Redhawk Caldera For one night I'm the hero

First dad had gone — which Caracal only marginally noticed — and now mom was gone too, and no amount of wandering or shouting could help the boy find her. He'd tried for about an hour; roaming from the rendezvous site up the hill to yell for @Towhee.

As he trundled back down the hill to where the twins rested in the shade, Caracal made a point to stomp and cause as much disorder as he could, so as to wake @Sphyra from her nap and rouse @Tierra from whatever stupor the heat of the day had caused.

GET UP! He commanded. Have you seen mom? I can't find mom! Whether the twins answered him or not, Caracal began to march around them in an ever-widening circle. MOM! MOOOOM! He yelled again until he was red in the face, then huffed.

See? NOTHING! It hadn't occurred to Caracal yet that Towhee wouldn't have heard him anyway.

Making some vague assumptions because of that other thread

If possible, Tierra had become an even bigger brat since her dad re-appeared and then (assume) had to leave again. She didn't listen, picked obstinate fights with about anyone who would talk to her, and spent most of her time sulking with the heat. She hated the way it made her feel, all prickly and gross and like she was being flattened under something.

- She can't hear you, stupid. - Tierra flashed back in signs, not even bothering to get up when she did. She didn't know an actual sign for stupid but she tended to improvise... and the rude gesture she made seemed appropriate. Maybe she got sick of you too. She added, rolling over so her back was to him.

She should have been worried, maybe, but two things prevented that. One - she couldn't really imagine anything bad happening to her mom. Two was petty. She was still pretty upset with her mom for, seemingly, keeping dad away. Meerkat's actions hadn't helped on that front (since she'd understood her older sister had interceded on her mom's behalf) and the entire thing had her turning her mom, at the moment, into public enemy number one.

Maybe if you help me she can hear it. Caracal shot back, sticking out his tongue a second later. But he stopped and almost bit down on his tongue when Tierra made her second comment, one which made him puff up and stomp even more.

In Caracal's mind his mother was his idol; he loved his father too in the way that kids always love their parents, or whatever, but he certainly had a favorite. The thought that Towhee was gone because she was sick of him was a low blow.

NO SHE ISN'T! He bellows, launching himself at his sister's ruddy back. As soon as his pale chest connected with her shoulder he was scrambling to climb over her, straddling across her ribs.

It would have been an effective method for pinning someone down had Caracal been paying attention. Instead he sort-of wedged a foot against her kidney and hooked a foreleg over her face, so her nose was in his armpit.

Get OFFAME Tierra shrieked, rolling and attempting to kangaroo-kick her brother in the gut in order to dislodge him. It was a pretty hard hit, too... a no-holds-barred sibling sucker-punch that she'd probably regret as soon as she cooled off enough to be reasonable.

Towhee was a fixture, but Tierra chased what she couldn't have. Right now that was daddy, and as a result, he was the only wolf who she wanted to see. When it came to this split home, she saw greener grass on the other side. Daddy would never yell at her, would never let Sphyra or Caracal tackle her, and would treat her like the princess she was. Daddy was fun.

When daddy comes back he's gonna take me with. She added heatedly. There was no truth behind it to back it up and she knew it, but she wanted to make sure Caracal knew that she was special and that she didn't care about him or about mom or about any of it. That'd teach them.

Caracal see-sawed across his sister for a few seconds as she fought against him, losing the irritation in favor of the joy that playing around brought him.

He continued trying to climb over Tierra until she managed to roll herself in to a more dangerous position: poised with her feet on his belly and then trying her damnedest to launch him away. One foot hit squarely against his diaphragm and knocked the wind out of him — the other, well, that slipped some ways down south.

The boy's eyes bulged out of his face after that connection was made. Tierra was free and Caracal hit the dirt, curled up and rolling like a giant golden pill-bug. As hard as Reyes had hit him and as scary as it was to be pinned down for that split second, this hurt a helluvalot more; the pain radiated up through his stomach, to his throat.

Tierra's assertion — that their father would come and take her away — was met with a glare from Caracal, who sucked in a few breaths while tears prickled the edge of his vision, and shouted (more like wheezed):

Good I hope you never come back!!!

Score. She felt the thrill of satisfaction as she got his hot weight off of her, and even more when she realized she'd actually hurt him. Guilt too, but she was mad, so it was hard to be too upset with herself unless she'd like.... drawn blood or something.

YEAH, then I never have to see your smelly face again! She yelled back, breathing quickly and way too hot. Tears pricked frustratingly at her eyes too, which was dumb because it was just stupid Caracal. Who cares what he thought?!

I hate it here! Pushing herself to her paws while tears began to slide down her face, Tierra ran out of the den. Fine. She didn't have to wait, she could go right now and find daddy. If she found him, she'd be happy, he'd be happy; they'd all be happy.

Sphyra was just headed back towards the den when an angry, hot Tierra nearly bumped into her. Hey!! Watch where you goin', meat-head! Sphyra was getting rather annoyed with all of the drama going on around her, and her own fuse was shortening because of it. Dad was on a trip because he was sick, and mom would probably be back sometime soon. What was it with Tierra? Was she such a little baby that she needed someone to watch her literally all the time? Caracal wasn't much better, but at least he wasn't running off and returning like a boomerang all the time.

Presumably, Tierra just pushed past Sphyra and ran off. Honestly, Sphyra didn't really want to go check on Caracal, because he was probably also being a baby but someone had to, she supposed, since everyone seemed to be gone. What happened now? she snapped impatiently at Caracal as she entered the den.