Ouroboros Spine Sweet as sunrise

Massaraq frowned a bit flustered. He was not sure what to do with the worry of the other pack. The idea of thinking about what if went a little bit beyond him and instead of answering the question he just smiled brightly and attempted to reassure, upbeat. "Don't worry - see! I'm fine. Not too fast, just can't cross." He eyed the water again, somewhat tempted to try. But if Ajei was worried then he might have to leave her behind and he wanted to see the fire tree with his new friend.

When she mentioned not being loud enough he thought about it for a moment. "Let's try together, with both of us we can be loud enough!" Tipping his head back he let out a loud high pitched wail, not of pain but he wanted someone to come and that was the loudest sound he could make. It started off in a bark but quickly scaled up into something higher.

Ajei was a puppy, but she was a shy cautious puppy. And this other pup had made her quite nervous. She feared for him. That water was fast and she knew what it could do. She dropped a stick in one time and it just went right down the river, bouncing and all sorts of things hitting rocks and other sticks and broke into a bunch of tiny pieces. Wouldn't it then do the same to a puppy.

She nodded and sniffed at him gently and then settled. She wanted to see the tree too. Chickadee had shown it to her once, but it had been what seemed so long ago and she had been so sad that day.

She lifted her nose out and let out a noise she wasn't used too, but she tried for his sake and her's. She could howl of course, but it wasn't very loud.

@Chickadee

After a short while he tilted his head back. Massaraq frowned. Of course adults could not be around all the time, but he had really thought that Chickadee would come.  Maybe she was busy with his brother. Kivaluk was so fun to play with that made sense since Massaraq had lost track of time when he and Galana and Kivaluk had all played together.

But that meant they could not cross the river, the sharp cry from Ajei fresh in his ears and the rush of the water still tingling over his paws though he was on dry land. Still, he was not ready for their grand little adventure to end. "I don't think Chickadee will come..." He tried not to sound too disappointed, he had wanted to see the fire tree. "Do you want to go to the lake instead? We can't cross it,  but the water is calmer and it's also very pretty." He remembered seeing it briefly, the wide blue reminding him of his sibling's eyes and the sky.

Ajei had thought Chickadee would come too. However, she also knew adults were often busy doing important things. And sometimes they only had a little time to play.

I sorry
 I know you wanted see Fire Mother. Okay we can go lake.

She nudged his little shoulder with muzzle a tiny smile on her face. Trying to make him feel better. It was disappointing not to get to do things sometimes, but they'd find another way for fun

Massaraq sighed but responded to the nudge with a companionable smile and gentle nudge back. "Me too, I know you wanted to see too." There was always tomorrow even if it felt impossibly far away.

"Let's go." His smile was bright again though he did not immediately bolt off, instead following the bends of the river with a kind of studied curiosity. Taking a moment to examine an oddly limbed creature with big bendy legs that seemed to stretch longer than its body when he went to poke it with his nose.

He wasn't very happy, but he moved with a nod and a nudge. So at least he was amenable to the idea. That was good right. They had other days for adventures. She was sure of it.

I did, but it's okay. She didn't mention she had seen firemother once. Though she'd been upset and crying. A regular sulky suzy.

She blinked eyes wide at the creature. What is it? She didn't nose it. Just watched from afar. Hoping it wouldn't snap at him or something. Strange little thing.

Massaraq blinked hard as bits of water flung into his face from the splash as the creature returned to the water. Ajei was a short distance away and he looked curiously at where the small animal had disappeared to. "I...dunno." Before he could think too much more on it he saw another of a similar shape a short ways down the bank. He stalked forward, careful and quiet with his pawsteps, though to any trained hunter they were still plenty loud. "There's another." He spoke ruining the effect, but he was still not close enough that the long limbed animal hopped away.

She stared at the creatures and followed behind Massaraq, were they brother otter? They didn't look like the otters that she had seen from a distance with Mama. Were they those things mama said to stay away from the fisher beasts?

Her steps were quieter and smaller than his, but she was trying to hang back. She was curious, but not so curious that she wanted to be near the things like right on top of them. What if they bit her right in the nose. That wouldn't be a good day.

Massaraq managed to get fairly close, and when he saw the stillness in the limbs of the other creature as if it were about to flee he leapt forward in a rush, jaws open. The thing tasted slimy and sharp in an unpleasant way, but the damage was done and when he spit it out it only twitched in the last throes of death. Massaraq poked it with his nose. "Ewwww." Now that it was still he was still interested in it, but it seemed less appealing.

Wide eyes in small head as he rushed towards the thing. Before she could call at a warning that he shouldn't put things in his mouth that didn't belong. It was already in there. She stuck her tongue out and backed up a step. Because the expression on his face was not a kind one.

EWWW Be right. You be okay Raq? She rushed forward then to look over his tiny face, nudging him with her nose and sitting on her rear haunches to touch his muzzle with her paw. Worry making her brave for a minute.

Still slightly shocked from the texture and twitching of the not alive thing he sat back a bit when Ajei nudged him, weight on his haunches and away from the creature. "Y-yeah." Wishing to defend his shock he gestured with his nose towards the body which had finally stopped moving. "So slimy, tastes weird." Wrinkling his nose a bit and now almost fully recovered he spoke again. "I don't think it's good to eat."

Ajei pressed closer to him. The tremor in his voice a little high. She didn't know if he'd need her comfort or even want it, but it was all she could think to do.

Though she did put her nose down towards it and wrinkled her maw. Not even sure how to describe the smell, like silt and water and wolf breath.

No, no. Maybe it like something you gotta break open to eat like the spiky things, with puppy noses. 

She had seen porcupines, but their name eluded her for a minute. But Anaa had told her she could eat them if killed them first, but it was hard. And they were stinky.

Massaraq returned the press of Ajei at his side, slightly glad for the reassurance although he would have had a hard time admitting it. "Ohhh maybe!" Her suggestion made sense. He remembered porcupines being tasty although he had poked his paw on one of their quils. This creature did not have spikes, but it did have an unpleasant taste so maybe that was its defense against being eaten.

Looking at it again he murmured "Let's see." Using his teeth to open up the belly as it was the widest portion of the body he took a tenative bite of the insides. Tilting his head he squinted. "Not bad, still weird, but not as bad as outside." Looking at Ajei he took a shuffling step so that the could see too. "Want to try?"

Ajei thought porcupines looked painful and why anyone would want to eat em or even hunt em she didn't know. But you could, didn't mean you should.

Sje squinted at the thing and then sniffed tentatively at it's squishy body. Even poked it with a soft paw. Though ahe wrinkled her maw ahe took a small bite. He was right. It wasn't terrible. Tasted fishy though. But she liked fish.

Its weird, but taste a bit like fish. Not ezaxctly but little bit.

Content with their findings Massaraq kept going down the river, he could see the lake and remembered now his brother talking about going fishing with Aiolos. He wondered if his tataa would teach him how to fish too someday. "Do you know how to fish?" Maybe Ajei already knew, or maybe not. He doubted they would be able to catch anything staying in the shallows but maybe fish wanted to visit the shore too?

She followed behind. Eyes sparkling at the river, the light making her blink and coo. It was beautiful. Really and truly beautiful. She loved every minute of their exploration. 

She shook her head. Little bit, only what i see adults do, be real still, and watch. That was the extent of waht she knew. She had watched others. She hadn't ventured into the water without one of the adults and now she was a little disappointed she hadn't asked before this.

Each new bend in the river revealed something new and Massaraq was similarly impressed at the new sights revealed to him. It sounded like Ajei knew more about fishing, if not everything, but he was a little bit confused since standing still when there was so much to see and do could prove difficult. "Huh that sounds hard, maybe even if we don't catch anything we'll see fish." When Chickadee had taken him to the lake he had noticed the vast expanse of the water but had not paid close attention to any animals.

His easy pace dissipated as the lake came fully into view and he could see the shore a short distance away. "Oh we're close!" Rushing forward he all but crashed to a halt near the shallows, looking for the place that Chickadee had shown him was safe to wade into even when he had been small.

There was so much to see. Ajei found something new each turn of her head. And as such ahe almost missed her new friend speaking.

Fish is pretty. So many colors. she smiled she liked to watch the fish dart and their shimmering scales. They were tasty too, but at the moment she was thinking of their sights.

Suddenly the lake was there and her eyes got wide. Oh. she spoke quietly. It was larger than anything she'd seen other than the forest. It sparkled and shimmered and way out far giant fish jumped.

A soft gasp escaped her. She didn't know they could get that big. 

That thing eaten us up one big gulp.

Skeptical though he was he trusted Ajei's assessment and hoped that the fish would indeed be colorful and fun to look at. Looking in the same direction he saw the sunlight briefly catch on the glistening scales and even at a distance he could tell it was large. "Oh! You're right, pretty." His tail wagged, swishing water behind him. 

He squinted to better see against the glimmering waves of water, but after a short wait he saw another peaking out of the water. "Look another one!" This one was not quite as large but it came further up out of the water. Massaraq could hardly imagine jumping that high.

Suddenly a sift gasp left her as she felt something nibbling at her toes. Head flashed down and she stared surprised as fish tiny ones swarmed sround her toes.

Raq! Look!

She tried so very hard not to move. Her upper body barely still, quivering in her excitement.

She blinked at him with wide eyes. You try and catch em?

She giggled at the sensation. I mive they might go fast.

Massaraq's eyes went wide as he noticed the ones swimming around in the shallows. He watched and listened to her description and nodded his head. As he tracked with his gaze one moving closer he slammed his head down gracelessly getting a mouthful of water instead as some of it went up his nose. He reared his head up sneezing violently.

"Oh, I'm gonna get one!" Determined he tried to be still once more and waited for the water around his legs to settle once more.

Ajei giggled at his look. But she gasped when he darted forward. A sneeze and she blinked.

Raq! You okay?

You can do it! She smiled at him and gave a firm nod. She had full faith that he could do it.

Encouraged by Ajei's confidence Massaraq stared at the water intently. His entire body was still, but his muscles felt tight with concentration and focus. His head shot forward again, this time more prepared for the shot of water and more graceful. He missed a few more times. Squinting his eyes he glared at the water. But he refused to give up. Once more he shot forward, using his shoulders to gain leverage and grasp almost all the way to the bottom of the water. But when he surfaced he could feel something in between his teeth. His eyes were blown wide as he felt something small and slippery wiggling in his jaws.

A hushed quiet fell over them. Ajei barely breathed. Her green eyes on the water and her friends face.

He tried and failed, but kept trying. This was important and she encouraged as best she could. But she tried not to disturb the water.

Suddenly he was in and out and a wriggling scaley fish hung there. She did a small dance. 

You did it Raq!

His tail wagged excitedly, the exclamation from Ajei tamping down on his own momentary disbelief. He ran to the shore clamping down on the fish and set it on the ground to see. "I did! Thank you Ajei." Nudging the fish slightly to share between them it was rather small but between the pair of pups it should be at least a bite or two. "For the help." His grin was wide with joy at the task completed.