Dragoncrest Cliffs Arowana

It was another overcast day. Grey clouds loomed overhead and locked out any signs of sunlight or warmth. The summer air that used to roll in with the sea had gone. The winds were colder, sharper, and they cut with their touch.

Swordfish had found a place on the beach where he hunkered down behind a beached log. It was large enough that he could crouch, and the wind would be blocked from slicing through his coat. The young wolf would need some time before his full winter coat grew in. He was still young, and his figure had grown to be long, gangly, and susceptible to the cold.

A pair of gulls flapped down and began to squawk at each other. One pecked at the other. Swordfish scowled at them, unamused. Their noise made him want to leave. When one of the birds took off and vanished into the grey, the young wolf lifted his head and scanned the beach for signs of a familiar shape.

it would be quen!

trotting down the beach, admiring the noisy gulls who cruised on cooling winds. shrieking the song of their kind. music to his ears! he had no clue that the hunkered form of the other boy had opposite feelings.

so he called out. loud and jovial.

swordfish! he barked out. whatcha be doin' behind a log?

*gobbles up Quennel* cutie uwu

It was fortunate for most of the higher energy children in Sapphique that Swordfish got along well with the more talkative types. Though he liked his peace and solitude, the young seafarer also had Stingray for a brother. There had been times when the golden boy’s antics had given his sibling a throbbing headache. At the end of the day, Swordfish loved Ray – he’d do anything for his brother. After some time, he even grew to appreciate his sibling’s imagination.

Ey, Quennel… he drawled in a familiar deadpan tone. The young wolf’s hooded gaze fixed on the other boy. He offered a flick of his red tail. Was lookin fer a snack. Wanna help? Two sets of teeth were better than one.

blushes :33

well o' course i do! he agreed, tail swaying as his fiery nape was like a porcupine's back. vermillion quills ruffled by the wind. his pirate life became a bit more manifested day by day.

you be tired of whale already? this teased with a grin as he padded closer to the boy. prepared to follow him wherever he wished to go.

No surprise, Quennell was swift to agree to search for something to eat. He had a chipper tone when he asked if Swordfish was already sick of whale. Truth be told, yes. The young seafarer had enjoyed trying the whale the first time – a new flavor. After he had gone back to feed again, he found that the taste had worn on him, and he didn’t like it as much.

Aye, and it’s gonna make me fat, he said dryly. The young wolf turned his hooded eyes on the other boy’s face and offered a small smirk. Swordfish, who looked like he could cut through the wind if he put some effort into it. It was highly unlikely that the rangy redtail would find himself taking on any shape but the one he had grown into.

Thinkin’ we could try fer seagull? Ma gave me one when I was a pup. When ya pluck the feathers off, they’re real good.

swordfish was dry.

quennell barked with loud, hearty laughter. fat! maybe such a thing would not be awful. some instinct with the cold breeze. not that he had ever lived through a winter before.

dey be screamin' like banshees and run in flocks. you be prepared for that?

he sure was!

On second thought, the gulls didn’t sound too fun. With Quennell’s eagerness dripping through his every word, Swordfish felt an obligation to accept the challenge. Besides, he was the idiot who’d suggested they try chasing after the birds. The young seafarer wished that he had asked his mom for tips when they had plucked the gull clean and eaten it. He imagined it was about the element of surprise, but he would have to see what that looked like when they found some seagulls.

Aye, let’s give it a try, he agreed. The red tip of his tail waved softly. Swordfish glanced over his shoulder to scan the beach for signs of pesky birds. He wondered where they liked to gather. Once or twice, he had watched them perch along the edges of the rocks. Just as he turned his snout toward the dark sea cliffs, he saw the specks of white near the stones at the bottom.

Lookit there, he remarked and pointed his snout.

even rowdy quennell knew when to be a hushed muppet.

like now, when hunting. swordfish seemed more fit for the job. a bit more streamlined in build despite his large height. so perhaps it would be best to defer to the boy.

only he could not help himself still!

dey might be tempted by bait. he offered idly. a tall ear flicked towards the other boy.

Moving slowly toward where the birds were perched on the dark rock, their heads turning strangely so that they could from the eyes on the sides of their heads. Even from a distance, Swordfish could tell that’s what they were doing. Birds were peculiar things, he thought. He could not imagine having eyes that faced either side of something would be a great deal of use.

Quennell had a thought. He said that the birds might be lured by bait, if they laid it. The young seafarer blinked his eyes slowly and turned toward the red-naped boy with a curling half-smile. That was a bright idea. It was beneficial to have the other boy along, already.

Aye, bait. Whatcha think them pesky birds wanna eat? At least, what was readily accessible to them?

oi, swordfish, dey rocks be hidin' plenty! his voice was vibrant, even if he kept it to a hushed extent. i bet a crab would be entertainin' to dem.

and already he began plucking along, keeping distance from the birds who were no strangers to sea wolves by now.

mothers, sisters and brothers had all told him the glory of rocky shores along the sea. he'd have their bait in no time!

Crabs are plenty entertainin’ to me, he said in his drab voice. The young wolf’s mouth had curled into a small smirk. He didn’t see why the other boy’s plan wouldn’t work. Quennell had a good head about him. He opened Swordfish’s mind to a new concept when hunting. Bait would be a great tool for the young wolf to use in his future food excursions.

Bet there’s some in the sand over here.

Swordfish prowled forward, sniffing at the granules along the beach. Sometimes he could see where the crabs would shuffle out of the sand and scurry along with their sideways walk. Just ahead, near Quennell’s paws! A red-shelled crustacean just waiting to be used to lure gulls. His ears pointed tall and he chuffed to his hunting partner.

he found the boy a proper riot — and it really did take a lot in him to not make a racket over it. the gulls would need to be kept around if they wished to be testing their hunting on them.

so when a crab came scuttling along their path (a vital thing to this hunt!) he aimed to try and scoop it up.

only a crab pinched between his teeth became a weapon practically. flailing its claws, hoping to snap back onto whatever had grabbed it.

oi, oi, oi! he huffed around it as his paws moved in a tippy tap motion. his gaze darted hurriedly to swordfish, hoping the boy was ready to see if a live crab was good bait before it got the better of quen.

Just as quick as it had appeared, the red-naped boy reached down and snatched it up between his teeth. The crab began to snap its pincers, aiming a dangerous claw at its captor. Swordfish was glad that he wasn’t the one having to deal with the live bait. He’d probably have his whiskers snipped clean off his face.

That meant that he would need to get himself ready. The redtail boy crouched and circled out, ready to see what might come of their attempt to lure the birds.

Throw ‘im! Swordfish barked in suggestion, motioning inland to the cliffs. If he could get some air on the crab, it would give the birds some space to fly in and inspect the crustacean. If they did, both boys would be able to aim for one of the birds. The plan felt sound. Swordfish waited with anticipation.

one, two —

HUAH! the crab was chucked like a frisbee, quickly. quennell had been all too happy to send it away from his face. it clattered against stone, of course.

the birds lifted from the sound alone. a few circled to examine what it was that now scuttled in a stunned kind of way along stone.

it was now or never!

quennell quickly began to move, climbing the path with all the experience of one born along the coast.

Into the air and soaring, the crab could have been a bird if it didn’t end up cracking against the rocks and then shuffling oddly through the sand. Maybe the hit had rattled its brains. Swordfish glanced toward Quennell and watched as the young wolf had already started to move forward, eyes trained on their targets. The gulls had started to swoop in to see the crab. They squawked curiously at the dented crustacean.

The young wolf’s mouth had already started to water at the idea of eating one of the birds. He moved quickly to get a position several paces away from Quen, but still able to see when the other boy moved to attack their targets. Swordfish had set his sights on one bird – its back faced him as it tried to peck at the crab.

he may have had all the mind of a ready sea hunter, but his experience was limited.

so the first bird that would be hunted by the seawolves was missed. although quen was granted a mouthful of pale features. that he quickly tried to spat out as they clung to every part of his mouth.

perhaps swordfish would be better fit to finish what they had started! especially now with the birds realizing what was occurring among their flock.

If Swordfish had not aimed for the back of his bird’s neck, he would have missed his attempt, too. As it was, the bird was mid-flight attempt when the redtailed youth met him. No hesitation, he sunk his teeth into the bird’s neck and bit down as hard as he could. It had enough time to flap its feathers with fright once before the killing blow took its fighting spirit.

The other birds had taken flight. Swordfish plopped his on the sand and, panting, looked up to see if Quen had been as successful as he had. The red-naped boy stood with feathers beside him and nothing more. A shame, really. The young seafarer had hoped that they might both find success. The plan had worked only because of Quennell’s idea to use bait.

We can share. Ya gotta help pluck it, though.

Swordfish nudged the bird toward his hunting partner.

when he freed his mouth and vision of feathers, it was to see swordfish's grand success. he felt nothing but joy for the other boy. giving a once whooping sound of success for their hunting. guaranteed that their hunting had been noticed by sapphique as the birds took flight in a noisy departure from this part of the beach.

you ain't gotta be sharin'! but i can still be helpin'.

this offered as he bounced over to bump shoulders in a brotherly manner with the taller boy.

Suzu thrived now that there was food always available on the beach. Rich in nutrients and fat, it became the staple of her diet, and her body grew as if hungry to reach the sun's rays...Though she didn't necessarily get much taller. Her pelt came in, thick and full, and she'd begun to get just a little bit more shape to her body. She was no longer the thin, reedy runt anymore. It was a good thing she was as active as she was, otherwise she might have begun to look a bit round. 

She was on her way to have another snack at the beach when she heard a commotion down a ways. She saw the flurry of white wings flapping and the raucous cries of gulls and amidst them-

"No!" 

Suzu shouted, but her voice was nothing but a whisper, lost on the wind. She bolted toward the boys who were harassing the gulls, just in time to see first one and then the other leap into the air, flushing the birds into the sky. "No!!!" She screamed with her soul, but her voice was little above a whimper. She sped toward them, saving her breath so she could run faster, though she wanted to scream with all her might at them. Quennell hit the ground with a mouthful of feathers- as did Swordfish, but his feathers had legs, a neck, a body...

"NO NO NO NO NOOO!" She screamed. Her voice found itself, and came at an ear-splitting shriek. In a fury, she lunged to claim the bird as her own, snarling. Her teeth were bared, and her eyes shimmered with anger and pain with every heaving breath she took.

There was nothing but congratulatory words from the other hunter. He said that there was no need for sharing, though Swordfish would disagree with such things. Equal parts work deserved equal parts reward. The young man knew that if he had been presented with an opportunity for prey but ended up having to let it go to someone else who had hunted with him, he’d have been a sour sport.

Naw, yer gonna have some. Yer bait idea was real good, Quen. Wouldn’t even have this if-

Cries were heard over the sound of the sea. Someone was calling out no. Swordfish frowned, stopping his words in the middle of his sentence. He spun to see the pale features of Suzu scrunched in anger and her teeth bared violently for him. Shock swept through the young wolf’s figure. He stumbled back a few steps, ears falling flat to his head.

Su… wha? What the hell was going on?

he had not once seen anyone in his family act like this.

he was especially shocked to see it come from his runty niece. screaming and hollering no about something that felt very well beyond his understanding. what was clear was that she was angry.

violent.

so quennell wasted no time in slamming himself between swordfish and suzu, more than happy to be the one to take teeth here. but from his own blood! he could not fathom it!

KNOCK IT OFF, SUZU! WHATCHA MATTER WIT' YOU?

this barked ugly and harsh. a far cry from the usual easy-going, humorous boy he had become.

Suzu had never felt this kind of anger before, and the entire sentiment felt acidic. Swordfish was blown back by her fury, and she crouched over the slain bird for a moment, staring down at it and trying to see if she could get a look at its leg-

-and then Quennell slammed into her, knocking her aside, pushing her away from Swordfish. She tumbled over, and when she got back up to her feet she was shaking. She hadn't wanted Swordfish, she'd just wanted the bird. "DE BIRD!" She shouted at Quennell, squaring her feet. She looked down at the creature, which was rumpled, bloodied and limp. Lifeless. And the way it lay, its legs looked splayed...Crooked, almost. It was impossible to tell, now, if this bird had been the one she had been nurturing. 

Completely overwhelmed by the rush of emotions, the sight of blood and the grief that was budding in her chest, she let out an anguished cry and crumpled to the ground, burying her muzzle beneath her paws where she could at least muffle the sound of her sobbing.

Edit; shoot - last from me! ^^ I'll make some new thread starters for both of you. <3

Fear burst like a firework in his stomach. Quennell pushed forward and slammed himself into Suzu who had been sobbing over… the bird? God, the young wolf was so confused and overwhelmed that he didn’t know what he might do. He didn’t want to be there anymore. He didn’t want to do this, to see this. Guilt and fear and confusion ate at him like a shark gnawing on its meal – chunk after chunk, until he could not handle it anymore and Swordfish withdrew in his mind.

I-

Suzu was crying. He thought of his mother crying over their absent father. He thought of the hurt that he had seen on her face. Swordfish had caused this hurt. Swordfish had made Suzu cry, and he had made Quennell attack his family. The redtailed wolf felt bad but he did not allow himself to feel bad.

I have to go.

The words were empty upon the air. His heavy-lidded eyes were fixed with fear on Suzu’s face before he turned from them and ran as fast as his legs would carry him to the darkest hiding place that he had.

he felt awful, but he had known there had been no choice.

not that he thought suzu and swordfish might scuffle, but if they had? if they had gone to blows and he stood by? he'd rather be the villain than either of them.

but his niece crumpled, crying like a banshee over the bird. swordfish left in a sudden slew of empty words. which left only but the young pirate. lost and confused. entirely uncertain why any of this was happening.

suzu... his voice dropped now, soft over her muffled cries. apologetic.

he had a feeling he might not be wanted after shoving her aside, but still he offered himself. crouched low to the ground and attempting to lie alongside her.

watching the sveijarn-corten fade in the distance.

I rolled for it, and it is indeed Suzu's bird. Quennell can confirm this if you'd like.

She couldn't hear Swordfish over the muffled sounds of her own cries. She felt someone lay near her and she tensed for a moment. She heard her name in an apologetic tone, and once she'd gotten a hold of herself a bit, she lifted her head- but she couldn't look over at the bird again. She'd only caught a glimpse of its contorted body before Quennell had heaved her from it. Maybe...Maybe it wasn't the one she'd been feeding. 

She couldn't look, though. Just the sight of its blood-stained, white feathers rustling in the breeze made her heart sick. A heavy feeling of certainty had settled into her chest, but she had to know the truth. "De bird...Does 'e 'ave a c-crooked leg?" She asked tearfully. She waited, her breath trembling.