Wandering away was fun. Dangerous, Sophie knew; there had been that scare with the white-striped black thing earlier who'd nearly made her smell as bad as its butt did, and she had no doubt that there were worse things than that. But it was fun, nonetheless. She hoped Leon didn't get too worried when he realized she wasn't playing quietly outside the den, the way he wanted her to while he healed, but she didn't think he'd mind much. He had Boothe out there, after all; the perfect decoy, her twin. And she'd left Bug behind this time as well, which meant Leon was all the more likely to fall for the trick and suspect that Sophie was somewhere nearby.
Her sibling was getting sick of being left behind, but Sophie swore she'd take him on the next venture. She just wanted to adventure on her own for a while, and while she sometimes regretted not bringing him along, it wasn't very often. Besides, he could go off on his own, too! He was only preventing her from getting in trouble by staying put. She didn't see what the big deal was. Then again, brothers were strange, foreign creatures with strange instincts. She didn't get them at all.
Padding carefully passed what looked to be a den of some kind--maybe for another of those stinky animals, though she really hoped not--Sophie skirted her way deeper into the forest, and finally came across an old tree standing by itself in the middle of a clearing. She padded up to it cautiously, and then leaned up on her hind legs and gazed at its trunk. There were funny carvings in the trunk, all inside what seemed to be a shape of some kind. She leaned back farther to look at it, and finally had to take her front paws off the tree and stumble about on her hind legs, attempting to get a good look at the funny inscription. She had no idea what it was, or what it said, but it touched her with some sort of importance, and so she stood there for some time, stumbling about trying to balance on her hind legs with her front paws curled against her chest before she finally sat back on her haunches in the "begging" position, her head cocked adorably.
Unbeknownst to her, the carving was a heart, and the words "I love you," inside of them. Sophie found herself curious as to why--and how--people would mark up trees this way, and what exactly was so important that it had to be left out in the woods somewhere like this.
Word Count → 324 :: Table by Raze. Hotaru in optime form
After their misadventure earlier, both Fawkes and Hotaru were ready for a break. They had returned to d'Arte just long enough for Hotaru to shift and collect her bag. Inside the satchel were her precious carving tools as well as some large scraps of wood. With them, she could create bracelets or designs or just whittle away at them until nothing was left. Although unproductive, it was sometimes enjoyable to just carve without worrying about the shape or pattern.
Soon the pair had left the pack lands and were wandering through the Ethereal Eclipse. They didn't really have a destination in mind, but Hotaru enjoyed walking through the forest. She had practically memorized the forest so she didn't use her staff as much as she should. Instead, Hotaru let the stick swing lazily in front of her and occasionally bounced it on the ground.
Fawkes decided to fly ahead, his wings beating against the wind and carrying him through the forest. The red tailed hawk traveled in a large circle, making sure he didn't fly too far from Hotaru. He also made sure to keep below the tree line, forcing the large bird to weave around the trees and branches. After some time, Fawkes noticed a small puppy who had propped herself against a tree. The hawk landed in the tree and stared down at the small form with a curious eye. He watched as she tried to observe the runes that were carved into it's trunk.
With a ruffle of feathers, the bird alighted onto the ground next to the chocolate colored puppy. He started to talk to her in low speech before changing his mind and switched to high speech. "Where pack?" Fawkes knew that small wolves needed to be protected. Even he could pose a serious threat to the puppy if he felt like it. Hanging around Hotaru had given the hawk a protective side, one that seemed to include puppies.
Sophie didn't lose interest in the strange carvings until the boughs above her shook, and her eyes traveled farther upward, her front feet returning to the ground almost hesitantly as her ears flattened themselves against her head. Daire had often spoken of the large birds of prey--the Vultures--that he would give them to when he got sick of them, and she'd learned a long time ago to watch the sky. This far up, though, and beneath the trees...she'd foolishly assumed she was safe. Now she scanned the tree's branches, hoping fervently for a songbird or one of those bushy-tailed things that ate nuts.
Instead, a large bird with brown and red feathers and wicked sharp talons hopped out of the tree and landed briefly beside her. Sophie stared in fascinated horror as the bird began making strange noises, taking several stumbling steps back, before it finally spoke, a novation that startled and astonished her. She hesitated briefly, and then began working through possible scenarios.
Now, Sophie wasn't stupid. She'd grown up with Daire, who was about the greatest predator out there and at times could act concerned and innocent, only to turn around screaming and hitting them moments later. This bird was clearly also a predator, which lead her to believe that he ran along the same lines her father did. Sophie took a moment to consider her options; if he was trying to eat her, telling him she had a pack close by would probably deter him. If he was only concerned, and she said that her pack was close by, then he'd be at ease. Of course, she didn't actually have a pack, but her small family could probably consist of enough muscle to work either way.
All of this deduction took about half a minute, and in the end she said, "Sophie pack close! Real close." And nodded as firmly as she could, which resulted for a few moments in her looking like a man-made bobble-head.
Fawkes watched as the pup backed off, obviously fearing him. As she should. He was a bird of prey, and she was small enough to be on his list of prey. The bird's head twisted this way and that, trying to find the pack she spoke of. He could not smell like she could, so he could not tell if there were any wolves nearby. Wolves could lie, they had lied to his master. Was such a small wolf lying? Fawkes decided not to trust her words and said "Puppy stay. Get help!" With that, Fawkes unfurled his wings and took off to retrieve his master. As he flew, Fawkes called for Hotaru to tell him not only where he was but also alert her to a problem. In his mind, the puppy was too far away if her pack couldn't be seen.
Hotaru could hear Fawkes's cries and soon his wingbeats could be heard over head. He wanted her to follow and he impressed on her that something was wrong. When Hotaru tried to push Fawkes for details, he just cried that she needed to follow. Left with no other option, Hotaru followed the sound of Fawkes's wingbeats and earnest cries. Soon enough, the smell of a wolf entered her nostrils. Was there an injured wolf? "Hello, is someone there?" Hotaru's tail was raised and her ears were high and alert. They swiveled around searching for any danger while her nose tried to discern further details of the situation. There was no scent of blood or cries of pain. In fact, as far as Hotaru could discern there was but one wolf. "Fawkes explain."
The red tailed hawk landed next to the puppy again. He had brought Hotaru to the young puppy so he returned to eyeing it with curiosity. Without taking his eyes off Sophie Fawkes chirped, "Found puppy. Puppy alone." As Fawkes spoke he puffed his feathers with pride. The puppy was so small, and his master could protect her.
The grey wolf's mouth fell open, there was a puppy and Fawkes was close to it. Depending on how small the puppy was, she could be very scared of him. "Fly off you silly thing." Unfortunately Hotaru could tell from the lack of wing beats that Fawkes would not leave the puppy's side. The blind wolf sighed and crouched down saying in a soft voice. "I'm sorry if this bird brain has scared you, but don't worry he's harmless." Fawkes let out a small shriek, annoyed that a predator such as himself had been called harmless. "What's your name?"
Sophie's ears flicked uncertainly atop her head, wondering what the bird was thinking as it twisted its head about, but finally it told her to stay and flew off, saying something about getting help. Her ears flattened, and she took a few more steps toward the edge of the clearing, back the way she'd come--toward the obvious trail she'd learned to leave herself, full of broken branches and footprints that were her only way back. She wondered if she should disobey, and simply run home as the hawk's cries echoed from some place that didn't seem all that far off. But in the end she just huddled near the tree, her eyes wide and uncertain.
Not long after the hawk flew away, he returned, alighting beside her again and startling the poor puppy nearly to tears. There was a quieter, kinder voice nearby, though, and with great reluctance, Sophie tore her eyes away from the predator beside her and looked around. There was a wolf on the other side of the clearing, and though it appeared the female couldn't see her, Sophie felt somewhat better with another canine there. She didn't have a chance to figure out what to say before the wolfess demanded 'Fawkes' explain, and the odd bird said more words. Her eyes returned to the hawk, and she frowned and shuffled a bit farther away from him, hiding her face a bit between her paws. More than anything, she wished she'd brought bug; but he was too heavy for her at the moment to go adventuring with.
The bird was ordered to fly away, and Sophie peeked out at it curiously, wondering if it would obey. It didn't seem like it; she frowned, and then peered more closely, her head turning towards the female even though her eyes remained fixed on Fawkes, as though she couldn't quite bring herself to look away. She didn't even blink. The soft voice began speaking again, though it seemed to be aimed at her, and she twisted her head around, attempting to dislodge her cautious stare but strangely unable to do so. "Umm," She hummed, and twisted an ear toward the woman, blinking owlishly at the hawk. "Sophie is Sophie. Er...I Sophie." She added, remembering the lesson she'd had the other day about those...things you used to refer to people. Me, myself and I were the ones she was having the most trouble with.
The small wolf was so interesting. She tried her best to shuffle away from the predatory bird but her large blue eyes never left him. He stared at her and she stared back like a frightened rabbit. So small and such a funny puppy. Eventually Fawkes lost interest in her, and decided to preen himself. He worked on his breast, taking each feather and smoothing it between his beak.
Hotaru could hear the panic and fear in the puppy's voice. She was young. Her vocabulary was limited and her sentences were incomplete. The voice was not casted directly towards Hotaru, making the blind woman aware that Fawkes must be very close to the young puppy. Hotaru strode over to where Sophie's voice originated and listened carefully for the clicking of Fawkes's beak. With a quick had she shoo'ed the predatory bird away. With some hint of disgust the bird flew off to a nearby branch, babbling all the while in low speech how much he disliked the change in location.
"There, that should do it. It is nice to meet you Sophie, my name is Hotaru." The blind wolf reached out and felt the small back of the puppy. Using Sophie as a guide the blind wolf sat down next to her hiding spot and cocked her head in the direction of the puppy. She smile a little, trying to reassure Sophie that she was safe. Gently, Hotaru removed her hand and shifted the satchel into her lap. "I'm sorry if he frightened you, he really is a sweet heart. Believe it or not, that bird was worried about you. So tell me, what is a brave puppy like you doing way out here in these woods."
As Hotaru spoke she shuffled through her bag, placing tools of various shapes and sizes on the ground. Hotaru also placed a square piece of cloth and a jar on the ground just above the rest of the tools. Inside the cloth was a piece of shark skin and inside the jar was a special oil used to protect finished pieces. If Hotaru was going to sit and talk to a puppy, she might as well have something to do. If Hotaru was lucky, Sophie would be interested in her work and would decide not to run away. Hotaru worked with a large knife to remove the outer bark of the wood, making it's edges smooth and soft. The hard chunks of bark quickly giving way to curled pieces of heartwood that littered her legs and the ground around her.
The moment the bird lost interest in him the feeling seemed to become mutual, as Sophie was able to take her eyes off him and study her other companion with interest. The woman still seemed unable to see her, as even when she came toward them her gaze didn't quite focus on Sophie or the bird; and the young girl found herself momentarily confused, and curious, as she shooed the bird away and then reached down as if to pet Sophie. The girl froze under the touch, the little hairs on her ruff standing on end while she waited--for what, she wasn't entirely certain, as this wasn't Daire and the woman hadn't shown any hostile tendencies to her. Still, she was tense until the hand slid a bit down her back and the woman came to sit beside her, and then Sophie realized what should have been apparent in the first place.
"Nice'o'meet'oo." She said, so quickly that it was all one word, and then shuffled around so that she could see Hotaru's face better. She hesitated, wondering if she should just blurt out her question the way Boothe would, or if she should quietly try to figure it out on her own. In the end, she tried a little bit of both. "Er, um...Muss Ho-tar-u? Are youms eyes not working?" Her voice was hesitant, as that sort of thing seemed like something you'd be sensitive about and she had the odd feeling that she shouldn't say anything, but she'd never met a wolf who couldn't see before, and it seemed odd that Miss Hotaru couldn't. At least she hadn't asked the way Boothe would have, which probably would have earned her a spanking and lost her a potential friend.
Sophie turned her gaze doubtfully toward the tree branches where the bird rested, not entirely sure that "sweet heart" matched his description, but the older woman knew better than she did, so she didn't question it, instead nodding and then saying hesitantly, " 'F you say so..." Her blue gaze fell then to Hotaru's lap, where strange and wondrous things were being pulled out and odd things were happening. She blinked curiously, hesitantly creeping forward to nudge the edge of the cloth curiously. Something in there stank, but in a good way; it made her want to chew on it. It wasn't hers, though, so she backed up a bit and then blinked as she remembered she'd been talking to someone. "Oh! Sophie lives here! Not here here," She elaborated, "But over there here." And gestured with a little nod of her head toward the path of destruction--a la Sophie--which would lead her home.
When she turned back, it was to see new things happening, and she bounced a little closer, staring with wide eyes at the knife and wood in Hotaru's hands. "Ooh, cool!" She barely dared to breath the words, lest she break the older female's concentration and the scary knife accidentally cut her, but Sophie was absolutely spell-bound. She'd seen knives used before, when Leon fought Daire and when Daire brought them out to threaten them before they'd ever met Leon, but she'd never known they could do other things!
Sophie was a very polite puppy even if her greeting was a little jumbled together. Hotaru listened as Sophie shuffled in front of her and wondered if the puppy was leaving. To her surprise and satisfaction Sophie asked about her eyes. Unlike some, Hotaru enjoyed the direct question especially because Sophie asked so nicely. She hated when people tried to test her rather than just asking. With a smile Hotaru said "No Sophie, my eyes do not work. But I'll tell you a secret, you don't need your eyes to do things. So long as you have your ears and your nose you can do anything." Hotaru didn't completely believe her last statement. It was wishful thinking, but the blind woman liked the way it sounded and hoped that one day it might prove true.
Like most puppies Sophie was very curious. Hotaru could hear the puppy shuffle around and look at all her tools. I be she's looking at the shark skin. Hotaru remembered with a great deal of fondness the first time she had seen shark skin. The grey wolf was just a puppy herself, she hadn't even had her first shift yet. Her uncle had been working on carving wood and he had left a piece of shark skin on the ground where the young Hotaru could find it. It seemed that Sophie had a great deal of patience and wisdom in her because unlike young Hotaru who had proceeded to gnaw on the skin, Sophie let it be.
The idea that such a small puppy lived in the forest was interesting. Hotaru knew there were packs nearby, but not close enough for the puppy to have come from them. Perhaps her family lives outside of a pack. Hotaru smiled again as Sophie tried to point out where she lives. Jokingly Hotaru pointed to the sky and said, "Oh so you live over there, I get it now." It seemed as if the young puppy brought out a side of Hotaru she hadn't experienced in a while.
Hotaru had done it. Just as her uncle had captured young Hotaru's attention long ago, Hotaru had managed to capture young Sophie's attention. If Sophie was anything like the grey wolf, she wouldn't leave until Hotaru was done. In an instant, the immaginazione was stuck with a brilliant idea. She paused in her carving to put the wood in her lap and the knife on the ground. "Sophie, how about I make you something pretty? Would you like that?" Hotaru reached down to feel the tips of each tool until she found the right one. The metal blade was shaped like a large V, and would be perfect for what Hotaru had in mind.
Hotaru place the instrument on top of the wood and said, "I want to make you a bracelet, but in order to do that I need to see your paw." Hotaru stretched her hand down so that Sophie can place her small paw into Hotaru's larger one. "I won't hurt you, I just need to see how big you are."
Sophie tilted her head as her question was answered, and furrowed her brow curiously. She hadn't thought much about her ears and nose, considering her eyes worked so well; but she supposed it was nice to have back-up senses, too. She didn't think she wanted to lose any of them, though, and thought about saying as much before biting her tongue. That would be rude, and Sophie wasn't rude by nature; so she simply hummed in agreement and went about exploring the odd woman's tools. She was careful not to get too close to anything shiny or sharp looking, though, as she was quite sure those were dangerous.
Sophie blinked as Hotaru pointed at the sky and joked that Sophie lived up there, laughing nervously. She'd forgotten, for a moment, that "over there" didn't mean much without eyes to look where she pointed, and felt briefly ashamed of herself, her ears pressing back against her skull even tighter than they already were--something she seemed to do quite a bit. The minor slip-up was quickly forgotten, though, as Hotaru spoke again.
She blinked uncertainly, tilting her head and stepping forward curiously. "Something...pretty?" She didn't know what that meant, but it sounded nice, so she stepped forward and carefully placed her left forepaw in Hotaru's much larger one, watching the strange V-shaped thing warily. Was that going to go around her paw? Was it going to be cut off and made into something pretty? Sophie thought that was a little far-fetched, but she didn't know what any of Hotaru's tools were for, so she thought she might have to be excused for her imagination.
Hotaru explained she wanted to make Sophie a bracelet, and the young girl blinked again, looking at the tools curiously. She didn't know what a bracelet was, either, but if it required her paw...maybe it went around her paw? "Okay!" She barked happily, and settled down to watch the process of this "bracelet" making very closely.
A warm smile spread across Hotaru's face as she felt the small paw press gingerly into her hand. Hotaru gently rubbed her thumb over the top of Sophie's paw, feeling the soft fir of the wary puppy. It seemed as if Sophie brought out Hotaru's mothering instincts, ones she had believed to have died. The blind wolf held no hope of motherhood but with this young puppy she could feel the longing in her grow. Her thoughts strayed to Light, the brave artistic male who had saved her. It wasn't long ago when the male confessed his feelings, both for her and for other males. Hotaru wondered if she could have a small puppy like Sophie with him.
Hotaru didn't linger on the fantasy of motherhood for long, she had work to do. The grey wolf twisted a little to allow her other hand to gently hold Sophie's leg. She kept her grip light, like she was holding a baby bird, and her fingers danced across the puppy's leg and paw. Hotaru was trying to find out how big Sophie was, and how big she needed to make the bracelet. Once the immaginazione was positive she had memorized Sophie's measurements, she released the puppy. "Now watch closely, you don't want to miss the magic."
Once the gouge was in her hand, Hotaru quickly set to work. She used the V-shaped tool to remove large chunks of wood from the center of the disk. Occasionally Hotaru would flip the disk over and gouge out the other side or lift the disk up to feel her progress on each side. Soon, the grey wolf had managed to create a hole large enough for Sophie to put her paw through. Even then, Hotaru continued to make the hole bigger, but only slightly. This way, Sophie could wear the bangle even when she got old. In a few months though, the bracelet would be too small for Sophie to wear.
Once the hole was made, Hotaru switched her large V-shaped gouge for a much smaller U-shaped gouge. With it, Hotaru began to smooth the insides of the bangle until it formed a concentric round circle. From there she moved to the outside of the bracelet, once again trading her gouge for the large knife. With it, she removed layers and layers of wood. At this point the bracelet was almost perfect in size: large enough so Sophie would not break, it but small enough so it would not impair the tiny puppy's movement.
Again, Hotaru traded tools, this time to a much smaller carving knife. Once again, she worked to round the edges and to flatten the sides. Finally, Hotaru put the knife down and her hand moved to the cloth. With a few fluid motions Hotaru unwrapped the shark skin and brought it to the wood. With it, Hotaru worked to smooth the wood, working out even the smallest bumps in the wood until it was smooth. But still Hotaru wasn't done.
Hotaru searched among her tools for the smallest U-shaped gouge she had, and with it Hotaru carved a simple leaf design into the bangle. After sanding the edges of the design with the shark skin and painting it with a small coating of oil, Hotaru held the finished bracelet up to see if Sophie was satisfied with her work. The entire time Hotaru worked, she had explained to Sophie her process and told the young puppy how each tool was used. The whole process had taken the better part of an hour, mostly due to the fact that Hotaru had to pause often to check the progress of her work. But finally, it was done.
"Well what do you think? This bracelet is made out of ironwood, so it should be strong. But don't play with it too much or else you might break it." Hotaru brought down the brown bangle, the different shades forming beautiful bands that wrapped and twisted around the bracelet. Compared to the works of art that Hotaru made before her "accident", the simple design in the bracelet was nothing. However, compared to the designs that she had tried before the leaves were perfect. "Would you like to try it on?"
Sophie twitched as Hotaru's paws ran gently over her small leg, feeling briefly ticklish. The soft touch wasn't something she was used to, as the only gentle touch she'd felt throughout most of her life was that play-time a few days ago with Leon, when her brother had rubbed the fur between her toes. She couldn't suppress her shy giggles after a while, though she did her best not to jerk around too much or feel self-conscious about just how much smaller she was compared to other puppies her age. Boothe, himself, her littermate, was already twice her size, the normal size for puppies their age, and it was embarrassing to be fully developed, but so much smaller than everyone else. She wondered for a moment if she would always be small, and if she was, if the bracelet would always fit. She hoped it would.
When her paw was relinquished, she took it back carefully and moved closer to watch curiously as different tools were selected. She soon figured out the use of the 'V' tool, even before it was explained to her, as it very quickly took large chunks out of the center of the wood. She watched avidly and hung on every word Hotaru said, curious about nearly everything. She didn't understand much of the process, even with Hotaru's explanations, but she could connect enough of the dots to know the basics. The 'V' thing made the hole, where her paw would go; the odd rounded 'V' tool, which Hotaru called a 'U', was used to make the inside smooth. Sophie stuck her nose as close as she dared to the bracelet being made while that one was being used, watching the inside slowly become more smooth and rounded. It was an interesting process, Sophie thought, and did her best to understand it, wishing she could try for herself. But she didn't have the odd fifth toe that allowed Hotaru to grasp the tool, so Sophie was left only to lean as close as she dared, sometimes putting her paws up on the gray wolf's leg and sticking her face nearer, and sometimes merely watching from somewhat farther away.
A smaller "U" shape was used to carve a pattern, and Sophie recognized it as a leaf, which made her somewhat giddy. She didn't interrupt the impromptu lesson, though, merely wiggling excitedly and wagging her tail. She stepped back when Hotaru held up the finished product, and made appreciative sounds, then jumped up on the woman's leg and held out her paw again eagerly. "Pretty, pretty, pretty!" She chanted, and nodded emphatically when she was asked about trying it on. "Yes please!" She looked at the somewhat fragile looking piece, and tried to look serious before she remembered that Hotaru couldn't see her. "Won't play at all! Be very careful!" She promised, and nearly shook her whole body with the force of her wagging tail. She'd never been given something so pretty before; her mother had made Bug for her, yes, but Sophie hadn't been coherent enough to watch the process, and Bug wasn't really...pretty. He was a potato sack sewn together with hair. Not exactly beautifully carved wood.
Sophie shook that thought out of her head, and then remembered her manners and added, "Thank you, Muss Ho-tar-u!"
Word Count → 241 :: To stop or to go on, I'll leave the decision up to you.
Sophie was an unusually wise puppy, her intelligence obvious in her words and actions. However, she was still a puppy with a lot of energy and curiosity. Hotaru could feel the small puppy squirm as Hotaru held her arm and the puppies small paws would occasionally press into Hotaru's legs as she worked. The blind wolf kept her explanation simple, she never used the actual names of her tools and never mentioned the many ways in which they could be used. That was a lesson for another time.
Sophie's excitement and joy at receiving the bangle made Hotaru happy. With a sad smile Hotaru placed the bracelet on Sophie's forepaw. It dangled loosely from her small leg, but Sophie would grow into it in time. Hotaru place her hand on top of Sophie's head and gently rubbed her fur as Sophie vehemently proclaimed she would be careful with the bangle. "I am sure you will be careful." The grey wolf removed her hand and began to collect her tools, carefully placing each one back in the bag.
With the bracelet done, their encounter would soon end. Sophie was young and needed to be returned to her family. "You are welcome Sophie. Now, how about I walk yowu home?" Hotaru stopped, wishing that the encounter would not end. "Or we can play a little. What ever you would like."Just a little longer, she thought. The young puppy was such a delight.
Word Count → 364 :: I don't mind continuing if you don't~ Also, the game is Marco Polo, just in case that...wasn't clear. xD
Sophie watched as the bangle was slipped onto her paw carefully, then took a few experimental steps around the area while Hotaru cleaned up her things. The bracelet didn't restrict her movement, and as long as she was careful, it didn't slip off her paw with every step she took. Grinning happily, she walked back over to Hotaru, watching as everything was stored away in her bag and it seemed she was getting ready to leave. The thought saddened Sophie, and she stepped closer, tipping her head curiously and pressing her ears back hesitantly. At the offer to walk her home, she cast her eyes down, and then perked up a bit as another option was given. "We...play? For while?" She asked timidly, her tail waving briefly. She'd learned all sorts of new games in the past week, and the thought of sharing some of these with her new friend. Though, she didn't know how well such games would work with Hotaru's eyes not working...
They would just have to invent a new game! She danced around excitedly, though not in the usual way she did so; rather, she lifted her paws and pranced in place, the bracelet sliding up and down on her ankle as she did so. Sophie tried to think of a game that didn't need eyes to play, and briefly thought of the one they'd played with Terra--but you needed your eyes to find people, at least she and Boothe had, so that wouldn't work. She turned in a small circle, not quite used to the way the bracelet felt on her foot yet, and then perked up. "Oh! Oh! Game!" She shouted, and then dashed off a little ways away, dropping into a play-crouch eagerly. "Alpha try to find Beta! Go 'Beta'! Beta try to find Alpha, go 'Alpha!' Walk 'round with eyes closed 'til find each other!" She explained as best she could, congratulating herself on coming up with something they could both do. It was the most brilliant idea she'd ever had, in fact, and she looked up with wide, hopeful eyes and wagged her tail eagerly, hoping Hotaru would think so, too.
It didn't take long for Hotaru to finish packing her satchel. As she worked she could hear Sophie wandering around, most likely trying out the new bracelet. Her small steps were interrupted occasionally be the soft tap of wood. To Hotaru's delight, the young puppy grabbed onto the chance to play. With her words, Hotaru stood up while securing the satchel tightly. Hotaru raised her head up and called Fawkes down before whistling softly. At the sound of his wingbeats she threw the satchel high in the air, it's single strap snatched up by the auburn bird. Fawkes took the satchel into the trees and hung in carefully on a branch. When Hotaru was ready to leave he would return the bag.
While Fawkes was taking care of her bag, the blind wolf propped her staff against a nearby tree. Meanwhile Hotaru could hear Sophie was dancing around excitedly. The older women wondered what Sophie could be thinking of. A game most likely, after all puppies loved games. Hotaru just hoped it wasn't a game that she would need her eyes for. The blind wolf felt like she could handle most chasing, running, and finding games. But some games required eyesight, and Hotaru was not sure how to deny the puppy if the game required her to use her non-functioning eyes.
Hotaru listened with great relief as Sophie described her game. No eyesight at all, what a smart puppy. But at the same time, the idea wasn't so smart. Hotaru was used to the dark, so pinpointing Sophie's whereabouts would be easy. Still, Hotaru smiled and said gaily "Okay, so I'm Alpha and your Beta? Then Alpha!" Hotaru waved her arms close to the ground, pretending to search for Sophie. Her ears were perked high as she listened carefully for the puppy while her nose pinpointed Sophie's direction. For once, Hotaru's tail was waving in the air, although not as vigorously as Sophie's tail.
Sophie dashed as far away as the clearing allowed while Hotaru took care of her staff and the bag-thing she had, dancing eagerly from paw to paw before she closed her eyes and walked in small circles, waiting for Hotaru to begin the game. The moment she did, Sophie dashed away from her voice, then called, "Beta!" And stumbled about. She tried to be as careful as she could with her new bracelet, but she could hear the gentle clack, clack of the wood with every step she took, and had the feeling it would give her away. She tried to use her nose to find where exactly the older female was, but her untrained senses could pick up very little, and so she had to do her best to go without all her senses, until Hotaru spoke again and she could dash away.
She moved much more slowly and deliberately than she usually did, sliding her paws more than picking them up and putting them down again, and avoided running into trees that way, luckily enough for her. Hotaru had an unfair advantage, though, and Sophie had barely realized it when the game began; she wouldn't run into trees or trip over anything because she was used to doing this all the time, and Sophie wasn't, so she would. A pout crossed her face and she thought of opening one eye--just to peek, really, and that would be okay, right?--but that was cheating, and if there was anything Sophie wasn't, it was a cheater.
So she did her best to stay as quiet as she possibly could, not even breathing loudly for fear of being found, and holding in ferocious bouts of giggles every now and then. Despite the uneven gameplay, this was actually really fun!
Sometimes the light that guides us along our paths, is not something that we can see, but something deep inside of us.
OOC: Small PP on Sophie, let me know if you want it changed.
Hotaru could hear every step Sophie made. No matter how carefully she walked, her large paws and awkward body prevented the puppy from walking with the grace of an adult. Her paws could be heard sliding along the ground, as the band on her arm tapped against the ground. The sound was oddly reminiscent of the sound Hotaru's staff made. As soon as the grey wolf spoke, she could hear the sound of scrambling feet as Sophie tried to run away. From off in the distance came the high pitched voice of a puppy, her cheerful cry told Hotaru exactly where she was.
The game was on. Hotaru stepped carefully through the forest, her footsteps light and silent. The blind wolf moved with practiced silence and her red tipped ears swiveled on her head and her sensitive nose followed the path Sophie took to her hiding spot. "Alpha," Hotaru cried as she bent down to pick up a stick her foot had bumped into. Hotaru waited a minute before moving again, this time she closed in on the small puppy. Hotaru's tail wagged a little, even she was excited by the game.
When Sophie was just a few paces away, Hotaru threw the stick over the puppy and it rustled the bushed a few yards away. The trick was meant to divert Sophie's attention while Hotaru crossed the last few feet. In one swift scoop, the grey wolf had Sophie in her arms saying loudly, "I've got you now." With that said, Hotaru flipped Sophie over and began to tickle her stomach with a gentle smile on her face. "Now I wont let you go." Hotaru sat down again and continued to tickle the small puppy. If Shopie wanted to she could easily escape from Hotaru's arms, if not the grey wolf would continue to tickle her until she was tired.
Wordcount :: +311
template by revo. <3 - Table and code modifications by Alex
It really wasn't fair that Hotaru could hear and smell so much more than her; but that was the way of things, and Sophie was cheerfully unaware of everything she did to give herself away, so she thought--somewhat foolishly, perhaps--that she had a fighting chance at winning the game. As soon as it began, Sophie was all over the place, doing her best to sound everywhere at once by being everywhere at once--and nearly running into several trees in the process. As her 'sixth sense' gave her the anxious feeling that Hotaru was getting closer, Sophie couldn't help but let out a stream of high pitched giggles, running off as quickly as she could.
"Beta!" She squealed, and then dashed off again, only to scramble to a stop as bushes in front of her rustled ominously. She spun around, her eyes peeking open--all on accident, as it was difficult to squeeze them closed so tightly while she ran around--for only a moment. It was long enough to see Hotaru, though, and she yelped, "Nooo!" Just as the blind woman's arms came out and swooped her off the ground, promptly turning her over on her back and tickling her. She giggled breathlessly, just glad that Hotaru hadn't gone after her paws as Leon had, and squirmed happily in her arms, popping her eyes open to check and make sure she hadn't damaged her new bracelet.
It was fine, luckily. She turned her attention up to Hotaru, grinning as the older woman claimed she wouldn't let Sophie go, now. She felt only the smallest tinge of worry, as she'd learned to take things literally while her father was around, but instead of squirming away from her new friend she said, cautiously, "You gossa sometime. Broofers worry." And then let out a happy little howl as Hotaru's paws found a particularly ticklish spot along her ribcage.
Hotaru held the squirming puppy, her gentle arms cradling the small form like she was made of glass. Underneath her fingers Sophie squirmed and howled with laughter. Despite the puppies original protest to being picked up, it seemed like she quite enjoyed the tickling. Hotaru smiled, her heart warmed and her desires for puppies of her own children growing rapidly.
Sophie's words really surprised Hotaru. Although the older female had been joking it seemed as if Sophie thought she was serious. The grey wolf was not used to dealing with children and wondered how she should respond to Shopie's words. All Hotaru wanted to do was keep holding the small child forever, but Sophie was not her child and had to be returned sometime. With sadness in her eyes, Hotaru removed her hand from Sophie's belly and carefully righted the puppy.
With a slow, fluid movement Hotaru set the puppy down in front of her. Okay Sophie, if you say so." Hotaru placed her large hands on top of Sophie's head, letting it rest there for a minute. A sad smile crossed her face as she recalled her own childhood and how her mother used to do the same thing when she was sad. Like mother, like daughter. "Oh Sophie, don't ever grow up." Hotaru couldn't help but wonder, if she let the small puppy go would they ever see each other again? The young wolf was not that far away from d'Arte, yet Hotaru had no idea where Sophie actually lived. At least if she knew then she could visit Sophie, but without that knowledge then they might not find each other again.
Suddenly, Hotaru had a great idea. If she couldn't find Sophie, then perhaps Sophie could find her. "Sophie, listen closely okay. If you ever get lonely head west to where the colored tree is. That's where I live and if you call, I'll come over to play." Hotaru knew Sophie was still young, but perhaps her parents might bring her to d'Arte or when Sophie got older she could travel there herself. Either way, they might be able to each other again if Sophie knew where to find Hotaru.
To Sophie's surprise, she was put down immediately after her concerns were voiced, set fluidly back on her four feet with a hand resting on her head. Hotaru had a sad smile on her face, and Sophie flicked an ear, tilting her head curiously at the meloncholy look. It soon went away, however, and Sophie smiled cheerfully at Hotaru's words, chirping, "Try not to!" In answer. In truth, she wasn't really looking forward to growing up; everything seemed to get so much harder, and it didn't take the most observant puppy to realize that. Or maybe it did; Boothe, after all, had yet to notice how bad the family of loners had it. Leon had to hunt for all of them, and that simply...wasn't fair.
She frowned a bit at the thought, but was quickly distracted by Hotaru's instructions, her gaze turning left and right as she looked for the colored tree. After a moment of searching, she figured it was too far away for her to see from here, and bent to scratch at her ear in thought. After a moment, though, she said, "Okay! Sophie look for tree!" And then, after another moment of peering about curiously, "Where west?"
She hadn't been on the road long enough to learn any direction but North, as that was the way they were always headed, and now that she wasn't moving anymore, even that small bit of knowledge had slipped her mind. She took a moment to look for the sun, trying to remember what directions it rose and set in, but all she could come up with was that phrase she'd heard from a woman on the road--"Never Eat Soggy Worms."
Now if only she could remember which word went where, she'd be golden.
Word Count → 335 :: They need to meet again sometime.
Hotaru sighed as their wonderful meeting was coming to a close. Her desire to take Sophie home was growing strong, as was her sadness. She didn't want to leave but both of them needed to go back home, Sophie more than Hotaru. Whoever Sophie's family was, they must be missing her by now. The two had been together for at least and hour and a half by Hotaru's count and that was far to long for her taste. If Sophie was her puppy, Hotaru wouldn't have let her out of hearing range for even a second. There were to many dangers facing a young puppy, and she was only lucky that she found a wolf like Hotaru.
A howl of laughter came from the blind wolf as Sophie asked her where West was. Asking a blind wolf for directions, it was something only a child would do. Hotaru's sides spasmed as she tried to calm herself, and it took a minute for her to regain control. Fawkes could be heard rustling the branches above as he tried to get a better look at the two wolves. "You are so precious my dear. If you want to find West, just look at the Sun. For you see, the Sun rises in the East and sets in the West. Also, the tree is a little far away so only go when you are big or when your parents are with you. Understand?" Hotaru smile at Sophie before calling Fawkes down.
After a rustling of branches, and the sound of a few twigs breaking, Fawkes's wings could be heard beating the air. He let out a short cry and deposited the bad on the ground for Hotaru to pick up. Soon the red bird was resting on Hotaru's shoulders, his brown eyes staring down at Sophie. Hotaru bent down and picked up the satchel, shouldering the bag before turning back to Sophie. "Well now, it's time for us to go. Would you like me to walk you home?"
Also, the game is Marco Polo, just in case that...wasn't clear. xD
