Blacktail Deer Plateau The shadows stole the sun

Long legs tore up the ground as the Plateau Alpha Healer whispered from tree to tree. Her mind was on other things, on this cloudy day. The sun still played peek a boo, with her paws as she walked to and fro. She was at odds with herself, something was not quite right, the day had an oppressive feel and she wasn’t entirely sure how to handle it really. Her heart played pitter patter with her ribs, and her breathing was even, but she was on her guard. Hackles prickled and raised, while green eyes skirted across the ground and back again, almost feverishly she kept walking, unsure what to do with the nervous energy that now plagued her large body.

She gave a small smile to the sun playing hide and seek, and then just as suddenly the light was gone. She froze in her tracks, every muscle quivering and on edge. Paw in midstep she laid her ears to the back of her skull and whined softly. What on earth, the shadows ate the sun, those were not shadows she wished to tell secrets too. Not shadows that snuffed out the sun.

As she stood there in mid motion, her heart fluttering on her rib cage, and her lungs filled to the brim with air, while she held baited breath. She raced through all the stories her father had ever told her, trying to find some sort of comfort in the unknown. Perhaps there was a story about the shadows that ate the sun, and if there was it couldn’t be so bad could it?

Osprey Jr. was playing by herself just beyond the rendezvous site when the sky began to darken. Sensing something amiss, she glanced upward and sniffed the air. Was it really night already? She didn't even feel sleepy! Her family hadn't eaten dinner either. She blinked her two-toned eyes, suddenly perplexed.

When she spun on a black heel and ran to the clearing, nobody was there. Feeling uneasy, the pup dropped her nose to the ground and began sniffing, following her father's scent back into the woods. Tracking him with diligence that would've made him proud, she stopped short when she reached a grove of particularly deep shadows (the sky was nearly dark as nighttime now) and heard some strange grunting noises. The smells were strange too. Some inner instinct warned her not to proceed.

But since when had young Osprey ever heeded her better judgment? Craning her neck forward, she pressed her tapered muzzle between some shrubs and spotted her father and another, vaguely familiar wolf standing next to one another, albeit standing at strange angles. Her dad's leg was hiked in the air as if he was marking a tree. Was he urinating on the other wolf's head?! Nose wrinkling, the puppy stuck out her tongue and quickly withdrew from the screen of brush.

Backpedaling, the pup trotted away feeling more bewildered than ever. Much to her relief, she came across Blue Willow and strode up to the leader, the picture of submission as she snuggled up against her aunt and questioned, "Wha's goin' on?!" in a loud, whining whisper.

Blue looked down at the child snuggled next to her. She shifted and lay down sphinx like so the child could snuggle better into her downy fur, if she was scared. Because if Blue was scared she was certain the child was scared too. There were so many stories revolving around the shadows that ate the moon and almost all of them bad. She briefly wondered about one that wasn’t so scary and she thought of one. She looked down at the child and began to weave a tale; maybe it would help them both past the time.

you see little one the Sun is a big man and he has 20 wives and lots of animals are his friends. A lot of these friends are mountain lions and snakes, and they have tempers you know. When Mr. Moon does not bring the mountain lions and snakes the food he told them he would, they attack him. They bite and scratch him and he bleeds. His wives being brave females that they are, they rush to help him. Just like you helped your daddy when you and I were playing, they protect him. And when they chase away the mean animals, they help him heal, and that is why there is shadow on the moon, it’s all his wives rushing to help him. Once he’s healed again the light will come back.

She nuzzled the little girl’s head hoping that eased a little bit, because even Blue did not know exactly what this was, and she didn’t want to tell the child that, and scare her more.

Blue Willow spoke in a soothing tone, telling her a story about the moon and his wives. Osprey Jr.'s bat-like ears quivered as she listened to the tale. When the Alpha female finished, she leaned backward to look into the adult's face and then licked softly at her chin, a quiet show of thanks for making her feel better. She then rubbed her head underneath Blue Willow's chin, her big ears crumpling against her head.

"L-O-V, that spells love!" the youngster chimed randomly, entirely forgetting the final E. It was something she'd learned from her mother just the other day. "I love you, Aunt Willow," she added, her thin tail thumping in the ground. "You make me feel betta'." She grinned, showing her pearly white teeth. They glowed in the darkness, which had ceased to affect her.

"Why's daddy peein' on that guy's head?" she queried, equally spontaneously. Childishly, she assumed Blue Willow would know exactly who she was talking about and, just like she'd put young Osprey's mind at ease about the early night, Junior hoped her aunt would provide an explanation for her daddy's odd behavior.

Omg I definitely snorted at that question and I honestly don’t know how Blue would explain it if she even knew lol

Blue smiled softly at the junior’s lick and rub. She nuzzled the tip of her head and her bat like ears. They were adorable on her. All too soon she would grow into them and her childhood would be left behind.

Blue hummed deep in her chest. Oh Junior I love you too. I am glad I can make you feel better. You made me feel better too, you brave girl you. She smiled softly at her and lay her head to her paws, content to rest as the sky began to lighten again.

Blue was momentarily struck dumb at the next question. What on earth was she talking about? She didn’t know how to answer, because she didn’t know what she was talking about. I’m not sure junior. But I’m sure your daddy had a very good reason for it. that is all she could say without knowing for certain what she was talking about. She’d have to ask peregrine what the girl meant, or if it was just her imagination or her dreams.

:B

Blue Willow relaxed on the ground even as the preternatural night began to fade back toward daylight. Osprey Jr. shot the Alpha female a quizzical look, wondering why the spontaneous night had been so short, yet the Healer didn't seem perturbed. Deciding to follow her example, Junior sprawled on the ground next to her aunt and decided not to worry about the sky's peculiar behavior.

"He was makin' noises too," Junior shared, then imitated the sounds she'd heard her father making. "Uhhhn uhhhn uhhhhhn." They sounded quite out of place coming from such a young child's lips. All the while, she peered at the Healer's face, her own visage a picture of innocent curiosity.

Blue waas nervous for sure at the sky's premature darkness. However she felt that it would be best to ignore it to keep junior at ease. It was fading anyway much to her appreciation. Blue listened as the child chattered on the next part freezing her jaw shut. Of course she couldnt be sure if what she thought was true, was real, but she had a strong suspicion she knew what had happened. How on earth could she answer.

She thought and then spoke quietly Your daddy was playing an adult game. You ask him about it when your a little older. After this she was going to find perry and give him a talking to like hes never had. He had every right to do what he wanted with who he wanted but he needed to be more careful. She did not realize junior had happened onto the secret sin shack of woods.

The pup's head cocked at Aunt Willow's reply. More likely, she would ask him later today. She would be a little older by this evening, right? In any case, Osprey Jr. did not possess the patience nor maturity to reserve the inquiry for a later date.

But she realized she would get no satisfactory answers from Blue Willow, so Junior seized upon another, more relevant topic. "Why's the sun up agin? Is it tomorrow?" she wondered, gazing up at the back-lit treetops, then down at the ground, where their shadows shifted with the once more radiant sunlight.

/Hope you don't mind if I join/

Fireblaze was lazing around in the camp, when it suddenly got very dark. Ok, she thought. This is creepy. I'm going out to find Blue Willow.

She walked through the woods, tracking Blue Willow by scent. Eventually, Blue came into sight. "Blue Willow," she called, racing towards her. She stopped when she arrived, and asked "What is happening?"

She saw Osprey jr. in the curve of her belly. "Osprey? Did you come all this way to find your Aunt Willow?"

I don't mind this time Fireblaze but next time there is a thread that is this long, please refrain from joining unless its say a pack meeting or a pack activity. Does that make sense?

Blue chuckled gently at the pup No junior it is not tomorrow, it's still today. Remember the wives covered the sun for a little bit. Twilight will come again later. She wasn't sure how she could explain it much more than that to the little pup.

Blue looked at fireblaze still a little upset with the girls reaction to Nameless, and upset with Nameless herself as well, but she kept quiet and spoke softly. The sun was hurt so his wives covered him up. She couldn't say anything else really when she had already told the pup that story, she didn't want to confuse her and she hoped that Fireblaze would take the answer and not question it.

To be fair, the thread is marked "All Welcome" and there's no rule about joining a thread in progress. With that said, it's usually best practice to PM the other players first before joining to make sure it's okay. :)

"Oh," Junior said, not quite understanding but not really caring that much, either. She absently squinted at the sky and it appeared as normal as ever: sprawling and blue, with fluffy white clouds here and there.

When her gaze dropped down, Osprey jumped at the unexpected sight of another wolf, a stranger. Her bat-like ears pinned backward, though they pricked again as she eyed the unfamiliar she-wolf. Junior didn't understand the newcomer's question, so she ignored it.

There was something else which she couldn't ignore. Both instinct and experience caused the youth to peer up at the female with a disapproving look on her face. "Aunt Willow's da Affa, ya know! You should bow down!" The lack of submission irked the youth; even the young pup knew her powerful aunt deserved to be acknowledged.

I got permission from Fireblaze to skip her in the threads so want to fade this and archive?

Blue looked to the sky a small smile on her face as the light came back and chased away the darkness. See the wives healed him, and now he is all better.

Blue smiled at Fireblaze, but stood her height adding inch to her size. yes she is you should show the proper submission to your leaders. However, Junior and I were going weren't we little one. Blue brushed her muzzle across junior and started back towards the rendezvous site, feeling that she wanted Junior back where she lay her head.

Yup yup. :)

Blue Willow corroborated the pup's statement, then announced that they were leaving. Osprey Jr. gave the other she-wolf a filthy look, then bobbed her head and sprang forward, falling into step with her aunt as the Alpha female led the way along a familiar path back toward the rendezvous site. En route, she glanced at the sky a few times, wondering if it would act funny again, but it stayed the same all the way home and Junior quickly forgot about the entire thing.