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Cross-posted from Madrona Project
Title: Boys Will Be Boys and Old Men Too
Author: kira
World: The Wilds
Characters: Soaring Eagle, Rabbit, Black Dog, Flaming Arrow, Little Crow, Red Wolf, and Honey
Borrow: No
Word count: 882
Rating: PG
Summary: Soaring Eagle, Rabbit, and Black Dog discover that age is relevant amongst other things…
Author’s note: Special thanks to my beta Kat for pinking this. Please also note that this was written for the Respect Your Elders Fest.
“Whatchya laughing at, old man?” Soaring Eagle called out, his dog Honey, nestled at his feet. He was sitting with Black Dog and Rabbit, discussing what had happened during the last hunt, when they had taken a group of teenage boys on their first one. It had been a complete bust, but then it usually was, as the boys all felt they knew better than the men trying to teach them.
“You lot!” Little Crow cackled. “You boys were just as bad on your first hunt as they were.” He grinned at them, his face a maze of fine lines and deep wrinkles.
“How soon they forget!” Red Wolf snorted. “Eh, Flaming Arrow?” He took a long drag on his pipe, blowing smoke rings at the three younger men.
Flaming Arrow nodded sagely, a faint smile tugging the corners of his mouth upwards. “The mind is the first thing to go.”
Little Crow waddled closer. “Listen, boys, and listen good.” He waved a gnarled finger at them. “You should have taken them fishing first, so they learn patience.”
Red Wolf nodded. “And you should have also taught them how to set snares for rabbits.” Taking the pipe from his mouth, he jabbed it in Rabbit’s direction.
When Black Dog opened his mouth to protest, Little Crow added, “Listen to your elders, boys, we know what we’re talking about.”
Soaring Eagle frowned. “But we’re not boys, old man.” His dog, Honey, got up, shook herself off, and growled softly. “Hush,” Soaring Eagle said to her and she lay down again.
“Compared to us, you are boys,” Flaming Arrow said. He smiled and said, “Then again, compared to the young ones, you’re the old men.” His eyes twinkled with amusement.
Red Wolf chuckled at the look on the younger men’s faces. “I guess that makes us ancient!” He howled with laughter.
“Although, in this one’s case,” Little Crow wheezed as he waved his hand in Rabbit’s direction, “He might be an old woman the way he takes care of your little one, Flaming Arrow.”
Flaming Arrow laughed. “Yup!” His laughter quickly died down when he realized his wife Fierce like Panther, would not find that funny at all.
“And who knows, what the hell that one is,” Red Wolf chortled as he jabbed his pipe stem at Soaring Eagle, which made Honey get up and bark. “And you!” he looked at Black Dog.
“What, old man?” Black Dog was not amused. Just because they were the elders of their tribe, that was no reason to rag on them like that. He folded his arms across his chest and gave him a look which brooked no nonsense.
“Aaah, just cuz the old dog’s been leashed, doesn’t mean he lost his bite!” Red Wolf grinned. “Good!”
Black Dog briefly looked at him like he had three heads.
“Marriage hasn’t dulled your authority,” Flaming Arrow said. “Anyway, I think we’ve had enough fun for one day.” He looked over at his friends. “Let’s go.”
Red Wolf nodded. “Okay.”
“Hey, let’s go down to river. You never know what you’ll see.” Little Crow winked. At the look on Soaring Eagle’s face he added, “Just cuz we’re old, boy, doesn’t mean we don’t like to look at pretty girls.”
Red Wolf and Flaming Arrow nodded and the trio started to make their way past the younger men.
“But…?” Rabbit said.
Flaming Arrow paused and shook his head. “Panther not only knows who I come home to at night, but she also knows a look is just that and that it means nothing. If you must know, she finds it amusing.” He took a few steps, before looking over his shoulder at them. “She also finds you numbnutters just as amusing, if not more so.” He grinned and quickened his pace to catch up to his friends. He also hoped that Panther would never find out what he just said as there would be hell to pay. Whether he was going to bear the brunt of it or his friends, or even the three he said it to, was anyone’s guess. Panther really was as fierce as her namesake and it was it just one of many things he loved about her, so the thought of her getting angry at him over a stupid remark tore at him, as he really should have known better.
The younger men exchanged glances. Black Dog shook his head. “No respect,” he said.
“Yeah,” Rabbit said.
“One day, we’ll be that old and then we’ll have it,” Soaring Eagle said sagely as the other two looked at him in surprise. “Hunh?” He blinked, before grinning at them. “And until then, I’m going to go down to the river and learn from my elders.” He waggled his eyebrows and stood up. “You coming with?”
Black Dog shrugged. “I suppose there’s a thing or two I still have to learn from the old men.” He stood up and dusted himself off.
“Me too!” Rabbit got up and the three of them hurried after the old men, intent on gleaning a bit of “knowledge,” while the others ogled the pretty girls down by the river. The hope that there might be some pretty boys to look at too was the only thing that had Rabbit tagging along.
Author: kira
World: The Wilds
Characters: Soaring Eagle, Rabbit, Black Dog, Flaming Arrow, Little Crow, Red Wolf, and Honey
Borrow: No
Word count: 882
Rating: PG
Summary: Soaring Eagle, Rabbit, and Black Dog discover that age is relevant amongst other things…
Author’s note: Special thanks to my beta Kat for pinking this. Please also note that this was written for the Respect Your Elders Fest.
“Whatchya laughing at, old man?” Soaring Eagle called out, his dog Honey, nestled at his feet. He was sitting with Black Dog and Rabbit, discussing what had happened during the last hunt, when they had taken a group of teenage boys on their first one. It had been a complete bust, but then it usually was, as the boys all felt they knew better than the men trying to teach them.
“You lot!” Little Crow cackled. “You boys were just as bad on your first hunt as they were.” He grinned at them, his face a maze of fine lines and deep wrinkles.
“How soon they forget!” Red Wolf snorted. “Eh, Flaming Arrow?” He took a long drag on his pipe, blowing smoke rings at the three younger men.
Flaming Arrow nodded sagely, a faint smile tugging the corners of his mouth upwards. “The mind is the first thing to go.”
Little Crow waddled closer. “Listen, boys, and listen good.” He waved a gnarled finger at them. “You should have taken them fishing first, so they learn patience.”
Red Wolf nodded. “And you should have also taught them how to set snares for rabbits.” Taking the pipe from his mouth, he jabbed it in Rabbit’s direction.
When Black Dog opened his mouth to protest, Little Crow added, “Listen to your elders, boys, we know what we’re talking about.”
Soaring Eagle frowned. “But we’re not boys, old man.” His dog, Honey, got up, shook herself off, and growled softly. “Hush,” Soaring Eagle said to her and she lay down again.
“Compared to us, you are boys,” Flaming Arrow said. He smiled and said, “Then again, compared to the young ones, you’re the old men.” His eyes twinkled with amusement.
Red Wolf chuckled at the look on the younger men’s faces. “I guess that makes us ancient!” He howled with laughter.
“Although, in this one’s case,” Little Crow wheezed as he waved his hand in Rabbit’s direction, “He might be an old woman the way he takes care of your little one, Flaming Arrow.”
Flaming Arrow laughed. “Yup!” His laughter quickly died down when he realized his wife Fierce like Panther, would not find that funny at all.
“And who knows, what the hell that one is,” Red Wolf chortled as he jabbed his pipe stem at Soaring Eagle, which made Honey get up and bark. “And you!” he looked at Black Dog.
“What, old man?” Black Dog was not amused. Just because they were the elders of their tribe, that was no reason to rag on them like that. He folded his arms across his chest and gave him a look which brooked no nonsense.
“Aaah, just cuz the old dog’s been leashed, doesn’t mean he lost his bite!” Red Wolf grinned. “Good!”
Black Dog briefly looked at him like he had three heads.
“Marriage hasn’t dulled your authority,” Flaming Arrow said. “Anyway, I think we’ve had enough fun for one day.” He looked over at his friends. “Let’s go.”
Red Wolf nodded. “Okay.”
“Hey, let’s go down to river. You never know what you’ll see.” Little Crow winked. At the look on Soaring Eagle’s face he added, “Just cuz we’re old, boy, doesn’t mean we don’t like to look at pretty girls.”
Red Wolf and Flaming Arrow nodded and the trio started to make their way past the younger men.
“But…?” Rabbit said.
Flaming Arrow paused and shook his head. “Panther not only knows who I come home to at night, but she also knows a look is just that and that it means nothing. If you must know, she finds it amusing.” He took a few steps, before looking over his shoulder at them. “She also finds you numbnutters just as amusing, if not more so.” He grinned and quickened his pace to catch up to his friends. He also hoped that Panther would never find out what he just said as there would be hell to pay. Whether he was going to bear the brunt of it or his friends, or even the three he said it to, was anyone’s guess. Panther really was as fierce as her namesake and it was it just one of many things he loved about her, so the thought of her getting angry at him over a stupid remark tore at him, as he really should have known better.
The younger men exchanged glances. Black Dog shook his head. “No respect,” he said.
“Yeah,” Rabbit said.
“One day, we’ll be that old and then we’ll have it,” Soaring Eagle said sagely as the other two looked at him in surprise. “Hunh?” He blinked, before grinning at them. “And until then, I’m going to go down to the river and learn from my elders.” He waggled his eyebrows and stood up. “You coming with?”
Black Dog shrugged. “I suppose there’s a thing or two I still have to learn from the old men.” He stood up and dusted himself off.
“Me too!” Rabbit got up and the three of them hurried after the old men, intent on gleaning a bit of “knowledge,” while the others ogled the pretty girls down by the river. The hope that there might be some pretty boys to look at too was the only thing that had Rabbit tagging along.