[PRP] Father-Son Time (Asku & Ahote)

[LexThetaSigma]

Aktahkakoop-Ahote yawned as he woke up from his sleep and looked around the den to see who all was around, either awake or sleeping. He didn't see his mother but he saw a couple of his siblings curled up together, still sound asleep. They would probably wake up soon and start wanting to play; at least he hoped they would, he could already feel the restlessness starting to kick in.

He gave another small yawn and started to head for the mouth of the den. He wondered where his mom and dad had gone off to already. Maybe Mom had gone out to wander and talk to the stars already. He scanned the area around the mouth of the den and gave a grin when he spotted a familiar shadow not too far from him.

He crouched down and slowly crept up on the familiar shadow. He never had the opportunity to get him like this; he was always busy chasing down one of the other pups or Mom. He crept closer and waiting for the moment to pounce on his dad.  

[SilverLutz]

Asku flicked his tail as he watched his mate wander off into the forest. He shook his head slightly, worried about her, but also worried about his pups. At this stage it was important for one of them to be around if there were no nannies, and honestly at times he didn't feel comfortable leaving Namid in complete control of the large litter. She was a good mother, but her spacy ways tended to make him nervous. Once the pups grew up a bit he'd feel better, but for right now he was very concerned about their well-being.

Most of them were asleep for the moment, so he got up to patrol the edge of their den. The other wild dogs in the pack knew that there were eight pups to keep an eye on, so sometimes one or two would make their way over around this time to help keep them contained. Tonight, though, he seemed to be on his own.

Turning back to the den, Asku made his way slowly to enjoy the fresh air. It was rare that he got to be alone and he certainly did enjoy it, even though he thrived around other creatures. Sometimes it was nice to have a few moments to yourself. He paused by a few bushes to sit and wait, an eye on the den and his nose in the air. Ah...this was nice. He had a wonderful mate, a large family to look after, and now a few moments of peace.

LexThetaSigma

 

[LexThetaSigma]

Asku didn't seem to be paying attention to his surroundings and the small pup was grateful for it. He didn't want to be caught before he had the chance to try to pounce. He slowly crawled closer until there was no other choice but for him to pounce soon.

Ahote could see his father's tail flick back and forth and got slightly distracted from his goal. Granted his tail was fun to play with, but this would be so much better. He thought about waiting a bit longer but he could hardly stand to crouch anymore. Plus he knew if he waited too long, he would lose his opportunity.

He could feel his tiny tail wag happily as he finally pounced, aiming for his father's back.

SilverLutz

 

[SilverLutz]

Asku let out another soft sigh as he glanced back at the den. Soon the pups would start waking up. He hoped Namid would come back by that time...about half of them always asked for her first, and if she wasn't around they'd generally set off to find her, which worried him greatly. He couldn't watch them and stay with the others at the same time after all.

He was pulled from his thoughts as a soft sound caught his attention. Before he knew it, a brown and purple mass jumped on him and landed squarely on his back. He let out a surprised yelp and stumbled just a bit, hitting the ground with his backside first, and then his front. Oh...who was that?

He turned to examine which pup had pounced on him, and a small smile crossed his face as he recognized the splotchy markings of Ahote. "Goodness...you scared me!" he said, reaching up with one paw to ruffle the tuft of fur on his son's head. "You were being so quiet...I thought you were still asleep!"

LexThetaSigma

 

[LexThetaSigma]

When Asku hit the ground, Ahote did his best to make sure he stayed on his father's back. He could barely believe he had managed to sneak up on him like that or that he caused his dad to let out a yelp and fall. He grinned down when Asku looked back and smiled.

"I was then I woke up. I was looking to see who was around and I saw you," he replied. He gave another grin when the older wild dog ruffled the fur on his head.

"That was good, right?" he asked as he attempted to curl up with Asku. "We're supposed to be quiet like that to catch things, right?"

SilverLutz

 

[SilverLutz]

Asku let out a slow breath to get his heart beating at a normal rate. Ahote really had startled him quite a bit. He loved his pups dearly, but they were far too good at sneaking up and surprising him. Calmer, he nodded a bit at his son's question.

"Yes, when we hunt we want to be very quiet so we can sneak up on them. If I were a rabbit you'd have gotten me for sure," he said with a little chuckle. "You're so young and already you're very talented. If you practice, I bet you'll be one of the best hunters in the pack."

The thought that all of his children would stay with him and Namid here made him incredibly happy, but he couldn't help but worry that they would become curious and go off to explore. He certainly couldn't keep tabs on all of them if they decided to roam the savanna once they got older. He wouldn't stop them, but he'd probably worry himself sick. If they stayed here, he could let them lead their own lives while still stopping in to see how they were doing.

LexThetaSigma

 

[LexThetaSigma]

Ahote's eyes widened at his dad's comment. "Do you really think so?" he asked. He knew he could make a great explorer from all of the trips he went on with one of his sisters, but a hunter? He hadn't even tried to hunt anything more than a bug. Trying to sneak up on Asku was the best he had done.

His chest puffed up slightly and he bent down to nuzzle his father's head. "Maybe I could be. Do they get to explore a lot?" He thought they did, after all they probably had to go out a ways to find decent food, right?

SilverLutz

 

[SilverLutz]

Asku returned the nuzzle, a smile on his face as Ahote asked about hunting. "Oh yes, they get to explore quite a bit. They find where the food is, after all, and sometimes they have to leave the pack's lands to get a big kill. They always come back, though," he added as an afterthought. He didn't want the little pup to think that once he left the pack's lands he couldn't come back. Namid frequently went outside their borders at the beck and call of the stars, and she always returned.

"But that's just one thing you can be. There's lots of jobs in the pack that you can do. And maybe you can even start a brand new job when you're older if none of them fit your liking." Or he could leave, Asku thought to himself. The thought of his pups growing up and leaving him was a sad one, but he had done the very same thing to his own mother, so he knew it was a possibility. He wouldn't keep them here if they didn't want to stay, of course, but he hoped that at least a few would wish to remain in the pack. It was a very tight group of dogs, he had to admit, and a great place to call home.

LexThetaSigma

 

[LexThetaSigma]

SilverLutz

Ahote hummed slightly and thought about what Asku just told him. He could explore and hunt; he liked exploring though he hadn't tried hunting yet, but he thought he would like that too. "I might be a hunter," he thought and then wondered how the stars would play a part in that. He loved looking up and watching them slowly move; he was comfortable then.

The pup grinned when Asku mentioned that he could even try to start a brand new job when he got older. "Maybe I could be a star chaser and chase the stars when they go over us!"  

[SilverLutz]

Asku followed Ahote's gaze as he looked up at the night sky. The stars were just starting to come out in full force, no longer hiding from the sun. The brightest ones had been out for a while now, but the little spaces in between them were slowly filling with the tiny specks of light. Ah, how beautiful!

"Chase the stars?" he asked with a little chuckle. "Now that's something that might be interesting. But you'd have to be able to run for a long time without getting tired. And what would happen when morning came? You'd be far away from home and tired out. How would you get back?"

He rolled them over, pinning the smaller wild dog beneath him and nuzzling his stomach with his nose to tickle him just a bit. "Your mother and I would miss you too much if you did that! As would your siblings. Perhaps a job that doesn't require you fleeing from home every night," he suggested with a little wink. "Or, if you wish to explore, that the stars will bring you back home instead of drive you away from it."

LexThetaSigma

 

[LexThetaSigma]

The small pup hadn't thought about that. Even though star chasing sounded like a good idea, he wouldn't want to be away from his family for too long. He could run a long time but his dather was right, what if he got stuck out when morning came? That would be horrible!

"Yeah, I'd miss everyone, too" Ahote sighed, a little discouraged. "I just wanna be under the stars." he replied as he continued to watch the sky, trying to mentally name all of the ones he had learned about so far.

SilverLutz

 

[SilverLutz]

"Well, you're in luck. To be under the stars, all you'll have to do is step outside our den," Asku said with a smile, leaning in to nuzzle his son's ear. Ahote was one of the calmer, more 'studious' of their children, and Asku was thankful for it. While he loved all his pups equally, he had a fondness for those who didn't need to be constantly watched. He trusted that Ahote would grow up to be a responsible adult.

"Perhaps you can follow in your mother's pawprints then," he suggested. "Reading and watching the stars all night long to see what they have to say." Of course, his mate could literally hear the stars and...well. They told her to do some very odd things.

"Well..whatever you choose, I'm sure you'll enjoy it," he finally said with a little bark of laughter. "You've got a long time to play and have fun and not worry about things like that, though."

LexThetaSigma

 

[LexThetaSigma]

Asku's comment and nuzzle to his ear made Ahote giggle a bit; mostly because the nuzzling had tickled. "Yeah," he replied, marveling slightly at the stars he could see from where he was at. He still preferred the view from down at the watering hole the most.

When it was suggested that he could be like his mother, he gave a small hum. "Maybe? Do you think the stars will ever speak to me like that?" Some times it almost felt as if they would, if he paid enough attention to them. Some times it felt like they never would.

Ahote stretched out a little bit before laying down next to his father and rolling on to his back. "That's true. Maybe by the time I'm big enough there'll be new jobs."

SilverLutz

 

[SilverLutz]

Asku tilted his head just a bit as Ahote spoke up about the stars. He wasn't sure if they'd ever speak to his son like the did to his mate, but then again, he never really understood how they spoke to Namid in the first place.

"I'm not sure," he answered honestly. 'That's a question to ask your mother. She might be able to help you." Of course, would Ahote really want to be at the beck and call of the stars as his mother was? If Asku had the option, he'd like to stay the way he was.

Asku rolled up to his feet and looked down at his son with a fond smile. Ah, he was so cute...such unique markings, a perfect blend of himself and Namid. "You've got a lot of time to get big, so don't waste it thinking about stuff like this too much. Make sure you have fun playing with your siblings and making friends."

He nuzzled Ahote's tummy with his nose before glancing back at their den. He could hear the other pups starting to stir. "All right...time to go rally the troops and get some dinner. I'll be back."

And with that, he disappeared into the den.

LexThetaSigma

Last post from me

 

[LexThetaSigma]

Hmmmm his mom would probably be able to tell him more about the stars and if he would ever hear them than his dad could. Maybe he could have to catch her once before she took off to ask her...or he could even follow her.

"Alright," Ahote agreed as he continued to think. His thinking was interrupted when Asku nuzzled his tummy, leading the small pup into a bit of a giggle fit.He was right though, he had time to decide what he wanted to do. Now was the time for playing and exploring.

When Asku went inside, Ahote decided to follow after him. It was time to see what his siblings wanted to do for the night.

FIN