Redhawk Caldera You gotta know your limits with a boombox

Ever since running off to help Gramma Oh-ee, Fennec had pretty much kept a gimlet eye on the boy, which really kinda cramped his style. Not that, you know, he knew she couldn't actually see. Not yet, anyway. She did such a good job of getting around without vision that so far, Killdeer had been fooled.

Same with Towhee's deafness—you know, this was probably a good thing. By the time he realized what was up, they'd be like everyone else, no less than any other. Which was good, right? I think that's good.

But it was too bad that Fennec was so vigilant, because he was bored. He could explore, but only by her side, or another trusted adult. And Towhee was laid up, apparently, because of that mean woman at the border.

Soooo. . .

Today he was torturing a cicada, giggling as it rattled each time he prodded it. It was a funny little thing, flapping its wings, a translucent green. Could he eat it? He sniffed to assess; it certainly didn't smell different than any other insect he had ingested. But it was so. . .LOUD!

Killer stuck his tongue out and gave it a cautious lick, and the resulting vibration elicited a startled but ultimately amused shriek from the boy.

While the boy may still be oblivious to the disabilities of his mother and grandmother, there could be no doubt that he had noticed Ruenna's, visible as it was. Not that she was allowing it to slow her down, particularly with the children. They were the only packmates of hers that she could still keep up with.

Killer was preoccupied with-- from the sound of it-- a very unfortunate cicada, and Ruenna thought he might have missed her shuffling up from the rear. Something about the bug made him cry out with surprise, and Ruenna saw it as the perfect opportunity to layer even more surprise on top. She darted (as much as she could dart) up behind the child and tucked her muzzle into his side, nibbling gently to deliver a quick tickle.  

"Boo!" 

Playtime would, of course, double as a lesson for the boy. Perhaps next time he would keep a closer eye on his surroundings.

AYIIIIEEE! 

The resulting shriek was ear-splitting, even to his own ears, which fell flat against his bristling pelt as he hopped nearly a foot in the air at Ruenna's sudden approach. He whirled on her, growling, but quickly settled as he caught a glimpse of her face and realized who she was.

Well. He didn't really know who she was. But she was familiar; she was one of them.

But she was SCARY!

BOO! Killdeer hollered back at her, trying to make her jump twice as high as he had (and slightly embarrassed that he had been caught so off guard at all).

Ruenna's little ploy met with more success than she had anticipated. The child shrieked, and they both startled at nearly the same time. 

Rue cast her gaze around sheepishly, positive that a sound like that would have alerted someone.. particularly the boy's mother. Everyone in the Caldera had probably heard him (everyone except Towhee, of course). 

Boo!  He yelled, resuming Ruenna's attention. His calculated attempt to scare her back was not nearly as startling as the involuntary shriek he had produced, and it took Rue half a beat to realized that she was supposed to be "scared." 

"Yikes!" Rue emitted, dramatically scrambling backwards. She wasn't much of an actress, but hopefully she was convincing enough to win over the small child. 

"You make some big noises kiddo," she commented, doing her best to sound impressed and little bit scared.

He was placated by her attempt, even if deep down he knew she was feigning it. Killdeer giggled, sauntering up to her with a happily wagging tail. His chin tilted upward, muddled gold-blue eyes staring intently up at her.

Ass, he said, unaware that he was more or less cussing out his pack's co-leader. His lips stretched wide, curving into a smile. Whoyou?

He sniffed, nostrils flaring. She smelled like Towhee, so she must be okay.

The boy seemed pleased enough, fixing Rue with his intent gaze. His eyes were at that ephemeral stage of shifting, the blue of his irises flecked and broken by the conquering gold.

Rue blinked as he expelled a swear word in a very Turret's-like fashion. He was certainly Towhee's grandchild.

Before she figured out how to respond, he spoke again, this time with a question more easily answered.

"Well.. I'm Auntie Rue." It was the first time she had introduced herself with her unofficial title, and she rather liked the sound of it. "I live with Towhee, Sphyra, Tierra, and Caracal. Have you met them?" Killdeer's aunts and uncle young compatriots were older and larger, but surely the children had been allowed to mingle at this point.

His jaws split in a wide smile. Rue. . . Boo! He was tickled that the words rhymed. Maybe it'd change as he got older, but for now, the woman's name was interchangeable with the word. And then she mentioned more names, and his grin grew even wider. Cackle FWIEND! he insisted. 'N Oh-ee my Gramma.

Graceful and sinuous as a cat, Killdeer moved closer toward Ruenna and butted his muzzle against her shoulder. Boo, he repeated, a little softer this time. 

He looked back up at her and his eyes lit with recognition. Know you! he exclaimed, and backed up a little to give her a more appraising stare. You there when Gramma Oh-ee got owwy. He now remembered the slight she-wolf herding him back, keeping him away from the fray.

Ruenna let her brow raised again in "surprise" as the boy emitted another "Boo!" 

She seemed to have won him over by naming the other residents of the Hobbit Hole. She wagged her tail as he excitedly explained his own relations, and she gave him a little lick on the top of his head when he bent down to butt her shoulder. 

"Yes," she said softly-- almost regretfully-- as the boy realized that they had interacted once before. Ruenna had hoped that the incident had occurred before Killdeer was old enough to retain formative memories, but that didn't seem to be the case. "I was there." How had it affected Killdeer, to have seen his mother engaged in such an impulsive and aggressive act? 

"Why don't we find Caracal?" Ruenna suggested lightly. "I have something I want to show you both." Earlier, she had found a bush that appeared to be home to a half-dozen lizards, and no doubt the boys would enjoy  "hunting" the little creatures, perhaps with some pointers from Auntie Rue.

Wrapping with a fade.

"Can you use you nose to track him?" Ruenna encouraged, demonstrating by inhaling deeply. She began to drift in the correct direction, perhaps providing a hint to Killdeer. They proceeded slowly in the direction of the gardens and medicine den, where Caracal seemed to be spending more time these days. It might be time to starting looking into finding a healer to mentor the budding caregiver-- perhaps his great aunt Raven would be a good match.