Grouse

Grouse is a shaggy grey wolf with amber eyes. He is currently a chaser in Nightshade's Shadow. Like his littermate Jay, his fur is ticked forest green.

He has a left ear notch from picking a fight with Apricot as underpaws. He also has a scratched face from fending off a bobcat while hunting an elk cow in the deciduous forest (11/29).

Puphood
Spoiler
Grouse was arrogant in his youth, the most annoying pup anyone had ever met next to his littermate. He had a sharp, dirty tongue and an ear-grating whine when he wanted to get his way. He was a little more amiable than Jay and enjoyed pestering adults with questions. The Swift Paws seem to take a shining to him, surprisingly, with Twoface and Ember bringing trinkets from their hunts for him to play with.

Him and his brother could write in clawwork, learned from their pupsitters in their old pack. This allowed them to communicate with Cel in a way the other packmates could not. Grouse used it to swear and talk bad behind other wolves' backs, or vandalize their dens with smart-mouthed sayings. He loved Cel's battle stories and liked that he slept in the same nest as them, since most other underpaws ignored them. He loved rolling on top of him and nibbling his ears, something Jay never let him do.

As an underpaw, the mentors were not able to whip Grouse into shape as cleanly as his littermate. He remained rambunctious and never fully focused on the job. He began to find more independence away from Jay, although the other pups didn't appreciate his witty remarks.

As he went through puberty, he didn't know how to deal with emerging feelings for Apricot, who he thought was attractive. He masked this feeling as disgust and badmouthed Cott openly, bullying him with his brother by stepping on his tail, nipping at his nape, and accusing him of stealing meat for himself on hunts. This, surprising no one, backfired and made Apricot dislike him. When Apricot went to Moss Rock, he turned his fun on Hayden. It led to a somewhat comical exchange where they'd throw insults back and forth, with Hayden's cheesy, corny comebacks giving Grouse more material to work with. Cel would seem disappointed when he bullied in front of him, which he didn't like. Jay tagged along but never seemed committal, more concerned with his own issues on any given day.


Adulthood
Spoiler
Originally joined blood's glean with cel and savage, which dissolved quickly due to not getting along. Then created Dropping of Birds with his brother and hunted as a duo. When Cedar had her second litter, Grouse and Jay joined Nightshade's Shadow, where they stayed for most of the Sun season.

Around the mid-Heat season, Copper, Aurora, and Lux aged up. Grouse and Jay had known the pups, with the occasional tagalong observation, but really got to know them more after they shuffled around the hunting parties. Grouse and Jay began hunting with Lux, the new chaser yearling. Grouse originally felt he could walk all over her, only to be met with a snap to be put in his place! Easily spooked by snapping at his face, Grouse quickly learned to respect Lux and eventually became friends with her, one of his first real friends...ever, barring his brother.

Lux named their party Dawn Flashfife, after her night of first hunt ending on a red dawn sky. Grouse complained it wasnt his style, but Lux shot him a look to shut him up. Jay didnt even come to his defense! Feelings hurt...





Short story (old, just dont want to delete): Stor
Spoiler
The storm warned their arrival.
Howling winds toppled branches and tumbled across the lake. Mud slicked under approaching paws, almost drowning in the roar of the rain. Mercy was entering camp. Between the leader's teeth was an amber-eyed monthling, crawling by his side a scrappy, bristling littermate with a muted silver gaze. They were to be the new pups of Phoenix Tribe. Once fodder, now ready to be worked towards underpawship. Glinting red eyes were the first to witnessed their arrival, covered in the foliage of a nearby thistle. Mercy sulked away towards the nursery, pup nearly drowning in the mud as it followed. Yes... their arrival was the beginning of something terrible, the forest's chaos promised it.