learning to walk [mika]

[♥Picasso]

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[atrb=background,http://i41.tinypic.com/30k6nv6.jpg,true] "Speech." Left paw. Right paw. Watch out for that rock! No- no! Don't slip, Goddamnit. Orion stared stubbornly at the ground as large, fat rain droplets fell through his drenched ebony fur. The cub was still trying to sort out his footing, and what better place to do it than the precarious, slippery footings of Tooth Cliff? It was dangerous, but Orion was enjoying the adrenalin that raced through his veins with every shaky step he took. Some dogs didn't understand why Orion was so clumsy, why his gaze strayed while they spoke, but Orion had long since accepted that this was a part of him, and he was sure that he was going to overcome this little blip in his life. There was nothing more frustrating than watching other dogs chase their prey with ease and agility, when all Orion could do was trip over his own paws. It was humiliating, especially when they laughed. Orion hated it when they laughed. Nevertheless, Orion was getting better. Although his teeth were still not as sharp as they will be, he had managed to catch a variety of small animals as a snack. Still, he felt as though he was missing something. The Tempest Pack wasn't providing him with excitement. Orion was bored. He was sick of playing around with his siblings, rolling around in the dirt and pretending to think that everything in the world was happy and dandy. He'd seen fights break out between dogs before, and he'd seen how exhilarating it looked. Once or twice, Orion longed to have got involved, to bite down on his opponent until he could taste their metallic blood ooze onto his tongue. Too young, too small, too weak. Dogs would laugh in his face if they saw him try to attack. He could already hear their coos: "Aww, look at that little puppy, trying to attack that big doggy! Isn't he adorable?". Not for long he won't be. Not just fights. Orion had witnessed deaths. He'd seen straying cats be ripped to shreds, limb by limb. He had seen a dog perish in a particularly gruesome attack. Death fascinated him. Whilst it was a taboo subject ("What happens when you die?" "Don't think about such dark things, Orion!"), Orion still couldn't help but wonder what it was like. Was it cold, like when Orion had been sick during Winter? Orion remembered the pain of his illness. It had only lasted a few days, but he remembered having no appetite and shivering uncontrollably. Was death like ice consuming you? Or was it burning hot like a fever that you couldn't shake? Orion sank to the ground, looking out at the swirling ocean. It was nearly evening and the sun hung low in the sky. It was already getting dark, but Orion had been told that when summer comes, the days will be longer. And it would be warmer, although Orion's thick pelt had already kept him warm through the bitter winter. He heard that it would be sweltering by the time summer came around. Orion raised his head to the raining, black sky. Besides, Orion quite liked this kind of weather. Sighing, Orion rested his head back down and closed his eyes.

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[Mika]

On the outside he had a very friendly expression on his face as he passed by other canines, nodding politely and saying hello. He couldn't exactly tell what he was feeling on the inside, he just knew it didn't match the outside. The only reason he was here with the pack instead of outside of the packs' territory was so he could try to get acquainted with his pack mates.

He was a spy, so he should probably make sure even his pack mates knew less about him as possible. But then he probably wouldn't gain many followers as he aimed for his goal. He paused for a moment and looked up at the dark sky as rain began to fall. He planed on leaving again as soon as possible, maybe the rainwater would wash the packs' scent off of him. He looked forward again and continued on his way, heading for the cliff.

Shuck could see a small, clumsy black form as he approached. It didn't cross his mind that the pup would fall over the edge and plummet to his death to the waters below. It would have been the unbalanced pups' own fault if he had slipped and fell, everyone should know better than to wander too close to the slippery edge of Tooth Cliff. He approached the pup anyway, only out of boredom, not out of concern for the pups' safety. The massive Dane stopped a foot behind the pup and sat on his haunches. "Odd place for a nap, don't you think?"

[♥Picasso]

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[atrb=background,http://i41.tinypic.com/30k6nv6.jpg,true] Orion's hearing was still developing. He had been concentrating so hard on the rush of the waves down below that he completely missed the scent and the sound of an approaching dog. When a voice suddenly startled Orion, he jumped up onto shaky paws, only to fall again. Stupid. He inwardly cursed. Orion should always be making sure there was no one approaching, no one catching him unawares. What if that had been an escaped feline? They could have slit his throat before Orion even registered that there was someone nearby. How foolish of him, to get distracted so easily! Composing himself, Orion raised his head to look at the canine that had startled him. Oh, he was huge. Orion had never seen a dog so large. He towered far above Orion's small, ebony frame, with long legs and well-built body. If Orion was that tall, he was sure to trip over those legs all the time. Thinking back to what the Great Dane had said to him, Orion shook his head. "I wasn't napping. I was... thinking." Orion argued back, before realising what a lame comeback that was. Rolling his eyes, Orion decided to sit back on his rump now that he knew that the stranger wasn't too much of a threat. Besides, even if Orion wanted to run away, it was pretty much impossible. That large a dog would catch up with him in two or three bounds, and Orion, being clumsy, would probably trip up over his own feet anyway. It was useless and pretty dangerous. How had Orion not been killed yet? He was easy prey. He was practically lame. "What's your name?" Orion asked, cocking his head to the side. Orion wasn't good at remembering names, although he was sure he'd never met this dog before. The wolf cub wondered whether this canine liked fighting and hunting. He wondered whether the Great Dane had ever killed one of his own, or whether he'd ever killed a cat. That would always be an exciting story to hear. Orion could listen to those kinds of stories all day. It fascinated him to hear about how cats and dogs had died. As disturbing as it is for some dogs, Orion barely flinched when he heard the gruesome, minute details of a murder. His eyes would light up as he wriggled with excitement, desperate to hear more. Orion, however, kept his lips firmly shut, not wanting to be too forward on the dog.

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