|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Fri Oct 22, 2021 6:57 pm
 |
|
|
 |
For the most part, Manahem had stopped in his wandering. He had been forced to stop a long time ago, when he had come across the hurt cheetah so close to death. He had trained for moments like this, ever since he had been a young pup barely old enough to comprehend the world as anything more than a giant playground. Not that he did very much. Always a quiet and serious pup, he had sought the quiet of the wilds, using his time out there to explore and study the world around him.
It started with a fascination in death, seeking it out to poke and prod and try to figure out how everything worked. From there stemmed an interest in healing, of how one could take a terrible wound and make it nothing more than a faint visible memory. He wasn't sure if all of this started because he genuinely wanted to help others. Probably didn't. If he remembered right, he'd been kind of a self-absorbed child, always more concerned with satisfying his own curiosity than anything else. As an adult, it came from a true desire to help others. Andromeda had needed his help and he had given it, as precise as he could. She'd healed up perfectly. Could even catch her own food now. She hadn't wanted to leave him right away, feeling she had a debt to him for his help. He always told her it was fine, that was what he did.
He was very glad she hadn't left. For all his studying and training to deal with life as much as death, he was certainly not prepared to now have ten puppies whose futures were in his paws. Manahem had helped mothers deliver before, but that was different when they weren't your own children! It wasn't his responsibility to help raise those babies. These? It most certainly was! And as much as he didn't have a single clue what to do or how to handle so many at once, he would do his best.
Well, eventually. Brave thoughts for a wild dog who was currently off to the side from them, watching how they were interacting together. When he could pick them out from each other, that was. Too much to look at all at once. He closed his eyes for a moment.
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Nov 10, 2021 6:41 pm
|
|
|
|
Mana hadn't missed his family since he'd lost his birth pack. At least not for a long time yet. He'd been an adult than, had already been used to being somewhat on his own. As much as one could be in a territory like that. But with a litter this size of his own, he was starting to miss them more. No one here had experience with children. He needed their expertise in this. But as it was, all the adults involved were on their own to do the best they could do. He hoped he'd do a good job. This wasn't planned, after all. He'd had no time to prepare. Before he knew it, there they all were.
The adult male opened his eyes at a light tapping on his leg. Looking down, he saw one of his eldest, clearly trying to escape the confusion that was her siblings just as much as he was. He hoped this wasn't a sign she would grow up just as introverted as he had been. Though he couldn't say he'd been an unhappy pup, it still was no way to grow up. Always on your own.
She looked like she wanted something from him, though he wasn't sure what. Mana nodded his head back at the family still playing in the background.
"Had enough of all the fun?" he told her with a smile.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Jan 15, 2022 7:30 am
|
|
|
|
Ahnika studied the smile on her fathers lips and offered him one back in return though it fled as soon as it was molded on to her features at his question. She turned her eyes to the group of spirited pups, developing wrinkles around the offset of her brows and the furiosity of her frown. Had enough of the fun was an understatement. She hadn't been having fun with them in the first place, they were a nuisance! Every time she was enjoying herself while daydreaming or eyeballing something unusual in the dirt they would outright assault her and ruin her day!
She huffed as she took in the vision of their playful antics in and then turned her attention back to her father. "That's one way of saying it..." She muttered quietly and then remained silent for a short duration afterwards while she thought more on what to say to him. She hummed gently and then with eyes opened a little wider as the idea hit her she proceeded to say "How did you and mum meet?"
The curiosity in her eyes would have been unrivaled in that particular moment. They had all just become used to having the grown ups in their small family pack around and for the most part, hadn't thought to question it until now. They can't have always been together as everyone started their life somewhere and like they were now here, together, didn't mean that they always had been or would be. Someday each and everyone of her siblings, including herself would have a life of her own and a partner and maybe their children would ask the same question.
Only while she turned her head to stare at them once again and watched what they were doing, realized, that conversation likely wouldn't be all that interesting. Not knowing all the details yet though, maybe they would all still be together. Maybe the family pack would always be a family. It was a sweet, fleeting thought that only time would tell.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Aug 16, 2022 4:02 pm
|
|
|
|
Manahem offered his daughter a sympathetic look. He couldn't quite understand how she was feeling. He had been born inside pack lands, with a lot of other wild dogs he didn't know. But his litter had been small. Just him and his two brothers, plus his parents, a mated pair. Also unlike he and Muginn. Once the pups were old enough to take care of themselves, they would also go their separate ways, Manahem to places unclear. He didn't mind the experience that traveling gave him. He'd always enjoyed time to himself. And it was looking more by the second that Ahnika also did. Maybe it wouldn't be such a bad thing for her. Maybe she'd grow up with a healthy balance of it and not spend her days talking to and poking around dead bodies as he had.
A fact he liked to keep to himself.
"It's a lot for me, too," the adult admitted, his tail thumping softly on the ground behind him. "I was one of three. You're one of ten. So if you want some time to yourself, I understand."
Her question caught him off guard, next, and he blinked a few times, looking blankly at nothing off to the side. There was really not much to say. They were just two wild dogs who had met randomly and suddenly it seemed there were ten more of them. Hardly a romantic or inspiring story. He could have left, though. But he didn't. This was half his responsibility. Besides. No one should be left with ten children to take care of all on their own. And they weren't on their own, either. They had Miginn's sister and the cheetah he had nursed back to health to help.
"Um. Much the same as most parents meet, I suppose. You randomly bump into each other while exploring. There's not much to the story other than that, I'm afraid."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ahnika sat staring off in to the distance while the high pitched growls and yelps of her siblings rang out beside her. She was in a world of her own, picturing what adventures awaited her and what she would discover whilst on them. Who would she meet? What would she learn? What ancient culture would captivate her imagination and curiosity first. Letting out a dreamy sigh, she was then brought to her senses by a swift paw to the face and in turn, found her other cheek firmly planted in to the ground with her rear in the air. 
