Baby of Mine [Sutari Family]

[Deleted]

The scorching summer sun was merciless in the south. Beneath his dense white coat, Summit felt as if he were being burned alive. It was too hot to stray far, and it was his turn to remain in the crude den. For days now, their wandering had ceased all together. The health of the smallest pup, Ophelia, had been declining for weeks. Too frail to continue on, Summit had picked out the cave himself. He had picked the tall prairie grass by his teeth to carefully craft a comfortable bed. Katari had become distraught, and in spite of Summit’s promises that everything was going to be alright, it was now evident that it wasn’t.

Her cheerful voice had become nothing more than a faint whisper, and her sweet demeanor had melted into nothingness. She could no longer move far. Her meals went untouched, rotting in the mouth of the cave as flies blotted the air, circling close by. Patiently, he had swatted away the pests with the tip of his ivory tail whenever the insects dared to land on the sleeping pup, whose chest rose and fell in shallow breaths. She looked so peaceful there, her gentle slumber betraying the pain she lived through every day.

The other pups were nearby, or so Summit hoped. He couldn’t really blame them for their restlessness. Their entire life had thus far revolved around moving constantly, the existence of wanderers their parents still clung to. He had explained their prolonged break from traveling in a vague way, but the children seemed to sense that this time, they should obey their father’s plea: ”Lia is very tired right now. We must be quiet so that she can rest and get better. Stay close.”

How could he explain to the pups that Ophelia was very sick – and this time, she wasn’t likely to get better?

Still, he hadn’t given up hope that his daughter would, by some miracle, survive to see adulthood. In his eyes, she was perfect. It was difficult to accept that she was clearly so different from her brothers and sister, but now, it was impossible to turn away from the truth. Heaving a great but quiet sigh, Summit breathed in the fresh air beyond the den as he stepped into the light, stretching his body and his spine until he had a satisfying crk. He was gone for only a minute or two, just long enough to get a fast drink of cool water from the stream nearby before he hurried back to the den. The air was stale within the earthen dwelling, and eerily silent as he settled in beside the pup again. ”Ophelia?” He nudged her tiny body softly with his muzzle. His touches became more urgent. The pup said nothing, not even a squeak, and she didn’t move an inch. His swiftly growing desperation could not rouse the girl. ”Baby? Can you say something for Daddy?”

Nothing. Frightened, he lowered his shaking body to the floor, tongue lapping over the tiny pup’s forehead in a vain attempt to wake her up. The flies began to gather, and Summit snapped at them angrily, but his jaws were too slow for the pests, buzzing around incessantly. ”Stop it!” The timbre of his voice had risen to a tense scream, but instantly, he fell silent, as if his cry would disturb the pup. ”Stop. It can’t be like this.”

words: 601

tags: Arete + @ren + @everest + @katari

ooc: Posting a few days early because
of the contest, reply when you want to!

[Deleted]

Ren was, to put it simply, confused.

For all of his short life, the young pup had traveled. Day after day he moved, small paws pattering alongside his family, his face alight with pleasure as he romped with his brother and explored with his sisters. Each morning offered a new place, a new perspective, a new life as far as the young male was concerned. There were so many things to see, so many things to smell, and Ren simply couldn’t get enough of the world. Young though he may have been, already Ren was beginning to understand the implications of his freedom. Alongside his doting father, Summit, and his gentle mother, Katari, nothing was impossible. Many times he and his family had skirted around the borders of a territory, and Ren would always question why – which was undeniably one of his favorite questions. His father had patiently explained the concept of packs and territories to him, and Ren had declared that he was glad his family owed allegiance to no Alpha. Ren could not possibly fathom why someone would ever choice a pack over the adventurous life that he and his family currently lived.

Rather, had lived. It had been some time since they’d moved – or rather it seemed like a long time to the pup, despite that it had been only several days. Ophelia was very sick, his father had informed them, and they would have to stay put until she was better. Already Ren’s paws were restless, itching with the need to move, and yet he did not disobey his father’s grave plea. While he realized that Ophelia was weak, the true severity of her condition was lost on the young pup’s mind. He expected her to be well again soon, her sweet voice apologizing for delaying them, and Ren would gently tease her before they were off again.

As it was, Ren was residing just outside of the den his father had chosen for Ophelia, his lanky body sprawled across the earth. He’d spent the majority of the day playing with Everest, and although he was physically tired now, his mind was still awhirl with thoughts and questions as he took in the sights around them. For not the first time he considered wandering away, if only for a little….but then movement caught his eye and he lifted his head, spirits rising at the sight of his father. Surely he was coming to tell them that Ophelia was better! Ren’s thick tail began to wag as he dragged himself to his feet, preparing to bound joyfully towards his father…but then Summit returned to the cave, and Ren sighed, plopping clumsily down on his rump. ”It won’t be long now,” he assured himself quietly, and briefly his hopes lifted. Soon they would be moving again, their soft laughter and jests filling Anikira with joy…

”Stop it!”

The force of the snarl from inside the cavern had Ren leaping to his paws once more, ears flattening against his skull as his widening gaze flicked to the mouth of the cavern. The voice had undeniably belonged to his father, and yet it was…unfamiliar. Ren had never heard Summit like that. His heart gave a panicked thud as he lurched forward, bounding into the makeshift den and coming up short, paws skidding as he took in the sight before him. There was his father, standing over the stiff, still form of Ophelia with something too heavy for Ren to comprehend shining in his gaze. The young male glanced to his sister, a weak sound of disbelief slipping from between his teeth. She was not breathing, but surely that wasn’t possible. She hadn’t been dying, only sick, and Ren’s world reeled as his confused and terrified gaze slid to Summit once more.

”Dad?” It was a single word, a question, and yet it held all of the weight of the world upon it, his voice pitched low and tinged with swiftly approaching panic.

WORDS: 662
TAG: @everest + @summit + Arete + @katari
NOTES: SO SORRY it took forever. Sadness ;-;

[Deleted]

The young brute had been ill at ease since the moment his bright copper eyes opened that morning. His family hadn’t moved in days, which was definitely out of the usual, but he thought he understood. If the whole family couldn’t go together, then no one would go at all. In his short life, the pup had never been away from his parents and siblings for even an hour. There was always a sister right behind, or his barely-older brother to chase. His dad always had a story to tell, and his mom had always been there. He loved his mother very much, but sometimes… Sometimes, she just didn’t feel like his mom anymore. She was strong and fragile at the same time. He was careful about what he said around her, always the type of pup who wanted to spare feelings rather than upset someone. Lately, however, Katari had seemed as far away as the stars in the sky, driven to distraction by the distance she imposed. Ophelia wasn’t feel good, it was no secret, and each of them reacted in their own ways. Everest could cope by trying his hardest to lift everyone’s spirits. He felt happy when he could get Ophelia to laugh, in spite of the pain she was in. For a brief moment, it was like everything was going to be okay.

But the boy’s intuition told him that today was different somehow. There was something about it that just didn’t feel right, like gathering dark clouds overhead and the promise of storm. While he spent the day playing and pouncing with Ren, who was almost the same size as Everest, and with Arete, who was smaller but could be just as wild as her brothers when she wanted to. Stealing uneasy glances in the direction of the shelter his father had chosen, the boy tried to ignore the gnawing feeling inside of him, a mounting a dread he couldn’t shake. Ever played until he was panting from exhaustion, flopping onto his side under a shade tree to rest. The summer sun was still high overhead.

The furious sound that erupted from the den startled him, and he was on four paws again in an instant. His focus turned quickly between Ren, who was equally surprised. In an instant, Ren went to the den, and Everest jumped forward to stop him from intruding – but it was too late, and Ren’s frightened voice sounded very far off as Ever stared into the dark. The body looked so white and pure, tiny as a newborn, and as still as stone. The pale form of their sire stood over Ophelia. He didn’t even look in the direction of his sons, unable to tear his gaze from the dead pup. Everest knew he shouldn’t be there, but he couldn’t pull himself away. Should he go and find his mother now? Maybe if he got closer, there was something he could do… But his oversized puppy paws were stuck like glue to the earth below him.

He knew how life and death were supposed to work. Animals died so that wolves could eat them. Death and life had a purpose… But the senselessness of his sister’s death stunned him, overwhelming his emotions so that he couldn’t even cry. Why would someone so caring and gentle have to die, and so young?

It just wasn’t right.

words: 579

tags: Arete + @ren + @summit

ooc: D:

[Arete]

I must become a lionhearted girl | Arete

The day had begun with such promise. They were young, they were free, and everything was right with the world. Well, almost everything. She had two brothers that she adored - and was sure they adored her just as much - and two loving parents that did each and every thing they could to make their lives better and happier. But there was one thing that could end their happiness. They all loved the smallest of the litter, Ophelia, but she had grown ill and weak lately, stopping their movements throughout the island and forcing them to settle down in one place for the time being. But she would get better, she would recover, she just had to. The idea of death, of life wasting away because it was not strong enough to survive, it was all a foreign concept to the young female. Ophelia would be fine, they would start moving again, and she would learn even more about the island that they called home.

Today things would not go back to normal, today the world would not be right. A deep growl from the inside of the den made her ears perk, and within seconds her brother Ren was bounding into the darkness because of it. It did not take much time for her other brother to follow him in. She, however, stayed outside. She might not be the most intelligent or experienced wolf on the island, but it was no mystery what had happened. Ophelia had been sick, she could not play, she could not eat, she could barely breathe. This was bound to happen. Slowly she pushed herself up onto her feet, carefully following her brothers towards the entrance of the den. The smell of death was plain and clear, like a slap to the face, as she stopped behind Everest. There was no point in moving forward any further.

But she could not stay. She just could not do it. She frowned, lowering her tail until it was tucked between her legs slightly. Then she backed up slowly, brushing gently up against her brother's side as she exited the den. She could not watch this, and she knew there was nothing that she could do to fix it. Ophelia was gone, their family was broken, and it could never be repaired. She whined softly, head down and paws carrying her slowly out of the den to where she laid down a few feet away from the entrance in the shadow of a nearby tree. Her father would not leave her, he would glue himself to Ophelia's side, and it was likely her brothers would do the same. But she could not. She knew that her sister was gone, she was not coming back, and they would need to move on. But that did not mean she could keep the sadness from washing over her entire body.

Words: 479
Tags: @summit, @ren, @everest
Muse: Low

template by eliza @ TB & adoxography