Cricket Creek Bog noms away

Short replies welcome. Feel free to throw plots/ideas my way too!

It was now apparent to Whimsy that this new land was more heavily populated by wolves than any she had traversed before. She wondered how far and wide the density spread, and if this was a good or bad thing for her. Historically, she didn't do well in the hierarchal structure of traditional wolf packs, so that part worried her. On the other paw, the promise of meeting many new wolves was an exciting prospect for the sociable girl. It was quite a struggle to balance these opposing forces.

A gentle breeze picked up and brought with it the scent of territorial markings somewhere northeast of her. She took note of it and made sure she did not stray too close for comfort. The temptation of the insect-filled bog was too great to ignore anyhow, even if it did mean being closer to a wolf pack than she would have liked. 

As morning turned to noon, she made her way through the watery terrain and nommed a variety of insects until she could nom no more. She let out a belch that carried through the bog quite nicely, causing a hearty laugh to follow. Though she was alone for yet another day her spirits were still high. She hadn't eaten this well since being on the teat!

Toad hadn't stopped moving for a long time.
Normally, she wasn't one to stray far from places she knew. There had been something a bit comforting about the Redhawk Caledera being close by. It felt familiar, since she knew that her sisters and probably many others from her  family had lived there at one time. However, the loneliness of being on her own was not something she was accustomed to. In fact, she hated not having others to look our for. She'd left a fair few foodthings cached in the Great Bear Wilderness, but it was time to move on. It was clear no one was coming to get her and she needed a next step.

The muddy-coloured creature had found a way over the mountains by cutting through a mountain pass. This prevented her from having to venture around it toward the sea. She vaguely knew of the region she'd passed through because of Kukutux, but most things were guesswork. 

It was a warm day. Toad had come toward the smell of stagnant water because she knew that there would no doubt be small prey around. Rodents of many sorts and amphibious animals often made their homes in places like this. She had already been moving about for half an hour; her feet were muddy and her legs wet. She heard a weird noise, something that sounded almost like a belch. It was quickly followed by a bellowing laugh, which rippled across the water and startled several bee eaters and a frog. Toad looked over, ears perked, and found a wolf. She snickered to herself, and began wandering toward the stranger.

As Toad got closer, she relaxed her ears and the tip of her tail wagged furiously. Hello! As was becoming her signature welcome, she called out. The girl was small and young. And, clearly, a goof.

 I've been hoping Whim could meet yo toad gal!! ❤️❤️❤️ 

There was nothing quite like hearing a friendly hello when it was least expected. In fact, Whim's attention had so quickly diverted from her astonishing burp to the sight of half-transformed tadpoles wriggling to-and-fro in a dwindling puddle that when the stranger's word's reached her ears she jumped out of her skin and screeched. A very odd sound for a wolf, but somehow her poor vocal cords managed.

She recovered in the blink of an eye as widened eyes and brow and open mouth returned to a cheerful shape. She matched the other's body language, but it was possible her own tail wagged with slightly more fury. None to shy, she returned the greeting with an almost desperate enthusiasm mixed with relief, "Hiya!" She looked the other up and down with a slightly tilted head and said without hesitation, "Wow, you're so muddy! You look splendid. I want to be blessed by the mud spirits as you have been." 

She looked down at her own legs and her paws were covered but otherwise, she paled in comparison to this mud goddess before her. She had a burning desire to fix that, but miraculously a tiny subconscious view got through to her and reminded her to take care of polite business first."I'm Whimsy, who are you? We could be friends ...if you like."

Hee <3

If you had asked Toad to describe the sound that came out of the other as the greeting hit her, Toad would have greatly struggled. It was a bit like what you would get if you took a short scream and diluted it with sugar and mud. Toad's ears flew backward and she gasped shortly, unsure what to make of this.

Then, the girl grinned at her and said a resounding greeting back, clearly thrilled at having a new person to talk to. Toad couldn't help but smile wider, the creature's infectious enthusiasm making her heart thump with a comfortable optimism. She laughed loudly at the yellow-eyed girl's observations, her voice booming and loose. I've never been described that way, but it fits! Toad wondered to herself if there really could be mud spirits that had given her a muddy colouration. Surely not, but it seemed like a good idea for a tall tale.

I'm Toad! Consider us friends! There was something about this lovely young woman that made her very happy. Perhaps it was written right there in her namesake; she was like a spirit, fun-loving and very trusting. What a silly creature. Where'd you come from, Whimsy? Toad asked, stepping closer to her.

Whim's friend request was accepted instantly. If they had been technologically advanced wolves it would have been like sending a request via Facebook (Wolfbook?) and two seconds later seeing Toad's profile proudly displayed on the friend's section of her wall. They would have sent Waves (Tailwags) via Wolfbook messenger by now too. But alas, they were just two wild chicas vibin in a muddy bog.

She made a delightful 'oooooh' face at the other's name. Whim was particularly fond of her beloved, though often grumpy and begruding, toad advisors. A wolf named Toad was even more awesome than the amphibians themselves. "That's the best news I've heard all week! Not just my first official friendship in this land, but also your name is wonderful. I have a deep respect for those bumpy little dudes, they've saved my ass more than once." She went silent for a moment to appreciate said toads.

"I come from a place called Mossdew valley, yep yep. Somewhere back 'attaway," she motioned in a broadly Southeast direction with her muzzle, "But I've been traveling for about three full moons. What about you? Were you born in this place? It's so... big and, and... lively."

What a treat this critter was! While Whimsy explained her fascination with Toad's namesake, the brown wolf giggled stupidly at the phrase "bumpy little dudes," turning away for a moment to badly attempt to hide her grin. I'm certainly not ashamed to be called one! Nearby in fact, they could easily hear the croaks and calls from their warty friends hiding out in the shady spots beneath the trees. 

Whimsy went on to share a bit of her story. Toad peered over toward the young wolf's gesture, wondering what this Mossdew Valley was like. She supposed it was all in the name, full of moss and dew within a valley. Good names were sometimes dull.

Oh, no, I'm from a ways off of here. I was traveling looking for old relics and places that my siblings stayed in before me. The Redhawks used to live in the Redhawk Caldera over yonder, here she gestured beyond the mountains that blocked the view of the Great Bear Wilderness. I visited, but couldn't find much more information. Now I'm thinking of staying instead of heading home. I'm not exactly sure where to go, though, Toad explained. Her tone was positive and friendly, though she lacked the bubbling voice of the young lady.

sorry for the delay! vacation and then random sickness :x

As she listened to Toad she dipped her paws in a nearby brown puddle in an attempt to match her new friend's muddiness levels. An occasional nod of understanding and a hushed 'uh huh' left her mouth so that Toad knew she was still listening despite appearing occupied. In fact, her mind began reeling with questions and curiosities about the other wolf as if a mental treasure chest had been flung open (or a pandora's box, depending on one's perspective). 

The name Redhawk Caldera conjured splendid images of hundreds of red hawks soaring and circling around whatever a caldera was. Whimsy's mind made up the caldera imagery to be something like a very tall, heavily forested hill in the middle of an empty, vast flatland. Despite how incorrect her guess was, she would be absolutely delighted when and if she ever discovered the true meaning of the word.

"Yeah, this place is very inviting, but it's so big and active, like a giant beehive- if wolves were bees. That's a strange thought." She paused momentarily to envision a land of bee-wolf hybrids buzzing across the landscape. She giggled to herself and then continued, "So many choices and opportunities await. Any top picks for potential places to stay?" 

It coo!

Not only was Whimsy indeed a whimsical young lady, she also appeared somewhat absent-minded. Toad continued speaking while the young wolf poked at puddles and seemed to ponder things far beyond where the two wolves were. Clearly, she was a free spirit. When she mentioned the bees, Toad chortled a most unlady-like noise, quickly covering her face with a wrist to avoid drooling everywhere. Bees.. She laughed, struggling to maintain normal breath.

As for potential places to stay, Toad was a bit at a loss. She felt as though she didn't belong here, but also didn't think that leaving to head home was the right move. She paused, hmm, thinking about the question. I don't know, to be honest. I did meet a very pleasant woman from a place called Moonspear, just there, here Toad gestured with her nose over to the mountain, which from their angle was blocked by an impassable set of peaks just before it. I've been considering heading there. I don't like being on my own, she said, offering a faint, but sad, smile to the little wolf.

Whimsy's eyes followed the lady's nose over yonder. She stared intently at the sky full of jagged peaks, quietly trying to comprehend why anyone would live on such inhospitable highlands. It wasn't in her DNA to hide the truth, which very plainly plastered itself on her face in a quizzical expression. She misunderstood that Moonspear stood beyond the place being pointed out.

Toad must have been really desperate for companionship if she was willing to live there just to be in a pack, that, or maybe the pleasant woman was some sort of irresistible alpine goddess. This was coming from someone who seemingly despised pack life though, so she didn't understand the appeal to begin with. She wouldn't touch a pack with a ten-foot branch. Not even for an irresistible alpine goddess.

She gave her new friend a look of soft, gold-eyed sympathy and gently drawled, "Aww, why not?" It was an honest question, one Whimsy had been trying to understand since she was the size of a porcupine. Perhaps it was the pull of coyote blood within her, whispering the appeal of freedom and independence into her soul. Or maybe it was something else altogether, something less magical and far more dismal.

@Kukutux had indeed been an irresistible alpine goddess. Her youthful, yet old, words of wisdom had stuck with Toad since meeting the white creature that evening in the glen. She had seemed almost timeless. There was something about the way she had spoken of Moonspear that also kept Toad thinking of the mountain. Still, it was a lot for the fluffy girl to pull herself up that mountain on hardly more than a thought.

Why? Well.. Toad paused, scrunching her face in thought. The idea of not having a pack to call home was really a new concept for her. The natural state of things was to be with others, she figured. But Whimsy had asked the question as though she had no concept of this.

It's lonely, I suppose, she answered, though the explanation didn't satisfy her. I mean is there really much point in things if you have no one to share them with? Indeed. What was the purpose to her knowing her stories and fanciful lore if there was no one to listen. What histories was she to chronicle and what mysteries to investigate if there was no one who cared on the other side?

Their conversation had taken a steep turn like a car from the main road onto a dark, quiet one where the mysteries of lupine philosophy lived among deep green conifers and shaded carpets of fern. If Whimsy and Toad were both the passengers, who was driving? Maybe the universe itself sat at the wheel, taking the wolves to their destinations without a word or even a glance in the rearview mirror.

What did it mean to be a wolf? What was a wolf's life without a pack? Was pack life a mere social construct passed down through the ages, or was it something much deeper? These were all questions that Whimsy's brain had tasted many times but never quite figured out the flavors behind them. 

Toad's answer made enough sense, but Whim had to let the question that followed marinate for a few moments before replying. Her eyes squinched as she went into 'thinking cap' mode. Finally, she answered after having mulled it over to satisfaction, "Oh, that makes sense. I guess everyone is different. I don't feel lonely since the whole Earth keeps me company. She's the ultimate bestie." When Whim used the word 'Earth' she didn't understand that it was a giant globe floating in space. To her, Earth just meant the world in which she existed- nature, animals, everything from the ground beneath her feet to the untouchable sky above, and the unseen spirits that inhabited every square inch of these places.
In a weird sense, she wasn't that far off from a flat-earther... she never would have guessed in a million years that the earth was a 3D circle and not a [mostly] flat land that went on forever and ever.

"But to answer your question, I have no clue. I guess I'll get back to you on that one when I'm old and in my death den. I'll probably be a lot better prepared to know such wisdom." She giggled as she imagined an ancient, decrepit version of herself hobbling around spouting out wise adages to any ole' passerby.

The weeks that she had spent alone had certainly begun to take their toll on Toad. Wolves were not animals that were meant to be on their own, although she knew that some, like Whimsy, were perfectly well and good finding their way in the world without others. Being without a pack felt like attempting to swim across an ocean for the brown female. She was a strong creature, capable of great feats of survival. She was an excellent hunter and had kept herself alive and healthy for quite a spell. However, this way of life was draining in a way nothing else she had done before was.

Quite frankly, she hated it.

Even with the Earth for company, as Whimsy put it, there was no one to hear her. No one to care for. This was not a life she was destined for. Hahah! I suppose we'll all be wiser with time. But for now, for me, I don't want to live alone anymore. It's just not a full life to me without a family and a real home, she explained further. Whether Moonspear was really the right place for her, she wasn't sure. She wouldn't be sure until she made her way there. It could be the wrong move to head up that mountain, but I'll never know if I just accept the way things are now, said Toad.

But what about you? Where are you heading? Toad suspected that the little creature wouldn't know. She seemed like a bouncy, fanciful animal that lived nomadically. But that was just a guess.

Whimsy admired Toad's willingness to venture into the unknown and do things that sounded quite scary to the coywolf gal (aka joining a pack on a whim). In most other situations, she was eager and adventurous. If she knew what an Achilles heel was that's what she would have named her aversion to pack life.

"I hope it works out for you. If it doesn't and you get lonely you can spend the night with me any time." She didn't understand the sexual connotations of two adults "spending the night together", so her words were innocent through and through as she gazed cheerfully at the mottled brown and tan creature before her. "As for me, I'm searching for crystal caves. It's on my burrow list of things to do before I die. Know of any?"

Thanks, I really appreciate that, Toad said, smiling at the girl once more and giving a small nod. It was certainly a generous thing for Whimsy to trust a person she had just met so easily. She wondered if the bouncy critter might find trouble with this positive attitude and distaste for pack life. She was so friendly, it hardly seemed fit for her to not want to be around others all the time. The whole thing seemed odd to the chocolate wolf.

What's a crystal cave? She knew that crystals were supposed to be sparkly or some such, but she had never seen anything like that, save for perhaps a bit of quartz. Could a cave actually be made of them?

She didn't expect the unlikely yes answer so she merely shrugged and smiled as if to say without saying, "oh well, can't hurt to ask." But Toad had never even heard of a crystal cave... to be frank, Whimsy could hardly piece together what a crystal cave was either, but she'd heard stories and whispers of their existence. "From what I know," and that wasn't saying much, "it's an enchanted cave filled with giant glowing crystals. The crystals are ancient beings who grant powers to a certain few who enter, but I hear it takes like months of solitude and meditation among the crystal cave beings for them to deem one worthy. I just want to meet these big shiny fellas, not sure I'm down for the other stuff." She twisted her lips pensively for a moment, "But powers would be cool."

As soon as Whimsy started to describe this wonder, Toad's imagination was alight with colourful imagery. The crystals appeared as vague shapes in every hue imaginable if one had sampled paint from both a rainbow and spring flowers. The shapes, geometric in designs opposed to nature, glowed with an otherworldly light. As the Aurora Borealis over northern skies, they were full of magic. These were mysteries that could never quite be solved by any creature.

Toad imagined not Whimsy, but a moonlit Kukutux sitting before this magical cave of crystal beings. The Mother of Moonlight sat in utter silence, breathing slowly. Her chest expanded and depressed at a steady rhythm as stars wheeled over her. Seasons flashed in seconds. Years appeared to pass in the blink of an eye as the wolf sat unmoving until at last, the Crystal Cave opened and flooded the scene with brilliant light.

The brown wolf had to shake a bit to bring herself back to reality. It had been a while since anyone had given her such inspiration for a fantastic story. Fantastic!! Her smile spread wide across her face and her tail and bum wiggled with sheer delight. I wonder...what sort of powers could such creatures gift? Maybe the ability to see the future. Or maybe to heal with a touch. Or be blessed with long life. Or— Her tail wagged, and her smile warped to a much more bashful grin. Sorry, I get carried away with these things sometimes, she said, still cycling through what she could do with this myth.

Thanks for the fun thread!! Toad is A+

Whimsy noticed Toad's eyes glaze over for a moment, seemingly swept up in a flight of fancy conjured by the possibilities of the crystal cave's powers. When the other finally spoke again their tails wagged in unison. Whimsy 'oood' and 'awwd' at the ideas being flung left and right. "Oh my creek snakes, don't be sorry!! Get carried to the edges of the universe if you want, I love it. Personally, I would hope to be granted the power to never need to eat again." It would solve a lot of problems for a wild wolf who didn't eat much meat. 

As mid-day turned to late afternoon, the two wolves found themselves swept up in the crystal cave conversation until Whimsy noticed it was getting a little late for her liking. She pardoned herself so that she could be home before dark. The whole way back her head was filled with many fond thoughts of her new imaginative friend.