Hazel had learned by now that, in order to exert minimal effort and still get a decent meal, she'd be best off at the river. The crayfish that scuttled along the shallows were awfully tasty. That, and she didn't have the worst luck catching them, being as they weren't the fastest. It was a warm spring day as she found herself on the sandy bank, not far from where her parents had left her. Their words still echoed in her head stay here. She'd stayed... they hadn't returned. Hazel was the only one of the pups to be left behind, wherever they went. It seemed they weren't coming back after all. Whatever, was really her entire approach to the situation. A great big whatever... she had fishing to do.

She could do this on her own, that was fine. The process of catching crayfish was enough to fill up her head, and Hazel was enjoying herself. Pounce, chomp, catch. Pounce, chomp, miss. Could go either way. Still, it didn't take long before she got her first pounce, chomp, catch. "Gottem!" She crowed, laying on her belly in the cool, damp sand to peel away the shell. With careful teeth she picked most of the tough outer layer away before scarfing it down quickly and moving onto the next one. Pounce, chomp, miss. Okay, and the next one... and the next one. Hazel was content to continue until bored or full, whichever came first.

"Speech"

Like Hazel, Zoey’s parents had left her - though in the russet-furred child’s situation, it was something she had been forced to witness. Her parents didn’t up and leave her, which should’ve been somewhat of a blessing. However, the child had found both her mother and father curled up in some tucked-away den in the corner of a vast mountain, their sunken bodies overgrown with the luminescent fungi that once covered the world. The child had not realized they were gone until then, just sick. Still, like Hzel, she did what she was told, though in a slightly different context. See the world, Zoey. Fill your head with knowledge as endless as the stars. Her mother’s hoarse, ooze-thickened words never left the girl’s mind. Even as she crossed towards the creek from the obsidian beaches she had frequented before that. Really, despite all the tragedy she had endured, she had the widest smile and the sweetest sparkle in her goggle-covered eyes. She’d live each day to its best, and not wallow in the anxiety that was sure to swell from being apart from her parents at such a young age.

Upon reaching the banks, the gil wagged her tail at the sight of the plants that lined its shores, and the little crayfish that hopped up here and there from the shallow waters. "Woah! I gotta examine these!" The child chirped, a cheerful giggle emanating from her lips as she cupped her forepaws to catch one. Though she was hungry, she’d want to see how this strange clawed creature worked before eating it. One finally sprang into her paws, and after a few moments of struggling to keep it in her grasp, she finally let it go..sort of. She tossed it in the air and caught it by its tail, awkwardly fumbling with it in her teeth and managing to crunch into its exterior shell before it could latch onto her face. Awkwardly managing to consume the creature she had just ‘examined’, the child then noticed the splashing of the water nearby. Curious, the girl wandered over to the source of the sound only to find another similarly-aged child catching the funny things. They were certainly fun! And this girl seemed nice enough..maybe she also lost her parents as she did.

"Hi there!" She squeaked, standing just so she was within the other child’s visual range. She lifted a paw and waved it in greeting, her white-tipped tail wagging obnoxiously fast. "I’m Zoey! Are you exploring alone like me? Maybe we can explore together!" She could do with a play date, after all. She’d only encountered a grown up or two at this point, and needless to say, they could be a bit, well, boring!

Hazel had been left intentionally. They didn't come back, walking away with her siblings in toe, because they simply didn't want her. It was a transgression of birth-- the red and pale girl had been abandoned because she was a bastard. A double-sired litter, but a bastard litter none the less. She didn't look like everyone else, and didn't act like them either. Bold, brash, and sometimes too much for her siblings... yeah, it was clear she didn't fit in. Those were the same things that would leave Hazel able to make it on her own. An unchained, wild boldness. Wild wildness. Feral children, ah... raised by wolves? Raised by herself. Something like that.

Still, she was enjoying the sun and enjoying her snack. With an unchained, unbound energy, the girl was able to catch a few of the crayfish and chomp them down happily. Lunch and the spring warmth, there was little that could be done to hold her back from having a good day. Hazel was happy with herself. Her tail wagged loosely at her haunches, splashing and playing as she caught each in turn. She was relaxed, maybe more than she should be for a young girl out on her own. Still, it didn't matter. She was able to enjoy herself, well and truly, on days like this.

A squeaky sort of voice caught Hazel's attention, and her head swung-- oh! A girl, probably her age. Zoey! Okay, rad. She could work with this. Hazel's tail wagged even faster now, front feet tapping in excitement. "I'm Hazel," she grinned, the smile reaching all the way to her eyes. "Yeah, that sounds fun." Exploring alone... hell, Hazel was doing more than just exploring alone, she was doing everything alone. Maybe it was dangerous to tell everyone that, though... and it was embarrassing. Her very presence had been too much for her family, so much so that they'd just left. Should she be embarrassed about that? It felt like she should. "Where do you wanna go?" After all, Hazel could go wherever she wanted. That was the glory of being left to fend for yourself-- have to look on the bright side.
"Speech"

Zoey’s innocence despite her tragic losses was pure as could be - as such, she didn’t even think to ask where Hazel’s parents were. Even if she did find out the whole story, what could she do about it? They both had made very difficult choices in their lives; on one hand, one child lost her parents and was forced to make a choice to stay there or flee. The other girl decided to leave as was in her best interest, to find acceptance when in her family she had none. Two different circumstances lead to two paths converging, and perhaps it was unique coincidence that the universe brought the two lonely children together. Not that Zoey herself thought so deeply about abstract concepts - she preferred a methodical, scientific approach.

The red-shaded child in front of her asked the russet child where she’d like to go, as if Zoey would be the leader of their adventure. Zoey paused in her half play-bowed stance, scanning the marshy region in front of them. ’Nice to meet you Hazel! Erm, let’s see..” After a few moments of letting her gaze wander excitedly, the girl noticed a small path that led deeper into the woodland by the water. Maybe they’d find more animals or bugs, just something new to explore together! "Let’s go there!” Zoey said, pointing towards the shoreline path behind Hazel. She offered a cheerful grin to her new friend - who said she couldn’t call her a friend now that they knew each others’ names and were practically the same age? - and began skipping towards the path, pausing to allow the other pup to follow along.

Hazel would grow up to be a harder, more bitter creature. Still, that was a long way off. It was a long way off that she would really... really realize the gravity of her situation. Abandoned or orphaned, their stories weren't so different. It was nice to have the companionship of someone much her own age. Hazel could be grateful, and she was comfortable here. There isn't so much methodical about the red and pale girl, instead giving into the chaos energy that lived inside her. It was enough to make her more than a little strange, but Hazel didn't mind that so much. It was hard to mind when you didn't know much better.

Okay yes, let's see! Let's see where they'd adventure to, and it felt great. Everything felt positively fantastic. Hazel was bold, tail wagging at her haunches. She offered a shallow play bow as well, front feet tapping. Oh-- yes, a path. That sounded great. "Catch me if you can!" The pup took off, grinning. They were friends already, Hazel was sure of it. She invited Zoey to chase her, a joy building in her chest. This place was gorgeous, and she was so incredibly excited about being able to explore it.

"Speech"

It was nice to finally just have a normal, regular playdate. A normal and fun time with someone her own age - what else could a young, energetic child ask for? Adults could be so boring sometimes, and their energy was lacking, in her opinion. Not that she didn’t respect them, of course, but there was a joy to playing and indulging in childhood games that delighted her more than the company of an older wolf at her age. Plus, two pups were safer than one, right? Though the two girls were well accustomed to being on their own, Zoey’s parents had always drilled into her the importance of safety in numbers. It was an idea she held dear, and she felt quite secure being with a fellow lonely pup. For once they could just run around and be normal. Not worry about food or shelter..just be pups.

"Catch me if you can!" Her new friend Hazel exclaimed, charging off on the path. Zoey giggled as she leaned into her haunches, launching herself forward into a steady gallop to catch up with her friend. The mud and sand she stirred up barely bothered her thanks to her awesome googles! "I’ll getcha!" She squeaked, her excitement pushing her forward so as to catch up with Hazel’s taller limbs. She was quite average in size, but she didn’t even care. Plus she wasn’t a sore loser - she just wanted to have fun with a friend, and that’s all that mattered. The innocence and joy she received from her experiences would no doubt be loving memories she’d cherish even as she would grow up.

Normal... well, maybe Hazel could pretend to be normal. She was a bit on the strange side, but so it goes. Strange, maybe a little feral. That was okay. Feral children, raised by wolves-- wait. Shit, raised by wolves? Raise by not-wolves. Raised by themselves... something like that. You get the sentiment. Good enough, at least. Yes, good enough.

If Hazel could help it, she'd never grow up. Never ever. There would always be a sort of wildness to her, a lack of refinement that probably came from being raised in a home with parents. Being actually raised by anyone at all. Still, there was a lack of typical developmental milestones out here on her own. Instead, she was learning things that would make her... different. Things like how to keep herself alive, how to fend off coyotes, how to not starve. The things that you didn't usually have to worry about until at least a little later. No matter. Hazel simply did her best.

I'll getcha! Zoey's voice came, and with it, a splashing in the mud and silt. Hazel laughed, her tail wagging as she splashed along beside her friend. She could see how the goggles would come in handy now, stopping to wipe the muck from her eyes. "Aaaaa, it's so muddy!" She dunked her head under the water, coming up with a giant, splashing shake. In every direction, water splayed out around her. As the spring sunshine beamed down around them, the pair really was living their best lives. Childhood was a beautiful thing.

"Speech"