Redtail Rise q-less

@Redd was elsewhere, and Ruckus paced impatiently back and forth in one spot. They did not enjoy being apart from their guardian, and they enjoyed it even less when others approached them. Still, that did not stop others. They would always approach, even when Ruckus put on their defensive (or even offensive) face. They had at least been eating more regularly since Redd's return, opting only for food she caught. Ruckus followed her often on hunts now, watching with keen attention as she took down prey both large and small. One day, they knew they would be capable of the same feats, but logic won out whenever they got the notion to join the hunt.

it was not often that he interacted with the bearn.

in lieu of redd, ruckus grew sour and misanthropic. his attempts at connecting with the orphan were rebuffed, as they had done to many others.

he was quick to give up and give space.

yet, whether the child realized it or not, he always kept careful tabs on their whereabouts. the berserkr passed by in some way almost daily.

mulherin’s was known only as two orange eyes ablaze in the dark, the candlelight put out upon discovery.

as soon as he was there, he was gone; merely a rustle in the bushes.

redd’s return lessened the frequency of his prowling. the two were joined at the hip most times. ever since, he kept to himself and out of her way entirely.

but today, mulherin shows himself.

the dark-clad berserkr trots out from the brush, intently eyeing the bearn. he stops a generous distance away and simply stands there, statuesque.

a field mouse, held by the tail, dangles from his jaws.

The berserkr came near, and Ruckus was immediately on edge. Their hackles raised, and their lip curled to show tiny teeth. If Redd had been here, with her calm presence, they would have followed suit. But she was not here, and Ruckus trusted nobody without her there to guide them. With their history, how were they supposed to trust anyone at all? It was easier to trust nobody, to keep their guard up, and to keep others away.

They did not acknowledge the bit of meat hanging from Mulherin's mouth. Not even food could be trusted unless it came from Redd herself.

Redd’s return had little effect on Cambria’s preoccupation with Ruckus. He didn’t really understand it. He wasn’t that curious about the rise’s other pups. Then again, they behaved in expected ways. Little Ruckus was a conundrum. He intrigued the yearling, made Cambria want to solve the child like a puzzle.

Like Mulherin, he often lurked nearby, keeping an eye on the tyke without coming closer. He knew Ruckus didn’t want to be bothered. Cambria realized he wanted to win him over but he didn’t know how. Was it even possible? Perhaps if he won over Redd first, Ruckus would take her cue? He seemed to shadow her in all things.

He saw the young leader approach the pup with something in his mouth. The Dragonling peered out from between the lower boughs of a pine tree, then decided to step out of concealment. He didn’t move much closer, just made himself visible and shot his fellow yearling an encouraging smile.

His two-toned eyes then settled on Ruckus, ever curious to see his actions and reactions.

the mouse comes to life once more and squirms in his grasp, swinging like a yo-yo on a string.

ruckus reacted how he expected them to—oddly, defensively. 

another face enters the mix, he espies cambria’s pale face from the sidelines but does not acknowledge him.

his face is blank and reactionless as he gains a few steps nearer. then, he sits down, tail wrapped along the side of his body—twitching as he stares and waits.

The appearance and smile from Cambria did nothing to soothe the bearn's current state of agitation. In fact, it did the opposite, and soon Ruckus was air-snapping as close as they could get to Mulherin's face. Their tail was raised high over their back in an effort to look as big as they possibly could. For a pack who seemed so keen on language through movement and silent expression, nobody seemed to respect what Ruckus had to say. They were ready to put their small teeth to good use if this display did not get their point across.

It was a mouse in Mulherin’s mouth, he realized, and it was alive. Cambria licked his chops, applauding his fellow on his self-control. The swarthy leader took a few more steps toward Ruckus despite the hostile intent written into every line of that little body.

The Dragonling frowned, even before his eyes flicked to watch Ruckus’s reaction. He felt bad for both of them. Didn’t Mulherin understand the puppy needed space? Cambria didn’t understand why, though he felt sorry for whatever event had soured the youngster’s temper so terribly.

He remained motionless, watchful. He understood what drove Mulherin—and perhaps it was best to push Ruckus’s boundaries a little, for all Cambria knew—but he found himself silently willing his peer to leave the poor kid alone.

within a pack, all had their place in the hierarchy.

the bearn, growing older, needed to learn this. that living on the rise meant collaboration, trust, and mutual respect. ruckus would be a toweard soon. what path would they choose?

maybe to be a young berserkr themself, he finds. the bearn came at him swinging, but did not land a punch just yet. 

unphased, he rises to his feet, looming over the snapping pup. 

the mouse he held became erratic at this, as if it were being slung over piranha infested water. 

to ruckus, he merely offers a lift of his lip, no different than correction that might’ve come from their mother or father. 

the silent way of saying don’t push it. 

mulherin knew his olive branch would be snapped. yet this all served a purpose to him still, he would still test the child’s instincts to hunt, or assess lack thereof.

he resorts to his backup plan. 

he gives the mouse a toss. it squirms in the air for a moment before he catches it again, this time by the body instead of the tail. a sickening crunch of his jaws—it is wounded, now.

now, he tosses it again, this time at the bearn.

Ruckus remained displeased at the entire display. They knew, on some base level, that they were being asked to do something that they did not like. Then again, there was very little that the Redtail liked. They liked Redd, and that was about it. Not even food brought them comfort the same way her presence did. Perhaps it was because she had been there when the rest of their world had crumbled around them. Whatever the reason, they did not relent when berserkr loomed over them.

When the mouse was tossed at them, they batted it away with a paw and turned their nose away. They would not play these games.

Mulherin persisted, trying to tempt the child by drawing the mouse’s blood before tossing it at Ruckus. Cambria’s ears pricked, wondering if instincts would compel the youngster to strike at the wounded prey. But Ruckus merely batted it aside, clearly disinterested. Mismatched eyes shifted to Mulherin, wondering if he felt as stumped as Cambria did.

What happened to this kid? he wanted to ask, though there was a time and place for that question, and this was neither. Cambria peered at the sullen pup and saw a little of himself in Ruckus. His mother had left him too, well before he was truly ready to face the world on his own. But he took some comfort in knowing Redd had at least come back for her child.

He wondered where she was now and whether her appearance might prompt Ruckus to cooperate with Mulherin. Cambria exchanged a quiet look with the young leader, then shook his head lightly and moved off to circle the area, unable to watch if he persisted but equally unwilling to let the pup out of his sight.