Dragoncrest Cliffs Ayu

Anyone is welcome! Just tagging Stingray in hopes that he might like to join. <3

Swordfish had followed some familiar-looking tracks for a short while. When he had seen them, the boy hoped that he had stumbled upon the trail of his brother. It felt like it had been too long since he had gotten to spend time with @Stingray. The golden boy always had a good head for adventure and stories. Since their dad had returned, Swordfish imagined that he would be seeing a lot more of his brother.

Stopping at the edge of a tidepool, the young wolf stared at his reflection with a slow blink. His eyelids were hooded, sleepy looking. The lean figure sniffed and then cast his gaze toward the disappearing tracks. The water had caught up to them and washed the rest of his trail away.

Swordfish yapped, wondering if someone would hear and answer.

As always the masked boy ranged throughout the pack lands. Always nearby should his sister, manman or granme need him. The vibrations in the ground adding fire to his heels as he grew more accustomed to it. Learned different vibrations for different things, what it felt like when a storm was coming, when it was clear. His sensitive ears swiveled to and fro on his head.

He was headed towards the tide pools today. They held a special place in his heart since his granme had shown him some of their secrets. It was something he kept locked up tight.

A loud yap reached his ears and he briefly lay them against his skull. It was not one he recognized, but it would need to be someone in their pack so he followed it.

'ello. You be callin' fer someone?

He tilted his head, warm golden eyes on the other. This was one of Missus Meerkats babes.

The young wolf heard a familiar accent, immediately associating the young wolf’s voice as being from Suzu’s family. Swordfish was certain that he hadn’t met this one, though. No surprise when the young man spent a great deal of his time seeking out places where he could nap or lounge. It had only been recently that he had found a spark of passion for foods.

Aye, the young wolf drawled. His hooded eyes shifted over the younger wolf’s frame. They were growing quick, he thought. It must have been just like that for him and his siblings. Funny, Swordfish didn’t really think about Ray as having grown. He just kind of sprung up one day, it felt like. Like a sunflower shooting for the skies.

Thought I might find my brother out here. Yer one uh Suzu’s family huh? What’s yer name?

Eti stood stock still, tail weaving in and out between his legs, as the other met his gaze. This ones reminded him of the name he bore. He'd seen those fish in and out of the water, though he didn't have the sword on his nose. Which Eti found he much preferred. He didn't really wanna get skewered.

Etienne had noticed the subtle growth of him and his sister. The way they moved into their full adult bodies. Neither one of them were gonna be behemoths, but they were going to have some bit of heft to them, curves and all that.

Yes, Suzu ours. I'm Etienne. He said his name with the accent intact, proud of his name and where he came from. Dough most jes call me Eti.

Etienne sounded nothing like the names Swordfish and his siblings possessed. It did, though, sound just like the kind of name Suzu might have in a brother. They had different looks, all of them. The young seafarer wondered if that was normal, or if there were siblings who all came out looking the same. It would be hard to keep track, he thought.

Eti, the young wolf repeated. I’m Swordfish.

The boy had a nickname, too. His mom called him Fish, which was a name that he wasn’t fond of. He loved his mother dearly, though. He’d have let her call him “Seaweed-brain” if it made her happy. No matter the pet names Meerkat was allowed to use on her children, Swordfish wasn’t keen on offering that to someone else.

The boy liked his name the way it was – Swordfish.

Etienne and his siblings. He had noticed they all had names that matched the accents and languages their family used. French, Creole, even the common. And they were a mix match of multiple colors. All 4 of them. Cept maybe the same eye shape or size.

Nice to meetya, Swordfish. He chirruped back. Eti looked around them, wondering how to continue this conversation. he wasn't very good at conversations as it were. Unless you were one of siblings.

Is your brot'er missin' like our T'eo and Reki were?

Eti was friendly enough. It didn’t sound like he had the penchant for chatter the way that Suzu did. Normally, this would have been something of a relief. Swordfish wasn’t much of a talker. He liked to listen, to hear what thoughts would be spoken from others, to collect information. He could chat if it pleased him, but the young seafarer was something of an oddity.

The other boy asked if Stingray was missing. Swordfish thought of the time they spent without their father and felt his stomach sink. He wouldn’t like it if his brother vanished. The thought of what that hurt would do to their mother was sickening.

Naw… least, I don’t think so. Ray just likes to do his own thing sometimes. Wanted to see if I could catch him out here. Swordfish resigned to taking Eti as his company, instead. The redtail wolf could find his brother later and tell him about meeting one of the other kids. He’d ask what Stingray had done that day, what adventures he had sought.

Ya wanna see if we can catch somethin’ to eat? the young wolf asked in his drab voice.

Eti and Swordfish were kindred spirits it seemed. Both preferring to be the listener versus the doer. Though Eti could certainly talk when he felt like it. He just usually reserved that right to his sister, who loved to speak about everything. And besides too much speaking and it overwhelmed him, causing his chest to hurt and his heart to race and his ears to fold.

Eti nodded his head. Suzu and T'eo do dis too. Sometimes it makes me angry, but I would never tell dem dat. It would 'urt deir feelings.

Etienne's ears perked forward and he grinned, golden eyes lighting up. O' yes please! W'at we gonna 'unt?

he wondered at it. Would they hunt for sea creaures? or rabbits or fowl? He had never hunted a bird, wasn't sure if he'd like that very much as it were. They were so feathery.

Aye, I understand ya. Would never say anythin’ like that to my brother either. He’s… good an’ I never would wanna hurt him.

Swordfish understood Eti well. They seemed like a fitting pair, the young boys. If they could maintain a sense of peace around each other, there was no reason why they couldn’t get along. The redtail thought that all of the kids in Suzu’s batch were a good lot. He’d seen them around, of course. He watched most of them coming and going, doing their own things.

The masked boy agreed to hunt. Swordfish nodded his snout, but didn’t answer the other’s question right away. He wasn’t sure what he wanted to chase down. If he could help it, he’d like to try something new. The itch to check on the trap he had set with Suzu burned hot in his stomach, but he believed he should wait to check with her. He had seen small goats along the cliffs.

Goat, er… maybe fish. Don’t see goats much, only sometimes on the rocks, he gestured with his snout to the cliffs. Crab could be good, too huh?

Eti smiled softly and nodded his head. No matter w'at as long as manman, T'eo, and Suzu are 'appy. I will always be fine.

Swordfish was Etienne's first meeting with anyone near his age, that wasn't family. And he had known of Mercy, and Swordfish and Stingray, but he had not met them. He liked the small family of Njord and Meerkat, enjoyed their presence in his life.

He sighed softly, happily at the thought of his family and then looked back to the redtail youth.

Etienne smiled. Suzu loves crab, it's 'er favorite. So I vote crab. She likes Seafood.

He thought of his sister with tenderness again and then nodded his head for the other to lead the way.

Crab, because crab was Suzu’s favorite. Young Swordfish tucked this information in the back of his mind for another time. He had seen her skillfully dispatch one before it had the chance to snip her with its claws. The boy had watched closely, confident that he could do the same thing for himself. He hadn’t taken the chance, yet. It might have been a good thing that Eti wanted to hunt the red shelled creatures.

Crab it is, then. We’ll get ‘nough fer Suzu and Ray, too.

Swordfish had seen the creatures scuttling around on the sand many times. Often, he could see several of them making a path toward the water or to burrow into the sands. He’d enjoyed how strange they looked when they moved.

Betcha yer a man that can nab five on yer own, Swordfish said with a snicker, casting a daring glance toward the masked boy.

Etienne loved his sister, and she loved crab. If he could get her more to eat, well that just made this all the better. And as luck would have it. Suzu just recently taught him her technique for catching. So he was well prepared.

He gave a hard nod. Okay. A smile hitting his maw quick fast.

The snicker lit up the day, and Etienne gave a swift, smile. Were he a humans dimples would have shown and his eyes lit up with a competitive and sparkling light. Snapping and snaring in colors of gold. He licked along the corner of his teeth and nodded.

Swordfish was not one of his siblings, therefore he didn't have to make sure he got enough, or that he did better than Eti. In this way, Eti could shine on his own.

Let's go den. Count of t'ree w'en we find dat tide pool, Yea? See if the sea wants to give today.

There was some spark. Swordfish hadn’t missed the sweeping smile that had taken the other boy’s features and widened them, crinkling the edges of his eyes. The young redtail was certain that his eyes had never squinted at their corners, not in that way. It left him questioning if he had ever truly smiled or if his features were not meant to take on that same expression.

Aye, on the count’a three, he agreed dryly.

Swordfish lifted his head and nodded to Eti, signaling that he would be welcome to take the role of the countdown creator. His lean figure remained loose, easy. There was no hurry to his young frame. While strongly motivated by food, Swordfish also thought that a spark of competition would probably bring them more to eat.

They had found the tide pool and the surrounding areas, he could see the little holes the crabs had made, and it made his heart leap. He wasn't sure what this feeling was, as he got ready to practice catching something with someone other than a family member. Perhaps it was his happy spirit.

He sifted his paws through the sand. Sand was a little harder to feel, but there were some vibrations there. The light ones belonged to the crabs, the harder to the sea.

One, Two, T'ree!

Eti leaped forward and the first red shell came forward, waving it's claws angrily. Eti grabbed it hard from the rear, and crunched it's shell with his sharp teeth, then he did it once more and a third time. His continued his search, but only three of the little buggers had even bothered to come up.

Eti rolled a 3 :D

I’m not sure how to roll on the forum, but I whipped out a physical 1d5 from my DnD days heheh >w< and got a big fat 1. So let’s make it fun.

Swordfish watched his young hunting companion begin swiftly, digging his paws in to urge the red-shelled creatures out of their hiding places. It was a good attempt. One crawled out, which Eti had snapped in his teeth in a matter of seconds. He had a second before the redtail even knew what he was doing with himself.

Slender snout fixed on the tidepool in front of him, Swordfish watched the sand rise and fall away – red emerging from the center. There was a crab. He waited for the clawed creature to emerge, shuffling on its thin legs. When he thought he could get a good bite on it, he aimed a snap that didn’t have the force needed to kill the crab right away.

This was a good opportunity to learn from one’s mistakes.

Ow! Ow, ow, ow, ow! Aye! Ah!

The crab latched onto his lip with a firm clasp of its claw. Swordfish swung his head back, eyes watering.

Etienne catered to his sister. Constantly. And she loved seafood, especially crab. So he had learned quickly what she taught. He wasn't as good as she was of course, but eh.

Etienne's ears hit his head and he whined at the loud screech of pain that kept falling from Swordfish's mouth. He trotted over and held up a paw, ears still hard against his head.

Stop moving Swordfis' 'old on.

Etienne grasped a nearby piece of driftwood, his small pile of crabs momentarily forgotten. He grasped it in sharp teeth and held it in front of the crab. The creature stared at it with beady eyes and finally let go to grasp the drift wood in it's claw.

Eti dropped it and leaned forward. Aww Swordfis' you be bleeding. 'old on. I find some kelp.

Etienne went in search of a little bit of kelp, nothing major and he grasped it, the salt and taste bitter on his tongue. He rushed back.

Dis goin' sting.

Eti pressed the kelp to the other boys face and pressed hard, to stop the bleeding.

Time slowed down while the crab had Swordfish’s lip snatched in its claw.

Eti moved to collect a chunk of driftwood that he held out to the young wolf’s face. If he hadn’t been so focused on the pain, Swordfish might have been indignant. The crab had put up a fight, but the redtail wanted to make sure that he counted the crab among his successful hunts.

The little creature stretched out with its other claw and gripped tight to the wood. It released its hold on the wolf’s face. Swordfish sighed with relief, once the red-shelled creature had been extracted from his lip. The pain of the pinch still burned in his eyes. Etienne said that he would get some kelp and then disappeared for a few minutes while he searched.

Upon return, the boy said that his actions would sting before he applied the seaweed to Swordfish’s sliced lip. The redtail stood awkwardly, unsure if there was something he could do to assist.

Damned thing, he cursed softly. How’d ya get yer’s so easy?

Etienne worked diligently to help the youth. He felt bad that he had gotten hurt on his watch.

Sorry you got 'urted, Swordfis'. First crab i 'unted bitted my nose. Suzu was not 'appy about it.


Eti smiled. I 'as a secret weapon in Suzu. 'Er loves seafood, but especially crabs. So I learned 'ow to 'unt dem for 'er and w'ile watchin' 'er. You gotta grab it, and smas' it just like dat.

I thought I did grab it like that, he mumbled, licking at the blood on his lip. It stung good enough to make him remember that they could grab hold of him that way. Swordfish wondered if his eagerness had spoiled his chances at killing it in a timely manner. Whatever he’d done, it had been enough time for the crab to deal some damage.

Sounds like Suzu to like somethin’ that can pinch yer lip off, he muttered with a snort.

Swordfish shook his head, clearing his mind of the pain.

Eti helped to get the crab off and clean up some of the blood. Then he frowned. I'm not sure w'at to put on it to stop de bleeding. Maybe we find an adult, yea?

Etienne gave a small bark of laughter. Yea Suzu ''er like de dangerous t'ings.

He loved his sister, but she did prove to make him worry. And she was constantly doing things that made his heart skip beats. But he wouldn't change her, despite it all.

Nah, it’ll stop alright. I can dip it in the ocean.

The salt would sting but it would help the wound close. The young seafarer thought he might even get a small scar to show the proof of his efforts. Swordfish had no intention of looking like his father, but he thought that one or two markings would add some character to his features.

Wanna take a dip wit me?

The young wolf sneered as he glanced toward Eti. The waters would be cold but they would surely spark some life into Swordfish’s body.

Etienne nodded. Sure I will join you.

he didn't understand the sneer, and his ears went to his skull for amoment, but then he stepped towards the ocean.

Both granme's say we be getting used to the ocean in all weat'ers.

Then Eti jumped into the surf. He had found it was easier to submerge everything rather than wait.

Eti took little time in getting himself used to the water. He leapt in with a fearlessness that almost annoyed Swordfish. The redtailed boy stood on the beach while his paws were slapped with the lopping waves. As he inched his way out into deeper water, the boy began to wonder why he’d thought of doing it. There was no sound thought process to leaping into frigid waters. It would take hours for his coat to dry.

The other boy said something about his grandmas. They seemed to think that they should be used to the sea’s touch in any weather. Swordfish felt a slosh of wet come up to his throat and he shuddered. The boy’s ears pinned to his head.

Aye… I dunno ‘bout that, he chattered to Eti. One dip of his muzzle into the sea and he was done with the experience. Swordfish began to slog back to the shore where he could shake the cold from his coat.

Cold leaked into his bones. His teeth chattered, and his fur grew wet and soggy, but he paddled around. He moved through the water until his nose was numb, and his paws felt funny and then he finally followed the youth from the sea. Granme had said to get used to the sea and as with all his granme's lessons he took it to heart.

Shivering, but in good spirits he moved next to swordfish. You okay Sword? What you wanna do now, hmm?

Etienne didn't know about the older boy, but he was enjoying himself today. It was fun to play with someone other than a sibling, despite that he loved all three of his siblings, two of which he was closer too.

Could fade and have a more current one! ^^ <3

Swordfish shivered next to Etienne. His teeth continued to clack and clammer in his mouth, try as he might to keep them from making any sound at all. The younger boy wanted to know what was next on the list of things to accomplish. The redtail wanted to tell him that it was time for a nap. Swordfish could think of any number of nice places where he’d never been disturbed in his naps.

Wanna get w-w-warm, he stammered lamely to the other boy.

A violent shake took hold of his body. He clapped his teeth together and shuddered with a, wrugh noise attached to the end. Aren’t ya cold? Swordfish squinted upon the other boy.