my mama says that alligators are ornery...

Dawn slowly rose over the eastern shore. Soft hues of oranges, reds, and yellows mixed with the thick clouds that lay low along the skyline. It might snow today. It might just rain. The weather didn't exactly matter to the pup. She didn't quite care if she got dirty, stayed clean, whatever. It didn't matter. Well, maybe a little. Being wet wasn't exactly her favorite thing, but getting caught in a storm didn't sound like a big deal. She would risk it to go explore before everyone got up.

Cal thought the island was nicer when everyone else was asleep. The quiet was nice. The lull of the ocean and the early songs of migrated birds kept her company. Not far off, Urtur followed, knowing he had to at least try and keep an eye on one of the pups. Might as well be Cal, right? Eh, he'd probably regret it later. Considering, as she made her way down the shore toward the bridge that led to the mangroves, a pair of beady eyes blinked at them from the water.

Water between the isle and the mangroves was more brackish than anything. Staying only slightly warmer than the more northern areas, certain large reptiles tended to head down here for the winter. Stay warm, stay alive. What the alligators hadn't expected was the sudden arrival of the wolf pack. Lurking in the shallows, the alligator watched. It locked eyes onto Cal and Urtur before they even knew it was there.

Headed to go get into trouble, Cal did not expect the sudden splashing of water and large jaws coming straight for her. A startled scream ripped from her as she jumped backward and Urtur jumped between her and the alligator. The wolverine hisses and slashes at the reptile while Cal collects herself. No way was she going to let this monster get the better of her! Pissed off, Cal slips around behind Urtur, moving toward the side of the alligator and begins kicking sand at its face.

Calliope, The Callous