the grass is greener
#1
Oceane had been bored. She was tired of staying inside the packlands so today she took on the role of the naughty pup and had escaped under the barbwire fence and scampered off into the night. She wagged her tiny banner of a tail back and forth and grinned. She had no clue where she was but she could smell the scents of other wolves and knew she must be close to another tribe. Quivering with excitement the girl scampered along the edge of the scent markers and kept her wide eyes open for the sight of anyone else. There had to be someone out there, she could smell them, why were they hiding from her!

Climbing onto a rock the small child tilted her head back and let out a very puppy like howl to announce to anyone nearby that there was a child on the loose! She grinned to herself as she hopped off the rock and began to chase a grasshopper that had sprung out of the grasses and into her path. Her tail beat furiously as she pounced at the grasshopper, missing but within seconds was on her paws again tumbling after the silly little beast that would soon become her prey.
#2
As usual, Moose was spending his time wandering the lands. He hadn't yet convinced himself to expand his horizons beyond the pack, but he had resigned to begin meeting new wolves. Soon. The isolation of his pack while comforting was getting to him.

The ex-alpha's imposed exile had caused this wandering to be lodged in his brain. Despite feeling quite at home in Crimson Dreams, he couldn't feel entirely content without some wandering; it had been quite a part of him for so long. It was on this particular trip away from the main sector of the pack that he was on today when a puppy-like howl reached his ears. Moose cocked his head, listening. He knew there were pups in his own pack, but he had yet to actually meet them.

He loved pups; in his past he was considered a pup in personality on most days. A grin lit his features as he began padding towards the youth. Nares alert, he caught the scent of the fey, and he thought she smelled of the AniWaya... though he was only relying on the scents others had told him about. She was after a grasshopper, but sadly had missed it on the first pounce.

Tail wagging, he neared the small fey. Hi. Man was he rusty at the whole youngster conversation. Ye've go' ta ge' more spring en yer pounce ta catch these wee likkle buggers.
#3
The small girl hadn't expected anyone to stumble upon her so quickly so when the other wolf's voice called out she stumbled and missed the grasshopper she was pouncing after, instead of landing short of the bug she landed on her face and rolled over twice before coming to a stop on her head. Blinking twice in confusion she glanced up at the stranger who had found her out, suddenly realizing that he was upsidedown she rolled over and shook the dirt from her pelt as she asked. "Who are you?" She wrapped her tiny tail around her hindlegs as she stated calmly. "I'm not suppose to talk to strangers.." And yet here she was babbling on to the male.

She glanced back to where the grasshopper had been and realized that the insect was long gone. Her small ears flattening against her head she whined. "Look whats you made me do, he's gone now!" She had been so close to! She'd almost caught the hopper. She really had wanted to bring the thing home to show her brothers, now she'd have to find something else to practice her hunting skills one.. if this annoying fellow would allow her to continue on her mission!
#4
Ah'm Moose, member o' Crims'n Drims. The anger spouting from the youth about the lost prey was understandable. Nothing was more annoying that something coming along and spooking the prey right before the pounce. The feeling of the thrill of the chase and the taste of the catch watering in one's mouth made it almost unbearable to lose it. No worries likkle one. Get oop und get rea'y.

The youth had fallen when startled and was speaking to Moose for the most part upside down. Sniffing, he sought out more grasshoppers. His nares pointed him at a thick patch of grass. The wolf crept over to it, padding silently. Once the fey was in position, he would scare the grasshoppers towards the tiny girl. If she was willing to cooperate. This one actually seemed like she might be resentful of his assistance, which injured his pride. He had been so good at this once...what had happened?
#5
Little Oceane couldn't understand why the male had allowed her grasshopper to escape but even stranger was how calm he seemed about it and didn't even apologize! She huffed and whined slightly to herself as he began to introduce himself to her. The small girl frowned slightly but it seemed that now that he had given her his name and where they were they weren't stranger anylonger, right? She wasn't for certain but she believed that now that she knew him she could talk to him. "I'm Oceane!" she said boldly, then decided to mention where she came from since he'd told her. "I'm from Aniwaya.." She wagged her tail as she glanced over her shoulder to make certain they were alone before she admitted. "I escaped from home to find adventures!"

She'd found them too. She'd never been here before and that was an adventure enough, but finding someone that wasn't so scary was nice. When he told her not to worry about losing the grasshopper and to get ready she stood up and watched him quietly, wondering just what was going on and where he was going. Instead of staying put she took a step after him and asked. "What I'm watching fors?" She hadn't understood that he was going to find her some more 'hoppers to chase about, but too soon she'd figure it all out!
#6
"Och, AH loove adventures. 'Tis 'ow Ah go' 'ere ta join Crims'n Dr'ms." The tiny pup seemed so much like pups he had seen before: eager for new experiences. Oceane reminded him of himself in that manner. Perhaps he hadn't forgotten all there was to playing.What am I watching fors? A smile graced the large male's face and his tail wagged at the small one's speech. Moose was rather suprised that Oceane understood him so well when some of the adults had difficulties.

Now to show the fey what to look for. Crouching down he inched forward quickly, his paw swatting at a large swatch of grass. From it leapt several different types of bugs: grasshoppers, crickets, a moth, a few gnats and even a stink bug trundled away from his attack. All of these he sent towards the small huntress. She wasn't quite set for the action, but all the better to help her hunting skills. A hunt almost never worked as planned, this he knew all too well. His worst and probably the most fun hunt was the one he lead after some mountain goats. Luckily none of his pack was injured (it had, after all, been most of the larger hunters in his clan), and good meat was caught. He had actually gotten a butt from the leader of the goats in the process because he was trying to show-out for some of the yearlings that were watching from a safe distance.
#7
"You talks funni.." Oceane blabbed before she could even stop herself. She hadn't met many adults that had strange times talking, it had always been the younger generation, her brother especially. She looked up at the male with her bright sea foam eyes as she was waiting for him to continue on with what he was going to show her. She really had wanted to catch the hopperbug but following the male around in the strange lands was enough for the moment in time, she was still waiting for him to answer her though, he had told her to wait and she wanted to know why. Demanding little runt.

Suddenly it seemed that the air was filled with all sorts of buzzing insects as she laughed out loud and tried to leap after one of the grasshoppers. All she managed to do was fall flat on her face but that didn't stop her from stalking after the bug once again with her tail waving happily in the air behind her. Somehow she managed to grab the other grasshopper by one of his hindlegs, the bug fighting furiously to escape from the puppy as she trotted back to Moose with fire in her eyes as she presented the male with her catch. "I did goods?"
#8
He watched as the bugs burst from their starting point, startling Oceane. She had a little trouble in the starting gate, but soon the pup was trotting over towards him, prey in tow. Moose was glad to see she had caught a grasshopper, and he smiled as he watched it struggling to escape. "Aye, lass. Yeh did won'erful."

For a moment Moose was the image of a proud father, despite the fact he had no claim, not even pack allegiance to the small fey before him. He was so good at this part of life, playing and mock hunting with pups. Sirce had always said she fell in love with him while watching him, the crowned prince of the pack, playing with the pups. He chuckled to himself at the memory. His father had been so angry for that day because Moose had actually missed a council meeting to play with the youngsters.

Bringing himself back to reality, he answered the Oceane's first statement. "Nah, AH dinnae speak foonae, 'tis ye tha' sounds off." He winked at her. "Mah voice sounds lahke this a'cuz Ah'm frae tha far nor' w'ere snow es on tha groun' en places all year."
#9
When she caught the grasshopper and was getting praised little Oceane beamed happily before collecting her kill between her fangs and munching on the insect. She had to admit they tasted something strange but they were crunchy and tangy at the same time, a quality that her normal foods lacked. She finished her kill and pounced back on her feet as she waited to see what was next.

She peered up at the large fellow and asked. "Anymore?" She had to be one of the few that didn't mind eating the insects.

The way that the male seemed to try and convince her that she was the one that talked funny didn't work on the girl. She just shook her head and eyed him as he finally admitted the truth. When he spoke of a place where it snowed all the time her eyes got big and she whined. "But.. but.. it's never warm?" She'd only just discovered what warmth really was from the world around her but she couldn't imagine living in snow all the time where there were no green grasses or hoppers to catch. She shook her head in amazement.
#10
Soon the grasshopper that Oceane had so proudly captured had been devoured. Moose smiled at the youth. Bugs were not his meal of choice, but he remembered eating many throughout his life time. Especially when running and one rings the mouth... just the thought of that made his stomach try to turn. The crunchy chitin skin was not for him.

Absentmindedly his tail swished at another tuft of flora in search of more tiny prey for tiny predator, but alas, none emerged from their hiding if any where there at all. "Och, it does no' look lahke there are namore aboot 'ere." From the small fae's words it was apparent she had never been far from home. "But.. but.. it's never warm?" she had whined, her eyes enormous at the thought of year-round snow.

"Aye, 'tis snowy all tha tahme... sa Ah'm a 'xpert a' makin' snaow angels." Fatherly concern came over him momentarily, and he posed a question that had been lingering around the edges of his mind. "Oceane, jist 'ow lawng d'ye plan on 'venturin'?"
#11
Oceane stuck her nose about in the grasses as she tried to search for more insects to chase about and prey upon, but as her search turned up empty it seemed that Moose's had as well. She frowned at the idea of no more bugs to chase after but she just sighed and settled back on her haunches as the larger male began to chatter on for her. She really wasn't for certain if she'd been in trouble for talking to the stranger but he had fetched her grasshoppers and other insects, he couldn't be that bad, could he?

His talk of the snow made her shudder as she gave him a lopsided smile and asked. "A Snow angel? What's that?" She had never heard of such a thing though if she thought about it a moment she probably could have figured it out. She shook her head sadly at the thought of all the snow as she complained. "But.. we have ENOUGH snow already.. why would we need snows all the times.." Her eyes glanced up at Moose with a pathetic sadness as she waited for the answer.

Then like it always seemed to do with adults he turned on to a more serious matter and Oceane furrowed her brows together as she shook her head as though the male was being impossible. "I gots to get back home befores dark of course!" she exclaimed. Didn't everyone know that all puppies had to be in the den when it got dark. He sure was a strange fellow!
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