain of it. Their eyes danced, pleased to have drawn this expression of mirth from the bird. Even at such a tender age, Pie already loved the feeling of making others smile and, better yet, laugh.

The blackbird suddenly swooped down to perch on the ground a few feet in front of the puppy. Tiuttuk’s eyes flew wide as they beheld the crow from up close. They wanted to reach out and touch those glossy black fathers, particularly when the crow pranced closer, crying, “Again, again!”

They burst out with their own exclamatory, AGAIN! Although the middle “A” was a little lost in Pie’s enunciation, it was an almost perfect mimicry as they continued parroting, Again! Again!