Sun Mote Copse When I tell you, a cat must have THREE DIFFERENT NAMES.

It was midday in the copse when the relative tranquility was broken by the sound of splashing, followed by a child's giggling.

While Alyx was asleep with her family, it rained overnight, leaving large puddles of water dotted throughout the pack's central rendezvous. These formed in natural dips in the land, and not all of them were muddy, to Alyx's absolute relief. She couldn't stand being dirty, but she did love water. She'd found herself a grassy puddle with no dirt to be seen and was busying herself with splashing around in it, laughing uproariously as she went.

That is, until a leaf overhead tipped and dumped its few drops of water on her head, prompting her to stop what she was doing and stare up into the canopy. There's water in th'trees too? she wondered aloud, to no one in particular, because as far as she realized, she was alone.

@Wraen

Wraen had left the copse at dawn to hunt in the meadows, but her activities were interrupted by sudden rainfall, making her to seek shelter under the branches of a tall spruce.There she had lied down and watched the rainfall, while her thoughts wandered. Not for the first time in recent weeks she had felt the alluring call of the world beyond the known territories, not for the first time she secretly wished to leave everything and follow.

Not today though. Once rain stopped, she left the hiding place and made her way back home. She stopped to inspect the borders briefly and decided to see how the valiant team of her exactly two guardians were doing later in the day. Then her path continued to rendezvous site, where the joined family of Redhawks/Blackthorns/DeMontes-Argyles had moved to. Just to check in, if they needed anything, perhaps catch an adult to discuss a hunt for larger game. 

It was probably quite early in the day, because other than one of Niamh's twins she did not see anyone else out. She quickly identified that this had to Alyx. Not because Wraen could tell the two twins apart by looks only, but because their demeanors were completely different. Had it been Q, the whole world and probably one beyond would have already known that there was a visitor. "Good morning!" she greeted the little girl (who no longer was that small) and approached her tail wagging, eyes smiling.

How curious. Alyx's imagination was quick to cook up the idea of what water in trees might look like, but as she inspected the canopy, she could see no hanging globes of water on the branches where the leaves ought to be. There was no water at all, as far as she could tell, but nevertheless when she returned to her splashing, another heavy droplet plonked onto her head.

Hey! she told the tree, exasperated. You stoppit, dum-dum tree! Water's for th'sky an' th'ground, not dum-dum trees! How astonished she would be if she ever learned that trees drank huge quantities of water out of the ground each and every day. The tree had nothing to say for itself, of course. Alyx nevertheless nodded assertively, as if accepting an unheard response, but then a third droplet hit her on the nose and she snarled bodily at it.

Only to be distracted by Wraen. Huh? she said aloud, squinting at the tree before realizing that the voice had come from behind, not in front. Oh, hi! said the lone twin as she whirled around to face her visitor. The Sovereign was familiar, but not yet established as a figure of authority in Alyx's life, so in the cub's demeanour, there was no acknowledgement of Wraen's rank. She met the woman like she would any friend, ears perked and tail waving just over her hindquarters, having thus far existed outside the hierarchy of the pack. Perhaps a lesson in pack dynamics was due? Because Alyx was blissfully ignorant. Whatcha doin'? I's tellin' this tree t'stop spittin' on me, but it won't.

I am very sorry for the long wait!

The kid appeared to have a discussion of some kind and, while listening to this in amused silence, Wraen once again noted, how fast the kid had grown up and how quickly she had transferred from mumblin-bumbling toddler-talk to having very good verbal skills. 

The kid introduced her to the problem, and rather than tellin it was nothing or laughing it off, Wraen heard it out with just as solemn and serious expression as she would have listened to any of the adults informing her about important pack business. "Well, that is very rude," she said first. 

"Though I have to admit that they have very little entertainment in their lives," she went on, looking away from the offender and down at Alyx. "So, it is their way of having fun. I suggest that in retaliation you can wee on it. Or do something of equal weight," she tilted her head to the side, when she came up with this suggestion.

If the Sovereign was at all bothered by Alyx's lack of deference, there was no indication of it. That was how the Firebirds pack work. They were a family pack whose sole unrelated member was Chanel, and Alyx had never met her. That afforded a more lax hierarchy among the members, something Alyx might one day learn wasn't necessarily the norm.

So nothing stopped her from sidling up to the lead she-wolf, where she stretched out her neck and boldly sniffed at the thinner hair on Wraen's leg. The smell of her was the smell of home—made sense considering who she was to the pack. Yaaaa! she agreed at once, sticking her tongue out at the tree, whose boughs pelted the ground below with a few more droplets. Rude tree!

Wraen, it seemed, was something of an instigator herself. Alyx peered up at the Sovereign as she explained why trees might feel a need to be rude. It must be terribly boring to have nothing to entertain oneself with. She supposed she could feel for the trees, but she was still pretty annoyed with their spitting habits. When she suggested being rude back to the tree, Alyx flashed an impish grin. Otay! It was quite unladylike to pee on your enemies, but Alyx was a wolf. A ladylike wolf, she liked to think, but even the most refined of wolves was bound to pee on things. It's what they did.

She rushed over to the nearest root and squatted, but produced only a tiny dribble. Turns out her tank was pretty empty. Oh, Alyx observed, a little disappointed even as she gave her rump a jiggle or two. Nope, nada. Another droplet of water slid down from a leaf and plonked into the space between her ears and she scowled. Can maybe, jus' maybe, can yoooou wee on it? she pleaded Wraen.

Alyx was game for the plan and wasted no time in bringing it to action. Wraen walked over too, getting few stray droplets of the water splashed on her as well. "Well, my wee-belly is empty at the moment, but you can always return to the same tree, when your's full again," she said, moving over to take a sniff at the tiny puddle girl had made and then sat down, looking at the girl again. 

"Has anyone else upset you that I as a Sovereign should know about?" Wraen asked. "I have time now and we can fix that."

Dang. It looked like the rude spitting tree would get away with its antics today. Neither Alyx or Wraen had the ability to punish it by peeing on it. Alyx thought they might be able to go to the stream and drink enough water to fill their bladders up, but if they left, how would she remember which tree it was? No ideas were forthcoming, so she pouted instead.

Wraen was pretty good at distracting others from their problems, though, and that was true for Alyx as well. Oh, well, Q makes me mad aaaaaaall th'time, she shared eagerly. She always brings mud home an' gets it all over me! I think she does it on porpoise! She'd be willing to bet her own tail on it, and Alyx adored her beautiful black tail. Oh, oh, and Rosie never wants to play with me!

No point mentioning that it was because Rosie was a delicate sort, and Alyx was known for being a little rough. Oh! she said, pausing to take a quick breath, and Figgy left an' hasn't come back. This last was delivered sadly; she missed her brother. Bronco was great, easily her favourite big brother, but there was a Figment sized hole in her heart and Bronco just wasn't the right shape to fit it. Fennec and Nellie both left before she could make any memories of them, but she remembered Figgy... albeit only a little. Wassa Sobrun? she asked, ducking her head low to awkwardly itch the side of her nose with her dewclaw.

"She probably does," Wraen agreed, remembering her days of childhood and, how annoying her two siblings had been (not that she was ever to blame, of course) and knowing well that children rarely changed. "Maybe not the playful sort," she remarked and nodded slowly. "I am sure he will come for a visit - I understand that he does not live too far off anyway," she said. 

"A Sovereign is a name of a leader here. The first wolf in the group. Kind of like your mom," she tried to explain, but did not think that she made any good progress. "Except not just kids, but also grown up wolves have to obey the rule."

There wasn't much to add about Quetzal and Primrose. Alyx loved her siblings dearly and sought their approval as much as anyone else's, but if she was being honest, they just weren't on her level even with Wraen's assurances. She was a sophisticated young lady, dignified and respectable. Quetzal was much too childish and filthy to play with, while Primrose was too quiet and reserved to make for good sport. Alyx fancied that she was better suited to the company of the older wolves. Like Bronco and Figgy!

Buh he hasn't come to visit yet! Alyx protested, letting her ears wilt. If he lived so close, why hadn't he come to play with her? Well, maybe Wraen could help with that. Apparently, she was in charge of everyone here, even Mom and Dad and Towma! Upon hearing that, Alyx immediately decided that she wanted to be a Sobrun, too. She had no idea how to get there, but it sounded amazing.

So, Alyx said, faltering. So, you could tell Figgy t'come home an' play with me, then? An' he has t'listen?!

"Do you obey your mom always?" Wraen replied with a question and waited for it to sink in and heard the answer. "It's not that easy. The leader has to listen as well. All parties. And find the best solution. It might not make everyone happy or absolutely content, but they will at least have a consolation in the fact that they had had a say in something," by this point she realized she had rambled on and probably bored the kid to death. 

"I cannot bring Fig back, but would you like to play with me?" she asked. "I am at your service," she made a play-bow and then plopped down altogether.

Hope you don’t mind me fading this here! Shoot me a message if it’s an issue, I just need to pare down on threads and am trying to close out all my pre-August ones!

Wraen’s response could’ve contained all the sensibility and wisdom the world had to offer, and Alyx still wouldn’t like it. She wanted Figment to be told to come home now. The notion that a leader had to listen to everyone else was just plain silly to her. Leaders made the rules! Why should they have to follow them, too?

So maybe not exactly bored, but disgruntled. Well, I’d make Figgy come play wi’me if I was Sobrun, she haughtily declared. She’d make Quetzal be nice to her, and she’d make Primrose be less lame and lovestruck, and she’d make Phox and Niamh and Towma bring her anything she ever wanted. Yeah. She’d be a great Sobrun, she just knew it.

Wraen’s offer to play thoroughly distracted her. When the leader dipped into a play bow, Alyx giggled and rushed forward, slapping a small paw down on Wraen’s arm and screaming, TAG! Then she was off like a shot, galloping through the trees with a wild peal of giggles, presumably with the Sovereign hot on her trail for a long game of tag.