Sun Mote Copse down to the river

@Weejay if you got time <3 edit: woops sorry for the double tag!

Times had been tough and Eljay wasn't entirely sure how to get himself out of the hole he had dug. He felt tired and blah all the time, and wished that he could somehow feel better. There was so much suffering he felt for his children, too. Eljay vividly remembered how terrible it had been when his mommy had left him for like.. a month? He supposed? He didn't exactly remember, but he remembered it felt like she'd been gone forever. Every day he tried to put on a brave face for his children, but every day it was difficult for him and he feared that his true feelings shone through like a blister on one's face. No amount of compeed patches could cover that up.

Elfie seemed to be doing relatively alright for now, but Weejay was sad a lot. Eljay decided to get out of his own sad and do something fun with her today. @Weejay, do you want to go down to the river to play? Eljay asked his daughter, hoping that he could lift her spirits at least a little bit. They both needed it. It was a warm day so it seemed like a good idea to splash around in the water for a bit.

For continuity reasons I will set it for late July.

Being nearly five months old Elfie had outgrown his cute puppy stage and was a slightly smaller and ganglier version of an adult. His fluffy sand-brown coat had changed to the beautiful firey red that his mom had sported and, though still very playful and childish in his ways, there were brief moments of, where he showed amazing maturity. 

Colt's accident had taken place at the most inconvenient time (if being almost mauled to death can ever be convenient), because Eljay's ban to leave the Sunmote Copse occurred just, when Elfie's curiousity for the life outside the territories had grown. He had yielded reluctantly, out respect for his grandparents, but here and then, when his own dad was not looking, he gave him a stink-eye.

In his narrow-minded understanding and lack of experience about the world, it was easy to blame him for spoiling fun things. AGAIN. Therefore he could not wait 'till the day, when he was all grown up and he could go out, have adventures and cool life and prove his old, boring dad that he had been dead wrong about everything. Familiar line of thought, eh?

To prove that not all is one-sided, I have to say that Elfie did love his dad and would not wish any harm to come to him. He only wished that Eljay could make it a tad bit easier to do so and be more understanding of, what Elfie felt and needed. The last thing he wished was to be cooped up inside that safety-fence all his life. And though he did rebel, disobey, whenever possible, made his opinion known and was all in all a much not needed pain in Eljay's ass, it also troubled him deeply that he was unable to communicate with his father without it becoming an argument. 

And there was one boiling up now too, when Eljay invited Weejay to play and forgot all about his son, lounging nearby in the sun. He opened his eyes and without getting up, glared at his father. So unfair. Again.

It ws hard getting anything fun done with Elfie these days, it felt. Seemed like everything was a struggle and Eljay tried so hard but it just never seemed to be good enough. The father was at wit's end. The glare didn't go unnoticed, because Eljay was, as he had always been, hypersensitive to these kind of moods and one harboured by his own child was even more impactful on his own mood. Emotionally he felt very connected, but not in a good way. Elfie was surely just trying to deal with his mother's young death still, but how could Eljay help his son out in this? It felt like literally every decision he made was the wrong one.

Even now Eljay pondered if he should ask Elfie to come with or if he should just leave him be for now. After a moment's contemplation the father turned towards his son and asked, Do you want to come, too? His words were careful, as though Eljay was holding a dozen porcelain tea cups that he was afraid to accidentally drop and smash into a thousand pieces if he went about this the wrong way.

@Weejay feel free to pop in still if you'd like

Would Eljay believe that Elfie did not think about Wildfire at all? Now and then the memory of his mother entered his mind, especially, when he saw Weejay being sad again or his father mourning. But for the most part her image had faded. He could not remember her facial features or her as a living, breathing and thinking person. She had simply been something that had existed, left hardly any lasting impression on his life and disappeared one day. Finley had filled that role so well and naturally, that he did not even consider that something very significant was missing from his life. 

He could not also pinpoint, what exactly made him angry and annoyed by Eljay - he just was and was not overly inclined to analyze the reasons for it. "And do what there?" Elfie replied with a question of his own and got to his feet. "You will forbid all the fun things and shower us in, what we do not want," he told him.

Well, it turned out Elfie was not as keen as Weejay to explore the river. Caught between excitement and a latent sense of disappointment, Weejay shifted uncomfortably and glanced from Eljay to Elfie. She wanted to go to the river and 'splore, and she hadn't considered Elfie's point until he graciously spoke them. Now that he made her think of it, Weejay realized he was right. Once they got to the river, would they really be able to have any fun?

She glanced back at her father, her eyes squinting ever so slightly. Maybe, if she cooperated, he might let her do something fun.. or maybe she might come across Aengus... or if she was lucky there might be some new flowers to discover along the bank. Neither of which would be exciting to Elfie, of course, but Weejay's mind was already distant, thinking of all the possibilities just around that river bend..

Elfie didn't respond as well as Eljay had hoped to the invitation to join them. The father frowned, taken aback when Elfie said they wouldn't be allowed to have fun anyway. To.. play, he reiterated when Elfie asked what they would do there anyway. You don't have to come if you don't want to, Eljay muttered -- it was very clear from the look on his face that even though there were no obligations, it'd break his heart if either of his children decided to sit this one out.

He got into motion and glanced back in silent invitation, hoping both children would join for some good ole' fashioned Safe Fun Within The Territory's Boundaries.

If Eljay had put up so much as a fight, had yelled, become angry, showed any sign of emotion other than, what Elfie interpreted as feebleness of character, the boy would have learned to respect his father. Instead he had put his son in the position of power without even realizing this. And it angered him even more, because it should not have been like that. Father was someone you looked up to, somebody you wished to be, when you grew up, someone, which showed you reins and boundaries, which knew, when to argue and how to win. Elfie failed to see any admirable qualities about Eljay. He pitied him for having no back-bone and was angry at him for the same reason. 

Elfie did not follow right away, his gaze settled on his sister, as if silently asking, whether she was going to respond to the invitation. Out of sheer spite he would prefer her not to do so. So that it would make Eljay stop giving up all the time.

Weejay shifted uncomfortably, caught between the wishes of her brother and her father. She loved them both, enormously -- and wished they could just see eye-to-eye on some things..

... But that would change who they were fundamentally, and she knew that -- but it did not stop her from silently wishing to herself that they could put aside their differences just this once. Feeling Elfie's gaze upon her, Weejay knew what he was thinking and felt quietly ashamed for her previously uncharitable thoughts. "I want to go see the moss.." Weejay answered lamely, giving Elfie her most imploring gaze: "it's sooo pretty. And it has these little stems --" her voice took on an excited babble, for she really couldn't hep herself -- "I think they're like flowers, but moss-flowers! I want to see if they bloomed yet, cause I noticed they were bigger last t--" She stopped, realizing she had just incriminated herself by admitting she had been to the river recently without her father.

Shifting again, Weejay continued in a stifled but plaintive manner: "I just want to see the flowers."

Elfie's heart warmed up, as he listened to Weejay's explanation. If he was not above hurting his father at the moment, he did not wish to disappoint his sister in any way. If she wanted to see those plants, so they shall. "The last time we went there, I remember," he lied smoothly for his sister's sake and grinned conspirationally at her.

"Ok, let's go," he told her, got to his feet, touched her shoulder lightly as he went past her, effectively ignored Eljay and went straight ahead of them. He knew, where the river was. He did not need either guidance or permission.

Eljay totally missed that Weejay betrayed that she had been there before; perhaps because he was focused on getting Elfie involved and interested, or perhaps because of the way Elfie covered up for her. It was hard to tell. Weejay seemed excited, at least, which got Eljay in a bit better mood. Then Elfie decided to come, too, which pretty much made the try-hard father's entire day. Maybe week.

Great! he said with a smile, finally managing to feel a bit better, for now. Let's go then. Eljay started leading the way. He looked back at the pups and said, I hope the pretty moss flowers will have bloomed. He wasn't entirely sure which ones Weejay was talking about, but Eljay hoped dearly for his daughter's sake that they had bloomed. He felt they could all use the win, and it might put all of them in a better mood.

Weejay had a hidden oh-shit moment (but of course, not that word, because she was too innocent to use such words.. so maybe it was an oh fudgesticks or oh gingersnaps moment) when she realized she had accidently outed them.. Elfie was quick to swoop in and miraculously, it seemed their father hadn't picked up on her slip-up after all.

Grinning secretively to Elfie, Weejay was already off and running -- her pudgy form overtaken with purpose. On the way to the river she couldn't help but break into child-song, humming a little tune about the River-Belle, a wayfaring orchid that wished to become a lilypad.

On their way to the river Elfie let Weejay catch up with him and adjusted his stride so that they could run side by side. He was not chivalrous enough to let her win the race - he had a reputation to keep up, after all. Now and then he would either nip or hip-bump his sister playfully, savouring the one long moment, where they both could be carefree and happy. All too soon Weejay would be overcome by sadness and he would be filled with bitter anger towards the world and everyone in it.

And then - they had arrived. "You are getting faster," he praised his sister, then turned around to see, how far Eljay had got.

As Weejay and Elfie broke into a dash Eljay was quick to follow. It probably wouldn't be any problem to let them run with the pair of them and walk himself, but there was always something about this that made Eljay's heart race and made him fear that they would take a wrong turn and get lost or that something else might happen and he'd be too late to intervene. Even now, as he followed fairly closely behind, Eljay could feel the worry that something might happen, or that they would take that wrong turn, maybe even on purpose.

Luckily all went normal, as it always did, and they reached the river eventually. Eljay smiled as Elfie looked over his shoulder, enjoying seeing his children having their carefree moment just as much as they did. Their childhood should've been filled with this, and he should've had Wiffle by his side to provide them with it. Everything would've been so much easier then, and maybe he'd have been a better dad then.

Eljay panted from the running and looked 'round by the waterside to try and find the flowers that Weejay had mentioned. Are these the flowers you meant? he asked when he found a patch of moisty moss by the waterside with stems coming from it, that seemed to have little flowers coming out.

Onward they raced, two siblings in the heat of competition. For a moment all the troubles that worried Weejay's heart melted away -- and she was aware only of the wind riffling her fur, the affectionate bumps and nips of her brother, the footsteps of her father behind, and the joyful destination ahead. She was getting fast -- and maybe one day, might beat Elfie at his own game. Uh huh, better watch out cause I'm gonna grow and then you'll be in BIG trouble! Weejay chided cheerfully, aiming a light nip at his ear. 

She prepared for some retaliation, but her fathers voice rang over from the bank. Ears perking instantly Weejay bound towards the dark river's siding, her eyes lighting up as she saw a heavy band of moss carpeted thickly by little flower heads. Oooh!! Weejay exclaimed, hustling over and bending so that her chubby face was flush with the little white petals. What kind of moss is this, Daddy?! She did not know if her father knew, but maybe he had seen such things before, and might know of their use and properties.

Elfie drew closer, when Eljay and Weejay engaged in a conversation about the flowers, but one look at the patch of the green stuff assured him that this was definitely not something he wished to know more about. It looked just the same as the next patch of grass. Boring. 

Therefore he went to explore the riverbank in search for something more appropriate and exciting to a boy his age. A spar would be just a thing, but - one look over his shoulder - neither his sister, nor his father seemed like good opponents to him. And they would be just as disinteresed in his war-games as he was in botany.

He sighed and to entertain himself, began to dig a hole.

Eljay looked at Weejay as she approached with excitement lighting up her eyes. He was glad that she was interested in flowers and herbs as well; maybe she would even be interested in becoming a healer? The pack could use one; he was nowhere near as well as Raven at it. Maybe Weejay had the potential to learn, too. The father looked at his son, who seemed to have lost interest now that Weejay was interested in the moss, and was digging. Content that nothing dangerous was going on, Eljay turned back towards his daughter and the moss.

I don't know what it's called, he said, But I use this moss sometimes for putting on wounds. Moss helps to keep the wound clean and stop it from bleeding.

In that moment the only thing Weejay's attention was on, were the little buds of white that poked between soft fronds of moss. It held her attention entire: she did not even see Elfie out of the corner of her eyes, upturning fresh soil for his own source of amusement.

Disappointed (but not begrudging) that her father did not know, Weejay hovered over the moss until it seemed her eye was resting exactly on one gentle stalk of milkwhite petals; she took in everything she could about this flower; how it sprung from the moss, how many leaves it had (none - but tendrils it had in spades), and how healthy it seemed compared to its peers. "I'll call this one moon-moss, cause the mossflower looks like a little moon. Have you used this moss in particular before, Daddy?"

Last one from me.

While digging, Elfie remembered the time, when Penn (or Pox, or whatever his cousin's name was) had dug a super hole during a treasure hunt and claimed to have found even better prize than the bones and other toys Wraen had hidden away. There was no proof and Elfie had many reasons to doubt his cousin, BUT that did not mean that he could not trump him by creating even a bigger pit. Or a den - just think! If he made a home here now, he would be able to move out today. 

This was even more exciting and, while his father and sister entertained themselves with inspecting moss, he made his progress in creating a super-den for himself.

my last one, too! feel free to archive or add another post, lauren :)

Eljay smiled as Weejay creatively named the moss. He had never been very creative himself, and Eljay was sure that this came from Wiffle. He saw a lot of her in Weejay; it was both comforting as well as painful. Moon-moss, Eljay repeated, trying out the name for himself. That's a pretty neat name. I have used that before. Most types of moss had been used at one point or another, whichever was handy at the time.

While Elfie dug his trench, Weejay was fastidously focused on the moss. She peered at it up close, giggling as her breath bowled over the little flowers. Moon-moss. It had a good ring to it, and she was very excited to make this a new addition to her garden. With Eljay mentioning it had been used before, Weejay believed it prudent to bring some home.

Carefully, Weejay pulled a small sampling of the moss from the dirt. When it came time to go,  she carried it all the way home, tender as an egg in her mouth. She would place it somewhere shadowy and dark - maybe under the little oak near her garden -- somewhere she could watch it grow.