Life Lessons [Nimue + Fawn]

[Deleted]

Note: this thread takes place when Morrigan and company are about three months old.

They were big enough to leave the den now, and freedom was divine, even if it was shortlived. Most days, the pups remained under the surveillance of a she-wolf or two, but now her litter was getting bigger and soon, they would have the independence to wander the entire island alone. For now, they had to stay close to the den. There always seemed to be a mother nearby, whether her own or one of the others blessed with a litter for the season. Morrigan didn’t quite grasp what was blessed about the business of motherhood: constantly dividing attention between restless pups, as the rambunctious ones ran wild and the quiet, shy types faded into the backdrop like shadows, easily overlooked.

Morrigan tried to stay out of the chaos that engulfed the cavern when the sun was up, and each of the pups born there was awake. It wasn’t like she didn’t enjoy playing, but now that she was a little bigger, a few of the older pups had decided they were old enough to play as the big kids liked to do – low blows and bared teeth, practicing their growls to see who could seem most savage. Their enthusiasm for the future awaiting them was on full display with every pounce and pin. Morrigan felt considerably less excited about her own future in her natal pack, but she didn’t envy the boys for what they would go through when they departed for the Agoge. She was curious about the lands, but she had no desire to train alongside her enormous siblings, learned brutality. Morrigan wasn’t entirely certain what she wanted to do, but it wasn’t that.

Still, the mottled youth was young and naïve. She had no reason to suspect something was amiss when she listened to Lilith tell the story of a whole nest of butterflies, every color imaginable, right there on the island.

It’s not far from here. No one will even notice that you’re gone. And it’s worth it.

The mismatched eyes of the older pup alight, Lilith smiled. Morrigan had seen the way the large pup played, but she had no reason to suspect that her older half-sibling would do anything to put her in harm’s path. She could see the scene in her mind’s eye: innumerable butterflies dotting the sky like a rainbow. It would be a lovely sight. Lilith left, still smiling, and the dark pup turned to the den. She bounded in the cavern’s direction to search for her sisters, to share this newfound wonder with them, since it wouldn’t be as fun if she did it on her own. Morrigan loved to watch butterflies from the mouth of the den, so delicate and yet untamed, never to be caught. The promise of butterflies seemed like something her sisters would enjoy, and the notion that such a thing did not actually exist didn’t register in her developing mind.

Some lessons could only be learned the hard way.

Words: 520

Tags: Nimue + Fawn

Ooc: Time for some trouble!

[Nimue]

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[attr="class","pltxt"]Boys, Nimue was beginning to learn, were rowdy.

From her place nestled against the far wall of the largest section of the caverns, she watched them. It had become a sort of gathering place, too large and devoid of privacy to serve as a den, so instead it was where the mothers gathered and curled around the outskirts of the area, watching their collective group of pups play and roughhouse. The soft snarls of the male pups as they pitted themselves against each other was a constant – and even some of the females joined in. From time to time Nimue would find herself provoked into sparring with them, her considerable size making her a fair opponent despite her gender, but more often than not she preferred to play with her sisters and, sometimes, the other she-pups. They were far less rambunctious than the males, their desire for roughness considerably lesser. As it was, more pups than usual were gathered in the wide cavern, likely to escape the heat of the summer. A plethora of noises and voices greeted Nimue’s triangular ears, which regularly twitching atop her cranium. Her mother was across the cavern, languishing on one of the soft beds of moss that she favored while speaking in a hushed tone to the other mothers present. Her brothers, naturally, were rough-housing, and her sisters…

Almost as if conjured by thought alone, Morrigan came creeping into the larger section of the cavern, her eyes alight with something that Nimue easily recognized as excitement. She knew her sister well, and already Nimue’s head was lifting, eagerness to know what had animated Morrigan blooming within her. She watched as their mother cast a swift glance in Morrigan’s direction, registering her dark daughter’s presence, her head cocking to the side with curiosity…but she did not pry, her gaze sliding back to the other mothers a moment later. It was clear that their mother knew the pups were very nearly old enough to be considered entirely independent, and Nimue’s excitement hitched higher with the realization that Messoria would not demand to know…whatever it was Morrigan had planned.

Automatically Nimue’s gaze swept the cavern once more, searching for Fawn; the moment her eyes fell upon the dainty cream pup, Nimue tilted her muzzle just fraction, silently calling her second sister towards them just as Morrigan reached her. ”What is it?” Nimue asked, voice quiet but undeniably animated as she waited for Morrigan to speak.


@morrigan + Fawn

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[Fawn]

Life was busy now, not so often having to rest and be kept inside for safety. Everyone was growing in some way. Most of her fellow pups were towering over her, making the speckled Fawn crane her neck up to look at them. But her small size helped with zig-zagging through the crowd as her focus danced from one thing to another. Rough-housing with the others was only fun for a little bit as she quickly realized how easily she could be harmed from just playing with such giants. Nothing serious had happened yet, but Fawn learnt a lesson quickly. 

The extra eyes from having more adults around was a little bothersome for the curious girl, always seemed someone was there to keep her from some unknown danger or trouble. Hiding her irritation, she would just turn those big blue eyes at them and pretend innocence. She just couldn't understand what the fuss was about. There were no major evil plans here, never meant to hurt anyone but she felt so watched. Was it because she was little? Easily crushed by the older children in the pack? She shrugged, she could take care of herself. Most of her siblings seemed to have this unspoken deal to watch out for each other. 

Speaking of which...where were they? Diverting her attention from watching two older pups tackle each other, she looked around for the familiar faces of her sisters. Scanning the crowd as best she could from her lower point of view, Fawn caught sight of Nimue and wagged her little tail. Then she stilled as she read the signal from her older sister and moved to follow her, dodging a pair of fluffy bodies that nearly collided with her small frame as she did so. Weaving in and out nonchalantly, Fawn tried not to grab some adults attention nor let herself be talked into sparring with a couple of the smaller pups since the larger ones already knew she was 'no fun' to tackle. 

Finally nearing the end of the crowd, she shot through the tiny gap between a wall and some older pup she didn't really know. Finally free of the melee, Fawn darted to her sisters side, nudging Nimue lightly with her head. "What's up?" Seeing Morrigan nearby and catching the excitement coming from her, Fawn's tail wagged faster. "We're gonna have fun, aren't we?"

@morrigan Nimue

[Deleted]

Her sisters were instantly curious, interested to hear Morrigan’s announcement. ”It’ll definitely be fun! I just heard about this really great place.” Before either of the girls could argue that it wasn’t a good idea, the darkest of the trio offered, ”No one will even notice we’ve gone away. Follow me!”

At three months of age. Morrigan was not fearful to stray far from the den. Nimue and Fawn, she assumed, were equally eager to have a moment to themselves, for once absent of rowdy brothers and watchful mothers. With a jump in her step, she bounded in the direction she had been told to go. The further they traveled, the happier Morrigan seemed to become. Dark tail wagging wildly behind her, she enthused: ”It has to be a secret, though. Lilith said not to tell.” Unbeknownst to the young pups, she was leading them all into danger, forces beyond their protective sphere that were beyond the control of their mothers.

Her senses were assaulted by lots of smells and sights, the scents of many different wolves who also lived there, but Morrigan hadn’t met. There were other smells, too, ones she couldn’t describe because they were just so… different. Mother had taken them for walks to see the island, but it wasn’t the same as this. With a deep inhale, savoring everything, Morrigan felt the weight of the pack falling away, if only for a little bit. No one was telling them they couldn’t go this way – at least, until they were caught wandering off, they were free. The future consequences didn’t matter. She felt better, unimpeded with every step she took. She didn’t look over her shoulder. She knew Nimue was not far behind, and Fawn, too.

When the rocky hill came into sight, Morrigan stopped. She had never been to this part of the island before, and her pale blue eyes searched a matching sky for any hint of butterflies. ”Well, it’s supposed to be around here,” she commented with a frown as her gaze turned back to her sisters. She didn’t want to spoil the fun, and while she had enjoyed the journey there in silence, she didn’t want to disappoint her siblings after taking them so far from home. ”Maybe we have to climb up there to see it, though.”


words:  403
tags: Nimue + Fawn
ooc: there's a cougar waiting for them up the hill  :>

[Nimue]

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[attr="class","pltxt"]The prospect of fun without being chastised or forced back into the dens was too tantalizing for Nimue’s young mind to resist, and without bothering to question what it was that they were after, she was trailing after Morrigan’s receding form with an encouraging nudge to Fawn’s shoulder as she passed. Just as Morrigan had assured them, no one protested as the sisters slipped from the den, small paws thumping dully against the cavern floor as they wound through the tunnels. Finally the entrance of the caverns came into view, and then they were outside and free, nothing but crisp open air and sunlight surrounding them. Nimue’s thick tail swayed back and forth eagerly as she darted through the trees, following Morrigan’s dark form while constantly glancing over her shoulder to assure herself that Fawn followed. It was no secret that Nimue was fiercely protective of her smaller sister – although Fawn seemed to do well enough on her own.

”It has to be a secret, though. Lilith said not to tell.”

At the mention of Lilith, Nimue’s stomach tightened uncomfortably, her smile briefly slipping into a frown. Something about the older – and much larger – femme made Nimue uncomfortable, but she would not readily admit it. As of yet, Lilith had done nothing to warrant Nimue’s distrust, although unbeknownst to the pup, that would soon change. The sharp cackle of a crow drew her soft blue gaze towards the trees, and a moment later a rustling in the underbrush caused by a passing stoat sounded, Nimue’s head whipping around to locate the source. There was so much to see, to hear, to smell – it seemed as if there would never be enough time to experience everything that the island and beyond had to offer.

They came to a halt at the base of a rocky hill and Nimue’s excitement skyrocketed, all thoughts of Lilith gone from her as she searched for…whatever they were here for. Morrigan’s face seemed to fall, albeit briefly – when she suggested that they crest the hill, Nimue did not protest, instead bounding forward and beginning to climb. She stopped halfway up the mound, turning to fire a mischievous glance in her sister’s direction. ”Race you both to the top,” she challenged, a glee-filled cackle escaping from between her muzzle as she darted forward, muscles working to pull her frame – still encumbered by puppy fat – up the hill. There was an odd scent in the air, musky and unfamiliar to Nimue that grew stronger with each step she took towards the top of the embankment. Never before had she encountered it, and therefore the young pup had no idea to be wary of what waited in store for them upon reaching the top.

TAG: Fawn + @morrigan
WORDS: 455

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[Wildlife [NPC]]

The male cougar surveyed his small kingdom, basking atop the rocky perch and hidden amongst the scrub. His eyes were lowered and his belly full, all one-hundred-sixty pounds of cat draped across the ground like a ragdoll. His mouth was open in a steady pant, and after having completely cleaned himself after his fresh kill of tapir, he was full to bursting. Warm, bloated, and tired, Bojangles was at peace in body and soul, albeit sluggish.

The hilltop was a quiet place, few wolves ever frequenting the area. It made life easier for him. The less they interacted, the better, in his mind. A cougar could best a single wolf, but unlike the other species, he was a solitary hunter. When trouble was caused by a cat, the dog came in packs- and a cougar could not best himself against a pack of these unnatural giants, no matter how bulky he was himself. And so, heavy with meat and muscle, the cat stretched lazily and let his limbs hang from the rocky crag.

No sooner had he begun to drift into sleep that his eyes shot open. Chattering voices rang in cacophony on the side of his hill, and with a heavy sigh, he rose to his feet. He didn't mean to kill the pups- not today. It was an unnecessary to do so, for there was no need. Just as his mother would have avenged his death against the wolves, surely the wolf mothers would be out for his blood if he harmed their babies. He wasn't above eating wolf young in the least, and if he had been hungry, his reaction to their intrusion would have been startlingly different. However, the thought of eating one more bite of food made bile threaten to rise in his throat.

With considerable effort, he rose to his paws. He didn't regret such a large feast, but it was certainly slowing him down. As a brown pup with a black blanket draped across her features barreled up the hill, a deep, guttural growl ripped from the cougars maw, long fangs glistening white in the summer heat. Walking towards the pup, his lazy steps towards her seemed menacing as he hissed and snarled, lashing his tail behind him. The cat lunged, then, lashing a massive paw just inches in front of her face.

He only noticed the dark, mottled pup running towards him as his swinging claws were already in their pendulum, too late to stop the motion.

[Fawn]

It was to tempting to even think about not going alongside her sisters. Of course Fawn was always one for adventure and her mother even admitted that she was difficult to control with her mischievous nature and avid curiosity. Not that Fawn meant to cause her mother worry but she just hated to be held back in what her spirit demanded. She didn't want to spend endless hours socializing and playing. Partly due to her minuscule size in comparison with most of the other pups in the cavern. 

After the brief interchange with her sisters and a nudge from Nim, Fawn barreled after them after making sure no adult was paying direct attention to the trio. Fresh air! Oh it was fantastic compared to the seemingly stifling air of the cave they called home for now. Taking a deep breath as much as her little body would allow, Fawn eyes then immediately swiveled around to see what could be seen. Trailing after her two sisters they formed a dark to light transition as the trip went on. Morrigan so dark and mystical at the lead with the ever colorful Nimue closely and finally the odd spotted youngster padding to keep up while being distracted with anything that was she found interesting.

Liliths name didn't even register with the white spotted pup, she didn't recognize the name although it's been mentioned in her presence numerous times. Her short attention span never let her carve names in her mind very long there was always so much else to do. Even now she was enthralled with a purple blossom until Nimue announced a face to the top. Darting off as best as her still awkward growing form would allow, Fawn laughed at the game and tried to keep up. 

But her laughter was short lived as they climbed the steep rocky terrain. A growl like she never heard before made her blood run cold and a monster showed itself right in front of Morrigan. Short little legs ran to her sister even though she felt the tug to turn and run from the nightmarish creature. "Morri!!" Her little voice shrieked and bright blue eyes riveted on her dark sisters form as she struggled to reach her. What was the plan once she got there? She didn't have one. All she knew was trouble wasn't always fun to get into now.

Word Count 403
@morrigan Nimue