Noctisardor Bypass storms in africa
Rivenwood
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#1
All Welcome 
The day had begun clear and sunny, though now the clouds gathered and the breeze smelled like rain. The air grew thick, oppressively so, forcing Druid to seek the cool interior of the den after playing outside awhile. Normally she would curl up beside her mother or sister near the back, though she stretched out by the entrance so she could enjoy the fresh airflow.

She drowsed as it began to drizzle. Druid didn’t stir when Witch joined her, though she woke a little later, feeling uncomfortably warm. Panting, she moved away from her litter mate, pressing her small flank to one rocky wall. It felt cool to the touch, so she lingered there, peering blearily out at the rainstorm.

Something other than rain dropped abruptly from the sky, causing Druid to start. Her eyes widened as she watched a flurry of feathers flopping about on the rain-slick grass. Only when it momentarily grew still could the pup identify the bird, its beak open in a silent cry and its tiny breast heaving.

She stepped out of the den and the bird began to flap frantically once more, arousing not just her interest but Druid’s predatory instincts. She crouched, pupils dilating as she fixed on the struggling creature, mindless of the cool summer rain.
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#2
Time flew by, just as she knew it would, but Sequoia enjoyed the time spent with her two little gremlins. They were delightful, and she even enjoyed the company of @Praimfaya's children from time to time. Two mothers among them was better than one, and it gave each of them a time to take breaks from motherhood to do other things. And, of course, there was @Mahler, who was around to help both little families.

A noise outside caught Seq's attention, and she saw that Druid was also captivated. Sequoia crept close to the den mouth, laying on her belly so her head was near level with Druid's own.

Oh, you think you're big and bad, do ya, Druid? That bird will. Fuck. You. Up. Well, that probably wasn't true, but Sequoia didn't want her daughter to think she could take on just anything that she came across. There was a time and a place.

That there is a bird of prey, and you're small enough that it just might prey on you. The last word she emphasized with a serious expression. She honestly wasn't sure how much Druid could understand, but that didn't matter. Even if Druid went after the bird, she would let the girl try to handle it on her own first. Better to let her try than to prevent her from doing anything. Sequoia was far from a helicopter parent.
No longer speaks Trigedasleng regularly.
Rivenwood
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Ooc — Kat
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#3
Her mother sidled up beside her with words of warning. Druid understood the gist of Sequoia’s sage advice, though she couldn’t help but look longingly at the injured bird. The way it moved excited an instinctive impulse within her, arousing an ancient lust to kill and eat. Even though she still primarily fed on mother’s milk, she recognized the feathery creature as meat.

Licking her lips, she sat, though she was not exactly still. She watched, quivering, as the bird—a young falcon—righted itself. The rain fell heavily, weighing down its feathers. For long moments, it did not move save to jerk its head from side to side. Druid whimpered quietly under her breath.

Suddenly, it began to hop! Without even realizing what she was doing, Druid ran after it. Her pelt quickly darkened in the rain but she didn’t even notice, the whole of her attention trained upon the falcon’s ungainly movements.
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#4
Sequoia also turned her attention to the bird, who in all likelihood, would not make it more than another few days. Without wings to fly, most birds were deader than a doornail. Of course, that meant they were perfect practice for fierce little witches and druids. Druid seemed to pick up on this, rushing after the bird while Sequoia watched from a safe distance. Did this bird have a mom somewhere looking after it? If so, Sequoia would be quick to eliminate that threat. For now, she sat back and enjoyed the show.
No longer speaks Trigedasleng regularly.
Rivenwood
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#5
The rapidly approaching wolf cub startled the falcon, causing it to beat its sopping wet wings. The sight of its wingspan caused Druid to stop short, rocking back into a crouch as she stared, eyes bulging. The bird screeched, causing her ears to pin backward, nearly disappearing against her skull.

Her heart skipped like a jackrabbit and Druid slithered backward a pace or two, though she did not retreat. Her gaze remained steadily fixed on the bird, its own bright yellow eye unblinkingly returning her stare. It turned its head to the side for an optimal view, revealing the wicked curve of its beak. She watched, fascinated, as a raindrop slipped off the sharp point of its neb.

For what felt like an eternity, the two youngsters gazed at one another, the rain falling heavily on their heads. At length, Druid finally mustered up the courage to open her mouth and bark at the grounded avian.
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#6
Hehe @ "heart skipped like a jackrabbit." I feel like you used that in the Meerkat/Phox thread, too!

Sequoia thought for a moment that Druid might retreat entirely. This was perhaps one of the largest non-wolf creatures she had seen, and certainly the pointiest one. It was Druid who made the next move, her "vicious" bark causing the young bird to flap its wings again and let out a snarl of sorts. If birds can even snarl. Whatever it was, the bird was not happy.

Well, go on then. The thing can't lift off, so you'd better mercy kill it. A bird without wings was like a wolf without teeth: pretty useless in the wild.
No longer speaks Trigedasleng regularly.
Rivenwood
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#7
Shoot, I need to work on some new metaphors, LOL.

The bird countered with a growl (of a sort) which then tapered into a hiss that made the fur along Druid’s spine prickle with instinctive wariness. She drew back but only a few inches, otherwise standing her ground as she considered whether to bark again or, perhaps, move closer.

Now Sequoia coaxed her to get on with it. Druid tipped her head almost ninety degrees to peer up at her mother questioningly. Did she mean it? Heartened by the adult’s encouragement, emboldened by it, she crept toward the unhappy young falcon.

It remained very, very still as the pup encroached, though Druid eventually breached some invisible line in the sand and it set off the raptor’s final outburst. It danced and flapped wildly, spinning in circles. It let out a screech the likes of which would leave Druid’s ears ringing for hours afterward.

But then it stopped. Although Druid was no practiced hunter, she possessed the instinctual knowledge of the ages. Sensing that this was her chance to take advantage of her quarry’s vulnerability, she sprang. Her small paws came down on the broken wing, pinning the falcon and earning a garbled complaint and a halfhearted twitch.

It seemed the falcon was all done in and Druid loomed, lips peeling back to bare her tiny teeth as she dug them into the joint where the wing met the breast. Soft feathers touched her tongue, then hot, wet blood. Her jaw clenched harder and she began to shake the dying bird like a rag doll.
#8
she awoke from her drowsing as sequoia moved through the entrance around her, and witch flipped to her stomach to watch her mother and sister play in the rain. she hadn't gotten quite enough sleep and was feeling rather cranky, otherwise she might have joined them— witch was not one to shy away from new experiences, but she found the sensation of cold rain on her snout annoying in her current state of bleariness.

witch was certainly interested in the flailing bird, however, and so she watched with jealously as her sister played and didn't even insist that she come join. she huffed, then laid her head upon her paws with a quiet grumble.

but as a sharp, acrid scent pierced through the mossy petrichor, witch immediately perked up, saliva wetting the corners of her mouth. and as druid shook the feathery thing, instinct overrode grogginess. the pale child stood and marched purposefully toward her sibling, and without a second though grasped the opposing wing in her jaws and began to tug.
members of rivenwood are welcome to minorly powerplay witch for continuity and cohesion; please just tag me! i will do my best to jump into tagged threads as often as i can.

current age ·


may 24 eyes open
may 27 milk teeth come in, begin weaning
june 3 standing & walking
june 8 ears perk up, play fighting begins
june 11 hearing & more teething
june 16 leave den accompanied
june 23 first words
july 7 eyes begin to change, limited vocabulary
july 14 allowed to be outside but close to den w/o supervision
july 17 allowed to roam pack territory w/o supervision
august 4 rapid growth begins; start losing milk teeth
august 12 fluent speaking
september 1 eyes fully transition to chartreuse
december 12 "young adult"
february 12 enter adult ranks
march 12 first heat
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#9
Hesitation at first, and then Druid was on the small raptor (well, small compared to the fully grown version). Sequoia beamed as instinct took over in her daughter, and soon the bird was dead. "Her first kill!" the mother delighted in knowing. Unless she had killed something unbeknownst to the piebald Zweite.

Witch, who had been dozing in the den, was suddenly pulled forward by the smell, and Sequoia watched with a bemused look as she tugged with her sister. These two were absolutely perfect, and Sequoia could not imagine two better kids to call her own.
No longer speaks Trigedasleng regularly.
Rivenwood
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Ooc — Kat
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#10
She shook the bird until it died, then shook it some more. She would’ve gone on shaking it for long moments had she not felt a sudden tension. Druid blinked and froze, only now noticing Witch latched onto the falcon’s other wing. The gray pup felt a growl bubbling in her throat, though it wasn’t possessive. It was a noise of mutual triumph, with Druid all too happy to share her kill and subsequent spoils with her sister.

Eventually, she released her hold on the bird’s limp body, spitting out a few stray bits of downy that clung to her tongue. Druid then licked her lips as she peered down at the raptor, its glassy, purblind eyes staring up at the rainy sky. She even saw a raindrop hit that translucent orb before slipping away into wet, bloody feathers.

Her blue eyes sought Sequoia, inquisitive. The pups still drank mostly milk, supplemented with chewed meat. This kill was unprecedented and though the tangy odor of blood made her mouth fill with saliva, Druid wasn’t actually entirely sure what to do with it. Her gaze bounced between mother and sister, hoping for some guidance.
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#11
The two had done well, and Sequoia was glad that they seemed pleased with their kill. They would make fine hunters one day, she thought. But then again, this was only one facet of their personalities. They had their whole lives ahead of them, and the mother was content to sit back and watch them develop, pushing gently to mold them into upstanding citizens who might one day go on and make their own path.

For now, she was happy to have them close. Seq fully intended on making the best of their earliest days.

Come on you two, I don’t think you’re actually going to enjoy eating that just yet. We can take it with us if you want to play some more tug, though. She would leave it up to them.
No longer speaks Trigedasleng regularly.
Rivenwood
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513 Posts
Ooc — Kat
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#12
Sequoia let them know they probably wouldn’t enjoy eating the dead bird, though it might make a good plaything. Druid bobbed her head, understanding most of what was said. She then exchanged a glance with Witch, the two sisters communicating in silence.

Together, they trundled back toward the den with the bird “flying” in between them as each pup clenched a wingtip in her teeth. When they neared the den, Druid finally let go. The wing sprang from her jaws almost like a living thing and she marveled at that, until several cold raindrops splattered against her face.

Instead of diving into the cozy familiarity of the cave, she found herself ducking beneath the bent wing, the outstretched feathers serving as a makeshift umbrella. Grinning at her own ingenuity, she chirped for Witch to come join her in the small space, bundling up close so they could watch the rain together.