Post by crescendo on Jun 29, 2011 21:10:37 GMT -5
Hilltop Vista
Ciqala, m. wolfdog
Crescendo, f. wolf
Ikuna, m. wolfpup
Tala, f. wolfpup
Wachiwa, f. wolf
The mood in the pack has been sombre for a while now, everybody mourning in their own way and the new alphas seemingly dealing with their sudden rise to leadership in separate locations. Crescendo mourns as well, her close friendship with Wyanet now leaving her with an uncertainty about in which direction she'll move. She's been very silent about her grief so far, mainly tending to the younger members of the pack as is her nature. For all the older pups aren't really pups anymore, the loss of their parents affects them all and Crescendo would rather tend to their sorrow than deal with her own. It helps her feel useful. She's currently sitting a short distance away from the entrance of the den, her vacant expression telling on her attention being elsewhere.
Ciqala is more often found outside of Ute than inside it, these days, but even so, word has reached him, and the loss of the wolves he has known, however distantly, since he was a young pup has had it's effect, though he does not mourn so deeply as others. What right should he have to mourn, after all, when he is so rare a sight in the lands of his birth pack? Still, Ciqala has felt some call to return. Why or for how long, he doesn't know, and he is cautious as he approaches the den in which he was born.
There are no stirrings in the air for Crescendo to pick up on and it is with a slight sigh that she closes her eyes and refocuses on the here and now. If there was ever a time she wished that her spiritual inclinations were more developed, now would be that time. She can't actively search for her lost friends, doesn't know how to. With her focus returned, he picks up on actual movement instead and turns her head towards the sound and scent of the approaching wolfdog. For all Ciqala tends to be absent, Crescendo still knows him and she offers a smile as he draws closer. "Greetings, Ciqala. I wish I could hope for good news with your arrival, but optimism isn't my strong suit right now. It's good to see you, however."
Ciqala remembers Crescendo well, himself. How could he not remember the kind babysitter who often provided an extra set of eyes so that he and his brother might be separated and he might not get a few hours of peace? Still, he is all grown up, now, though no more prone to optimism or enthusiasm on his best day than Crescendo is on her worst. "I had to come back. I... I'm sorry, Crescendo." It is much more her loss than his, after all.
Time marches on; and though Crescendo may have been the pack's babysitter when Chewy was young, it seems like the blue-eyed silly-wolf is working on filling in for the older wolf in these trying times. As such, it's probably no real surprise, when, tired and dirty, Chewy crawls out of the den, and shakes her fur free of matted dirt, before huffing at the ground, for the moment unaware of Crescendo and Ciquala.
Inclining her head, the smile falls from Crescendo's muzzle as Ciqala speaks. "Life," she says. "Fate. Maybe it would hurt less if we knew what was laid out for us, but it would impair out ability to enjoy it. Ultimately causing more harm, I imagine." She stands to give the other's ear a nosing, a brief greeting nuzzle. The demise of Wyanet and Hahtalekin has inadvertently brought memories of Skelaghe and all the recent losses. With Wachiwa's appearance, Crescendo turns her head again and the soft smile returns. "Chewy, look at you," she says with fondness in her voice.
"My mom-" Before Ciqala can finish what began as an attempt to comfort the familiar female, Wachiwa appears, and this wolf Ciqala does not know at all. It should be unsurprising, then, that he responds by withdrawing, both physically and emotionally. He does not do well with strangers. The wolfdog keeps his tail tucked slightly between his legs and his head down, in order to avoid any chance at confrontation.
Ears twitch, and Chewy looks up. "Huh?" And then, OH! Crescendo. She beams, tail wagging, as she goes from tired wolf, to happy overgrown puppy. "Crescendo!" She yips, bouncing that way, then dipping into a body to ground motion, and flopping to her side, trying to lick at Crescendo's chest and paws while also pawing at the air. With Ciqala hiding behind the other wolf, she still doesn't notice him-- until she blinks as she snuffs the air and spots him. HUH? What? who? "Oh, Hello!" She beams, tail thumping the ground.
Without playing favourites, Wachiwa never failed to make Crescendo smile as a pup and it seems as through the trend shall not be broken today. Chuckling, Cres reaches down to burrow her nose in Chewy's chest with a playful murmur, lifting her head again as the younger wolf acknowledges the wolfdog. "Wachiwa, this is Ciqala, a son of Skelaghe. Ciqala, this is Wachiwa, one of Bodhi and Ixkin's pups - even if she's grown now..!" She steps aside to allow Wachiwa to get up and gives Ciqala a nod as if to encourage him to approach.
Approach? Ciqala? Not very likely, not even with the encouragement from the wolf he trusts. He does, however, speak again, and with very little of the stuttering he displayed as a child. "Good day, Wachiwa." His tone and posture remains an equal mixture of submissive and respectful, especially once he learns of Wachiwa's lineage.
Ears perk, and Chewy rolls over somewhat, to peer at Ciqala. As usual, she's the first to make any move-- this being a wave of tail, a slap of ground with a paw, and a happy smile. "Hellp, Ciqala! You're one of the storyteller's kids? Wow! I never got to meet her, but I heard she was the bestest ever! HIiiii!" She leaps to her paws and steps over unashamed, trying to sniff at Ciqala, approaching him as if they were equals-- and really, in Chewy's eyes, everyone is equal. She may be the most confused wolf yet.. but at least she's nice about it.
Smiling, Cres settles down again, though her smile holds a hint of sadness this time. Her contemplations of leaving are tinted with regret whenever she sees the positivity that still can shine through in the pack, even now. Her tail wags slowly as she watches the younger ones interact, a slow motion that brushes the dirt on the well-worn ground from side to side.
She does not meet him harm. Ciqala can tell that easily enough. But even so, the easily-frightened wolfdog stumbles backwards as Wachiwa springs towards him. It is after only a few awkward steps that he stops moving, and so allows himself to be sniffed, should Wachiwa still be of a mind to do so, but it is clear that the half-wolf is well outside of his comfort zone. "I... that is... yes?" As Ciqala bites back a whine, he looks back to Crescendo, just in an attempt to make sure he's not doing anything wrong.
"Awww, you don't gotta be scared of me, Ciqala," Wachiwa says, after he's backed up a bit, but she doesn't follow, considering his posture. She grins kindly, tail waving, "I'm not gonna bite, an' I don't hurt people. You're welcome here! Well, at least from me, just don't go near the den, c'os it's not a good idea and um, stuff." She sits down then, and looks to Cres, asking, "I haven't seen you in what feels like forevers, where have you been? I guess maybe wandering around like I do, huh. I guess you came bcak because you heard what happened..." She pauses, sniffs a little, and then mms. "... I still don't know what to do with myself, but.. I've been gettin' food for the puppies. I chew it up real good so they won't hurt their teeth till they can eat it normally.. and I been tryin' to watch'em at night but man, it's kinda tirin'."
The last few days for the new pups of the pack has been rather hard. At the moment Tala is slowly making her way out of the den, ears perking and blue gaze peering out at the world. Her gaze drifting towards the spots where her parents would normally be found, and once again not finding them there she is starting to understand that she will never see them again. She settles to her haunches at the entrance of the den peering out towards whom ever may be found around nearby.
As Ciqala looks at her, Crescendo nods again. In a way, it's comforting to see the wolfdog hasn't changed, even if getting over his insecurities would do him good. "I've been around," Cres offers, trying to think of what she was doing before she heard the bad news. It's a bit of a blur, admittedly. "Now I wish I was closer. I was on my way back when I heard, I... I was looking forward to seeing Wya again." Her ears flatten somewhat at the recollection of how her mood was deflated by the news. "I don't know what to do, either," she admits, but then manages another smile. "You're doing very good with your siblings, Chewy. Pups are tiring, but they're well worth the effort when they grow up." With this, she gives Chewy a nuzzle. A noise from behind causes her to look over her shoulder to see Tala emerging from the den. "Speaking off, here's Tala now." She hasn't spent as much time with the new pups as she would have liked and she feels another bout of regret at the thought that she might not be around to see them grow up like their older siblings. "How are you, Tala?" she asks as she comes over to nose at the pup.
"I wouldn't-" but the conversation turns away from him, which is comforting for the reclusive canine. Though, to reassure Wachiwa that he has no intention of getting near the den, especially once the pup appears, Ciqala takes a couple more steps back before standing to watch the interstion between the two females, while also keeping an eye on the pup in the background.
Tala ears perk forward slightly and she peers at Crescendo watching the adult a few moments. Her tail sways a few times but she doesn't say a word. The little pup has been rather quiet the past few days, once always babbling some words now she just says nothing. Her gaze drifts towards the movement of Ciqala and she watches him curiously having never seen him around here before.
As the pup doesn't respond, Cres licks her head and gives a reassuring nuzzle. "Tala, this is Ciqala," she once again introduces, though without the mention of the wolfdog's mother. "He's a member of the pack, just like you and me." Looking over at Ciqala, she continues, "Come over and say hi, Ciqala. This is Tala, one of the new pups. Wya and Haht had a lot to be proud of..."
Ciqala is further comforted when Wachiwa wanders off. She's nice, yes, but it will take a few more meetings, at least, before Ciqala is anywhere near comfortable in her presence. With the pup, at least, it is easier, since, well... she's just a pup. Still, Ciqala only takes a couple steps closer, wary of getting too near the den. "Hello, Tala."
Tala watches Ciqala move over and stays put close to Crescendo, her tail slowly swaying about a few times to show she doesn't mind the new wolf moving over. A slight nod is seen, along with a faint wruff escaping her in greeting.
Up from the den comes little Ikuna, following his sister and the sound of voices. He butts his head against her side, nuzzling warmly, and then peeks up at the grownups, offering a wag of his tail and a bark of greeting but staying close to Tala instead of scampering toward them.
With the addition of the second puppy, Cres realises that leaving the Ute might not be an easy thing. Not that she expected it to be, but leaving the puppies so soon after their loss feels almost like betraying Wyanet's trust. "And here's her brother, Ikuna. Ikuna, this is Ciqala." Ikuna gets a nuzzle and a lick too. "Just imagine, one day they'll be all grown up like you and your siblings, like all of us." She smiles down at the pups, her voice betraying her emotions. "I wonder if I'll get to experience it."
"Having pups?" Now that he is not so driven to shy away from conversation by the presence of another adult, even if Wachiwa is an odd wolf, for an adult, Ciqala continues speaking, with the assumption that the answer to his question would be yes. "You'd be a great mom, Crescendo. I know you would. Will, if you want it enough. But did you know that my mom never thought she'd be a mom?" It seems an appropriate thing to bring up, but then, Ciqala has been wrong about these things before.
Ikuna looks up at Crescendo, wagging his tail and licking back at her, and then over at Ciqala. "I-ala..." he repeats. That's almost like his sister's name! He grins a bit - then glances over at his sister again, to share the joke, and finds that she's still being quiet and sad, like she has since hearing the news about their parents. He droops a little, and leans in close against her.
Turning her gaze to Ciqala again, Cres dips her head in a shrug. "I am just as happy taking care of the pups of others," she admits, honestly. Not that she has anything to compare to, but still. "I wouldn't mind puppies of my own, but I'm happy with things the way they are." As he speaks of Skelaghe, she raises her eyebrows. "I never knew that. Then again, fate has its plan and it is up to us to act accordingly and adapt. Skelaghe was a mother to the whole pack." She sighs again. "But it's not pups of my own I'm wondering about. It's these ones. I would stay, as a favour to Wyanet if nothing else, stay and make sure they grow up alright. But they have the rest of the pack and I... I don't know if I can find peace here anymore."
Tala ears perk and she glances over to her brother and gives him a nuzzle back while leaning close to him. A yawn escapes her, seems the little pup is somewhat tired. Her attention drifts from one another, then to another, merely listing to the conversation.
Ciqala knows very well how it is to lack peace, and what it can do to a canine, and he, for one, would never want that for the female who he will always remember fondly. With one eye on the pups, still, Ciqala answers, "I don't think my mom would ever have wanted anyone to stay somewhere that they didn't feel was like home, Crescendo." But this is a decision not to be made on the advice of a creature like Ciqala. Though he hasn't felt like Ute has been home since his mother died, he still lurks about. "I should go. I think... Wachiwa... probably deserves some help hunting for these pups. I wish you luck, Cres." But just that quickly, without waiting for a response, the male turns to walk away. He still feels some lack of comfort, after all.
Ikuna tries to listen to the adults' conversation, really he does. But words are still hard for the puppy, and so mostly he just leans against Tala and nuzzles at her gently. Things go on, even now. And for Ikuna, they're beginning to reach a new normal. He wuffs softly at the departing Ciqala.
Tala has actually dozed off for a few moments next to her brother so doesn't know that one of the adults leaves unil opening her eyes to peer around. A faint snuffle escapes her and she glances to Ikuna curiously while tilting her head, a soft wruff escaping her.
Ciqala's words ring true and Crescendo nods. "Thank you, Ciqala. You too." She watches as the wolfdog leaves, before she lies down by the den entrance to get herself more level with the pups. "How are you doing, pups? Has Chewy been a good sister? I hope you're not wearing her out too much - she's doing her very best to keep you safe and happy." She gives Tala a nuzzle as the pup comes to and makes a noise.
Ikuna licks at his sister's cheek, and wags to her, his tail thumping against hers. He looks up at Crescendo, as she settles down with the pups, and his ears perk as he listens. "Chewy goo," he says to her, nodding. "Bes' bii-sis." His best big-sister, just like Tala is the best sister his own age. Ikuna's world has a lot of superlatives, even if the most superlative of all - his parents - aren't around anymore. There may not ever be a best-best again... but there are others bests to be.
Tala looks up to Crescendo and nods with a slight smile seen for a few moments, she totally agrees with what Ikuna says. Her tail slowly sways about, thumping a few times against the ground.
Smiling at the little ones, Cres' attention once again wanders slightly, out across the densite. "She'll take good care of you. The whole pack will." She's half saying it to reassure herself, to try and make up her mind. "You'll never have to lack anything," she says as she focuses on the puppies again, nuzzling them both before she lets her head come down to rest on her paws. Ciqala's words echo in her mind and she knows he's right. A home is not a home if you do not feel at peace. She's felt peace here before, but not anymore. Perhaps it is time to wander again? Looking at the pups, she gives a small smile. "You'll grow up and be big and strong like your mother and father. Whether I'm here of not, you will."
Ciqala, m. wolfdog
Crescendo, f. wolf
Ikuna, m. wolfpup
Tala, f. wolfpup
Wachiwa, f. wolf
The mood in the pack has been sombre for a while now, everybody mourning in their own way and the new alphas seemingly dealing with their sudden rise to leadership in separate locations. Crescendo mourns as well, her close friendship with Wyanet now leaving her with an uncertainty about in which direction she'll move. She's been very silent about her grief so far, mainly tending to the younger members of the pack as is her nature. For all the older pups aren't really pups anymore, the loss of their parents affects them all and Crescendo would rather tend to their sorrow than deal with her own. It helps her feel useful. She's currently sitting a short distance away from the entrance of the den, her vacant expression telling on her attention being elsewhere.
Ciqala is more often found outside of Ute than inside it, these days, but even so, word has reached him, and the loss of the wolves he has known, however distantly, since he was a young pup has had it's effect, though he does not mourn so deeply as others. What right should he have to mourn, after all, when he is so rare a sight in the lands of his birth pack? Still, Ciqala has felt some call to return. Why or for how long, he doesn't know, and he is cautious as he approaches the den in which he was born.
There are no stirrings in the air for Crescendo to pick up on and it is with a slight sigh that she closes her eyes and refocuses on the here and now. If there was ever a time she wished that her spiritual inclinations were more developed, now would be that time. She can't actively search for her lost friends, doesn't know how to. With her focus returned, he picks up on actual movement instead and turns her head towards the sound and scent of the approaching wolfdog. For all Ciqala tends to be absent, Crescendo still knows him and she offers a smile as he draws closer. "Greetings, Ciqala. I wish I could hope for good news with your arrival, but optimism isn't my strong suit right now. It's good to see you, however."
Ciqala remembers Crescendo well, himself. How could he not remember the kind babysitter who often provided an extra set of eyes so that he and his brother might be separated and he might not get a few hours of peace? Still, he is all grown up, now, though no more prone to optimism or enthusiasm on his best day than Crescendo is on her worst. "I had to come back. I... I'm sorry, Crescendo." It is much more her loss than his, after all.
Time marches on; and though Crescendo may have been the pack's babysitter when Chewy was young, it seems like the blue-eyed silly-wolf is working on filling in for the older wolf in these trying times. As such, it's probably no real surprise, when, tired and dirty, Chewy crawls out of the den, and shakes her fur free of matted dirt, before huffing at the ground, for the moment unaware of Crescendo and Ciquala.
Inclining her head, the smile falls from Crescendo's muzzle as Ciqala speaks. "Life," she says. "Fate. Maybe it would hurt less if we knew what was laid out for us, but it would impair out ability to enjoy it. Ultimately causing more harm, I imagine." She stands to give the other's ear a nosing, a brief greeting nuzzle. The demise of Wyanet and Hahtalekin has inadvertently brought memories of Skelaghe and all the recent losses. With Wachiwa's appearance, Crescendo turns her head again and the soft smile returns. "Chewy, look at you," she says with fondness in her voice.
"My mom-" Before Ciqala can finish what began as an attempt to comfort the familiar female, Wachiwa appears, and this wolf Ciqala does not know at all. It should be unsurprising, then, that he responds by withdrawing, both physically and emotionally. He does not do well with strangers. The wolfdog keeps his tail tucked slightly between his legs and his head down, in order to avoid any chance at confrontation.
Ears twitch, and Chewy looks up. "Huh?" And then, OH! Crescendo. She beams, tail wagging, as she goes from tired wolf, to happy overgrown puppy. "Crescendo!" She yips, bouncing that way, then dipping into a body to ground motion, and flopping to her side, trying to lick at Crescendo's chest and paws while also pawing at the air. With Ciqala hiding behind the other wolf, she still doesn't notice him-- until she blinks as she snuffs the air and spots him. HUH? What? who? "Oh, Hello!" She beams, tail thumping the ground.
Without playing favourites, Wachiwa never failed to make Crescendo smile as a pup and it seems as through the trend shall not be broken today. Chuckling, Cres reaches down to burrow her nose in Chewy's chest with a playful murmur, lifting her head again as the younger wolf acknowledges the wolfdog. "Wachiwa, this is Ciqala, a son of Skelaghe. Ciqala, this is Wachiwa, one of Bodhi and Ixkin's pups - even if she's grown now..!" She steps aside to allow Wachiwa to get up and gives Ciqala a nod as if to encourage him to approach.
Approach? Ciqala? Not very likely, not even with the encouragement from the wolf he trusts. He does, however, speak again, and with very little of the stuttering he displayed as a child. "Good day, Wachiwa." His tone and posture remains an equal mixture of submissive and respectful, especially once he learns of Wachiwa's lineage.
Ears perk, and Chewy rolls over somewhat, to peer at Ciqala. As usual, she's the first to make any move-- this being a wave of tail, a slap of ground with a paw, and a happy smile. "Hellp, Ciqala! You're one of the storyteller's kids? Wow! I never got to meet her, but I heard she was the bestest ever! HIiiii!" She leaps to her paws and steps over unashamed, trying to sniff at Ciqala, approaching him as if they were equals-- and really, in Chewy's eyes, everyone is equal. She may be the most confused wolf yet.. but at least she's nice about it.
Smiling, Cres settles down again, though her smile holds a hint of sadness this time. Her contemplations of leaving are tinted with regret whenever she sees the positivity that still can shine through in the pack, even now. Her tail wags slowly as she watches the younger ones interact, a slow motion that brushes the dirt on the well-worn ground from side to side.
She does not meet him harm. Ciqala can tell that easily enough. But even so, the easily-frightened wolfdog stumbles backwards as Wachiwa springs towards him. It is after only a few awkward steps that he stops moving, and so allows himself to be sniffed, should Wachiwa still be of a mind to do so, but it is clear that the half-wolf is well outside of his comfort zone. "I... that is... yes?" As Ciqala bites back a whine, he looks back to Crescendo, just in an attempt to make sure he's not doing anything wrong.
"Awww, you don't gotta be scared of me, Ciqala," Wachiwa says, after he's backed up a bit, but she doesn't follow, considering his posture. She grins kindly, tail waving, "I'm not gonna bite, an' I don't hurt people. You're welcome here! Well, at least from me, just don't go near the den, c'os it's not a good idea and um, stuff." She sits down then, and looks to Cres, asking, "I haven't seen you in what feels like forevers, where have you been? I guess maybe wandering around like I do, huh. I guess you came bcak because you heard what happened..." She pauses, sniffs a little, and then mms. "... I still don't know what to do with myself, but.. I've been gettin' food for the puppies. I chew it up real good so they won't hurt their teeth till they can eat it normally.. and I been tryin' to watch'em at night but man, it's kinda tirin'."
The last few days for the new pups of the pack has been rather hard. At the moment Tala is slowly making her way out of the den, ears perking and blue gaze peering out at the world. Her gaze drifting towards the spots where her parents would normally be found, and once again not finding them there she is starting to understand that she will never see them again. She settles to her haunches at the entrance of the den peering out towards whom ever may be found around nearby.
As Ciqala looks at her, Crescendo nods again. In a way, it's comforting to see the wolfdog hasn't changed, even if getting over his insecurities would do him good. "I've been around," Cres offers, trying to think of what she was doing before she heard the bad news. It's a bit of a blur, admittedly. "Now I wish I was closer. I was on my way back when I heard, I... I was looking forward to seeing Wya again." Her ears flatten somewhat at the recollection of how her mood was deflated by the news. "I don't know what to do, either," she admits, but then manages another smile. "You're doing very good with your siblings, Chewy. Pups are tiring, but they're well worth the effort when they grow up." With this, she gives Chewy a nuzzle. A noise from behind causes her to look over her shoulder to see Tala emerging from the den. "Speaking off, here's Tala now." She hasn't spent as much time with the new pups as she would have liked and she feels another bout of regret at the thought that she might not be around to see them grow up like their older siblings. "How are you, Tala?" she asks as she comes over to nose at the pup.
"I wouldn't-" but the conversation turns away from him, which is comforting for the reclusive canine. Though, to reassure Wachiwa that he has no intention of getting near the den, especially once the pup appears, Ciqala takes a couple more steps back before standing to watch the interstion between the two females, while also keeping an eye on the pup in the background.
Tala ears perk forward slightly and she peers at Crescendo watching the adult a few moments. Her tail sways a few times but she doesn't say a word. The little pup has been rather quiet the past few days, once always babbling some words now she just says nothing. Her gaze drifts towards the movement of Ciqala and she watches him curiously having never seen him around here before.
As the pup doesn't respond, Cres licks her head and gives a reassuring nuzzle. "Tala, this is Ciqala," she once again introduces, though without the mention of the wolfdog's mother. "He's a member of the pack, just like you and me." Looking over at Ciqala, she continues, "Come over and say hi, Ciqala. This is Tala, one of the new pups. Wya and Haht had a lot to be proud of..."
Ciqala is further comforted when Wachiwa wanders off. She's nice, yes, but it will take a few more meetings, at least, before Ciqala is anywhere near comfortable in her presence. With the pup, at least, it is easier, since, well... she's just a pup. Still, Ciqala only takes a couple steps closer, wary of getting too near the den. "Hello, Tala."
Tala watches Ciqala move over and stays put close to Crescendo, her tail slowly swaying about a few times to show she doesn't mind the new wolf moving over. A slight nod is seen, along with a faint wruff escaping her in greeting.
Up from the den comes little Ikuna, following his sister and the sound of voices. He butts his head against her side, nuzzling warmly, and then peeks up at the grownups, offering a wag of his tail and a bark of greeting but staying close to Tala instead of scampering toward them.
With the addition of the second puppy, Cres realises that leaving the Ute might not be an easy thing. Not that she expected it to be, but leaving the puppies so soon after their loss feels almost like betraying Wyanet's trust. "And here's her brother, Ikuna. Ikuna, this is Ciqala." Ikuna gets a nuzzle and a lick too. "Just imagine, one day they'll be all grown up like you and your siblings, like all of us." She smiles down at the pups, her voice betraying her emotions. "I wonder if I'll get to experience it."
"Having pups?" Now that he is not so driven to shy away from conversation by the presence of another adult, even if Wachiwa is an odd wolf, for an adult, Ciqala continues speaking, with the assumption that the answer to his question would be yes. "You'd be a great mom, Crescendo. I know you would. Will, if you want it enough. But did you know that my mom never thought she'd be a mom?" It seems an appropriate thing to bring up, but then, Ciqala has been wrong about these things before.
Ikuna looks up at Crescendo, wagging his tail and licking back at her, and then over at Ciqala. "I-ala..." he repeats. That's almost like his sister's name! He grins a bit - then glances over at his sister again, to share the joke, and finds that she's still being quiet and sad, like she has since hearing the news about their parents. He droops a little, and leans in close against her.
Turning her gaze to Ciqala again, Cres dips her head in a shrug. "I am just as happy taking care of the pups of others," she admits, honestly. Not that she has anything to compare to, but still. "I wouldn't mind puppies of my own, but I'm happy with things the way they are." As he speaks of Skelaghe, she raises her eyebrows. "I never knew that. Then again, fate has its plan and it is up to us to act accordingly and adapt. Skelaghe was a mother to the whole pack." She sighs again. "But it's not pups of my own I'm wondering about. It's these ones. I would stay, as a favour to Wyanet if nothing else, stay and make sure they grow up alright. But they have the rest of the pack and I... I don't know if I can find peace here anymore."
Tala ears perk and she glances over to her brother and gives him a nuzzle back while leaning close to him. A yawn escapes her, seems the little pup is somewhat tired. Her attention drifts from one another, then to another, merely listing to the conversation.
Ciqala knows very well how it is to lack peace, and what it can do to a canine, and he, for one, would never want that for the female who he will always remember fondly. With one eye on the pups, still, Ciqala answers, "I don't think my mom would ever have wanted anyone to stay somewhere that they didn't feel was like home, Crescendo." But this is a decision not to be made on the advice of a creature like Ciqala. Though he hasn't felt like Ute has been home since his mother died, he still lurks about. "I should go. I think... Wachiwa... probably deserves some help hunting for these pups. I wish you luck, Cres." But just that quickly, without waiting for a response, the male turns to walk away. He still feels some lack of comfort, after all.
Ikuna tries to listen to the adults' conversation, really he does. But words are still hard for the puppy, and so mostly he just leans against Tala and nuzzles at her gently. Things go on, even now. And for Ikuna, they're beginning to reach a new normal. He wuffs softly at the departing Ciqala.
Tala has actually dozed off for a few moments next to her brother so doesn't know that one of the adults leaves unil opening her eyes to peer around. A faint snuffle escapes her and she glances to Ikuna curiously while tilting her head, a soft wruff escaping her.
Ciqala's words ring true and Crescendo nods. "Thank you, Ciqala. You too." She watches as the wolfdog leaves, before she lies down by the den entrance to get herself more level with the pups. "How are you doing, pups? Has Chewy been a good sister? I hope you're not wearing her out too much - she's doing her very best to keep you safe and happy." She gives Tala a nuzzle as the pup comes to and makes a noise.
Ikuna licks at his sister's cheek, and wags to her, his tail thumping against hers. He looks up at Crescendo, as she settles down with the pups, and his ears perk as he listens. "Chewy goo," he says to her, nodding. "Bes' bii-sis." His best big-sister, just like Tala is the best sister his own age. Ikuna's world has a lot of superlatives, even if the most superlative of all - his parents - aren't around anymore. There may not ever be a best-best again... but there are others bests to be.
Tala looks up to Crescendo and nods with a slight smile seen for a few moments, she totally agrees with what Ikuna says. Her tail slowly sways about, thumping a few times against the ground.
Smiling at the little ones, Cres' attention once again wanders slightly, out across the densite. "She'll take good care of you. The whole pack will." She's half saying it to reassure herself, to try and make up her mind. "You'll never have to lack anything," she says as she focuses on the puppies again, nuzzling them both before she lets her head come down to rest on her paws. Ciqala's words echo in her mind and she knows he's right. A home is not a home if you do not feel at peace. She's felt peace here before, but not anymore. Perhaps it is time to wander again? Looking at the pups, she gives a small smile. "You'll grow up and be big and strong like your mother and father. Whether I'm here of not, you will."