Moonspear keep on twiddlin' them thumbs

the nightwoven tween had spent the last few hours making significant upgrades to his boulder-fort. what had once felt like a mountain to climb as a wee pup was now little more than a few hops to the top. he'd obtained a crow's feather, likely molted off of sixsix, and placed it strategically in a crack the rock had in order to act as a flag of sorts.  

back on the ground, he gave a brief look over the changes he'd made before deciding some color was needed to truly elevate his fort to the next level. and so with absolutely no idea where or how to obtain any sort of natural paint, acrux set off in search of anything vibrant. 

it took him about an hour to come to the conclusion that moonspear was indeed a mountain, and that everything here was gray. having nearly abandoned his search for color, it was by a stroke of luck the youth stumbled upon @Alaric's trail, and set off after him in hopes the newly appointed councilor would know where to find some color.

Alaric had continued hia duties without much change. He felt no different, just knew another knew his worth.

As spring was fast approaching and soon there maybe more children. Alaric was going through his stores of herbs for anything to help mothers.

It was with delight he heard the pattering of paws and turned with a smile.

Acrux. What brings you out and about?

after some time passed, acrux eventually closed in on the older man's trail and marched up to him with a wide smile. "hi!" he greeted initially, tail swaying softly behind him. "i need some colors for my fort, but i don't know how to find or make 'em," he revealed with a hopeful glance towards the raven coated man. 

"you know how?" he asked with a tilt of his head.

Alaric looked the youth over. Growing into his own. A handsome young man. Alaric was so glad to be a part of these kid's lives.

Well i know how to find some snow jasmine, but i also know how to make colors from some berries i have stored. So.

He grinned. Which one do you wanna do.

the older man presented two options, and after some thought, acrux happily stated "both!" he wished for as many colors as possible, so in his mind, both was the only correct option. he waited a minute before deciding that focusing on the first of his choices would be a good start. 

"we can start with findin' the jasmine?" he suggested with a look to the councilor.

Alaric nodded. alright then bud follow me. We have to look in the cracks and be careful. Hold onto me with your teeth if you have too.

H3 would stick to leveler places, but they were still on a mountain. Acrux had grown here so he'd probably be fine, but Alaric worried.

"ok!" he let out as he stepped closer to follow in the man's footsteps. while not yet at the level of calling himself a mountain goat, acrux was well accustomed to traversing the rocky terrain of his home. 

"what color is the jasmine?" he wondered aloud before quickly tacking on, "and the berries too. are they pretty?"

Acrux followed well. And he kept within range were something to go awry, Alaric could save. The boy of shadows followed closely with well timed gait. He knew the mountains as Alaric did.

Yellow. Bright like the sun. 

Alaric hummed. The berries are all different colors. There are other plants too that can make other dyes, but I fear i do not have them.

Alaric actually already had some dyes in turtle shells and small shells. Because if trading.

greyscale ears twitched with interest as the older man spoke of different colors and other plants. he could paint his fort in an array of different hues, a masterpiece of vibrant colors. "you wanna help me paint my fort?" he asked, curious eyes glued towards the raven coated man as the pair of them rounded a boulder. 

his fort was one for the boys, and so while he wanted to invite maggak along to color with him, he could not. he had to uphold the number one rule for his boulder-fort; no girls allowed! with his dad often preoccupied outside the borders to fulfill the bride price anaa had given him, it left few options for company at the fortress. it was ok to hang out there by himself, but he'd rather spend that time joined by alaric.

Alsric smiled. Of course I do. Best idea all day. Lets hurry up and dig out some of those flowers.

Green eyes searched yhe ground and in between crevices. Finding a few. They would grind them up and add water. Boom instant yellow.

So we put these against a rock and we grind it up real good with stick or paw then add little bit of water. Same with the berries. Well probably better to use a piece of log so it can be used.

this is an out of country flower i hadn't realized until already so far. So yay for semi realism :p

a newfound energy surged the youth's step as the older man agreed to paint with him. "ok!" he answered with a quick stride as the pair hurried to scout out their prize. alaric discovered a few of the still blooming flowers and went on to explain how they would turn petals to paint. 

an eager nod was given here and there, the boy focused through excitement. he leaned forward to pluck a flower for himself before placing it on the ground and giving it a few good stomps. 

"like this?" he asked with a tilt of his head, opting to forego the stick option in sight of quick work.

Acrux was quick to grow excited at the prospect of painting. He even picked flowers with precision.

Alaric couldn't quite hide the smile at the boys eagerness to get started. So much so he didn't use a stick or a bowl. It would be messier than normal but it would fade eventually. He and Acruz may just be yellow for a few days.

Yea just like that.

He pressed a paw into the yellow and showed how to make a print. And also to rub a paw down so it made a line amd filled more space.

acrux watched as alaric demonstrated his painting techniques. a paw reached forward to mimic the older man's movements, a smile dancing on his lips. a paw print here, a line there, and the boy felt as if he'd become a master artist in less than a few minutes. 

"now we just gotta find the berries," he let out as he raised a yellow stained paw high in the air. 

yellow, blue, red, oh my! he wondered what colors he might create by mixing them together, and if some of them would be colors he'd never seen before.

Alaric chuckled. I'll be right back. The berries are at my Ulaq. You just keep painting.

He watched for one more second as the youth painted happily. And he felt his heart lighten. He loved the children of the spear so much.

He would quickly go towards his home. Maybe 5 minutes or a little more. To return with berries that could paint red and blue. And he quickly smashed them onto a leaf so it all stayed like liquid there in the hollow of the plant life.

"m'kay," came the boy's response as alaric left to grab some berries. in the time alone, acrux carefully plucked some of the remaining jasmine from the crevices they hid between, setting them to a pile aside his stomped flower. 

when alaric eventually returned with the berries in tow, there would be a bundle of the yellow flowers waiting there. acrux returned to working on his ground petals with the remainder of his time, stomp, stomp, stomping away.

Alaric arrived with berries in tow and added them to the nearby cache. He smashed them so they made blue, red and purple colors. The blue and the red were similar, but if looked in the sun. It was clear they were different. Following that he spoke. 

Watch you can make different colors with each other.

He took some of the bluish berries and mixed it with a dab of the yellow and it turned green like trees and grass. 

But you don't want to mix them all together or it will turn brown. Unless you want brown like tree bark and dirt.

he watched as colors mixed to become different, and as an example was given of how to do so. he stepped up to mash together red and yellow, eyes bright and filled with wonder as it turned a lovely shade of sunrise orange.

his tail swished happily behind him as he lifted his chin toward alaric. "ready to go paint now?" he asked with a tilt of his head. they had everything they needed, now all they had to do was go and make the fort colorful.

Alaric stepped back as Acrux took up the pallet and began to mix. A smile bloom3d across his features deepening the green of his eyes. It was always amazing to show children new things. He'd never get tired of it.

A nod. Absolutely. You start.

Once Acrix started his first coloring. Alaric would join in. In only felt fair that the youth got first dibs on his own fort.

looking to clear up some older threads! good to fade here? <3

the boy gave a nod and led them both back down the mountain and towards his fort. teeth carried as many of the berries and plants as he could, leaving the rest for alaric to transport. once they arrived he quickly set down their supplies and began sorting them to each color. 

from there he began to mix until there were enough colors to paint a picasso worthy portrait. "i'll start at the top!" he shouted out as he moved to jump from bolder to bolder, starting at the peak of his fort and working his way down. 

the two spent most of their day covering the boulders in an array of colors, and acrux could not have been happier to do so.