Blackfeather Woods the cookie jar

@Damien takes place on the outer edge of BFW

Twitch was hungry. Twitch was almost always hungry though, so that was not exactly news. Fortunately for his growling stomach, fate had yielded the discovery of a mouse's nest within a half-rotted log. The mother mouse was not aware of the predator lurking in the tree branches who had watched her exit the inconspicuous den through a small cavity. She did not know she had just put her offspring in harm's way. The the weasel rubbed his little paws together, a fiendish grin on his face. He was about to raid the cookie jar and there was no one around to interfere.

He slithered down the tree and leaped into the snow, bounding over to the log and tucking his body against it. He may be on the hunt but he knew he was not the apex predator and could also be hunted. Wall seeking was for his own protection. Sneaking up to the nest, he peered in. Amid the collection of grasses and furs he could see the squirming bodies of barely-furred mice, but his body was too small to fit through the cavity. Using his paws and his teeth Twitch started to gnaw and tear at the hole, gradually widening it until he was able to stick his head in.

A shrill scream pierced the air as his dagger-like teeth sunk into the rear leg of one of the mice. Pulling it from it's nest, Twitch quickly silenced it by biting the back of its head, crushing its spinal cord and part of its skull. He held the mouse in his paws as he began to devour it, eyes darting around for any sign of competition. These were his 'cookies'.

Things had been really weird for a while in BFW, specially for the kids. Mommy wasn't around as much as she did when they were younger, and the veil of white that covered everything, and he was so accustomed to, was nearly completely gone, revealing a whole new face of the forest he had never seen before.

It was easier to walk, so only a few minutes after sneaking out of the den, the dark pup was nearly as far as he had gotten the last time he was out with the grey beast. The borders he called it, and although Damien didn't quite completely get what it was it sounded pretty important, and he felt proud of getting there on his own.

Time to bite.

That's what Burke had taught him to do at "the borders" and that's what he was going to do to whomever crossed his path. Nothing came for a while. He sniffed around determinatedly, trying to get another one of those "Treepassers" Burke had told him to be aware of, but all he managed to get was some odd smell coming from the grotto not so far from there. Or was it?

Another scent reached his tiny nose just when he was about to give up, a scent that he knew very well. Blood. Damien looked around, trying to spot the guilty one, and he did, just meters away from him near a tree. It reminded him of that squirrel Mommy had brought the other day for him and Cis to play, and Damien was 120% sure it was one of those. What was the squirrel hiding? He would soon find out. He walked closer, following each and every one of the instructions daddy had given him before disappearing. He approached from the squirrel's back, silent, cautious, and he stood behind him casting a shadow over him as he decided what he would do with his new, definitely cornered toy.

The weasel had saved the best part for last. Grasping the mouse's skull in his paws he eagerly sucked the brain from its skull, using his deft tongue to scoop it out before chewing the remaining flesh from the mouse's head along with most of the bone, leaving virtually nothing behind but a few chunks. He then went back for seconds, and it was while his head was in the log attempting to fetch another mouse that a large shadow (well, compared to him) came to fall across him.


It was a bit of intuition that alerted him, and Twitch pulled his head back out without his second entree and froze, but only momentarily. Before the black wolf could even think of reacting the little weasel shot out his little paw and pointed aggressively at the wolf's nose. "Don't even think about it!" he barked. He was not sure what this wolf was thinking, but the nest of mice were his for the taking and he was not about to let himself become a meal either.

The squirrel squeaked something that Damien, surprisingly, understood perfectly. Since when did not-wolves speak? It was weird, getting to know every day a bit more about the constantly changing world that surrounded the him. But this little fella was being a bit too aggressive. He had to learn who is boss.

"Shut up!" The cub said in a high pitched bark. Damien had to put his training in practice, he had to protect his forest from the outside, and he was just about to do exactly that. A big warden he was already. "Teapasser" The pup stated with a frown, just to let the squirrel know what would come next. 

Bites.

Damien darted forward, aiming to take the squirrel by the head, and if he got it, he would shake it hard until its neck cracked.

So the wolf was clearly thinking that he would nab himself a weasel, and Twitch was not game for that. As the pup darted forward the weasel jumped and landed on the brat's head. He nipped his ear, bellowing a shrill "Stop!" right into it. His little claws grasped black fur as tight as they could, determined to hang on for an indeterminate amount of time. Up here, he was safe from the wolf's jaws. Dislodging him would likely require more than shaking - rolling or headbutting the nearest tree, either of which would give enough pause to the wolf's attack for the weasel to escape - but he would not go far, no. He was prepared to bite and claw to defend his cookie jar if he needed to.

Damien yelped when the squirrel jumped to his head swiftly. He wasn't expecting that move. And then he desperately tried to get it off of his head by rolling on the floor and trying to reach it with his paws. It was difficult, the rodent was too sneaky, and with no more than two months of age, the little pup hadn't much to do against pretty much anyone/anything.

"Gettoffme!" Damien squealed desperately once he bumped his head with a tree, probably missing the squirrel.

The little weasel held on for as long as he could, but the black wolf's thrashing and bumping forced him to leap free before he got smashed into a tree, subsequently cushioning the blow for the pup. Twitch wasted no time and bounded quickly over to a nearby tree, scrabbling up it's bark just out of reach of his aggressive company. From there he stuck his finger out again and pointed. "Go away!" he barked, his eyes darting to the mouse nest, which was his main concern.

The bump made him dizzy for a moment, he felt disoriented and although he didn't quite feel any pain, he had to take a couple seconds to get up again. He looked around for the Squirrel, and it wasn't long before it squeaked from a nearby tree, instructing the pup to leave. Leave? This forest was his property! Why would he leave?

Damien growled, indignant, and then he noticed the look in the squirrel's eyes. He was protecting something, something that was behind Damien, so he turned around and instantly his nose told him exactly what it was. The biscuit Twitch was eating before Damien came was only one of the many hidden in a hole, and with a devilish grin, the dark angel went for the prize Twitch was so fiercely defending. Giggling, Damien inserted his tiny paw in the hole, trying tor each the mice as he turned his back on the squirrel.

Twitch was outraged. How dare this black little devil go for his cookies? His cookies!. The weasel's eyes bulged, his long lithe body stiffening and his nose twitching as he boiled. The wolf stuck its paw into the cookie jar and that was it. With a shriek, Twitch rocketed off the tree and made a sailing leap at the pup's tail. He latched on like a furry piranha, chomping down as hard as his little jaws could. "Zhere mibe!" he growled through a mouthful of fur and flesh. He was not sure what his next move was going to be, but he was not going to let this demon have his cookies.

The pain stung him like little daggers cutting through his skin and the shadow pup yelped loudly as the squirrel attacked him from behind. His paw was now stuck in the rat hole and all he could do to defend himself from the little demon was curl his bodyaround and stump his tail with his free paw. "NOO! GET OFF ME!!" he growled painfully as he slammed his paw in the floor. All he wanted to do was get on the little beast's nerves, but now that he had gotten it he didn't know what to do to get the bastard off. Not a comfortable situation.

Twitch held on as the thief curled himself and gave him a thump with his free paw, clapping the weasel square on his head and bouncing his lower jaw off the ground, but then he sprang free and it was then that he realized his adversary was trapped, literally caught with his hand in the cookie jar. Suddenly, Twitch's aggression was forgotten as he began cackling madly. "AHA!" he shouted defiantly, sitting back on his rear and crossing his forelegs. "Serves you right, you snotty nosed whelp."

But it then occured to the small predator that he could not get to his cookies now, and he fumed and flicked his tail with irritation. With an annoyed huff he jumped up on the log and stood in front of the pup, as far back on one side of the log as he could. He stared menacingly, and gruffly proposed a truce. "I'll help you get your paw free, if you go away when I am done."

indentDamien grunted loudly as the squirrel mocked him for being trapped. He growled too, and tried to claw the rodent with his free paw, but it was out of reach so he stuck his tongue out with an ireful frown. "My nose isn't whelp!" he claimed arhythmically, not even totally sure what it meant or what he was saying, all he knew was that it was an insult and it made him mad. But then the squirrel proposed a truce, standing above him with a menacing look that Damien matched with a frown.

indent"Damien don't need Sqwhirl help. This is Damien forest!" he barked with conviction, but then, as he pulled again to try to free his paw he realized that he was probably going to die there if his paw didn't magically grew smaller. Panic. He looked back at the rodent, and at his paw again, twice and again trying to solve his dilemma. He grunted frustrated, there was no option. "OKAY but!-" he stopped, he didn't have anything to add to the contract and it made him feel angrier, "-Damien paw free and Sqwhirl come home with Damien to show mommy he catched trespasser." there, that was a deal. He would get to show how good a warden he was and he would probably get treats from mommy. That if the sneaky Twitch agreed.

Squirrel. The little brat called him a squirrel. He referred to him as some nutmunching piece of prey. The fierce little hunter did not take kindly to this at all, his nose twitching and wrinkling into an insulted sneer, the hair along his back starting to stand up and his muscles tensing, ready to spring... but Twitch paused when this 'Damien' shouted the okay, accepting his truce offer but with a term of his own. He wished for the weasel to accompany him back to his mother, so that he might show off his budding prowess as a defender of the pack, or at least that was the weasel's interpretation.

Twitch thought on this for a moment. On one paw, once he freed the little devil he had what he wanted, unless Damien decided to stick around and make a nuisance of himself. So, on the other paw, if he went back with the pup, then he could be sure that it was gone from the vicinity of the cookie jaw, and that he was free to return to it for an uninterrupted feast. "Ok," Twitch said, "but I get to ride on your back until we get there. Then I will play dead by your feet and if you try to pick me up, I will bite your nose off." The weasel gave a curt nod to emphasize his point, then set to work freeing the pup's paw.

He jumped down from the log, confident that this pup, who needed his assistance, would not try anything stupid while he had his back turned. Twitch worked the edge of the hole beneath the trapped paw, chewing and tearing at the bark to widen it enough for the paw to slip out.

indentThe squirel agreed, on her terms, and to Damien they sounded reasonable. It would do. So he agreed as well, nodding with his head. Twitch started digging the hole to free Damien's paw, and although the temptation to snatch the squires while it looked away was intense, the dark pup stayed still until finally his paw started sliping out of the trap.

indentDamien jumped in joy when his paw was finally released, but before he forgot about Twitch, he turned around with a frown, it was time for business. "Sqwhirl can go in Damien back. But no biting. And no scratch." he stated sternly before turning around to allow Twitch to jump up onto his back. He was eager to show mommy what he'd caught. She would be so proud.

Hope you don't mind I advance this with slight pp :)

Twitch waited as Damien celebrated his freedom, and for a brief moment he contemplated changing his mind about accompanying this devil to his mother for show and tell, but he knew there was no going back. The mouse nest was exposed enough for a small wolf to eat his cookies, so if he tried to go back on the agreement he was sure to lose his reward. He would have to just go, and come back as soon as he could with the hopes that no other predator discovered the goods.

"No biting, no scratching," Twitch echoed as a sort of promise, leaping on to Damien's back. "But let's get something straight. I am not a squirrel. I am a weasel," he ammended. Immediately, he decided he liked it up here. A weasel, riding upon the back of one of the apex predators (ok, a young apex predator, but still). Twitch sat up right, using his long tail for balance, and he carried his head high. He was the king of the weasels and small things up here. A king upon a wolf, and he wanted to make sure any watching eyes saw him as the funny pair moved through the dark forest, thus he remained upright for the duration of the trip.

"This the place?" he asked as Damien came to a stop. He was not about to hop down from his throne just yet, waiting for the little beast to call for his mother first. Then he would. He wanted to remain in his kingly position for as long as he could. He belonged on the back of a wolf, he decided.

Damien smirked with the weasel's correction, it wasn't like he actually cared what that creature was. He just allowed it to hop on top and he started walking off towards mommy and towards that well deserved pat in the head and probably a nice reward for his prowess... What a fake little brat he was.

"This is place..." Damien whispered as he arrived to the rendezvous site. He was sure mommy would be inside the den, so with a sharp glance he instructed the weasel to be quiet. "Mommy inside. Damien wake up n' back for wees'l" he announced, and after bending down to let Twitch unboard the pup waded to the den.

"MOMMY, MOMMY! Damien catch treepasser!!" he shouted as loud as he could as soon as his head butted inside the den. He was eager to show @Meldresi his last accomplishment, and he started tuggung her ear to drag her out of the den. He jumped in excitement and sqeaked in pride. He had warden blood, that was for sure. He rushed back all the way to the weasel, expecting it to be playing dead as they had agreed.

Tagging mommy to join the thread :D

Though not without hesitation, Twitch hopped off his throne, immediately missing his perch and silently promising himself that he would be up there again sometime andthat he would try to ride as many different wolves as he could. As the little black pup hollered for his mother the weasel assumed the position. He jumped up and allowed himself to naturally flop onto the ground, looking every bit a dead thing, with eyes closed, mouth slightly parted, and little tongue lolling. Here he would wait, still as a stick, until Damien's mother had a gawk at him, praised her son, and he could get back to his cookies.

I'm here baby! :D

Meldresi woke with a start as she heard the voice of her son, calling for her sharply. Her eyes opened halfway, but jerked open as she felt sharp teeth on her ear. Without a retort ready, the sleepy priestess followed after her son, blinking the sleep from her eyes. The den ended in a wall of light, which dissipated into the shadowy world that was her land. And on the forest floor, was a weasel.

She tilted her head, walking towards Damien, wondering what her son had caught. A weasel. The sleepy Dark Queen looked the weasel over, sniffing it closely. She snorted in amusement over the weasel's side as she saw his flank rising and falling gently. "Damien, dear." She said, raising her head from the small mustelid. "It is still alive. You did not kill it properly."

@Twitch @Meldresi sorry for the long wait... I needed some time off of RP to get my muse flowing

indentExcitedly, the night child ran all the way to his weasel's side, jumping in anxiousness for whatr was to come, which to his surprise, wasn't at all what he expected from mommy. She sniffed the weasel closely, and as she did, Damien's heartbeat increased rapidly. Then her head rose, and with a derisive laugh she told Damien that he hadn't killed it properly. His heart stopped. She wasn't supposed to know that it wasn't dead, and it wasn't supposed to die!

With shaking limbs and cold sweat running down his forehead (that if he would have been human), the night child stuttered a response. "Yes mommy... The Sqwhirl is ded..." he was now frightened that maybe mommy would try and kill it herself. That wasn't supposed to happen. He should have gotten his treat by now, and Twitch should have been free to get his precious cookies!

No problem!

It was a bust, the adult wolf did not take Damien's word for it and her inspection of Twitch, who had tried to remain as still and lifeless as possible, revealed to her that he was not in fact dead. No doubt she had picked up on the slight rise and fall of his chest as he took as little breath as could sustain him, and no doubt she recognized by smell that he was so fresh he was still alive. The black pup tried to convince his mother that Twitch was in fact dead, but the weasel knew this ruse was over. Not wanting to stick around for the adult wolf's demonstration of a proper technique for killing small animals properly, Twitch jumped up and bolted, calling back, "Sorry kid, the jig is up!" without so much as looking back. He had to look after his own tail here, and he made haste back to the fallen tree. He would devour his cookies hopefully before the little devil came back.

Slapping an end to this thread

Damien jumped back when the squirel suddenly stopped playing dead, and when it ran away, the night child burst into tears, ashamed for having tried to lie to mommy and because he'd failed, but mostly because he surely wasn't going to get his treat at all. What a bummer.

The pup looked back at mommy, who stood there with her amused face as the squirel escaped to get his precious cookies back, this time without the pup's intevenience, because he'd gotten enough for the day. He just walked away, looking at the ground angrily and kicking some rocks on his way home.