Stavanger Bay I'm gonna be the best

Tveir didn’t know what was going on but the world was tense around him, especially between his parents. His dad had even brought flowers one day, which was a bit weird, but they did smell good. His mother was sad and he didn’t know how to fix it, so he just stuffed it down and wore himself out as best he could so he didn’t have to think so much. Today he was running and dashing over and over again from one end of the clearing to the other. He thought about going off on an adventure, but he didn’t want to leave his mom and siblings alone, he needed to say. What if a monster came and he had to protect them, it would not do good to be away. So he continued running and jumping and barking. He was the loudest everyone said, so why not embrace it. Let the world know that he was there.

At length, the beach failed to draw her and even the pursuit of her Shield Maiden status began to lose its luster. The past few days, Junior had remained close to home, her demeanor bothered and listless. She couldn't stop thinking of her family now. Sometimes, she even flopped in the grass and, unable to stifle the urge, whined and whimpered under her breath. Although she very much liked her foster family, Ragnar particularly, she missed the plateau and her loved ones dearly. Though she was too young to pinpoint her feelings or properly articulate them to anybody else, Junior badly wanted to go home.

Today, she lay a few dozen yards away from the Alpha's den, gazing off into the distance and remaining unusually still and quiet. A sudden burst of noise caused her to start, then jerk her head around to spot young Tveir romping around the clearing adjacent to the den. Not long ago, she would've given him a run for his money, happy to prove she could be just as obnoxiously loud and energetic. Presently, she just stared at him, mismatched eyes slightly squinted, before she heaved a sigh, plucked herself up off the ground and wandered closer.

"What're you doing?" she questioned him, the corners of her mouth twitching into a smile despite her melancholy mood. He just looked so goofy! It almost inspired her to want to play with him... almost but not quite. "I have a sad," she blurted abruptly. It was the first time she'd admitted as much out loud, though her foster family had quite likely already noticed her behavior and begun to wonder what afflicted the normally happy-go-lucky pup.

Tveir had noticed how the newcomer was always heading towards the beach to be alone. He didn’t mind really, he himself was alone often, unless he was with his mother. He barely saw his brother and sister anymore, and though it should make him sad, since he hadn’t been able to form bonds well it didn’t bother him as much as it should. The new girl Junior had been acting so strange lately and he didn’t understand why, a few times he had thought about asking her, but he didn’t.

He looked at her as she walked forwards and gave her a small crooked smile Tveeer runnin’ whatchor doin? He stopped his running to stand still and listen to her as she spoke wondering what it was she had wanted, she usually didn’t play with him anymore. He put his puppy face in the form of a frown and asked Why sad Junya? He waited patiently for her to tell him Youse missin’ yer famidy?

Her pseudo brother unexpectedly drove right at the heart of the matter, guessing that she missed her family. The word family made her throat feel tight and her eyes to suddenly water. Finding it hard to articulate, she simply nodded in response and then sat rather abruptly, as if her legs had buckled. Junior looked altogether droopy.

"Tell me a joke," she said in a strange voice, mismatched eyes flickering over young Tveir's face. She didn't realize he might be too young to know any jokes. "I don't wanna be sad anymore," Osprey explained. "I wanna go home," she whispered tearfully, these four words so quiet that he likely wouldn't hear much but a soft, sad hiss.

Tveir looked at her with tilted head. I no know any jokes junya…tveer swory. He leaned forward and pushed up under her chin, not sure why but felt that it was what was needed at the moment. Tveir was worried as his foster sister began to cry. No no cry Junya no no. We fin’ youse famidy we fin’ dem…jus’ tell daddy who youse daddy and mommy is he kin halp youse or ask mommy Tveir flitted forward and back, extremely worried as water leaked from her eyes, his mommy had cried like that and then she and daddy had fought badly…he didn’t want it to happen now too…he didn’t want to hear yelling and screaming like he did….

When he told her he didn't know any jokes, her lip wobbled and the first two tears broke free, streaming down her black satin cheeks. When he told her not to cry, they came faster. And when Tveir told her all she must do was tell Ragnar and Thistle her parents' names, she moaned quietly. She didn't know their names. They were Mama and Daddy to her. Moreover, she was afraid to tell her foster parents how she felt. It felt traitorous somehow after embracing her life here so enthusiastically at first. And she was afraid too... as much as she wanted to go home, she didn't want to leave her new second family.

All of this left her badly conflicted and she was too young to manage her feelings or figure out what to do. So Junior bit her lip and tried to stem the flow of tears. She looked at Tveir and told herself to play with him or do something to get her mind off her quandary. Yet she simply couldn't muster the energy for it. Instead, she slumped forward onto her belly, her chin bumping down to rest atop her forepaws. She lay there, unhappy and defeated.

Tveir went forward and looked her face trying to stem the tears, he soothed his tongue across her ears. He had seen his mother do that, and he didn't know what else to do but that. He made soft shhing noises gently trying to calm her down. His little heart was going clippy clop in his chest, racing he felt like it was about to break free from it's bone prison. He was scared he had never seen the older pup to their entourage break down like this.

Tveir shifted around ot her side and he lay his pudgy self right near her and lay his head across her back brushing his muzzle back and forth down her spine to sooth again. Tveir Vary Sowry Junya

He may not have known any jokes, yet Tveir found a different and much more successsful way of comforting Junior: he lay down beside her and soothingly rubbed her back. Despite herself, Osprey Jr. found her lips twitching. It felt good physically but it was her foster brother's dedication to her comfort that moved her. Out of the three pups, he would definitely be the hardest to leave behind...

"You so sweet, Tveir," she told him, her tail giving a halfhearted thump. She then began to feel guilty for her miserable melodrama and offered, "You wanna play? What do y'wanna do?"

Tveir would miss her too, more than he cared to admit. It would be like a whole that needed filled. He already saw most of his own siblings absent from his life, when it came to lose his adopted one too, the one who actually paid attention to him, he didn't really know what he would do.

Tveir shook his head and he curled his tail tighter around his backside and spoke softly with his head resting on her shoulders. Is otay Junya, Tveeer jes sit here wif youse, we can jes sit here.

Despite his earlier energy, he assured there that they could just lay here. "You're so sweet," she purred again, rearranging herself so she could run her tongue up and over Tveir's wrinkled face a few times. Eventually, she stopped and touched her forehead against his, like a bump of solidarity.

"I'm gonna take a nap," she told him. Depression was wearying. "When I wake up, I'll play with you. Deal?" She managed a halfhearted smile for Tveir, then curled up beside him, black feet tucked and breath sighing from her as she lay still and waited for sleep to come.

Tveir gave her a small boyish grin Fanks Junya. he let her lick him, though he usually didn't like that nd he fought with his mother every morning and night about it, he said nothing to the foster sister that was dear to him, some part realizing she needed to do that.

Deal Tveir wash ova youse Junya. No one hurt youse tveir here. And he did just that his little head held above and looking around wrapped tightly around his foster sibling and he stayed that way until she fell asleep and on until she woke up.