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[html] Word Count :: 300 Hopefully it's cool he grabs her! Anyway, about time we have a thread with these two, haha. I really need to make tables for 'em. :3 There was apparently not much that an injured luperci could do, and Wayne was frustrated by his comrades’ insistence that he rest. It was just his shoulder that was banged up, anyway, not his legs, and he stubbornly made a point of wandering at least throughout the courthouse and fort. Casa di Cavalieri was quiet after the raiders’ attack, but he still wanted to go out and work with the horses if nothing more. He’d have no problem riding Fern along the borders even with one arm in a sling.
Hunting was assuredly more difficult, however. If alone, he liked hunting on four legs and using his teeth as weapons to take down his prey, but shifting to secui and back in the aftermath of the attack had done even more damage to his shoulder than the hit with the club had. He grimaced at the thought then decided to take advantage of the food storage; he’d done more than enough work to earn an easy meal over the months, anyway.
The Labrador mix was apparently not unique in this thought, however, as when he reached the food pantry a black and gold puppy was climbing into it—his apprentice, he realized. His brown eyes widened when he saw her paw reach one of the baskets Dixie-May had weaved, spotting how precarious the thing was on its shelf; Adelle would fall if she put her weight on it.
The young Mentor reached out swiftly, hooking his good arm around the puppy and bringing her against his muscular chest. The movement dislodged the basket and spilled a few fish out onto the floor. He huffed and looked down at his icy-eyed charge. “Looks like we made a mess,” he remarked awkwardly, setting her down on the ground. “Help me clean up?”
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[html] Word Count :: 202 The puppy was heavier than he’d thought; she definitely took after her grandfather in size and would grow up to be one of the many giants of Casa di Cavalieri. It was a depressing thought for the tall but not-tall-enough cowboy, but at least he’d be able to manage her for a few months yet. Her struggling didn’t last long, at least, as she seemed to realize what her fate would’ve been had she not been snatched up.
Childish kisses rained on his face as she greeted him, and Wayne laughed before he let her down onto the floor. He was about to suggest a way to clean up, but she found her own: eating the mess! His jaw dropped as she wolfed down one of the fresh fish, moving quickly onto another, and another, until the Lab laughed again.
“Leave some for me,” he teased, sitting down on the floor. He grabbed one of the fish and bit into it, eating with a little more refinement than the quickly maturing puppy. He took one more fish to complete the little lunch, letting her eat the last one, and patted his leg quickly to get her attention. “How are ya today, Adelle?”
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[html] Word Count :: 341 Wayne remembered what the alpha had said at the mentor ceremony, the reasons that he had been chosen for the eager bronze and black girl. Patience, discipline, hard work—the values fell on his shoulders; it was up to him to teach her. He supposed that they’d just missed a lesson on patience, but he didn’t want to stop the girl from eating if she was hungry anyway. At least she was considerate enough to leave him some fish, and as he finished nibbling on his last one, the puppy crawled over to rest her head in his lap.
The Labrador mix smiled warmly at her and stroked her head gently and affectionately. When she spoke up about her grandfather being out and her exploration to find bad guys, he frowned faintly, glancing at his arm.
“If you find bad guys, you need to come tell us,” Wayne said softly. “You’re a big girl, but you ain’t so big to fight yet.” He paused, not wanting to scare her, but hoping that she would understand the message now rather than when she became an unruly teenager. He’d never truly hit that stage—he thought—but it was prime time for a kid to want to defy the rules and strike out on their own, often when they weren’t ready. He wanted his lessons to stick with her even as she became a warrior in her own right. “See, I’m kinda big and they beat me up pretty bad.” He gestured at his shoulder, smirking. “But they’re gone now, and I hope they don’t come back.”
After seeing how easily Casa di Cavalieri could defend its borders, he doubted they would be stupid enough to return.
Clearing his throat, he looked back at the puppy again and grinned faintly. “Wanna go explore together?” he suggested. Perhaps the opportunity for an actual lesson could come along while they were out walking, but really he wanted to get to know his apprentice and be able to say he’d spent time with her at all.
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[html] Word Count :: 214 Icy blue eyes settled on his bad shoulder, the arm in its sling, and Wayne hoped she was at least rethinking her decision to find the enemy all by herself. Of course, he had no doubt that she be a larger and more formidable warrior than him when she was grown. Already she was bigger than he’d been at her age, and if her grandfather was anything to go by… Well, Casa di Cavalieri was a pack of warriors and of giants. He smirked at the thought, ruffling her ears again.
Adelle seemed excited by his offer, and as the man pushed himself grunting to his feet, she made a quick careful sweep of the room. He nodded at her in approval then rubbed his shoulder slightly. “Might be a lil’ slow goin’, since I can’t shift,” he warned her, brown eyes sweeping over her young face for a reaction. He walked out of the storage room, climbing the stairs to the main floor of the Courthouse, and opened the great front doors all the way.
“Where d’you wanna go?” Wayne asked, looking back at her. “Heard there’re towns, hot springs, an’ even waterfalls hidden in the forest.” He grinned just for her. “I ain’t found all of ’em though. Maybe you can help.”
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Young Adelle proclaimed that she couldn’t shift either, and Wayne smiled at her. “Soon, we both might be able to,” he suggested. He wondered if she was excited about the prospect as he had been when he was little. Growing up around horses was difficult when one was stuck on four stubby legs, but eventually he’d found his bipedal form and had actually been able to steer and ride the animals like his parents. He’d always been fine with shifting back into one of the lower forms, however, such as to hunt or play. It would have been nice to trot alongside the young’un on four legs, too.
He made due, walking along and using one arm to open doors. Once they reached the edge of the woods, the yellowish mongrel kept a close eye on her. “Stay where I can see you,” he cautioned gruffly, but his tough façade cracked with a smile as she yipped excitedly about seeing the waterfalls. “Good. I think they’re over here.” He strode northwest, knowing little more than that they were near a river that into the ocean. He was a little ashamed that he hadn’t cared to explore more thoroughly than the borders and the wide trails that the horses could take, but he’d let his and Adelle’s curiosity be sated now. He smiled and kept an eye on her as they walked.
231 what the hell, table?! :c
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Wayne smirked as he watched the puppy run around, seeming to ignore him. He had the patience to deal with her where another might not, he supposed, even if it was an alien experience. Like when his horses stopped to browse while they were patrolling, he just had to steer her back on course. Occasionally, she’d stop for too long at a bush, and he would bark to get her to walk beside him once more—with varying results.
“Adelle,” the mongrel called more excitedly after a while. He pricked his half-flopped ears and was able to hear the babble of water. He kept that sound on his right side, walking forward toward the smell of salt. “This way,” he told her quickly, hoping that she wouldn’t want to go investigate the river. If she tumbled into it, he wasn’t in the state to help her. As good a swimmer as the Labrador mix was, he could do nothing with a bad shoulder.
Some rocky cliffs came into view, the land shifting beneath their paws, declining and inclining. He kept an eye on the child as he said, “I think the waterfalls are in the rocks. We can go carefully.” He hoped none of this would require climbing.
208 some pp and stuff
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The puppy seemed to have no concerns about the cliffs, but Wayne still moved carefully and kept an eye on her. Were she to stray now, she would be called back with a firmer bark than before, and he had no qualms about dragging her by the tail away from a dangerous ledge. Hopefully she had the common sense to avoid such dangers; he was in no condition to be rescuing her form anything right now.
It probably would have been faster to clamber up over some of the stones, but he took a longer path, one that wound through the cliffs. He tasted salt when he licked his lips, and the river was ever-present as background noise. Eventually, the ground he tread became marshy. His tail wagged, and he woofed for Adelle to come to his side as they followed the increased vegetation.
The three Tears fell before them, water dropping into each pool from the source above it. Someone better at climbing might be able to scale them to see the river, but Wayne was content with enjoying the spray from the cascades and watching them for a moment. He grinned and nodded at Adelle. “There ya go. Took a while, but we found it.” He came over to the edge of the lowest pool and let his feet dangle in, although he was surprised to find something bump against it. Withdrawing, he laughed. “More fish,” he remarked, although the one in question was moving only languidly; it had probably fallen from the river above or been washed in from the ocean during a storm. It looked like the waves would have no trouble crashing against this point when the weather was fierce.
285 We can start wrapping this up to focus on the other one?
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The gold and black puppy’s delight was obvious; she barked happily and raced to explore the pools as her mentor watched gladly. He continued to enjoy the feel of the cold water on his paws. It wasn’t the same as the hot springs, which had been a blessing during the winter months, but the thunder of the little cascades provided soothing background music. He figured he would visit this place more, so long as he was able to navigate the rocks. They might be able to gather some of the fish that washed in or fell down, like the ones that Adelle was currently pursuing as she splashed through the water.
Her gratitude made him prick his ears; he glanced over at the child and grinned. “No problem, young’un,” Wayne insisted warmly. “Now, might as well enjoy it a bit before we head back. I ain’t in any hurry.” To prove this point, he leaned back and folded his arms behind his head, tipping his hat over his face and pretending to snore.
175
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Adelle giggled as Wayne stretched back, a snore coming out from him. The pup immediately wandered over, sniffing at him softly. Her nose poked at him softly before barking. With a lick to his face Adelle turned around, leaping back into the pools. She danced around, looking with delight at the hidden treasure there. Searching for bad guys was the last thing on her mind at this point, simply delighting herself with the game she had found herself with.
A waterfall cascaded over her, bringing a surprised yelp from her. She was soaked now. Adelle shook herself out, and happily set herself about. Each spot was carefully investigated, time gaily flying by as she played in the pools, examining every section. There was so much to see! Adelle would never get tired of this.
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