Post by Pavane on May 27, 2010 21:15:33 GMT -5
Characters:
Lexus - male Wolf
Niyt - female Wolf Pup
Soto - female Wolf
Setting:
Storyteller's Butte - Mid Spring (RL day 2) (Playing catchup with posting!)
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Lexus is still looking a bit patchy as his winter coat's coming out in little clumps of fluff but then so is most of the pack's and half of it's blowing round the rocks they're calling home. Lex has been out hunting for the morning and with a couple of hares dumped down near by for anyone he's flopped himself down amongst the rocks to enjoy the sun.
One of those little tufts of fur dances in front of Niyt's nose for a moment, hanging in the wind. She peers at it, but before she can quite figure it out the wind pulls it away again. She barks, trying to give chase - but the wind is far quicker than stumbling puppy feet, and she soon loses sight of the tuft. By then, though, she's somewhat distracted by the problem of how to keep moving - or how to stop, for that matter! Moving all her legs in something other than chaos is hard!
Lexus scratches his shoulder, trying to get rid of some more of that lose fur before his ears perk and he looks round, searching the owner of that little back. He blinks at the little pup and with a chuckle he quickly lopes over to stop her with a light paw before she accidentally chases the thing too far "Careful now little one, don't stray too far from the den"
Niyt tries to remember how that stopping thing goes, as Lexus reaches out to her with a paw. She puts the forepaws down, right, and then the hindpaws... But her hindpaws start in on an extra bound after her forepaws have already stopped, and she topples forward in a heap of fluff and splayed limbs. Pups tumble all the time, though - it's how they learn about their bodies - and she immediately lifts up her head, giving it a little shake and then cocking it towards Lexus as he speaks.
Lexus chuckles again, pups are funny and he's seen enough to know they will tumble about without a care. He lies down, his chin flat to the ground and tail sweeping it as he carefully shuffles another inch closer to the pup "Heya" He's not met her yet, he doesn't want to be big and possibly scare her.
Niyt finds Lexus rather more interesting than just a bit of fur, and she looks over at him curiously as he approaches. She flicks an ear at the greeting, and her tail gives a little sway back and forth. She may not know what words mean yet, but she likes hearing the sounds of friendly voices. She pulls herself up to her feet, and takes a few little steps towards the bigger wolf, seemingly unafraid.
Lexus stays still as she gets closer, just his tail still wagging as he lies all low. He wuffs quietly, both in greeting and to try and be a little funny for her. Pups just make him want to play about.
Niyt pads in closer, her tail swaying. She leads with her muzzle, almost forgetting to wag for a moment as her little black nose twitches busily to take in the other wolf's scent. She opens her muzzle in a grin at his wuff, and lowers herself in a playful bow, barking back to him.
Lexus grins as he's barked at by the little pup and he barks back louder! Now there's a contest, his tail wagging all the more even if he is entirely flattened to the ground. They'll just have a well swept spot behind him.
Niyt is challenged! She takes in a big deep breath - well, for a little pup, that is. Relatively speaking to her, it's big. Then she tries to bark louder still! It's all high-pitched and yippy, as puppy voices are, but it is pretty loud for all that. The odds of bringing the rest of the pack's attention to this play are definitely increasing!
Lexus doesn't care, it's a puppy! Everyone plays with the puppies surely. He laughs at her little yipping and barks back again, not so challenging, he's letting her win that one, this time it's just to bark along with her and make a lot of noise.
Niyt lifts up one of her forepaws and thumps it back against the ground, her tail wagging back and forth as she barks again, and again, one little yip coming after the next - loud and soft and of varying pitch, all the babbling nonsensical sounds of a pup! Playing around with voices is fun!
Lexus laughs and finally considers it safe to bounce up again, boinging on his paws a little and still barking before he pauses to chuckle and glance round the rocks, all seems fine so far, no objections. He looks back to the pup again, ah, what game to play next.
Niyt grins, giving another triumohant bark, and then bumbles forward as Lexus bounces up! She's decided to play the 'run around between legs' game, it seems, trying to run in between his forepaws like he's an obstacle course!
Lexus laughs as he tries to keep his eye on her, every so often moving his paws just to make it more difficult though he never moves them directly into her path for fear of hurting her.
Niyt laughs as she stumbles through between those legs, leaning in hard to the turns as she circles around one paw, then the other, making herself dizzy as she spins. The figure eight is especially challenging, and she wobbles the first time she tries it - and by the second time, after a few other loops in the middle, she leans the wrong way into the turn and wobbles to the ground with a thoomp, panting and laughing!
Lexus laughs as he watches her but as soon as she's fallen down again and he knows she's fine from the laughing, he leans down, going to give her a big slurpy lick "Silly pup"
Niyt thumps her tail back and forth eagerly, wiggling against the ground. She grins up at Lexus as he comes in to lick at her play-mussed fur, and reaches her head up to lick back at his muzzle with little pink tongueflicks.
Lexus laughs between licks and flops down, back to being closer to her level, giving her another big lick before he sighs contently "Ah I wish I had myself one of you things...but you won't tell anyone will you? Nooo, you're too little. Don't have a clue what I'm saying do you?" just because he's sure she doesn't understand doesn't mean he'll stop talking.
Niyt tilts her head to the side, giving curious attention to Lexus as he talks. Barking and making noise for its own sake, she understands. But these noises are still mysterious to her. They seem to be something grownup wolves do a lot, so they must be important somehow... and she's starting to recognize bits and pieces, in the flow of it. When the other wolf pauses, she gives a short bark, as though to acknowledge the conversation - even if she doesn't know what it means. But when grownups do this, they take turns. So she's going to take her turn.
Lexus smirks faintly at her bark "That's what I thought...and well said too! I think you have potential to be a great speaker among wolves, what do you think?" he asks as he lowers his head and perks his ears expectantly, awaiting another little bark.
Niyt listens to Lexus, her ear flicking. There's different sorts of tones she can hear in what he said, the statement or question of the words easier to pick out than the words themselves. She cocks her head to the side in a position of consideration copied from her observations, holding that posture a moment before she barks again, decisively.
Lexus chuckles and grins at her response "You're definitely a smart one" despite saying this he does reach out a paw to just push her over, off her feet though with little force. More playing about!
Niyt thumps onto her side, and whuffs, giving her fur a shake as a little breeze comes up and ruffles through it. She grins, and rolls over onto her back, pawing up at that nudging paw from Lexus.
Lexus laughs once more and keeps nudging her with the paw, trying to get to her belly but working with so little force paws are actually moving his around.
Niyt keeps pawing at that big paw, wiggling about and swishing her tail against the ground as she does. She curls up around it, hugging it to her and leaning her head up to mouth at that paw, grrrring playfully!
Lexus doesn't seem to mind, well she's not hurting him, after a minute he does try to roll her over with the paw though.
Niyt laughs, and lets herself be rolled over, still squirming some. Partway around, she goes still suddenly, glancing over the desert for a moment - and then her attention returns, and she looks back up at Lexus and barks!
Lexus catches the change and looks more serious as he gets up, going to stand over her protectively as he scans the desert for any movement.
There doesn't seem to be anything there, really. The wind's blowing somewhat strongly out there, the little grains of sand being caught up over the edge of a dune - perhaps there was a tumbleweed caught in a gust that caught her eye. Whatever it was, it doesn't seem to be holding Niyt's attention anymore. She rolls onto her feet and gets up, looking up at Lexus as he scans the desert.
Lexus wants to be very sure and continues to look for another couple more minutes before he decides he can't do anything about it but stay close to Niyt if something's sneaking up. He can't just leave to look and it's probably nothing. Slowly he looks back to the pup and goes to give her side a light little nudge with his paw so she won't worry too.
Niyt barks, and leans her head down to give a lick to that paw as it nudges at her. She certainly wouldn't be the first wolf in her family to see things beyond the normal - and it's not as though she can say what it is that got her to pay attention out there for a moment.
Lexus still keeps his ears perked just in case, the idea that she might be looking at something he wouldn't see anyway doesn't even occur to him, he's got enough to worry about without adding spirits in. Pup seems happy though as he darts the paw away quickly, hoping she'll chase it.
Niyt follows after that paw, wagging her tail as she makes a little pounce for it - nope! Not close enough yet! She keeps bumbling after it, chasing playfully with little barks! Puppies certainly are easily distracted...
Once more fortold of by a song; so comes Soto, singing to herself as she makes her way up from the oasis lands toward the Butte, with its mystic rocks. "~Feel the water flowing, feel it coming, feel it going, in the river, in the rain, or in the sky! One day it's an ocean, one day ice in motion, one day it's a teardrop in your eye. Once I wasn't here, and then I suddenly appeared, and I seem to be at home in earth and in the air! Just like water flowing, I know where I'm going, look beneath your paws and I'll be there.~" Her tail sways behind her as she half-dances, half trots her way toward the stones, pausing by their base, to peer up to them, suddenly songless, eyes wide, and mouth open in awe.
Puppies are easy to be distracted by too as Lexus moves his paw quickly so Niyt will miss it anyway and have to keep chasing. That's when he hears singing though and freezes before his head snaps in that direction and he's quickly protective of the pup again, his fur bristling slightly as he doesn't recognise the musical wolf though he doesn't growl yet since she doesn't see a bit threat "Who are you?" he sharply barks at her.
The wind seems to pick up the sound of Soto's song, carrying it towards Niyt and Lexus. Was that what the pup heard before? If it was, she now seems inclined to ignore it, though it comes much more clearly as Soto herself arrives. She just continues to chase that paw, and then bumps right into it as it suddenly stops moving when Lexus challenges the stranger, backing up a step and shaking herself out before turning and glancing out to where he's looking.
Ears perk at the bark, and Soto turns, eyes wide. She blinks a moment, then smiles, seemingly unaware of his worry that she's a possible threat to the pup nearby. She smiles, tail wagging. "Oh, hello, I'm Soto!" She says, cheerfully, before looking back to the rocks near her, and nodding, "Yes, yes, I'm having a lovely day, aren't you?" She says, to the rocks-- or to Lexus, it's really not that easy to tell. She looks back to him, and, sitting, remarks, "So do you belong to the pack that lives here? I was speaking to a nice fellow by the name of Tariro last night. My mother said I should join this pack, you know. She even lead me here. But something came up, and Tariro had to go suddenly, so.. I guess I'll have to wait to speak to him again. In the meanwhile, I've been looking at these rocks from down there," she uses a paw to gesture toward the Oasis, "And I just had to get a look at them up close.."
Lexus blinks at Soto as she seems so calm wandering into the heart of pack territory...She's spoken to Tariro, that explains it a bit. He still stands over Niyt just in case and even glances down to make sure the pup's still there before looking back to Soto curiously "I am with the pack, yes...Lexus...the rocks are certainly, interesting" he's still rather on edge, there's something odd about the wolf, maybe it's just cause he was worried though.
Certainly, the puppy with Lexus looks to be the same as the one that was by Tariro down by the oasis, though she can hardly say so herself. Niyt steps out a little for a better view, just a puppy-step's worth. She looks from Soto to those rocks and then back again, her head tilted to the side a little. Then, she gives a little bark - much the same as she gave to Lexus, before, when she was having a 'conversation' with him. Only she's facing towards the stone when she does it, this time, and if there's a conversation, well - it's not one audible to everyone.
Nodding, "It is a pleasure to meet you, Lexus," Soto says, with a smile. "This whole area speaks of spirits," she says, happily, "I can see why mother said I would be happier here than I was with my birth pack." her tail wags again, and then she stands, doing a quick spin in place, then happily prancing toward the rock, looking up at it. "They've even left their mark here to bless this place, isn't that wonderful?" She pauses, then looks over her shoulder to Lexus with a smile. "Hm? Oh.. yes," she cocks her head suddenly to the wind, then says, "Ah, Mother says I should reassure you. I'm not odd. I can just hear things. I can see things, too." She smiles warmly, sitting again. "My old pack thought it was some kind of curse or bad omen or something."
Lexus involuntarily folds his ears back, the pup gets a glance and he tries to see what she's barking at but only sees a rock as if things weren't confusing enough he's worrying about more visitors now. He looks back to Soto, concerns him enough when Shag talks like that, it's very unnerving to think you could be standing right next to a spirit you can't see, he doesn't even like to think what spirits might follow him either. He tries to look more relaxed than he is by sitting down "Yes, right, my nephew has a similar gift, he should be around here somewhere...Hopefully your mother is wise" he can't help but glance around for the invisible parent.
With a smile, Soto admits, "Mother is a spirit, too," noticing his wary glances about, "She was old when she had me; I was the only one to live. That's why the new pack leaders thought I was a bad omen. When mother died, they chased me out because she was no longer around to be alphess or stand in the way." She sighs, dipping her head to shake it, "Some people just.. can't accept things." She looks to Lexus then. "Mother told me though, if I could just make it through the winter, I would find my place. When the snow started to disappear, and spring came, Mother started leading me here. Said this pack would appriciate me for who I am!" She smiles. "I'm hoping so anyway."
Niyt seems unconcerned by whatever it is she's addressing. Of course, she seemed unconcerned earlier, too, and that seems to have led to Soto being here now. She's the closest thing to Shag that seems to be around just now, being his daughter - and a little pup is hardly the same as the beta of the pack, whether she's inherited any of her father's gifts or not.
Lexus looks back down to Niyt as he speaks "Mm, well we certainly have those who can see spirits here, I imagine that will help you fit in and we seem to have stopped in a place quite appropriate for such seeing" he goes to nudge Niyt with his paw once more, maybe he just needs the distraction.
Nodding again, Soto smiles. "Yes.. This place is wonderful. So! Lexus! Can you tell me more about yourself? You seem very nice," she says, with a smile, "Though a bit skeptical of the spirits." She grins and winks, then chuckles softly. "Don't worry though, they don't seem to take offense to that." She smiles again, tongue lolling just a little.
Niyt tilts her head to one side, ear flicking at some phantom sound - and then there's Lexus, nudging at her side, and she turns her attention to him, nosing at his paw as she diverts back into play. This place, full of spirits as it may be, seems quite natural to her - she was born here, after all. Why should she find strange something that's been true since before she was able to remember anything?
Lexus starts to dart his paw away from Niyt once more, simple play but it helps. His ears slowly perking up once more "I'm not sceptical of spirits...I just feel odd with the thought that they're all hanging around watching us" he finally looks back up to Soto "I'm Tariro's uncle, born to the pack when we still lived in the mountains"
"Mmm. I see. Well, really, there's nothing odd about it. I mean, really." She smiles, and begins singing again: "~Water makes the river, river wash the mountain, fire make the sunlight, turn the world around! Heart is of the river, body is the mountain, spirit is the sunlight, turn the world around! We are of the spirit, truly of the spirit, only can the spirit turn the world around!~" She beams, and then giggles a little. "Sorry, sorry.. That's something my mother taught me when I was still young."
Niyt chases after that paw, tumbling to a stop when she misses it and then turning herself around to chase it in a new direction. She falls over, sometimes, as some over-enthusiastic pounce makes her body overbalance, but she just picks herself up with a laugh and keeps playing with her great-uncle, paying little attention to all that talking.
Lexus raises a brow but after a moment he's slightly smirking at Soto "So I guess you like singing then" he glances back down to Niyt when he hears her tumble and the smirk grows at he tries to poke her over again as soon as she's picked herself up.
A grin, "You could say that. I love music; it's a good way to express myself." She wags her tail, then adds, "Plus, there's just something fun about it. I guess maybe I learned that from my mother." She smiles, shrugs, then stands. "So, lessie.. If you're the alpha's .. Uncle, that means this little one must be of some relation to you, as well." She smiles. "She's very cute! I think I saw her last night, at the oasis."
Niyt wobbles at the poke from Lexus... for a moment, she looks like she's going to stay upright, but then she falls back down on her side with a whrrf! Hey! She rolls around a bit and bats up at his paw with one of her little ones.
Lexus snickers at Niyt's delayed fall, he should probably feel guilty but he really doesn't. He starts trying to get round her paws to poke her again "Clearly learnt a lot from your mother" talking as he plays "I think she's probably one of Shag's new pups, the alpha's brother, he's also the beta. Anyway, if so that'd make her another great-niece, I'm getting a little collection of those"
Soto hums a little, and nods, murmuring, "The young are our greatest treasure! I hope some day to have little ones myself, but who knows." She shrugs, and then moves to lay down in the shade of the rocks, laying her head on her outstretched forepaws, and smiling at the cavorting of Niyt, who seems to cause giggles as much as she herself giggles.
Certainly, Niyt seems to be enjoying herself - puppy play is always rough and tumble, whether it's with other pups or the adults. If she was playing with one of her littermates, she'd probably be getting bitten, not just knocked over! So she paws up, and intercepts that big paw with her own... Not that she could push it away if Lexus was really trying, of course, but he's just playing and seeing if she can get her paws up to block in time. She paws it aside a few times... and then he moves too quick for her, and gets through to poke her again! Whuf!
Lexus chuckles at the puppy, continuing his poking game and wiggling his paw all over to try and confuse her "They are fun at this sort of age, sadly rather an alpha or beta thing unless a packs haven't an especially good year I imagine" he only admits wishing he had kids to those too young to understand.
Niyt rocks to one side to chase that paw... and then it shifts away, and she has to roll to the other side! And then back again! After a bit of this, she's panting, her mouth open as she paws up at the air without worrying too much whether or not the paw is actually there to be blocked.
"Yes, that's true," Sighs Soto a little wistfully, leaning her head a bit to watch the puppy play with her.. Uncle? Great uncle? Her relative's paw, smiling, tail patting the ground. "She's adorable," she murmurs softly.
Lexus stops poking when Niyt seems too tired to play and he just lets her rest while he keeps an eye on her, smiling softly "Yeah she is. It's almost a shame when they grow up"
Niyt opens her muzzle in a big yawn, and before she's even done with that, her eyes are closing. Seems she's all tired out, now, and ready for a nap.
Lexus - male Wolf
Niyt - female Wolf Pup
Soto - female Wolf
Setting:
Storyteller's Butte - Mid Spring (RL day 2) (Playing catchup with posting!)
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Lexus is still looking a bit patchy as his winter coat's coming out in little clumps of fluff but then so is most of the pack's and half of it's blowing round the rocks they're calling home. Lex has been out hunting for the morning and with a couple of hares dumped down near by for anyone he's flopped himself down amongst the rocks to enjoy the sun.
One of those little tufts of fur dances in front of Niyt's nose for a moment, hanging in the wind. She peers at it, but before she can quite figure it out the wind pulls it away again. She barks, trying to give chase - but the wind is far quicker than stumbling puppy feet, and she soon loses sight of the tuft. By then, though, she's somewhat distracted by the problem of how to keep moving - or how to stop, for that matter! Moving all her legs in something other than chaos is hard!
Lexus scratches his shoulder, trying to get rid of some more of that lose fur before his ears perk and he looks round, searching the owner of that little back. He blinks at the little pup and with a chuckle he quickly lopes over to stop her with a light paw before she accidentally chases the thing too far "Careful now little one, don't stray too far from the den"
Niyt tries to remember how that stopping thing goes, as Lexus reaches out to her with a paw. She puts the forepaws down, right, and then the hindpaws... But her hindpaws start in on an extra bound after her forepaws have already stopped, and she topples forward in a heap of fluff and splayed limbs. Pups tumble all the time, though - it's how they learn about their bodies - and she immediately lifts up her head, giving it a little shake and then cocking it towards Lexus as he speaks.
Lexus chuckles again, pups are funny and he's seen enough to know they will tumble about without a care. He lies down, his chin flat to the ground and tail sweeping it as he carefully shuffles another inch closer to the pup "Heya" He's not met her yet, he doesn't want to be big and possibly scare her.
Niyt finds Lexus rather more interesting than just a bit of fur, and she looks over at him curiously as he approaches. She flicks an ear at the greeting, and her tail gives a little sway back and forth. She may not know what words mean yet, but she likes hearing the sounds of friendly voices. She pulls herself up to her feet, and takes a few little steps towards the bigger wolf, seemingly unafraid.
Lexus stays still as she gets closer, just his tail still wagging as he lies all low. He wuffs quietly, both in greeting and to try and be a little funny for her. Pups just make him want to play about.
Niyt pads in closer, her tail swaying. She leads with her muzzle, almost forgetting to wag for a moment as her little black nose twitches busily to take in the other wolf's scent. She opens her muzzle in a grin at his wuff, and lowers herself in a playful bow, barking back to him.
Lexus grins as he's barked at by the little pup and he barks back louder! Now there's a contest, his tail wagging all the more even if he is entirely flattened to the ground. They'll just have a well swept spot behind him.
Niyt is challenged! She takes in a big deep breath - well, for a little pup, that is. Relatively speaking to her, it's big. Then she tries to bark louder still! It's all high-pitched and yippy, as puppy voices are, but it is pretty loud for all that. The odds of bringing the rest of the pack's attention to this play are definitely increasing!
Lexus doesn't care, it's a puppy! Everyone plays with the puppies surely. He laughs at her little yipping and barks back again, not so challenging, he's letting her win that one, this time it's just to bark along with her and make a lot of noise.
Niyt lifts up one of her forepaws and thumps it back against the ground, her tail wagging back and forth as she barks again, and again, one little yip coming after the next - loud and soft and of varying pitch, all the babbling nonsensical sounds of a pup! Playing around with voices is fun!
Lexus laughs and finally considers it safe to bounce up again, boinging on his paws a little and still barking before he pauses to chuckle and glance round the rocks, all seems fine so far, no objections. He looks back to the pup again, ah, what game to play next.
Niyt grins, giving another triumohant bark, and then bumbles forward as Lexus bounces up! She's decided to play the 'run around between legs' game, it seems, trying to run in between his forepaws like he's an obstacle course!
Lexus laughs as he tries to keep his eye on her, every so often moving his paws just to make it more difficult though he never moves them directly into her path for fear of hurting her.
Niyt laughs as she stumbles through between those legs, leaning in hard to the turns as she circles around one paw, then the other, making herself dizzy as she spins. The figure eight is especially challenging, and she wobbles the first time she tries it - and by the second time, after a few other loops in the middle, she leans the wrong way into the turn and wobbles to the ground with a thoomp, panting and laughing!
Lexus laughs as he watches her but as soon as she's fallen down again and he knows she's fine from the laughing, he leans down, going to give her a big slurpy lick "Silly pup"
Niyt thumps her tail back and forth eagerly, wiggling against the ground. She grins up at Lexus as he comes in to lick at her play-mussed fur, and reaches her head up to lick back at his muzzle with little pink tongueflicks.
Lexus laughs between licks and flops down, back to being closer to her level, giving her another big lick before he sighs contently "Ah I wish I had myself one of you things...but you won't tell anyone will you? Nooo, you're too little. Don't have a clue what I'm saying do you?" just because he's sure she doesn't understand doesn't mean he'll stop talking.
Niyt tilts her head to the side, giving curious attention to Lexus as he talks. Barking and making noise for its own sake, she understands. But these noises are still mysterious to her. They seem to be something grownup wolves do a lot, so they must be important somehow... and she's starting to recognize bits and pieces, in the flow of it. When the other wolf pauses, she gives a short bark, as though to acknowledge the conversation - even if she doesn't know what it means. But when grownups do this, they take turns. So she's going to take her turn.
Lexus smirks faintly at her bark "That's what I thought...and well said too! I think you have potential to be a great speaker among wolves, what do you think?" he asks as he lowers his head and perks his ears expectantly, awaiting another little bark.
Niyt listens to Lexus, her ear flicking. There's different sorts of tones she can hear in what he said, the statement or question of the words easier to pick out than the words themselves. She cocks her head to the side in a position of consideration copied from her observations, holding that posture a moment before she barks again, decisively.
Lexus chuckles and grins at her response "You're definitely a smart one" despite saying this he does reach out a paw to just push her over, off her feet though with little force. More playing about!
Niyt thumps onto her side, and whuffs, giving her fur a shake as a little breeze comes up and ruffles through it. She grins, and rolls over onto her back, pawing up at that nudging paw from Lexus.
Lexus laughs once more and keeps nudging her with the paw, trying to get to her belly but working with so little force paws are actually moving his around.
Niyt keeps pawing at that big paw, wiggling about and swishing her tail against the ground as she does. She curls up around it, hugging it to her and leaning her head up to mouth at that paw, grrrring playfully!
Lexus doesn't seem to mind, well she's not hurting him, after a minute he does try to roll her over with the paw though.
Niyt laughs, and lets herself be rolled over, still squirming some. Partway around, she goes still suddenly, glancing over the desert for a moment - and then her attention returns, and she looks back up at Lexus and barks!
Lexus catches the change and looks more serious as he gets up, going to stand over her protectively as he scans the desert for any movement.
There doesn't seem to be anything there, really. The wind's blowing somewhat strongly out there, the little grains of sand being caught up over the edge of a dune - perhaps there was a tumbleweed caught in a gust that caught her eye. Whatever it was, it doesn't seem to be holding Niyt's attention anymore. She rolls onto her feet and gets up, looking up at Lexus as he scans the desert.
Lexus wants to be very sure and continues to look for another couple more minutes before he decides he can't do anything about it but stay close to Niyt if something's sneaking up. He can't just leave to look and it's probably nothing. Slowly he looks back to the pup and goes to give her side a light little nudge with his paw so she won't worry too.
Niyt barks, and leans her head down to give a lick to that paw as it nudges at her. She certainly wouldn't be the first wolf in her family to see things beyond the normal - and it's not as though she can say what it is that got her to pay attention out there for a moment.
Lexus still keeps his ears perked just in case, the idea that she might be looking at something he wouldn't see anyway doesn't even occur to him, he's got enough to worry about without adding spirits in. Pup seems happy though as he darts the paw away quickly, hoping she'll chase it.
Niyt follows after that paw, wagging her tail as she makes a little pounce for it - nope! Not close enough yet! She keeps bumbling after it, chasing playfully with little barks! Puppies certainly are easily distracted...
Once more fortold of by a song; so comes Soto, singing to herself as she makes her way up from the oasis lands toward the Butte, with its mystic rocks. "~Feel the water flowing, feel it coming, feel it going, in the river, in the rain, or in the sky! One day it's an ocean, one day ice in motion, one day it's a teardrop in your eye. Once I wasn't here, and then I suddenly appeared, and I seem to be at home in earth and in the air! Just like water flowing, I know where I'm going, look beneath your paws and I'll be there.~" Her tail sways behind her as she half-dances, half trots her way toward the stones, pausing by their base, to peer up to them, suddenly songless, eyes wide, and mouth open in awe.
Puppies are easy to be distracted by too as Lexus moves his paw quickly so Niyt will miss it anyway and have to keep chasing. That's when he hears singing though and freezes before his head snaps in that direction and he's quickly protective of the pup again, his fur bristling slightly as he doesn't recognise the musical wolf though he doesn't growl yet since she doesn't see a bit threat "Who are you?" he sharply barks at her.
The wind seems to pick up the sound of Soto's song, carrying it towards Niyt and Lexus. Was that what the pup heard before? If it was, she now seems inclined to ignore it, though it comes much more clearly as Soto herself arrives. She just continues to chase that paw, and then bumps right into it as it suddenly stops moving when Lexus challenges the stranger, backing up a step and shaking herself out before turning and glancing out to where he's looking.
Ears perk at the bark, and Soto turns, eyes wide. She blinks a moment, then smiles, seemingly unaware of his worry that she's a possible threat to the pup nearby. She smiles, tail wagging. "Oh, hello, I'm Soto!" She says, cheerfully, before looking back to the rocks near her, and nodding, "Yes, yes, I'm having a lovely day, aren't you?" She says, to the rocks-- or to Lexus, it's really not that easy to tell. She looks back to him, and, sitting, remarks, "So do you belong to the pack that lives here? I was speaking to a nice fellow by the name of Tariro last night. My mother said I should join this pack, you know. She even lead me here. But something came up, and Tariro had to go suddenly, so.. I guess I'll have to wait to speak to him again. In the meanwhile, I've been looking at these rocks from down there," she uses a paw to gesture toward the Oasis, "And I just had to get a look at them up close.."
Lexus blinks at Soto as she seems so calm wandering into the heart of pack territory...She's spoken to Tariro, that explains it a bit. He still stands over Niyt just in case and even glances down to make sure the pup's still there before looking back to Soto curiously "I am with the pack, yes...Lexus...the rocks are certainly, interesting" he's still rather on edge, there's something odd about the wolf, maybe it's just cause he was worried though.
Certainly, the puppy with Lexus looks to be the same as the one that was by Tariro down by the oasis, though she can hardly say so herself. Niyt steps out a little for a better view, just a puppy-step's worth. She looks from Soto to those rocks and then back again, her head tilted to the side a little. Then, she gives a little bark - much the same as she gave to Lexus, before, when she was having a 'conversation' with him. Only she's facing towards the stone when she does it, this time, and if there's a conversation, well - it's not one audible to everyone.
Nodding, "It is a pleasure to meet you, Lexus," Soto says, with a smile. "This whole area speaks of spirits," she says, happily, "I can see why mother said I would be happier here than I was with my birth pack." her tail wags again, and then she stands, doing a quick spin in place, then happily prancing toward the rock, looking up at it. "They've even left their mark here to bless this place, isn't that wonderful?" She pauses, then looks over her shoulder to Lexus with a smile. "Hm? Oh.. yes," she cocks her head suddenly to the wind, then says, "Ah, Mother says I should reassure you. I'm not odd. I can just hear things. I can see things, too." She smiles warmly, sitting again. "My old pack thought it was some kind of curse or bad omen or something."
Lexus involuntarily folds his ears back, the pup gets a glance and he tries to see what she's barking at but only sees a rock as if things weren't confusing enough he's worrying about more visitors now. He looks back to Soto, concerns him enough when Shag talks like that, it's very unnerving to think you could be standing right next to a spirit you can't see, he doesn't even like to think what spirits might follow him either. He tries to look more relaxed than he is by sitting down "Yes, right, my nephew has a similar gift, he should be around here somewhere...Hopefully your mother is wise" he can't help but glance around for the invisible parent.
With a smile, Soto admits, "Mother is a spirit, too," noticing his wary glances about, "She was old when she had me; I was the only one to live. That's why the new pack leaders thought I was a bad omen. When mother died, they chased me out because she was no longer around to be alphess or stand in the way." She sighs, dipping her head to shake it, "Some people just.. can't accept things." She looks to Lexus then. "Mother told me though, if I could just make it through the winter, I would find my place. When the snow started to disappear, and spring came, Mother started leading me here. Said this pack would appriciate me for who I am!" She smiles. "I'm hoping so anyway."
Niyt seems unconcerned by whatever it is she's addressing. Of course, she seemed unconcerned earlier, too, and that seems to have led to Soto being here now. She's the closest thing to Shag that seems to be around just now, being his daughter - and a little pup is hardly the same as the beta of the pack, whether she's inherited any of her father's gifts or not.
Lexus looks back down to Niyt as he speaks "Mm, well we certainly have those who can see spirits here, I imagine that will help you fit in and we seem to have stopped in a place quite appropriate for such seeing" he goes to nudge Niyt with his paw once more, maybe he just needs the distraction.
Nodding again, Soto smiles. "Yes.. This place is wonderful. So! Lexus! Can you tell me more about yourself? You seem very nice," she says, with a smile, "Though a bit skeptical of the spirits." She grins and winks, then chuckles softly. "Don't worry though, they don't seem to take offense to that." She smiles again, tongue lolling just a little.
Niyt tilts her head to one side, ear flicking at some phantom sound - and then there's Lexus, nudging at her side, and she turns her attention to him, nosing at his paw as she diverts back into play. This place, full of spirits as it may be, seems quite natural to her - she was born here, after all. Why should she find strange something that's been true since before she was able to remember anything?
Lexus starts to dart his paw away from Niyt once more, simple play but it helps. His ears slowly perking up once more "I'm not sceptical of spirits...I just feel odd with the thought that they're all hanging around watching us" he finally looks back up to Soto "I'm Tariro's uncle, born to the pack when we still lived in the mountains"
"Mmm. I see. Well, really, there's nothing odd about it. I mean, really." She smiles, and begins singing again: "~Water makes the river, river wash the mountain, fire make the sunlight, turn the world around! Heart is of the river, body is the mountain, spirit is the sunlight, turn the world around! We are of the spirit, truly of the spirit, only can the spirit turn the world around!~" She beams, and then giggles a little. "Sorry, sorry.. That's something my mother taught me when I was still young."
Niyt chases after that paw, tumbling to a stop when she misses it and then turning herself around to chase it in a new direction. She falls over, sometimes, as some over-enthusiastic pounce makes her body overbalance, but she just picks herself up with a laugh and keeps playing with her great-uncle, paying little attention to all that talking.
Lexus raises a brow but after a moment he's slightly smirking at Soto "So I guess you like singing then" he glances back down to Niyt when he hears her tumble and the smirk grows at he tries to poke her over again as soon as she's picked herself up.
A grin, "You could say that. I love music; it's a good way to express myself." She wags her tail, then adds, "Plus, there's just something fun about it. I guess maybe I learned that from my mother." She smiles, shrugs, then stands. "So, lessie.. If you're the alpha's .. Uncle, that means this little one must be of some relation to you, as well." She smiles. "She's very cute! I think I saw her last night, at the oasis."
Niyt wobbles at the poke from Lexus... for a moment, she looks like she's going to stay upright, but then she falls back down on her side with a whrrf! Hey! She rolls around a bit and bats up at his paw with one of her little ones.
Lexus snickers at Niyt's delayed fall, he should probably feel guilty but he really doesn't. He starts trying to get round her paws to poke her again "Clearly learnt a lot from your mother" talking as he plays "I think she's probably one of Shag's new pups, the alpha's brother, he's also the beta. Anyway, if so that'd make her another great-niece, I'm getting a little collection of those"
Soto hums a little, and nods, murmuring, "The young are our greatest treasure! I hope some day to have little ones myself, but who knows." She shrugs, and then moves to lay down in the shade of the rocks, laying her head on her outstretched forepaws, and smiling at the cavorting of Niyt, who seems to cause giggles as much as she herself giggles.
Certainly, Niyt seems to be enjoying herself - puppy play is always rough and tumble, whether it's with other pups or the adults. If she was playing with one of her littermates, she'd probably be getting bitten, not just knocked over! So she paws up, and intercepts that big paw with her own... Not that she could push it away if Lexus was really trying, of course, but he's just playing and seeing if she can get her paws up to block in time. She paws it aside a few times... and then he moves too quick for her, and gets through to poke her again! Whuf!
Lexus chuckles at the puppy, continuing his poking game and wiggling his paw all over to try and confuse her "They are fun at this sort of age, sadly rather an alpha or beta thing unless a packs haven't an especially good year I imagine" he only admits wishing he had kids to those too young to understand.
Niyt rocks to one side to chase that paw... and then it shifts away, and she has to roll to the other side! And then back again! After a bit of this, she's panting, her mouth open as she paws up at the air without worrying too much whether or not the paw is actually there to be blocked.
"Yes, that's true," Sighs Soto a little wistfully, leaning her head a bit to watch the puppy play with her.. Uncle? Great uncle? Her relative's paw, smiling, tail patting the ground. "She's adorable," she murmurs softly.
Lexus stops poking when Niyt seems too tired to play and he just lets her rest while he keeps an eye on her, smiling softly "Yeah she is. It's almost a shame when they grow up"
Niyt opens her muzzle in a big yawn, and before she's even done with that, her eyes are closing. Seems she's all tired out, now, and ready for a nap.