Blackfeather Woods uiritsaktak

Only one other prompt poster, please! <3

Thunder had rolled overhead just moments before the young pup sat upright from his sleeping position and squinted toward the mouth of their den. As with his eyes, Sos was a few days early for the development of good hearing. With this, the boy’s ears had stood up like arrows atop his snowy crown. The bear had been far too deep in his sleep to realize just what had happened. The blue of his gaze was still squinted and attempting to make sense of what was happening at the mouth of their home. Trees could be heard whistling outside against the touch of the zephyr’s hand. There was a small chill in the air that had not been there before, promising cooler weather and the chance at a cold-water rainstorm. While clouds seemed to billow over their location, the young bear was tucked safely inside the den. His growing figure was tucked against the curve of his sibling’s back, using the frame as support.
 
With a small grunt, Sos rose to his paws and shook his thin coat vigorously enough that it rattled his balance back to a sitting position with a dull thump. The polar youth yawned widely once, shaking only his head so that his ears flopped against his skull. Then, the bear rose back up onto his paws and made a few steps toward the mouth of the den. His curiosity had peaked well enough from the noise that had sounded so loudly outside the home of the small family. Sos had never backed down from something curious before.
 
Teetering some, the bear made it to the mouth of the den before he felt the gust of wind that pulled against his youthful frame. It whipped against the leaves of the trees and pulled violently at the boughs. Sos lifted his sights to watch as the wood was tousled by the gusts, leaving wide open spaces for him to peer past the leaves and toward the skies. Clouds accumulated overhead like great big puffs of cotton candy. They danced with silver and grey that shone down a diminishing sun behind them. It would not have been long before evening would fall and envelope the area in a navy-blue darkness. Sos maintained his sights on the heavens just as a flash of lightning ripped across the sky and thunder echoed.

The heavy air had been promising the coming of storms for hours, now the crack and rumble of thunder was swiftly upon them all. The large man wasn't frightened by the rocking of the clouds, and cold showers wouldn't move him from his charge. The stiff canopy of thick leaves above would prevent Siarut from becoming to wet with the coming rain, a fact that he was glad for. The thunder had stirred him from his slumber, since coming South he hadn't had the chance to see a storm such as this. 

Just as he was allowing the sounds of the wind and the rain to lull him back to sleep, Sia heard the hesitant sounds coming from the den where his sister slept with her brood. Just as he assumed his sister might be making an apperance he caught sight of the tiny head of his youngest family member. Tilting his head to the side, Siarut watched the young child stare awe struck at the flash of lightening hovering above their heads. He was glad to see one of the pups in good enough health to head for the surface.

Although it made Sia's heart jump, and a new alertness was born. He took a moment to sweep the area with his green gaze, making sure that there were none near the entrance. To steady his heart and put his mind at ease Siarut slowly stood, and got closer to the mouth of the den. It was easier to guard from closer proximity.

The billowing of the clouds was magnificent. The young bear felt as though he was peering into a sea within the sky. The more that they churned, the more it felt as though they would climb down from the heavens and wash over him like roiling waves of argent. Sos was transfixed in them; he felt as though he belonged to there instead of tethered to the earth. Though he could feel the swaying of the trees overhead and the cries of the birds sounded like sharp pricks within his ears, the boy wished to stretch beyond all of that. Full of youth and so much aspiration, the bear was already preparing himself for the greatness that budded within him. The boy was strong for his age – large – and was growing faster than would have been expected. His paws were large, preparing him for the size he would take as an adult. Just under a month had passed since the pups had been born and he was already proving his worth.
 
The presence of another struck him. Sos swiveled a single ear atop his crown toward the pale wolf. With a glimmer of a memory in the back of his head, the young bear recalled that this had been the wolf his mother had snapped at. Sos had been far too young to know what she had said, or even that she had spoken, but he could distinctly recall the feeling that had entered the den when Siarut had first entered. The tension was wicked against one so young. The tension was still there as the male approached slowly and made a protective statue of himself at the mouth of the den. Sos scooted himself some, inching to the right and then the left before he found a place of comfort.
 
Siarut had pulled his attention from the heavens.
 
Sos could not help but to allow his gaze to travel the length of the male with interest. He noted the size of the man, the starkness of his pelt, and the glimmering of mint green in his gaze. There was an intensity there, in the frame of his protector. It did little to perturb one so young as Sos, but the bear could still feel it with great strength in the pit of his stomach. It was with great care that he regarded his uncle. Instinct told him that he was to behave himself. It was not difficult for the young boy to take on a stoic nature. Even as a puppy, Sos was a serious creature. He remained watchful of all things, wanting to know them as well as he knew the comfort of his family’s den. It was determined that he wished to know more about his uncle, as well. With a courageous beat in his chest, Sos rose to his feet and moved closer to the large white brute. His ears were erect, and his eyes were locked on the other male’s face.

The pup weavered, shifting from side to side. Sia tilted his head at the boy, curious to see what he might do next. Finally his paws took to motion, and the youngling was headed closer. Lowering his head to the ground so to meet the boy at eye level, Sia sniffed the air as the child drew near. He smelled strongly of Shivali, obviously, and Sia could find the scents of his siblings along with Tahani firmly upon his pelt, again such things were obvious. This was a new experience for Sia as much as it was for Sos. The large male had only met his younger siblings as pups, but this... this was different. All the Ateneq siblings would need to teach and care for these young ones absent adivce from their parents. But as his mirror image drew closer, Siarut knew he would accept any challenge to see Sos's and his siblings grow strong. 

Giving the boy a smile he reserved only for family, Siarut waited for the young boy to draw as close as he dare. Not wanting to frighten him, Sia remain motionless save for the slight flick of his tail. He lowered his rump to the ground, distracted from the storm above.

The large male did not speak to him. Sos furrowed his young brow and held his attention to the other wolf's features with a very stern expression. He wanted to understand why he might need the protecting gaze of an adult when he was only enjoying the new sounds that his relieved ears had offered him. The tossing of the wind sent shivers down his spine, but he did not chance pulling his gaze away from his uncle to look at the oncoming storm. Instead, he scooted himself closer still to the large white statue and made an effort to make himself appear taller by sitting upright and stiff. It would have been comical if not for the perfectly serious expression on the young bear's face.

There was a flash of light that caused his eyes to dart in the location of it before the sound of thunder tore across the charcoal skies and caused the earth to rumble against its touch. Though his eyes darted to catch the last flicker of light, Sos did not shake against the touch of the thunder. Instead, he stiffened and held his ground firmly. The young bear was strong in his stature, in spite of his youth, and the hairs along the back of his coat seemed to rise with instinct having taken over. When it had faded away, Sos turned his attention back to the large white male and roamed his features without making any effort to conceal his interest.

The boy was serious, Siarut had to give him that. The large brute didn't waiver in his observation, he was used to the storms, he had seen many before. However this youngling, Sos, was new and required more of his attention. The boy seemed more enthralled with him than the storm, even as his hair stood on end. 

Siarut didn't think words were necessary, besides he wasn't sure what the boy could and couldn't understand. This was better. The young bear tried to look strong, and he impressed Siarut. The polar bear hid his observation, glancing between the pup and their surroundings. Sia knew the boy was watching, learning. The man was expecting great things from his newphew, he had much to learn and Sia had much to teach.

Droplets fell, and the earth seemed to breathe a sigh of relief at the touch of fresh rain. Sos too felt a sense of calm wash over him. The winds still carried on, beating against the boughs of the trees overhead and sending a flurry of fresh leaves down around their home. Rain was good, though, and it brought a promise of life with it. All things grew beneath the grey skies. While he was still far too young to know such things absolutely, Sos did not fear the creaking and moaning of the forest around him. His spirit was attached to the earth in a way that happened so rarely. The young bear was a shaman in the making, and even his spirit sang with the cries of the earth. All was well, and so he remained focused on the pallid form of his uncle.

Siarut sat attentively at the mouth of the family den. The large white male carried a serious countenance himself, as though he had worn it all his life. Sos found this an interesting thing, but not one that was easily understood. While the young bear was an intense creature at such a young age, he had imagined it was how all wolves were created to be. Tunerk and Aningan needed only to find their spirit in the wilds to know it for themselves, he had thought. Still, Siarut was how he imagined all wild beasts were intended; primal and fierce with the sharp jutting muscles of a trying world.

“Strong,” the child spoke softly to the other male. The tongue of his family seemed to roll from his lips with ease, and he did not bat a lash at his uncle after it had been said. Siarut was strong, he knew, but Sos would be stronger.

so sorry for the long wait, struggling with my muse a little :O

"Yes, to some." Siarut knew that he was strong, in muscle and brawn, he was a warrior. A protector. But each person had was strong in some sense of the word. The world molded its creatures in specific manners. The pale patriarch had been sculpted into the form of a sentinle, responsible for the safety of those arround him. Each of his siblings were different, Tak was a scout at heart, Hani a healer, and Shivali was more of warrior like himself. Although he doubted that was her choice, their father hadn't given them many choices in life, his own future had been dictated by the will of the tyrrant. 

Looking down at the boy, he wondered what the world would make him. Where would his strength lie, how would he change their world with the skills he would one day poses. "Just as you will be one day, Sos." Siarut nodded as he spoke, his green gaze seeing into to the young pup. He wondered if Sos would have the opportunity to grow stronger than any of them without the influence of a dictator. The opportunity to grown unencumbered.

let's fade this and have a new one?

Yes, strength was a particularly difficult word to place in a single category. The child did not know all that being strong was; not yet. In time, Sos would grow to understand and realize that mere brawn and muscle was not all there was, and certainly did not stand up against a strength in spirit. With the genes that he carried, the young bear would grow into a mighty thing. His limbs would stretch and hold him with rippling muscle beneath a coat of charcoal and snowy white. Siarut was most likely very correct in his assumption. Sos would grow with the chance to be anything, unhindered by the looming darkness of someone who did not support his choices, and it would allow him to be free. There would be strength found in this, as well. For all the things that he did, he would be able to learn and grow through them.

“Strong like mountain,” the boy remarked with a nod. For, he believed that he would become something great. The spirits of the earth had told him as much, and he did not dare to disagree with them. They whispered things into his very bones that promised him a great destiny. To most, the premise of whispers from an unknown source were the makings of madness, but he never divulged these words to anyone but himself. It was only for him to know; the others would discover later.

The wind continued to howl against the dark trees. He followed the fluttering of the boughs with his eyes, interested and calm against the pale backdrop of his face. It was in silence that they continued. They were only met with the sounds of the world around them, but that was fine. Sos was a quiet thing, anyway. He knew that in silence, he could understand far better than if he were to roar out above the noise around him. Young, but already so full of understanding. Yes, Siarut was very right in thinking that Sos would grow up to be strong. He would be full of so much power, it would be difficult to reign him in. But the world would smile on him and he would show it kindness. The earth was owed this, at the very least.

sounds good

The boy held a certain confidence that endear him to his uncle. Siarut kept his silence, only nodding to his young nephew, there was no doubt that Sos would grow strong. Stronger than himself. He could only wait for the day, the day when their family honor would rest on the next generation. Maybe one day he wouldn't have to be the strong one. Smiling softly at the boy before him.

The storm continued to rage above their heads. Taking a page from his more naturalist side, Siarut returned his gaze to the sky. The angry bolts of energy striking the earth, rumbling the world around the pale pair. The youngster's markings were starting to make an appearance, something he attributed to Kove. He stayed in comfortable silence with the boy, simply glad for the company.