Shadewood The future tense of fear is either comedy or tragedy

The longer they stayed away from it, the more she yearned for the sea. The scent of salt in the air was only vaguely carried by the wind, nothing like back home; they were close but not close enough, and this upset her deeply. Upon a stump the child found herself, muzzle lifted up against those salty winds and eyes pinched shut, daydreaming of her home.

<3 Sisserrrr

Unlike others in the pack, currently dragged to the security of the woodlands while they waited for the deluge to cease, Chacal had begun to come out of her shell a bit in the closeness and security that the forest provided for her. While she'd first found the forest dizzying and disorienting, she'd begun to realize that she could find her way around better now that she'd begun learning how to track and follow her markings back to the safe place where she spent most of her time with her mothers and siblings. The trees also became more familiar, recognized by burls and scars, leading her down familiar paths to familiar clearings. She'd begun exploring a bit further day by day, always returning to her mothers and siblings for food and reassurance whenever she felt she'd been out long enough. 

But her little excursions away from their resting place could often be prolonged a bit whenever she crossed paths with someone she knew and trusted- such as one of her siblings. When she spotted Arcelia perched on a stump, lost in what appeared to be a zen-like state, she began to sneak closer, her steps careful and hesitant, pausing every now and again to make sure she hadn't been spotted. She wanted to see how close she could get to her pretty sibling before she got caught.

Thoughts of home were captivating, her kind ensnared by those winds that passed through it. She wondered for how much longer they might remain within the forest, wondered if the moor missed their constant presence. The land was the only one she knew and she could not help but to slightly resent the forest for keeping her from it; deep down, she knew the forest was not to blame, yet she had no qualms with placing just that on it.

Buried so deeply within her own mind, the hooded child remained unaware of her prowling sister—at least for now.

Lost in her reverie, Arcelia didn't seem to take notice of Chacal who, step by step, made her way closer. Of course, this delighted the small child, who saw every inch as a success, though she was a naturally quiet child to begin with. Once she closed the gap between them to a matter of feet, she dropped quietly into a crouch, and started carefully creeping forward, the way a sheepdog might as it slinks its way threateningly toward a herd of sheep. 

Hesitantly, she lifted a paw, and began to reach up, slowly, slowly, sloooowly, lifting her elbow to avoid being swished by Arcelia's tail- with the intention of giving her a gentle poke! in the sensitive spot just above her flank.

Oblivious to the bitter end, only when came the poke did Arcelia realise she was not alone—and it was a startling discovery. The child’s body lurched up and off of the stump, whipping around to face her assailant; every strand of hair on her body was sticking straight out, ears pinned and heart racing. Wild eyes and a flicker of pink as her tongue slid nervously over her maw—

—and then her eyes landed on her sister and she was all but instantly at ease. Her coat seemed to smooth out and she offered a light wag of her tail, gaze turning apologetic. “You scared me,” she said, explaining herself. Meanwhile, she still felt as if her heart could burst from her chest at any moment.

As soon as Arcelia bounced up into the air in surprise, Chacal did so as well, but with glee. And even while her sister bristled in the wake of her surprise, her little sister bounded in circles, crow-hopping while making little huffing noises to express just how pleased she was that she'd managed to sneak up on her sister and goose her without being noticed. But she wasn't a proud little sprite, and as soon as she'd celebrated her personal accomplishment, she crawled toward Arcelia, tail wriggling at her heels as she set to apologize with soft licks and nuzzles to her sister's jawline.

When the youngest of the sisters crawled towards her, Arcelia’s gaze further softened. Though still recovering from the fright, she could not remain upset with the other girl. The hooded child welcomed the licks and nuzzles, after which she offered an affectionate nudge to Chacal’s cheek. “You’re good with sneaking,” she praised in the process, a smile on her lips.

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She saw a smile begin to grow across her sister's ashy lips and she was reassured that she hadn't frightened her too terribly. Chacal hadn't intended to terrify Arcelia, but she was pleased to see that her silence could be a tool for her to use in stalking. She was only beginning to realize that she might have some talent when it came to hunting, as it required her to be very still and quiet- and she was already quite adept at reading microexpressions from her siblings which would be important for communications between packmates during a quiet hunt.

She rubbed her shoulder alongside Arcelia's side the way a cat might lean against a beloved master's ankle in a bid to beg for food. She glanced out over the horizon, beyond the stump that Arcelia had been sitting on, wondering what it was her sister had been thinking about, why she'd been so poised and perfect, sniffing the air to see if perhaps something had caught her attention- and she too could sctnt eh faint brine on the wind, though it was distant, more like a memory than an actual sensation. She looked to her sister with bright, empathetic eyes and gently nudged her shoulder.

Arcelia fell silent, observing her sister. She leaned into her as the younger girl rubbed against, welcoming the gesture. But when she, too, paused to take in the ocean’s air, the hooded girl could not hide her frown. “I want to see home again,” she declared, gaze drifting from sibling to the direction of their home. When would they be able to see the ocean again?

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Having been born in the security of the Moors, Chacal was not sure what Arcelia meant at first by wishing to see home. Did she mean the den? Because Chacal could take her there- but her gaze was distant, and the yearning in her eyes reflected the pallid clouds above, melding together with the seafoam green in her gaze. The ocean was there, in her eyes, but she wouldn't be able to see it. An idea struck her, though, and she bounded away from Arcelia to paw through some of her playthings- a selection of items which had been brought back from the shore for her to play with- until she found the perfect thing.

It was difficult for her to manage, as it was quite large, hard, and had some thorn-like projections, but with utmost care she picked it up, making sure to leave its opening pointing outwards. The shell was a small conch, and had a beautiful, sunset peach hue to it that was blended into the shell beige of its exteriot. She approached Arcelia, and with a small huff, waved her tail eagerly, and lifted it up- so that Arcelia could press her ear to it, and hear the hushed, but constant sound of the seashore from inside it.

To keep her mind from wandering was a troubling task, one that she could not complete. She wished to return to the ocean, to hear the crashing of waves on the shore and taste the salt in the air. But she knew she could not go back, not now and especially not alone; one day, she knew, her family would find their way back again, when the world around them was drowning no longer.

Arcelia did not notice her sister bound away, although a slight shiver did shake her as the air touched the space Chacal was previously against. But when the younger of the two came back, she could not be so easily missed; with the shell as it was, offered to the hooded girl’s ear, her attention was easily returned to the other.

She was surprised at first, as well as confused—she opened her mouth to say something, then promptly shut it as she heard the hum of the sea from within the shell. Silence ensnared her and she froze, before a smile pulled at the corners of her lips and she drew closer to offer an affectionate nudge to Chacal’s cheek. “Thank you,” came next, followed by more silence as she admired the shell—after which she turned her ear towards it again, eyes drifting shut as she did so to better focus.

It was the simplest gesture but one which made her sister pause and freeze, like a greyish statue as she heard the hushed whisper of the ocean. Chacal stood as still as she could in that moment, hoping that she might understand what it was Chacal intended for her to hear- and the smile that grew upon her lips was a welcome gift. Once acknowledged, Chacal's tail began to wave quickly from side to side but like the willing, eager-to-please sister she was, she forced herself to sit her wriggling haunches down so that she could remain by her sister's side, holding the conch up to her ear so she could hear the hush and flow of the waves from within the small shell as long as she wanted.