[Kalak]

A soft breeze rolled through the tops of the aspen trees, gently rubbing their branches together as the midday sun shined down on them, filling the forest with a hushed sound. It was a quiet day, peaceful, and the only loud noise to be heard from miles around was the occasional shrill cry of a songbird, calling out its sweet tune. Until the crash of someone falling and a quick shout disturbed the quiet forest, sending the song bird screeching into the air. The source of the noise, a maned wolf, let out a loud curse, disturbing the forest once again. He picked himself of off the ground, where he had landed after tripping and falling off of a small crag, less than five feet. He had been observing the treetops, looking for a potential meal before he had bumped into something and fell, not paying attention to the forest floor. He let out another curse, this time under his breath, as he shook the brown dirt and dead leaves from his red coat.

Kalak growled, looking back at the small overhang he had fallen off of, fully intending to make a quick swipe at it, just to make himself feel better, before he stopped. The entrance of a small cave opened before him, dug right into the little hill. Kalaks ears pinned back as he slowly approached the entrance, cautiously sniffing the air. But all he smelled was dry dust, and his demeanor quickly relaxed as he entered the cave, looking around the abandoned interior. It was a small, dirt cave, with the back half and roof being supported by roots. Kalak could comfortably stand and lay down in it, and he searched the floor for anything indicating a resident. But he found nothing but a pile of dry leaves in the back corner, and small bones of old prey littered here and there.

He trotted back back outside, noticing a dead stump on the top of the hill, probably the source of the roots and the reason the  little cavern hadn’t caved in yet. It was also what Kalak had probably he tripped on. He frowned at it for a second before averting his eyes and walking back into the cave, circling a few times before lying down at the entrance. Kalak closed his eyes, mulling over the idea of staying in this den for a bit. He had been wandering for a while, and this was the first nice shelter he had come upon. Kalak was tired, and wanted to rest. But he had no idea what was in this forest of aspen trees. There could be violent wolves and cats, roaming the woods, looking for an easy target. Kalak kept his eyes closed as he frowned, his head resting on his paws, as he weighed his options over in his head.

[Rykett]

Tulay

Tulay dared not move and risk disturbing the serenity of the forest. Her green eyes were cast upwards, into the aspen canopy. Upon a slender, white branch, a round songbird perched. Colored bright yellow and orange, the little bird wasn’t difficult to distinguish. The tanager’s chirping song rang through the forest, clear and optimistic. The silence of the surrounding aspens made it seem as through the entire grove was listening to the lone, crisp melody. Tulay rested her cheek against an aspen trunk beside her as she watched the tiny musician, her eyes shimmering with enchantment.

Suddenly, the spell was broken. A loud crash and curse interrupted the bird’s crescendo. With an indignant squawk, the songbird leaped from his stage and flew away. Tulay’s eyes followed the little yellow form as it flit between the aspens. Then she turned her gaze towards the source of the disturbance, a slight frown curving her lip. Curious to see what type of creature would shatter such a serene setting, Tulay padded towards the noise. Her paws rustled through the grass as she moved. The sound seemed louder in the quiet forest. She came upon a ridge crowned with a stump.

Tulay crept up the overhang’s edge and peered over. A red colored canine was curled in the shadow of the hill. He appeared to be asleep. She wondered if he was the one to created the clamor earlier. Perhaps, he’d been sleeping during that and taking advantage of forest’s quiet nature. Tulay leaned forward slightly to get a better look at him. The shift of balance dislodge several crumbs of dirt. They rained down on the maned wolf below.

[Kalak]

Kalak lay still on the ground, his head resting on his front paws and his tail curled around his back legs. With eyes held shut, he sighed, contemplating on whether he should stay or go. Walk on or remain in this small cave. Kalak had been moving for at least two weeks, after stealing some food from a loner wolf. The wolf had yelled he would break the others legs as he ran after the thief, and even after he had left him far behind in the dust, shouting his empty threats, Kalak still walked. He again sighed at the memory, trying to nestle is body into the ground to get cozy. I deserve a break, he thought, ceasing his movements, now that he was comfortably stretched out in front of the cave. I guess I'll stay and rest, he chuckled, almost smiling at the idea of a break.

A few minutes after he had settled, Kalak  felt something fall onto his fur, with just enough force to snap him out of his lethargic rest. His head shot up, turning to see what had fallen onto his pelt. Seeing a few crumbs of dirt and dust scattered onto him, Kalak looked up, confused on why the particles had fallen from the sound ledge of the hill. But when his eyes met another's, Kalak immediately sprang up and ran into the den, ears pinned flat against his head, before he had even gotten a good look at the other. He retreated to the farthest corner, side pressed against the wall, as he protectively hunched in on himself. It was that wolf coming to break his legs, Kalak thought, panic clouding his mind.

“Who are you?” he said, voice coming back to him after a few seconds of shock. He shook his head, trying to rid the fear that had taken over his thoughts. Kalak straightened up from his curled posture, holding his head high, even though his ears stayed folded back, expressing his unease. He remained pressed against the wall, mind racing on ways he could possibly escape from this situation if it turned hostile. He stared at the entrance of the cave, waiting to see what the other wolf would do.

[WishingWind]

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