Perfect Autumn Day

Right as Keovi's paws stepped out into the open space near the lake shore, a few rabbits scattered from their spot at the edge of the lake, taking a drink. Keovi watched them run with his ears perked but was still full from the fawn they ate earlier and didn't bother to give chase, He stopped when he was out in the open, with the rest of the wolves close behind. Glancing back once to account for everyone he started off down he shore of the lake, until he stopped at a larger clearing, with a few huge, old trees lining it. The roots were showing, unburied after so many years by the open lake and winds. Under them looked like dark caves, and under one, it seemed it was already dug out quite a bit. " Alright, here's the spot I saw earlier, It'll make a nice home for all of us." He said happily. "This one looks big." He said as he stuck his nose under one of the roots, sniffing inside where the smell of moss and dirt was all that was there. He looked back up to Mudpelt and tilted his head slightly, wondering if she'd use this one.

Iceheart yipped "Show me where, and I'll dig!" She was exited, and her paws did a little dance. She turned to Kyota. "Arenyt you happy? We have a home now."


(Sorry Zyrxy, I had no time)

" It's perfect, Keovi," Mudpelt said softly, as she padded to his side. The pups gave her a sharp knudge that made her gasp.
" Oh, and the pups like it too," Mudpelt said. The pups went back to being still.
Mudpelt went to one of the openings where it felt warm. A little sunlight drifted in from a small crack at the top. Mudpelt pawed somw loose dirt out, made it a little deeper, and then came back outside. She looked up at the sun that was rising into the sky. Midday, she thought. She knew she didnt have much longer until her pups were born. She was looking forward to being a mother.

Arrow looked at Mudpelt "Is that were you want the den to be at?" he asked her. Arrow looked around the lake and sniffed the air, fish.. he thought as Zena looked at him with a look yay more fish sent, BLAH she thought

Keovi wagged his tail upon hearing her satisfaction and proceeded to help her dig out the entrance. In between words, dirt flew out behind him, while his paws were busy at work. " You guys -- can go -- find your-- dens now-- if you like -- I'll help -- right here-- Just stay --- close by" His muffled words came from under the tree. Takara had reached the lake by now, with Kunamition. She ran at the tree he was under and jumped onto the trunk and skillfully scaled it until she came to a low branch with a hole near the base. she paused to stick her nose inside and concluded nobody was living there now. Using her teeth, she pulled away bits of the bark to make the hole bigger.

" Well spotted, Takkara," Kuna said looking up. He scrambled up the trunk to the dense branch that jutted out from the tree. He surveyed the camp and found it well quarded by some small bolders jutting out from the ground here and there. Great place for nightly watches, Kuna thought. There were also surrounded by tall trees that gave off shade. There was one small circle of light right outside the big tree with the exposed roots that would be great for sunbathing.

The dirt hit Arrow and he scrambled back, "Do you need some help?" He asked his new leaders

Keovi paused his digging to back out of the den and look at Arrow. " Nah, Were good, you find a place you want to rest in and start digging before nightfall, it's starting to get colder already." he said, shaking his fur free of dirt as well as fluffing up his fur. Takara peered inside the hole again. Yup, and this whole area looks just perfect, we're lucky. " She said, pausing to use her teeth again. " Help me make this bigger, once I'm inside I think it'll open up more." she said curiously after placing her whole head through the small hole. "I hope no squirrel live in here, they can get pretty territorial." She said, shivering slightly after she remembered a time she walked right into a nest of squirrels on her own. Under them, Keovi was fitting himself halfway under the roots of the tree now, using his teeth to pull at a root in he way. His back leg muscles tensed as he pulled hard, and finally it snapped, and he went back to digging.

Soon he had the entire den large enough for Mudpelt to climb inside and finish it to her liking. He removed himself from the hole and ran bounded towards the lake, leaving a trail of dust behind him. He splashed into the water without hesitation and stuck his nose under the water, smiling happily. A few large fish scattered from his paws as he went in deep enough to drench his whole body and leave the lake a little bit dirtier. Takara saw him and laughed as he jumped at some fish in front of him. ' Sometimes you seem like a mature, strong leader. Other times your just as crazy as a little pup, Keovi!' She teased him.

Iceheart heard, and flinched as a clod of dirt hit her. She sniffed around, and, finding a spot, began to dig a den. It was beneath a Maple tree. Ky helped, biting any roots in the way. The den grew large, and Iceheart climbed in to make it perfect. It wasn't. In frustration she climbed out once more, and began to send the dirt sky high once more.

Mudpelt watched as Keovi played in the water. She smiled because she loved to watch Keovi have fun. She wondered if Keovi even wanted the pups. They hadn't really talked about it. It had just happened.
Mudpelt looked around her. The afternoon breeze was stirring up golden, leaves. The sun was scattered on the ground as the branches moved with the wind. Mudpelt let wind ruffle her fur, it reassured her. She took one last glance at Keovi and Takkara. ' They'll be back. They're just having fun. Like you should be,' Kuna thought to her.
' Theres too much that I have to do right now. Go on and go catch some fish,' Mudpelt said. As soon as she had thought the part about the things she had to do, she immediatly felt a new feeling sink in. Nervousness. What if something went wrong? Would the pups be ok? Having pups in winter wasn't the best sign. There was always the risk of phneumonia. Mudpelt shivered at the thought. She then started gathering moss to pad the nest. She then waited for Keovi to get back. Kuna sat nex to her trying to calm her nervousness about the pups.

' What? Now I'm not alowed to have fun? They dont care.' He bit back, watching her make her way towards him from the shore with a smirk on his face. ' Mudpelts pups are coming, you better treat this a little more seriously.' She warned, sitting down as a cat right at the lake's edge. Keovi stopped trying to catch fish and looked at their clearing where Mudpelt was sitting with Kuna. ' I am.. I'm just happy, that's all. Don't break my spirit, there Takara.' He whined to her. She chuckled lightly and shook her head. " Your clean enough, go dry yourself off now." She said out loud, turning to return to the others. Keovi's smile faded and he stared into the water at his reflection, dancing in the little waves and ripples. A few tiny faces appear around him, little pups smiling and biting at his ears. He smiled warmly and left his day dream to return to the shore, dripping in cold water.
He waited until he got inside their camp to shake it all off, then fall into a play-bow behind Takara, slowly creeping up behind her.

" Did you guys have fun," Mudpelt asked as she smiled. She suddenly felt hungry. I guess that fawn didn't hold me for long, Mudpelt thought.

" Keovi, did you bring any fish back with you," Mudpelt asked guiltenly. She hated not being able to help herself. But she just didn't have it in her to hunt. And she didnt want to risk the pups.

Keovi rose out of his stalking position and let his tail fall. " Oh, no I didn't. Couldn't catch any myself... But i can go try again. " Or I can go and actually make progress." Takara snickered as she trotted down the shore towards the water. " I'll get you something, Mudpelt." she said as her form changed from marten to otter and she disappeared quietly under the surface of the lake. Keovi smiled sheepishly and let Takara do the fishing this time. " Do you think they'll be here soon..?" He asked quietly, padding over to Mudpelt and looking at her belly like something would appear there any second.

A quick moving dark mass shot passed Takara, disappearing under a large rock in the water. She swap cautiously away from it and searched for something not so fast. Suddenly, bright flashes up ahead signaled a school of fish and she pushed forward through the water into the swirling mass, and grabbed the nearest fish in her mouth and headed for the surface. it thrashed violently, but she held on tight as she swam it to shore. She padded inland a few steps and dropped the fish, watching it flip around a few times until it came to rest in the leaves. " Oooh a bass, those are tasty. " She said, changing into a raccoon to grab the fish in her jaws and clean it again in the water, taking extra care around its sharp fins.

Arrow watched them he wasn't really that tired but he decided to rest on the bank of the lake

Iceheart, exhausted, had her den okay, but not done. She heard her leader being hungry, and walked off to catch something. Her stomach was screaming in hunger, but she must feed the alpha. Odd. She no longer thought of the alpha as the leader. Or herself as warriors. She smiled, knowing she had changed. She scented a den of rabbits. She smelled, and found them "GReat, more digging" she growled. She and Ky dug down into the soft loam. Ky instinctivly lunged for the small baby rabbits, and left Iceheart to deal with the large mother. She lunged, and missed by a lot. Sighing, she picked up four of the eight baby rabbits, and walked back to camp slowly, lost in thought. Ky smiled. He knew her secret. But he wasn't willing to tell anyone. They soon arrived back at camp. They submitted to the alpha, and dropped the prey at his feet. Iceheart asked quietly "May I have a small rabbit? I haven't eaten since... since that deer carcass."

"Oh you found a rabbit den." Takara mumbled, trotting back to the group now with her fish clasped tightly in her jaws. Her sharp white teeth released it onto the leaves, where it no longer flipped around but stayed still with its eye staring up into the sky. Takara paused as she watched it warily, expecting it to try one last daring attempt at freedom but none came. " Ok well sure, you can eat a few of those. This fish is for Mudpelt, and Keovi's probably only going to eat one of those. " She sniffed he tiny kits with mild interest, her long whiskers quivering. " Arrow gets one as well, he has already dug his den.. He can rest now." She said. Changing back into a Pine Marten, She bounded over to Mudpelt and Keovi, and jumped up into the tree she was in before. " Go ahead and eat." She reminded herself to say to Iceheart.

Iceheart dipped her head in thanks. Iceheart took the two largest, and gulped one down and Ky did the same with the other. She took a rabbit to Mudpelt. "This is for you, even though you have a fish. She napped nearby the cave, waiting to help. She lifted her head.

(srrry dance competition )

Mudpelt looked up and thanked Takkara for the fish. She had already dtarted eating when Arrow came up with a baby rabbit.
" Thank you, Arrow," Mudpelt said taking the rabbit and finishing it quickly. She felt full with a fish and a rabbit to help her hunger. She suddenly felt extremly tired. Mudpelt looked up and noticed that the sun was starting to set.
" Keovi, if you don't mind I think I'll head to our den. I think I'll need all my stregnth tomarrow. You can join when everyone else heads to their den, if you wish," Mudpelt said nuzzling her mate lovinly.

keovi returned the nuzzle and let her crawl inside their den. As the sun started getting nearer the tree line, the winds became chillier, ruffling Keovi's fur unpleasantly. Takara started tearing away more from the entry of the hole, this time from the inside. As she fidgeted with some pieces of bark still inside, a clump of dust from above her collapsed and doused her in ants and chips of wood. She jumped out of the hole, shaking her fur every few seconds. Her eyes glared back into the hole, now swarming with ants everywhere. Keovi was finally dry so she climbed out of the tree and under his paws where the cold didn't hit her as much. Takara followed under him as he got up and sniffed at one of the small rabbit kits, and picked one up delicately and ate it in just a few bites, barely bloodying his muzzle either. His golden eyes rose to the sky again, where he sat another few minutes, watching the sunset as Takara groomed herself under him, looking around their clearing a few times to check and see who was all around. "Well I'm heading in. its dark and cold." She complained, but bounced over to their den as cheerful as always and carefully tiptoed in while Keovi stayed outside longer.

Iceheart jumped up and barked over her shoulder "I'm going for a walk" She walked out of camp. She trotted to the waves and ran in the waves. She loved it. She felt so happy. She let up a howl of joy. She ran back into the camp covered in mud, and sat to groom herself. As she licked the dirt off, she spoke to Ky. "I feel great!" She then walked up to Keovi, her head and tail high. "Hi keovi! Can we howl tonight,to celebrate tha pups are coming?" She ounced up, and her head was higher then the alpha's for a split second. "Can I hunt for everyone when they come? Huh? huh?" She bounced again.



(mud, Iceheart gave you the rabbit)

Keovi smiled at Iceheart's enthusiasm but continued to watch the sunset. " I dunno, Iceheart. When Nightwalker gets back, I'll decide what to do then. Now my concern is Mudpelt's pups. Which will need extra food since they are going to be born so close to winter..." He sighed. Finally his gaze turned on Iceheart for a moment, studying her carefully. His pelt prickled with unease at something but he didn't know what he was so unsure about. His nose twitched and he turned back to the horizon. The sun's rays weren't reaching their clearing anymore, but lit the whole lake up in a warm, red glow. His ears twitched backwards towards Iceheart and the Clearing.
" Not now, everybody is sleeping anyway, and I wouldn't want to wake Mudpelt. Theres no need anyway." He said partly to himself. An unseen force drove him to his paws and towards his den where he crawled inside, leaving Arrow and Icheart out in the clearing. It was black inside the den, but already warm and the smell of Mudpelt's sweet fur flooded his nose. He stepped carefully over her paws into a darker crevice area behind some roots further in their cave of a den. Squeezing under them, he finally relaxed and sighed. Trying to put the days thoughts out of his mind, he laid his muzzle on his paws and closed his eyes.

Icestar yipped and chased her tail. She walked over to arrow. "Hi"

Mudpelt was aware of keovi coming into the den. His protective scent mingled with the smell of freshly moved dirt. Mudpelt looked up through the crack in the roots. She saw a big moon slowly replacing the sun.
Mudpelt knew somewhere inside her that tomarrow would be much different than the day before it. Mudpelt was ready, she knew it. She felt like she was ready at least. The last thing that crossed her mind was a foggy picture of Keovi and three balls of fur that were jumping all of her. Mudpelt smiled in her sleep.

hiddin in the shadows, sitting in a pach of ferns that desguised her scent, watching the wolves retire to their dens, snowest cocked her head. "how should she play a trick on them?" she asked, looking at snowest her anima said quietly, "Hm.... why dont we try to scare them?" "No, id rather push one of them in the current." snowest said softly. looking over at the only wolf not in her den nick said, "How bout her?" grinning snowest's eyes glimmered with a glitter of madness. knocking a stick out of the ferns snowest hoped to entice the wolf closer.

Iceheart heard the stick. She called. "Keovi everyone, something or someone is in those bushes!" She turned her sightless eyes to the bush, and as Ky changed to a lynx, they jumped in front of the bush "Who are you" Iceheart snarled. She could smell them, and she didn't like it.