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Alastar
One of the most adventurous things left us is to go to bed. For no one can lay a hand on our dreams.
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Word Count: 897
It was early morning. Dew sprinkled itself upon the foliage. Fog still caressed the hillsides, and the sun caused the water-dropped landscape to glisten quite beautifully. The black and white wolf-dog puppy emerged from her den, a rocky cavern embedded in the side of a valley. Her companion, the mighty bear Mato, snored soundly in the back of the cave. Alastar's maw opened wide, and a small squeak accompanied the yawn that escaped her jaw. Her day was beginning.
The yawn, naturally followed by a stretch of both sets of legs and her back, signaled the start of her day. Mato would not awaken until much later. He enjoyed spending the night catching fish still, and probably did not return to the den until well after midnight. Alastar, however, was snuggled into a ball of fluff in her corner promptly at sundown, a habit she had formed since Mato took her in. When she was traveling alone, the little pup traveled at night, so a larger predator would not surprise her. So instead of crashing at dusk, she promptly found a bush or rock to sleep on until the sun sank beneath the horizon, giving cover of night to travel by yet again.
The opposite sleeping pattern took over when Mato, who happened to be semi-diurnal with his sleep schedule, adopted Alastar as his inner species little sister. It did not take long for the pup to become accustomed to being active during the day again; in fact, she found it rather easy, and smiled largely to herself as she pranced down the valley, following the streams and branches that led to the sea. Mato had only taken her to the salty body of water a couple of times, but today Alastar was bent on seeing it herself, and trying her paw at tackling some salt water fish. Fresh water was great and all, but there was just something about that salt that she loved, and most of the time when Mato promised a tasty salty dinner, it didn't quite make it back to the den.
Alastar trampled playfully through the water, giggling as it soaked her fur. It made her look like quite the mess, but it did not deter her spirits. Scents of the morning bombarded her eager nose. There was a certain aroma of fog that Alastar adored, but she could not describe it to another were she asked. Mato's musty, piney...odor still wafted around Alastar herself, which gave her confidence. She felt that as long as she smelled of Black Bear no larger predator would dare defy her.
Then there were the other subtle smells that the young wolf-dog had yet to master naming; the water, of course, but it was difficult to describe as well. There were small animals, such as chipmunks, squirrels, and various feathered birds that Alastar could track, should she so desire. Different berries had different scents as well, or so said Mato; the carnivorous canine had little interest in plants, but Mato insisted that, when Alastar was able to shift, the berries would be delicious, and Alastar would thank him.
At last, after perhaps an hour of sprinting, play hunting, and tackling the defenseless water, Alastar smelled the sea. Its salty, airy aroma made her small body quiver in excitement. Mato was far away now, but she did not care; there were not too many predators that ventured out of the forest. As the wolf-dog ran faster to the sandy coast, she quickly jumped up a rock formation, looking out over the vast blueness. Her heart swelled, longing to further explore it, but knowing she could not until she was much older. Even Mato did not dare go too far from coast. He warned in deeper water, there were creatures called sharks, and possibly even seals, that would make a little puppy into a quick snack.
The idea made Alastar scoff. She puffed out her chest and let out a howl, though it was weak. Growling in frustration to herself, she forced out another, much deeper call. It was not much louder, and definitely not that much more projected given the sound of the waves on the coastline, but the pup nodded then in satisfaction, that it was a howl decent enough for a future ruler of the realms. She stood proudly on top of that rock formation, eyes closed as the sea's wind caressed her fur. Her ears swiveled and she listened to everything. Gulls called above the waves, those annoying birds, she thought. The waves were still louder. It calmed her to an extent, but suddenly the fur on her neck roused, and a low, threatening growl grumbled in her chest. Two new scents graced her nose. One was of a bear, she could tell from its likeness to Mato's, only the scent had been tinged by the sea. Perhaps the bear had been swimming? The other smell was unfamiliar. Well, mostly. It was canine. Her little experience with other wolves told Alastar that, but there was no more she could tell about the dog, or wolf, from its smell.
Hurriedly she took a note of the wind; Alastar was downwind of the new smells, so she bounded down the rocks, hiding between two of them. She stuck her head out, watching the coastline, waiting for the source of those new scents to reveal themselves.
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I wish I was strong enough to lift not one, but both of us.
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Athena
The circumstances of ones birth are irrelevant. It is what you do with the gift of life that determines who you are.
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Athena trotted behind her large, lumbering bear mother, Nanuak, as they traveled along the coastline. Every now and then the tide would venture up to wash just over their paws before receding back into the dark blue depths of the Atlantic. The chocolate brown wolf pup yawned as she trotted and blinked the sleep from her eyes. The grizzly, Nanuak, believed wholeheartedly in making the very most of the day and that usually meant rising with the sun and going to bed with it. Athena didn’t really mind this too much, because to her it meant more time to explore and play. With a small bark, the pup quickened her pace and darted ahead of the bear where she sauntered. Her young bright yellow eyes taking in everything before her.
Athena has been down this shoreline many times before but that didn’t mean each time was any less of an adventure. Just then a crab scuttled out of its hole in the sand and darted in front of Athena as it made its way toward the surf. With a happy bark the pup darted after it and chased it into the ocean. She often times liked to pretend she was the protector of the beaches. With her head raised high and her tail swishing happily she resumed her place in front of her bear mother. Every now and then a seabird would land on the beach before them and the pup would race through the sand in order to make it flap its wings and call its distress as it hovered to a different section of the beach.
The pup sauntered up ahead a ways and caught sight of a large pile of rocks, to Athena it looked like a great place to climb and play. Just as she started to dart ahead, Nanuak grunted softly for her to stay close by. Athena stopped in her tracks and waited for the bear to catch up where she stayed content to trot beside the large grizzly.
Time stands still, beauty and all she is.
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Alastar
One of the most adventurous things left us is to go to bed. For no one can lay a hand on our dreams.
OOC Text:
Word Count: 353
The black and white wolf-dog wriggled impatiently until she finally saw the two new beachgoers. A large creature, easily three times the size of the still young Mato, accompanied a...puppy? Alastar's head tilted in utter confusion. Mato made a point to remind her nearly every day that a bear and a pup were quite an odd combination, but apparently it was more commonplace than the black bear thought.
Alastar growled to herself. This was her part of the beach. She woke up especially early to get to see it. Mato or not, if the big brown bear hadn't attacked the other pup, perhaps it would not harm Alastar. Of course, that's not what she was thinking as she scrambled back up the rocks, claws scratching for traction on the stones. She perched at the highest point, much like earlier, though she prepared to speak this time.
Hey! Why are ya on my beach? Alastared bellowed surprisingly loud for a pup her size. She shifted her weight eagerly from paw to paw, as if to appear anxious to attack. The opposite was true. Alastar was, in fact, quite nervous, and perhaps afraid. The only two bears she had ever met were much smaller; even Mato's mother was maybe half the size of this bear. And another wolf? A canine? She had not seen nor smelled one in almost two weeks, since she had left, but then again she wasn't that good with keeping up with time yet. Mato insisted she couldn't have possibly traveled from New Brunswick to their home in the valley in a week, but Alastar's memory, though young, made a valiant effort to recreate the pup's travels. This rock formation was, in fact, the first time she turned into the forest, and broke away from the shoreline.
Alastar shook her head. She was letting herself be distracted by thoughts that were irrelevant to the situation, and, once again, she found herself wishing she was older. Okay...Not my beach. So. Uh...hello? Alastar's confidence sank drastically as she exhaled a defeated sigh, but she maintained her posture as she awaited a response.
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I wish I was strong enough to lift not one, but both of us.
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Athena
The circumstances of ones birth are irrelevant. It is what you do with the gift of life that determines who you are.
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The fur stood on the back of Athena’s neck just moments before a voice was heard above them. Athena hadn’t heard the voice of anyone besides her bear mother, in fact, she hadn’t any idea that there was anyone else in the world besides herself and her bear mother. The presence of this creature frightened her and all of her bravery and curiosity split as she dove between her bear mother’s huge front paws.
Nanuak however didn’t seem to be any kind of shocked or surprised that the young wolf had spoken so boldly from her perch. Instead she lifted her muzzle to the wolf and spoke clearly and simply. Why, hello there young one. My wolf cub and I were just out taking a stroll, we usually walk these beaches this time of the morning. We were on our way to the river for a good breakfast. Athena crept slowly out from between Nanuak’s paws to take a closer look at the other creature. Nanuak looked around curiously, her ears on high alert for a pack of angry wolves that would not hesitate to attack a bear they thought might have their pup cornered on the rocks, They would also not hesitate to kill her wolf cub. Nanuak reached her large paw out and raked the wandering cub back between her paws. Where are your parents, little one? Surely your pack can’t be too far. Athena sat on her haunches and leaned against the muscular, thick furred front leg of her bear mother and peered up curiously now to look at the other creature. It was black and it was white, and it was shaped like her, this she knew from the reflections of herself in the river that her bear mother hunted. The creature wasn’t really big either, her bear mother was bigger than it was, Athena was sure.
Time stands still, beauty and all she is.
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Alastar
One of the most adventurous things left us is to go to bed. For no one can lay a hand on our dreams.
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Word Count: 265
Alastar's head tilted again. The wolf was the bear's cub? Such confusion battled in the puppy's head! It was enough to make her eyes squint and cause a whimper, but it was cut short in an effort to keep her composure. The wolf-dog blinked. She's your mother? she asked, her voice rising an octave. How...? And...my pack. The little pup struck a pose, gripped the rock firmly and puffed out her chest. My pack is...Uh...uh...in formation! Yeah! That! Alastar nodded in affirmation of her word choice.
With that, she then bounded back down the rocks, landing in the sand with a soft thud. Her tail instinctively curled around her hind legs, and her ears pulled back as she crept slowly towards the other canine. This being intrigued her. It had been a while since Alastar had seen another wolf or dog, and while Mato was a good companion, there was something about this wolf thing that made Alastar want to get to know her. But Alastar wasn't about to let this beast know that.
The black and white wolf-dog sat in front of the two beings, clearly any nervousness gone. You can join if you like, we'll have alotta 'ventures an' cause trouble! Alastar managed a wolfish grin for the lighter colored pup that was accompanied by a tail thump. You can too, bear! I've a bear friend! His name's Mato, maybe you can get along. Alastar looked up at the bear, her claws pawing the sand where the weight shifted between legs.
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I wish I was strong enough to lift not one, but both of us.
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Athena
The circumstances of ones birth are irrelevant. It is what you do with the gift of life that determines who you are.
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Athena watched the other being curiously and the questioning of her bear mother made her confused. She stood and sauntered out from between the bear’s paws and looked up at the black and white wolf. She’s my momma ‘cause I ‘dopted her. Athena was only repeating to the being what Nanuak had told her before. She didn’t really know what ‘dopted meant but it sounded good to her. Athena looked back up at the black and white being but it was gone. Just then there was a thud on the beach, her level and the blinked. The creature looked a lot like herself and this made Athena’s ears perk and her tail wag. “Maybe it’s a wolf cub too and maybe that means it likes to play too!”
You ‘ave a pack!? Wow! Dats really cool! The fellow wolf cub’s words excited Athena and suddenly all fear or nervousness was gone. The pup really had no idea what having a pack meant but the adventure and trouble part sounded like a lot of fun so to her. Nanuak behind her chuckled a little bit and spoke up. You have your own pack and a bear friend too, hmm? Athena could tell that her bear mother was curious and this excited her more. With a small bark and a bounce the pup looked at her bear mother and grinned wolfishly. Can we go, Momma?! Can we go?!
Time stands still, beauty and all she is.
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Alastar
One of the most adventurous things left us is to go to bed. For no one can lay a hand on our dreams.
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Word Count: 290
Alastar giggled and bounced on her paws, eager about her two new friends. Yeah! Mato's like my brother! 'Cept. A lot bigger. The wolf-dog's tail wiggled excitedly, but her head cocked to the side and she thought for a moment. Huh. He's also sleepin' now still. I don't like to wake 'im up. Maybe we can do somethin'?
She sat down and scratched her left ear with her left hind leg briefly. Alastar wondered about how old the other pup was, and how she came into the bear's possession. But, the two weren't running away, nor were they making fun of her pack idea, like Mato tried to do every now and then. Alastar's muzzle gave way to a wide, mischevious grin. My pack ain't started yet! We gotta get more wolfs, but you can be the Beta! Your momma and Mato can be...Can be... Alastar struggled for words, but pounced the air when they came to her. The horses! We can ride 'em and run 'round huntin' deer an' bad guys! Of course, Alastar had never seen a horse, only heard stories about them from her parents when she was with them in New Brunswick.
I's just kiddin', though, Misses Bear. I'd jus' ride Mato. The black and white pup giggled again, but nuzzled the grizzly's leg. I forgot to say. It's nice to meet ya both. Mato says is important to be nice when meetin' new people, an' it's been a while since I met him, so now I'm meetin' you, an' I'm tryin' to be nice. Alastar wriggled, then forced her head to bow in greeting like Mato had demonstrated. Can we play?
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I wish I was strong enough to lift not one, but both of us.
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Athena
The circumstances of ones birth are irrelevant. It is what you do with the gift of life that determines who you are.
OOC Text:
Athena was bright with excitement. She had never known someone that looked like her that liked to play as much as she did, then again, Athena didn’t know anyone besides Nanuak. The bear wasn’t much on playing. All her bear mother insisted on was lessons, eating and sleeping. This often made a very bored Athena. The wolf wagged her tail. “This must meant that this creature is a wolf like me. She can’t be a bear since she isn’t big and brown and she likes to play and she looks like me. She isn’t a fish or a bird either, I’ve never met a fish or a bird like her anyway.” At the mention of doing something, Athena lit up. Hey! I gots an .. A .. umm .. A uh. A ‘dea! You come wif us! Momma ‘s gonna teach me how to catch a fish today!! Maybe you wanna learn too?! Athena was literally bouncing on her paws now.
The brown pup watched the black one with a curiosity and then she turned her muzzle toward her bear mother to see what she would do. The bear only tilted her head and watched the pup intently as she gave the young one her undivided attention. The young one started to speak again and she grinned wolfishly at the black one as she spoke. Athena giggled at the mention of riding on the backs of their bears but cocked her head to the side at the mention of deer. She had never heard of a deer fish and she wondered what it might taste like. She shrugged and yipped happily, the idea of trying one didn’t sound bad at all to her.
Athena watched as the pup nuzzled her momma’s leg and tilted her head. Nanuak was just as equally shocked but grinned at the young one. She spoke quietly, My what manners you have. Nanuak laughed. Perhaps you should teach my wolf cub a few good manners. The bear nodded and looked sternly at Athena as she spoke. Athena, have you forgotten yours back at the cave?
With wide eyes Athena jumped to attention, she closed her eyes and slowly she relaxed her posture. You could tell she was mentally going over lessons in her head. Athena opened her eyes and smiled at the pup. Its nice at meet’cha. My names Athena. Whats yours? Athena walked over to the pup and tentatively reached her paw out without even actually touching the wolf. Then she crouched down and wriggled over to the wolf and licked the wolf’s cheek in a very pup-like fashion. I’d much like to be a beta in da pack an’ hunt deer fishes an’ chase off da bad guys wif you. Athena looked up at her bear mother, Can I go momma? Can I go play wif her? Athena had no idea what a Beta was but she thought it sounded cool and since she had never heard of a deer fish and this wolf had then that meant that this wolf probably knew how to hunt them better than her bear momma did.
The dark brown pup wriggled her way over to her bear mom and nuzzled her. I promise we’ll be careful. Pleeeaaaaaaseee? To Athena’s surprise, Nanuak actually tapped her claws on the sand, a thing that Athena noticed that she did when she was trying to choose between things. And even more to her surprise that caused her to jump and bark happily, Nanuak smiled and nodded. It is fine with me just as long as you both agree to meet me here at this spot right as the sun reaches that spot in the sky. Nanuak pointed her paw westward, indicating a place just between midday and sundown.
Time stands still, beauty and all she is.
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Alastar
One of the most adventurous things left us is to go to bed. For no one can lay a hand on our dreams.
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Word Count: 352
The young wolf-dog's body vibrated as she processed her new friend's company. In fact, she got so excited she began chasing her tail and talking at the same time. My name's Alastar!An we're gonna have fun! 'Cept a deer ain't ta fish, it's a...a...a...a deer! I'll show you one day! Me an' Mato will! An' I promise Mama Bear, we'll be back here soon! There's nothin' to worry bout here, Mato an' me beat da only big cat here once, an 'sides he taught me how to howl real loud 'case there was ever trouble, an' Athena's gonna be taken care of 'cause she's my new friend!
And, with that, Alastar finally took a heave of a breath and tackled Athena with a husky-bark. Giggles overtook her as the still-wet wolf-dog looked for a tickle spot on Athena. Mato accidentally found one on Alastar one day when he picked her up, and it made Alastar laugh uncontrollably. Mato only did it to her when Alastar was being unusually hyper, like now, but Alastar was planning on being the tickler this time. She nipped once at the brown colored wolf's ear, giving up the search for tickles, and giggled as she rolled off the younger pup, wriggling around in the sand. Alastar stayed on her back, but looked up at this Nanuak. If we go into the forest, we won't go in far, just to the edge of the valley, where the hills start, 'cuz it gets dense there. An' Mato barely lets me go there myself anyway. So we'll be safe. Promise. Alastar sneezed because of sand on her nose, but then rolled back to stand up.
Athena, I also promise to ya that we'll have fun, and we'll try to see a deer, but I can't promise we'll see one this time, 'cuz they can be...uh, hard to find, and even Mato an' me don't see 'em all the time. But we will one day! An' you can show me the fish, so we'll be great friends! Alastar smiled again and touched her nose to Athena's gently. Yer my friend.
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I wish I was strong enough to lift not one, but both of us.
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Athena
The circumstances of ones birth are irrelevant. It is what you do with the gift of life that determines who you are.
OOC Text:
Athena bounced off a short distance and turned to bark at Alastar. With a short pause she grinned and looked at her bear mother. Love you, momma! The young pup wriggled happily and bounced on her paws, she was very excited to have a new friend and this wolf was better than a rock or a crab or a seabird because this was an actual wolf like her that liked to play like she did. Her bear mother had told her that there were others like her but Athena always liked to believe that she was the last one. Athena thought it made her feel special, but now she felt even more special because there were two last wolves.
Athena swished her tail happily and barked again at Alastar. You comin’ slowpoke?! With that Athena giggled and darted down the beach, her mouth wide open and she tasted the crisp, salty air. She loved it, she loved running and she love the beach. Suddenly she remembered Alastar hadn’t caught up with her yet and skidded to a halt and spun around, slinging sand everywhere.
Time stands still, beauty and all she is.
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Alastar
One of the most adventurous things left us is to go to bed. For no one can lay a hand on our dreams.
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Word Count: 224
The black and white wolf-dog let out a mighty howl as she sped after her new companion. Alastar was a bit larger than Athena, and she matched each of the pup's footprints in the sand. At Athena's sudden stop, Alastar squeaked and couldn't jam on her own breaks quickly enough, and soon the two young ones were a flying ball of sand and fur. Alastar recovered quickly, laughing madly as she wandered into the surf, getting her paws wet.
I ain't no slowpoke! I ain't slow at nothin'! She sat on her rump again, then thought. So, what we gonna do? Can ya show me how to catch a fish? Alastar laid in the surf, nipping at the white tips of the water with her muzzle, giggling still. The salt smelled good and the water felt good on her fur. She remembered that it was just early morning still; Mato was still sleeping, and dew was still on the ground. Rabbits were coming out, and deer were having breakfast.
Deer were having breakfast. Alastar shot up and away, whizzing past Athena. A deer! Athena I'ma show you a deer! Come on! You gotta hurry! she yelled over her shoulder, paws thudding heavily under her. She trotted to a slower pace as she came closer to the foliage, then waited on the other pup.
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I wish I was strong enough to lift not one, but both of us.
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Athena
The circumstances of ones birth are irrelevant. It is what you do with the gift of life that determines who you are.
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Athena rolled over into a ball upon impact by the black and white wolf and landed on her back laughing too. She rolled over and stood, shaking the sand from her fur and pounced at the surf as it threatened to wash over her paws. She heard the word fish and her head shot up. Fish!! I can teach ya ‘ow to catch some fishies!! With that Athena proceeded to dart into the water and wade in until the water started to thoroughly soak her belly before a wave crashed over her and she tumbled back to the shore on her belly. She smile at Alastar and laughed, .. Maybe .. Da sea is too big to start wif ..
Just then Alastar darted out of the ocean and sprinted to the forest, yelling something about a deer. The pup stood and shook her fur before dashing after the black and white wolf. ‘Ow do ya catch deer fishies? I dunno how! Due to Athena’s innate ability for speed, she was more than capable of catching up with and keeping pace with Alastar.
Time stands still, beauty and all she is.
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Alastar
One of the most adventurous things left us is to go to bed. For no one can lay a hand on our dreams.
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Word Count: 338
Alastar's usually loud voice dropped to a soft whisper as Athena returned to Alastar's side. Okay. So. Deer's not fishes! They don't swim!...I don't think. She paused to think. Anyway, don't matter. They's like us. Four legs, some, da boy deers, got big horns on der head! But der easy to scare so we gotta be real quiet. In fact, follow me, an' no talks, kay? I'll whack you with my tail if I sniff any, or see any.
And with that, the black and white wolf-dog looked at her feet, then began to walk slowly into the woods. Alastar kept her head down, tail low, and her steps as quiet as possible, though with her oversized feet, it was rather difficult. She checked over her shoulder a few times to make sure Athena was keeping up; when the other pup seemed to be doing fine, Alastar stopped watching and turned into her attentions to her sniffer.
Smells of the morning were still rampant. Mato's scent was washing away from Alastar; it was replaced with the strong smell of salt, sea, and sea bird. However, as they trudged further into the woods, waves of pine, ferns, and freshwater began to enter Alastar's nose. She noted a chipmunk scurrying into its den to her left. A spider's web was strung beautifully to her right, between a small birch tree and a larger oak. Dew glistened on it. Alastar saw no spider. She continued on, her golden eyes taking in the sights far different from the beach or the deeper valley where she and Mato resided.
And, then, Alastar caught a vague whiff of musk. She stopped abruptly, feeling Athena bump into her backside at the suddenness of the halt. Alastar tipped her muzzle into the air, sniffing loudly, then she turned to the east, in the direction of the musky scent. She looked at Athena, and tapped the other pup with her black and white tail gently, then watched her reaction to make sure the gesture was understood.
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I wish I was strong enough to lift not one, but both of us.
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Athena
The circumstances of ones birth are irrelevant. It is what you do with the gift of life that determines who you are.
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Athena kept her maw shut and followed Alastar. She was really excited and had to keep herself from barking from it all. The wolf could tell from the way Alastar was trying so hard to be quiet that it was probably a good idea for her to be quiet as well. She had nimble paws though and since this was the middle of the summer and there were no leaves on the ground, her paws were virtually silent in the underbrush. She moved kind of slowly while she tried to be careful, consequently the sticks and weeds that brushed up against her fur wouldn’t go swishing the moment that she left them but rather just slid back into their place. If it weren’t for her paw prints you might not have even known that she was ever there.
Athena was wide eyed with curiosity. She hadn’t been in the forest very much and it seemed so alive in there morning. She wanted to just go barking and jumping and run all over the place and explore everything .. All train of thought vanished as she bumped into Alastar’s rump. She watched the other pup’s muzzle tip into the air and watched her curiously. Sniffing herself she could smell different scents but she couldn’t yet distinguish between them. Alastar tapped Athena’s chin with her tail and the brown pup pointed her muzzle in the direction that that black and white pup’s was pointed and nodded.
Time stands still, beauty and all she is.
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Alastar
One of the most adventurous things left us is to go to bed. For no one can lay a hand on our dreams.
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Word Count: 443
The wolf-dog smiled so widely it near hurt her cheekbones. Athena understood. The deer were a bit to the east, and a north wind was blowing, she had figured, so, of course, they would approach the little herd from the south. Of course it would take some round about traveling and still quiet pups...Alastar was so excited, she was sure she'd bust though. Her tail twitched back and forth in happy anxiety, and as she continued her southeasterly direction, she found her paws had become quieter; she was getting used to their weight now, and hopefully, she would not trip. In the new-found confidence, the black and white pup picked up her pace from a trot to a lope, extending her stride further, knowing that the speedy brown pup behind her would have no difficulty keeping up.
The further south they went, the further up they had to climb a miniature mountain. Trees dotted the landscape, grass or dirt coated the ground in every visible place, and morning fog still laced the landside. Short pine trees grew along the north face of this hill, and Alastar could have purred in contentment at the beauty of their adventure. The pine smell mixed with the ever-strengthening scent of deer made her digestive juices flow, but she knew she'd not have a taste of deer. Two pups could not bring down such a beast!
The loping along continued, silent and swift, as Alastar paused near the top of the hill. She sniffed again, golden yellow eyes closed. The course would have to shift north now, and she'd have to hope that the deer weren't on top of a hill. They would be harder to approach if they were. Seeing them coming down would be much better, and she and Athena could watch all they wanted. The pup sat for a moment, pondering which way was best; to take a more easterly course until she was absolutely certain the deer were precisely north, or travel northeast and risk running into the herd dead on. As a soft breeze ruffled her furry neck, Alastar snuffed the deer. They were close! She jolted to her paws, body twitching, muscles tensing. In a moment of sheer happiness, she glanced beside Athena. To the brown one's left there was a baby pine tree, still dotted with dew drops. Alastar looked at it, thinking how pretty it looked...and then she thwacked the tree soundly with her tail, causing the water to coat Athena's fur. Alastar fought back a giggle as she ran into the direction of the wind, certain that there would be nothing to give them away to the sensitive creatures.
I wish I was strong enough to lift not one, but both of us.
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Athena
The circumstances of ones birth are irrelevant. It is what you do with the gift of life that determines who you are.
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Athena follow behind the black wolf, patient even though it was taking seemingly forever. The brown pup found no difficulty in keeping pace with the other and when Alastar picked up her pace, so did Athena. She thought it was amazing that she could move so swiftly and still be as quiet as ever. She often time, when her and Nanuak would traverse the beaches, would run down the beaches and try to disturb as less sand as she possibly could. Of course that was very hard to do but she did learn how to control her body as she runs so that her paws make less impact.
She breathed in through her mouth and nose and the scent of pine assaulted her nose and she grinned. She love the scent and decided that the scent was one of her favorite smells, besides the scent of the salty ocean. When Alastar stopped, Athena watched her curiously and saw the mischievous grin that made the brown pup’s ears swivel back in a slight confusion. Suddenly the Alastar knocked the pine beside Athena and coated the brown pup’s fur with morning pine scented dew. With that Athena grinned wolfishly and bounded after Alastar, hoping that the pup hadn’t forgotten about seeing these deer and if she hadn’t then hoping she knew what she was doing. Still though, Athena felt the need to keep her mouth closed and her noise to a minimum, not just because it was necessary but because it was really fun to see how quiet she could be.
Time stands still, beauty and all she is.
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Alastar
One of the most adventurous things left us is to go to bed. For no one can lay a hand on our dreams.
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Word Count: 135
The wolf-dog skittered to a stop at the edge of a rock overhang, hoping that Athena would follow suit. The rock jutted out into space, along the edge of the valley, and the drop below was a good twenty or thirty feet. Alastar's chest puffed in triumph as she tilted her head once for Athena to join her; there were deer below in the wide valley, munching on their breakfast, just as Alastar thought they would be.
The pup sank to her belly, laying down with a smile. Her voice was soft. Down der! You see 'em Athena? They's not fishes! I can't wait til you can hunt one wif me an' Mato, you'll love it! Alastar giggled goofily and rolled over on her back, then touched her nose to Athena's leg. You see dem?
I wish I was strong enough to lift not one, but both of us.
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Athena
The circumstances of ones birth are irrelevant. It is what you do with the gift of life that determines who you are.
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Athena bounded up beside Alastar and dug her claws into the rock and dropped to her belly so she wouldn’t go over the rock. Scooting back by her hind legs she laid there and examined these creatures that grazed in the valley below them. The view of breathtaking, literally, as it made Athena gasp a little at the expanse of it.
Grinning, Athena answered Alastar. Ya I see dem. Athena thought about chasing these creatures through the forest and it made her muscles tingle instinctively but she kept herself unmoving. When can we hunt dem? Momma says I have be older to catch da fishies like she does .. Athena’s logic was that if her bear mother barely let her catch fish then she would have to be really old in order to hunt of these deers.
Time stands still, beauty and all she is.
.
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Alastar
One of the most adventurous things left us is to go to bed. For no one can lay a hand on our dreams.
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Word Count: 254
Alastar giggled softly and wiggled her butt in the air. Well, Mato says is hard for a lone wolf, specially a pup, catch a deer! Der fast an' der's a lot of 'em, see? Alastar poked her puppy nose over the cliff and counted a couple of the deer. One...two...tree..four... She stopped, and thought, not caring what came after four. But, der's some...uh...Bucks! That's what der called. Bucks. The boy deer. Dey's down there too! The energetic pup bounced around and giggled again, then looked along either side of the rock.
She trotted a ways to the right of the big boulder, then found a placen that was not straight down. In fact is was quite doable for the athletic pup; it was covered in bushes and moss, and the trek down closer to the valley, within a few feet of the deer was much easier than she thought it would be. She checked behind her to make sure Athena followed, then busted a grin at what she was going to do. Do what I do.. she whispered so quietly, she was sure Athena had barely heard the words.
Alastar's body tensed. The muscles in her body contracted and flexed, rippling under her fur. Her tail stuck out proudly, as did her chest, and with a deep breath, the pup barged forward, letting out a mighty howl. The deer thrust their heads upward in horror at the miniature beast heading their way. Alastar growled and aimed for a doe, hoping Athena was behind her.
I wish I was strong enough to lift not one, but both of us.
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Athena
The circumstances of ones birth are irrelevant. It is what you do with the gift of life that determines who you are.
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Athena looked at the heard and watched them very, very closely. She heard Alastar’s words but she closed her eyes instead and concentrated. She could hear the snorts and the stomping of their feet as they grazed. She could hear the breeze rustling through the trees and felt the chill bumps along her back as the breeze cut through her not yet sleek puppy fur. She inhaled through her nose and let the smell of the forest and the dirt fill her lungs. She opened her eyes to tell Alastar how happy she was to be in the forest but to her surprise, the pup was not there. She narrowed her eyes and one of her ears swiveled back in confusion. Peeking over the rock she saw the pup making her way down the side of it and hurried up to follow her.
The brown pup’s lithe body made it easy for her to navigate the same path that Alastar had although some bits were a little difficult due to the fact that Athena just wasn’t as big as the other pup. Just as Alastar turn and spoke to her and she saw that grin, Athena knew what was on the pup’s mind and she grinned wolfishly at her fellow trouble-making companion.
With a giggle Athena crouched back, the muscles in her hind legs bunching up and tensing, and she leaped forward howling mid leap as she did so. Her howl wasn’t much but she had been working on it in the company of Nanuak who insisted it should sound more like a song than a noise, she was proud of the sound of her howl. Upon landing she sprang forward by her back feet and streamlined to catch up with her companion who was now heading for a single, confused and clearly frightened deer. Athena puffed out her fur to make herself look bigger and bared her puppy fangs at the beast just like her bear mother showed her.
Time stands still, beauty and all she is.
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