Early Morning Interrupted Archery Practice
Rorgan, Ink, and Callie! All otters, the latter a river otter.
Camp Willow Archery Range
It is early morning at Camp Willow, and most everything is quiet for the most part. That is, everything save the archery range. There, the only sound is the sound of arrows whistling through the air to smack into targets with a soft wump. Rorgan sighs as he looses his final arrow, and begins to walk towards the targets to retrieve his arrows.
Ink's been hanging around Camp Willow a little more often than she used to, mostly for the sake of being with Callie. She's been up for a bit, and has been drawn to the archery range by the sound of arrows- there usually isn't anyone here so early. She's got Callie sitting in a sling-thing across her back, and her paws are holding a steaming bowl of shrimp and hootroot soup. She smiles slightly when she sees Rorgan practicing, and heads in his direction, padding softly across the ground.
Callie, as mentioned before is curled up in a sling on Ink's back. She's barely awake, clutching a little doll in her paws, completely silent.
Rorgan had just grabbed his last arrow before he turned, catching sight of Ink, and smiled. "Well hullo there," He says, walking back towards the line he had been shooting from. "I hadn't expected ye up this early."
"Good morning." Ink replies, wincing as she adjusts Callie. "It's just habit, when I'm out traveling. I'm always up with the sun. And it's nice and quiet this early. Why the early archery practice?"
Callie grumbles quietly when Ink moves her, her tail and a footpaw sticking out of the cloth sling but other than that she stays sleeping.
Rorgan shrugs, drawing his first arrow and laying it on his bow. "I figure that nobeast is around t' be in the way, an' it's a good chance fer some silence. I s'pose it's the same reason as you." He chuckles, raising his bow and drawing the arrow back before releasing it, sending the arrow hissing through the air to smash into the bullseye of the closest target.
Ink sits on the ground carefully so as not to disturb Callie again, several feet away from Rorgan and a bit behind him, so she's not in the way of his practice. "Aye." She whistles low at the shot. "I knew you were good, I didn't know you were perfect."
Callie hears the thud of the arrow hiting the target in her sleep, and squeaks, rubbing her whiskers with a paw before rolling over, grumbling, and falling asleep again.
Rorgan laughs, lowering his bow and looking back at Ink. "I'm not perfect. When ye've spent as long as I have trainin' t' use a bow an' arrow, ye get t' a point where it's a matter of keepin' that skill." His face softens when he notices Callie, and he walks over towards the two, sitting with them. "How's Callie doin'?" He asks.
Ink leans towards Rorgan a bit as she talks to him. "Oh, she's fine. Still sleeping this beautiful morning away. Goodness, she's heavier than I thought, though." She reaches a paw behind her and adusts the sling again. "Some otterwife practically forced me to take this cloth sling the other day, and I figured if I had it I may as well use it, but it's very uncomfortable."
Callie grumbles again when Ink fiddles with her sling. She flings another paw out of the sling, so she's practically hanging out of it, still cudling her doll to her chest.
Rorgan smiles lightly, setting his bow down and gently lifting Callie staight out of the sling before she decided she wanted to fall out. "I'm glad that yore both alright.." He says softly, showing a sentimental side that many did not get to see with that simply comment. He leans over, kissing Ink on the cheek. "Do ye want me t' hold her fer a bit?" He asks.
Ink blushes lightly. "That'd be most welcome, aye." When he takes Callie, she shrugs out of the sling and crumples it, tucking it into her belt, the light color sticking out against her black fur and equipment.
Callie curls up tighter as Rorgan picks her up, grumbling again, but not fully awake.
Rorgan smiles down at his daughter. "She's beautiful, just like you.." He says softly. "Is it just me, or are the residents here bein' more welcomin' fer us than normal?" Interesting subject change, but that's mostly how his brain works.
Ink blushes darker and kisses Rorgan's cheek in return of the comment. "I wouldn't know, I don't generally talk to them." She shrugs awkwardly. "Why?"
Callie's having trouble falling asleep again after this last awakening. She blinks hard and rubs her whiskers again.
Rorgan shrugs in response, his own face turning dark red as well as one paw brushes Callie's forehead softly. "I'm not sure..I'm just noticin' most o' the ones I speak with are more welcomin' than I remember."
Ink leans back on her paws, watching Rorgan and Callie fondly. "Well, I suppose that's a good thing. It must help that we're around more often because of Callie. They've gotten to know us all better."
Callie yawns, her tiny jaws opening wide and her tounge curling. SHe squeaks softly, clenching and unclenching her paws. "mmmnmnn." She mumbles unintelligently.
William wanders into the clearing, then freezes when he sees others. He quickly tries to scramble behind some bushes. He does not like strangers, even if he can see Rorgan near. The young otter peers out from his attempted hiding spot.
Rorgan smiles softly at Callie, kissing her forehead lovingly. When he hears scrambling, he looks up, and his keen eyes catch William right before he disappears, and his smile widens. "William! Don't be shy!" He calls.
Ink picks up her forgotten bowl of hotroot from the ground next to her and mixes it idly with her spoon, halting at the sight and sound of William. Her eyes grow a little sharper, wary of this lurking stranger. If Rorgan knows him though, he must be alright, so she relaxes and chews on a mouthful of shrimp from her bowl. "William, huh?" She watches him in his spot as she holds the bowl out to Rorgan. "Want some?"
Callie blinks hard again as her forhead's kissed, and she stretches out before curling up tighter. "G'mornin', papa..." she mumbles. She didn't see William. "who're ya talkin ta...?" Her nose twitches as the bowl of hotroot soup enters her line of sight.
William scowls. He really dislikes strangers. He comes out of the bushes, but does not come closer. He waves at Rorgan a little, but nothing more.
Rorgan motions with one paw to William. "Offer it to him. Maybe he's hungry!" To William, he calls again. "Please don't be afraid! This is my family!" Again, he looks down at Calile, chuckling softly. "Good mornin' m'dear," He says gently.
Ink shrugs and places the bowl on the ground again, scooting it a ways away from her. "William, is it? If you're like most otters and enjoy some good hotroot soup, this is fresh from the kitchens, still warm, if you want it." She smiles at Callie and pets the kit's head softly.
"Who izzat?" Callie asks again, trying to pull herself up so she can see. She ends up just twisting herself around and flopping over Rorgan's arms, letting her own arms hang down, dragging in the grass. "G'morning, mister." She smiles groggily at William.
William steps closer hesitantly, and sniffs at the bowl suspiciously, then tries a small bite.
Rorgan laughs, adjusting his grip on Callie and now supporting her with his arm aking as the kit's personal chair. "Come on, William! It's not poison, an' I think ye'll like it quite a bit!"
Ink leans back again, watching William as he comes forward and tries the soup. "Do you like it?" She asks him, raising her eyebrows. The movement is only really noticable by the creases that form along her forehead.
Callie wrinkles her nose at William. "D'ya like it, mistah?" She echoes Ink, swinging her arms a bit so the tips of her claws trail little circles in the grass. "What's ya name? Where'ra ya fr'm? I haven't seen ya b'fore. But it's not like I know e'ry ottah here." She grins cheekily.
William samples the hotroot, but does not reply, seemingly ignoring the questions. He looks up the other otters without a word, eating hotroot hungrily.
To be continued! Promise! XD XP
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