Chapter 7: 1.7. Character Development
“Big sis Isa! Long time no see!”
“Big sis, tell us a story!”
“Is it true that you are now “Bun`Nutcracka”!?”
With a warm smile, I gave the ambushing fluffle my usual tribute. Soon, two small bags of honey candies were in both hands of the bєar with a big mouth, much to his bewilderment.
Nodding to the youth tenders on kitkeeping duty, I proceeded to make my way deep into the den. Shouts and screams soon filled the nest as a ravenous horde swarmed towards its whimpering victim, and no later did I find myself in front of the old, oaken door. After a few knocks, permission was given, allowing me entrance to the inner sanctum.
*Scribbling*Scribbling*
In contrast to the shrieks and squeals outside, only a swift sound of quiet quill permeated the sanctuary. Parchments upon parchments were being filled out at a breakneck speed, yet the staggering stack on the table did not show any sign of stopping its growth any time soon.
A quick glance revealed words pertaining to the need for more supplies, shelters and personnels. Courtesy of yesterday’s fiery incursion, no doubt.
Hopefully, the grieving strays could soon adapt to their new home…
*Scribbling*
A hand slowly covered up the parchment, preparing to add it onto the pile while preventing any further peeking. Ending on that note, the old capᴥbara put down her quill and gave me a tender smile.
“It has been a while, little Isa.”
“Yes, Ma Mma…”
“Don’t just stand there, dearie. Have a seat. I will be with you in a moment.”
The crackling sound of a boiling kettle grew ever crankier as I made my way towards the side table. Having taken a seat, my nose could not help but twitch at the various smells wafting through the air. Honeyed treats, bitter herbs as well as waxy crayons neatly nestled away on various boxes and shelves like always, threatening to make my mouth water with nostalgia.
“Here you go, dearie. Be careful, it’s quite hot.”
Sounds of liquid filling up wooden cups quickly snapped me out of my musing. With a quiet “thank you”, I proceeded to enjoy the sweetness of my herbal tea, all while ignoring the growing heat on my ears as they failed at their only darn job. At least my jumpy thoughts managed to amuse the old nest maker, if the grin tucking on the corner of her lips was any indication…
•ㅅ•
For a while, only small sips of quietness could be heard. Leaning in our chairs, both of us lazily basked under the warm blanket of the morning sunlight. We were drinking in the peacefulness of it all, and even the distant sound of a fierce fluffle fighting each other over scraps could not unruffle us.
Back when I was but a fledgling, “take it slow, once in a while” had always been a baffling piece of advice to me. Now, though? Having tasted the daily grind so often, to the point that I could hardly recall the longing for a new day… It truly made me appreciate these little moments, as well as the nuggets of wisdom that my young self foolishly chose to ignore.
“I have heard about your newest fledgling.” The old capᴥbara spoke up, signaling the end of our rest. “Bullheaded, that boy is. If this keeps up, he might turn into a real “human wylder”, no doubt!”
“Indeed, how praiseworthy it was-” I responded drily. “-that my fledgling could even do my part of work back when I was still reeling from fear~”
My distaste with the situation must have come across, for a look of shock and concern soon appeared on the nest maker’s face. Words of encouragement almost managed to leave her mouth, but not fast enough to prevent me from denying the thought.
“It’s ok, Ma Mma. I have come to terms with it…” I put up the usual cheerful, dog-may-die attitude and ignored the strain at the corner of my lips. “Plus, how many others can claim to have clawed as high as I have, without the need for strong blood running through their veins?”
For a while longer, none of us spoke up, opting to observe the lazy sun instead. Soon, I could just feel a warmness on my face, flowing all the way down my chin.
“You know… Out of all the pups that I have watched over, you and that lǐon have always given me the most headache.” The old capᴥbara stirred. “Sometimes, I just want to beat that darn Nexa silly for putting all those thoughts of “power” and “glory” into your head.” Pausing slightly, the aged wylder continued her thought. “A shame that I could no longer do so. Life lost for little, I would say…”
“She is in a better place now, Ma Mma, and I’m certain that she never regretted it.”
“Indeed… That crafty cat most certainly didn’t… But still, don’t hate this old crow too much for fretting over her foolhardy favorites, alright?”
With a small sigh, I leaned into the familiar sensation washing over my head. “You both proved me wrong, you know that?” The ruffling sound did not last long. In its place, light pinching was felt on both of my cheeks. “So eager to leap without looking both ways, yet somehow always manages to make it out on top…” Following several small squishes was the feeling of an… iron grip? “You rascals certainly set a terrible example for the young ones, if what happened with little Imit was any indication…” OW OW OW OW OW. “Say, I never did punish you for almost burning down this nest, didn’t I?”
“Ma Mma… can’t breathe… I’m sorry… spare meee…”
“Oh hush, dearie. Let this old crow show you just how much she misses her favorite trouble maker first~”
•ㅅ•
By the time I was finally granted my freedom, Ma Mma’s tough love had already left its mark on me. With swollen cheeks, I silently, solemnly vowed to never make the old capᴥbara have to worry like this again… by somehow covering my tracks better next time.
After all, what she didn’t know wouldn’t hurt me. And her grips were just really, really painful!
“You are scheming to leave me in the dark, aren’t you?”
Cursed old crows and their ability to read minds without any need of magic!
Fortunately, my innocence was quickly proven thanks to the super secret technique that had always managed to get me out of hot water. After a hearty round of chuckle, the nest maker finally looked away from my purely pure doe eyes and continued her thought.
“Sometimes, I really regret teaching you brats that trick… Anyway, I was meaning to ask this earlier, but where is that new fledgling of yours? He will have to do some kitkeeping sooner or later, so shouldn’t you have brought him here as well?”
“Hiro might have survived a primordial presence without losing his mind, but he is still a fledgling, Ma Mma. A day off or two wouldn’t hurt. Plus, I figured that he could use this break to learn more about his ancestors’, hmmm, legacy~”
“... Isa, I will probably regret asking this, but what did you do this time?”
“Nothing that my dear fledgling didn’t ask of me first, of course. Scout’s honor!”
Not wanting to dwell on the lukewarm reaction in front of me, I quickly added. “Anyowl, the main reason for my visit today actually concerns my ward.” Tea time was over, work was in order. “Due to the recent Dragon attack, what little works that both of us can take part in have greatly diminished. Patrol duty is a no go until big red goes away. Fetching duty is not possible until Hiro is a fetcher. Plus, now that we are soothing the populace with an endless stream of meat and mead, any other work available will most likely involve interacting with the sloshed horde at the shouting halls, which…”
“... Will ultimately end with a bunch of hot-blooded young fools picking fights with the boy, no doubt.” The old crow easily picked up on the situation. “I see. So, you and the kit want to take part in nest duties for the foreseeable future, correct?” At my nod, the nest maker took out some scrolls as well as a pair of glasses from her pocket. After a quick scan, she gave me the witty, wide smile that always made my heart wary…
“Bad news, dearie. Earlier this morning, a coalition of cats had already volunteered for all remaining positions in August, even leaving behind a sizable sum of stand-in for any possible work… I think someone also shared your thoughts and decided to cut off your ward’s retreat in advance, here.”
Curse you, lousy lions and your blasted bloodlust!!! Damn you all to the depths!!!
“No need to get all bitey just yet, young one.” The old capᴥbara’s words immediately made me cover my frowning face. With an amused expression, she continued. “Since this problem does concern the Horde as a whole, I can make an exception for you two. In fact, I will even make it so that the nest both of you get assigned to won’t include any cranky cats from said coalition. How does that sound?”
It sounded great! Nay, it was flawless and faultless, for it was perfection taken form! It was perfect, too perfect, in fact…
I smiled at my old mentor, the old crow grinned at me…
I shook my head from side to side, she nodded her ultimatum, once…
With a small sigh, I gave in to her demand.
“... I suppose that I will have to take on a “quest”, then?”
“Oh, how nice of you to offer, dearie!” The old crow cooed as she took out some parchments from her pocket. “There just happen to be some lost lambs around these nests, most of which are troublesome little things just like you were… At the moment, I am too busy to look after them myself, and I believe that you might have an easier time taking care of their plight compared to the other youth tenders. So, hop to it, young Antler Snatcher! Godesspeed!”
Grumbling slightly, I took the parchments and skimped over their details. The more I read, however, the more I realized how troublesome this task would get. Already, memories of big sis running me ragged under the pretense of “questing” flooded my mind, making me shiver in horror.
And so, after a few more words of advice and encouragement, the old crow bade me goodbye. As I made my leave, the image of a nest maker smirking with mirth was almost vivid in my head…
•ㅅ•
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“Honey!”
“Arms or bones!!!”
Surprisingly enough, the kits had not finished scavenging for the last scrap of candy. The sight of some little wćlf frantically fleeing from one frenzied fluffle made me do a double take, especially when sweets kept on dropping from the fella each time he made for an exit. Fortunately for him, blood seemed to be thicker than hoarder, for two other kits soon swooped in and saved his sorry tail, each bearing a great semblance to the pup.
Shaking my head in amusement, I continued to look around. Funnily enough, the messy nest actually made my search much easier, for my target was the only person not joining in the fun. With some small strides, I made my way towards the little one, who had already hidden herself behind the huge curtain.
“This is so weird… I was certain that someone was here…” I started, as if telling a tale around the campfire. “Oh noes, what if the rumors were true?” My whisper was small and shaky, barely loud enough to be heard. “Could it be… a ghost!?”
“Gh… gh… GHOST?!?”
Like a stone leaving the sling, a white blur shot out of the curtain and stumbled into my waiting arms. Putting a finger in front of my lips, I shushed the kit with a conspiratorial tone.
“Shhh… Be careful. We don’t want any ghost to find us, do we?” The sight of a small bὕnny rapidly bobbing her head almost made me break character, though I pressed on. “Follow me, I know a good hiding spot!”
And so, the two of us stealthily sneaked away from the invisible evil. We were so good at sneaking that, when a youth tender raised a brow at our retreat, one wink was all it took to make him chuckle and look the other way. Once both of us reached the storage, I glanced around before opening the door to my secret stash, where super secret stuff was hidden from view.
For example, the many pieces of candies which big sis and me used to smuggle around.
Or that torn tome that taught funny fire.
And even the busted boomstick that almost blew out my eardrum.
Ah, memories…
Looking back, I could not help but chuckle at the mesmerized look on the young bὕnny’s face. After some hesitation, she turned to me with the quietest of voice.
“Can I…?”
An encouraging nod spurred the ragged runt into action. Hopping to the pile of forbidden fruits, she stood on her tiptoe and fished out a single piece of candy. Soon, chewing sounds could be heard, hesitant at first, before rushing to finish the meal off, as if fearing others might come and take it away.
The way her eyes kept on darting around the room certainly reinforced that notion…
“Careful not to choke on it.” I added my two pieces to the kit’s paw. “Plenty of ways to be buried in the soil, but stuffing yourself would make for an embarrassing tale.”
The girl blinked twice, though she did give me a nod and slowed her speed. It was halfway through the second treat that the little one decided to speak up.
“These candies… They taste so sweet, yet their scent is so faint… I have never eaten treats like these before…”
“They were a pain to get, that’s for certain.” I grinned. “Can’t help it, though. After all, if their smell weren’t so subtle, this place would have been stormed by scavengers a long time ago~”
Hearing my words, the small bὕnny’s jaw almost dropped open, though the sweet inside her mouth must have reminded her not to do so. After a gulp, she looked up at me with stars in her eyes.
“Are these… from Brightland? How did you manage to get them!?”
“Shhh, trade secret. Don’t tell anyone, okay?”
Chuckling at the sight of two leaping long ears, I watched as the kit chomped down on her final treat. It did not take long before I was greeted with a small, happy smile.
“It has been so long since I got to eat something this sweet… Thank you so much! Uhm, big sis…?”
“Bun`Isa, best tall-tale-teller of Twilight Nests.” I bowed with a flourish. “Pleasure to meet ya, little one~”
“You’re Bun`Nutcracka! Everyone has been talking about you!!!”
“Cheers…” Ignoring the veins popping on my forehead, I repeated the unspoken question. “Still, I believe that I didn’t catch your name?”
“Ah, right, sorry! It’s Bun`Ichay! I’m… I’m new here…”
All traces of joy left the room once she uttered those words. The kit soon swayed and hiccuped, though she didn’t expect the paw that would steady her shoulder.
“It’s alright, little Ichay. It’s alright…” With a calming smile, I continued. “I used to be new here, just like you, as well.”
“... Really?”
“Um-hum. In fact, since both of us are now buddies hiding from the same ghost, how about we look out for each other, just in case?”
“Look out for each other?”
“Yup! I can teach you a lot of things to fight off the scary ghost, and you can be my eyes and ears, in case the darn thing tries to sneak up on us while I’m not looking. Whatcha think? Ghost busting buddies?”
The small bὕnny looked at me, before turning her gaze down to the pinky finger that was offered. With widened eyes, she nodded her head and gave me a smile as wide as my own.
“Ghost busting buddies!”
And so, that day, another fledgling had come under my wing.
•ㅅ•
“All in all, it was pretty good for me. Not too slow, not too crazy. Everything was just, right.” I said, rewarding myself with another juicy piece of meat for a job well done. “What about you, Hiro? How was your day?”
“Isa… This is just a gut feeling but… Did I do something that pissed you off recently…?”
“Oh dear!” I exclaimed, innocently, of course. “Whatever do you mean? How could I ever be mad at an esteemed fledgling such as yourself?”
“...”
My ward gave me the most deadpan stare he could muster, which was not very effective given how utterly exhausted he was. After a while, Hiro had no choice but to yield to my utterly innocent tilt of the head. Planting his face on the table once more, the poor sap regaled me with a horrifying tale of hardship.
“It was terrible! Utterly terrible! I didn’t need to know about the chosens’ “nightly activities” or “mating habits” or any of that crap! Do you have any idea how many times I just wanted to bury myself into a hole and die of embarrassment? And the “evolution” thing… Oh good GOD… What the actual fuck… My eyes will never recover from this, ever…” With a listless look, he added. “Why, oh why, did you send me there of all places?"
“Hm hm~ Well, like I told you this morning, laying low would be necessary right now. Plus, since you wanted to learn more about the Dragon, I figured that somewhere which could act as both a learning and hiding place would be ideal.” Cupping one paw under my chin, I got into a thoughtful pose. “Actually, now that I think about it… The geezer could certainly get very passionate about teaching. In fact, his lair is oh so feared, for he keeps on shoving his life study onto the throat of every visitor, especially those with strong divine blood…” Hitting myself on the head, I winked and stuck out my tongue. “Whoops~ Silly me! But hey, you had no problem doing that “dog-geezer” thing back then, so this is just fine, right~?”
“That’s not… That’s not what it meant… Ughhh…”
Leaning over the table, I patted my fledgling on the head. “Cheer up, young one. Learning about the glorious “exploit” of your ancestors is just the first step of your quest.” The laughter was almost bursting at this point. “Who knows, it might even be why the big bad red fears them so much! Just think about the wonder you got to know!”
“Chosen ones were responsible for the spread of big breasts in this world, and it is somehow still the least traumatizing thing I learned today… What’s with this plot… This development is utterly ridiculous… I want a refund, dammitttt!!!”
And so, amidst wail and laughter, another beautiful day passed peacefully, just the way it should~.
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