Moonspear out of mind, out of sight

I'd love a daddo thread, but all are welcome to hop in and intervene!

It was only natural that Sialuk would pick up on her mother's skill set. She had been watching anaa use medicine since before she knew what was really going on, and she'd always been a curious child. There was always something being prepared, something to be done, and Sialuk was never far away, either observing or mimicking her role model.

As for her father... he was a bit more of a mystery. She enjoyed his company, but she had begun to notice a pattern where he would leave for several hours before returning home. What was he doing out there? Once or twice, she and Saviguk had dared to follow him for a little while, but they always gave up quickly and returned to the flowery rendezvous site. This time, however, Sialuk snuck off after @Jarilo without her brother, thinking that might be the trick.

Despite the rain, Jarilo pressed on with his routine and today caught himself weighing his options between looking up or down the slopes. His hunts lately had done alright, given what he could flush out with everything soaking wet, so he felt no pressing need there just yet. It was probably wise to upkeep the guard, as word had traveled that Desdemona (a frequent and dedicated night watcher) and Osiris (a homegrown, strong cause for their protection) would be traveling beyond to scout about a bit--vacating their business here for now. He wondered what news they would bring back, though he did not hold his breath for anything monumental to him particularly. Still, he hoped the road, and the faces they found alongside it, would be kind to them and that they could return swiftly, in one piece.

While he moseyed and chewed through these considerations, he flicked back an ear and slowed to a pause. Realization crept up on him that he was not quite alone, although it took him a moment to pin down exactly why. Small, possibly sneaking paws, perhaps? Well, he panned a slow look around, gauging his scene, and decided that he could work with this--the pups were at an age where they were understanding more and more about their home, and the life the Spear presented for them, so he wasn't going to stifle that so soon if that was the case here. Silently, he picked his walk back up to see if they would come too.

He paused in the distance, and Sialuk ducked behind a large boulder, slipping out of his sight (and he out of hers). A mischievous grin curled the corners of her mouth, and she felt the thrill of doing something without quite being caught. It felt dangerous to her, but that only added to the fun. The rain surely helped conceal her (or so she believed), and Sialuk stifled a giggle as she poked her head back out to see taataa had continued walking ahead.

She tried to make her footsteps as quiet as she could, stepping softly as she followed Jarilo. Blinking away the rain, she wondered where he was going. Was there something out there that he needed to get? Where did he go when he went hunting? She knew that he did not always bring back food, so what was he doing when he left those times?

Lost in thought, she failed to see the stick in her path, and it cracked with a loud SNAP! certain to give away her location.

He was careful, too. Not just towards any duty, but in ensuring his route led somewhere without obvious danger. But, these came veiled as important lessons too, for every venture out into the mountain beyond their flowered field was one more, and with that could come the familiarity, and the surefooted confidence, that he and his relatives learned to practice in making their lives here.

As he went, the feeling of being followed continued with him. Eventually, a snap of a twig from rather near gave it away, so while he had that to zero in on, he circled back--a smooth arc of a motion, and a few more strides, until he found a certain little raindrop, stark white in all the earthy shades. I wondered who might be shadowing me on such a rainy day, he said, soft as his expression slipped towards a smirk before he pivoted back towards his original heading. His tail waved, but soon slowed. I was going to circle the area, make sure all was well out here on guard; do you want to come? he offered, throwing her a look over his shoulder. Without knowing exactly how much Sia understood about his duties on patrol, and all else that entailed, he would start easy.

Caught! She grinned sheepishly at him, a little disappointed that she had been noticed so quickly. Sialuk had expected him to escort her home, but instead, he asked her to join him. He did not need to ask twice, and soon she was shoulder-to-shoulder with him, nodding eagerly and awaiting further instructions. He had mentioned circling the area, and while she didn't quite know what that meant, it sounded new and exciting.

Sialuk felt decidedly grown-up now that she'd been asked along. Saviguk would most certainly be jealous if he found out, so she resolved to keep her return back home as nonchalant as terrible. Not that she'd be telling him some grand story, and if her father decided to spill the beans, it wasn't as if she would step in and correct him. Speaking still wasn't among her skill set just yet.

Smoothly, she moved up and joined him, answering that in full without a word. He slid forward once more into motion as well, now as a duo, and presumably with a set of listening ears in tow.

In many regards, Sialuk had seemed like a forward sort of pup so far in life, though he had no idea what sort of future her interests might shape out of her entirely. For both her and her brother, inexperienced Jarilo found it easy to just.. present them with any opportunity when he had it, so long as he could still manage to protect them--they were young still, after all. He remembered lots of lessons coming from mundane activities as a youth, one just barely able to spend time shadowing his parents properly enough to retain anything and so, he was willing to share if she was at all interested in accompanying. Good, he breathed, striding on to a well-worn path he kept. Mostly I'm out to keep watch.. checking for anything different, and seeing who and what's been by. Whatever else may be around.. he detailed, though not sure how much of it was well over her head, just ramble to help him fill the space; he didn't mind, and he liked to speak to them like they'd understand one day--that the information would just soak in somehow. Nevertheless: So you have to let me know if you spot or sniff out anything interesting.. or suspicious, alright? he toothily smirked back at her, but kept the business-like approach up front otherwise.

Sialuk listened, and although she had yet to say a peep, she understood what he was saying perfectly well. The raindrop simply hadn't found her voice yet (although that day would come soon enough). She craned her neck up at him as he spoke, soaking up whatever he had to say about patrolling. It seemed like a relatively simple task. They would go around and look for clues that something was different. Since she didn't have much to compare it to, everything seemed interesting and/or suspicious to her. Something told her that wasn't what he was looking for, though.

Even though his tone was lighter during the last bit, Sialuk was in full-on learning mode, and her own posture and demeanor remained utterly serious. She marched alongside her father, her nose to the ground whenever she wasn't listening to what he had to say.

Where the pups were concerned, he hoped his explanations were good for them, and that it made some type of sense to them. It was sometimes hard for him to put himself in their pawprints, where their experiences were all still so new--he couldn't reference just any old thing to them and expect it to be perfectly clear. Vaguely enough, he remembered being young (though not quite this young, exactly), and desperately thirsty for knowledge to the point that he would take anything he could get about anything at all. Maybe.. maybe some piece of that was true for them as well. But unlike Sialuk so far.. he had been a questioning sort, to the point of obnoxiousness. He supposed it was her quiet that made him doubt himself at times but looking at her being all serious now gave him none of that impression; she worked alongside him, making him proud.

Along with keeping an eye on things, it's good to just keep traffic up and maybe even refresh any scent marks that need it--which is more important closer to the boundaries of the pack claim further down the mountain, since it tells other strangers from beyond that strong wolves like us live here—and it's best they stay away, or else, he explained. This area was awfully populated, even with all the rain lately so it wasn't easy to find a distinct spot that was lacking as described, but the sentiment remained as they moseyed along. Though, not everyone or everything heeds those boundaries, so that's why we stay watchful, too. Jarilo added with another look her way.

Sialuk continued to soak up the information taataa provided, leaning in when he got to the part about strangers and how they were meant to stay away. She had not met many strangers. Maybe even none at this point. They were a foreign concept to her. She couldn't consider any wolf of Moonspear to be a stranger, could she? They had always been around, or at least around long enough that she knew their names mentioned before she had met them.

He also said they should stay watchful, and Sialuk took on a rather serious expression then, scanning the horizon for any of these potential threats. She would remember this lesson well. Mark the borders, look out for strangers. Some strangers would not heed the warnings given. "And what then?" she wondered silently to herself. The "or else" of her father's explanation had gone unsaid, but she did not peep a follow up question.

In time, he trusted that she would understand more. She would see how it was with a little more experience than this beneath her feet, of that he had no doubt. For now, he wanted to instill a good basis for her to stand upon when that later day came. These lessons like these were only the beginning, and just a simple start. He wanted her to know that circumstance dictated so very much here. It could go from boring and dire in merely a heartbeat. Sometimes, it felt like one thing after another rapidfire, but that was just how it was; life was strange like that.

She was quiet, so he consciously tried to find a middle between his own silence, and outright excess as he made a few other mentions, and pointed out anything of note. Largely, it was uneventful as they continued on their round, but he still enjoyed the peace with his daughter.

i hope a wrap is okay, i'm making room for new!