Hushed Willows Petrichor

Vague post is vague. Not sure what's all happened before this or the kind of injuries he has or whatever, but I thought this would be harmless enough :>

A steady rainfall coated the bare willows and the tufts of grass and brush slowly returning. When Warbone himself returned, heavy and damp and nearly just as slow, he was a little worse for wear but no less a king than when he had left. His extended absence had not come without its costs, but nor had it been absent of merit either. He had a fine limp, with his shoulder muscles bruised by a deer kick, and the crusting marks of a battle that he felt numb to now, but he had meat for @Tavi; a proud slab of it, and the bellies of his entire pack would be fuller than they had in weeks. It was all he kept his mind on, blocking out whatever loss he might face later, as he wordlessly deposited the deer meat for his alpha female, and sought to take her place for a time beside @Tambourine.

He curled his massive, aching body beside the tiny scrap, angling a pale eye down at the single pup who lay cradled in the space just behind his elbow. Sighing, Warbone flopped tiredly onto his side.

When the rain came, she slipped away from Tambourine to experience it. The sound of the water hitting the ground was pleasant; a tiny drum-beat that instilled some sort of calm upon her. And when she returned a few minutes later to the crook, her body slightly chilled by the drops, Octavia saw the shifting figure of Warbone. She smelled the fresh meat as well, and latched upon that without hesitation. She followed after him, watching as he descended to visit with Tambourine, and then set her sights - and fangs - upon the chunk of deer. Soundlessly she consumed it, turning an ear every so often when her son made a noise, or glancing briefly towards the Alpha, but Octavia's mind was locked upon her hunger and the abatement of it. After she would visit with him, with both of them, and find out what had transpired. Perhaps she would ask why he had been gone for so long — there was ire inside of her alongside that thought — but now was the time to eat.

The pack's tiniest member did not rouse when his mother departed. He dreamed, one paw jammed into his mouth while the other three kicked minutely in his sleep. He did not stir even when heavy footfalls plodded closer and the Alpha male reposed nearby, near enough that his elbow brushed the slumbering cub. Only when Warbone flopped to the ground and sent out a shock wave did Tambourine awake, spitting out his own damp foot and loosing an inquisitive squawk.

The puppy rolled from his side onto his belly, then pushed himself partially upright. His blunt nose tipped into the air as Tavi returned and began feeding. The scent of fresh blood caused Tambourine's nose to wriggle in interest. Like a moth drawn to a flame, he began shuffling toward the Alpha female, tail thrust out behind him like a rudder. Still he steered amiss, bumping instead into the lounging Warbone. The whelp peeped, pressing his face against the wall of muscle and fur as if he might pass through with enough willpower.

When that didn't work after several minutes of effort, Tambourine grunted and plopped backward onto his haunches. His little face screwed into a thoughtful expression, then relaxed a moment later. The pup seemed to shrug off the tantalizing scent and rolled sideways with a playful squeak, then onto his back, pedaling his stumpy limbs in the air even as his eyelids gently parted for the first time. He was rewarded with his first view of the world, albeit upside-down and decidedly fuzzy.