too little, too late
#1
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Skoll Haskel was having fun in the merchant-pack’s territory, although it was a somewhat awkward experience as well: the watchful d’Artisans were quick to guide him away from all the interesting animals and plans in Thornbury, afraid he might eat them, and he was becoming more and more aware of how inconvenient his lupus form was. He wouldn’t have considered it inconvenient if he were younger, maybe, but he knew that the time of his first shift was approaching quickly. He would actually be able to climb the trees and open the doors and pick up the interesting tools lying everywhere.

Presently, the golden puppy was meandering around no specific part of the territory, his paws flattening the grass as he weaved around in a blobby circle path. A paintbrush was clamped between his teeth, something that one of the friendlier foreigners had offered to him, even though he had no paint. He didn’t feel like going around and begging for attention, either; Terra was off having fun on her own, and the girl Bambi he’d met probably needed a break from him too.

He continued pacing the same trail, stomping his paws pointedly, tail waving behind him. There was so many opportunities just out of his grasp. Being in the foreign pack just wasn’t as exciting as he’d thought it would be, all because…

“I’m too little,” the Court prince muttered around his wooden paintbrush. “I’m too little and I can’t shift and no one wants to talk to a puppy!”

Wood splintered as he clamped his jaws down in anger, and he jerked back from the utensil as it fell to the ground. Round green eyes regarded it in silence for a moment before he growled and kicked it.

“You’re too little too, stupid brush! And I got no hands!”



Word Count → 302


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#2
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The Dreamer’s hesitation had passed. He had worried about coming into the claimed lands but now he felt fairly comfortable in them. The soft spoken d’Artisan had been so kind as she escorted him through the pack lands, showing him the different things that the pack excelled in and where they lived. It was an open house of sorts, allowing the male to become acquainted with the canines. Oak had even been able to wander about without a resident pack member by his side. He wondered how the Dreamers would have felt if any beast was roaming in their territory and they knew about it! He gave a small chuckle, their protective instincts were too thick and charged for such things.


He walked down the trail, it was a highway of sorts, game trails branching off of it this way and that. He was certain it was the general direction for him to exit the lands and return home. But a scent caused him to pause. The Optime wolf knelt to the ground, casually examining the trail that led through the grass. It was a Courtier, but scent as well as a young male. Curiosity peeking he then head a faint voice in the distance.


Oak moved fairly quickly, until his saw the creator of the sound. The young boy seemed unhappy. Well now, it can’t help that its so small. Blue eyes peered at the pup, wondering where his parents were.

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#3
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If the puppy stopped and thought about it, he might feel guilty about wanting so much when he had been given everything he needed. He only needed to think of the redhead hybrid who’d intruded in his home, a man who was envious of all the stuff the sun prince had been born with. Others didn’t have the same safety and security as he did, the child of an alpha with an entire pack territory at his paws, a territory full of wolves and dogs capable of providing for and defending him.

He had so much, but he wanted more, more, more. The mantra passed through his head, and his childish greed was only fueled by the tingles of growth in his lengthening legs and almost-muscular frame. Skoll was not a bad kid, by any stretch of the imagination, and he was thankful for what he had—but freedom was something he craved now, freedom to explore where he wanted and do what he wanted with his yet-to-be-formed hands.

He stared despondently at the splintered paintbrush, fragments of wood still resting on his tongue, when a voice dragged him out of his pondering. He glanced up at the reddish wolf, startled, and then snorted at the newcomer’s words. A bit older, and he might have seen that they applied to the cub as well.

“I’m sorry, I guess,” he said, half addressing the stranger and half addressing the paintbrush. He spat out the last of the wood splinters then allowed himself to sniff the stranger. He didn’t smell the same as the territory, which meant he belonged to a different pack altogether than what he was used to. And, if he sniffed a little more—

“You smell like Alder!” Skoll barked, his green eyes flying wide open. He even had the same dark blue shade of eye! “Alder said he got family in Crimson Dreams. Are you his family?” His tail began to wag as he drew the clever conclusion.



Word Count → 330


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#4
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The small male was certainly of the Court, the scent distinct as his brother Alder’s. The pack of artists must be holding open house to many that came to them with the wish to look around. His notion of the idea was changing as he looked at the blond hued boy, perhaps it would be good to let the other pack come and see Crimson Dream’s for themselves. The visitors would be given a pass but would leave with a proper sense of who they were.


He returned with a sort of apology, and Oak did not expect much more then that. He looked like he was at the age in which judgment was forming and he would have much more to say about Oak’s blatant remark. But did not seem to hold an attitude towards the Dreaming male, seeking out his scent and piping up about his brother.


Oak nodded, smiling gently. I am. My name is Oak. Alder is my brother, is he being good in Cour des Miracles? He questioned with a forced frown. He tended to ask about his kin in such a fashion, knowing well that Alder was certainly behaving himself. Perhaps he would someday get a shocking reply.


What’s your name?

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#5
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With a smile, the reddish male confirmed his suspicion. He introduced himself as Oak then went on to ask if Alder was being good—a question that might have been answered sarcastically and playfully if Skoll were older. However, it caught him off guard to the point where he could only answer honestly. “He’s good! He works with alla the horses.” He wagged his tail to show what he thought about that particular profession before taking some time to look the wolf over more carefully. Other than his eyes, his coloration wasn’t very close to the dark-masked male in the Court. He did have dark paws though, and a muscular form—one that was biggish, but much shorter than Alder’s towering height.

Skoll smiled a bit toothily, wondering how Oak and Alder interacted as pups or if Alder used to be a troublemaker, and that was where the question came from. He would be excited to tell Alder that he’d met his Dreamer sibling, of course, and maybe tease him depending on what he learned.

“I’m Skoll Haskel!” the boy replied promptly, for once neglecting to add his rank or his father’s name. “Didya come to see the boat?”





Word Count → 199


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#6
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Oak had visited Alder, and the masked male had shown him around. The Court was quite different then the Dreaming lands, and Oak wondered how the timid male adjusted so well to the change. But there were many mysteries to life, and Oak did not dwell on that particular one. He was fairly happy for his brother, and glad that he was able to help the bond between Cour des Miracles and Crimson Dreams. He does! I think he likes them more the us. Oak spoke with a bit of a laugh. Alder had always preferred the company of low speech species rather then wolves.


Though, the pup’s name did not ring an initial bell in Oak’s mind he figured that he was a son of one of the pack’s families. Perhaps it was like being one of the Marinos. Nice to meet you Skoll. Oak spoke with a nod. I came to look around, and I was surprised to see that they have that boat. It’s pretty big. Eyes watched the Courtier puppy curiously, waiting for his reaction. You came all the way for the Court alone? He wondered aloud, a smile turning his dark lips upwards a bit.

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#7
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Skoll giggled once more at the other’s remark about the horses. He probably wouldn’t go so far as to say that, since the male had always been at least tolerant of the child’s company even if he wasn’t outgoing, but Alder did have such a way with the big, gentle herbivores. With that definition in mind, the large wolf might as well be a horse himself, albeit one that ate meat. He was very good with them, able to speak their language, knowledgeable about their needs. “Maybe Alder just part horse,” he suggested with a raised brow.

He nodded with widened eyes as Oak mentioned the big boat. “It’s huge like a house. Terra says it’s to go far away on the water, maybe over the edge offa world!” It was an exaggeration, maybe, as the entire pack would not just get on a boat and sail to far-off and mythical lands, but the capability was still there. He’d entertained that theory for quite a while after meeting with his Courtier friend.

“Terra brought me,” the creamy pup corrected the male. “I’m not big enough t’ go all the way all by myself.” This statement reminded him of his earlier frustration, and sullenly his ginger ears drooped. “Soon though, maybe. Right now, alla bobcats ’ll eat me if I try. So I gotta go with a grownup.” He was really surprised that the coywolf counted, what with her playful antics, but she was crafty enough to keep out of trouble and had managed to keep the puppy alive for the reasonably long journey.



Word Count → 263


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#8
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Oak laughed softly at the pup’s comment about his brother. Yet he nodded at the same time, Maybe He spoke, thinking that comment overly amusing. At times he felt that way, since the masked male truly did enjoy the company of the horses more so then wolves. But they all knew it wasn’t… Oak would have to be a bit horse too then, no? And he knew he was not connected to them like his fellow tree named kin.


The cream and gold little Courtier agreed about the size of the ship, he also mentioned another Court member that Oak had met in the past. The coyote fey, Terra had come by Crimson Dreams and Oak had introduced himself to her. It had been an odd meeting, one that Oak still wondered about. It must have been hard work, building it. Oak commented, wondering what else the pup thought about it. Intrigued and amused by his thoughts.


Black accented crown nodded slightly, Very soon, you’ll be big enough. I was your size once, I know it can be rough. he sympathized with Skoll, knowing it was hard to be so small in a big world. Then Oak got an idea, Why don’t I walk you back to the Court? Being escorted by a female may be like walking along with mother, though Oak knew Terra was playful. Still, Oak would like to think he could show the boy a few hunting tricks along the way.

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#9
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Sorry for the wait!


The creamy-yellow cub tipped his head thoughtfully as the other remarked about how much effort had gone into building the huge thing. He nodded in agreement then remarked cockily, “I’m gonna build something when I get big too!” He had no idea what he would build, of course, but he was eager to create something—once he got his hands, at least. That was probably why he aspired to do something so wonderful, other than his childish vanity.

His green eyes darkened with some skepticism at the male’s empathy. He knew everyone was a puppy at some point before they grew up, but it was hard to believe that people had it as rough as he imagined he did. Of course, all he ever did was grouse about his luck with his one-formed body and his seemingly slow process of growing up, which made it seem much worse than it was. Frowning, he asked, “Did Alder used to be little too?” That would be the true test; the raccoon-masked male was absolutely huge! That probably came from his horse bit too.

He gave Oak a sidelong glance when he offered to escort him home. Had it been someone else, he might have been shy or, contrarily, offended—but he liked this russet male already. “Sure!” Skoll barked. Unlike when he’d run ahead of Terra to visit the tree, he waited to let the grownup lead the way. “Gotta tell Terra,” he added quickly, and let out a loud wolfy howl toward the heart of d’Arte territory. He did his best to convey he was with a friend, and he supposed if she cared that much the hybrid could chase after them.

“Let’s go!” he exclaimed as he turned back to Oak, all enthusiasm. His tail curled and wagged behind him. “Can visit Alder too!”





Word Count → 304


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#10
[html] shall we call this done?

Oak liked the young wolf’s enthusiasm. He seemed to be the type that wished to do everything and anything possible. Oak felt it the way to live life; believing that there was more then just what stood before you. He nodded at the pup’s question. They had all been little, starting from the tinniest of beings inside their mothers to the wiggling life that came forth in birth, then it was rolly polly bodies and stumps for legs. They all started in the same place, even a tall wolf such as Alder. He was! Though, always bigger then me. Oak confessed that he was indeed smaller then Alder, and always had been. He was the smallest of the tree brothers. Though Cypress was just a bit larger then he was.


The male was excited at the opportunity to see his brother, it had been quite some time since they had spent any time with one another and even longer since Oak had been to the Court to see his brother. Skoll’s nose pointed skyward and let a heavy howl ring from his maw, to tell his previous chaperone that he was leaving the lands. It was then that the pup decided that they could go, and Oak had not objections. He nodded to the prince, and agreed, Its been some time since I have. The russet male smiled as well, and walked a bit behind the pup with a head willing to follow him out of the territory.

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