WC 763 - Whoo finally getting this thread moving again. ^_^ Eee laaahhv.
The pup relaxed a little knowing that Saul was going to help him find his way home, but then glanced at Melee when he mentioned taking her to bed first. His eyes rounded and he did his best puppy pout. “Does she have to go home first?” He trusted Saul now, but did not want to spend any extra time wandering the wilderness without his new, adventurous friend. “Maybe her poppa won't get up just yet.” Scorpius did not realize that even if Melee's family did sleep in, she would never be back in time to keep from getting caught. The trek to Anathema was a long one, and then there was the fact that he did not know how to tell Saul to get there, so it was bound to be even longer. Judging by the wide yawn the boy let out he probably was not going to be awake for much of the trip, anyway. His eyes watered a bit with the tiredness.
“That's not fair!” Scorpius jumped in just after Melee blurted back about her punishment. He hopped onto all four paws and stood next to her like a tiny rank of puppy soldiers. This was an injustice! They would band together and see it through! “That means it'll be a whole month or more 'til we can play again.” He snorted, disapproving of the idea. Little did he realize he was likely to receive the same sentence – or perhaps worse.
Just as he was about to open his maw and say something more in a feeble attempt to alleviate their plight, Saul alerted to something. Scorpius had been so wrapped up with worrying for Melee that he had not heard the sounds of someone approaching, plus he was a puppy and did not pay the same attention to his senses as his elders did. When Saul suddenly stiffened he jerked too, his spine going rigid and his eyes widening. He didn't know what was happening or where to look, so he glanced around them before settling on staring in the direction Saul did. He crouched low, belly rubbing on the snow powder beneath him, and again drew himself close to the russet puppy he had followed here. She was trying to make herself even smaller, shrink back and out of sight in the face of this threat, and suddenly Scorpius wanted to, too.
Yet all of his anxiety was quickly abolished when the angelic white form of his mother slipped through the foliage and into view. It was her! It was really her! Oh, she really was a wonder. Naniko was everything to the pup, as every mother should be, and always amazed him. It was like she knew and could do everything. She was not an unappreciated parent, as many were. When he was around her he could barely take his eyes off her, hoping to learn more from his goddess of a mother and gain her approval. Little did he realize how far out of her graces this little trip would cause him to fall.
“Momma!!” He blurted and lurched forward, running out from underneath Saul, abandoning Melee, and bounding up to Naniko meeting her with nuzzles and licks. He tried to bounce up to touch her nose but had to settle with worshiping her legs. His tail whipped in the air making little flurries. As he bounced back around beneath his mother's stride his eyes caught Saul's frightening stance and stopped him cold. His eyes went wide and he stared up at Saul in fright, his heart now pounding loudly in his ears out of fright instead of joy.
“S... S..” His eyes flicked towards Melee, who had made herself as small as possible now. Smaller than he ever thought she could look. She seemed so frightened, and he wanted to run over to her and comfort her. Become the puppy brigade again. But now he could not, because he could not bring himself to move towards Saul.
Finally he managed to find his voice, looking up at his mother while pleading with both she and Saul. “N-no! Stop! Please!” He was breathless with worry. He wanted to answer his mother's question so badly that he worded it all wrong. “I came here with her.” He gestured towards Melee. “I followed Melee here and we met Saul. He was going to help me find my way back home. Momma, I'm sorry, but I got lost. I tried to call for you but you didn't hear me.”
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