Keiki

Keiki wanted adventure, wanted to explore farther than the imposed borders her parents had set down for her and her siblings. Still the girl was afraid of what would happen to her if she did so. Sure she had ventured beyond before, but she had been younger and her wandering had never seemed to hold an impact. The naivet? of youth. The grey and white girl would sit just out of sight of the den, pale blue optics peering curiously out at the world around her. Maybe adventure would find her? or at least she hoped so it had grown boring around the volcano as of recently. Rising with a sigh she shook herself out and trotted up the mountain side, volcanic rock shifting beneath grey paws. She remained seemingly unaware of her surroundings, white tipped ears not so much as flicking at the gentle clicking of rocks tumbling over each other. A shape fluttered across her vision, a stray Monarch flapped it?s wings as it was buffeted by weak autumn winds. A playful growl escaped the pup as she dashed after it, not paying attention to where she was going. Pouncing after the butterfly she managed to push some rocks out of the way, slipped into the hole it had created, landing on her stomach with her right front paw in the gap, and as the rocks above the hole rushed in to fill it she found she was struggling to get back up. Black stones, no doubt from the volcano?s last eruption, slammed into her paw. Keiki gave a yelp of pain and began desperately struggling to free herself.

Esperanza could sense the trouble coming from the rock. Emerald optics peering to see what would become a rock slide. Fear came into the female's gaze, but she walked toward to where she could smell someone was in trouble, a young pup who may have wandered out of the den. She dashed forward and could see someone trapped in a gap, soon running and guarding the young pup as the rocks slid into each other, taking the pain as she guarded the young pup from the threat of being crushed.

(sorry for small post)

Walk | Talk | Think

Laziness had the boy in its grasp again. He lay sprawled within the den, dozing, half within the wakeful world and half inside the one of dreams. He had nothing that day that was of any great importance to draw him up and out of his chosen position, just hours to do with as he wanted, and with the borders around the den set by his parents, and occasionally reinforced by a stern talking to from his father, Eirik was reluctant to go wandering out beyond them again. He had gotten an earful the last time, no matter having ended up home safe and sound despite becoming the newest playmate to a snow leopard named Kathleen. He had been able to get out of that situation. A sense of invincibility had him convinced he could get out of anything else the world tried to throw at him.

He had never expected the world to go for his family instead, however. His sisters tended to be rather better than himself, or at least as far as he knew. If they were not, they did a marvelous job at not getting caught, but no matter the sound of the pup calling out upon the mountainside was enough to stir him from his restful state and into wakefulness. A sort of bleariness remained about him as he lifted his head, blinking his rosy pink eyes, and trying to place a name with the voice. Keiki?

A little wobbly, he got to his paws and hurried from their den to follow the sound, heading up the slope of the mountain and then beyond the safe boundary set out for them - oh boy, Dad would be mad if he knew. But that was a small matter when he finally came upon her, stuck amidst a pile of rocks that still had smaller siblings tumbling on down below them with a large wolf standing close beside. The brother side of him came out instantly. The grey fur along his spine bristled, his black-tipped ears leaning back to tuck threateningly against his skull. He growled, the sound still too childish to be considered a heavy threat but that was of no matter. His sister was crying and this wolf was right there; for all he knew, they were causing the problem!

"Get away from her!" he yelled, racing the last distance to get between the black wolf and his sister, too focused on the wolf to take notice of the fact his blue-eyed sibling was actually stuck where she was.

image by Luisiana

Keiki

A strange scent assaulted the panicking pup?s senses, with wide eyes she scanned the horizon furiously, finally coming to rest upon a black form she did not recognize. She squirmed harder, trying desperately to free herself before the unknown figure could descend upon her. Why oh why had she wandered out beyond her parent?s safe boundaries? The stranger seemed to realize she was distressed and without a word ran up the slope. Keiki was blissfully unaware of any continued rock slide and could only stare wide eyed and fearfully up at the stranger. There was movement out of the corner of her eye and she quickly turned her head to catch it, spotting her brother racing towards her. Relief flooded the pup and she squirmed again, still trying to work her paw free. ?Eirik help!? She called to him. ?I?m stuck!? The words were not totally clear, carrying a sort of unnatural weight to them, a sort of mockery of the sounds she could not hear.