Redtail Rise well he shot him with a mighty big number

AW!

at last, indra thought with a final grunt; below her little scrambling legs rocks and stones crumbled, falling with small splatters against the slope. with a heave of her body she pulled herself over the last stone-face, long at last on the ridge that marked redtail rise's prominence. she peered down the slope, admiring both the steepness and her tenacity in scaling it. she had never felt so big before and with a comedic strut she paced along the ridge like a frisky colt, her head up and tail arched in an expression of self triumph. with a sudden halt the child flicked an ear, having heard the echoing sound of the rocks as they tumbled down the mountain side. she wriggled to the edge and wild urge overtook her -- with a great intake of air she bellowed from the redtail's rooftops: "HELLO!!" below, her voice rebounded and the echo elicited a delighted giggle from the red child.

He was north, farther north than he had been in a long time. Zoratto shudder, even in the brisk autumn wind. He wouldn't last the winter up here. His travel through here was merely passing through, until he could find a place to settle down where he would be warm through the winter.

Until then he wandered, passing briefly into cloistered, tight woods such as this one. There was a faint hint of charcoal in the air, increasing Zoratto's steps until a scream stopped him in his tracks.

HELLO!! It called. The red-masked wolf felt his ears press backwards against his head. The wolf who spoke it was surely more worthy of his namesake — Zorat means to roar — than he. But it was the tone of the voice that intrigued him; young and feminine. He approached the roarer, his pale green eyes staring upwards in search of a face.

indra giggled as the 'hellos' bounced back to her, each bay slightly less powerful than the last. the echoes were no shortage of amusement for her and she readied her narrow chest again with a deep breath: "HELLOOOOOO!" her voice cracked the sky and in the distance the call rumbled down the mountainside.

she strained an ear, rejoicing in the noise that trumpheted through the vale. as she leaned forward something in her peripherals caused her to stop -- instinctively she crouched and peered down the slab at the face of a wolf who was looking at her quite directly. indra's heart leapt to her throat nd she scrambled back, caught unaware.

for a moment she was terrifed -- until she realized she was a wolf too.

her head peeked back over the rim, and she looked at the red hued stranger. "hello." indra ventured warily, a guilty grin on her muzzle: it was likely he had already been hailed by her thousands of hellos before, but she didn't want to be rude.

He scowled at the girl, a russet little thing with a pair of golden eyes — she could be a Dotharan descendant for all he knew. Wait, was she? — who responded sheepishly to his stare. Zoratto scowled at her, his eyebrows furrowed. Nayat. Girl. He began sternly. You want eagle carry you off?

Where were her parents? Had she slipped away from them? You shouldn't be loud. Pups should be quiet. These Rhaesh Thaan wolves were strange in their parenting. It was the second time he had seen a wayward pup, far from her home and guardians.

indra peered down the incline, her warm amber eyes seeking the gaze of the other wolf for but a second. he spoke something she didn't recognize, but the tone she knew instantly as admonishing. for a moment she disappeared from view, though the tips of her bat-like ears remained visible from zoratto's view.

she wasn't sure how she felt about an adult trundling her newfound freedom, but out of subservience for her elders she peered over the rim again down at the wolf. eagles? indra looked skyward, squinting into the sun. foolishly, she thought herself too big to be carried by eagles.

while zoratto was absolutely rational and correct in his assessment pups should be seen and not heard, indra was too young to agree. a wild-hair stirred in her and she disappeared from the edge again -- this time a small heap of dirt appeared in her place as she shoved it down the mountainside at the male. "whoops!" indra said airily, peering back over the rim again with a wide grin. "want to play?"

The pup ducked away from view, most likely embarrased by his (metaphorical) finger waggling. Zoratto snorted, craning his head to try and find the girl's form. Had she left? Her head appeared again, only to vanish soon afterwards. Zoratto's eyebrow's raised, only for dirt to rain from the sky and clomp him on the head.

The Dotharan jumped backwards, yelping in surprise. He snarled, pale eyes narrowing at the red girl's form. Play. What.

the bubbly child shieked with delight as the clod of earth was sent downwards, though her joy caught in her throat as she heard the yelp and secondary snarl. with concern cast on her small face the child peered down at the stranger, a deep furrow creasing on her forehead.

she paused, unsure if he was declining her invitation or confused. "play!" she repeated, this time gesturing with a cubbish, clumsy playbow. as she bent her elbows in front of her a grin teased her muzzle and she bounded (gracelessly at that) down the slope towards the stranger with rallying yips.

Zoratto was not interested in children in the slightest, not even when he himself was a child. Playing wasn't a thing he did. He opened his mouth to protest such a thing, only to have the girl barrel towards him down the slope.

He narrowly dodged the excited girl, a snarl bellowing in his throat. No play! He snapped.

it was not the snarl that stopped indra rough in her tracks, but the expression -- she looked upon him, wide-eyed and confused. no play? her brow contorted in an expression of deep perturbance.

what did he mean no play?

she slumped to the ground dramatically, placing her head on her paws. she cast the male the most woe-be-gone, soulful gaze. her tail beat pitifully.

"play?"

Zoratto looked quizzically at the girl's sullen reaction. Had she no siblings or cousins to play with? Or elder pack members to amuse her and keep her within pack territory? The Rhaesh Thaan wolves continued to confuse him. The Dotharan firmly shook his head: No. No play.

indra grumped, her head still placed on her paws. her tail stopped moving and she eyed the man sourly. no play meant BORING. every child knew play was nobler than work -- what was wrong with him?

she was not brave enough to ask that, though the question begged to be spoken -- the tip of her black nostrils twitched as she struggled to not let her inner-laurel surface. "what do you do for fun then?" she ventured quietly, her batlike ears pressed forward in rapt attention.