Swiftcurrent Creek What's that?

Buckthorn tag for reference

Violet curiously looked around at the world around her. She was obediently at the rendezvous site. There was usually some adult around to watch them. She always found it rather fun to have others watch them. However, she also had kind of explored everything around this pace. She glanced around for something to do, perhaps a sibling wanted to play? She pursed her lips and decided to annoy her brother @Buckthorn for a wrestling match. When that was a bust, because she lost, she decided to see if there truly was nothing she had seen before. She curiously moved around the perimeter. She clearly knew what the perimeter was because often her parents would correct her if she bustled over it.

She obediently stopped by the invisible line and heard that rushing sound again. She tried to look if she could see, but she only was met with foliage. She pursed her lip and then quickly pin pointed her dad @Arric. She moved to him. Wa the soun ter? She asked him and then to prove her point she moved back to the edge of the site and listened to the rushing water.

While Violet was busy losing to Buckthorn in a playfight (would have never happened to Burdock - if you had asked him), the little devil was busy in uprooting a spruce growing nearby. Well, to be fair - the tree was huge and it would probably take Burdock many lifetimes to succeed - but he was very determined. So far, he had dug around and beneath a tree root that had already been a little bit above the ground. The sand had been nice and easy to work with and pretty soon he had made enough progress to squeeze under the root and...

...get stuck. Burdock let out a confused whine, then tried to scramble forwards first - did not succeed. Then - tried to pull himself out backwards - failed again. Besides a sharp off-shoot of the root pinched him and he yelped out in pain. "H-e-e-elp!" he called out to his sister and father, who he had last seen somewhere nearby. 

Arric was watching with barely concealed amusement as his children wrestled together. And as Burdi got himself stuck. A small snort of laughter and he stood, with blue eyes dancing with barely concealed laughter. 

What did you do fella. That is water Vi. The river to be exact. You help me, help your brother and i'll take you both to see it, but only if you promise to go only with mom, or me or Uncle Akavir.

He nuzzled his son's forehead and spoke. Just relax Burdi. Let's get you out of here yea. Try not to move too much okay.

Then he used his much larger paws to slowly wide the hole and then dig under Burdock so he could scramble out.

Violet shot a grumpy expression towards her father as he seemed focussed on her brother instead. Water? What'swater? She was quickly convinced to help by her father though. She was super curious about it and was quick to join her father to help mainly for the reward of course. She watched as her brother had lodged himself under the root. Her brown eyes curiously looked at her father. She was not sure what she could do to help him.

She watched her father dig with his paw, and started to copy his behavior. That usually worked for her. The girl dug away the ground with her paws. "Ur fattt," she told her brother without any filter, not really knowing the meaning of the word but she had heard it somewhere. She tried to grab his scruff, something she had seen her parents do. Also with herself. She tried to pull and help get him out.

Just relax? Relax?! RELAX????!!!!!

Burdock stared at his dad, as if he had just suggested to just have a little cholera (not that he knew, what it was, but the feeling was there). He could not move. That bump in the tree root had probably pierced his skin and muscle and would definitely snap his back next. And that unhelpful sister of his was throwing out insults and would probably cover him in sand. 

It started slowly - a quiet whine gradually grew into a loud wail and resulted in a full-blown crescendo scream. All the while his dad and sister was digging around him and inadvertently making dust land fill his mouth. So the symphony ended just as abruptly as it had started. And by the time Burdock's dad and sister had managed to free the fat potato from the deadly clutches of the ground and tree-root, he was lying flat on is belly, screaming and coughing and coughing and screaming. 

Burdock was upset and, what was worst, he could no longer remember, why. 

Violet. We don't call wolves like that. He's just stuck, not for any reason other than that. He spoke his voice a gentle reprimand. He didn't want her getting upset, but she also couldn't be calling other wolves names like that or stating what was on her mind. Even if it was slightly true. But gods alive he'd never tell his son that.

Arric gently wuffed in his son's face, blew a breath across his eyes and face. Trying to get him to focus on him. Hey burdi boy. He fella.

He nuzzled at his son's ear and made sure to give his daughter a soft nudge. Well done at being a good help Vi.

SORRY!! I missed this one!

She glanced at her father with confusion because well, he was! He was stuck... She would be fat if she was stuck too. She didn't see it as something negative. She nodded obediently, as the pressing matter was that they had to dig out her brother.

They managed to free him but Burdock seemed upset. She disliked seeing it. She moved in close to nudge him. Her father also came closer and she backed off to give him some space. The girl instinctively moved next to Burdock so he could feel her that she was there but let her father handle things. Her tail patted happily on the ground at the praise.

The upset was waning away quickly, but ever so greedy for attention (that was never enough in family of four kids) he kept up the show for a while after his father had told the soothing words and Violet (the russet menace) had become unusually sweet and had cuddled up right next to him. Burdock hiccuped a few times, nuzzled the fur on is sister's nape (making sure that he left as much of snot and saliva there as possible), and then - finally feeling content - he got to his feet, shook his coat and looked around victoriously. As if saying - did you see that? The great job we did together?!

"I am hungry," she told Arric promptly and looked expectantly at him. 

The only movement was  a twitch of amusemed lips. Arric had to hide the quiet laugh with a gentle wuff and he looked over both of his children. It was a shame the other two weren't here, and yet it was nice to be able to focus more fully on two less than usual. And he imagined they probably could appreciate it too. After all they were alll too used to fighting for attention.

I think you both deserve a bit of goat. I think I know where there's some. Let's go raid a cache.

Vi was happy to be support for her brother, it seemed to make him feel better! Though she did not really appreciate him slobbering all over her fur she refrained from saying anything about it. She could feel it sticking out differently because of his ... sadness? The girl was quick to get to her feet when her brother announced that he was hungry. I'm Hunwryy TOO!!, she called out, jumping up towards her father. It was important for him to know that she was also hungry, most definitely more no... most hungrier than her brother!!!

She bounced around her father with that boundless puppy energy. Raid!!! RAID!!, she chanted, not being very mindful of where here father was walking. She walked in front of him but also wanted to look where he was going. Basically she was very much in the way of his feet. It was not an uncommon occurrence though. ::First one gets the most!!!," she dared her brother.

Even at this young age Burdock knew that, when it come to running, Violet was the more gifted one. Which meant that he would not be able to catch her on speed alone. Instead he decided to work smarter. He kept pace with his dad, being just small enough to fit in the empty space between is belly and the ground. It did not occur to him that his presence there probably caused his dad to trip more than once - he was more focussed on snapping and pouncing at this sister, every time she was silly enough to return and check up on them. In the end - hopefully - all of them made it to the cache in one piece and had great fun in eating.