Ouroboros Spine Moon, tell me if I could

Ludo had a new home, and new family in the form of Raindrop. He still worried about his maman and his brother, but he was able to distract himself with the going-ons of Moonglow.

Today he had a new mission; hunting. Nothing big, he couldn't handle that even with help, but he didn't see why he shouldn't try for some small game.

Not far from the den where Raindrop and himself resided, he followed the scent of a ground squirrel with his nose to the dirt. He wasn't so graceful, lanky with paws that were more crashing and tumbling than they were stalking. Nonetheless, he spotted the rodent after some time.

Lowering himself to the ground suddenly, he watched for a moment before springing from the grass and sprinting forward. Run run run! But it was in vain, despite his best efforts the ground squirrel made it back to it's burrow before Ludo could get in biting distance. Sitting himself down with a huff, it was hard not to be disappointed.

Raindrop had become content in assuring that Ludo had everything he needed. It took her back to when her daughters were small. She cared for him tenderly, as if he were her own.

She had sought him out today. She knew growing pups needed their space to grow in many ways, but since this was a new land to him, she wanted to make sure he wouldn't become lost.

She tracked his youthful scent, and found him sitting not far off with a look of disappointment on his face. She slowly strode up beside him, and sat with him. "Tricky little critters, aren't they?" she chuckled, "I've tried too, but they are fast, even for me."

She sighed, taking a breath before speaking again. "Ludo, would you like to tell me more about you and your family?" If not, that was okay. But, she would need to know more about them in order to help track them down. Or, at least, that was the hope.

Raindrop joined him in the midst of his pout, giving Ludo a bit of a jump. I wanted to give Ajei a gift. He responded with a frown. He would have to find something else to say thank you to the alpha female.

They moved on from his failed hunt, Raindrop instead inquiring on his family. Ludo had to think for a moment. Well.. I have a brother and a sister, but my sister lived with our dad. He and my maman didn't like each other. He didn't know all of the details, which was likely for the best.

I know we lived on a lot of mountains. I miss the one we used to live on, but my maman didn't like the wolves there. She didn't tell me that, but her face would get all squishy when some of them got close.

She took in the information that he gave. He had a brother and a sister; his mother and father had a tense relationship, and they had lived in the mountains. Perhaps the mountains he referred to were the sunspires?

She reached to pull him closer to her, if he wished to accept the gesture. "Where did you last see your mother?" She asked, but would understand if he couldn't remember, or it was too hard to talk about.

She didn't know if it would make him feel better, but she told him a little bit about herself.... "I was separated from my family too." She began, "I miss them. But, I have made my own family here. and even though my first family is far away, I know they will always be with me..." She reached to gently touch his chest with her paw, "...in here."

The last time he saw his mother.. Ludo couldn't help but frown. Um.. well it was night, but the moon was real bright. We were all getting ready to sleep when we heard some funny barking. It hadn't been quite canine, but he had no grasp of what else it could be. I thought it was another wolf, but maman told me and Ignace to hide while she went to go see. She didn't come back.

Raindrop spoke of her own troubles, that she too had been seperated from her family. She seemed to have accepted it, but Ludo wasn't sure he could do the same. But I might see them again, right? His maman, his siblings, his father or grandmaman, any of them?

He told her about the night their mother disappeared, and her heart ached. It didn't sound hopeful, but Raindrop wasn't one to linger on negative thoughts. She continued to listen openly, mentally processing what she was told. But, all of this made her wonder; where was his sister?


In response to her comment, about herself, he asked if he'd see his family again.
"Oh! I-I hope so. But, until then, until we find them, we will keep our hopes up." And she pulled him close to offer a warm and loving embrace.

"Now, how about I teach you to hunt?" she grinned, wearing a playful smile on her face. "We can start out small, and work our way up."

The prospect of learning to hunt quickly turned his mood around, moving on from the prior conversation. Where do we start?

He was curious to see how Raindrop hunted. What sort of prey did she like? Ludovicus had rarely ate anything but ungulates growing up, and it had left him sharing a fondness for mutton alongside his mother - but they could work up to that when he was bigger.