Nightmares (Taggr)

[nightblood]

Zuka's eyes shot open at the sound of her yelping brother. She sat up, wondering why he was running. Then she noticed her heel was throbbing a bit from impact. Remembering her dream, she jumped up and barked urgently at the panicking sibling.

"Dakarai, wait! Stop!"

The warning, however, came too late. Her brother slammed headfirst into the wall of the cave. Cringing at the sight, she covered her eyes with her paw as her fur stood on end from the excitement. She walked toward him as he fell onto the floor from the pain, her ears pinned back. She gave him a gentle lick on the nose.

"Geeze, I'm sorry Daki. I didn't mean it," she said apologetically, backing away as her mother trotted in to see what all the ruckus was about.

At first, NightBlood thought a fight had broken out and had arose slowly, trying to keep herself from being annoyed or angry with her squabbling children, barely keeping up with Khenti. However, once she noticed that there was a slight scent of blood on the air, she quickened her pace. She was not going to allow the roughhousing to go that far. That's when she saw Dakarai lying on the floor by the rock wall with Zuka standing beside him. She'd figured the tougher sister had something in it, but hadn't entirely expected her to be apologizing.

The pup looked up at her mother, genuinely sorry for what happened.

"I accidently kicked him when I was dreaming," she said, ears still plastered back on her skull, "He jumped up and ran into the wall."

NightBlood flicked an ear at her daughter, showing that she heard her, and leaned her head down to examine the second youngest pup. After seeing that there was no major trauma, aside from a probable headache, she licked his muzzle free of blood and touched noses with her daughter, reassuring her that she was not angry with her.

"Nothing's broken. But let's be a bit more careful, okay?"

"'Kay."

Turning to her son, she deduced that it would be best for him to sit in the snow for a while to dull the pain.

"You'll be fine, Dakarai," she said and she moved to pick him up by the scruff of his neck and take him outside.

Zuka would follow her mother, wanting to make sure that her brother was okay. It was only then that she noticed that Khenti was awake as well. She'd probably talk to him in a minute, after first checking up on Daki.

[Akree]

-"Geeze, I'm sorry Daki. I didn't mean it,"

Daki opened one dazed eyes at his sister. His eyelids fluttered 'till he could slightly focus on the hazy shape of his sister, as he continued to blink it eventually cleared up so he could see the "branch with claws." He gave a yelp and a sneeze.

-"You are evil." was what he tried to say, but it sounded more like a "Yuru-evuh"

Dazed he tried to flip back to a sit, but a soon as he could stand his legs started to wobble like crazy so he settle down to just lay there until he got some feeling back into them.


Khenti was ahead of his mother as he walked back to the den. Well he was ahead when he was at the entrance of the den, feeling cheered up and ready for some serious thinking that would have had to have nothing to do with the previous events.

That's when he saw Dakarai sprawled on the floor, his sister giving him a sympathetic look. Khenti almost keeled over and tackled his sister, but he knew that would help little. His big paws moved fast, but his mother was faster. He watched as she caught the faint scent of blood and hurried over to his siblings. Sheesh with all this going on he wondered how could the rest of his siblings sleep?

-"I accidentally kicked him when I was dreaming," she said, ears still plastered back on her skull, "He jumped up and ran into the wall."

-"Branwutclus" muttered Dakarai "nus" he said and clutched his bleeding nose. What he mean was "branch with claws" and "nose," but the pup could barely move his jaws to speak and Zuka's voice was slurry, he was still sleepy and the headache didn't help.

-"What?"[/b] was all that Khenti could say considering his brother's senseless babble.

-"Nothing's broken. But let's be a bit more careful, okay?"

-"Whut?" was all Dakarai could say, still trying to shape the words everything seemed to pass at a much slower time. "Slepn then branwutclus fel" was his explanation "den zuhk' wus der"

-"What is a 'branwutclus'?" Khenti asked turning to look at Zuka and his mother in turn, Dakarai wasn't making any sense.

-"You'll be fine, Dakarai,"

With that said Dakarai felt the gentle bite of his mother as she carried him outside into the snow. dakarai gazed sleepily around . Khenti followed his mother, literally at her heals. Just a second after she lifted a paw, Khenti was putting his over sized puppy paw there.

-"Hedhart" Dakarai murttered, trying to get his mom to lower him down, but to limp to do much else rather than complain "Letmidon" he complained again.

[nightblood]

{{Zuka is Crimson. X) BTW: I like how you're making Daki talk. Maybe he should have a lisp and slur his words or something? Would be awesome. ^^ }}

"Yuru-evuh"

"Sorry?" Zuka said again, watching him try to sit up.

She had no idea what else to say as she watched her mother tend to him. She just wanted to makesure that she hadn't done any permanent damage. She considered trying to interpret when he began explaining what had happened from his point of view.

"Whut?" he asked, responding to their mother's order, "Slepn then branwutclus fel den zuhk' wus der."

"What is a 'branwutclus'?"

"Brannch wiith claws...?" Zuka guessed, churning the words over slowly in her head.

As NightBlood padded out into the snow with her son dangling from her jaws, she could hear the claws of her pups clacking against the rock floor with rapid speed as they raced behind her. She admired their concern for their brother, but wished they'd keep further back so she didn't accidentally step on them. On the other paw, they were probably watching where they were stepping so as not to get bashed in the face by her heel.

"Hedhart," Dakarai muttered from under her teeth "Letmidon."

The Beta placed him on the rock floor where the snow started to cover the surface. She licked his nose again, making sure the bleeding had stopped, and raised her head.

"Stay in the snow for a while, Dak," his mother said, laying down beside him.

Zuka had taken up a swift pace and was just about to slow down when her mother layed down where she was aiming to sit. She locked her paws to stop herself, but the snow had made the front of the cave slippery. Instead of stopping, she plowed headfirst into her mother's back. Dazed for a moment, she shook her head. Then a feeling began to climb up her legs from her toes. The sensation made her jump high in the air and land on NightBlood's side.

"Whoa, cold!" she shouted, dancing around as she shook the snow from her paws, never setting foot on anything other than her mother's warm fur, "Cold, cold, COLD!"

[Akree]

-"Brannch wiith claws...?"

Khenti looked at his sister like she had lost her mind, but shook his head. Well his brother had said: "Slepn then branwutclus fel den zuhk' wus der." Sleeping then branch with claws? Why would his brother see a branch...with...claws? That must have been one hell of a dream. Zuhk' sounded like Zuka, so he guessed that the reason his brother was bleeding was that Zuka startled him. Knowing Dakarai that must be it, but his dreams made as much sense as his words right now.

-"Stay in the snow for a while, Dak,"

Dakarai curled against his mother's belly as she laid him down in the cold snow. He wanted to fall asleep there, but the throbs that pulsed through his head told him he wouldn't get any of that. And all for what? 'Cuz his sister decided that his nose was a branch with claws toy. He wrinkled his nose making the drying blood crack and begin bleeding again. he groaned wanting his mother's soft kisses to make his nose stops bleeding.

-"Moommy" he complained his he tried to stand up, but lay back against his mother's side preferring the warm fur instead of the evil cold snow.

-"Whoa, cold! Cold, cold, COLD!"

-"Zuka....Zuka...ZUKA" Khenti yelled as his sister kept prancing about "Stay still and your paws will get used to the cold." he said a bit to matter-of-factly to sound like advice, sounding more like a sneer.

Khenti made his way closer to his mother, curling up against her paw. He blinked once as he heard birdsong and shifted his body so he could look at the singing bird, with chirped contently as the sun rose higher in the sky. He could hear more animals shuffle around, like birds and hares. Khenti sighted, frowning at his mother's larger paw and claws. Thinking of how large his paws would grow, or it it was possible that he would even get paws nearly the same size as his mom. Khenti switched his gaze to frown at his own paws.

Dakarai sneezed and curled even tighter to his mother's side. Soon he would drill a hole there if he kept it up, shutting down completely Zuka wailing at the cold snow, he just wanted to sleep away from the branch with claws, that meant his sister.

[nightblood]

"Mommy"

NightBlood curled herself around her son while balancing her daughter on her side. She leaned in and gave the pained pup a few licks on his nose, washing away the dried blood.

"Zuka....Zuka...ZUKA Stay still and your paws will get used to the cold."

The mini NightBlood stopped and glared at her younger brother, scowling.

"I know that," she growled, "It just surprised me."

Slowly, very slowly, Zuka slid down off her mother while she was tending to Dakarai. She stopped on her tail, however, and rubbed her paws together furiously until they were warm again. Then she jumped out into the snow.

"Now press your nose into the snow, Dakarai. It'll stop the bleeding for good."

NightBlood turned her attention to her daughter as she ran around, making the snow fly. She rounded in front of her and stopped at her paws, watching Khenti watching their paws. Getting an idea, Zuka began nipping at her mother's paws and pulling at them to get them to turn over. Catching on to her objective, but not really seeing the point, NightBlood turned her paw over. Situating herself for the best view for her mother, Zuka reached out over the large foreleg and placed her paw pad on NightBlood's. It was out sized in every way, but Zuka turned her eyes toward the Beta and gave a sly grin. NightBlood read it as 'I'll beat you someday' and smiled back, remembering how she'd claim to outdo her own father.

[Akree]

-"I know that," she growled, "It just surprised me."

Khenti rolled his eyes and chuckled, as he climbed onto his mother paws. Stretching and laying flat against his mother's paw and part of her leg. An outstretched ball of fur against his mother's much darker fur.

Dakarai hummed as his mother licked his nose, pleased that it stopped hurting so much. Maybe he would get a neat nose scar out of this situation, who knew. Maybe he should ask Khenti...

-"Now press your nose into the snow, Dakarai. It'll stop the bleeding for good."

-"But don't breath it in, it will froze your sinuses and will make it almost impossible to breath" said Khenti before Dakarai committed the mistake.

Dakarai flashed a pained smile at Khenti, taking a deep breath before pressing his nose on the snow. He lay his nose against the cold snow, being careful -like Khenti instructed- not to breath it in. When he lifted his head his nose had stopped bleeding like his mother said it would.

-"That feelz much butter." Dakarai said cheerfully.

Khenti grinned before walking to his brother's side, nudging Dakarai playfully. In response, Dakarai sneezed again.

[nightblood]

"But don't breath it in, it will froze your sinuses and will make it almost impossible to breath"

NightBlood's eyes shifted to Khenti. She knew she shouldn't be surprised, but she just never got tired of finding out just how smart he was. Once Dakarai was feeling better, the two began to play, but not before her second youngest son sneezed from the cold on his nose. She gave a little laugh, laying her head down on its side as she watched her pups bounce around in the snow.

Zuka, sensing that now was a good time for an attack, moved behind her mother once again, being so quiet that a snow flake landing on a rock was louder than her... at least, that's what she told herself. She folded her ears back and peered over NightBlood's back, waiting for the perfect time to ambush her siblings.

[Akree]

NightBlood's laugh ringed in Dakarai's ears as they two pups rolled on the snow. Khenti struck one playful paw on Dakarai's belly to hold him down and was about to play nibble on his brother's side, but Dakarai sneezed, instinct made Khenti duck out of the way of his brother's boogers, but he was sprayed by it anyways.

Khenti growled, before rubbing his face against the snow. Dakarai took the distraction and jumped on Khenti's back, sending the pups tumbling on the snow, rolling and laughing as the two balls of fur were now covered in white snow. When the two finished rolling they both heaved themselves to a sit.

As if on one accord they both turned to look at each other, their fur was in a mess and they were covered in snow, that clung to their fur making them look fluffier than they were. They both broke into giggling fits and they bounded towards their mother.

-"Mommy hed feelz butter." said Dakarai cheerfully.

Khenti chuckled as turned his head sharply towards the his mother's back, or rather the miniature NightBlood poised for a pounce. Immediately Khenti backed away from Zuka's bouncing range, while Dakarai cluelessly stayed where he was.

-"Umm..." Khenti pondered whether he should or should not tell his brother about Zuka's position, poised for a pounce. "Dakarai...?"

Dakarai turned his head to look at his brother. Khenti thought it over more carefully and simply shook his head at his brother, which turned his attention back at his mother.

[nightblood]

Blood watched as her sons tussled in the snow. They reminded her of herself playing with ShadeBlood when they were pups. As she droned on the memory, however, she began to notice that one of her active pups was not on top of things as she normally was. Instead, she had vanished.

"Mommy hed feelz butter," Dakarai said as the two came forward, pelts patched with frozen snow.

The Beta leaned her head down to inspect Dakarai's injuries. She smiled when she saw that they were no longer bleeding and gave him a lick on the chin.

"Umm... Dakarai...?"

It was only when Dak moved his head toward Khenti that NightBlood chanced a look around. She caught Zuka hiding behind her back. Grinning mischievously, she met her son's gaze when he returned his attention to her, holding him there with her eyes for just a moment, giving Zuka ample opportunity to strike when-

"OOF!"

"GET HER NOSE, GUYS! GET IT GET IT GET IT!!"

Instead of going after her brother, like NightBlood had thought, Zuka lunged for her mother instead, landing perfectly on her muzzle with her hind legs covering Blood's eyes while she attempted to clamp down on her jaws with her forearms, as well as hang on for dear life.

"TRAITOR!" the mother roared playfully, rising up out of her sons' leaping range.

[Akree]

Khenti watched carefully as Zuka leaped at her mother, holding on as strongly as she could. Dakarai leaped back, giving a startled yelp and quickly starting to retreat, preferring to keep well away from the fighting.

-"OOF!"

-"GET HER NOSE, GUYS! GET IT GET IT GET IT!!"

Khenti didn't need to be told twice. With incredible speed for a small pup he aimed for his mother nose, instead tackling into her cheek, oh well close enough, considering his mother -the cheater- had raised herself to a stand, away from the pup's leaping rage. Khenti took a few steps back...

-"TRAITOR!"

One, two, three...four CHARGE! Khenti charged forward summoning all his strength before making a huge leap, landing on his mother's back. Dakarai after considering his options decided to join the play.

Directly under his mother's head, he squared his shoulders and sunk his paws firmly in the snow, summoning all his strength to leap up trying to get his mother's head. missing and landing on the ground with an Oomf and a crunch of snow, he continued to repeat the process.

Khenti was holding on to his mother back while climbing her to reach her head. Almost slipping, instinct made him bite his mother's ear for support and -painfully for NightBlood- heaved himself onto her head, being careful not to hurt her, evading eyes he stretched his paws to place it firmly on her muzzle. An attempt to reach her nose.

[nightblood]

"Owowowowowow!"

Night had barely noticed when Khenti leapt onto her back, but now that he was at her ear, she tilted her head in the direction that the weight pulled on until her youngest son through himself onto her head, which was now lowering because of the added weight. Thinking quickly, she galloped out into deeper snow, away from Dakarai as he tried to reach her nose. With two pups so close, she had only one option. She dug a shallow hole to clear away the snow, and jammed her muzzle into it. With speed to match a fox, she brought both front paws forward and shielded her nose from the tyrannical puppies.

"CHEAT!!" bellowed Zuka as she slid down.

The mini NightBlood began clawing away at her mother's paws, trying to get to her nose that was safely buried at this point.

"No cheat, Traitor," Blood said playfully (and a bit nasally) as she wagged her tail.

A golden color stepped forward from the den and stood at the mother of the cave, eyeing his brothers and sister as they played with their mother. Surethim blinked sleepily and yawned. For about the fifth time, he shook his fur, attempting to wake himself up fully and ready himself for the fun.

"And she said I was loud," he said as he gave a tired laugh.

[Akree]

As Khenti climbed onto her head, his mother went in a running frenzy and she buried her head into the snow. khenti slipped forward digging his claws into his mother's muzzle before falling head first into the snow.

He grumbled, shacking the snow of his face before turning to his mother and snuffling as she covered her nose with her paws, trying to spot a weakness in her defense, occasionally digging into her paws, trying nudge her even the slightest bit.

-"CHEAT!!" Zuka bellowed

-"No cheat, Traitor."

Khenti frowned at his mother paws and drew away, taking his mother's momentarily distraction to his advantage and circling his mother. Ducking in between her legs and approaching her nose from beneath his mother's huge body. He stopped when the makeshift cave ceiling grew low, low enough the he had to crouch down. Khenti stopped his crouch in front of his mother's lower jaw, tackling it and beginning to dig pout her jaw, squirming to try to get in the space between her paws and head.

**

Dakarai ran after his mother, disturbed by her sudden halt he stopped, tripped and fell, crashing against her back leg. He shook himself as he stood and circled his mother to stand in front of her, frowning at the way she had her nose buried in the snow.

-"Don't breath in the snow" he warned, repeating Khenti's previous advice.

He snuffled his mother's paws and tried to nudge her paws out of the way. He sneezed and dug at her paws, trying to get her to reveal her nose. Annoyed that Khenti was nowhere in sight to help Zuka or himself. He sneezed again.

-"And she said I was loud,"

Dakarai lifted his head to look at his brother, turning to look from his mother, to Zuka, to Surethim he repeated this process three times, before deciding to grin at Surethim and continue to dig at his mother's paws.

[nightblood]

"Don't breath in the snow"

NightBlood mentally rolled her eyes and chuckled at her slightly dimmer son. He was kind and cautious, but she knew what she was doing. The Beta counted the claws that were digging into her fur. Four sets or claws- two pups. Where was the third? A pressure at her jaws told her where her other son was. She could easily defend herself against the runt.

Surethim ran forward, finally deciding that he was awake enough to join the fray. He was at the fight scene in six bounds. Without stopping, he aimed himself for the opposite side of where Khenti was. With strength enough to match Zuka, he pummeled into his mother's jaw, forcing the muzzle up and out of the ground.

"Ahh!" Blood shouted in surprise, "Reinforcements!"

Sliding forward and turning on a dime, Surethim forced Zuka out of the way and chanced a leap at their mother's face. He reached his forearm forward before NightBlood could raise her head all the way and landed his paw in the corner of his mother's nose.

"Score!" he shouted triumphantly when he landed, sitting down and waiting patiently for the Beta to confirm it.

Sniffing awkwardly as Night looked closely at the end of her nose, she brought her paw up to rub the spot where he had hit. Scowling, she glared at the spot, then at her pups. Slowly, the frown turned into a smile.

"Aye. A touch," she admitted, "A touch indeed."

"Yeah!"[/b][/color]

[Akree]

-"Ahh!" Blood shouted in surprise, "Reinforcements!"

Dakarai backed away from his mother as Surethim gave her a tackle, making her lift her nose from the snow. Dakarai huffed and chuckled at his mother's expression. Khenti materialized at his side giving Dakarai a nudge.

-"Score!"

Surethim's yell of triumph send the two youngest pups in a jumping and stomping frenzy, wagging their tails madly as Surethim landed, waiting for their mother's judgment. But it had been a touch, or more of a slap. Khenti managed to sit, his tail still wagging in expectation, while Dakarai continued to jump in place, all but buzzing in excitement.

-"Aye. A touch," she admitted, "A touch indeed."

Both Khenti and Dakarai broke into cheers and more tail wagging. They head butted each other and broke into muffled laughter.

-"Yeah!"

Khenti padded towards Surethim his tail wagging ten miles a minute. He grinned as Dakarai padded lazily behind him.

-"That was great Surethim, just in time." Khenti said with a wicked grin.

Dakarai nodded eagerly behind his brother and raced towards Surethim to give him a playful nudge.

-"Congrasth" muttered Dakarai.

[Akree]

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