His last attempts to explore Wolfpaw Lake had been foiled, some hyenas trying to eat one of the pups. Ugh, why was he the one bailing someone out? Maybe it felt kinda good, and he got to use the axe to its fullest, but why him? Davey doesn't like the idea of anyone relying on him, no thanks. As he slips out in the ruddy dusk, he's determined to actually enjoy exploring this time.

Winding his way around the lake, Davey is able to take it in. The banks had receded some, leaving the silty bottom exposed. Some of the fish didn't look too bright either... maybe he'd be able to catch some dinner without much effort. Remembering to eat has nothing on the border collie brain. Instead, he's got his nose to the ground, taking in the strange scents and sweet meadow grasses. There's so much shrub and roughage around here, but it's bizarrely quiet. Too quiet, few of the crepuscular animals out and browsing yet.

Exploring was alright, and Davey is alright at it, he's decided.

"Davey"

Atoll trailed a few dozen yards behind Davey, trying to make it clear that he wasn't totally following him, he just happened to be walking in the same direction for a very, very long time. Only his legs were a lot shorter and he was growing tired faster than he'd anticipated. He had wanted to strike out on an adventure with one of the older Raider kids but he wasn't quite sure what he'd gotten himself into. Regardless, he loved to explore new places and as he observed Davey put his nose to the ground, Atoll did the same. Crispy crunchy autumn grass wafted into his nose, followed by the softer smell of the rich soil from the riverbanks. The closer he got, the more the squelched between his toes and he made a face.

He liked explored, he didn't like getting dirty. Why was it so hard to do one without the other getting in the way?

Stepping back to survey the lake with the plumed grasses that surrounded it swaying in the breeze, he let out a squeaky little yawn. "So, uh, we setting up camp?" He said, trying to sound cool and casual and like he knew exactly what he was talking about. The sun was starting to sink in the sky, draping everything in muted tones as it leeched the warmth and color of day away.

"speech"

coding by xarae

If there wasn't a sibling disrupting his peace, there were the kids who were good-as. Davey let go a slow suffering sigh, not bothering to hide the heavy eye roll in his tone. How the fuck had he already ended up with kids at his heels? At least this time it's kid-singular but... ugh. Davey grumbled to himself, wondering just how far Atoll was going to follow.

Turned out, all the way. Wrapping himself in the exploration, trying to keep his joy and his peace about it... and promptly failing. Whatever. Fine. Fine! This was going to be his life now, wasn't it?

"You are setting up camp, if you want it." His tone laden with snark. "There's no reason for me to be dragging some of those dried grasses that would make for comfy dry bedding, especially if there's an old den around here somewhere." Was Davey giving sass with a side of instructions, instead of the other way around? Maybe. Pretending to be absent about it, the boy moved to swing his axe at the dried grasses that had been laid out by whatever autumn winds had swept through here. There, now they'd be even easier for someone else to drag.

All the same, Davey scanned the horizon again. Looking for one of those fabled abandoned dens, or at least a hollow in the earth. Maybe it would be nice to take some time and do some deeper exploration, let the night take over. At least it would be nice, if he was alone. Big disgruntled tween sigh.

"Davey"

Well, he usually liked to be the one bossing others around, but this far out of Raider territory (and outside of the hierarchy of his siblings), he was more like a fish out of water. Atoll was a perceptive child, much to the chagrin of those around him, and he could sense Davey's irritation pouring off of him in waves... but still, the older boy threw him a bone. Instead of bristling at the instructions (which meant getting even muckier and even dirtier, but Atoll would suffer it to impress him), he got right to work. He tried not to seem too impressed at Davey's axe. The boy didn't like fighting even a lick, but he awfully did love treasures and baubles.

Atoll gathered the cut grasses left behind by the axe's swing into a big pile. They crunched together but didn't totally disintegrate, although he could tell by how they felt that they'd break off into little pieces in his fur if he laid in it. No biggie. No biggie. This was like him and Kaira setting up the hideout for the first time... except Davey was him and he was Kaira, doing the dirty work. Maybe it was kind of a fitting punishment. Atoll looked up at the sky for another long moment, admiring how wide open it was out further out here. No mist from the moors or trees from the estuary to block his view: just clear, starry night. He sighed dreamily before beginning to drag more grasses into the center of the pile.

This place was awfully pretty, even if it was terribly muddy right now. He imagined it in winter, each little pool surrounding the lake frozen solid. Would the fish darting within freeze, too? Hey, what happened to those fish, anyway? Atoll felt the question bubbling up but he squashed it down. No, he had to be cool! "Is this enough?" he asked, pointing his nose toward a mound of grasses about 1.5 Daveys big. Maybe it was too much? While he usually wanted to poke and prod, he found himself wanting more to win the prize of Davey's positive attention. His siblings were boring! Hanging out with the big pups was way more fun. If he made himself useful enough, maybe he'd let him stick around.


"speech"

coding by xarae

Dusk was slipping to cool night, maybe they would benefit from something to insulate them from the cold, wet ground. That, and something to keep the breeze from their backs. Davey guessed, if they were staying out. Better than trying to make it home right now, he's still feeling pretty fresh. Taking a bit of pity on Atoll, he swiftly cuts down another patch of grasses, wrapping them into a bundle and carrying it farther on their hike.

He'd subtly lead the boy in a direction that had some cover from the shrubby grasses, and a downed tree dragged over by some predator that wasn't them. It was enough to brace from the wind, and as the pile of grasses grew, it was... well, they could work with it. Still keeping half his attention trained on the horizon, lest something bigger and freakier come out of the woodwork, he starts to shape the pile into something like a shelter. Some of the dried grass flattened beneath them, some packing behind them and into the shrubs and dead tree.

The sky spread out above in all directions, it's a pretty night. Davey focuses on the middle distance for a while, tracing the skyline with a careful gaze. The treeline that made up the Ravine was behind them, and before them? At the edge of the lush grasslands, there's only sand. The Dunes, the Deluge, lay spread farther into the continent. "This will do, yeah. You did alright." It's as close as he'll get to a compliment for the boy, but far closer than he gets for his siblings. Give and take.

"Was it worth followin' me?" Teasing, sure, but it's not the most malice his tone has held today. Sure, he'd put Atoll to work, but maybe the view and the exploring was worth it after all.

"speech"

coded by NachoMumma

He trundled after Davey, dragging the bundle of grasses along as he went. It compressed nicely to carry even if it was quite thick. The autumn breeze seemed to follow them as he went, sending a shiver down his spine. It whispered of the cold to come and he didn't like that one bit. Why did his mind keep going back to winter? Couldn't he just enjoy the weather now? Atoll focused on the feeling of the ground beneath his paws. The further away they got from the lake, the less muddy the ground got. Well, thank god or Abraxas or whoever for that! The stiff mud drying between his toes was still a reminder of how grimy he was and he hated the feeling of the dirt flaking off as he walked.

Once they approached the log, Atoll grinned and placed the grasses where Davey directed him. Beneath the open sky, fully surrendered now to night and stars, the two Raider boys set up camp. He followed Davey's gaze to their surroundings, taking in the nearby territories with quiet interest. He'd never been quite this far from home before. Was it worth followin' me? Atoll tore his gaze away from the surrounding lands, surprised that Davey was addressing him. "Oh, yeah," he said, suddenly finding himself shy. "I like exploring... and it's better with company. With wolves you know." Atoll was a social creature at heart. There wasn't much fun in playing tricks alone. "What's your favorite place you've ever been?" He asked, tilting his head back to look up at the sky above.


"speech"

coding by xarae

Packing down the last of the flooring, and squishing down a heap of the soft grasses behind them, Davey was at least relatively pleased with the makeshift shelter. It would take some time actually sitting in it to get everything squished down, but it's malleable enough to not be too much of a pain in the ass. The boy is relaxed, even if there's still some annoyance about what was supposed to be a solo adventure turning into something else. Ah, at least Atoll had proved useful.

Gaze flickering skyward, Davey relaxes, takes a moment to drink it in. "Good. A little hard work won't kill ya, you know." Smirking, lounging in the little grass hut. Watching the stars blink on, one by one, across the sky... it's nice. Davey is comfortable enough.

As for his favorite place? He thinks for a moment, a gentle hmm in his throat. "There's a place a ways north of here, with a lake that's prettier. Or at least, it was prettier when I saw it, I dunno. There were so many fireflies, more than I've ever seen. Think that's my favorite." Of course, having Mags there had certainly been a reason to like it. Shut up, he's not thinking about some girl.

"What do you want to see first-- mountains, or sandy beaches?" Giving Atoll the option, watching the stars as they came alive far above the boys' heads.

"Davey"

Against his will, he found himself thinking again of the coming change in the seasons. There was a particular chill in the air that cut through his fur every time the wind blew and it rankled him. It was quite nice living where they did most of the year, he thought, even though he hadn't lived long enough to see an entire year. This particular change in the seasons seemed like a personal offense. Tipping his head back to look up at the stars, Atoll pondered over Davey's answer and following question. Fireflies were cheeky guys, blinking on and off, always dancing out of reach. That's exactly how he wanted to be when he grew up: dazzling, mysterious, difficult to pin down. Stars winked at him above. He knew you could use them to navigate, but how? "I think mountains... We're close enough to plenty of beaches," he mused. "Hey, d'you know which star we'd need to follow to get back home?"


"speech"

coding by xarae