Redtail Rise diamond eyes

@Masquerade a quick one for your specialty if needed, maaaaybe also for Mul’s base merc trade? only if you have time <3

Despite the exhausting heat of the afternoon, the youth still had an excess of energy to burn. The issue was how to burn it. Napping siblings didn’t seem like a worthwhile option. He’d even gone off and searched for something to chase, but the boy returned to the rendezvous empty-handed.

Beneath the fading daylight, the boy prowled, intending to find and lightly terrorize the Caru.

They had decided against meeting with @Maleah again. Masque would take the knowledge the woman had given them on that day—for the price of two dead rabbits left on Sapphique’s doorstep—and try to supplement it on their own. “I’m slowly learning to identify this too,” she had said, which told the Caru that they could be something of an autodidact, if they were careful.

But they thought of none of this as they roamed the rise this evening. All Masque could think about was the heat and the smokiness in the air. It set their teeth on edge. Their long tail flicked as they walked, a look of consternation twisting their ruddy features. They stood on the highest ridge line for a while, staring at the wilderness sprawling to the south, then finally decided to retire to the rendezvous site.

At first, they thought no one else was there. Masque swallowed. The pups roamed the territory freely by now, though they usually bedded down here each night. The Caru hadn’t seen much of either Relic or Redd lately, they realized as their eyes scanned the clearing. Their disquiet grew.

They were on the verge of calling out to locate their family members when Mulherin materialized out of the dusk, prowling toward them. Masque let out a breath, relieved to see him. They relaxed, only to go rigid again in the next heartbeat. The Caru was glad to see him, though where was everybody else?

I always have time for you and Mul! :)

It’d been a worthy sneak-up attempt, however unsuccessful.

When the two of them made eye contact, he froze—realizing he’d been discovered.

They both stood there for a moment, eyeing one another from afar, before the boy burst from his spot and streamed toward his older sibling. He pounced and tried to fix his jaws around one of their forelegs.

Unaware that they’d foiled his attempt to sneak, Masquerade could only blink in surprise when Mulherin suddenly rushed them and grabbed their foreleg in his teeth. Their lip curled and they bristled, an instinctive reaction brought about by their current nerves. But the Caru checked themself quickly, fangs sheathed and fur smoothing.

Well done, they acknowledged his landed hit.

They promptly yanked their leg from his grip and leaped backward, dipping forward into a playful bow in one fluid movement. Their tail arched over their bowed back as they snarled again, teeth reappearing in faux aggression. They began to weave back and forth, testing the pup’s reflexes and whether he could land a strike on an attentive, moving target.

When the bite lands, he can feel the sudden tension in his sibling’s leg. He was unsure if they were up for a tussle until he heard their acknowledgment. Reinvigorated, his tail wagged proudly.

Where were yah? He asked, watching as Masque hopped backward, playfully challenging him.

He meets their faux snarl with one of his own. A gurgling growl rumbles within his chest as he watches their weaving. The youth finally strikes, directing his pounce where he anticipates the Caru to move next.

The Caru didn’t come up with a reply before Mulherin lunged, making them wonder if he’d attempted to distract them with his query. Their lips curled approvingly right before they deftly weaved to the right, dodging the pup’s second assault.

Despite this, the Caru rumbled, Good! You nearly got me again.

Suddenly, they began to cough. Masquerade shook their head rapidly and thrust out a paw to discourage Mulherin from trying to take advantage of their momentary vulnerability. They truly couldn’t catch their breath a moment, wheezing on the traces of smoke lingering in the air as if the August sun had truly begun to burn the wilderness.

That reminded the Caru of their concern and as soon as they could breathe a bit more easily, they gasped out, Where is everyone else, anyway?

A miss.

Turning on his heels, he prepared to lunge again when the Caru broke out into a coughing fit.

He ducked and dove beneath their outstretched paw, then came back up and quickly nosed their side, instead of opting for a play-bite. 

Gotcha. He countered. Though it seemed like an unfair point gained in their little spar.

Sensing this was no diversion, he sat plainly and waited for their coughing fit to cease with a tilt of his head.

Dunno. I think they hleepin’, or they wihh New Hnow. Why? Where were you? He pressed lightly, the stubbornness in him refused to let them dodge the previous question.

Unable to resist the opportunity, it seemed, Mulherin tagged them before backpedaling to take a seat. Masquerade leered at him, though there was no malice in their expression. There was only concerned curiosity, then slight puzzlement.

When? Earlier today? I was roaming the rise, doing nothing in particular. Before that, I was hunting, the Caru said honestly, wondering why he sought this information so insistently.

Perhaps he was upset they hadn’t taken him along on their hunting expedition, though sometimes Masque just needed to make a kill and be done with it. Maybe that wasn’t it, though; considering he was the only one out and about, maybe Mul was just feeling isolated.

I’m here now, they said a little breathily. Perhaps we should go looking for the others. We could practice some of the tracking and sneaking techniques I’ve been showing you.

thank u for the kudos!! ❤️

Oh, He replied. In reality, he’d expected, more-so wanted, to hear something more grandiose. 

As for Masque’s suggestion, he agreed. Mmmkay, let’hh go find’em.

His next remark came off more sourly, disappointed.

Y’know, the Rihhe feelh emptier than uhual.

They sucked in an audible breath at the youth’s astute observation. Masque glanced sideways at him and considered reassuring him that all was well. But with so few confidantes in the pack, the Caru chose to speak candidly with their younger brother. They could be there for each other during this trying time.

It does, doesn’t it? they agreed, swallowing a sigh as the two of them began walking toward the far side of the rendezvous site. I wish I had answers or reassurances to give you but nothing has been the same since mother disappeared.

Redd and Relic had been more distant, though this piece of information was their burden to bear alone. They wanted to be honest with him but Masque didn’t want to put that on Mul’s shoulders, nor worry him unnecessarily.

For whatever it’s worth, they continued after a short pause, you have me, no matter what. I told you I wouldn’t leave and I won’t. I won’t leave you. Masque huffed a laugh, a conspiratorial light entering their eyes as they joked, If I ever decided to leave the rise, I would just smuggle you along with me.

Yeah, yeah, I know. He replied. The situation was bleak in a way. Searching and hoping was all that was left to do. For now, they had each other, and that was what he could count on. Nobody would stick around forever—a melancholy fact he had begun to accept.

At least Masque’s humor always seemed to lighten things.

You’d betteh!! He pipes with a laugh. Where would yah wanna go, y’know, if yah ever had’ta leave?

As soon as the words slipped off their tongue, Masquerade felt something inside them clench. Their eyes darted to Mul’s face, just hoping they hadn’t worried him with this offhanded remark. They hadn’t meant anything by it. They didn’t know why they’d even said it…

Oh, they said, blinking in surprise at his laughter, I wouldn’t really want to go anywhere. This is the only home I’ve ever known. It’s…

The Caru lapsed into pensive silence for several minutes, their face falling into a stony mask. They thought about how they’d been feeling in the aftermath of Avicus’s disappearance, namely how nearly their whole sense of home had vanished with her. They heard Redd’s voice in their head, reminding them, “This was her home. We are her legacy.”

Catching themself, Masque shook their head and said, I’m sorry, Mul, I got lost in my thoughts. I won’t lie to you; I’ve been struggling. But you and the other pups, you give me a sense of purpose. I care more about you guys than I care about myself, they admitted softly.

But this conversation was getting too heavy for someone so young. Masque flashed their little brother a smile, then prodded him in the ribs with their snout, hoping to distract him with a tickle.

We’re meant to be practicing our prowling skills! they reminded him a little too loudly.

As the Caru got lost in their thoughts, he observed them, his head tilted in curiosity. He wondered what they were thinking so deeply about.

It’hh okay, I wahh juht curiouhh.. what’hh the fartheht you been from home? It’d be fun to ehhplore- 

Before he could continue and acknowledge their more deeper sentiments, Masque had already caught him off guard with a playful poke. In protest, he let out a growl and repaid the favor—rushing over to poke them similarly before quickly fleeing the scene. 

Lehh find ‘em, then! He exclaimed in a bark.

He aimed to put a good distance between them, then heeded their reminder and dropped into a stealthy crouch.

He retaliated before fleeing, Masque’s affectionate, amused snort drifting after him. The Caru loped along in his wake, critiquing Mul’s body language from afar. It made them proud to note that he was utilizing many of the pointers they had given them during their training forays.

They were in no hurry to catch up to him, though when they ranged closer, they told him, I went south and east, searching for mother after she disappeared. I couldn’t tell you much about the places I went, as I didn’t do much sightseeing. But if you truly want to explore sometime, Mul, I would go with you. At the very least, take someone, anyone with you. It’s not safe for a wolf your age to travel outside the territory alone.

He glanced to Masque as they joined alongside him. The mention of their mother prompted a quiet sigh. At this point in his life, he wasn’t sure how to feel about her disappearance—feelings of sorrow, pain, resentment, and anxiety all simultaneously brewed deep within his mind. Nowadays he avoided acknowledging them altogether.

I know, I know. I wihh. Even ih I did go ouhhide, you’d probabhy hunh me down anywayh. He promised.

Indeed, they rejoined with a cheeky smile and a snort.

They fell silent again, letting Mulherin focus on the task at hand. But their attention drifted with their thoughts. They hadn’t tracked any large game in a while, excepting the herds that ventured past the rise. Masque wondered if it might be fun to take their little brother—and any other sibling who expressed interest, albeit one at a time—on a tracking expedition. The Caru could use the practice themself.

On that note, what would you think if we followed some large game sometime? We wouldn’t hunt them, just practice tracking them across the wilderness. It would likely take us away from the rise for a day or two, maybe more. Would that interest you, Mul?

Masque’s proposition drew his attention away from their prowling. His tail wagged and his posture eased. This seemed like an important mission, he was more than up to the task.

Yeah, lehh do it! He replied. When’d you wanna go?

Whenever the opportunity arises, they promised, tail waving in response to his enthusiasm. Now, they continued in the next breath, try to focus. Maintaining focus when distracted is a big part of hunting and tracking, so it’s good practice.

The Caru laughed, then winked, before gesturing with their snout for Mulherin to get back to work. Not only was it good practice like they said, Masque still wanted to locate their brethren for peace of mind.

If you’d like to fade this one, I can start us another for the expedition? :D

last from me, I will archive here!

I am! You’he the one dihhractin’ me. He quipped with a playful growl. Heeding their guidance, he resumed tracking.

The two of them continued their search into the night with occasional light chatter. Eventually, they would manage to locate the rest of the bunch, and quietly joined them to sleep.