Morning Breaks (CLOSED)

Axel- I'm awoken by the small barking noise. I look up, blinking out into the sunlight. A black smudge is framed in the entrance to the den.

Sparky peered at the awaking wolf. He wagged his tail and scrambled over to the awake one without caution or fear. "Hi~ Friend~" Sparky let out a happy yip.

Axel was startled. He shook his head a bit and asked the pup in surprise, "Hello... What are you doing here? Where are your parents??"

Sparky opened his mouth to speak, but when she mentioned parents, he just let out a little whimper. "Nothing.." Then a grin spread across his face, "I'm just exploring~"

Axel didn't pick up on Sparky's hesitation. "Well, then..." he trailed off. He was getting hungry. "Well, I suppose you best be on your way. These woods are probably full of hungry animals, I don't want you to go alone." He eyed the pups suspiciously. "Now... Where did you say your parents are again?" Axel had nothing against pups, he liked them alot. But he knew that a small pup all alone in the woods was any parent's worst nightmare.

Sparky let out a laugh when he mentioned hungry animals. "Then i'll give em' some food! I can show them where to get it~" He looked at the sky when the word, "parents" was heard by him. He patted his tail on the ground. "They're in a happy place~ Someday, I wish to go there, too!" He looked at the big wolf once more. "Can I go with you, wherever you're going? I get lonely."

With a jolt, Axel understood. He's so small, he thought. And all alone. He glanced back at Chloe, who was still sleeping. Then he turned back to the pup and smiled. "You can come with me, of course." He trotted past the little guy and out into the warm sun, stretching again, then shaking himself. Proudly, he looked down at the cub and said, "I am Axel, and I'm the alpha here. As long as you stay within my boundaries, you'll be welcomed and protected." Then he crouched playfully and got right in the pups face, grinning. "What's your name, now? How would you feel about going hunting with me this morning?"

Sparky couldn't hold the happiness inside him. Yay~ Axel~ He thudded his tail against the ground and replied, "I'm Sparky and.." He tossed over and barked, "YES I DO! I DO!" Sparky hadn't ever hunted before. He hadn't learned. He only scavenged for dead animals. Sparky got up and started leaping on rocks and rolling in the dirt excitedly. "I'm going hunting~ I'm going hunting~" But only one thing made him curious. I don't know what 'alpha' is but it sounds pretty neat!

Axel jumped up, pleased with Sparky's excitement. "Ok..." He sniffed the air, catching a faint, musty scent not too far off to the east. "I smell deer over there," he said, gesturing with his tail. "But those would be much too big for you, or even me alone." He turned his nose to the west, and caught the much stronger scent of just the right prey.
Axel turned back to Sparky, eyes glittering. "How do you feel about gopher breakfast?"

"Deer? I want to-" Then he waited patiently as Axel continued. His eyes filled with hope, he let out his answer, "GOPHER?" He thought he had seen one of those before. Tiny, fast, brown things that hid in the ground. "Yes! Yes!"

"Alright," Axel said. He turned back to where he caught the scent and guessed that the source was coming from by the thick brush just over a small hill to their left. Slowly, he trotted over, careful not to make any sound on the loose dirt. When he was close enough to hear the patter of small feet, he crouched down, keeping just out of sight, using the hill and bush that once hid his prey as a way of concealing himself.
Axel looked back and made a careful motion with his tail for Sparky to follow.
When the pup was at his side, Axel crept closer... Closer...
Now he could see the gophers' noses raised to the air. There are at least three, he made a mental note. Just past the bush he could see the entrance to their underground home.
Again, he crept closer, then-
"GO!"
Axel charged forth, shocking the gophers, and leaped onto the entrance of their hole, watching them scramble for safety. "Sparky! Get one, quick!"

Sparky understood quickly and he dashed at one of the holes, too, as a gopher ran into his leg, dazed. He picked its head up in his mouth. He looked at Axel and wagged his tail. The third gopher let out a tiny squeak and it clawed at his paw, making him take it back quickly. He watched as it scrambled underneath the ground. At least he got one. He dropped it and pressed his paw against the body. "Hiya, Friend~" He looked at Axel. "Wait- what do we do with them?" Then Sparky pricked up his ears and looked at the gopher. ...I don't want to, but I HAVE to.. He looked up at the sky and murmured some words and ate the gopher.

Axel trotted over, the last gopher dangling limply from his mouth. He cocked his head when he saw Sparky mumble to the sky, curious as to why he always did that. He looked up, seeing not a cloud to worry about. Then he sat, and ate until he was stuffed. He nudged Sparky, "Whatever you don't eat, let's bring it back to the den."
While Axel busied himself gnawing a bone, he listened to the sounds of the forest.
He heard different songs of different birds... The skitter of lizards under leaves... The yawn of some small, furry animal...
The smells were new and interesting, too. He sighed. I like it here...

Sparky let out a whimper as Axel ate without saying a prayer of thanks. He was just different. He nodded as Axel instructed him. He scooped up the other gopher and trotted to the den with curiosity. He padded up to Axel. "Are you thankful?" He asked out of nowhere, sitting right smack infront of him.

Startled by the pup's strange question, Axel replied, "Sure I am. For alot of things. What are you talking about?"

Sparky nodded quickly, understanding why the wolf was stumped. "I pray everytime I eat! Mommy always said that it was respectful before you ate- it showed you were thankful for your food you're provided."

Axel smiled and wagged his tail, humoring the pup. "And who or what exactly are you praying to? My thanks are given through my actions."

"The sky wolves! They live in the sky~ They took mommy away. I treasure their kindness~" Sparky leaped onto the older wolf's head and clamped down on his ear. He tugged backwards playfully.

Axel reared back, then surged his head frward and flipped the pup so that Sparky's stomach was upturned. Axel snorted and tugged gently on his leg.

Sparky bit his nose and tugged his leg free. He skidded under the wolf's legs and then turned to jump at his tail and chomp down onto it. He wagged and smiled at himself proudly.

Axel was impressed at the pups quickness, but before he could say anything, he heard a strange rustling in the bushes right behind him. His ears perked, and without a sound he got up and started to stiffen.

Sparky quickly let go and tried to run into the bushes. But instead, he ran into Axel's leg accidently. "What is it? Friend~"