Wapun Meadow Explorers.

@Nikai

Valette watched how the pup ran out in front of her. She chuckled seeing his enthusiasm. "Alright, Alright," she laughed. Why the heck couldn't they go right now? Who was she to say that they couldn't go right now? She trotted after her son, playfully chasing him till the border. Then she took more of the front role. She didn't want Nikai to stray too far away from her.

"Lets go to the open meadow," she smiled. In this open field, he could perhaps explore some other animals getting along with their spring business. Perhaps, he could also tell her what were good landmarks to remember. That might be a good think to practice with him.

Nikai followed eagerly, and though he was very eager to explore he also managed to keep himself together as he dashed towards the borders. From thereon he was all seriousness and followed Valette perfectly, managing to push down the feeling of excitement and exploration that he felt bubble inside.

"Wooow!" he breathed in amazement as he watched the beautiful field spread out in front of them. The outside world was so exciting! He looked up at Valette, waiting for her move to decide where to go, following her perfectly and staying close as he imagined he was expected to.

Valette noticed the young male was quite eager to explore. It warmed the female's heart. As they crossed into the field. Nikai stayed close to her with was quite endearing. She started to walk again, expecting Nikai to run around her again and let his nose take in all the scents but he didn't.

Valette realized he was a good kid. "You can run around if you like," she offered to him. "Or use your nose to track something." Valette wasn't sure if Nikai even wanted to do those things. "I can also tell you something about the territories around this meadow if you like that?"

He stayed close, not sure what privileges he had out here in the world with his mother. It wasn't until she said that he was allowed to run around and track things that he grew bolder. His tail wagged excitedly at the thought of more freedom and he ran away a little; staying within earshot but finding this thing and that. Flowers to sniff, with a diversity in scents he hadn't ever smelled before, and butterflies to chase until his tongue lolled from his mouth and he grew tired.

"Yes!" he said in contained excitement when Valette suggested she could tell about the meadow; "Tell all the things!"

Valette watched her son in enjoyment. He seemed to be so excited and happy, it made the woman happy too. It was a good day. She secretly liked that he was so close to her. It gave her the feeling that she was a good mother. It made the female want a litter badly. She chuckled as he came back tired. "Alright," she agreed and turned to face the direction that was close to their home. "Over there, next to our territory is Bearclaw Valley. I was born there," she explained. "Those mountains you see over there are the Sunspire Mountains. They can be very traitorous. When you cross those mountains you leave Rising Sun Valley, which is where we are now," she continued.

Then she made quite a turn. "Behind Fox's Glade forest there is a big lake with ducks, called Duck Lake, and after that is a March. The march has a lot of herbs for healing but it can also be dangerous." Valette paused. "My mother was killed there by a cougar. Never go into the marsh alone, alright?"

Nikai tried to take in all of the information that his mother shared but it was a lot to take it. He nodded each time she shared a new detail with him, but by the end of it he'd forgotten half already. He mostly remembered the place that Valette'd been born and the place her mother had died, which visibly startled him — perhaps because of his empathic link to Valette, or because of losing his own mother at a young age. "How big is a cougar?" he asked, remembering being told about them once and what they did but knowing very little about their appearance otherwise.

Valette watched his features. She didn't mean to startle him with these stories, but then again, she didn't want him to go there alone. "Cougars are big cats, about the size of a wolf, and sandy in coloring," she explained. "I don't know much about them either. They don't come close to our territory and once my mother was attacked I tried to stay clear of them," she explained to her son. Hopefully, it would be sufficient. She was certain Nikai would otherwise ask.

He took in the information offered though wondered how much of a threat they really posed to a wolf pack. Maybe they operated in packs too, and it was a pack that had taken down Valette's mother? He decided not to ask too much, since it was obviously a distressing subject and he had gotten most of the information he needed. Nikai nodded decisively and said, "I'll stay away when I see one." He decided it was for the better just to stay away and stay safe rather than risk anything — and with that he knew enough about the subject, hoping they could move onto happier ones as he glanced around the beautiful meadow.

Valette nodded. "You are a good kid, Nikai," she complimented the boy and licked over his cheek. The female continued to walk through the field. "Anything else you want to know?," she asked. She just wanted to answer all the boy's questions. After all, if he wanted to be an explorer like her she was very willing to help.

want to fade this one? :)

Nikai's tail wagged at the praise he was given, and he looked thoughtful while he considered what else he needed to know. Eventually he shook his head, and then suggested: "Let's go for a run!" With a cheerful expression Nikai dashed forward, not waiting to see if his mother would follow but assuming she would.

Valette smiled at Nikai and then nodded. "Yes," she agreed excitedly and then started running. It felt good to stretch her legs and feel the wind in her fur. It was a happy moment she could share with her son.

- Fade End -