Moonspear maybe in time

Stay close, he had been told, and for the most part it was not a difficult instruction to listen to. Of course, even if he tried to ignore it—and truthfully there were times when either he or his siblings most certainly did—there were always watchful eyes on him. Altair heard the phrase often enough that he hadn’t bothered to discern who told him this time.

He never wandered too terribly far, at least in his estimation.

The rain had been good reason to stick close to drier patches anyway, though at the moment it was best described as an annoying, aggressive mist. The drops from the pine boughs were bigger than what had hit him in tall grasses that swallowed him whole, and the boy was eager to weave between the two following whatever caught his nose in that particular moment.

Which… he was certain he was onto something.

Better, someone.

He slid through those tall, wet reeds and blades of wayward growth with a growing smile, half-unhinged and half-Cheshire. Unbridled wildness; was it @Mira he had scented? Perhaps. It could have very well been @Mintaka too, though he had to admit he was more inclined to snare the former than the latter.

Altair would have just as equally settled for one of his older siblings too—maybe @Atlas or @Osiris was cooling off in a muddy rut ahead, the same one that Altair himself had been somersaulted through not a day earlier. He doubted it was going to be @Antares, who had thus far proven to be more sly and shadowy than his stockier counterparts.

His steps slowed as he sank near immediate towards the damp earth, bait-breathed and as silent as he could muster. Just like how he had seen his mother do hunting, though his own attempts were more innocent than malevolent, and he lied in wait.

The dark young wolf had found the heat to be exhausting. His routine excursions around the edges of their claim had left him panting and heaving. The clouds all seemed to roll near to Moonspear but not near enough. For several months he had taken to patrolling at night. The stars lit his path while the summer winds cooled his frame. 

And then the rain came. 

Like sheets, water poured over the mountain and the earth seemed to breathe again. With it, Atlas had returned to the daylight hours. The clouds were a small comfort. His intention had been to seek his brother. He knew Osiris would likely be prowling the pack lands in search of a task to occupy him. The dark yearling thought it best to seek out the russet-furred male and occupy his company for a short time. He padded a short ways from his den and sought the ground, sniffing out the scents that he could find beneath the damp earth. It was all muddied there, so he trekked for some ways. The dark creature prowled with an intense stare, stopping every so often to lift his crown and drink in the air, turning his head with the wind. He hoped more showers were in their future. 

Atlas stared into the grey heavens with a pensive frown. It wouldn't be too much longer before autumn would be upon them. He recognized the shift in the air and softest chill in the storm breezes. In a few months the leaves would begin to shift in color and fall. The prey would become scarcer. This left the shade with a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. He lowered his stare and sniffed the ground at his paws, but did not move. Unaware of the young hunter nearby.

A glimmer of darkness reached out to him through the waving grasses.

Here in a moment, gone in another, only to return again. He made a swift summary of it and who—Atlas, had to be. Too tall he thought to be Antares, too broad to be his mother, and perhaps too invested in his thoughts to be anyone else for the former two would have surely sussed him out.

Altair pulled a grave look to his features as best as he could, but it was impossible to keep the smile off them for long. He was certain he could do this, the practice Hydra had funneled into them just the other day hadn’t gone to complete waste. He wriggled forward an inch or two, his ears so sharply forward that they seemed liable to break if they bothered to turn.

When he could no longer contain the urge, he charged out of the brush.

The war cry was a mockery, almost unnecessary, but his own way of separating a hunt from play as he sought to entangle himself with his elder brother. He swung a muddy foot at his side and a mouthful of shark-toothed baby teeth grabbed for purchase.

The thoughts that lingered in his mind did not remain there for long. As the shade shifted his footing to move forward, there was a stirring to his right. The sharp sunlight colors of his eyes darted that way for a moment – ears swiveling atop his crown. The hackles along his back had shifted just slightly before the sound of the pup’s cry for war had filled the air and the muddy young figure was streaking toward the stalwart yearling with intent etched in his gaze. The older boy did not move from his post until the younger had all but closed the entirety of the space that had stretched between them. His gaze was locked tightly on the small figure, admiring how much Altair had grown.
 
The pup’s fangs found their mark in the yearling’s upper leg. Atlas allowed himself to fall to the ground with a soft exhale of breath and a grunt. His younger brother was left to wreak whatever havoc he had intended. “You’ve wandered further than you should, Altair,” Atlas chided his younger sibling, but the sound of his rugged baritone voice was laced with warmth as he peered at the smaller figure. Had they all been so fragile at that age? It was hard to believe that the scrappy thing would grow into a hunter.

The moment his teeth found purchase, he had reared up to fell the giant beast known as Atlas. Triumph was written across his features as he clambered atop him, pulling fiercely at what little give his brother’s skin would give him. He spared no immediate words for him, only growls and bites that were more annoyance than painful. Fortune may have favored Atlas for that—his siblings would do their fair share of teething soon, and those shark-toothed attempts at testing and causing pain were at a minimum for now.

“Nuh-uh!” He protested through a mouthful of fur; he wasn’t that far away from where he should have been. Another tug for a pretend pound of flesh, this time his jaws moving to scruff the staggered, prone sibling. He knew Atlas could have easily pushed him away with a simple swing of his arm and in fact, Altair almost welcomed it from the advantageous spot he thought he had.

He tugged harder.

The pup was swift to bury his snout in the inky fur of his older brother and begin to search for places where his puppy fangs would find contact. The large shadow did nothing to remove the young sprite. Instead, Atlas followed the pup with scrutiny on his features. It was still difficult to believe that they had once been the same size and had thirsted for the same adventures. It would not be long before the pups were grown and helping with patrols along the edges of the mountain. 

"I think so. But I guess I can keep it to myself this once," the shadow remarked with a playful growl. He turned his frame to rock Altair, attempting to startle the boy into releasing his hold. If successful, Atlas would reach with his front paws in an embrace that he aimed to use in order to get a hold on the smaller figure.

The elder brother’s growl was met with one in return—Altair wanted to make sure he would be keen to keep his word—and only then through the motions did he feel his grip relent. It was a frustrating thing but not at all surprising; this was hardly the first or last time they would tousle in fun, and for now Atlas greatly outmatched him. Every day was a learning experience, and from this he would learn too.

His jaw failed to keep a hold then, leaving the boy with nothing more than a mouthful of dark tufts and scraggly strands that he fought to cast away. “I’m not that far away,” he explained, casting a dark look over a darkening shoulder. No one else coming up to find him. Yet. His gaze rounded back to Atlas then, pointed and unable to contain a bright glint of confidence.

“I’m with you now so it’s okay.” A loose hair whisked off his lip with a breath.

"Can we go huntin'?"

Altair fired back with his own growl. This inspired a curling smile that settled on the older boy’s lips, squinting at the pup with some delight in the gold of his gaze. He enjoyed that his little brother had spunk in him and that he did not seem afraid to show it. This would prove to be an interesting thing to watch develop over time. He wondered if Hydra’s sharp nature and stern but loving guidance would dampen any of that, or if Altair would flourish under the culture of Moonspear.
 
“I suppose you’re right. Yeah let’s see if we can catch a snack, hmm?”
 
Atlas lowered his head a bit, pressing his nose to the top of Altair’s crown for a second before he pulled away and cast his gaze into the wooded area a short distance from where they were. He knew that the younger boy would be alright as long as he stayed close and kept an eye out for any signs of trouble. Still young, but Altair would benefit from going on a tracking trip.
 
The yearling squinted softly and began his search near the wood. He expected the younger would follow and explore for himself.

He beamed; it was very appeasing that Altas gave in to his request rather than escort him back to a rendezvous. The gentle touch of his nose bolstered this, and his tail.waved merrily out behind him. Catching a snack would certainly earn him favor and ire both, as he wanted to wave whatever they found right in the faces of his littermates. And it almost went without saying that he wanted to parade such in front of their parents too.

He fell in line behind Atlas then, his nose working away as silence spanned the space between them. He had been taught the skill of being quiet in this endeavor; he knew to stay close too if he wanted to keep being brought along. Remember to pay attention and listen, his father had said to him, his mother adding follow the scents closely and watch your prey. He could do those things, certainly. Surely.

His eyes lighted on Atlas to watch him too, subtly mirroring what his elder brother did because he wanted to impress him too.

Altair was quick to fall in line with Atlas. The two figures moved well together, and the older boy was sure to keep a close eye on his brother, making sure that he marked the positive points of the behavior that was shown. It would be good for the younger kids to learn skills that would benefit them. Before much time, they would be a year old and already attempting to venture out and claim their own skills and talents. He wondered what kind of life Altair would make for himself when that time came…
 
Pausing at the top of a small slop, Atlas turned to look at his sibling and lowered his head to breathe in the scent of hare. That would prove a challenging target; they were fast and could navigate the lower section of the mountain with surprising precision. It would be perfect for Altair’s first example.
 
“Can you smell anything here?” the shade inquired in a smoky voice. He thought back to the first time their mother had taken him tracking. Hopefully, he could prove that he had learned well from her and could teach the generations to come.

Eventually his brother led him to a stop and his eyes fell upon him as his dark visage surveyed what lied ahead of them. Altair mirrored this, though he did not immediately pick out anything that told him they had stumbled across something. His brow furrowed, eyes narrowing, but it did not aid him this time. There was naught to be seen, which made the question that Atlas asked all the more important to answer.

An uncertain note found its way into his throat, but Altair smothered it there. He wouldn’t answer with uncertainties; he drew in a breath instead to mull over the scents that he found there. Some of them he was familiar with, others not so much, but the breadth of Moonspear was considerable and all the faces therein a kaleidoscope cast. There was prey to be found beneath those common markers however, and he went with the strongest one he could sense.

“Rabbits?” His brow was still knit with uncertainty, but he reiterated as his features relaxed. “I can smell the rabbits. There were, are birds too,” he decided with a nod to himself. But it was the reassurance that he sought next as his gaze tore away from the scenery and back to Atlas, hoping to catch if he was right or not.

Altair did well, searching out the scents on his own. Atlas was pleased to know that good hunting seemed to run in their blood. He could hope that his own children would have the noses of the other Ostrega wolves; they’d surely never starve. When his younger brother offered his guess, the dark yearling smiled warmly and nodded his head. Lowering his crown, the shade made eye contact with Altair and glanced in their immediate vicinity with a curious mischief in the way he moved.
 
“Now that you smell them, you have a starting point,” he said with a confident nod. “Now, where did the rabbit go from here? How about the bird?”
 
The skills to pick up a scent were necessary to survive in the environments they endured. To feed their pack and their family, it was a requirement that none could fail. The ability to hone that proficiency and expand on it was what made for a standout hunter. Yes, finding the scent was important… but keeping that scent and being able to follow it across numerous terrains, that was an art.

The warm smile that turned up on his brother’s face did two things. One, it told him he was right. Two, it was a warmth that momentarily reflected in the smile that Altair returned to him, beaming light with a wave of his tail that he was on the right path. Of course, this hunting task did not come without its own homework, so to speak, and just as surely as he had been to smile, he also went back to business and began testing the air once more.

Then his snout was pulled downward, skirting along tickling blades of grass. His whiskers caught along these briefly as he stepped forward a hair, but he was freed swiftly with another step as he followed the myriad of criss-crossing trails. The birds were a bit trickier to figure out—at one point their wandering was nothing more than a pile of droppings and nothing else.

“The birds flew away,” he murmured to himself. He abandoned this to continue following the hares with a bit more eagerness. Careful steps too, he knew to be mindful about where he was putting his feet and knew that rabbits were very cunning little things. Flighty and quick, perhaps quicker than he could be on a good day still. Yet he did not venture too far ahead or away from Atlas either, stopping himself at last to look back to him with the same wonder as before.

“The rabbits went this way but the birds flew away. Maybe the rabbits scared the birds,” he told Atlas.

It was difficult for the older boy to imagine that he was ever the size of Altair, that at one point he was roaming around searching out his own scents. With the watchful eyes of his parents, the dark Ostrega felt as though he had been afforded a great deal of skill from what they taught. Both Hydra and Dirge were talented and fierce survivalists. The younger children would likely find this out for themselves, in time. One of the benefits of Altair being so young was that he was able to spend time with more than just the dark woman and her golden knight. It meant that Altair and his siblings could learn from their older brothers and sisters.
 
When the younger figure made his way after the scent trails, Atlas watched quietly.
 
After some time, the boy turned back and claimed that the bird must have flown away and that the rabbit trail had been discovered. He even ventured a guess that the hare had frightened the winged animal from the area. This was likely; the birds of the mountain were skittish and were quick to take flight when presented with any signs of danger. “Very good. You want to see how far you can follow that rabbit smell?” Atlas complimented easily, motioning for Altair to continue leading them on their hunt.

“Okay,” the boy said with a firm nod. He could do that, easy peasy.

Once again, Altair circled back around to follow the trail, nose pressed close to the earth as he rummaged along. It was a winding trail that seemingly went where it pleased, and he thought that perhaps this was what rabbits did. It must have been an interesting life, even if it was a bit on the shorter side of things given the way that Moonspear rifled through rabbit warrens. He had grown up on a decent diet of them, anyway, and they were unfortunate play toys between the puppies.

All the more reason to capture one.

He stepped carefully through the spines and tips of a long, large branch that had been discarded at some point on high, pausing there briefly at a tuft of fur that was neither rabbit nor bird, but wolf. Someone had gone through here… Jarilo? Maybe. Perhaps it had been Saviguk; the hairs were dark and only somewhat familiar to him, though he was familiar with either wolf. He pressed on then, tempted to peer back to see if Atlas still watched him or had joined him, but could not pull himself away.

The scent was growing stronger, but it faded away sharply where the grasses clotted together and he was far too tall to push through them as gently as the hares did. But he did not go crashing through them and circled them instead, trying once more to pick up the trail that had been whisked away from his purview.

The shade followed after the younger boy, keeping a respectful distance. Atlas did not want for his sibling to feel as though he doubted his skills. He merely wanted to follow along, to see if he could decipher how Altair was thinking as he trekked along the mountain terrain in search of hares. The willingness to show his talent was a pleasant sight. It would be nice for the older child to report to their parents.
 
Atlas had not been able to spend very much time with the other pups. He had worked through the time of worry, when they had been no more than a few weeks old and were so tender and weak. He had fretted for his mother and her safety along with that of his younger siblings. Those days had been spent patrolling the edges of Moonspear with a tireless energy. Even though the children were older, Atlas still felt as though he was bound to the borders. If anything were to happen, he did not imagine that he would be able to rid himself of the feelings of responsibility.
 
Pausing to let Altair trek a little further out, Atlas turned his head to the autumn breeze and drank in the scents that it carried. The chill that touched him was a welcome one. After the rainfall, he was certain that the winter would be positively frigid. They would do well have more skilled hunters and to keep their caches full early on.
 
“You know, Osiris is something of a talented hunter too,” the shadow remarked conversationally with his younger kin. At one point, it had been Atlas’ envy of his brother that had pushed him to better himself in tracking and hunting.

They milled about a bit, though the line he heard gave him pause. Osiris did like to hunt too, he remembered that. There had been a number of times he had come across either brother’s scent along trails that any combo of critters used, but he hadn’t quite put the two together until then.

“Yeah,” he commented, adding, “but so are you, right? You guys are always hunting. Or going down to the borders… I wish Mom and Dad would let us go to the borders.” His mind sifted through topics like water through a sieve. For a moment, he let go of the premise of hunting too, wondering just what the borders were like right that moment. Could they hunt there? Probably.

Not today though, they had a near barren field between a swatch of trees to explore and investigate, rabbits to find and fight and slay. Typical boy things, though Mira would have probably loved to shred up a rabbit and swing its corpse about. Mintaka would weave a story about how the rabbit had really been a monster, and Altair and Caelum would partake in the verbal venture together in the ways they did best.

“I wanna be a hunter too,” he said then, letting his snout drop to take in the scent of the rabbits again. “Mom and Dad are good at it too, so I wanna be good at it.” He didn’t know if any of his siblings were interested in that sort of thing. Of course they hunted too, but maybe not with the same passion that Altair was presently grasping.

Atlas had never truly been given an opportunity to boast his own skills, so when his younger brother asked about his hunting skills, the dark shade looked to the boy with a thoughtful crease of his brow. He would not have put himself on the same level as Osiris, and certainly not on the same playing field as their parents. The younger child also seemed to lament over the idea that their parents would not let him travel to the borders as easily as his older siblings. At this, the shade chuckled and nodded his head.
 
“Yes, but at one point, mother and father guarded us as carefully as they do with you,” he informed Altair with a knowing glance. He remembered all too well the days when he would stare longingly as his parents would venture out to scour the edges of the mountain or search for a snack for him and his siblings. Once he had grown enough that it was possible to make those journeys on his own, the appeal had faded to something more like an obligation. Atlas still did what he could to remain dutiful for his pack and for his parents.
 
When Altair admitted that he desired to be a good hunter just like his parents, the dark yearling smiled softly and imagined that both Hydra and Dirge would be proud of their son – proud of his aspirations. Even Atlas could not help but to feel pleased with the younger boy’s desire. It would likely be the foundation for a strong future. “I think you’ll be a great hunter, Altair. You’ve already got the hang of it and you aren’t even a year old yet, hmm?” the shade comforted his brother and offered a supportive nod.
 
“Besides, if you’d like to practice hunting or patrolling… I don’t think mom and dad would be too upset if you went out with me,” the dark wolf then added.

Altair couldn’t imagine picturing Atlas being small and needing to be protected. Then again, he could have said the same of all his older siblings. Though he grew fast and was reaching his potential, some of them would overshadow him in size yet. While they were no longer the giants of his early childhood, the very thought of them ever being so small and the world so big was a concept lost on him. He did not dwell on it long, however, for the reassurance that Atlas gave him was more than a enough to bolster him once more.

“Aunt Keres said the same thing,” he said thoughtfully. “Maybe we can all go?” It didn’t matter to him if it was hunting or exploring the borders, he simply wanted to go. There was a whole world out there and always sticking close to his siblings, while enjoyable, was also beginning to be a bit claustrophobic. They were venturing out here and there and so he had too, and such was the natural way of things. He didn’t think either parent would be upset so long as someone responsible was with him, and frankly the list of irresponsible wolves within Moonspear was basically nothing in Altair’s eyes.

His head turned back to the range then, scanning. Searching.

“Do you think the rabbits are hiding over there?”

It was comforting to know that he was not the only one to share the sentiments that the younger children were ready to start seeing the world and learning how they could best benefit the pack. It would allow for them to feel strength in their numbers and in their family. For the Ostrega wolves were large in number and many had developed remarkable strength in their chosen path. Would it not have been a waste to keep the pups from exploring such things? When the snow fell and the mountain was blanketed in white, Atlas could only think that it would have been beneficial to have Altair helping them track and hunt.
 
The inkwell offered a smile and nod to the smaller boy. “We should be able to do that, I think. Especially with aunt Keres’ help,” he assured Altair. He couldn’t see anything wrong with promising to take the pups under their wing, only for a short time. They’d learn how most days were within Moonspear – the roles that were required of them to simply keep their home running.
 
As Altair motioned toward where he believed their prey had ventured, the shadow watched with a scrutinizing gaze before he swung his crown down and locked his sunlight gaze on his brother. Mischief creased the features there. “I think you might be onto something,” he rumbled warmly. “Let’s see if you were right,” the dark yearling then remarked before setting their pace and beginning the trek toward the rabbit hideaway.

He fell into step with Atlas once again, trailing just a step or two behind him as his elder brother led the way. His steps were light, almost bouncing against the earth with an eagerness that embodied his every fiber. He was eager, in fact, to find if his assessments were correct, to venture further than he normally did now and in the future, too.

After this, he was certain he would try and hunt down Keres and pester her. Well, maybe tomorrow—if they caught this rabbit then he knew he wanted to go parading it around first instead. Rub it in Mira’s face for sure, maybe taunt Caelum with it… though he’d probably try and share it with Mintaka instead of aggravating her.

As they reached a certain point, the bounce in his step shifted over to that of what would be a hunter’s momentum. His body lowered closer to the ground as his nose worked furiously, trying to pick up the trail that he had abandoned in favor of brief thought. He found it, though it may have been unnecessary; he had been following Atlas all along, after all.

His gaze searched the side of his brother’s face as he slipped closer to him—was he right?

The scent of rabbits grew until the two brothers were nearly on top of them. It smelled like a few from a warren had wandered out in search of greens. As Atlas led their path, he cut around to make sure they would remain downwind and could still watch. When he had found a perfect hideaway for them, he turned to Altair and smiled softly. He had proven his worth well in that first test; Hydra and Dirge would likely be very pleased to know that their boy was capable of keeping up with his prey, even if it was on a small scale.
 
“Let’s see if we can catch one. I’ll circle around and rush them. They’ll come this way, so you need to be ready to spring, alright?” the dark wolf whispered, casting a curious glance toward his sibling. He wanted to make sure Altair was up for it before he threw the pup into the fray. Atlas was of the opinion that it was the easiest way to learn the tools of the trade. There was nothing more surprising than how quickly those rabbits could turn.

Ducked low into the brush, the brothers seemed to conspire together what would be a good plan. Which it was the only plan they had, but it seemed like a good idea to Altair. He nodded, a silent affirmation that he could lie in wait there for the precise moment he hoped would come. It would definitely be a test of his patience either way—he was after all, not overly inclined to stay still for any length of time. But despite being ever the busybody, his eagerness to impress and appease his elder brother outweighed the alternative.

Nestling down in cover that he slunk to, he let Atlas go to do his share, and waited.

And waited…

And maybe waited what seemed like an eternity.

125 words

The shade prowled around the group of rabbits. He made sure to give them space so as not to alert them prematurely. He didn’t want to disappoint his younger brother after giving him the hope of catching his own snack. Atlas remembered well enough how exciting it was to hunker down in the undergrowth in search of a prize. More than this, he could recall with crystal clarity the feeling of satisfaction when he had brought down his first catch. The shade wanted to offer the same discovery to Altair if he could help it.
 
When he had circled around the small warren of rabbits, Atlas positioned himself so that he might spring from the brush and drive the animals toward his younger brother. When he had waited long enough for the targets to begin mulling around with items on the ground, the shade jetted from his hiding position and watched as the springy creatures took flight. The hunter’s fire burned in his gaze as he watched them leap toward Altair.

His focus had been about to slip when he heard the not so distant rustle that had to be Atlas. The crashing was followed by more much closer to where Altair lied in wait, and his keen eyes caught sight of the rabbits as they moved between thin shrub branches and tousled grasses. His body tensed, muscles coiling and priming as they drew nearer, but the rabbits took sight of him too and veered.

It did not stop the young boy from taking after them, missing the first as it volleyed over his prone form despite the click of his teeth so quick and close to its fluffy white tail. The second zipped past him as a stony blur, but the third found itself in his crosshairs as he honed in on it. He was motion now, rising and lunging out to snare it by a leg.

And it screamed.

It was an awful sound, so unexpected that he almost let it go.

But the rabbit had almost slipped free in the moment he had let up on its leg but the hooded Ostrega clamped down with force, and felt something snap between his jaws. The taste of blood was not new to him, but this time it was warm; alluring, almost, such was the way of the hunt. Excitement coursed through him—he had caught it! He had almost lost it too, but that was far from the point.

Like a playtoy, he shook it around though it was far from deceased. The screams had ceased, the rabbit long gone into shock but the fear was in its eyes and unseen by the much larger wolf. His chest puffed out with pride as he stopped shaking it, and it hung limply from his jaws. It watched its world from an upside down point of view of terror, and knew the darker wolf would be coming.