She wasn't quite old enough yet to be venturing out on her own. Not that she would want to! The world was much too large and terrifying for Gem. Too many dangers placed into her head by her father. Which to her made sense. He was protecting her even if others thought that they might be sheltering her. But she was small and though she wanted to wander, she didn't want to die. To help keep her safe, Chimera had told her that her older brother, Quill, would gladly take her out and about whenever she wanted! The thought of venturing out toward Wolfpaw Lake excited her! She hadn't been there since they had moved territories and she wanted to see the ducks again! Setting out from the den she shared with her littermates, Gem went on her first search for Quill. Letting loose a puppy-like howl with her pinkened lips pointed at the sky, she hurried her steps as her head lowered back down. "Quill!" Gem calls out, her tail wagging when she finally spots the older and much larger Klein. Bounding over with happy paws, she playfully pounces on his front leg and sticks her nose right in his sleeping face. "Quill!" Gem's attempt of a shout is... normal volume in comparison to anyone else. "Daddy said you have to let me teach you a lesson in navigation! Okay?" Her face is all smile as she steps back and waits with puppy wiggles for him to agree. Gemma Klein

navigation seasonal - give her older brother a lesson on how to navigate around the lake
word count: 249/1500

Quill stretched out his legs, relishing the sweet silence of morning. As he started to sink back into the depths of sleep, a little howl from nearby interrupted his tranquility. Growling softly, he cracked open one lavender and mint eye to find his younger sister, Gem, standing eagerly beside him. Her words brought a confused huff from the brute and he wanted nothing more than to just roll over and go back to sleep. She was persistent though...

Quill blinked away the remnants of sleep, his mind slowly registering Gem's words. Navigation? He glanced up at the sky, noting the position of the sun. It was still early, the day ripe with possibilities. With a resigned sigh, he pushed himself upright, shaking out his fur to banish the last vestiges of sleep. He was a pack wolf now and there was no doubt in his mind that their father would pummel him if he didn't carry out this task.

"Alright, Gem. Lead the way," Quill replied, feigning interest for his enthusiastic sister.

Gem beamed, her tail wagging furiously as she bounded ahead. Since she was ahead of him, the girl wouldn't be able to see her sibling roll his eyes and sulk a bit. The brute followed at a more leisurely pace, allowing Gem to take the lead as they ventured into the area surrounding the lake.

As they trekked through the undergrowth, Gem chattered excitedly about the different landmarks she had memorized, pointing out distinctive trees and rock formations along the way. Quill listened attentively, his eyes scanning their surroundings for any signs of danger. Despite his reluctance to be dragged into Gem's impromptu lesson, he couldn't deny the enjoyment that he felt in simply walking and stretching his legs.

Suddenly, a rustling in the bushes ahead had the grey and white man on high alert. Instinctively, he tensed, his ears swiveling to catch the faintest sound. In the brush, he could hear moving paws. Something, or several somethings, seemed to be circling the pair of wolves.

As the man's dual-toned eyes scanned the area around them, three shadowy figures emerged from the underbrush, their yellow eyes glinting with malice. Jackals. Rather large ones, too. Quill's muscles coiled instinctively, his senses sharpening as he positioned himself protectively in front of Gem. Chimera would murder him if he let Gem get hurt.

"Stay behind me, Gem," he growled, his voice low and menacing.

The jackals bared their teeth in a feral grin, sensing an easy target in the younger wolf. It wouldn't be as easy as they expected. Quill braced himself, a deep, glacial snarl ripping up from his chest as he took a single stomping step towards the trio of smaller canines.

With a guttural growl, the largest of the jackals lunged forward, aiming for Gem's vulnerable flank. Quill intercepted the attack with lightning speed, meeting the assailant head-on with a flurry of claws and teeth. The forest erupted into chaos as the three jackals descended upon Quill, their savage cries reverberating through the trees.

Quill fought with a fierce determination, his senses honed to a razor-sharp edge as he countered each blow with calculated precision. Despite being outnumbered, he refused to yield, drawing upon every ounce of strength and skill at his disposal to keep Gem safe from harm.

Time seemed to blur as the skirmish raged on, the sounds of battle drowned out by the pounding of Quill's heartbeat in his ears. Adrenaline surged through his veins, fueling his resolve as he relentlessly drove back the jackals with one attack after another. Teeth had ripped into the throat of one jackal and it fell dead right at his paws. The second and third were grievously wounded and Quill could tell that they were rethinking their plan.

Finally, with one last defiant snarl, Quill emerged victorious. The remaining attackers tucked tail and ran, disappearing into the thicker foliage around the lake. The ash and snow man breathed heavily, nostrils flaring as he fought to regain his composure. He hadn't signed up for this shit, but here they were...

Together, they stood amidst the quiet serenity of the forest surrounding the lake. It was as if nothing had ever occurred. The birds continued to sing, fish splashed in the water, rodents darted through the brush. The scent of metallic blood was rich in the air, however. The dead jackal was slowly forming a puddle around itself as blood slid from the body. Quill ushered Gem away from the mess and towards the lake itself. He could really, really use a drink after all of that.

Coming to the edge of the water, Quill stepped within, a sigh of content leaving him as the cool liquid soaked into the various bites on his legs and hindquarters. A brow raised and he looked towards the small girl. "Is this what you were expecting for the day?"

WC-815
Total- 1064/1500

"Speech"

Gem would have no idea that this task was probably more important for Quill than herself. Would her brother prove that he could be a pack wolf after all? The semantics of pack life and the politics of it all was lost on Gem. She cared not for any of that currently. Instead, she was focused more on the lesson ahead. Her tail wags furiously as her older brother rolls to his paws, her own body shaking out of her fur as he does his own. Yes, finally! A victim to listen to her babble on about the lake nearby. A lake that she often wandered around, frequently investigating the different vegetation and animals. Unlike her siblings, Gem was more interested in the world around her than watching blood seep from their victims. "I've noticed from the different seasons that the size of the lakes changes," Gem starts their lesson as she leads Quill around the banks of the largest lake. "When I first came out here during the spring, the lakes were larger, full of water, and so many more ducks," she points a paw at what few mallard ducks are left milling around the lake. "Now that summer is almost done and autumn is basically here, there's a lot less water and way more bank. Look at the mud, here," Gem stops a moment to paw at the muddy bank that slopes down toward the water. "You can tell that animals have been here digging for what mom calls tubers," she looks back at Quill with a grin, ignorant to the look of alert that is on her older brother's face. "There's plenty of amphibians in the area too. I've seen frogs, salamanders, skinks, turtles, there's even a few snakes and fish in the area too, but not as much. I think mama was calling this area a wetlands, like its always wet here," she continues on as they wrap around one of the toes of the paw shaped lake. The next part of her lesson was going to be about predators because those were important too, at least by the words of their father. Predators was something she should always be on alert for because she was so small and an easy target. Plus, she didn't like fighting so flight was her only option unless her companion, Hem, could take them on. And if it weren't for Quill being her guard that day, she would have been in a lot of trouble. The eyes of the jackals that surround them hone in on her. Quill's sudden direction to stay behind him had her fur standing on end. Ears perked then flattening, eyes going wide as the three mongrels reveal themselves. Oh, no! Cowering, Gem quickly slides behind Quill and back into the grasses so that she wouldn't be seen. Hunkering down onto her belly, she watches her older brother fight valiantly until all three jackals are successfully defeated by Quill. Impressed and also very glad that Quill was as good of a fighter as he was, she didn't argue when he turned to her and ushered them back toward the water's edge and away from the dead and bleeding jackal. Coming to sit at the water's edge, Gem doesn't say anything for awhile. Fear still races through her as she urges her heart to settle. What if one of them had actually gotten to her? Would she ever be able to go adventuring without looking over her shoulder for danger? When Quill finally speaks, she looks up at him with a frown. "No," her voice is quiet. She looks away, staring out at the calm waters of the lake. "I just wanted to show you what I learned," Gem whispers now, eyes averted from the injuries that her brother sustained. "I didn't want anyone to get hurt," she adds on, sliding her front paws out and resting her chin on her paws to pout and feel bad about what happened. 1727/1500