Swiftcurrent Creek avey tare's slasher flicks

Bones paid little attention to nightfall. Long after most creatures tucked themselves into bed, she loped around the creek, getting a feel for her new homeland. The creek itself seemed so small compared to Keelhaul Bay and, of course, the sea. Also, the lack of noise, hustling and bustling disconcerted her a little bit. Already, she could tell that life here would be quite different from life in Tortuga. Luckily, the adaptability of youth would be her ally against culture shock.

Arriving back at the edge of the pack's namesake watercourse, Bones dipped her head down and took a drink, her pale eyes remaining lifted to scan the opposite bank. After slaking her thirst and licking the cold droplets off her silvery muzzle, an enormous yawn stole over her. But before the pup could think about finding a bunk for the night, movement in the water caught her eye and, a second later, she disappeared into the inky black water with a loud splash.

She resurfaced a moment later with a writhing snake in her mouth. "Sit," she yelled upon leaping back onto the shore and dropping the serpent, which she pinned to the grass with a paw, "still!" With a snap of her teeth, Bones crushed its head. The long, prehensile body continued to jerk and she took a step back, waiting for it to stop.

Tuwawi's patrol had been marched, completing half the radius of Swiftcurrent by sundown. It was tiring work, but the Eta knew it was imperative to construct a seamless defensive line in order to repel any potential thieves or miscreants. So far, things had been good — despite her run in with more unsavory inhabitants. Swiftcurrent was far from the peaceful residence she desired (between Fox's salty leadership and the Shearwater wolves) but it was becoming a home worthy of investment.

A new scent mingled within the wood, and a curious Tuwawi investigated. She peeled from the border at a slow trot toward the pack's bloodline, the creek. Perched atop a small bank, she watched a salt and pepped youth thrust headfirst into the water. Tuwawi teetered on the edge, uncertain if the current was strong enough to sweep her away, but the urchin pulled herself from the creek's jaws with a gleaming serpent twisting between her teeth. Sit still! she ordered the unfortunate creature before ending its life with a crunch. Something familiar about the young wolf struck the red crested woman, and she descended down the steep incline to greet the new recruit. "I don't think its going anywhere now," Tuwawi grinned as she ambled over, watching the last bit of life leave the snake as it became motionless on the ground.

The headless snake still thrashed noiselessly in the grass as a stranger materialized out of the darkness. Bones squinted in the dim night air, trying to make out details. When the other wolf drew near enough to see her features, the youth's lips popped together in a sound of admiration. She suddenly wondered whether red fur was something of a tradition 'round this creek and gazed down at her dark, wet fur rather unenthusiastically.

Her pale green eyes lifted again. "Ahoy, a red sky at night is a sailor's delight!" she greeted exuberantly, grinning broadly. "Me name's Bones. Wanna bite? It's just about ready—" Her voice cut off as she smacked the snake's body to the ground and held it there. It twitched feebly a few more times, then fell still. "It's a bit bony but it's a delicacy in Tortuga," she shared.

After exchanging a quick glance with her company, Bones lowered her head and began to nibble the snake's long body into manageable sections. One of these pieces she tossed in the red she-wolf's direction, hoping she'd accept it just as readily as Fox had taken the turtle meat. Young Bones enjoyed sharing her booty, at least sometimes.

I already love Bones TT__TT and I applaud your thread title *applauds*

The young girl's quirky enthusiasm was unexpected, but entirely welcomed. It was unlike those of the Creek to be particularly eager to befriend one another, as Tuwawi had come to realize. Something about this place seemed to attract the darker, more aloof breed of wolf... but this newcomer was bristling with joie de vivre, and it was deeply contagious.

'Ahoy, a red sky at night is a sailor's delight!' the teen called out in a rhyming sing-song voice. Tuwawi couldn't help but return a wide smile, 'me name's Bones. Wanna bite? It's just about ready—' Her words and accent were unconventional, but it completed the rag-tag package of affectionately disheveled adolescence. Moon green eyes watched her prey carefully as she worked to sever it into parts, 'it's a bit bony but it's a delicacy in Tortuga.' Admittedly, Tuwawi had never dined on snake before... and she was eager to try. "Thanks," she replied eagerly when a bite was tossed her way. Tuwawi scooped it in her mouth, attempting to savor its flavor.

It first, her expression became skewed as she tried to discern its unique taste while chewing. "Mhm... Mhm...," she mumbled with her mouth full as she nodded, finally deciding she liked it. "Taste like... frog. But better," she decided, affirming that Bones had good taste in food. "I'm Tuwawi," she said, nearly forgetting to introduce herself, "I owe you one." It was only fair. "Is Tortuga where you're from? Is it very far away?" she asked, wondering how a wolf so young had mastered snake catching.

Aw, she loves you back! And my thread titles are themed after this year's Forecastle's lineup, hehe. :D

The red she-wolf began to eat, so Bones did the same. She gobbled her share loudly, smacking her lips and belching when she finished. No one in Tortuga had ever bothered teaching her table manners, so she did this shamelessly, smiling all through her meal and chewing with her mouth open.

"Glad you like it!" she exclaimed. "Nice to meet you, Tu-wa-wi." She pronounced the name slowly and carefully to make sure she'd said it correctly. "And, nah, don't worry about it! I'm real good at catching fishes and frogs and snakes." Bones knew next to nothing about larger, terrestrial prey but she was reasonably good at catching small prey. She would've starved to death by now if she hadn't acquired this skill, since there were days when no one thought to feed Cutlass's pups.

"Aye," she answered when questioned about Tortuga. A small frown twisted young Bones's lips. "It's about three days' travel down the coast from here. You haven't heard of it?" Without waiting for an answer, she continued, "It's a massive pack with lots of little crews. It's dirty and loud and smelly." Her little nose wrinkled. "Good riddance, I say! They're all scoundrels there." She paused, thought about that for a second, then finished with a cheeky smile, "'Course, I was raised to be one too but at least I'm not dirty or smelly."

Animal Collective played at Governor's Ball last year and I missed them D:

The ashy girl ate with as much vigor as she spoke with, only more sloppy. It didn't bother her guest, however, who forgave her lack of etiquette due to age. Tuwawi was a far more demure diner by comparison, and besides... it was her snake. She could eat it however the hell she wanted.

Bones carefully pronounced her new acquaintance's name, and Tuwawi nodded to confirm she had gotten it correct. "You can call me Tuwa if it is easier for you," she said offhandedly, in case the little urchin preferred a shorter moniker. Then, she listened intently to her story about Tortuga, as her description was quite... colorful. Bone's homeland sounded like an unnappealing place to the redhead, who preferred the solitude a smaller pack offered. The dirty and smelly part seemed pretty awful too. "Only three days?" she commented, surprised that is was so close. Tuwawi had met no others from that domain before, but the young girl called them scoundrels which caused Tuwawi to pitch a smile until Bones declared herself one as well.

Tuwawi gave her a once over as she regarded the silver teen's matted wet fur with little bits of creek matter stuck in. "Iiiiii woulnd't say that," Tuwawi jested, teasing in a fond sort of way, "you look pretty dirty and smelly to me." She learned forward... but stopped, resisting the strong urge to groom Bone's hair back into place. Tuwawi didn't want to be so forward. "So why did you leave? And how did you end up here?" she asked, hungry for more of her story and slightly fascinated with this rather off-kilter, extraordinary child.

Tuwawi playfully disagreed with her, causing Bones to pull a face and blow a raspberry at the red she-wolf, though in the end she concurred with a toothy smile. A little scrap of snakeskin stuck out from between two of her pointed teeth, though it quickly disappeared with a chance sweep of her tongue.

"I left because me mother's a wench," Bones replied with slightly less vehemence than when she'd broached this topic with Fox. "She's always away, raiding other packs. Skull died when we were little and Kraken disappeared a while ago..." The pup didn't explain that these were her litter mates, though Tuwawi could perhaps figure it out from contextual clues. "I was always left behind and alone with the ruffians." Her nose wrinkled. Truthfully, she liked some of the ruffians... but her mother's negligence had always bothered her.

"And," she continued after a thoughtful pause, "I wanted to find me father. Me mother ran off after laying with him and he never knew about me and Skull and Kraken. I bet he'd want to be around and take care of me—not that I need anyone to take care of me!" young Bones added quickly, flicking a damp ear almost indignantly.

Sorry for my delay!

Bones saved no kind words for her birth-mother, easily letting the insult of wench slip from her sterling maw. It seemed that her family suffered quite an ordeal, and it was no question why she regarded them with such hostility. It made Tuwawi frown, empathizing with the vagabond girl. Her own turbulent youth was not exactly a picture of perfection either, but at least Tuwawi's mother cared for her daughters as best she could before death prematurely claimed Palla for its own.

"Mm," was all Tuwawi could think of to say as Bones' story continued, ushering a new chapter about her father. It was naive to think that parent who had no hand in the birth of its young would be interested in rekindling ties... but Tuwawi would not utter these thoughts, keen on not crushing the optimistic adolescent with her own glass-half-empty view. "You certaintly do not!" Tuwawi smiled, agreeing that it seemed this one needed little guidance to know what she did or did not want in life. But as far as physical care went... the child could certainly use a better meal, more attentive grooming, and perhaps a good nights rest.

"Well, perhaps we can hunt together tomorrow. To keep up your strength. Have you tried bigger game?" she asked, open to hosting a hunt for the swarthy youth to assist in. Red meat would do her well. "Until then, we could find you a place to rest for the night if you'd like," she tacked on. A few burrows had been vacated by those who had departed the creek, and would be a suitable temporary home, "Would be warmer than sleeping outside."

Tuwawi didn't have much to say, though Bones didn't hold this against her. Besides, she was happy to do all the talking. She was under no illusions about herself; she knew she was a loudmouth and a motormouth, to boot.

"Aye, I'd like that," the youth agreed readily. "No, I was too young to be included in pack hunts," Bones added, a touch of grouchiness in her tone as she relayed this fact. Then she brightened again and continued, "I ain't bothered by the cold! I like to sleep under the stars."

As if to exemplify this, the youth padded a few feet away and flopped onto the grass beside the creek. She rolled onto her back, her forelegs crooked over her pale chest, then turned her head sideways to grin at the now upside-down Tuwawi as if to say, See?

A small glimmer lit up Tuwawi's eyes when Bones mentioned she had never been included in a pack hunt. Hunting was something of a specialty for the ruddy plains-raised she wolf, and even though the passion to teach, like Njal had, did not resound within her, she felt inspired to show the ashen girl how to use her fangs to fell more suitable prey. She hoped to one day act as a quartermaster for Swiftcurrent; to use the keen navigation skills acquired in Tartok to manage the forest's prey and maintain their caches. There were already many mouths to feed here, even though many within their ranks were able hunters in their own rights.

"Then we will have to hunt!" she exclaimed, perhaps a bit overzealous. The thought of training a pupil in her own art was exciting. If Bones was quick enough to kill a serpent, then surely she would have the innate ability to be a very successful hunter of larger fair. "Perhaps tomorrow we should try, hmm? I can teach you how," Tuwawi offered before laughing as Bones flopped onto the ground, her supine figure demonstrating her hardiness. "If it suits you," Tuwawi said with a warm tone, thinking that she definitely preferred the cover of a den. Too many nights were spent alone outside, and to have a home marked an important milestone within her own life. "I should let you rest, then," Tuwawi offered, attitude mellow. She rose and turned as if to leave, but hesitated. "You don't need me to stay... do you?" Tuwawi put the offer on the table, wondering if the child felt any sting of loneliness, not willing to leave if she wanted company for the night.

"Aye aye!" Bones agreed enthusiastically when Tuwawi officially declared that they would hunt together in the 'morrow. Already, images began to dance through the youth's head. She pictured herself and Tuwawi felling something large, like a bison. She licked her lips at the thought of so much meat. Part of her knew that they could never bring down such a beast alone, yet it was fun to daydream about it.

Shaking off the fuzziness of her reverie, Bones rolled over and propped herself up on her elbows as Tuwawi readied to depart. "No, I'm okay," Bones reassured the reddish she-wolf, grinning and wagging her tail so that it thumped noisily on either side of her small gray hips. "Good night, Tu-wa-wi!"

As the adult began to shuffle off in the direction of her den, Bones rolled onto her back again, waving a paw in the air as a final farewell. It then sank down to join its mate on her chest and Bones sighed happily, her still-damp fur drying in the cool night air. Beside her, the creek burbled softly and, overhead, the moon hung low in the sky. Bones wondered if Atticus or maybe even Kraken was looking up at it just now as well... and, with that thought drifting in her head, she dropped off to sleep.

Last post for me and will archive :3

With the child settled for the night, and hunting practice set to take place in the near future, Tuwawi felt it time to leave her be. "Rest well," she cooed as something maternal churning her heart. She then loped to the treeline under the moon's watchful light and waited just out of sight until the grizzled youth was fast asleep. Satisfied that she Bones safe and sound, the ember departed to take up the job of night patrol, a little spring in her step. Ahoy, a red sky at night is a sailor's delight! she sang in her mind, still thoroughly amused by the catchy saying. Certainly, she would see her again soon.