Child at Last [open]

[Deleted]

The young white female shuffled out from the dens finally, intent to overcome her fear and take a look at the world around her. Averice was overjoyed to find that the snow was starting to shimmer as if it were to melt. In Tas'alea, snow was very rare, particularly in her home pack. This was actually the first time she had seen the substance, and it had almost killed her. What should have been a delightful experience for the pup was instead traumatic and dangerous. As she approached the fluffy white substance, she poked at it with her pack, surprised to find just how cold it really was. When it covered her body before, the snow seemed more like a blanket of warmth that was protecting her in her weak state. Now, it was frigid and uncomfortable. Yet she could not resist her urge.

Averice scrunched down the front of her body, wiggling her rump as she pounced into a nearby drift, sinking almost half a foot into the snow. A rare, child-like giggle slipped from her muzzle as she bounced through the snow, leaving large, body-shaped holes throughout the drift. It was more fun than she had had in quite some time, and what it truly made her remember was her sister. It had been so much fun to spend time with her sister, and that was not going to happen again. Aludra was her only friend here; her protector. Cherie had been nice enough, but Averice did not know her well enough to trust her, and she had yet to meet the alpha of the pack. While Averice knew now that she was going to be allowed to stay with Airila, it was uncomfortable that she did not know the male that led the pack. How could she know that Airila functioned like her birth pack?

Unfortunately, the young Mongollon Mountain female would have no choice but to adapt to life with this pack. while she did not have a desire to speak to anyone but Aludra, it would be unlikely that she could continue on without interacting with the remainder of the pack. Surely there were others out and about beyond Aludra, Cherie, and the alpha. It was only a matter of time before she ran into another one and had to explain what she was doing here. A quiet whine slipped from the female pup's mouth as she realized that, eventually, she would have to let them know what happened. She did not want to relive that again. It was too painful and fresh, and she lost everything in the blink of an eye. How could she possibly step up and explain everything that had happened? She was still so young, and all she wanted to do was act like it.

She wanted to be a child at last.

[Deleted]

Still like a statue, Amyntas sat perched just a few yards from the mouth of the dens. He had discovered a young pup sleeping in there not too long ago, and it had given him quite a fright. No more sleeping for Amyn. At first, he thought he himself was dreaming, staring at this little white ball of fluff. It had been a long time since he was that small; considering she was tiny he almost doubted he was ever that small; but it was enough to give the large brute a small panic attack. Upon closer inspection, however, he deemed that he was still fully conscious, and the pup was just a pup. Even worse was Amyn’s attempt to figure out where the pup had come from. He hadn’t seen her eyes, but from pelt alone, she looked exactly like Aludra. But when he’d met the shaman, she hadn’t come across as a new mother. Then again, for all Amyn knew, the pup was much older than she appeared. Still... What was such a young thing doing in a place like this without a parent? He himself had been separated from his pack at a relatively young age, yet he was certain he hadn’t been that young. He had been able to at least keep himself alive. The poor pup in the dens looked as if she would need to rely on the adults for a little while longer, at least. A soft giggle reached the ears of the arctic brute, and he turned his head in alarm. The pup was awake, bouncing around in the snow as if she’d never seen the stuff before. Amyn sighed, rising to his feet. His whole body ached, and his movements were rather sluggish. Sleep hadn’t been coming easy to the brute. Nearly every time he closed his eyes, he saw the glimmer golden eyes of the Descai alpha, or the sneering grin of Zephyr. Either one was enough to yank him back to reality in a cold sweat. Still... He had to get some sleep if he was to continue being of use to the pack. As quietly as he could, Amyntas trudged towards the den. He hardly paid the pup any mind, and given that she was preoccupied with the snow, he didn’t think she would take notice of him either. The last thing the brute wanted was to get stuck babysitting a young puppy, even if it was orders from Toiro. The faces of Naomi’s pups still lingered in the back of his mind. And now that he’d seen this puppy, he had a feeling their eyes would haunt his dreams as well. The brute sighed deeply, lowering his head to a near pathetic state. He almost wished he could smack his head against something and gain amnesia. Or wake up from this everlasting nightmare to find himself back in Alaska, nestled against his mother’s side. Wishful thinking, Amyntas, he thought to himself. He was here now, in this dark hell. The least he could do was make the most of it. words:: Five-Hundred and Twenty-Four muse:: Decent tags:: Averice ooc:: He's gonna be all twitchy and squirrely XD

[Deleted]

Averice had grown used to the feeling of eyes on her back. However, it never seemed to get any better to realize that someone was watching every move she made. It was only after the feeling did not go away that Averice turned around to spy a large, fluffy male watching her. She quirked her head to one side, a little intimidated that someone larger than her was staring at her, for one, and for another, she did not recognize him. She had only really been introduced to Cherie and Aludra; the puppy still had not even met the pack's alpha. Instead, she had remained dutifully tucked away, awaiting his approval, but the wait had been too long. Once the food brought energy back into her system, she could not simply sit around and do nothing. It had been so long since she had the opportunity to act like the pup that she was, and now this big male was ruining it for her.

"It's not very nice to watch people like that," she informed the fluffy stalker with a no-nonsense voice, still keeping her distance. "Who are you, and what are you doing here? Where is Miss Aludra?" The vulnerability in the little female's voice was palpable. She felt so lost without her savior nearby, as if she were wandering alone once more. But Aludra would not let her be hurt again. She had promised to protect her, right? So she grew a little bolder and stalked up to the male, intent on making her discomfort known and telling him off.

"I think you should go away, mister. I don't like people watching me without my permission, and Miss Aludra and Miss Cherie are gonna come and make you sorry if you do anything they don't like," she sassed matter-of-factly with a hint of insecurity nestled at the very end. She was not really as confident as she tried to portray herself. It was only then that the little female took the time to observed the male's body language. Her mother and father had at least taught her the basics of being a canine. This male did not show any aggression toward her, though she was still a little angry that he had not let her know that he was there. What else could she do, though? She could not fight, could not hunt, and was basically an invalid when it came to pack life. She really needed to talk to the alpha and see if there was anything at all that she could do to contribute. She did not want to be a dead weight on the pack.

This was a sad male, not an angry one. And if he knew where the dens were, then he must not be an intruder. Averice slowly approached him, her ears twitching slightly as her dainty little paws sunk into the melting snow. "What's your name, mister?"


Word Count: 486 words
Tags: @amyntas
Notes: I'm actually starting to like some of these features...

[Deleted]

All of Amyntas’ focus was on locating a soft spot within the dens to sleep for a few hours. One of his ears remained fixed on where the pup frolicked, but his glassy eyes were locked on the entrance of the dens. So when the little voice broke through the silence of the forest, Amyn actually jumped, startled. To have been taken by surprise like that; by a pup, no less; was quite embarrassing. The arctic brute spun around, glaring down at the pup. She kept her distance from him, but continued speaking to him in a rather haughty tone. Yet there was a bit of uneasiness to her words, and Amyn found his energy more drained than before. How could he remain angry at such a young thing? The brute’s gaze softened as he approached the pup, though he kept a short distance between them. So as not to scare the puppy, Amyn lay on the ground, his tail thumping noisily behind him. “I do not know where Miss Aludra is,” he answered honestly, in a soothing tone. The last thing he wanted was to frighten her. “I am only here to rest. Is that okay with you?” Perhaps it was a bit patronizing to ask for her permission, but if she was uncomfortable with him being around, he would leave. There were plenty of other places in the forest to sleep, though the den was certainly the most ideal. The pup grew quite sassy, demanding he leave before speaking of Aludra and Cherie. Amyn sighed deeply. Leave it to the females of the pack to harbor a puppy. Though if he had found this pup while out, he probably would have taken her in as well. As big as he was, Amyn was nothing short of a big softie. Pups and females always managed to lead him by the nose, without even trying all that hard. Still... He didn’t wish to make the pup uncomfortable. With a small dip of his head, Amyn rose to his feet, stretching his body out. Even briefly, it had been nice to lay down. He almost wished he didn’t have to go... “If that is what you wish, I shall leave you be.” With a longing look at the den, Amyn started walking away. Before he could get too far, however, he realized the puppy had approached him. He paused, looking back at her. Her question caused him to blink at her, puzzled. First she wanted him to leave, and now she wanted to know his name? Amyn sighed deeply. He would never understand females; young or old. “I am Zephyr. Miss Aludra accepted me into the pack not too long ago.” If she knew Aludra, it could give him bonus points for saying he did as well. He turned around once again, slowly to not frighten her, before laying back down once again. Lowering himself to eye level would hopefully make him appear a little less intimidating. “And what is your name, little princess?” Naomi’s daughter had always loved being called that. He could only assume all little females did as well. words:: Five-Hundred and Twenty-Five muse:: Failing me DX tags:: @averice ooc:: Whoo! A whole word more than my last post! *easily amused*

[Deleted]

Averice eyeballed the big fluffy male before her, listening carefully as he spoke to her calmly, but not in a patronizing voice. She somewhat appreciated his actions already, but she would not let him see it right them. As he spoke the name of her beloved Aludra, her ears perked up in excitement. Mr. Stranger knows Miss Aludra! she thought happily, her tail wagging gently at the thought that this could be another wolf who might look after her. The two females she knew were nice, but this guy was big and fluffy and wonderful. He could be her protector, and they could be best friends. He would look after her and keep her safe from everything. Maybe he would play with her! She had not seen any other young wolves around, and that was kind of depressing. After her sister was gone, there were not any other puppies for her to play with either. She just wanted to have some fun.

"You don't look like a Zephyr. I'm gonna call you Manny," she sassed with all the attitude in her body, a mysterious smirk spreading across her little muzzle. "You don't really want to take a nap, do you? Don't you want to play?" she whined, looking up at her new friend from behind all the fur of her soft face. She put on the most pitiful of faces and stared up at him, hoping that he would bend to her will and accommodate her desire to play. Then, they could truly be best friends.

"I'm Averice. Miss Aludra found me when it was snowing and now she's going to be my new mommy. I miss my old mommy and daddy a whole lot but maybe she'll be able to be mine now. I mean, she doesn't have any of her own babies so I can be her baby, right?" she ranted with fervor, her tone growing softer and more skittish as she spoke. "I miss my mommy and my sister. I wish they were here."

It only took a few seconds before the fat crocodile tears started to run down the little female's snout once more, the sniffles and sobs taking over once more as she buried her face into Manny's side. He was soft and warm and was all that she needed to be of some sort of comfort to the young wolf. She was feeling sorry for herself; she missed her family and her pack and everything back home. It was too cold here, and there was nobody that she really knew. Miss Aludra had been nothing but nice to her, but that did not make up for the fact that she was all alone. She just wanted to be useful and to bring in her own keep so that these nice wolves would not want to turn her back out into the loner lands. She knew how lucky she was that they had not killed her once she realized that she had stumbled upon a pack. She was already playing with fate, and her time had to run out eventually.

"Why can't they still be with me? Why did the sky have to take them away from me? What did I do?" she bellowed in the midst of her hysterics, the wails growing louder and louder with each passing second. It was so hard for her to be here. There was nothing familiar, no one that she loved and nothing that she could do but act like a scared little pup. It was all that she really knew...

Word Count: 593 words
Tags: @amyntas
Notes: Okay so I didn't expect her to turn hysterical again. Sorry bout that.

[Deleted]

The intense, curious look that Amyntas was receiving from the pup was a little unnerving for the brute. Her expression had brightened immensely upon hearing Aludra’s name, as he had expected, and she was now gazing at him in near adoration. He squirmed uncomfortably, looking anywhere but her round eyes. Naomi’s pups had always looked at him in a similar manner, as if he were some kind of hero who would protect them from anything. He enjoyed being put on that level, yet thinking back, it caused a sharp pain to shoot through his heart. He hadn’t been able to protect those pups... How could he possibly think he could protect this one? As the pup called him out on his name, Amyn’s heart leapt to his throat. Impossible! The adults of the pack hadn’t seen through his ruse! How had a little puppy? Her nickname for him was so close to his actual name that he laughed at the irony. “Manny, huh?” He wasn’t about to tell her she couldn’t call him that, especially when it caused that mischievous glint to appear in her eye. “If that is what you wish...” She then began whining, giving him this adorable expression as he begged her to play with him. He hesitated. Yes, he really wanted to sleep, as it had been growing more difficult for him at night. But looking into her round eyes, he couldn’t deny her anything. With a deep sigh, he smiled at her, his tail thumping lightly behind him. “I’ll play with you if you like.” The moment he agreed, the pup began talking a hundred miles a minute. It took all of Amyn’s concentration to keep up with her little rant. He caught a few important pieces, such as her name and that Aludra was going to be her new mommy. Amyn’s heart went out to the young pup. She couldn’t have been more than seven or eight months old, tops. To be separated from one’s mother at such a young age... Her little rant ended in a soft, uneasy question, and Amyntas didn’t know exactly how he was going to answer her. Before he could even open his mouth, however, she whispered that she missed her mother and sister. He let out a sympathetic whine, gently nudging her with his nose. And then the water works began. Averice began bawling uncontrollably, startling the older brute. At first, he thought his comforting gesture had been the catalyst to her tears. But in the next moment, the young pup had buried herself in his fluffy coat, clearly seeking more comfort than he had given. A warm smile crossed his maw and he reclined slightly, curling his larger frame around her smaller one. He didn’t know her story, but could tell that she was frightened. No doubt she’d been separated from her family. Being apart from family was always painful, more so for one so young. She should have still been hiding beneath her mother’s stomach, nestled into the familiar warmth during the night. The fact that she’d been alone in the dens must have made her feel abandoned. Amyn gently nuzzled the little puppy at his side, trying his hardest to comfort her. The pup’s wailing grew louder, more frantic, as she tried to figure out the reasons behind her abandonment. Another pain shot through Amyn’s heart as he listened to her. She hadn’t just been abandoned; her family had died. Or been killed, he wasn’t entirely sure. What he did know was that Averice was alone, and Aludra had taken her in as one of her own. Amyn lay there, trying his hardest to think of something to say to the heartbroken pup. A sudden idea popped into his head, and he nuzzled the pup affectionately. “Your family will always be with you, little princess,” he murmured soothingly. “Even if the sky takes them away from you, those that you love will always be in your heart.” It was as if he was trying to convince himself as well as the little puppy. “And they will always watch over you from the sky. So you’re never truly alone.” He nuzzled and licked her, trying to get her to stop crying. It hurt him so much to listen to her wailing, possibly more than it had to lay beside Kallik as she slowly left this world. words:: Seven-Hundred and Fifty-Three muse:: Really good tags:: @averice ooc:: I love the way he's acting right now. All soft and fuzzy <3

[Deleted]

Nestled into the side of Manny's coat, Averice's sobs slowly subsided as her new friend's words finally sunk in. Deep down, she knew that he was right. After all, she could not be blamed for this, so why would they not be watching over her? Her momma was probably pretty upset that she was getting all worked up like this over them. She would have told Averice that she needed to move on and live her life, that everything happened for a reason, and that she was here in Airila for some purpose. As the male curled around her, Averice snuggled into his side, content to lay there until she was calmed down once more. "I'm... I'm really sorry," she apologized softly, her words almost lost to the breeze as she sniffled quietly. She did not want him to think that she was a baby. She was on the inside, but that was mostly because she had been yanked away from her life so quickly. Now she had to adjust to a new way of life and new wolves around her. Surely Manny would be her friend, and she could try to watch over him, too. "I think I might not want to play anymore," she admitted, her voice still barely audible.

The more she thought about what he said, the more Averice knew he was right. Her mommy and daddy were up there watching her, and they were going to help keep her safe. "Can you teach me something?" she asked her new friend shyly, though some of the confidence was returning to her voice. "I... I don't know how to hunt. I don't know how to fight. I'm useless and Miss Aludra and Mr. Alpha aren't going to want to keep me around because I can't help out with anything. I don't wanna be a burden. I want to be able to help, and I need someone to show me how," she whimpered, her insecurities surfacing once more. She was starting to grow more comfortable speaking to the male, though, which was a vast improvement from mere minutes before. She sighed, sinking back into the male's white and fluffy coat in frustration. "All I've done since I got here was eat Miss Cherie's food. I know I shouldn't have done it and I felt really bad, but I was so hungry that I couldn't help it. I want to put it back. I want to be able to hunt for myself so Miss Cherie doesn't get mad at me and want me to go away."

Unfortunately for the young pup, Averice believed every word that she said. In her heart she believed that, if she could not make herself useful, the others in the pack would want her to go away and never come back. She would most certainly die if she did not have someone to look after her. She was too little to be an effective hunter of large prey, even if she did have the skill to hunt. She would end up getting killed by a large predator and wind up as a meal herself. It nearly happened three times on her trek from Tas'alea to Shyia, and she did not want that to happen again. There had to be something she could do for Airila that would make them want to keep her. She was willing to learn; she just needed a teacher. Miss Aludra had been so busy lately that Averice did not want to bother her any more. She did not want to burden Miss Aludra any more, especially since she had been meeting with their alpha. In the back of her mind, Averice wondered if she would ever really get to meet the alpha or if Miss Aludra was just trying to make her feel more secure by convincing her that they were a pack. Could this all just be a lie?

Word Count: 651 words
Tags: @amyntas
Notes: I feel like this wasn't very good. Though that's probably because I've already posted as Edrianna, Vorilye, and Maglor today XD

[Deleted]

It would seem Amyntas’ sheer fluffiness was proving useful for a female once again. Though Averice was no Kallik—by any stretch—it was clear that the result was the same. Slowly but surely, Averice began to calm down. She snuggled closer to him as her sobs turned to light hiccups, until she was quiet all together. Amyn said nothing more as Averice calmed, waiting for her to be the first to talk. For all he knew, she had cried herself to sleep. And if that were the case, he would force himself to stay awake, just so he could watch over her sleeping form. A moment later, however, the pup spoke up, apologizing if Amyn heard her correctly. He smiled warmly at her, but acknowledged nor accepted her apology. She was frightened, and in his eyes, had nothing to apologize for. She then spoke up again, earning a chuckle from Amyn. “That’s too bad,” he teased, nudging her very gently. “And here I was, all set to be pounced on.” He would say anything to get that sassy smile back on her little face... Averice had seemed to calm down completely, and tears no longer covered her adorable face. While Amyn wanted to lick her face clean, he knew that doing so would be stepping over boundaries. He held himself back, merely staring at the stains on her cheeks. His ears perked up at her question. “I can certainly try...” He probably wasn’t the one she ought to ask assistance of, but how could he just say no? Amyn’s heart broke as she continued on, however, thinking that she needed to know how to hunt and fight. A sympathetic whine slipped past his maw as he nuzzled her gently. “Miss Aludra would never turn you away, princess. You shouldn’t need to worry about such things.” Her main focus ought to be about growing up and having fun, not learning how to hunt and fight. At least not with her current mindset. Learning such skills were normal, but to learn them simply to be deemed as useful? He watched as she sunk further into despair, believing next that Cherie would run her off. “It’s not like that...” he murmured softly. He realized in that moment that nothing he could say to her would change her mind. Pups could be quite gullible at times, believing even the most obvious of lies, yet they could also be quite stubborn, refusing to change a solid opinion. Averice’s opinion of herself was low, and Amyn would do whatever it took to bring it back up. He rose to his feet, slowly so that the pup didn’t fall over, and lifted his snout to the sky. Spring was basically upon them, and the game of the forest had begun to surface. He caught the scent of a rabbit not far from where they were and started walking off. After a moment, he paused, turning back to Averice. “Let’s go hunt for Miss Cherie.” While he was fairly certain she wouldn’t be able to catch a rabbit on her own, the least he could do was attempt to boost her ego. Naomi had once brought live game back for the pups to tear apart. He could do that same for Averice. words:: Five-Hundred and Fifty-Four tags:: @averice ooc:: I don't think Amy's ever going to be able to leave her alone now XD

[Deleted]

As Averice stared up at Manny with huge, round eyes, she started to realize that he was actually being nice to her. Maybe he liked her as much as she liked him. Maybe he would actually want her to stay around, and they could be friends. The Mongollon Mountain pup offered a slight smile to her new companion, the cheekiness of puphood gracing her face, if only for a moment. She was happy and comfortable with her friend, and he was fluffy and snugglable, too. It was a win-win situation in her eyes, and maybe he would be able to teach her something so that Miss Aludra and Miss Cherie would like her and want her to say. She was smart enough, and she knew she could learn if someone would just teach her. Everyone had to start somewhere, right? Manny could be just the friend she was needing, especially if he could show her a thing or two about hunting. She was still on the small side, but how difficult could it really be?

"So... So you'll show me how to hunt and help Miss Cherie? I would be super happy that you would do that for me!" she squealed in delight, rushing back to Manny's side and nuzzling into his soft fur again, leaving the faintest of kisses along the male's cheek. "You are exactly what I needed, Manny. I knew I could trust you." The innocence in Averice's voice was nearly palpable. She trusted the male absolutely, and he would do no wrong in her eyes. He was strong and big and would be her savior, just like Miss Aludra had been. But Miss Aludra was gone right now, and Averice had not seen her in a while, so he would do nicely. Manny was friendly and looked fluffy and white like Miss Aludra and herself. They could be great friends and spend all their time together, and then Miss Aludra would not think that she was a burden.

"Thank you, Manny," she reiterated, looking up at the male that called her "princess" and was starting to make her feel like one. He could protect her from the things that her momma and daddy could not. He could make her feel safe and warm and loved and cared for. Maybe he would be her best friend forever. The shining in the little female's eyes was indicative of the new found admiration and love the pup felt toward the arctic brute. He was her knight in shining armor, and she was his princess. They were inseparable, and Averice would make sure of that. Even Miss Aludra would not be able to keep them apart. After all, she left Averice. Maybe she did not love her after all!

The indignant realization only made her draw closer to Manny, and the anxiety she felt at the possibility of being separated from him was incredible. Her green eyes flashed with fear as she looked all over the place, looking for anything and everything that could take her Manny away from her. "You're not going to leave me, are you? You're my Prince, and I can't be away from you. My knight in shining armor," she pepped up, though the initial shyness returned to her voice. What if he said that he would leave her? She did not want to be alone...

Word Count: 560 words
Tags: @amyntas
Notes: This didn't feel like a very great post either...