Obligatory do not post unless you are either of the packs named above.

Name:

Solaris

"Of the sun"

Age:

9 weeks old

Gender:

Male

Species:

Red fox

Appearance:

Solaris is clearly growing into his heritage at this point, his previously short and rounded muzzle is starting to lengthen and his ears growing larger. While not at the stage where he looks like a miniature version of an adult, he is starting to get there. While previously he looked more like a feline kitten in facial feature, he is clearly a canine, a fox in appearance. His body has already begun to have than elongated form that is typical of his kind, so that he looks a bit sneaky by extension when he moves about, but he is clearly used to eating well.

He has clearly begun to have his adult coloration start to come in, the distinctive reddish color appearing in his fur, most concentrated on his face. The rest of him is still a kind of a dusky brown-rust color that has more obvious hints of the warmer hue than previous weeks. On his lower legs, the black stockings are also coming in, a more faded type of black rather than the more solid shade that are seen on older foxes, and the black is shorter than that of adult indivuals. The white undermarking is there as well, brightest on the face and gradually fading as it goes over his chest and continues to his underbelly. His tail remains the darkest part of him, the sleek fur going from the dusky color to scattered black with a white tip, his fur there is not the distinctive brush of a older fox, instead looking more like a dog's tail still, though there is a downy fluffiness just starting to appear at the base part and slowly transitioning to the thinner fur. And of course, the shiny guard hairs have already started to appear on his soft coat.

Solaris' eyes have already changed from the soft blue he was born with, to the characteristic amber. It is a middling shade, not too dark nor too light, with a tint of a rusty shade. In time when he has his adult pelt, his eyes will almost match his fur, but not quite, for the reddish will be stronger than the hint in his irises.

The young fox is quick and agile like the rest of his kind, with a tendency to be able to preform the unique pounce that foxes can do, most often seen in the snow while hunting for mice, he can and has done it while play fighting with his siblings and hunting for insects. He has started to pick up the cat-like movements like the rest of his kin, stealthy and quick.

Personality:

Solaris is a tad more independant than his littermates, he likes to try and go off on his own to explore. This trait, combined with the natural curiosity of all young living creatures is a mix that is hard for his parents to keep track off, as he will see something interesting to him and start off toward it. As he is old enough to wander to a certain extent, he can technically investigate something if he is within a decent range of his parents, but he often takes this boundary and ignores it, ranging farther than he should. As often as it happens, his parents are always on top of it, and one of them comes to bring him back to a safe distance.

While he can be a fiery little thing, Solaris' first instinct when confronted is to run. Considering his current size, and even the size he will be as an adult, it makes sense that he would not be tempted to fight back as most larger creatures. But he is not always ready to run, and he has no problem with asserting himself over his siblings when he needs to. It really depends on the situation. Sometimes the preservation instinct tells him to run, and sometimes he will try to bluff until an adult comes to chase off the antagonizer.

Solaris is a bit quieter than most his age, he isn't a chatterbox that's for sure, but he also can and will engage in conversation eagerly. Even more so if it's someone he's used to, or just gets along with really well. He's still fairly vocal, but he is definitely less noisy than other kits.

Solaris woke in a circle of flattened grass, the taller blades of green rising high above him and framing the dark sky. The sky was the dark blue of dawn, with the eastern portion being colored by a washed out orangey color, a herald for the brighter colors of sunrise. The young fox lifted his little head and peered around his circle, amber eyes finding the still sleeping forms of his four littermates; mere clumps of dusky fur as their sides slowly rose and fell. He considered laying his head right down and closing his eyes, of going to sleep until the evening comes back around.

Instead he rotated his head out to the rest of the field, what he could see from the tall grass. The little rest he had gotten was ignored, a spark of excitement building as he observed the gently swaying grass. He didn't often wake this early into sleep, but he had fell asleep a good bit earlier than the others, and maybe that was why he was awake now. The specifics of it didn't matter to him, those thoughts were cast out of his mind when the sound of a mouse caught his attention.

The fox kit uncurled from his sleeping position and sat straight up, large ears pricked forward and straining to catch the sound again, the animal was right at the edge of his hearing range. The rustle came again, a skittering noise that was so distinctive in the field. A moment later and he was standing, taking a few steps forward until his nose was touching the undisturbed grass. His black-tipped paw lifted to carry him into the grass, and hesitated, the orange-ish head twisting around to look at his siblings again. The thin tail swished briefly against the back of his legs, and he tilted his head in consideration. Then the heartbeat of the mouse or vole popped into his hearing, accompanied by that quick skitter and rustle, and he slipped into the tall grass.

Solaris remembered the lessons on hunting, how his mother and father had done it. Move slowly and quietly, use the gait that his kind was so well known for. Use his smaller stature to be able to come up closer on prey than larger creatures. Be patient and quiet to avoid alerting his target. And when necessary, use his speed and agility to chase and strike. His body parted the green grasses, slowly shoving the stalks aside as he creeped closer. He was not hungry, his belly still content from the meal some hours ago, but this was a perfect practice hunt! To be a successful hunter, he had to practice, his parents told them all so!

Finally he was so, so close to the smaller animal. He could hear the quick beating of its heart and the scent of it made his mouth water, he could nearly taste the mouse already. Solaris crouched even lower to the ground, his belly brushing the cool earth as the white marked head lowered in preparation for a pounce. Then thumping was felt beneath his paws, the quick tearing sound of something charging through the grassland. His head popped up and he froze, heart drumming fast as he waited.

Then the form of what he thought was a rabbit charged so close that he could have been on its neck without moving a paw. His prey burst into motion and fled. Solaris startled back with a embarrasingly high yip escaping his jaws, and out of pure reflex, he leaped into a run. His paws didn't even seem to be impacting the ground, he ran so fast, uncaring of the grass that smacked into his face. Soon he slowed the frantic pace that he had set when he had been startled, and by a stroke of pure luck, the kit tipped his head up to the brightening sky.

The shape of a hunting bird was printed against the bluish sky, and the sight made him flatten his body against the shorter grass. His breath caught in his throat as he tracked the bird, craning his neck at the awkward angle. One of the earliest things he had ever been told, was to run and hide when any of them saw a hunting bird, that they would happily hunt kits as happily as they did mice and other prey. Even some larger ones would try to carry off a juvenile or adult fox. Solaris was so tense that his body was trembling, fear dictating the instinct to make himself small and unseen. There was a grace in the wheeling bird's flight, the grace of a fellow hunter, and he took heed of it.

Then he saw the bird tuck into a dive, falling from the sky so incredibly fast that if it was going for him, he would not have been able to react in time. And that sight, combined with the stress from having to wait, waiting for it to spot him and decide that he was a better meal than the usual fare, that he ran. As it swooped low over the shorter grasses, he bolted and made for the comforting sight of the forest, the trees rising up that made it apparent that it was safer from the open sky. Solaris ran as hard as he could, imagining the sight of a ferocious bird right behind him, his mind feeding pictures of gleaming talons reaching out to grab.

Solaris darted across the treeline, immediately feeling the cooler temperature of the shadows. He slowed to a stop after a few feet in, jaws parted to let the pink tongue dangle out as he panted, and the fox looked behind himself, relieve to see no bird in sight. Then he sat and rested after that ordeal. Normally he would have been wanting to sneak back across to his skulk and settle in for the day, but he was in the safety of the forest now, and this was a rare chance to explore without worrying about his mother or father coming after him. So the fox kit stayed, head swiveling around as he watched and listened to the sounds and sights of a forest waking up, the light of the sun and the blue of the sky growing clearer and more intense every minute.

Light began seeping into the ever shrinking den Aruna and her siblings were sleeping in, all huddled up together. They were slowly outgrowing the hole her parents had dug in the rootage of an old tree, mostly sleeping ontop of eachother but they also liked it this way. Not only did it keep them warm but the pups still greatly enjoyed each other's company. Especially at night time, being wolves that were born in a pack, they have learnt that safety lies in numbers. Despite the little ounce of light that was falling in, most of the pups just stirred a little, burying their faces into their siblings further. Sleep was something of importance to them, especially if they are going to spend every waking moment terrorising each other and constantly on the go. With that said, most of the pack was still soundly sleeping, they all worked hard and pups just made that more exhausting, not that they would change it for anything.

Being ontop of the rest of her siblings, the light hit at Aruna’s eyelids, making them twitch as it slowly woke her up. The young female stretched across the back of one of her siblings, the movement not even waking him up. He had always slept the hardest out of them all and Aruna used that to her advantage, such a comfortable bed. With a small yawn and lick of her chops, the pup looked towards the entrance, the familiar tail of her mother poking in teasing her. This young’en was already ripe and ready to go when she woke, ready for anything and happy to wake up those around her just so she would have someone to play with. Aruna slipped off the bundle with her front half, using her front legs to drag herself off with a good stretch. As awake as she was, it seemed her body lagged a bit but that was by no means going to stop her. Just as she opened her maw to chomp on the fluffy tail of her mother, the buzzing of a bee flew past and her attention changed like a click of a finger, sending her out of the den, missing her mother completely.

The bee was faster and in a second was gone. In frustration the little pup let out a quiet huff, shaking her fur out a little, dirt and dander falling from her coat. She sat on the ground and looked around, glancing up at the changing sky. It was barely morning, the sun still taking its time in rising, the orangey hue captivating her for nothing more than a second until she was finding something else to look at or do. Aruna looked back to her sleeping mother, the older female was unphased by the quick movement out of her pup's den and looking around the wolves out of dens were just as asleep. Mischief would be so easy to cause and with her being the first awake she could keep all the attention to herself. Excitement grew within the little girl and she couldn’t decide who to jump on first. She hadn’t been getting much attention from her father lately. In her opinion anyway and figured he was the best place to start. Yet by looking around she couldn’t quite see where he was. Her vision wasn't the best yet but he normally wasn't far from their den. With a quiet whine, she decided on doing something else, her mind constantly changing.

In a flash it was back, or maybe it was a different bee but either way it was an excellent chance to practice what the older wolves had slowly been trying to teach the distracted pups. Crouching low, Aruna did her best to keep quiet, she was going to get it this time. The small bee had landed on a flower closer to the invisible border her parents had given her. She wasn’t allowed past a certain point and had to stay close to them or the den at all times. However, that didn’t cross her mind once. Right now it was just her and the bee and she would do anything to catch it. Breaking rules definitely wasn't new for her either and to her getting into trouble just meant more attention on her. Once she was close enough to pounce but not scare the thing off she stopped, lowering herself even closer to the ground while wiggling her butt, preparing her back legs to fling her forward.

In mere seconds the young female flung herself forward, snapping her maw to try to catch the bee but once again she was too slow and instead landed face first into the dirt, squashing the flower that was now below her. Accepting defeat wasn’t quite something she had learnt yet so instead of sulking and heading back she decided to chase it further into the forest and away from her pack’s den site without so much as a second thought. The young female quickly felt her legs grow tired and slowing down only made it so the bee disappeared completely from her sight. With a small growl, she plonked her rump down onto the ground, only now realising just how far she had run from home. Yet, that didn't bother her or scare her. In fact she only grew more excited. Aruna had tried to go and explore before only to have been heavily reprimanded by her father, him having caught her every time. Not this time. This had been the furthest she had gotten. Taking a look back the way she came, the young female stood and padded forward, her head held high in pride of herself.

Being so young, there was little she knew about the dangers of being on her own. Yes she had been told and taught a few things but she couldn’t help her curiosity. With that she simply began wandering around, taking in the different scents and sights. If only she had someone to play with along the way. Going to get one of her siblings to explore with her was out of the question. She was sure to get caught going back and that would end all the fun she was having so playing with herself and anything she could find would have to do. Inanimate objects were so much easier to catch. Upon finding a pinecone, Aruna crouched again, this time not having to rev up her pounce as she flopped over the top of it, having grabbed the pinecone in her mouth and flinging it as she rolled. Being a playful pup she only leaped up to chase after it, leaning down to pick it back up.

Just as Aruna lifted her head with it hanging out the side of her jaw, a red face came into view. She stood there for a moment, like a deer caught in headlights as she tried to figure out the creature sat by a tree. The tree line to another area she hadn’t been in was in view, it was blurred but she could see it was lighter over there. With the colouration of the little animal was something she remembered her parents talking about. They looked kind of like a fox but they were smaller and different to how she imagined. With the pinecone still in her mouth, her head tilted ever so slightly, cautiously taking a step forward. Something in her told her to stay away but she told herself that today was all about exploring. Besides, they didn’t look so dangerous. Maybe they could play. It was that thought alone that had her cautiousness become excitement as her tail swished ever so slightly, dropping the pinecone to nose it as far as she could over to the other. Aruna hoped he would play, not a worry in her mind if it was a fox or not.

Solaris looked up at the trees, having to tip his head back as far as it would go to view some of the taller ones. They were really big, and the canopy of leaves spread out far, the top leaves were gaining a orange tint as the rising sun's rays hit them. It was quite the sight for him, watching that from so far below the tallest branches. He had sometimes seen sunrises when he and his family settle down to sleep, but never any more than the washed out color of the sun barely peeking above the land. This was a new experience, to be out when he usually was still fast asleep. Though it wasn't an unwelcome thing, if he could keep seeing the intense orange that almost seemed to resemble a fox's coat.

Now that he was calmer, Solaris was picking up the new scents in the area, and he directed his gaze down to glance around the forest, his black nose twitching as he inhaled the smell of the forest and the little creatures around him. All of the scents he could register almost seemed to be layered on top of each other, interweaving animals laying down different tracks at different times. Some were faded and some were very fresh, and it was an experience for him, as he was used to less twined scents out in the fields with only a few trees in planted in random places.

As he was taking in the sounds and scents and views of the forest, a particular sound knocked him right out of the curious awe that had overtaken him as he sat there. An ear twitched towards the sound and he sat up straighter, the picture of vigilance as he listened to something come closer. For some reason, Solaris did not feel the urge to run yet, whether he wanted to see the mystery animal before he disappeared or was not in the right mood to be careful, he didn't know. But he did tilt his head slightly as he lifted his head up a little more, trying to catch any scent that might seem like it was connected. There was something on the breeze, an unfamiliar scent that he didn't recognize, and he blinked as he tried to decipher the meaning, eyes narrowing slightly in thought.

He did not have to wait long for the unknown to show itself, and he leaned forward ever so slightly as he saw a pinecone, rolling or bouncing he couldn't quite tell, but the motion caught his eye immediately. Then a small animal came chasing after it, not seeming to notice that he was there until they lifted their head with the pinecone in their mouth. Solaris tilted his head to the side slightly, looking at the animal in curiosity; but otherwise he kept quite still as he watched the other for a moment. His amber eyes sized up the larger pup as he tried to work out what this was.

From where he was, he could plainly see the similiarities between himself and them, but at the same time, he could see as many differences too. They both had the long muzzle and standing ears, but their muzzle was broader than his slender one, their ears were of a different shape to his. He was more slender and than their rounder shape, their legs longer and thicker than his thinner ones. The color was a bit familiar though, the brown was kind of like the brown he and his siblings had been before their adult coloration had started to come in, and the white was a familiar thing as well. Overall he could tell that they were similiar, but there were clear differences that made him wonder if they were a different kind of fox that he'd never heard about. He could faintly remember being told that if he went far enough, he could find a type of his kind that were smaller and with gray fur. Maybe they were like that, a different kind of his kind.

Solaris stood as he watched the stranger take a step forward, his body language portraying that he was neither afraid or bold, that he was still curious but there was a caution in him that told him to hold back a little. His small jaws parted to allow a little more air in through the mouth, a casual thing that didn't mean very much, and perhaps it would be taken as a friendly thing. He watched closely as the other kit dropped the pinecone in their jaws and pushed it over, the object rolling over the ground before stopping a few paces short of where he stood. He tilted his head at the pinecone and then looked back up at the larger kit, before taking a cautious step forward. They didn't seem to be dangerous, and it wouldn't be a bad thing if he made a friend, or even played with them.

He came up to the pinecone and lowered his head, nudging it gently with his nose to get the feel of how it moved. He had to take another step forward because of the roll, and he curled his head to his chest as best as he could, and then sharply jerked his muzzle forward. The impact sent the cone rolling quickly toward the stranger, and he lifted his head up to observe its path, and to keep a more friendly eye on the other. His tail swayed a little and he relaxed his body to show that he meant no harm and was friendly, that he wanted to get along. He didn't actually fear any harm from the likely older kit, but he knew deep inside that he should appear to be harmless and without any ill intentions.

The thought that his new playmate might be a wolf never crossed his mind. They didn't fit the image Solaris had always had of the larger canines; he had been told they were much, much taller than foxes and had thick fur that wasn't very fluffy even in the winter, and powerful legs and sharp teeth that they would use to chase off or kill any stray foxes that dared to come near enough. They were almost of his kind, they shared the sharp teeth and long muzzles and could communicate with each other, but wolves and foxes were so different his parents didn't feel like they were actually related. Wolves hunted in groups, kind of like how fox skulks would roam together, but it was uncommon for a wolf to be solitary; they were large and clumsy and noisy in comparison to foxes who ran unseen and unheard in the snow or summer; and that wolves often attacked the large creatures such as the elk and deer as opposed to the foxes' main diet of mice and voles and small prey. Most glaring of all in his opinion, was how he had been told the wolves acted; they were fierce and aggressive and would attack at a moment's notice, while foxes normally tried to not engage in combat unless in the mating season or if necessary.

These differences in both appearance and behavior were so drastic that the other "kit" might be a young wolf were so unbelievable that the thoughts did not cross his mind for a second. To Solaris, he was interacting with a fellow fox kit, that was probably of a different kind of fox than he, but a fox nonetheless.

Aruna hadn’t seen a fox before but she had heard her fellow pack members grumble on about them constantly, calling them thieves and vermin. She could clearly see that hatred for them in the way they spoke and only had their opinion to go off of. As much as she figured this little thing was a fox, that was only based off of their colouration. They were quite different to how they imagined them being. Maybe she was wrong, maybe they were just a weird looking wolf pup just like her. Possibly something else entirely. All she knew was that she wanted to play with them. The young wolf couldn’t help but notice the slight cautiousness from the smaller pup but thought nothing of it, she understood that not all pups were as much of a live wire as her. She would always want to play with anyone, or anything for that matter. Finding joy in the smallest of things at times.

The female almost couldn’t contain her excitement as she watched the other lean down towards the pine cone, at first she wasn’t sure if they were just checking it out at first, her little paws plodded at the ground impatiently as they gave it a small nudge. However as soon as they curled their chin to their chest she knew her answer. In an instant she was in a play bow, having dropped down onto her elbows, rump and tail high in the air as it swished about. Aruna’s bright pink tongue lolled out her mouth, ready to try and catch the pinecone as it came rolling her way. All thoughts of her pack mates and family completely left her mind and all she wanted to do now was play with this strange looking pup. To her this was the perfect day and it still hadn’t really begun, the orangey hue illuminating the forest more and more as the sun peaked itself further into the trees. If she just sat and watched she was sure she would be in awe for it was a beautiful sight but there were just so many things she had to do and sleeping was the only break anyone would get from the little tyrant.

Aruna flopped herself over so she was on her side as the pinecone rolled, following it with her whole head before snatching it back up into her maw again, rolling around with it in her mouth. She wanted to seem as friendly as possible and to her that meant looking as silly as possible. Besides, it was fun either way. While on her back and round belly up, she pushed her head back so it was pressed into the ground, looking at the other pup upside down. The young wolf noticed the little thing had relaxed more and even looked like they wanted to play, maybe not with the same enthusiasm as herself but it was something. Their tail swayed and that was all the information she needed to know they weren’t a threat. Not that she was scared of them in the slightest, she had less fear of things than she probably would do and no matter how many times she was warned it didn't matter. A lot of things she was told went through one ear and out the other but she still had much to learn and was only young.

Rolling back over to her belly, her fur was already a mess. Her white patches were tinted a little darker from the dirt of the forest floor and a few little twigs rested on her back, nothing simply getting up and shaking off wouldn't fix. The state of her fur had never been something she truly cared about despite how she acted around her mother. Instead she would often complain when things got stuck in it to try and get her mothers attention, enjoying the affection of being groomed. Getting up onto all four paws again, Aruna shook her fur a little before dropping the pinecone once more, stepping closer towards the other pup as it rolled slightly towards them. Leaning down, the female was going to roll it towards them again before getting a better idea.

Standing up fully, Aruna took a slow step forward once more. Not for fear but more so she didn't scare them away, that was the last thing she wanted. The wolf pup kept her posture nice and relaxed, her tail swaying behind her as she moved closer, keeping her movements slow to show she wasn't intending on causing him any harm, something that was just coming naturally to her. She watched them carefully, leaning forward a little to get a better sniff of them, letting their scent fill her nostrils. It was different. Aruna had caught weak scents similar to theirs before but it was never this strong and it always lingered on her pack members' fur. Which only made her feel like they really were just a strange looking wolf pup. Not that it mattered, she was just curious. It wasn’t everyday she found someone new to play with. She already knew everyone in her pack and it was growing boring. This was completely new and that gave her such a thrill.

After having a good smell, she took a small step back once more and sat down on her haunches, looking them over with a small tilt to her head only to feel her tail touch something as it swayed to the left, her head turning to see what it was. As soon as she saw it was the pinecone again, she stopped studying the smaller pup so she could bat it back to them, watching as it rolled through their front legs.

Solaris watched the other kit roll about on the ground curiously, head tipped ever so slightly to the side, his tail swaying a bit out of amusement. It had been a bit of a surprise when they ad started doing that, he had been expecting them to roll the pinecone back to him, as it seemed like that was how their game had been going to go. It was unexpected, but he wasn't against it, he was actually tempted to drop to the ground and roll around it, doing that was surprisingly fun and it felt really good for some reason. Despite this impulse to copy the larger kit's actions, he stayed where he was, still feeling the urge to move again but a bit unsure whether he should or not.

This was his first interaction with a kit that was not his littermates, and he was finding that he was a bit hesitant at the moment, but the initial caution was starting to dissolve at the friendly actions the other kit was displaying. All the actions so far were ones he was familiar with, and he had no problems interpreting them the right way. He could feel his energy starting to return after his rest, and the ordeal he had had with the field and bird were almost forgotten by now, shoved to the back of his mind with the appearance of the other kit.

The young fox twisted his head around to nibble at his shoulder, searching for the insect that had caused the sudden and irritating itch. And when he was done with that, the kit was already standing and shaking off the twigs and dirt that clung to their brown fur, he twitched an ear at that, knowing what that feels like. He had gotten twigs and dirt in his fur before, the sensation could get annoying after a while, the twig poking into his skin if had moved right and the dirt eventually felt like it weighed down his fur.

Once the pinecone was dropped, the fox kit's eyes were on it, a spark of excitement starting to build. He watched as they rolled it towards him, but the cone didn't quite make it to where he could step forward and nudge it back to them. He took a step forward to start to reach the object, and went to take another when the other kit came forward, and he stopped his motion, putting his paw back on the ground as his attention was directed to them again. He took in their posture first, and he relaxed upon seeing their also relaxed posture and swaying tail; letting his tail sway again in return to show that he too was not intending any harm. He appreciated the slower movements, which paired with the current posture, meant no harm, which he had already figured from the signals he was getting. And so he stayed where he was, careful to not make any sudden movements as the other kit neared.

Solaris lowered his head a little bit as they leaned closer into his space, tail still swaying as he stood still. Reflexively, he tilted his head a bit in order to get a sniff of them too, the action inadvertantly exposing his white marked throat and neck a bit better than before, but he felt no tenseness from the more vulnerable position. His nostrils flared as he inhaled to take in their scent, it was a different one and not one that he ever remembered picking up before. The angle he had in neck in was a bit awkward, but it worked just fine for him, and he let the scent process in his mind and then inhaled again to make sure that he would remember the smell.

His excitement grew more, this was a scent he definitely didn't recognize, it wasn't one that was lingering on his parents' coats and not one on the wind. This was a kit he had never met before, and while they looked different than his skulk, he still figured they must be another fox kit, like he was. He wanted to be friends with this kit, now that he was feeling a little bit better and less wary. It was a curious thing, he didn't notice any family around them, although he could smell similiar scents on their fur, the kind of scent that linked him and his littermates. But then, now that he thought about it, it wasn't too surprising, after all he and his littermates were old enough to be trusted to be on their own, to an extent. The rest of their skulk must be nearby.

When they took a step back, he copied it and turned to face them, still standing but no less amicable. He returned their gaze and looked over them again, noticing the differences but not paying as much attention to it as he had been before.

It was only then that the young fox realized that the other kit had blue eyes still, the blue that he had outgrown a while ago. He blinked at that, practically tasting the question that was on the tip of his tongue 'Why are your eyes still blue?', after all, they seemed to be his age, and they were even bigger than he was. His jaws parted to speak, but then he got derailed as the larger kit batted the pinecone over to him, his eyes snapping onto the object and making a little backwards jump as it rolled between his front legs, giving a playfully surprised yip as he did so. He swiftly moved his body to the side so that he could reach the cone more easily, moving away from the object in the process. The fox kit crouched low and then sprang up in the more distinctive style of jump his kind were known for, only not as high as they usually were, and came down nearly on the pinecone, smacking it harder than necessary with a paw and the force combined with the angle his paw had impacted the cone, it was sent flying past the other kit's head and went rolling on the ground a little bit aways, bouncing a few times as it went.

Solaris went still for a moment, glancing over at the brown kit and letting his jaws part in a good natured pant, his tongue lolling out the side of his mouth. Then he looked at the pinecone, and back at them, a playful gleam in his amber eyes. Then he tilted his head and yipped: "Race you to it!" to the kit. Then he crouched down a little bit, then sprang after the pinecone, dusky fur blending in with the brown dirt with the white tail tip flashing as he raced to the place where the cone had come to a halt.

Solaris felt a quick surge of nervous excitement, an instinctive thing, at the sound of the heavier steps of the larger kit as they gave chase. It was a feeling that would spark and bubble in his chest, even in play, an innate feeling brought by the knowledge that he was being chased. It was however, overshadowed by the playful happiness that had become the dominant emotion for him, and he couldn't resist making a small jump mid-stride, he hit the ground running a second after, it was a little taunting action that seemed to say: 'I'm faster than you so I can afford to do this!'. In a good natured manner of course, a little tease.

He knew that his head start and speed had put him ahead of the other for a bit. He could feel the soft earth under his paws as he ran, the air that pressed his soft coat furthed against his body, and the increasingly close sight of the pinecone in his vision. He was tempted to look over his shoulder to check how close his playmate was, but he could stumble or fall in that brief moment he took his eyes off of the ground ahead, and then he'd lose the impromptu race he'd initiated. But his ears flipped backwards, catching the sound of paws gaining ground, and he kicked up his pace a notch in response.

With the energy thrumming through his veins and his heart's beating as he sprinted towards the pinecone, it felt good, like he was playing with a sibling. But in a way it was better than that, because he was familiar with and could get irritated at his littermates sometimes, and besides, this was someone new. A different kit he had never met before, and that in itself was exciting. The little fox was so focused on reaching the pinecone first, that he startled when he felt the air just behind his tail move, and he faltered for just a second, and resumed his pace. But he did risk a quick glance behind himself, to see the other kit close behind, before turning his head back around. He gave a small snort that came in the form of a harder exhale, tricks wouldn't work on him, some of them anyways.

Solaris was nearing the pinecone, he could see it in front of him, not very far away at all, when he was suddenly dealing with a heavy weight impacting his back. He gave a sharp, surprised yelp and pitched forward as his legs buckled under the sudden weight, feeling the form slide off of him as he stumbled. Managing to get his legs back under his body right before his muzzle went into the dirt, but he wasn't quick enough to avoid the dangerous tilt he was in, and he went down on his shoulder, the rest of his body sliding into the soft ground after him. Then he was kicking his legs and twisting to roll onto his belly, his amber gaze snapping up to find the larger, and heavier, kit not far away from where he had fallen.

The young fox did not have to think very long to determine what had happened, and instead of being offended or angry when he connected the dots, he only sprang to his paws and gave a vigorous shake to rid himself of most of the debris that caught in his coat when he went down. Then once that was done, he leaped forward and landed a few steps away from the other kit, and he dipped into a play bow. His tail arcing high above his back and waving from side to side, his front end crouched down so that he could place his chin on his paws. The kit held that position for a few seconds, before tensing and springing away again, landing and spinning around to face his new friend.

Solaris gave a playful grin and with his hind legs, jumped away in a sideways and backwards motion, his back arching with the odder position. He landed fine, except for a stumble when one of his paws hit a dip in the earth and that threw his balance off. He would have made another little jump, except for a loud snap of wood breaking. That put an end to his carefree manner and his head popped up and swiveled around to face the direction the sound had come in, ears standing completely up and shoved forward as the young fox froze. His nostrils flared to take in more scents, and a stranger one hit him, a not-quite stench and kind of a musky smell. A little salty too. He had not a clue what that scent came from, and he scanned the area for anything.

A flash of movement caught his eye and he turned his head towards it, and the sight made his throat close up with fear and dread. A tall, tall creature was walking around, and to the little fox it rather looked like a walking tree. It had a strange appearance, and seemed to be moving on only two legs like a bird, but he didn't wait to observe more. Solaris was up and running back towards his friend as fast as he could, and in what seemed like no time at all, he was skidding to a halt beside them.

"I've...I've never seen something like that before." Solaris gasped to the larger kit, voice high with fear and his fur standing up in agitation as he kept his eyes on the unknown creature. He was trembling slightly, tail curled close to his flank. Instinct made him crouch down, almost pressing himself into the earth but he kept his paws underneath his body, ready to dart away into the forest. His ears flattened down as the two-legged monster turned and started heading in their direction, at least it was loud, there seemed to be no grace in it as the twigs and litter on the ground crunched beneath its paws. And he very nearly ran when it came closer, fortunately the monster didn't seem to notice him or his new friend, and it was turning around when he messed everything up. A high whine slipped from his throat, and the monster stopped and turned in the same instance that he froze, not even breathing as it seemed to hone in on the sound.

The young fox was now trembling with the combination of fear and tension as the monster, creature? Saw him and the other kit, another whine, sharper and louder coming when it stepped towards them. The creature's scent invaded his nose, and all he could see saw the looming figure as it neared. At that point, he couldn't resist his instincts any longer, and so he turned his head slightly to the side and hissed to the kit a simple word: "Run!"

And then he bolted, thinking that they would turn and run after him, to escape whatever that creature was. The panic that threatened to drown him in its intensity drove him further into the forest, running without the hunter's grace and instead in a frantic, careless path as he fled.