Stone Circle forever on the dancefloor

The attack on his mother was easily forgotten in the young boy's brain. The only frustrating thing was, really, that everyone was so focussed on her when he was - hellooo! - right here. Woe being a young boy with a desperate need to be seen growing up in a family as Charles's. Well, he was pretty annoyed by it all. Mom hadn't seemed to be up for playing at all either, which, really, was outrageous if you asked the coolest kid on this litter (a note from Charles: sorry guys - it's not that you're uncool, it's just that I outcool you ez).

Today Charles was digging around for roots, because, well, a boy had to do something with his life if his relatives wouldn't amuse him (insert dramatic hairtoss here)?

@Louie @Riley

Riley was too young to process properly what had happened in the weeks prior. So, in the vault it went. Later, he might pull it out and inspect it - mull over it. Learn from it. 

For now, he was the same heavyweight cub he’d always been. He tailed after Charles, and when Charles bent down to worry a root, Riley greeted him with a sharp nip to his raised buttocks.

louie found himself watching charles with an intense stare. his brother had been rooting around the earth in search of something. the dark pup had watched with an expression of interest and distaste – a combative thing to take hold of his features. louie did not budge from his reclined position in the sun. while charles had managed to collect his interest, it was not so much so that he would abandon his comfortable place to expand on his curiosity.
 
it didn’t take long for riley to trot up behind the chocolate and ivory boy. still bent toward the earth, louie watched as riley found little trouble in taking advantage of the position. something clicked in his mind and he saved that image to his memory. it seemed as though the bent shape of his brother had made a curious impression on the young boy’s mind.

The white heart on his chest got sandier and sandier the more he dug. Charles' teeth wrapped around a root, but it was still stuck to a small shrubbery next to the hole. He growled in frustration and frowned. When Riley nipped at him he just responded with a Ey! which really was just his way of saying I'm digging right now, no time!

Charles looked up with his dirt-covered snout, but then just turned his attention back to the unruly root. He was sure he almost had it, after all.

Normally the Patriarch would stay far from Laurel's family, feeling too uncomfortable to engage with the pups and risk having his nose lobbed off. He didn't know Laurel that well himself, only talking to her with meek conversations— but despite this he still found himself drawn to the young ones who graced Easthollow with their age; their yelps and squeaks mirroring his own whelps. (Greyback wondered if his own children had yet to engage and play with them. He hadn't seen any of them together yet.)

The man emerged from the coverage in front of them, his gigantic frame casting a shadow over their tiny forms as he weaved around the side of the tree. He looked them up and down, taking note of the brown and white one that was currently covered in dark dirt. Charles, if he remembered correctly. Riley was also present, his pudgy frame almost mirroring West's. The pup seemed dead set on annoying his brother.

For now Greyback only stared and blinked at them with a raised brow, his eyes traveling back to the tree roots that were adorned with notches made of puppy teeth. He hummed at the attack. "Did you win the fight, young one?"

riley was young yet, but old enough to have a sluggish concept that biting usually ellicited a better response; all charles did in retaliation was lift his dirt-covered snoot from the ground and yell a ey! over his back. hardly an exciting reaction.

riley's slow gaze flickered to louie, devising a new assault in the slow, unhurried way a crocodile might. he was just about to lurch his horribly rotund body into action when a shadow fell over them. riley had not forgotten iliksis; in the incomprehensible way a child's mind can hold onto memories that are nearly unintelligible, riley recognized that stranger equaled "unwelcome". this stranger's form was too high, and the light behind it too bright in contrast, for him to make out the features of greyback -- but riley turned around slowly on his thick limbs, and arched his stubby tail.

a pugilist's growl rumbled in his throat as he faced his newest challenger.

the watchful eye of the dark young boy had caught sight of the towering male before he had drawn close to them. while he did nothing to alert his siblings of the titan, louie still found the approaching brute to be somewhat interesting. deep scars had made a home on his noble features. the young panther’s mind seemed to turn dangerously at the idea of how he had attained such marks. the mere premise of it had seemed to light a rapid beating in his young heart. before the emotions carried him away, the stranger spoke, addressing charles and riley.
 
louie blinked slowly, a frown turning his features downward. in the summer sun, he looked like a dark and basking gator – watchful and ready for any turn of events. the young pup did not speak or address the unknown male. louie did not feel as though he had any reason, yet.

Charles was the very last to notice the towering form of the adult. He had been so busy digging and chewing at the root, but it just didn't seem to come loose. There wasn't much of it left -- he almost had it, he really did! -- but it was the last bit that was the most tenacious, the hardest. Butt wiggled as he chewed and then fell backward with an oof. Charles shook his head and looked up straight at the adult who said something to him.

The child blinked as he looked up at the adult, not understanding the words entirely. None of the words were his name or anywhere near it, which was quick to whisk Charles' attention back to the root; as he saw it from the corner of his eye, his great nemesis, the boy turned back towards it to wrap his teeth round it and pull out the last bit, hopefully.