Sleeping Dragon happy song

The skaikrasha still blessed the lands with a much needed storm. Fierce rumbles had subsided into a light sprinkle by mid-afternoon and once it hay, the silver Goufa took this opportunity to go out and explore. She kept her range to right before their new home to investigate the calming conditions.

She emerged from the den slowly as her eyes took a moment to adjust to the brighter lighting outside. One her blinking had regulated and her sight was not as sensitive, the child surveyed the surrounding area for something she had been wishing to see since the rain started falling: puddled. She spotted one a few paces away almost instantly and pranced over with her tail high. Since it was still lightly raining it did not matter if she got even more wet because she could always blame it on the rain, right? Once she was in prime pouncing position, the little dragon reared and then landed heavily in the puddle, sending water droplets soaring all about.

The Bandrona holed up during the storm, meaning to watch it from beneath the small overhang but instead falling fast asleep. By the time she woke, the weather had cleared. Everything still dripped and glistened from the recent rain shower as she uncurled, stretched and trotted out into the territory. She took deep breaths of the fresh air and noted the rumble in her gut. It was time for something to eat.

She was on her way to a cache when a better opportunity presented itself. Wildfire stopped short when she saw something flopping around in the grass, then swiftly closed the distance as soon as she identified it: some sort of blackbird with a broken wing. The trapper acted swiftly, crushing the bird's frail body to the ground with a paw. It flapped and screeched, its wings beating the air around Wildfire's face as she bent to break its neck. The air grew quiet and still again, the broken body flopping one last time.

Picking up her kill, the Bandrona sought somewhere to eat. She didn't realize how close she was to Gyda's den until she saw Freyja puddle-jumping in the near distance. Smiling around the dead bird, she trotted over to her. Recollecting how much the girl had loved watching her toss around that dead rabbit, Wildfire waited to catch the child's eye before flinging the feathered body into the air. It soared for a moment and then crash landed in yet another puddle.

Giggles erupted from her mouth as the chaos of the flying droplets crashed upon the earth. Just as the young dragon was about to go for another round a sudden noise diverted her attention otherwise. A loud splash brought her attention to a nearby puddle with a lifeless for in it. She was confused in that moment as she padded up to the creature with caution. Slithering over to the neighboring puddle, the young child gently prodded at the form once it was before her.

It was as she poked and prodded at the figure that she caught sight of a familiar face and it was then that the realization clicked. “Woooooooah!” She exclaimed, her tail whipping to and fro as she rose from her crouched position. “Wilfiwa! Nowadotiawn!” Her eyes danced in the gloom as she looked on to her friend, her paws dancing as she anticipated another throw.

She grinned to herself, watching Freyja chasing down the dead blackbird to investigate it even as Wildfire padded closer. Her brows arched curiously at the little girl's outburst and she waved her black tail, then paused before taking a seat beside the puddle where the glossy black body floated. It was sort of a macabre image, especially with the wings bent and fanned out at unnatural angles, but what were they if not predators?

"You hungry?" she queried of the pup, striking out a slender foreleg to grab at the wet feathers and drag the soaked carcass out of the puddle and onto the ground in front of her. "Maybe you can keep some of these feathers. You can tickle your sisters and brother with 'em," Wildfire teased.

To Wildfire’s question, the silver hatchling nodded with a smile. Though lunch hadn’t been too long ago she was still slightly hungry-- especially if it was a kill from Wildfire. With a the meal presented, Freyja was also offered a very welcomed suggestion in regards to the kill. Tickling siblings-- now that was an idea! Mischief danced in her eyes at the recommendation and she nodded eagerly. “Yeah!” She would have to save some feathers. Then, when her siblings least expected anything to happen, she would have to pounce and tickle them until they piddled themselves! She would have to relay the story back to Wildfire when that happened.

Despite the promise of a meal, Freyja still wanted to throw around the bird for a little longer. Placing a paw upon the corpse, the Goufa looked to the woman with the fire-colored fur with pleading expression. “First can… can?” she struggled to find the right word in that moment, which happened more often than she would have liked. Frowning heavily, she glanced to the kill and pushed it before looking back up to Wildfire, hoping she would understand. She wanted to throw around this bird a few more times before eating! She didn’t want to waste a good time so quickly.

Freyja replied with enthusiasm and Wildfire began to bend down to start feathering and rending the bird. However, the pup's next question gave her pause. She licked her lips and looked at her youthful face, trying to figure out what she meant. Fortunately, Freyja tried to show her by nudging at the sopping, feathery corpse with a tiny paw.

It wasn't difficult to guess what she might want. "Hasn't your mother ever told you not to play with your food?" she teased affectionately. Probably she hadn't. Most likely, Gyda encouraged her cubs to do just that. It was how wolf pups learned crucial skills. "Do you want me to throw it? Or would you like to try?" she asked next.

As Wildfire teased Freyja smiled and looked to the other wolf, holding onto every word she said with anticipation with what was to come. When an offer was made in regards to the bird, Freyja looked from the dead body to Wildfire before asking a simple question: “Ha?” She wasn’t quite sure how Wildfire got it to fly so far!

Either Freyja didn't understand her or she didn't want to toss the bird. "Okay," the Bandrona said, "I'll throw it and how about you try to catch it?" As the words left her mouth, she wondered whether Freyja or any of her siblings might want to become a hunter one day. She would love to help train any or all of them. A little shiver of delight passed through her before she smiled and then snatched up the sopping, dripping blackbird. This would be good practice in any case.

"'Ou 'eady?" she mumbled to the pup before rearing onto her hind legs and simultaneously throwing her head back, neck snapping backward as she threw the dead body almost straight upward. The wings flipped, flopped and flapped awkwardly as it rose up, then crested and began its earthbound descent.

Feel free to 'power play' the dead bird landing, haha!

As Wildfire offered a suggestion, the child nodded in response. Yes, she could do that! She knew she could! Readying herself as the Bandrona picked up the bird, the Goufa lowered herself to a crouch and trained her eyes upon her target-- the soppy, very dead bird.

As the dark figure was lurched into the air, Freyja followed it quickly. She was in awe of how Wildfire could fling it so with such might and power-- Freyja wished she possessed such strength. As the bird began to make its descent, Freyja readied herself for the limelight of the moment that was about to occur. She rocked subtly from side to side as she readied herself and then it happened. Springing at what she thought was the perfect moment, the cub launched herself upwards.

Though she had thought that she had the perfect timing the preceding events would say otherwise.

Instead of falling perfectly into her outstretched arms the bird instead landed squarely into her gut. Taken aback by the sudden impact the child fell backwards and landed with an “oof!” as the wind rushed from her lungs. Remaining on her back, and somewhat stunned by what had just happened, the child remained on the soaked ground with the bird at her side.

Maybe later, Wildfire could and would laugh at the image of the dead bird effectively dive bombing the pup. However, the little noise Freyja made nearly caused her heart to stop. She darted over to the felled youngster, gently nosing her. "Rey? Are you okay? Ohmygosh," the Bandona veritably squeaked. What if the beak had stabbed the little girl? What if the bird had reached terminal velocity and crushed her innards? Had Wildfire just gotten her killed?!

But there was no blood, at least that she could see or smell, and Freyja was still breathing and moving. "You okay?" she breathed again, lowering her belly to the ground as she continued to gently nudge and prod the puppy. "Does anything hurt? I'm so sorry, Rey." She definitely hadn't meant for that to happen and hopefully the pup was just fine. In the meantime, the guilt was real.

She was in a daze, only stirring as Wildfire nudged her. Slowly, she turned to face the concern of the other with bright eyes. “Wooooooah,” she breathed as a smile spread over her dark lips. “Wilfiwa, can do that gain?!” she said, reaching up to gently paw at the other’s chin. Despite the initial fear, that had been fun.

When Freyja sat up enough to paw at her chin and began babbling at her, Wildfire practically wanted to cry with relief. She wasn't harmed. She was just fine. The Bandrona let out a shaky breath and smiled crookedly at the pup. She squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head. There was no way she was going to risk that happening again, much as she hated to disappoint the little girl.

"How about we eat it instead?" she suggested, chest still working on loosening as she pushed herself into an upright seated position. "You wanna help me pluck out the feathers? Then we'll pick the best ones for tickling."

Hearing Wildfire’s suggestion she sighed quietly. All she really wanted to do was fling around this bird-- not eat it! But as her disappointment settled another idea came to mind. “Can fin anutha?” she asked a she rolled herself on her belly and then pushed herself to a stand. “We can hunt togewtha!” Though she didn’t know what hunting was all about she figured that she could at least try.

With her offer still fresh off the press Freyja padded so that she was besides Wildfire. She looked from the bird and up to the Bandrona with a grin, waiting for the first bite to be taken.

The pup didn't seem that interested in eating. Instead, she asked if they could find another bird and hunt it together. Wildfire's lips twitched into a pleased smile. Hadn't she just been thinking about this minutes ago? Although Freyja was still a little small for actual hunting, the Bandrona would be more than happy to take her under her figurative wing and start building up her essential skills.

On that note... "Birds are actually really hard to catch. I only got this guy because he broke a wing." She glanced at the poor abused corpse, then back into the little girl's face. "I specialize in other small prey, though, like squirrels and rabbits and stuff like that. I could teach you, if you like... just like my aunt taught me." She wasn't Freyja's aunt, although it was the easiest way to define her station in the pups' lives. She felt a small pang when she thought of Magpie, though it passed quickly.

She refocused on how to go about with teaching Freyja—and possibly the other pups—how to hunt. First, she'd want to obtain their mother's permission. Then she would happily start with some baby steps. Maybe she could chase down a rabbit and injure rather than kill it. Then she could bring it back here to the rendezvous site so the cubs could practice hunting actual live prey. Sounds like a plan, Wildfire thought with a pleased smile.

"It's going to get dark soon but how about I come back in a couple of days and we'll do some hunting practice together? Just gotta ask your mom if it's okay first," Wildfire said to Freyja.

A lesson met Freyja’s request. Looking down to the prey with a sense of wonder. Why were they so hard to catch? How did this one break his wing? These question and more came about as she looked onto the dead bird but went unsaid. Instead, she looked up as an offer was made. “Rweally?!” she asked, perking as her concerns over the bird fleeted. She wanted nothing more than to spend an afternoon alone with Wildfire and this seemed like a prime opportunity to do so.

Her attention turned to the horizon as her prior excitement lessened. Wildfire was right-- it was getting dark and her noni would be expecting her return. “Do I hawve seep?” she asked, her ears lowering at this. She wasn’t ready for bedtime and she just wanted to hang out.

*PPs everybody like whoa*

"Really, really," Wildfire assured with a few playful flicks of her black tail. Her lips pursed at the child's next question, then she smiled a little bit conspiratorially. "I'm willing to hang out until your m—" She didn't even have time to finish her sentence before she saw a gray shadow slinking closer, the Viking Queen come to gather Freyja for bedtime.

The Bandrona bobbed her head at Gyda, saying, "I was thinking of coming by in a few days for some early hunting lessons. Is that all right with you?" The young mother smiled and agreed to it, so Wildfire tossed a grin toward Freyja. "We'll do it soon," she promised the youngster. She indicated the dead blackbird with a foot and quipped, "Don't forget this. You know, once they dry off, those feathers will make good bedding as well as tickling apparatuses."

Soon Gyda was collecting her daughter to return to the main rendezvous site to get some sleep. "Good night," Wildfire said to both of them, her amber eyes tracking their retreating figures through the dimming air before she turned and resumed her hunt across the rain-washed territory.

*makes it rain PPs* Fading now! Great thread. :)

As reassurance and excitement came upon the hatchling her mother joined the scene. A smile was upon Freyja’s dark lips as she reached up to her mother, greeting her with a wag of her tail and kiss upon her chin. When the plans were finalized and parting words were given, Freyja looked to her friend. “Thankye, Wilfiwa!” she offered as the other headed off to continue her hunt.

As the gyda and Freyja began to head for the den, the child excused herself for a moment and bounded off to retrieve the bird know that the feathers would do her well in the future. With the fowl in her mouth, she returned to her mother’s side and the two made their way to the den as thoughts of hunting with Wildfire danced through her mind.