Two Eyes Cenote god & light

spontaneous optional pup thread!

"@Kiyya, you stand here, good, yes."

"and @Kheti, you stand here, next to him, good, yes."

"@Safiya, you next, here, yes, good."

"@Tiye, you here, right beside your sister, yes, good. good! all of you!" khusobek announced, standing before the ragged row of jostling children. "i am the captain of the guard here," he said firmly, "and it may be that some or all of you follow me as mazoi, protectors to the kingdom of muat-riya and the red land of akashingo."

"you are young now. but you must learn. now. attack me."

he's all bark no bite lmao

Now. Attack me.

Their first taste of mazoi training. Father said a lot of big words, most of which confused the young fellahin as much as it excited him. As he stood obediently between his siblings, he recalled Safiya's white hot rage and the fear he had felt caught in the crossfire between the two sisters.

Imagining little Tiye's cowering spurred an instinctual need to protect as much as it caused butterflies to explode in his chest. He imagined father was a wolf like Safiya, intent on hurting his sister, and met his gaze with a scowl. No one messed with her - he would show them!

Except his opponent was much, much bigger. Kheti stood very tall, the fur along his spine puffing up in a way that might remind the reader of an angry orange kitten. "Aackkk!" he yelled, bravely breaking away from the throng of restless children and skittering toward his father, a flurry of obnoxious barks accompanying his clumsy attack on Khusobek's foreleg.

Safiya was called and followed. Stepped into her spot as papa had said.

As her father spoke she stared. Eyes bright in her head. She wasn't sure what she was doing, but she thought of the day Tiya had made her so very angry.

A growl lifted from deep inside and she followed her brothers path with her gaze. Seeing where he went.

She turned around the other way, but unlike her brother she knew their father could buff em over with his large paws. She had felt that when she had escaped with the man Machiavelli, there had been so many coyotes and wolves coming and going,  all the paws buffeting and pushing her aside.

So instead she went for their father's side. Backed up and went for another spot. An attack followed by a retreat on and on again. Keeping her brother in her view so she didn't accidentally attack him. He had seemed scared of her that day with Tiye.

She had learned the hard way, evident by the chunk of tail that would never grow right.  That you didn't keep attacking, you also retreated.

baba is strange for thinking tiye would ever become mazoi.

kheti and safiya leap fearlessly into action, attacking their father with all their might. tiye uses her might to stumble onto her rump and pout defiantly.

she's a lady! one to be carried around, one who walks with the grace of a heron.. eventually. she's not built to take a beating.

no posting order <3

kheti came along first, and khusobek bowed to engage. safiya displayed an early grasp of tactics. tiye refused to join, and little kiyya hung back.

khusobek made a great growling show of loud shouts and pouncing, allowing kheti and safiya to harry him for a while before he swept each of them gently aside.

"tiye," he rumbled, "this too is something you should learn," but his voice did not scold. "attack again, all of you!"

Her father pushed her aside like she was a feather. A noise of dissent left her and she backed up to regroup. Why did he even bother asking Tiye. She rolled her eyes.

She shifted and waited and took up a different tactic. Heading closer to the rear of her father and away from hia swinging front paws. 

Ducking and covering so he'd have to twist to grasp her possibly.

tiye watches the inevitable happen as baba deflects her sibling's attacks with the ease of pebbles in the way. it's why she pouts when he insists she join them in their sisyphean task.
nuh-uh! tiye protests, rolling around anxiously underneath her father's gaze as she teeters on the brink of a tantrum. it's only when safiya tumbled over and gave a roll of her eyes over baba's request when tiye decided to show her how it's done.

the coywolf cub is suddenly on her feet and lunging (a small hop baring puppy fangs) at khusobek, convinced that she could do what her bigger sister (and brother but he doesn't matter right now!) couldn't.

A loud oof escaped the boy's mouth as he landed winded in the sand. He gazed up, dazed, as the blue sky swirled above him until his father's command came again. Man, he was exhausted already!

But Khusobek was watching, expecting. The young fellahin scrambled to his feet, a noise of displeasure at the dishevelled state of his fur before he gave himself a shake. This time he held back and observed Safiya's movements. She was quick and decisive - how did she do that? Clumsily, he mirrored her path and aimed for his father's tail, grinning silently as a flash of pale fur signalled Tiye's begrudging participation. With any luck, Khusobek would focus on her and he would be left to attack again.