Post by Curiosity on Jun 12, 2007 18:49:11 GMT -5
[Many thanks to Kiva for cleaning this up for me!]
-- Characters Involved --
- Viridian Pack -
Cottonpaws, female juvenile wolf
Kiva, female juvenile wolf
Haze, male juvenile wolf
- Others -
Brunhilde, female grizzly bear
-- Curving Ravine --
Kiva sneezes when a grasshopper lands on the tip of her nose, causing her to wake up from her sleep near then den. She opens her eyes and stares at the offending insect, but it still doesn't seem inclined to move. She tries a puppy version of a growl but the grasshopper just stares at her with bulging eyes. She gives a violent shake of her head and manages to dislodge it, upon which it hops away into the grass. She chases after it and tries to pounce on it, only to have it spring over her back and land on a blade of grass behind her.
Cottonpaws watches her sister in all this fun and games. But why is she... Oh! Now she sees the grasshopper too. Cotton stands lazily, shaking her body a little bit then yawning. She's not sure if she should get closer to her sis... So now, she just watches with amusement.
Kiva growls at the grasshopper again and jumps at it, almost having it pinned under one paw before it jumps out from underneath it. In the grass it seems to blend in and only after charging back and forth through the grass a few times does she scare it out again. The grasshopper leaps away and she follows in pursuit, growling softly in her throat. It is quite an amusing spectacle. The grasshopper is hopping for its life, right towards Cottonpaws!
Cottonpaws keeps looking at her sister, all fun and games till someone gets hurt, right? It's a shame Cotton is probably gonna get hurt this time. As the grasshopper jumps directly to her, she stays still, ready to pounce at the little insect.
Kiva watches the grasshopper approach her sister and stops in her tracks, not wanting to ruin her sister's hunt. She looks over at his sis with an amused smile, "You get it Sis. It's too fast for me." She admits as she crouches down, waiting to see if her sister can get the grasshopper. The grasshopper has settled onto a blade of grass no more than a few inches away from Cottonpaws.
Cottonpaws wastes no time, the pup leaps to where the grasshopper is. BUt, how to say this? In mid air, Cotton can see the grasshopper escaping just in time. Oh no, the gopper is replaced with a stone now. THUD! Cotton's face is splattered against the rock, whimpering.
Kiva watches her sister faceplant into the rock and forget all about the grasshopper, rushing over to the side of her sister with a whimper of worry, "Are you okay?" She inquires, giving her sister a nudge to encourage her to get up. She whimpers again, after all it looks like her sister may have seriously hurt herself and she doesn't like the thought of that.
Cottonpaws whimpers too, tears on her eyes and that sobbing sound. pathetic maybe. The pup turns to face her sister, nothing too serious, but surely there's a big bruise on her forehead, no blood thankfully, "It hurts." She whimpers out, flattening her ears and trying to look between her eyes, odd.
Kiva looks worried, her ears going back at bit upon hearing her sister whimper. She doesn't like to see anyone hurt, especially her sis. She looks at her sister and seems to lose her earlier playful manner, growing more serious, "You should stay still. And close your eyes. It might help." She suggests, keeping a close eye on her sister to make sure she's going to be okay.
Cottonpaws lays on her belly, using a paw to rub her nosebridge a little, closing her eyes just like her sister suggested, "I hate bugs..." He mutters softly, at least she's not whimpering, just crying.
Popping up from beneath a coat of pine needles that settled over him as he slept beneath one of the many pine trees found throughout the mountain, Haze shakes the blades out of his fur, yawning lazily as he glances around the vicinity. He spies his sisters a short distance away, and while he's not close enough to quite make out what they're saying, Cottonpaws seems to be upset. Shifting onto all fours, he pads towards the pair, ears pricked curiously forward. "What's going on?"
Kiva sits back on her haunches and growls softly in agreement, "So do I, it's that stupid thing that woke me up in the first place. If I see it again I'll be sure to smush it for you." She assures her sister, not wanting to see her upset. She then raises her head and both ears perk forward as she observes the arrival of their brother, "Cottonpaws was chasing a bug and ended up hitting a rock...pretty hard. She's hurt." She explains in a worried tone before her ears go back, "Look it's behind you!" She tells him, seeing the grasshopper perched one a blade of grass.
Cottonpaws is not badly hurt, but it hurts, and she's a pup! Even the smallest bruise hurts like hell. Little ears perk up, looking up at the cursed grasshopper and puppy-growling at it, "I hate you." Obvisoult she means the bug, not his brother. Cotton stays there, glaring at the probably mocking grasshopper.
While his brother may have been quick to crush it, just like the beetle from a while back, Haze is content to simply glance back at the grasshopper and consider it briefly before returning his gaze to his sisters. "Then I guess Cottonpaws wasn't watching where she was going, huh?" The rhetorical question is both a taunt and a stating of the obvious.
Kiva growls at the grasshopper and growls even louder when her brother doesn't kill it, "Hmmph, it was just fast, that's all. I bet even you can't catch it brtoher. You're far too slow." She taunts, stepping in front of her sister. She looks over at Cottonpaws and nods, "I don't blame you. It's a horrible creature. It woke me up." She remarks as if that was it's worse offense.
Cottonpaws barks angrily at her brother, "Hey!" Cotton stands up, still puppy-growling, but now ather brother, "Shut up ya meany!" Grrrrrr. She stands next to her sister... And yes, she looks pathetic, still crying.
Haze frowns at Kiva, and then at Cottonpaws. /Girls./ Now that he's not quite a cub anymore, the allure of the world outside the valley is even more tempting -- especially if it gets him away from his sisters. Realizing that anything he replies with will probably be taken in a negative way, he doesn't reply to either of his sisters right away.
Kiva growls at her brother, more boldly now that she has her sister at her side, "She's right, you're just mean. And scared, you're too scared to kill a litle bug." She taunts, hoping to goad him into killing it. She then looks over in concern to her sister, "You feeling better?" She asks, figuring some of the pain should have faded by now. She then glances back to Haze, "Way to show support for sis. You should be ashamed." She tells her, her voice mimicking that of a stern adult.
Cottonpaws is ok, really. Hurt a little, but worse to know that her brother is being a meany. Cotton dares to step closer to Haze, "I hate you, I can't believe you are so mean!" The pup sighs, calming down, but then turning around and walking past her sister and away, "Forget it Haze, you'll never understand."
Haze isn't so insecure that he's actually deeply hurt by his sister's continued taunts, but it's enough to make an internal decision for him. Not speaking even to raise his voice, or raising a threatening paw, the brindle pup simply turns away and begins to pad east through the valley.
Kiva watches her sister turn around and away from their brother and then looks over at Haze, "Where are you going?" She asks him, surging to her feet and following. She then looks back to Cottonpaws, "Well I'm going to see if it's possible if he can. He isn't always a meanie." She remarks, her tone seeming almost apologetic. She didn't mean to be so harsh, she had just been protective of her sister.
Cottonpaws turns to look back at her siblings... Great, now both are leaving. With a worried tone, she talks loud enough for both to hear, "Dad is going to be angry, we're not supposed to leave this place." But she makes nothing to stop them.
"What do you care?" Haze shoots back at Kiva, not so much upset by her previous bullying as it is her sudden shift in demeanors. He continues walking, not slowing down to make it easier for Kiva to catch up with him. Cottonpaws' protest is ignored, though he snorts a little at her use of 'dad'.
Kiva looks over her shoulder at Cottonpaws, "It's okay, you can tell him it was all my fault if you want." She assures her sister before looking to Haze, "Because you are my sib, that's why. I care, about /both/ of you. I was just angry that you didn't stick up for sis. We /are/ sibs and we should stick together." She informs him, making it clear she is not taking sides.
Cottonpaws sits there, looking at her siblings walk away.... Dad's gonna be angry!
Haze simply continues walking, approaching the slope that leads up to the higher altitude areas of the mountain, his ears slicked back as though trying to block out Kiva's speech. He doesn't want to be lectured, especially by his own sister.
-- Descending Vale --
Kiva remains silent for a while, giving her brother the peace and quiet that he seems to want. Her ears droop a bit as she follows him, "Why are you so angry brother?" She asks softly in the silence, remaining quiet once more as she waits for an answer.
Cottonpaws follows behind her siblings, far, but not THAT far, just to make sure they're ok.
"Don't you ever wonder what's outside of the valley?" Haze uses a question to answer Kiva's own, though it's possibly unclear whether or not his reply is an explanation for his current mood, or if he's simply continuing to ignore her line of interrogation. His hazel eyes are turned up, following the slope and the line of the river up to the plateau beyond.
Kiva isn't yet aware that their sister had followed, figuring she would stay behind so as not to get in trouble with father. She picks up on his evasion of her question but answers his anyway, "Of course I do, but father is always warning us not to go far. Though now that we are out here, I'll take whatever punishment he chooses later. This if worth it to be able to go beyond the den area."
Cottonpaws isn't sure this is a good idea. She knows it's a bad idea, dad will eat them alive. She quickens the pace, quickly catching up with her siblings, "Lets go back. Dad will wake up anytime soon."
Haze blinks at Kiva's response. "So you agree with me?" He's willing to suffer any sort of consequences the alphas can think up if it means he gets a chance to see what lies beyond the valley, even just once. But he never would have thought one of his siblings would have the same mindset, especially since the other two don't seem as keen on the idea. "Then go back, Cottonpaws. Why don't you tattle on us since you're so good at it?" Haze asks his sister mockingly. "What a daddy's girl..." he mutters under his breath, rolling his eyes.
Kiva looks over at Cottonpaws and shakes her head, "We've come too far, I'm not about to turn back now." She replies before looking to her brother and nodding, "Of course, I have wanted to for a while. But I didn't want to do it on my own. But since you decided to go, I see no reason why I can't come along. I want too see what it out there too." She informs him. Her ears go back when he insults her sister but she says nothing, not wanting to lose her chance to exploring.
Cottonpaws's ears flatten, glaring at her brother. She wants to go too, but dad will be angry, on the other paw, she has to make sure her siblings are ok, "Why are you so mean Haze?"
"Then we might as well make the most of it, if we're getting punished anyway," Haze affirms at Kiva's answer, beginning to pad up the slope again when he hears Cottonpaws' question. Turning back to face her, his face is emotionless. "I could ask you the same question, Cotton." The two have seemingly done nothing but fight ever since they were able to talk. Returning his eyes to the rim of the valley, he presses onward.
Kiva gives her sister a sympathetic look over her shoulder, "It's okay, just say it was all my idea. Dad will go easier on you because he would think I was a bad...influence on you." She tells her sister before looking to Haze and nodding, "Yeah we might as well. How far do you want to go?" She asks him, picking up the pace a little so that she lopes alongside him. She decides not to get involved with the quarrel between the two, she has already made it clear she is not taking sides.
Cottonpaws looks at her brother, frowning but saying nothing. The pup sopts walking and mutters to herself, "I care about you..." With a sigh, the pup turns around, "Just don't go too far away, might be dangerous." She tried. The pup starts walking away.
-- Pristine Lake --
"I don't know," Haze replies to Kiva as he continues making his way up the valley's slope, finally breaching the top -- the view causing him to catch his breath at the speechless beauty of it all. The newness. The unfamiliarity. The /everything/ about the world outside the valley. After he's taken a moment to absorb it all, he glances from side to side, scanning the horizon. "Well, it looks like we could go either north or south." If his parents have said anything regarding the two directions outside the valley, he doesn't remember.
Kiva watches as Cottonpaws chooses to stay behind and shakes her head, why would she miss this sort of chance. She looks at her brother....and then past him at the incredible view, "Amazing..." She whispers softly, her desire to explore growing even more. She's been cooped up near the den for far too long. She takes in the view in silence, enjoying the fact she is away from the den. The world is so wide and huge, larger than she ever thought it could be. She then pauses and glances at her brother, relying on him for direction, "I think I'd like to go north, but you decide." She tells him.
Haze's sleep last night was interrupted by infernal screaming - he barely remembers his parents mentioning cougars afterwards in his groggy state - and if he recalls correctly, those scary sounds came from the south. Glancing towards the indicated direction, seeing the mountain slope once again, down into a forest, it certainly seems to be a fine option even without the threat of banshee-esque cougars in the other direction. "Sounds good to me," he replies, quickly skirting around the lake and heading towards a loud, yet somehow serene, crashing sound to the north. Less scary of a sound than those cougars, at least.
-- Waterfall Ledge --
Kiva follows after her brother to the north, not having heard anything about cougars. The sound ahead gets louder and she wonders what it is, perking both ears forward. She eagerly follows behind her brother, wanting to know what lies ahead. The mist is thick in the area and tends to cling to her fur, wetting it down with moisture. Her eyes widen as she catches sight of the waterfall and she gasps, "It's incredible.....look at what we've been missing all this time. Why would father want to keep us confined at the den?" She asks.
Following the course of the river from the lake to its outsource at the edge of the mountain, Haze is just as stunned by the sight of the waterfall. "Wow..." When you've been sheltered from seeing so many things, everything looks so much more majestic as a result once you do get to see them. This waterfall is no exception. "They're afraid we'll get hurt," he replies, as if reciting the answer he would have received dozens of times upon asking to explore beyond the valley.
Kiva watches the waterfall, impressed by the sight of it and feeling more resentful by the moment for being kept from this. She looks at her brother and nods in agreement, "I think you're right. In a way we did get hurt, but by them. They've kept us too sheltered." She remarks, padding out towards the edge of the river. The mist further dampens her fur but it can't dampen her joy at the freedom she has. She then looks over at her brother, "Let's go see what's even further." She suggests.
Danger can come in all shapes and sizes, and quite a few dangerous looking things aren't what they seem. A fog-laden shadow of tall brush to the rear rustles and cracks with movement; the thicker parts of the air yield nothing of real warning besides the snap of twigs and the displeased squeaks of birds being dislodged from their low-hanging perches. A low, almost groaning mumble comes next, the seconds afterward falling oddly silent.
Haze falls into step behind his sister as she suggests further exploration - he's determined to milk this adventure for all it's worth before his parents are told of their absence and come to herd them home - when his ears twitch at the sound of motion behind them. Surely Cottonpaws hasn't tattled on them already? Pausing, he turns to look behind him, expecting to see his mother standing with a disapproving look on her face - but nothing's there. But he knows he heard /something/...he frowns, hesitating in mid-step as he continues to peer curiously around him, seeking out whoever's watching them. "Kiva? Did you hear that?"
Kiva is busy looking at the waterfall again, her steps slowing as she watches the wall of water. She never knew anything like this could exist before. Her ears go back as she hears a sound from behind them, though she can't quite tell where it is coming from. She swivels her ears and shakes her head, probably just the sound of the waterfall, she's probably just hearing things. Her brother proves her wrong when he asks her if she heard it and she nods, "I heard something. I'm not sure what. Think Cottonpaws decided to follow us after all?" She asks, the fur along the back of her neck rising as she drops back close to her brother.
The figure now outlined in the gray air is clearly not a wolf of any sort, nor even close. A literal mountain seems to be stalking closer at first, but soon a big, round, furry head becomes discernible. It is a bear. A very large, very shaggy-looking bear. Having been staring at where her own paws are moving, the realization of little voices and the smell of wolf with all the water makes Brunhilde's attention come-to. The giant animal simply stops where she is visible, staring over with a quiet blink and a tilt of her ears.
"Cottonpaws, stop being such a goody-goody and come out. We know you're there, so you can stop spying on us now," Haze calls out at Kiva's suggestion. As no reply is heard, but the appearance of something moving closer suddenly jars the realization that the big hulking shadow isn't actually just a big boulder because boulders /don't/ /move/. Hazel eyes widen as the bear moves into visibility, and Haze is frozen in place, his jaw dropped in an expression of raw fear. "K-Kiva? Is /this/ a cougar?"
Kiva watches the mountain of fur with wide eyes, her ears going back and her tail tucking between her legs in fear. As if the sight of it wasn't scary enough the mist seems to make it hard to see, one minute solid and then next faded. She shakes her head, "I was wrong...she isn't here..." Her voice trembles, fear closing off her throat. For a moment she can barely speak before she shakes her head, "No, father told me what one was. This isn't it. I think this is why our parents did not want us to wander.." She remarks, starting at the bear with her paws frozen to the spot. She then looks over at Haze, "Run now brother and warn our sis. I will distract it so that you can get away." She tells him, turning to face the bear. She trembles in fear but forces herself to move towards it, not wanting anything to happen to her siblings.
Brunhilde's brow creases together, tongue running once over her lower lip as she stares at the bundles of damp fur in front of her. Her attention goes to Kiva, big head tilting to squint at the little wolf. "I'm a what, now?" Distract? That isn't really too difficult.
Unfortunately, Haze is in no mindset to run, perhaps even think of running. Currently experiencing what rabbits and deer are both known for doing when faced with something sudden and startling, the young wolf is paralyzed with fear (aside from the shivers racking his body), simply staring up at the huge furry monster, apparently hoping that if he doesn't move, it will either kill him quickly and painlessly than if he tried to escape, or else simply not see him anymore.
Kiva doesn't answer the monstrous mountain of fur, at least not in words. Noticing her brother is frozen to the spot she feels she has no choice but to protect him. She is no less afraid but the fear sends jolts of adrenaline surging through her body, her fear turning to enraged anger. She snarls deep in her throat, the best snarl she has ever managed before. All her fur is standing out on end, making her look twice the size she actulally is. She darts forward and lopes along the ground, building momentum and speed, she then leaps towards the muzzle of the bear, attempting to bring her needle-like puppy teeth down on the bear's sensitive nose.
Brunhilde blinks over towards Haze before lowering her gaze back to Kiva-- of course, just as soon as the little rascal pounces for her face. This gets a somewhat frustrated bellow and an irritated yet gentle swat, luckily before the young canine gets close enough. Biting means biting back, and this bear isn't feeling particularly murderous.
Snapped out of his paralysis by the bear's bellowing and the flash of his sister's movements, Haze cries out as he watches Kiva barrel towards the large ursine like a mouse hurtling towards a stone wall. "Kiva, no!"
Kiva finds herself swatted away and tumbles to the ground, rolling over several times before sliding to a stop in a tall patch of grass. She shakes her head and is disorient, getting to her feet with her legs trembling underneath her. She looks over to see her brother is still there, though her vision is double due to the disorientation, "This feels weird.." She mutters before shaking her head to clear it, "Brother, get out of here now. I can't distract it for long!" She calls again, urging him to flee. Feeling a bit better she surges forward for another attack on the bear,although this time she is merely trying to distract it. She intends to run right between it's legs where it can't get at her.
Brunhilde is not impressed by the wolf pup's attempts at selflessness. This becomes increasingly apparent as she turns to face the flying fuzzball of fury; she then chooses to sit down on her hindquarters. Instead of making a big fuss and swatting Kiva away again, this time there is meaning to simply let her bounce off. Or get stuck in fur, whichever works.
"Kiva, stop!" Haze yells even louder, desperate to try and stop her sister from foolishly digging her own grave, but not willing to leap into the foray and try to physically keep her from proceeding. "I...I don't think it wants to hurt us!" he calls out over the roar of the waterfall, though he doesn't quite believe himself. Sure, the bear doesn't seem too eager to rip them both to shreds (because it surely would have by now), but it's not exactly the most innocent looking of species.
Kiva is not exactly selfless, her protective instincts have just been aroused. In fact it's all caused by fear, fear of losing those she cares for. It's the fear that drives her more than anything also. It's also inexperience, she knows nothing of bears or how dangerous they are. She's making a show of being brave, but the combination of disorientation and fear is too much for her. Just as she reaches the bear her legs seem to turn to jelly beneath her and won't hold her up. She goes down right in front of the feet of the bear in a heap.
Brunhilde watches Kiva come to a stop in front of her, and at this point she can't hold back a loud chuckle as she relaxes into a better sit. Round ears slip back to their natural places. "Settle down, pup." Brun's voice rumbles easily with the sound of the nearby water, and being this close, chances are Kiva will hear the bear perfectly fine.
Wincing as Kiva goes down for the count, though thankfully not by the heavy forepaws of the bear, Haze looks up at the grizzly with a concerned look on his face. "Please don't hurt her," he pleads, padding a little closer to the giantess. "She was just trying to protect her family."
Kiva remains unmoving, at least for now. It seems she may have fainted....the fear finally getting to her.
Brunhilde snorts loudly over at Haze. "In a very ineffective manner, I might add." The bear then lowers her giant head to sniff lightly at the ball of puppy before her. Brown eyes lift back to the male. "What're you pups doin'out here all alone?" The rumbling voice sounds more than a little demanding.
"W-we were exploring," Haze replies truthfully. "Our pack lives down in the valley near here," he further explains, as though implying that since they're not far from home, it's likely their parents aren't either. "I'm sorry if we bothered you, miss, but we just wanted to see what was outside of the valley."
The bear lets off a grunt. "Not alone, y'don't. If it weren't me comin'outta there you'd prolly both be in big trouble." Read: targets. Brun sits up to stare back down at Haze, one paw lifting to scratch at her chest. "I don'suppose yer'parents would like to find some tiny little carcasses instead of youngins."
-- Characters Involved --
- Viridian Pack -
Cottonpaws, female juvenile wolf
Kiva, female juvenile wolf
Haze, male juvenile wolf
- Others -
Brunhilde, female grizzly bear
-- Curving Ravine --
Kiva sneezes when a grasshopper lands on the tip of her nose, causing her to wake up from her sleep near then den. She opens her eyes and stares at the offending insect, but it still doesn't seem inclined to move. She tries a puppy version of a growl but the grasshopper just stares at her with bulging eyes. She gives a violent shake of her head and manages to dislodge it, upon which it hops away into the grass. She chases after it and tries to pounce on it, only to have it spring over her back and land on a blade of grass behind her.
Cottonpaws watches her sister in all this fun and games. But why is she... Oh! Now she sees the grasshopper too. Cotton stands lazily, shaking her body a little bit then yawning. She's not sure if she should get closer to her sis... So now, she just watches with amusement.
Kiva growls at the grasshopper again and jumps at it, almost having it pinned under one paw before it jumps out from underneath it. In the grass it seems to blend in and only after charging back and forth through the grass a few times does she scare it out again. The grasshopper leaps away and she follows in pursuit, growling softly in her throat. It is quite an amusing spectacle. The grasshopper is hopping for its life, right towards Cottonpaws!
Cottonpaws keeps looking at her sister, all fun and games till someone gets hurt, right? It's a shame Cotton is probably gonna get hurt this time. As the grasshopper jumps directly to her, she stays still, ready to pounce at the little insect.
Kiva watches the grasshopper approach her sister and stops in her tracks, not wanting to ruin her sister's hunt. She looks over at his sis with an amused smile, "You get it Sis. It's too fast for me." She admits as she crouches down, waiting to see if her sister can get the grasshopper. The grasshopper has settled onto a blade of grass no more than a few inches away from Cottonpaws.
Cottonpaws wastes no time, the pup leaps to where the grasshopper is. BUt, how to say this? In mid air, Cotton can see the grasshopper escaping just in time. Oh no, the gopper is replaced with a stone now. THUD! Cotton's face is splattered against the rock, whimpering.
Kiva watches her sister faceplant into the rock and forget all about the grasshopper, rushing over to the side of her sister with a whimper of worry, "Are you okay?" She inquires, giving her sister a nudge to encourage her to get up. She whimpers again, after all it looks like her sister may have seriously hurt herself and she doesn't like the thought of that.
Cottonpaws whimpers too, tears on her eyes and that sobbing sound. pathetic maybe. The pup turns to face her sister, nothing too serious, but surely there's a big bruise on her forehead, no blood thankfully, "It hurts." She whimpers out, flattening her ears and trying to look between her eyes, odd.
Kiva looks worried, her ears going back at bit upon hearing her sister whimper. She doesn't like to see anyone hurt, especially her sis. She looks at her sister and seems to lose her earlier playful manner, growing more serious, "You should stay still. And close your eyes. It might help." She suggests, keeping a close eye on her sister to make sure she's going to be okay.
Cottonpaws lays on her belly, using a paw to rub her nosebridge a little, closing her eyes just like her sister suggested, "I hate bugs..." He mutters softly, at least she's not whimpering, just crying.
Popping up from beneath a coat of pine needles that settled over him as he slept beneath one of the many pine trees found throughout the mountain, Haze shakes the blades out of his fur, yawning lazily as he glances around the vicinity. He spies his sisters a short distance away, and while he's not close enough to quite make out what they're saying, Cottonpaws seems to be upset. Shifting onto all fours, he pads towards the pair, ears pricked curiously forward. "What's going on?"
Kiva sits back on her haunches and growls softly in agreement, "So do I, it's that stupid thing that woke me up in the first place. If I see it again I'll be sure to smush it for you." She assures her sister, not wanting to see her upset. She then raises her head and both ears perk forward as she observes the arrival of their brother, "Cottonpaws was chasing a bug and ended up hitting a rock...pretty hard. She's hurt." She explains in a worried tone before her ears go back, "Look it's behind you!" She tells him, seeing the grasshopper perched one a blade of grass.
Cottonpaws is not badly hurt, but it hurts, and she's a pup! Even the smallest bruise hurts like hell. Little ears perk up, looking up at the cursed grasshopper and puppy-growling at it, "I hate you." Obvisoult she means the bug, not his brother. Cotton stays there, glaring at the probably mocking grasshopper.
While his brother may have been quick to crush it, just like the beetle from a while back, Haze is content to simply glance back at the grasshopper and consider it briefly before returning his gaze to his sisters. "Then I guess Cottonpaws wasn't watching where she was going, huh?" The rhetorical question is both a taunt and a stating of the obvious.
Kiva growls at the grasshopper and growls even louder when her brother doesn't kill it, "Hmmph, it was just fast, that's all. I bet even you can't catch it brtoher. You're far too slow." She taunts, stepping in front of her sister. She looks over at Cottonpaws and nods, "I don't blame you. It's a horrible creature. It woke me up." She remarks as if that was it's worse offense.
Cottonpaws barks angrily at her brother, "Hey!" Cotton stands up, still puppy-growling, but now ather brother, "Shut up ya meany!" Grrrrrr. She stands next to her sister... And yes, she looks pathetic, still crying.
Haze frowns at Kiva, and then at Cottonpaws. /Girls./ Now that he's not quite a cub anymore, the allure of the world outside the valley is even more tempting -- especially if it gets him away from his sisters. Realizing that anything he replies with will probably be taken in a negative way, he doesn't reply to either of his sisters right away.
Kiva growls at her brother, more boldly now that she has her sister at her side, "She's right, you're just mean. And scared, you're too scared to kill a litle bug." She taunts, hoping to goad him into killing it. She then looks over in concern to her sister, "You feeling better?" She asks, figuring some of the pain should have faded by now. She then glances back to Haze, "Way to show support for sis. You should be ashamed." She tells her, her voice mimicking that of a stern adult.
Cottonpaws is ok, really. Hurt a little, but worse to know that her brother is being a meany. Cotton dares to step closer to Haze, "I hate you, I can't believe you are so mean!" The pup sighs, calming down, but then turning around and walking past her sister and away, "Forget it Haze, you'll never understand."
Haze isn't so insecure that he's actually deeply hurt by his sister's continued taunts, but it's enough to make an internal decision for him. Not speaking even to raise his voice, or raising a threatening paw, the brindle pup simply turns away and begins to pad east through the valley.
Kiva watches her sister turn around and away from their brother and then looks over at Haze, "Where are you going?" She asks him, surging to her feet and following. She then looks back to Cottonpaws, "Well I'm going to see if it's possible if he can. He isn't always a meanie." She remarks, her tone seeming almost apologetic. She didn't mean to be so harsh, she had just been protective of her sister.
Cottonpaws turns to look back at her siblings... Great, now both are leaving. With a worried tone, she talks loud enough for both to hear, "Dad is going to be angry, we're not supposed to leave this place." But she makes nothing to stop them.
"What do you care?" Haze shoots back at Kiva, not so much upset by her previous bullying as it is her sudden shift in demeanors. He continues walking, not slowing down to make it easier for Kiva to catch up with him. Cottonpaws' protest is ignored, though he snorts a little at her use of 'dad'.
Kiva looks over her shoulder at Cottonpaws, "It's okay, you can tell him it was all my fault if you want." She assures her sister before looking to Haze, "Because you are my sib, that's why. I care, about /both/ of you. I was just angry that you didn't stick up for sis. We /are/ sibs and we should stick together." She informs him, making it clear she is not taking sides.
Cottonpaws sits there, looking at her siblings walk away.... Dad's gonna be angry!
Haze simply continues walking, approaching the slope that leads up to the higher altitude areas of the mountain, his ears slicked back as though trying to block out Kiva's speech. He doesn't want to be lectured, especially by his own sister.
-- Descending Vale --
Kiva remains silent for a while, giving her brother the peace and quiet that he seems to want. Her ears droop a bit as she follows him, "Why are you so angry brother?" She asks softly in the silence, remaining quiet once more as she waits for an answer.
Cottonpaws follows behind her siblings, far, but not THAT far, just to make sure they're ok.
"Don't you ever wonder what's outside of the valley?" Haze uses a question to answer Kiva's own, though it's possibly unclear whether or not his reply is an explanation for his current mood, or if he's simply continuing to ignore her line of interrogation. His hazel eyes are turned up, following the slope and the line of the river up to the plateau beyond.
Kiva isn't yet aware that their sister had followed, figuring she would stay behind so as not to get in trouble with father. She picks up on his evasion of her question but answers his anyway, "Of course I do, but father is always warning us not to go far. Though now that we are out here, I'll take whatever punishment he chooses later. This if worth it to be able to go beyond the den area."
Cottonpaws isn't sure this is a good idea. She knows it's a bad idea, dad will eat them alive. She quickens the pace, quickly catching up with her siblings, "Lets go back. Dad will wake up anytime soon."
Haze blinks at Kiva's response. "So you agree with me?" He's willing to suffer any sort of consequences the alphas can think up if it means he gets a chance to see what lies beyond the valley, even just once. But he never would have thought one of his siblings would have the same mindset, especially since the other two don't seem as keen on the idea. "Then go back, Cottonpaws. Why don't you tattle on us since you're so good at it?" Haze asks his sister mockingly. "What a daddy's girl..." he mutters under his breath, rolling his eyes.
Kiva looks over at Cottonpaws and shakes her head, "We've come too far, I'm not about to turn back now." She replies before looking to her brother and nodding, "Of course, I have wanted to for a while. But I didn't want to do it on my own. But since you decided to go, I see no reason why I can't come along. I want too see what it out there too." She informs him. Her ears go back when he insults her sister but she says nothing, not wanting to lose her chance to exploring.
Cottonpaws's ears flatten, glaring at her brother. She wants to go too, but dad will be angry, on the other paw, she has to make sure her siblings are ok, "Why are you so mean Haze?"
"Then we might as well make the most of it, if we're getting punished anyway," Haze affirms at Kiva's answer, beginning to pad up the slope again when he hears Cottonpaws' question. Turning back to face her, his face is emotionless. "I could ask you the same question, Cotton." The two have seemingly done nothing but fight ever since they were able to talk. Returning his eyes to the rim of the valley, he presses onward.
Kiva gives her sister a sympathetic look over her shoulder, "It's okay, just say it was all my idea. Dad will go easier on you because he would think I was a bad...influence on you." She tells her sister before looking to Haze and nodding, "Yeah we might as well. How far do you want to go?" She asks him, picking up the pace a little so that she lopes alongside him. She decides not to get involved with the quarrel between the two, she has already made it clear she is not taking sides.
Cottonpaws looks at her brother, frowning but saying nothing. The pup sopts walking and mutters to herself, "I care about you..." With a sigh, the pup turns around, "Just don't go too far away, might be dangerous." She tried. The pup starts walking away.
-- Pristine Lake --
"I don't know," Haze replies to Kiva as he continues making his way up the valley's slope, finally breaching the top -- the view causing him to catch his breath at the speechless beauty of it all. The newness. The unfamiliarity. The /everything/ about the world outside the valley. After he's taken a moment to absorb it all, he glances from side to side, scanning the horizon. "Well, it looks like we could go either north or south." If his parents have said anything regarding the two directions outside the valley, he doesn't remember.
Kiva watches as Cottonpaws chooses to stay behind and shakes her head, why would she miss this sort of chance. She looks at her brother....and then past him at the incredible view, "Amazing..." She whispers softly, her desire to explore growing even more. She's been cooped up near the den for far too long. She takes in the view in silence, enjoying the fact she is away from the den. The world is so wide and huge, larger than she ever thought it could be. She then pauses and glances at her brother, relying on him for direction, "I think I'd like to go north, but you decide." She tells him.
Haze's sleep last night was interrupted by infernal screaming - he barely remembers his parents mentioning cougars afterwards in his groggy state - and if he recalls correctly, those scary sounds came from the south. Glancing towards the indicated direction, seeing the mountain slope once again, down into a forest, it certainly seems to be a fine option even without the threat of banshee-esque cougars in the other direction. "Sounds good to me," he replies, quickly skirting around the lake and heading towards a loud, yet somehow serene, crashing sound to the north. Less scary of a sound than those cougars, at least.
-- Waterfall Ledge --
Kiva follows after her brother to the north, not having heard anything about cougars. The sound ahead gets louder and she wonders what it is, perking both ears forward. She eagerly follows behind her brother, wanting to know what lies ahead. The mist is thick in the area and tends to cling to her fur, wetting it down with moisture. Her eyes widen as she catches sight of the waterfall and she gasps, "It's incredible.....look at what we've been missing all this time. Why would father want to keep us confined at the den?" She asks.
Following the course of the river from the lake to its outsource at the edge of the mountain, Haze is just as stunned by the sight of the waterfall. "Wow..." When you've been sheltered from seeing so many things, everything looks so much more majestic as a result once you do get to see them. This waterfall is no exception. "They're afraid we'll get hurt," he replies, as if reciting the answer he would have received dozens of times upon asking to explore beyond the valley.
Kiva watches the waterfall, impressed by the sight of it and feeling more resentful by the moment for being kept from this. She looks at her brother and nods in agreement, "I think you're right. In a way we did get hurt, but by them. They've kept us too sheltered." She remarks, padding out towards the edge of the river. The mist further dampens her fur but it can't dampen her joy at the freedom she has. She then looks over at her brother, "Let's go see what's even further." She suggests.
Danger can come in all shapes and sizes, and quite a few dangerous looking things aren't what they seem. A fog-laden shadow of tall brush to the rear rustles and cracks with movement; the thicker parts of the air yield nothing of real warning besides the snap of twigs and the displeased squeaks of birds being dislodged from their low-hanging perches. A low, almost groaning mumble comes next, the seconds afterward falling oddly silent.
Haze falls into step behind his sister as she suggests further exploration - he's determined to milk this adventure for all it's worth before his parents are told of their absence and come to herd them home - when his ears twitch at the sound of motion behind them. Surely Cottonpaws hasn't tattled on them already? Pausing, he turns to look behind him, expecting to see his mother standing with a disapproving look on her face - but nothing's there. But he knows he heard /something/...he frowns, hesitating in mid-step as he continues to peer curiously around him, seeking out whoever's watching them. "Kiva? Did you hear that?"
Kiva is busy looking at the waterfall again, her steps slowing as she watches the wall of water. She never knew anything like this could exist before. Her ears go back as she hears a sound from behind them, though she can't quite tell where it is coming from. She swivels her ears and shakes her head, probably just the sound of the waterfall, she's probably just hearing things. Her brother proves her wrong when he asks her if she heard it and she nods, "I heard something. I'm not sure what. Think Cottonpaws decided to follow us after all?" She asks, the fur along the back of her neck rising as she drops back close to her brother.
The figure now outlined in the gray air is clearly not a wolf of any sort, nor even close. A literal mountain seems to be stalking closer at first, but soon a big, round, furry head becomes discernible. It is a bear. A very large, very shaggy-looking bear. Having been staring at where her own paws are moving, the realization of little voices and the smell of wolf with all the water makes Brunhilde's attention come-to. The giant animal simply stops where she is visible, staring over with a quiet blink and a tilt of her ears.
"Cottonpaws, stop being such a goody-goody and come out. We know you're there, so you can stop spying on us now," Haze calls out at Kiva's suggestion. As no reply is heard, but the appearance of something moving closer suddenly jars the realization that the big hulking shadow isn't actually just a big boulder because boulders /don't/ /move/. Hazel eyes widen as the bear moves into visibility, and Haze is frozen in place, his jaw dropped in an expression of raw fear. "K-Kiva? Is /this/ a cougar?"
Kiva watches the mountain of fur with wide eyes, her ears going back and her tail tucking between her legs in fear. As if the sight of it wasn't scary enough the mist seems to make it hard to see, one minute solid and then next faded. She shakes her head, "I was wrong...she isn't here..." Her voice trembles, fear closing off her throat. For a moment she can barely speak before she shakes her head, "No, father told me what one was. This isn't it. I think this is why our parents did not want us to wander.." She remarks, starting at the bear with her paws frozen to the spot. She then looks over at Haze, "Run now brother and warn our sis. I will distract it so that you can get away." She tells him, turning to face the bear. She trembles in fear but forces herself to move towards it, not wanting anything to happen to her siblings.
Brunhilde's brow creases together, tongue running once over her lower lip as she stares at the bundles of damp fur in front of her. Her attention goes to Kiva, big head tilting to squint at the little wolf. "I'm a what, now?" Distract? That isn't really too difficult.
Unfortunately, Haze is in no mindset to run, perhaps even think of running. Currently experiencing what rabbits and deer are both known for doing when faced with something sudden and startling, the young wolf is paralyzed with fear (aside from the shivers racking his body), simply staring up at the huge furry monster, apparently hoping that if he doesn't move, it will either kill him quickly and painlessly than if he tried to escape, or else simply not see him anymore.
Kiva doesn't answer the monstrous mountain of fur, at least not in words. Noticing her brother is frozen to the spot she feels she has no choice but to protect him. She is no less afraid but the fear sends jolts of adrenaline surging through her body, her fear turning to enraged anger. She snarls deep in her throat, the best snarl she has ever managed before. All her fur is standing out on end, making her look twice the size she actulally is. She darts forward and lopes along the ground, building momentum and speed, she then leaps towards the muzzle of the bear, attempting to bring her needle-like puppy teeth down on the bear's sensitive nose.
Brunhilde blinks over towards Haze before lowering her gaze back to Kiva-- of course, just as soon as the little rascal pounces for her face. This gets a somewhat frustrated bellow and an irritated yet gentle swat, luckily before the young canine gets close enough. Biting means biting back, and this bear isn't feeling particularly murderous.
Snapped out of his paralysis by the bear's bellowing and the flash of his sister's movements, Haze cries out as he watches Kiva barrel towards the large ursine like a mouse hurtling towards a stone wall. "Kiva, no!"
Kiva finds herself swatted away and tumbles to the ground, rolling over several times before sliding to a stop in a tall patch of grass. She shakes her head and is disorient, getting to her feet with her legs trembling underneath her. She looks over to see her brother is still there, though her vision is double due to the disorientation, "This feels weird.." She mutters before shaking her head to clear it, "Brother, get out of here now. I can't distract it for long!" She calls again, urging him to flee. Feeling a bit better she surges forward for another attack on the bear,although this time she is merely trying to distract it. She intends to run right between it's legs where it can't get at her.
Brunhilde is not impressed by the wolf pup's attempts at selflessness. This becomes increasingly apparent as she turns to face the flying fuzzball of fury; she then chooses to sit down on her hindquarters. Instead of making a big fuss and swatting Kiva away again, this time there is meaning to simply let her bounce off. Or get stuck in fur, whichever works.
"Kiva, stop!" Haze yells even louder, desperate to try and stop her sister from foolishly digging her own grave, but not willing to leap into the foray and try to physically keep her from proceeding. "I...I don't think it wants to hurt us!" he calls out over the roar of the waterfall, though he doesn't quite believe himself. Sure, the bear doesn't seem too eager to rip them both to shreds (because it surely would have by now), but it's not exactly the most innocent looking of species.
Kiva is not exactly selfless, her protective instincts have just been aroused. In fact it's all caused by fear, fear of losing those she cares for. It's the fear that drives her more than anything also. It's also inexperience, she knows nothing of bears or how dangerous they are. She's making a show of being brave, but the combination of disorientation and fear is too much for her. Just as she reaches the bear her legs seem to turn to jelly beneath her and won't hold her up. She goes down right in front of the feet of the bear in a heap.
Brunhilde watches Kiva come to a stop in front of her, and at this point she can't hold back a loud chuckle as she relaxes into a better sit. Round ears slip back to their natural places. "Settle down, pup." Brun's voice rumbles easily with the sound of the nearby water, and being this close, chances are Kiva will hear the bear perfectly fine.
Wincing as Kiva goes down for the count, though thankfully not by the heavy forepaws of the bear, Haze looks up at the grizzly with a concerned look on his face. "Please don't hurt her," he pleads, padding a little closer to the giantess. "She was just trying to protect her family."
Kiva remains unmoving, at least for now. It seems she may have fainted....the fear finally getting to her.
Brunhilde snorts loudly over at Haze. "In a very ineffective manner, I might add." The bear then lowers her giant head to sniff lightly at the ball of puppy before her. Brown eyes lift back to the male. "What're you pups doin'out here all alone?" The rumbling voice sounds more than a little demanding.
"W-we were exploring," Haze replies truthfully. "Our pack lives down in the valley near here," he further explains, as though implying that since they're not far from home, it's likely their parents aren't either. "I'm sorry if we bothered you, miss, but we just wanted to see what was outside of the valley."
The bear lets off a grunt. "Not alone, y'don't. If it weren't me comin'outta there you'd prolly both be in big trouble." Read: targets. Brun sits up to stare back down at Haze, one paw lifting to scratch at her chest. "I don'suppose yer'parents would like to find some tiny little carcasses instead of youngins."