Vonnegaine

          The tiny, mottled golden pup held on for dear life as she looked down toward the ground. Her vision swam and her claws sunk deeper into the bark of the tree she had foolishly tried to climb. She squeezed her eyes shut, the fear of falling and the strain of her legs trying to hold on making her distraught. Her voice was hoarse from calling out, but she tried one more time anyway.
          "Is anybody out there? I'm so scared and I'm going to fall!"
          A few minutes passed, and the pup began to lose hope when she heard the scrabbling of claws on bark, then felt a set of jaws gently take her by the scruff. She let her paws relax with a shuddering exhale and closed her eyes, feeling the drop as her rescuer leaped down from the tree trunk.
          "Thank you," she murmured as the stranger began to carry her away, and she barely heard the response before her eyes closed and she drifted off to a well earned sleep.

-

         Vonnegaine wandered about camp after lessons with Domhara, looking for something fun to do. The young wolf looked around, seeing some of the adults having lunch, the alpha sending out a hunting party, and— ah!—a group of pups hanging around. She made a beeline for the other young ones, thinking of what to say on her way over. When she reached them she cleared her throat to grab their attention, and they all looked up curiously.
         "Ahem! Hello pups! I have a new dare for you today!" She grinned as there was a chorus of excited voices. "I dare you all to climb that tree," she jabbed a paw in the direction of the tree that hung over the den where the young wolves slept, "whoever climbs the highest wins!"
         For a moment the pups just stared wide eyed at the small, scrubby moor tree, wondering how they would accomplish this dare. As Vonnegaine noticed their discomfort she sighed, then took off toward the tree, launching herself toward the bark when she got close, and clamping onto it. Then she scrabbled up to the lowest branch and jerked her head to beckon them to follow.
          "Come on, pups, you can do it! It's not so high up!" She watches from the branch as several of them take a running leap at the trunk of the tree and start to climb.

-

          The young hunter slunk through the underbrush, inching closer to the small deer that Celwynn had marked and Domhara and Erinne had cornered. It was distracted by trying to fend off the chasers' advances so it didn't notice her stalking up on it to deliver the finishing blow. Once their prey had been brought down she and Celwynn began to pick it up and carry it home. The three other hunters conversed on the way back, and Vonnegaine would have joined in if the topic of conversation had been a different one. Still, she listened smiling at the discourse as they carried their prey home.
          "I think he's a fine young wolf. You should give him a chance, Vonnie dear," said Domhara who was a romantic. "You grew up together as good friends, so you know everything there is to know about each other. I think you should go for it."
          "Well I think you're fine on your own if that's what you want. He is a good one, even I'll admit, but sometimes one doesn't need to pair up like some lovebird," countered Celwynn, who was not so much a romantic.
          "Well, I think he's a fine wolf, too," said Erinne with a grin. She tended to agree with her mother, Domhara. "If you won't pair with him, then I will."
          When the hunting party finally made it back home to camp and deposited the catch, Vonnegaine went to wash up in the small spring by the healer's den. As she approached, Iaus was just coming through the heather that obscured the small water source, and he just managed to stop before he ran right into her. They stood there like that for several moments, wide eyed with breath catching before the handsome scout broke the silence.
          "Ah— you want to go for a walk?"
          "A walk with you? I— yes. Yes, that sounds nice."
          After exchanging sheepish grins the two young wolves headed past the spring and over the hill, just close enough for their fur to brush together as they walked.

-

          Vonnegaine prowled around the edge of the training pit as her apprentice, Trill, guided the few pups that they had through an exercise. The mottled golden she-wolf watched as Hakaan's unwieldy daughter gave a huff and flopped to the ground, probably frustrated about not getting the maneuver right. Trill remained positive in that calm, level way of hers that was not unlike Vonnie's own way, nudging the little golden copy of their alpha back onto her feet and adjusting her stance. The old she-wolf continued her rotation of the area, watching as Manchineel's and her own sons fought a practice battle— or are they just messing about? The scamps. The two young ones could be brothers, they looked so similar, so it was interesting to watch them facing off. Vonnegaine stopped, but did not sit. For being the seniormost member of the pack, she was still as lean and powerful as ever. She watched as Bailiwick pounced onto Liko and pinned him down, grinning with pride.
          "Impressive, son! But let's see if you can do it again," she called, still grinning at the two as they hopped up eagerly and squared off once again.