Redtail Rise Never Bet the Devil Your Head

Masquerade knew wolves kept caches, though she hadn’t realized until today that some small animals—well, squirrels, anyway—did the same. Concealed beneath the low boughs of an evergreen very much like her favorite one at the rendezvous site, the Bearn observed a Douglas squirrel gathering and stashing food.

The plump chickaree would dash hither and thither, gathering an acorn here or a pinecone there, and scramble up a nearby Sitka spruce to stuff its findings in a hole partly screened by lush pine needles. This went on for an hour, then two, the Bearn watching all the while in motionless silence, save for a quick readjustment of her weight now and then to remain comfortable.

Finally, the rodent retired to a perch beside its larder. Masque peeled herself off the forest floor and stepped into the open, gazing up at the tree where the squirrel kept its midden. No sooner had she revealed herself than the rodent above twitched its tail and loosed an alarm call.

The young she-wolf paused to peer up at it, tail waving slowly, though Masquerade had no interest in hunting the squirrel today. She moved on at a steady clip, happy to stretch her legs after spending hours crouched in the underbrush.

Sources for this post: 1, 2. :)

The boy had grown some since his arrival. He was still plump with baby fat but also taller, with a more obvious disproportion to his paws now. Having spent ample time with Augur, he had learned to be confident in the space that now became his home (to a point) and could trust himself to find his way without the presence of an adult; for short periods anyway, Requiem was left to his own devices. He made up his own games as a result. His favorite so far was to people watch, which now took him on an adventure away from the rendezvous site.

He wasn't entirely sure who everyone was, what their roles were, or whether he could approach them in turn; but he did recognize some scents by now. Augur's of course was the most familiar - and there was Red Face, whose scent was very strong among the trees; he did not know why it branched so far from the sleeping place and was curious enough to pursue it.

While Requiem followed that scent he did not notice the wildlife of the rise. He certainly heard the birdsong that the chickadees sang as they warned one another, however the boy was mindless. He lacked the understanding as well as any hunter's instinct. Soon enough he crossed by where Red Face was hunkered down and did not notice them or their hiding place at all.

She strode along for a while before she heard a noise and dropped abruptly, hunching motionless on the forest floor. Only her ears moved for a moment, as Masquerade attempted to ascertain the source. Then her head rotated slightly and she began to slither forward through the underbrush. The leaf litter made it more challenging lately, though she quietly thrilled at getting to practice “on hard mode.”

She didn’t quite succeed at silently prowling this time, so she only caught a glimpse of the hoary marmot as it darted across the forest floor and disappeared, either down into a burrow or perhaps up a tree. It moved too quickly for her to be sure. Masque paused and listened for a moment, then began to rise properly onto all fours again.

Absently, she scanned her surroundings, giving a little gasp of surprise when she saw young Reki just a few yards away. How had he managed to sneak up on her? Masquerade marveled at it, wondering if she might have competition for the rise’s stealthiest youth. She wasn’t entirely sure how she felt about that, though she couldn’t help but smile softly once she recovered.

Are you sneaking too? she whispered to him, moving closer and eyeing his larger build, wondering if her provisions had contributed to this growth.

There was suddenly a face at his frank. He recognized it but still partially jumped, his fur bristling to give Reki the look of a droughted cactus. He relaxed when the other child's voice filtered to him.

They had a very deep voice! It was heavy, he thought. Listening to it was grounding. He didn't think he'd ever heard something quite like it before and in a way was smitten.

Snuh... sneaky? He understood but didn't know he had been so quiet. It hadn't been intentional. Reki shook his head - or, started to, but then nodded. Sneaky game. You too?

What were they looking for? Maybe just the birds? Reki's expression was full of wonder yet he didn't ask as the thought popped in to his head.

He repeated the word back to her, his inflection leading her to believe he maybe didn’t understand its meaning. Masque’s lips parted to explain when he shook his head and mentioned a game. Her lips pressed together, twitching into a small smile.

Sort of, she said, pausing to think for a moment before saying, Remember when I brought you that snack? It came from a cache, which is where wolves store meat. Did you know squirrels keep caches too? But they don’t eat meat, so they put things like acorns in theirs.

Was that the most words she’d ever spoken at once? It felt like it. But she wanted Reki to understand. Perhaps he might even join her as she continued observing this unexpected behavior. If he’d managed to sneak up on her, Masquerade supposed she could rely on him to be quiet.

But before she invited him along, she wondered, What’s your name? Mine’s Masque.

The girl went on to explain what a cache was. Reki had never heard the word before. Why not call them hidey-holes? That would be more to the point. But he didn't say this - he listened intently, which was one of his strengths.

She said squirrels also hid things. It sounded like a game to Reki. They hide things, wolves find them, or maybe they catch the squirrel and have a warm breakfast. Either way, the wolf wins.

Before he could ask about the behavior of squirrels or inquired as to their favorite hiding places, Masque introduced themselves. Normally the boy would've been shy, but, he felt he'd gotten something from Masque and it felt wrong to leave her hanging.

I'm Reki, he said. It was easier to say than his full name - besides, he hadn't heard anyone use his full name in so long, it was better to forget it. Maybe I can help play?

Reki, she repeated, prepared to extend a proper invitation when he queried about a game. There was a smile on her lips as she added, Yes, we can practice our sneaking and watch the squirrels. Study them.

She motioned for him to come along as she returned to striding through the woods, senses attuned to her surroundings. There was plenty of wildlife sharing the rise with the wolves, though until they began properly disguising their approach, most small animals scattered long before they passed through.

There were a couple spots around the territory where Masquerade had established a blind of sorts. She led Reki toward one now, gesturing and maneuvering until the two of them were crouched behind a large bramble called a salmonberry (not that she knew it), with plenty more of the Rubus spectabilis growing nearby.

Little fruits grow around here. See how they’re all over the ground? I bet we’ll see some squirrels here, th—

Masque’s voice cut off immediately when she saw a flash of movement nearby. Something very small and reddish brown scurried through the underbrush, almost blending in with the leaf litter. She tried to track the chipmunk’s movements, though it rapidly disappeared, leaving Masquerade to huff out a breath and exchange a look with Reki.

It sounded like a fun game! He liked to sneak, and to watch. It was so much easier to watch what others did than it was to participate, plus he wouldn't get hurt if he was on the sidelines. It felt good to have a play-mate who understood how much fun being quiet could be.

She welcomed him along. Reki moved as stealthily as he could manage, and kept up with her well as he was able. His steps had begun to lengthen lately as he'd grown a little longer of body and lean, and as gawky as he was becoming he could move further and with more care than previously.

The girl was talking about fruits and squirrels, but then stopped when something moved. Reki thought he heard chittering; he might've been hearing some little birds in the trees instead, making tiny commentary about the wolves and their antics - or maybe it was the sound of a squirrel climbing, he couldn't be sure. His eyes were wide though, and he saw Masque had the same expression on her face.

The chipmunk did not reappear, though Masquerade knew that if they were patient and quiet, something else would come along for them to observe. Still looking at Reki, she motioned for him to lie down fully in the leaf litter. She did the same, doing her best to minimize noise.

If we’re silent and still, they’ll come, she whispered to the younger pup, flashing him an encouraging smile.

Indeed, it wasn’t long before a remarkably fat squirrel appeared close by. Masquerade twitched as she watched it scuttle around in the leaves, gathering rotting berries and stuffing them into its cheeks, causing them to bulge. It made her think of a word she’d only just learned: “glutton.”

Her eyes stayed riveted on the squirrel for several moments before she turned to make sure Reki saw it too, pitching her deep voice as low as it could go as she said, He’s so fat!

He followed Masquerade's example and flattened as she did. Her whispers brought a shine to his eye. He was alert, and wanting to watch their surroundings as much as he wanted to stare at his friend.

A squirrel did appear when they were quiet. Masque made a quick comment, low and whispering, which Reki almost didn't catch. Hehehehe, he is! Reki replied. He was too enamored by the experience to remember to whisper — so, he didn't, even a little bit.

11/22: I’m going to wrap this to ease your load!

Reki didn’t bother pitching his voice lower, so the squirrel fled up the nearest tree. Masquerade watched in mild amusement as it perched on the lowest bough, then proceeded to twitch its tail and shriek at them. The shrill sound made her ears fall back on her head.

Okay, let’s move on, she said when the squirrel continued its noisy protest. Are you hungry? I’m not very good at catching prey yet but I can take you to a cache. One with meat, she assured with a faint twitch of her lips, casting the screeching squirrel one last glance before nosing Reki away.