Larksong Grotto as we cross the empty skies

The search for a mouse, or something equivalently amusing to terrorize, had led the boy out this far.

The Rise was near, but seldom did he ever travel alone. He knew the way home by heart and it was not his intention to go much further.

A soft rustle causes his ears to perk. Curiously, he glances around to pinpoint the cause of the noise, certain that he is being watched.

BWP: the one where yer character gets whumped by a prey animal

”Ptthhhhhhhhhhht!” She whispered, hoping the sound would catch Mulherin’s attention. She’d been out on patrol when she saw the boy’s tracks heading outside the pack’s boundaries. Nearby, she’d scented moose, and she worried the boy might wander too close. They needed to get out of there before they were spotted.

A bull moose grazed nearby. Too large a for for both of them, and from the way it rubbed its massive antlers against the nearby trees, it was trying to shed some of its velvet, which hung in great, bloody strips. 

The wind shifted, and the moose’s head lifted. ”Go! Now!” Lilia urged as the bull flared its nostrils, lowered its head and charged almost blindly in their direction. Lilia slipped forward between them, barking, to distract the angered creature, snapping to entice it in her direction.

The bull moose turned, but with a flick of its head it caught her by the flank and sent her flying high into the air.

Seeing Lilia elicited an excited wag of his tail. However, this excitement faded quickly at the urgency of the situation. It was too late.

The bull charged.

He yelped in surprise, watching Lilia’s body fly through the air before she collided harshly with the ground.

It wasn’t in him to abandon her. Heart racing, the youth dove behind a nearby tree and peered at the bull. It snorted and warily eyed Lilia’s slumped form, inclined to attack again.

He barked.

The moose reared its head. Beady eyes searched for where he lay.

It was likely that the only reason Lilia hadn’t been gored was due to the moose’s webbed antlers. The times had prodded her but not pierced her flesh- and in the great bone canopy that made up the majority of its crown, it raised her and flung her aside. 

She somersaulted, spotted the ground, and could do little to prepare for the impact aside from tuck her chin to her chest and her legs to her body so she might not break one. 

She landed with a thump, the sheer force of impact causing her to bark once, sharply. She fell quiet as she bounced and rolled, eventually coming to a stop. Once her world stopped spinning she opened an eye to see the moose turn its long face toward her.

Mulherin barked, and both the bull and Lilia turned to spot him. She knew moose would have poor eyesight, but even still- if it spotted Mulherin, he would be in danger. 

She pulled herself up as silently as she could, wincing at the pain in her shoulder and ribs. In the moose’s blind spot, she could just see Mulherin past the long, thick-knuckled legs and the tree he hid behind. Her gaze was steady and even, and she carefully mouthed the word 

”Stay.”

His eyes remained on the hulking beast. Lilia’s plea was unseen.

The moose was still keen to find him. It took a few strides in his direction before remembering Lilia, then turned to regard her with a harsh grunt.

His hackles rose.

Would it charge again?

She held her breath as the moose lumbered forward. She gasped at the pain in her ribs, and the sound seemed to remind the towering creature that it had not completely obliterated the first wolf it'd launched. It turned toward her, and Lilia knew then to back up. She kept the moose in her sights, and allowed her tail to wave from side to side, so that it could see the movement. 

To the best of her knowledge, moose were fairly dumb. Easy to anger, and could bolt in an instant, but at the same time, they weren't predators. The moose continued to move toward her, eyes rolling back slightly as it wove its head from side to side, keeping her in view. 

She ambled sideways, an indication of disinterest as she tried to make it clear she would no longer pose a threat. Her tail was lowered, curled slightly, and she licked her lips. 

The moose, seeming satisfied, gave a huff, and stopped following her. It began to rove off. 

Lilia remained where she was, watching for some time before she finally breathed a sigh of relief that turned into a frustrated moan. It could have been a lot worse- but her ribs would certainly take some time to heal.

It took all the self-control he had not to burst from his hiding spot. The urge to protect, help, or do something was unbearable. 

All he could do was watch. Watch as the Lilia winced in pain, watch as the moose somehow decided to spare her from a more agonizing fate. 

Her submissive tactics seemed to work and the bull wandered off. He wasted no time and rushed to Lilia’s side as soon as possible.

Hhit, He cursed breathily. You okay? Can’ya walk? What’hh broken?

She remembered having a talk with Mulherin about how prey animals might defend themselves, and how ironic it was now that he'd been able to witness his teacher get tossed through the air like a flying squirrel. Fortunately, she thought, this might prove to be an even better illustration of how all animals, prey and predator, could be incredibly dangerous. 

She winced as she sat up, forcing a pained smile as she tried to brush off a bit of his concern. "Ugh," She grunted, wincing at the pain she felt when she vocalized. That would be another annoying part of the recovery- laughing, coughing, and even talking would hurt. "Yeah. Justh-tt ribth." She wheezed. She gently moved her back to check out her level of mobility, and was relieved that at least the joints in her spine seemed to be unharmed. She held her breath so she could shrug softly. "Need a minute." She said, as she began to focus on keeping her breathing steady, but shallow.

He uttered a low, muffled whine. There was nothing he could do but listen and wait. 

You could’a died.. He said. Don’ move too faht,

As she took her time to recuperate, he paced protectively, eyes searching for any sign of the moose—if it dare return.

"Coulda, but didn't," She cracked a weak grin, knowing that Mulherin was right. There was a caring note to her voice, though; if ever she was needed to defend him, she would do what it took to do so. He seemed to understand the gravity of the situation, but in learning how valued he was, perhaps she thought he might return the gesture someday. The wolves of the Rise were fierce; they looked out for one another, without question. 

She settled down, then, to allow herself a bit of time before moving anywhere. Mulherin kept watch, which was appreciated, though she felt if they were quiet, the animal would not be likely to return. Speaking made her ribs ache, but she felt Mulherin might need the comfort of a friendly voice. "Hey. We'll eat him thomeday."

fade with your next post?

The coast was clear for now.

He settled down across from Lilia, sensing she wasn't up to making the walk home just yet. The flicking of his ears was evidence that he hadn't let his guard down.

Her humor elicited a small snort. He appreciated that she remained in good spirits. 

Yeah, he doehhn' htand a chanhhe. came his answer. He sensed her discomfort and didn't push her to speak further.

Whenever she was ready, he was there to give her a shoulder to lean on, if need be.

sure :)

He showed confidence that had become the trademark of Avicus' legacy. The young redtail was a capable hunter, and had now had a real brush with the dangers of being smaller than some of their prey. A year ago, Avicus had saved her life by allowing Prophet to take her in, and it was an honour for her now to be able to return the favour by saving one of her children as well. Mulherin would live, and he would succeed, more knowledgeable than he'd been when he'd set out in the morning. 

"Let'th go," She said softly when she was ready to begin the long, slow trek home.