Post by Pavane on Jul 4, 2011 1:07:53 GMT -5
Little Ikuna learns an important lesson about Staying Safe from his bigwolf friend Wachiwa, and she tells a story about how the world began.
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Since the prior evening, Wachiwa has become faced with a problem she's not sure how to handle. She does know that Heluka wolf is trouble, and she's worried about the pups. Since they've likely been sleeping again -- half a puppy's life is sleep until they get enough energy to drive their watchers nuts -- she's gone on a hunt and returned with a collection of voles and mice from the forest; returning once she's found about three, stacking them up, and going out again. Now there's a small fuzzy pile of about seven or so set near the den.. and Chewy is laying there staring at it, frowning. Man, what is she going to do?
Ikuna has just woken up again, ready for another of those bursts of puppy activity. He comes up the tunnel, pausing at the entrance to blink his eyes to the light. Chewy's here! His tail wags happily. She may not be his parents, but she's a good thing - and Ikuna is still young enough that the memory of his parents is starting to blur and fade. He knows Chewy isn't his mama - but when he tries to think about mama, sometimes he can't quite remember her face anymore. She's gone. But Chewy? Chewy is here. Ikuna gives a little bark, and pads towards the bigger wolf, tail wagging as he looks up curiously at that frown.
Ears twitch and perk, and Chewy turns, smiling at Ikuna. "Hey, baby boy. You have good dreams?" She smiles a little tiredly to him.. then reaches a paw out to bat a large mouse from the stack toward him. "Here baby, today you get to try eating it without my help. I got something small enough for you to eat yourself." Her tail wags a little. Feed the pups, then play, that's her thoughts. Maybe if she can distract them with food and play, she can distract herself.
Oh, okay. Frown is gone. Ikuna smiles back. "Uh-huh," he says, then asks, "Chewy goo'?" He pounces at the nudged mouse without really waiting for an answer - it's moving, after all, and so his play-instincts tell him it has to be caught. Nothing wrong with a little playing with your food, when you're a wolf. Standing on it with one paw, he nods. "Li'l mousie, for bii Oona." Then he flops himself down onto his belly, and noses at the side of the mouse, looking for a good point to start chewing in to the meaty bits inside.
"Yup, I'm real good." Chewy smiles, watching him pounce and catch the mouse.. good. His hunting instincts will serve him well one day, if he should grow old enough. That if hangs a little lurch in Chewy's stomach, but she doesn't frown again. He's happier when she's happy. "Ikuna," she says, with a wag of tail, "I think you may just be the only boy around here worth anything." She grins, as she lets him figure the mouse out himself... though she does think hard about her words. "You eat.. and then we need to have a talk, okay?"
Maybe right there... yeah, that looks like a good spot to bite. Ikuna chomps down on it, and then his ears twitch a little at the complaint about boys, splaying slightly. He makes a muffled inquisitive sound, but doesn't let go of his grip. Just gotta tug it, like the grownups do... He braces with a paw against the mouse's belly, and pulls, until - success! A bit of skin torn off, and access to the meat inside. He grins in triumph, then nods. "Okay. We talk!" he says, and applies himself to tearing off little chunks of the meat and chewing them up real good. It's amazing how much work it is for his little jaws, but he perseveres!
Chewy wags her tail. Aw, yeah, look, he's becoming such a big boy! She sniffs a little, and then smiles. "It's kinda really important, so I'm gonna need you to tell your sister, too. And I'm sure you'll hear this from other big wolves, too. It's about strangers. Do you know why we got a little upset about Ahiga being around at first, Ikuna..?"
Ikuna chews another bite carefully, then pauses to consider on that question, his head tilted to the side. Bigpuppy Ahiga is a great friend, so it's a little hard for Ikuna to figure out, but he tries. "'Cause... maybe he mean. Li'..." Like the time everyone was all angry and sad at Mori, but Ikuna doesn't know that wolf's name, or really remember him well enough to describe. "Bu' Higa goo'!" Ikuna grins again.
"Well, yeah, a little because maybe he was mean... but we were more worried about you guys getting hurt. You see, there's two kinds of mean. There's mean-grumpy, like your older brother Skahla, but we all love him anyway.. and then there's mean-dangerous. Mean-dangerous means that person could try to hurt you very bad. We didn't know Ahiga, or his mom, so we didn't know if he or his mom might try to hurt you and Tala. If they hurt you, that would be very bad, and everyone would be very sad and angry." Chewy considers thoughtfully, then says, "And that's where strangers come in, and this is where you have to be a very big puppy. If you ever see someone you don't know, a wolf you've never met, or another animal, do you know what to do?"
Ikuna listens carefully. He nods a little about mean-grumpy and Skahla... there's a reason why Ikuna mostly avoids that older brother! "S'ahla allus angry," he agrees. But he doesn't hurt anyone, except with words. It's kind of hard for the puppy to wrap his head around the idea of hurting people on purpose. "Ba' mean!" he says, and grrs. For a minute, he stands braced firmly, as though ready to challenge whatever mean thing might want to hurt him or his sister... but then he drops the fierce pose. Fighting it off isn't what he's supposed to do. He may be big now, but he's still just a puppy. "Tell bigwolf?"
"Exactly!" Wachiwa grins, tail thumping the ground, "That's right, you're so smart, Ikuna!" She grins broadly, then crawls closer. "What we want you to do is run away, and find a big wolf, and tell them what's going on. Because that way you won't get hurt." She smiles... but also tries not to let her stomach unsettle again. Because there's always possibilities, she's finding out, now that she's older.. "And right now, and this is very important. Right now we want you to stay here at the Den until we find and chase away the monster that hurt your parents, and you need to make sure Tala stays here, too. Do you understand?"
Ikuna grins at the praise, and his tail wags rapidly. He sure is smart and big and everything! Well, not as smart and big as a bigwolf, but... he's surely getting there. Someday, he'll be like Chewy and have all the answers! Yeah, he's gonna be disappointed when he finds out there's no such thing. "Okay," he says, and then a thought strikes him, and his tail suddenly pauses in its wag. "Bigwolfs... okay?" Because, well... his parents were the biggest wolves that ever wolfed, and they weren't okay.
"... Well, yeah, everyone here is okay so far, hon. We haven't found the monster yet, but if we do we're going to try and handle it all together, so no one gets as badly hurt as your mom and dad did." Chewy mms, thencreeps closer and leans in to nuzzle at his face, "And don't worry, hon, I'll always be around for you. I'm not much of a fighter, but I'm a very good puppy take carer of er." She grins.. and then hmms. "But. There's been a wolf around here that you need to watch out for. I don't trust him at all, and I think he's very bad. I'm going to tell your brother and my sister about him, since they're in charge of things now. But I need you and Tala to be careful, too. He's a big wolf. You should be able to know him because he's got a weird human-thing on his neck that looks like a strange tail."
Earnest puppy stare. Chewy and the other bigwolfs had better be okay, or else they're going to have to deal with a very sad Ikuna. And nobody wants that. "Well... okay," he says, and then leans up to nuzzle back at her, licking affectionately and wagging his tail. "Ba' wolf stay away," he says firmly, and nods. Skahla and Shawnee are the biggest of the big wolves now, he supposes... even if they're not as big as his parents were. "'ala... 'ala allus sad. Dun wanna play."
Wachiwa sighs as she's nuzzled back, and licked, murmuring, "I know Tala is sad, honey. But it's not her fault she's sad. She still misses your mommy and daddy," She licks at Ikuna's ears carefully, nudging at him. "Go ahead and eat your mousie s'more, Ikuna baby. Tala will be okay.. She just needs time. And you've got to be a good big brother for her, and help her. If she feels sad, you need to be there to hug her and make her feel better. if she doesn't want to play, you need to give her the space to not play."
Ikuna nods. He misses mommy and daddy too, of course - but the boypup has been bouncing back a little better. Now he's the more talkative one, as opposed to Tala's silences and sighs. "Be okay /soon/," he says hopefully. However long it takes, Ikuna will be there for her, with love and nuzzles and patience... but it makes him sad to have her sad. That's almost worse than his parents being gone, for him; they, like all grownups, came and went sometimes. But Tala has always been there, his closest friend. He sighs himself, and then lowers his head to take another bite of the mouse, chewing through the belly and the nice nutritious organ-meats that will help him grow up big and strong.
Chey takes to licking at Ikuna's ears, to try and comfort him as he eats his mouse; murmuring softly: "It's going to be okay, Ikuna. I'll try and have a talk with Tala and see if I can help her feel better, okay?" She smiles weakly, then clears her throat. "Anyway.. like I said. if you see this new Bigwolf around, I want you to go straight for the first bigwolf you know, and tell them right away, okay? He might be dangerous to you and Tala because you're so young. And never ever talk to strangers."
Ikuna thumps his tail softly against the ground as he eats, enjoying the lickings. He lifts his head up after a few bites, licking his muzzle clean, and nods. Chewy can help anything, he's sure; and he'll keep on doing whatever he can for his sister, too. He takes another bite of meat, considering. 'He'... the bad wolves always seem to be 'he'. First Mori, then grumpy-Skahla, now this big bad wolf... and that, combined with some of the chance comments Chewy has made, is enough to make Ikuna come to a conclusion. "Boys stoopi'." They're all mean and grumpy and /bad/.
A blink, and a soft giggle, muffled by ducking her face into her paws. She lifts her face then, and Wachiwa says, amusedly, "Well, yes, Ikuna, sometimes boys are stupid. You're not very stupid but you're a baby, so it's okay because you're learning.Older boys though.. Well. Mori... I love my brother, like you and Tala love each other, but he's made some very stuuupid decisions in life. Your brother Asku has sometimes made some stupid decisions, too, though. The difference in stupid is this.." She grins, "Mori doesn't admit he's stupid ever. Asku admits he is sometimes stupid, and apologises for it. So when it comes to being stupid.. if you accept your mistakes and try to make up for them, you're fine. If you don't.. it'll be nothing but trouble."
Ikuna listens carefully. So, he can't help being stupid, but he can make things okay? That doesn't sound too bad. Big brother Asku is still pretty awesome, even if he, like all boys, can be stupid. "Okay," agrees Ikuna. "Oona be sorry." He lowers his head, and takes another bite of the mouse, mulling things over. "An' then Oona get bii', an' be girl." 'Cause girls are awesomer! And so if he grows up to be big and strong and sorry for being stupid and keeps being better, then surely he can finally be good enough to be a girl. His puppy logic is infallible!
Wachiwa ... "Uh.." ... Chewy just shakes her head, and laughs, "I'm sorry, Ikuna, but life doesn't work that way," she says, nuzzling at him, "You can't ever be a girl, c'os we're born the way we are. You were born a boy, so you'll always be a boy, just like I was born a girl." She smiles, and nuzzles at him, "But if you want my opinion.. you're the bestest boy ever." She smiles, nuzzling once more, then licking at his shoulder and neck. "And I might just have to kidnap you and make you mine when you're older," she says, with a playful nibble at his fur, not intending to hurt at all.
It... doesn't? Ikuna looks up with wide eyes. "Bu'..." he says, and then trails off. He /guesses/, if Chewy says so, it must be true. She is a very smart bigwolf, after all. But he's still not sure he really believes it. He'll find out for himself when he gets older. For now, he nuzzles back at her, and giggles. If he can't be a girl, well... he can settle for being a Very Good Boy. He wiggles at the nibbling, and laughs, leaning up and pawing at her cheek. "Oona be bii an' goo' an' allus friends," he says, and lick-kisses happily.
A giggle is returned, and Wachiwa awwws at him, and nods. "We'll always be friends." She smiles, and lick-kisses back at him, before considering his face. He's a bit messy from his mouse, so she licks his fce to clean him up a bit, and then murmurs, "You think Tala will like the mice, Ikuna? Were they better yummy than the deer I brought the other day?"
Ikuna grins at the returned kisses, and his tail thumps at the ground. Allus! And so he doesn't even protest the face-cleaning, though he does squirm a little. "Uh-huh. Mousies yummy. Like li'l white flowrs smells. Oona be bii an' chew for 'ala, if she dun wanna. So she get bii."
"That's a good boy." Wachiwa says, happily, tail wagging, before she nuzzles his shoulder again, and then mms. "You eat that mousey all up, and then we can play a game if you like, or I can tell you a story.." She smiles, tail sweeping side to side lazily. "Oooooor I could give you a bath.." She teases.
Ikuna grins, and nods. He takes another bite, chewing on it firmly, and then has to swallow it down quickly to insist, "S'ory." Not a bath. Definitely not a bath. And while games are fun, he's a bit more partial to stories just at the moment, as his curiosity slowly expands to the world beyond just his family. There are so many neat things in the world, in with the scary mean ones! Then he continues eating, filling up his belly.
"Hmm. A story then? Okay!" She chuckles softly, figuring the pup would prefer a story over a bath. She didn't like baths either, but then she learned that they're not that bad, since sometimes they can be fun if you're playing in the stream. She watches him with his mouse, and waits patiently for him to finish.. then, standing, turning in a circle, she lays down in the grass on her side slightly curled, leaving him a nice soft place to snuggle of he likes. "A long long time ago, The Great Spirits made the world," she begins softly, "They took a large chunk of dirt, and put grass and trees all over it, and added some water so the plants and grass could drink. But the world looked lonely, so they put animals on it to make things better. They started with fish in the water.. and then they put froggies in the swamp.. and birdies in the air... and they put wolves in the forests to keep the trees company."
With his belly nice and full, Ikuna pads over to cuddle in against Chewy, right in that curved spot that's perfect for nestling against. This, right here, is one of the things that make stories awesome. It's not just something to listen to and think about - it's something to snuggle during! He leans his head against her, ears perked up. "Asku an' me play with trees..." he offers, upon consideration. Or, at least, with fallen branches, chewing and tug-of-war and all those games. It's sort of like playing with the trees.
"Yup! We play with the trees so they don't feel lonely," Wachiwa says, with a grin, "And they're happy for that. And then the spirits put rabbits and deer and mice on the earth for us to eat so we wouldn't go hungry. The Great Spirits made everything! But this story isn't about the great spirits, nope. It's about the first wolf. His name was Alpha, because he was the first, and it's because of him that we call our leaders 'Alpha' to this day." She turns to lick at his head again as he curls against her, and hmms softly. Yeah, maybe she'll just wait a few years, and then Ikuna can be like, her boy. Sure! ... Sure. "Alpha was lonely, though, because he was the only one. He began to ask the spirits for companionship, and through this we learned to howl, so our voices could reach the heavens. Let's howl a moment," she says, grinning, before she lifts her snout in a low howl, playful.
Ikuna giggles, and nods, looking up at the big trees overhead! Then he mmmms at the list of tasty foods... how nice of the Great Spirits to make sure that wolves would have plenty to eat. "Firs' -ever-? Wooow..." he says, and then nods. Alpha must have been really lonely... why, Ikuna gets lonely when he's alone for five or ten minutes! Imagine, being alone all the time. That must be terrible. He snuggles in closer against Chewy, and nuzzles at her. Such a sweet boy. Only... rather young, yes. A few years, that'll do... something. He sits up a little to add his yipping little voice to the howl, though he isn't very good at it yet. But he tries!
Tail thimping slightly at her back legs, Wachiwa grins. "The Great Spirits heard Alpha's laments of lonliness because our howls are so beautiful and loud. And so they put Alpha into a magical sleep, and they took away bits and peices of him to make a she-wolf out of; one of his teeth for her fangs, one toe from each of his feet for her legs, part of his long long tail for her own tail and her fur, you see? And when Alpha woke up, he looked as we wolves look today.. and he had the first lady wolf to be his mate. Her name was Beta, for she was the Second wolf; though she and Alpha lived as equals at the time. That is why the second leaders of the pack are known as Betas." She lazily takes to grooming at Ikuna's ears while he's distracted by the story.
"Oooooh." The Great Spirits must be even smarter than a bigwolf, if they can do things like that. Ikuna is impressed! But... "Couldn' the spirits jus' make more wolf?" Why not just make Beta from fresh... whatever it is spirits make stuff from... instead of using bits from Alpha? He looks up curiously, his ears flicking as they're groomed and then perking up again to listen more.
"Because by then," Wachiwa says, "They had already used all the new spirits in the world to create all the animals and plants," she chuckles softly, "That is why we eat animals for food, so we can become big, and they eat the grass to become big, and when mommies and daddies are ready, they have babies like you and Tala. And when we die, our bodies feed the grass, so it can grow again, while our spirits join the Great Spirits above, and whisper to us on the wind." She smiles slightly, then says, carefully, "In that way, while our souls never die, the spirit-matter of our bodies can be reborn. When your mommy gave birth to you and Tala, she put parts of herself into you, and so did your daddy." She smiles.
Okay, that makes sense. If Ikuna took all the mousies, there wouldn't be any for Tala - unless some of them got taken back from him. He nods, looking up to the sky and down to the grass beneath - and then he gets quiet, for a moment, considering on the last part of what Chewy says. "Mommy an' daddy in... me?" he says softly, and considers. "Bu'... I dunno if I ever be that bii." How can a little puppy ever hope to match up to his parents?
"Mmhmm," Chewy says, before she lifts a paw to gently poke at his side, "Your mommy put a bit of herself here," she tickles lightly with a grin, "And your daddy a bit here," she pats a paw on his head, ruffling his fur and ears, "And they both put a lot of themselves here," she pokes at his chest, "In your heart." She smiles a loving smile at the pup before her. "And you don't have to worry about becoming exactly as big as them. When you're big enough, you'll stop growing. Until then.. just concentrate on having fun." She grins. "My mommy and daddy put a lot of themselves into me, too, and into Shawnee." She pauses, then asides in a playful whisper, "I think your brother Skahla got all their grumpy myself, while your brother Asku got all the seriousness."
Ikuna rolls over onto his back, as he's poked at, and giggles a little, pawing up at that nudging paw. It's nice to think about his parents this way, putting bits and pieces of themselves into all his siblings and himself so they didn't get lost. It makes the fact that they're gone a little less sad, because at least they're not gone all the way. "I wonner what I gots..." he says, considering for a moment. "An' what 'ala's got."
"You most definetly got your father's cute." Says Wachiwa amusedly, as she leans in to lick at his chest and belly now that he's esposed them in a groomy way. Hey, he's getting a slow bath that doesn't seem like a bath at all! ... Maybe Chewy is wiser than some would give her credit! Hm. "And Tala got your mother's beauty. As for what else you got, we'll have to wait until you're grown up to know for sure." She smiles. "Now do you wanna hear the rest of the story?" She grins playfully and wrinkles her nose a little at him with a grin.
This bath comes cleverly disguised as lickings, and accompanied by a story. It's quite sneaky enough to creep in undetected by Ikuna! The puppy giggles as he's called cute, and paws up at the bigwolf's face, wiggling from side to side a little. "Tha's forever an' ever," he insists. A good three or four times his Entire Lifespan So Far, until he's grown up all the way. Too long to wait...but then his ears perk up. There's more? "Yeah! Alpha an' Beta, an' then what?"
A grin, as she's pawed at, eyes closing slgithly, and then she lets him up, giggling, "Oh, don't worry. Time goes by super fast. Like, this time last year, I was still a puppy like you," she says, though she's exaggerating a bit. She smiles. "Besides, there's so many fun things for you to do while growing up, you don't want to become a big wolf too fast and miss them all, do you?" She chuckles.. but when he reacts the way she thought he would to more story, she nods knowingly. "Alpha and Beta lived in the forest for a long time together. Now, the forest where Alpha and Beta lived, all animals were friends, from the littlest mouse, to the biggest bear. They would share fruits and foods with each other; and when one animal died, the body was split among the rest fairly so that the spirit energy coul return to be reused. But there was one large tree in the forest, which no animal was allowed to eat from, and it was protected by the Great Spirits' earthly form, which no animal was allowed to harm. One day, while they were going from animal home to animal home eating the food gifts they were given, Alpha and Beta came across this tree; and the tree's fruit looked so very very yummy, and the great Protector was asleep in the grass before it. They sat, viewing this sight for a while, and by by, along came the large black bird, Raven."
Ikuna blinks up at Chewy. She was a puppy? But she's been around forever, and knows everything! Weeeeeird. He shakes his head, and giggles. "Nuh-uh. Jus' bii 'nuff!" He grins, and then rolls back over to listen to more story, sitting there with his ears perked and eyes bright. Alpha and Beta's forest sounds like a fun place! Full of lots and lots of friends... though, of course, Alpha and Beta must have been better friends than all the rest, because they were both wolves. "Bad tree?" he asks, tilting his head to the side. "Or spirit bein' mean?"
"It was a bad tree," Nods Wachiwa. "But don't worry." She mms, and continues: "Raven had always been jealous of Alpha and Beta, for they loved each other very much, and he and his own mate did not get along well. He thought maybe if he took a fruit from the tree to his mate, she would love him like Alpha and beta loved each other.. but because of the protector, he could do nothing. However, Alpha and beta were both strong, and had sharp teeth, and Raven had an idea. "Look," he said, to Alpha and Beta, "You see the form the Protector takes? It is the form of a stag. That means that the great Spirits honor the Stags before they do you two, even if you are their first Creation." Alpha and Beta did not like this news, but Beta said, "I am sure the Protector is only in the form of a stag now for that was the last animal to give its body back to the earth." Alpha, however, was not convinced. In fact, Alpha was angry, and he said, "No, Beta, Raven is right, that isn't fair. We should confront the Protector, and demand to know why." Raven said firmly, "You should indeed! And while you do that, I shall fly to the top of the tree and make sure that the Great Spirits do not see you."
Mean, sneaky Raven! Ikuna shakes his head. "Stoopi'," he says. Alpha's being stupid, for sure - believing mean things first, instead of waiting and seeing what's going on instead. That's like grumpy-Skahla, getting angry at people... or like Mori, who's so sure he has the right answer that he doesn't stop to think. It's a very boy sort of stupid, too. All that testosterone. "Wha' then?" Trouble, almost certainly, but what exactly happened? Inquiring puppies want to know!
"Well," Wachiwa said, with a smirk, "Yes, it was a stupid move, but as I said before. The difference between your stupid moves is wether you realize you made a mistake or not." She nuzzles the boypup, then continues. "So, Alpha charged down to the Protector, and growled at him gruffly," Here Chewy deepens her voice to try and simulate a male, "Hey Protector, why are you in the form of a Stag, and not a Wolf? Aren't we wolves your first Children, and thus your most worthy children?" And the Protector awoke, and said wisley back, "You are indeed the first of my Children, but that does not mean you are the most worthy. All children are worthy of being the Protector of the Tree of All Evils." Beta was sated with this answer, but not so the hotheaded Alpha, who said, "As your first child, and your strongest and most cunning, it is I who should defend this tree; for see how week a Stag is compaired to I?" And at that he lunged for the great Stag's throat, and tore it open with his mighty teeth."
Ikuna nods. Not being stupid is hard! Especially because... stopping to think too much can be stupid too. That's what gets big brother Asku into trouble! Really, that whole thing about being sorry when you're stupid seems like it's the only option. He listens to the story, and nods at the Protector's answer. Wolves are the best, but other things are okay too. Just like mom and dad... well, Skahla and Shawnee, now... are in charge of the pack, but the other wolves are all still good and smart and strong. When Alpha attacks the Stag, Ikuna gasps, his eyes getting really big. Deer are for eating, sure, but... "Grea' Spirits gonna be mad!"
"The great stag was struck down by this blow," nods Wachiwa, with a bit of a sad frown, "And Alpha, defiant, said, 'Who is greater now?'. Just then, Raven appeared again in the tree above, and said, "Foolish wolf, for now you have made all the fruit of this tree available to any who would take it. Great animals of the Forest big and small, come, feast upon the tree, for Alpha the Wolf has broken the Spirit's Laws, and now all is free for the taking!'" Chewy mms at this, and shakes her head, sadly. "Poor Alpha and Beta were betrayed by the wily Raven.. and in fear they ran, as all the animals of the forest came to Raven's call, and ate of the tree. But the great Spirits are everywhere, and they can see everything we do.. And though they were sad and angry, it was noth with destruction that they came to find Alpha and Beta digging a hole to hide within, but with the love of any parent."
Awr. Mean Raven... but he got Alpha and Beta into trouble, too. That's extra-mean! Even parental, loving anger is... a terrifying thing. Not just angry, but _disappointed_. That's the worst, that crushing disappointment of having been thought better of. And as for all those other creatures coming and eating... they should have listened to the spirits too. "Bad tree... shoulda kept away," Ikuna says, and shakes his head. "Did Alpha say sorry?" That's what you should do when you're stupid!
"Welllll.." Chewy says, amused. Then she mms. "The great Spirits came to Alpha and Beta in a likeness of their image; as a spirit wolf. 'Alpha, Beta,' they said sadly, 'Have you seen what has happened to the Great Protector of our tree? Raven says that you killed the Great Stag so that he could get to the fruit.' Alpha, frightened, kept digging into the hole at first, because the spirits obviously knew, and would punish him. But Beta stepped forward. 'Great Spirits, we cannot lie, it was Alpha who slew the great Protector in anger, and it was indeed Raven who misled us.'" Chewy lets that set a moment as she licks at Ikuna's back a moment, then says, "The Great Spirits weree sadder that it was Alpha who stayed silent, but because Beta admitted the truth, they said this: 'Alpha, Beta, I am sad that you broke our laws, and worse yet, Alpha, that you are too scared to admit to it when your mate, Beta, is not. I am sadder still that because of you, all the animals of the world have eaten of the tree... and because of that, there must be punishment not just for you, but them as well. For now that the fruit has been eaten, all animals shall forever-forth be weak to the evils of life. Meat eaters shall never again share among their species willingly, and the prey animals will never again give of themselves willingly. There will now be famine, times where there is no food to be had, and there shall be sickness, which will make you weak and frail before killing you. There will be fired, to destroy the world, and floods to drown it.'"
Wide-eyed puppy listens to the story. He nods approvingly when Beta admits to what happened - that's the right thing to do, even if it is all scary. It's the right thing to do - but that doesn't mean everything gets to be okay. His ears splay as Chewy continues, and the spirits speak of all the bad things that are going to start happening now. "Bad Raven, an' bad Alpha, an' bad everyone..." he says, with a little whine.
Nuzzling the pup 'twixt the ears, Wachiwa continues: "'And you, Alpha, and Beta, for your misdeeds, you are to be punished. Foreverforth, you shall never have an easy hunt; you must gather more together at your side to hunt your prey lest they are small. And as you are so keen to hide in a hole, then foreverforth shall your kind be punished to find safety only in the earth when you rest at night.' However, as the spirits realized that the two were tricked, they added: "From now on forth, all animals shall have the ability to create more of their kind through the sharing of their spirits with one another. In this, you may replace those who will die from the evils released on the world. Alpha and Beta, as you are the first of my children, so too shall you have the first of your own; but because you are sharing your spirits, there will be pain in the birth when your young leave your body.' And so Beta was with pup, and from that day forth we have always lived in or around dens in the earth," Chewy says, smiling. "As for Raven... The Spirits punished him too; 'From that day forth, Raven has never been liked by any animal, for he makes great noises. From that day forth he has never again been allowed to eat a meal without being chased away from it, and from that day forth he cannot strut about, but instead must walk with a bob."
The punishment doesn't sound all that scary, at least. Ikuna knows that the bigwolfs hunt in packs, and the den is a nice comfy place to curl up in. It's kind of a parent punishment, in that 'for your own good' way that mostly just makes you think about how you've been bad so you try to do better next time. "Alpha an' Beta's puppies oughta go an' bite Raven, too," he says, with a firm nod. Being stupid is one thing, but intentionally being mean and hurting someone - lots of someones - is another one entirely!
A laugh, and Wachiwa nuzzles in at the puppy, "The Great Spirits already punished Raven, dear child," she says, licking at Ikuna's face tenderly, "And since they have done it for us, we Wolves feel no more need to bithe the Raven for his mischeif. But do you see now what I meant earlier about not trusting strangers, even the nice seeming ones?" She smirks faintly, hoping there may be a lesson yet for the puppy.
Ikuna hmphs. Maybe Raven's been punished enough, but that was still a pretty mean thing he did. The pup nods, though, and nuzzles back at Chewy. "Well... okay," he says. Then he nods about strangers. "Uh-huh. Bu'... some're nice. 'Higa is!" And he was a stranger once. So... not all strangers are mean, even though some of them are, and some of them hide the mean. That's a complex thought for a puppy. Good thing he has bigwolfs to help him when it comes to specific strangers...
"Not all nice strangers are going to be nice all the time, Ikuna," says Wachiwa softly, "After all, Raven was nice to Alpha and beta at first," she smiles though when he mentions Ahiga. "Have you seen him around in a while? I was hoping to get a better look at him, maybe see if he wanted me to hunt some food for him like I do you and Tala," she says, chuckling softly, before she licks at Ikuna's face again. And snuffles at his fur. Oh lord, that addictive smell of puppy fur and breath. She's going to miss when he gets too old to be groomed by her, she decides.
That's true. Raven was nice. And Ahiga... when Ikuna first met him, he was kinda acting all tough and not always nice, either. People are hard to understand. Ikuna nods, pondering on that for a few moments. His gaze wanders down to his paws, then looks back up at the question. He shakes his head. "Nuh-uh," he says, then amends to, "Namuch. I think... he's scare'a S'ahla." Not that Ikuna can really blame him. Big brother Skahla has a scowl, like, all the time!
That causes Chewy to laugh. "You know, I used to be scared of Skah, too, when I was your age. He was grumpy even then, but.. When you get to know him, there's a side to him that's softer, and loveable." She chuckles softly, then pulls the pup close, "Mmmmc'mere." She tries to catch him by the scruff and drag him to her paws to finish those last few licks of bath. "You know why Skah is so scary right now, Ikuna?" She says, softly, as she licks at his face and ears and shoulders, "It's because he couldn't stop the monster from hurting your mom and dad.. And he's afraid the same thing might happen to you guys, or Shawnee, or anyone else in the pack. He never expected to have to be in charge so soon.. and he's afraid he'll mess up, and someone else will get hurt. And," she pauses, as she looks down at Ikuna thoughtfully, "I think he's also really sad about your mom and dad... but he doesn't think he can show it because it might make people think he's weak."
Ikuna isn't scared, nope, not him. He just... avoids Skah for entirely incidental reasons, that's all. He hurms, and then half walks, half is-dragged closer, closing his eyes as the licks come over his face and trying to continue his Serious Thinking despite the indignity of being washed up. "Bu'... he's all big an' loud for /everyone/. Like... daddy bein' really mad, bu'... allus." Ikuna shakes his head a little. Why can't we all just be friends, huh? Skahla may be his brother, but clearly, one of them got the far bigger share of aggression and bluster.
"That's just Skah's way, hon. He takes after your mom a little.. When she's angry, she's really scary. One time she tried to dig a rattlesnake out of it's hole for biting Asku in the face. Asku wasn't hurt badly, but.. the scare of it was enough." Chewy smiles, finally letting him free od the indignancy of bath. Puppies have to be clean, heck if she knows WHY, but her mom always insisted on clean, and so she assumes all moms do. "He yells. But he does love you. And he can't be all bad, or my sister wouldn't love him so much. Well. My sister, now she's your auntie. Which kinda makes me your auntie, too, huh." She chuckles.
True, mama could be very scary. She was always the one who kept him and Tala in line... sure, daddy was big, but a puppy could climb all over him and he wouldn't do more than say something in that gruff voice of his. Mama, though... ooh, yeah, she could be scary. But she still loved her puppies a lot. If Skahla's like that... well, that makes him make a little more sense. He giggles at the story about her digging out the rattler. "Mama's spirit mus' be yellin' at the mons'er. Real fierce!" Why should a little thing like death stop her? He grins, and then gives himself a shake, wetted fur floofing up a bit and making him look super extra adorable. "Auntie," he repeats in a considering tone, then laughs, and leans up to nibble gently at her cheek. "Chewy."
"Mmmhmm." She grins, "I betcha if we listen the next time the stars are out, we can hear her yellin' at the monster. Your momma was the best momma ever. We all miss her.. but.. It's remembering the stuff like how nice she was, and all the yelling, that makes it easier." As he nibbles at her cheek, she puffs her cheeks out a bit, and stifles a faint giggle in her throat, before she wags her tail with great heavy thumps of appriciation. She turns to nuzzle Ikuna and smiles. "I know you've got to get big eventually.. but don't you /ever/ stop being cute." she tries a super serious face... but.. Chewies just ain't made for serious.
Ikuna giggles. Yeah, he had the best mama. She's gone now, but... he's still got a part of her. That's how it works when you make puppies, and Ikuna knows that now. He nods, remembering his parents again - but with a smile, now, and giggles for the strange and silly and awesome things they were and did. "'membering goo'," he says with a firm nod. Even if her face does blur sometimes... he can remember her shouting, and her nuzzling him, and all the little fragments of things. As he's exhorted to stay cute, Ikuna nods earnestly. He will do his utter best. To disappoint a Chewy would be a fate too horrible to even comtemplate. "Okay," he says. "I be bii AN' kyoo!" Then he licks up at her muzzle and both cheeks, making it even more difficult to try to be serious. Puppylicks!
Puppy licks get Chewy giggling, and she nuzzles at his face, and then his belly, curling one paw slightly up against his back, before she murmurs, "I know you didn't get to spend as much time with your momma as I did.. But they're both in the same place, and I'm sure my momma is keeping yours company. And you know what? The next time the moon is big and full, I'll see if Skah will let me take you and Tala up the kill to the crab tree, where you can see the moon real good. And we'll sing a song for your mom and mine. How's that?" She smiles. "Sing it good and loud, so they know we're thinking about them."
His mama and Chewy's, friends forever! That's a good idea. He wouldn't want his mom to be lonely... and Chewy's mom must be nice, 'cause Chewy is super nice and so she must have gotten some of the nice bits from there. They can be friends just like their kids are. He wiggles about at the nuzzling, and licks up at the bridge of Chewy's muzzle with a giggle as she noses his belly. At her suggestion, he perks up, and nods firmly. "Yeah!" He lifts up his muzzle and gives a little yaroo! right now. Holding the notes is the hard part. Well, and hitting them consistently. And the right patterns. Okay, pretty much all of howling is hard, but he keeps on trying, because even if he gets it all wrong, if he does it loud enough, momma and daddy are going to hear him, and that's the important part. "Bii song!"
"Yes! A biiiiig song." She smiles nosing at him again. "You're going to be a big handsome wolf some day, Ikuna. break a lot of hearts. Maybe even mine." She laughs with a grin, before she says, "But that's okay, you're not a bad puppy. You'll be a good wolf." She chuckles softly, then, half flops over, laying her head on one forepaw, making a good climbing range if he wants to. She grins. "Just remember one thing when you're older, Ikuna," Wachiwa sniffs, then, "Being big is a lot of responsibility. One day, you'll have puppies yourself! And if I haven't gone to be with our moms and dads, I'll be happy to take care of them, too." She grins.
But Ikuna will be nice and loving to everyone! However could he possibly break hearts? He listens earnestly and tries to understand, but... romance is hard for grown wolves, let alone puppies. "Nooo... Chewy an' Oona friends! Allus!" he insists. Even if he doesn't understand everything, that much he's sure of. "Be bii an' goo' an kyoo!" All of it. At once! He starts to plant a paw on her shoulder and wiggle on top of her, then pauses to listen to this one thing he's supposed to remember. Responsibility... that means doing what you're supposed to, even if nobody's watching. And puppies of his own? Well! "Chewy great aunty!" And, if he shares his spirit to make puppies... he'll be very glad to have her helping him with them.
A laugh at this, and Wachiwa murmurs, "Thanks, Ikuna, it's very nice of you to say so! I try to be, though i never expected I'd end up being an auntie." She laughs amusedly, and then settles into letting him scale her, unworried about things finaly at last, for the moment anyway. How can you be worried with such an adorable puppy clambering all over you? Oh, if only she could get Asku or Tokota to join her. Or Shawnee, for that matter, she knows her sister would have fun, too! A sigh. Where HAVE all her family members gone aside the little'uns?
Ikuna reaches to the top of Wachiwa Ridge, standing with his paws splayed, and looks around from that vantage point. Everything looks different from up here... ths must be how bigwolfs see the world all the time. He tries to look all big, puffing out his chest - then loses his balance a bit and thumps down on his belly over his neck. There's no harm done, though, and he laughs before licking at one of her ears. If only he were older, maybe he'd be running off too - of course, if it weren't for the puppies needing to be watched, Chewy could slip off and find one of the others easily enough, instead of having to wait for them to come here.
And Chewy doesn't complain, because that's what she does; she takes things in stride, and always with a bit of sillyness. When he falls over, she utters a squeak. "Careful there, Ikuna," she grins, as she looks over to him, then siiighs. "Man, after that story, I feel sleepy. I bet you don't though." She grins a little, tail thumping. She exaggerates a yawn, just to test, then adds, "Ikuna, you must have stolen all my awakeness!" with a teasing tonr.
Ikuna nods at the admonition to be careful, not trying to get up yet but just nuzzling again from where he lies. "Nuh-uh..." he says. He's not tired at all. But... "Goo' s'ory!" It was, wasn't it? Even if it had sad bits. All the best stories seem to, but things turn out okay in the end, and you can learn something important from them. Like how to be careful around strangers! Or how it's important to be good and help others. So... "Chewy sleep, an' Oona be bii an' watch!"
"hmmm. I wish I could agree to that, kiddo," Chuckles Chewy softly, "But you know the rules, baby. If you're awake, I have to be awake too, until someone else comes by to watch you." She smirks a little, but closes her eyes a wee bit, ears twitching. Hey, she can listen just fine, and rest her eyes just fine as well.
Well, he tried. Ikuna gives those ears another lick or three, and then pushes himself up to his feet. "Okaaaay," he says, and then carefully turns himself around, bouncing back down the opposite side as he climbed up. He peeks at the shut-eyed wolf for a moment, and considers. She may not be able to sleep, but... if she's tired, he should probably let her rest. So... he casts around for something else to do, and discovers the half-chewed legbone from a deer. It's nearly as long as he is. PERFECT. He pads over to it and starts adding his toothmarks to the ones already there.
One eye opens; and as long as Ikuna is within view of her, Chewy can close that eye again and rest, somewhat. At least it's better than having to chase after overactive puppy, for now anyway. At least for now, the world is perfect; there are no threats, and life is somewhat easy. She sighs, slipping into that watchful state of a parent listening, yet also resting.
---
Since the prior evening, Wachiwa has become faced with a problem she's not sure how to handle. She does know that Heluka wolf is trouble, and she's worried about the pups. Since they've likely been sleeping again -- half a puppy's life is sleep until they get enough energy to drive their watchers nuts -- she's gone on a hunt and returned with a collection of voles and mice from the forest; returning once she's found about three, stacking them up, and going out again. Now there's a small fuzzy pile of about seven or so set near the den.. and Chewy is laying there staring at it, frowning. Man, what is she going to do?
Ikuna has just woken up again, ready for another of those bursts of puppy activity. He comes up the tunnel, pausing at the entrance to blink his eyes to the light. Chewy's here! His tail wags happily. She may not be his parents, but she's a good thing - and Ikuna is still young enough that the memory of his parents is starting to blur and fade. He knows Chewy isn't his mama - but when he tries to think about mama, sometimes he can't quite remember her face anymore. She's gone. But Chewy? Chewy is here. Ikuna gives a little bark, and pads towards the bigger wolf, tail wagging as he looks up curiously at that frown.
Ears twitch and perk, and Chewy turns, smiling at Ikuna. "Hey, baby boy. You have good dreams?" She smiles a little tiredly to him.. then reaches a paw out to bat a large mouse from the stack toward him. "Here baby, today you get to try eating it without my help. I got something small enough for you to eat yourself." Her tail wags a little. Feed the pups, then play, that's her thoughts. Maybe if she can distract them with food and play, she can distract herself.
Oh, okay. Frown is gone. Ikuna smiles back. "Uh-huh," he says, then asks, "Chewy goo'?" He pounces at the nudged mouse without really waiting for an answer - it's moving, after all, and so his play-instincts tell him it has to be caught. Nothing wrong with a little playing with your food, when you're a wolf. Standing on it with one paw, he nods. "Li'l mousie, for bii Oona." Then he flops himself down onto his belly, and noses at the side of the mouse, looking for a good point to start chewing in to the meaty bits inside.
"Yup, I'm real good." Chewy smiles, watching him pounce and catch the mouse.. good. His hunting instincts will serve him well one day, if he should grow old enough. That if hangs a little lurch in Chewy's stomach, but she doesn't frown again. He's happier when she's happy. "Ikuna," she says, with a wag of tail, "I think you may just be the only boy around here worth anything." She grins, as she lets him figure the mouse out himself... though she does think hard about her words. "You eat.. and then we need to have a talk, okay?"
Maybe right there... yeah, that looks like a good spot to bite. Ikuna chomps down on it, and then his ears twitch a little at the complaint about boys, splaying slightly. He makes a muffled inquisitive sound, but doesn't let go of his grip. Just gotta tug it, like the grownups do... He braces with a paw against the mouse's belly, and pulls, until - success! A bit of skin torn off, and access to the meat inside. He grins in triumph, then nods. "Okay. We talk!" he says, and applies himself to tearing off little chunks of the meat and chewing them up real good. It's amazing how much work it is for his little jaws, but he perseveres!
Chewy wags her tail. Aw, yeah, look, he's becoming such a big boy! She sniffs a little, and then smiles. "It's kinda really important, so I'm gonna need you to tell your sister, too. And I'm sure you'll hear this from other big wolves, too. It's about strangers. Do you know why we got a little upset about Ahiga being around at first, Ikuna..?"
Ikuna chews another bite carefully, then pauses to consider on that question, his head tilted to the side. Bigpuppy Ahiga is a great friend, so it's a little hard for Ikuna to figure out, but he tries. "'Cause... maybe he mean. Li'..." Like the time everyone was all angry and sad at Mori, but Ikuna doesn't know that wolf's name, or really remember him well enough to describe. "Bu' Higa goo'!" Ikuna grins again.
"Well, yeah, a little because maybe he was mean... but we were more worried about you guys getting hurt. You see, there's two kinds of mean. There's mean-grumpy, like your older brother Skahla, but we all love him anyway.. and then there's mean-dangerous. Mean-dangerous means that person could try to hurt you very bad. We didn't know Ahiga, or his mom, so we didn't know if he or his mom might try to hurt you and Tala. If they hurt you, that would be very bad, and everyone would be very sad and angry." Chewy considers thoughtfully, then says, "And that's where strangers come in, and this is where you have to be a very big puppy. If you ever see someone you don't know, a wolf you've never met, or another animal, do you know what to do?"
Ikuna listens carefully. He nods a little about mean-grumpy and Skahla... there's a reason why Ikuna mostly avoids that older brother! "S'ahla allus angry," he agrees. But he doesn't hurt anyone, except with words. It's kind of hard for the puppy to wrap his head around the idea of hurting people on purpose. "Ba' mean!" he says, and grrs. For a minute, he stands braced firmly, as though ready to challenge whatever mean thing might want to hurt him or his sister... but then he drops the fierce pose. Fighting it off isn't what he's supposed to do. He may be big now, but he's still just a puppy. "Tell bigwolf?"
"Exactly!" Wachiwa grins, tail thumping the ground, "That's right, you're so smart, Ikuna!" She grins broadly, then crawls closer. "What we want you to do is run away, and find a big wolf, and tell them what's going on. Because that way you won't get hurt." She smiles... but also tries not to let her stomach unsettle again. Because there's always possibilities, she's finding out, now that she's older.. "And right now, and this is very important. Right now we want you to stay here at the Den until we find and chase away the monster that hurt your parents, and you need to make sure Tala stays here, too. Do you understand?"
Ikuna grins at the praise, and his tail wags rapidly. He sure is smart and big and everything! Well, not as smart and big as a bigwolf, but... he's surely getting there. Someday, he'll be like Chewy and have all the answers! Yeah, he's gonna be disappointed when he finds out there's no such thing. "Okay," he says, and then a thought strikes him, and his tail suddenly pauses in its wag. "Bigwolfs... okay?" Because, well... his parents were the biggest wolves that ever wolfed, and they weren't okay.
"... Well, yeah, everyone here is okay so far, hon. We haven't found the monster yet, but if we do we're going to try and handle it all together, so no one gets as badly hurt as your mom and dad did." Chewy mms, thencreeps closer and leans in to nuzzle at his face, "And don't worry, hon, I'll always be around for you. I'm not much of a fighter, but I'm a very good puppy take carer of er." She grins.. and then hmms. "But. There's been a wolf around here that you need to watch out for. I don't trust him at all, and I think he's very bad. I'm going to tell your brother and my sister about him, since they're in charge of things now. But I need you and Tala to be careful, too. He's a big wolf. You should be able to know him because he's got a weird human-thing on his neck that looks like a strange tail."
Earnest puppy stare. Chewy and the other bigwolfs had better be okay, or else they're going to have to deal with a very sad Ikuna. And nobody wants that. "Well... okay," he says, and then leans up to nuzzle back at her, licking affectionately and wagging his tail. "Ba' wolf stay away," he says firmly, and nods. Skahla and Shawnee are the biggest of the big wolves now, he supposes... even if they're not as big as his parents were. "'ala... 'ala allus sad. Dun wanna play."
Wachiwa sighs as she's nuzzled back, and licked, murmuring, "I know Tala is sad, honey. But it's not her fault she's sad. She still misses your mommy and daddy," She licks at Ikuna's ears carefully, nudging at him. "Go ahead and eat your mousie s'more, Ikuna baby. Tala will be okay.. She just needs time. And you've got to be a good big brother for her, and help her. If she feels sad, you need to be there to hug her and make her feel better. if she doesn't want to play, you need to give her the space to not play."
Ikuna nods. He misses mommy and daddy too, of course - but the boypup has been bouncing back a little better. Now he's the more talkative one, as opposed to Tala's silences and sighs. "Be okay /soon/," he says hopefully. However long it takes, Ikuna will be there for her, with love and nuzzles and patience... but it makes him sad to have her sad. That's almost worse than his parents being gone, for him; they, like all grownups, came and went sometimes. But Tala has always been there, his closest friend. He sighs himself, and then lowers his head to take another bite of the mouse, chewing through the belly and the nice nutritious organ-meats that will help him grow up big and strong.
Chey takes to licking at Ikuna's ears, to try and comfort him as he eats his mouse; murmuring softly: "It's going to be okay, Ikuna. I'll try and have a talk with Tala and see if I can help her feel better, okay?" She smiles weakly, then clears her throat. "Anyway.. like I said. if you see this new Bigwolf around, I want you to go straight for the first bigwolf you know, and tell them right away, okay? He might be dangerous to you and Tala because you're so young. And never ever talk to strangers."
Ikuna thumps his tail softly against the ground as he eats, enjoying the lickings. He lifts his head up after a few bites, licking his muzzle clean, and nods. Chewy can help anything, he's sure; and he'll keep on doing whatever he can for his sister, too. He takes another bite of meat, considering. 'He'... the bad wolves always seem to be 'he'. First Mori, then grumpy-Skahla, now this big bad wolf... and that, combined with some of the chance comments Chewy has made, is enough to make Ikuna come to a conclusion. "Boys stoopi'." They're all mean and grumpy and /bad/.
A blink, and a soft giggle, muffled by ducking her face into her paws. She lifts her face then, and Wachiwa says, amusedly, "Well, yes, Ikuna, sometimes boys are stupid. You're not very stupid but you're a baby, so it's okay because you're learning.Older boys though.. Well. Mori... I love my brother, like you and Tala love each other, but he's made some very stuuupid decisions in life. Your brother Asku has sometimes made some stupid decisions, too, though. The difference in stupid is this.." She grins, "Mori doesn't admit he's stupid ever. Asku admits he is sometimes stupid, and apologises for it. So when it comes to being stupid.. if you accept your mistakes and try to make up for them, you're fine. If you don't.. it'll be nothing but trouble."
Ikuna listens carefully. So, he can't help being stupid, but he can make things okay? That doesn't sound too bad. Big brother Asku is still pretty awesome, even if he, like all boys, can be stupid. "Okay," agrees Ikuna. "Oona be sorry." He lowers his head, and takes another bite of the mouse, mulling things over. "An' then Oona get bii', an' be girl." 'Cause girls are awesomer! And so if he grows up to be big and strong and sorry for being stupid and keeps being better, then surely he can finally be good enough to be a girl. His puppy logic is infallible!
Wachiwa ... "Uh.." ... Chewy just shakes her head, and laughs, "I'm sorry, Ikuna, but life doesn't work that way," she says, nuzzling at him, "You can't ever be a girl, c'os we're born the way we are. You were born a boy, so you'll always be a boy, just like I was born a girl." She smiles, and nuzzles at him, "But if you want my opinion.. you're the bestest boy ever." She smiles, nuzzling once more, then licking at his shoulder and neck. "And I might just have to kidnap you and make you mine when you're older," she says, with a playful nibble at his fur, not intending to hurt at all.
It... doesn't? Ikuna looks up with wide eyes. "Bu'..." he says, and then trails off. He /guesses/, if Chewy says so, it must be true. She is a very smart bigwolf, after all. But he's still not sure he really believes it. He'll find out for himself when he gets older. For now, he nuzzles back at her, and giggles. If he can't be a girl, well... he can settle for being a Very Good Boy. He wiggles at the nibbling, and laughs, leaning up and pawing at her cheek. "Oona be bii an' goo' an' allus friends," he says, and lick-kisses happily.
A giggle is returned, and Wachiwa awwws at him, and nods. "We'll always be friends." She smiles, and lick-kisses back at him, before considering his face. He's a bit messy from his mouse, so she licks his fce to clean him up a bit, and then murmurs, "You think Tala will like the mice, Ikuna? Were they better yummy than the deer I brought the other day?"
Ikuna grins at the returned kisses, and his tail thumps at the ground. Allus! And so he doesn't even protest the face-cleaning, though he does squirm a little. "Uh-huh. Mousies yummy. Like li'l white flowrs smells. Oona be bii an' chew for 'ala, if she dun wanna. So she get bii."
"That's a good boy." Wachiwa says, happily, tail wagging, before she nuzzles his shoulder again, and then mms. "You eat that mousey all up, and then we can play a game if you like, or I can tell you a story.." She smiles, tail sweeping side to side lazily. "Oooooor I could give you a bath.." She teases.
Ikuna grins, and nods. He takes another bite, chewing on it firmly, and then has to swallow it down quickly to insist, "S'ory." Not a bath. Definitely not a bath. And while games are fun, he's a bit more partial to stories just at the moment, as his curiosity slowly expands to the world beyond just his family. There are so many neat things in the world, in with the scary mean ones! Then he continues eating, filling up his belly.
"Hmm. A story then? Okay!" She chuckles softly, figuring the pup would prefer a story over a bath. She didn't like baths either, but then she learned that they're not that bad, since sometimes they can be fun if you're playing in the stream. She watches him with his mouse, and waits patiently for him to finish.. then, standing, turning in a circle, she lays down in the grass on her side slightly curled, leaving him a nice soft place to snuggle of he likes. "A long long time ago, The Great Spirits made the world," she begins softly, "They took a large chunk of dirt, and put grass and trees all over it, and added some water so the plants and grass could drink. But the world looked lonely, so they put animals on it to make things better. They started with fish in the water.. and then they put froggies in the swamp.. and birdies in the air... and they put wolves in the forests to keep the trees company."
With his belly nice and full, Ikuna pads over to cuddle in against Chewy, right in that curved spot that's perfect for nestling against. This, right here, is one of the things that make stories awesome. It's not just something to listen to and think about - it's something to snuggle during! He leans his head against her, ears perked up. "Asku an' me play with trees..." he offers, upon consideration. Or, at least, with fallen branches, chewing and tug-of-war and all those games. It's sort of like playing with the trees.
"Yup! We play with the trees so they don't feel lonely," Wachiwa says, with a grin, "And they're happy for that. And then the spirits put rabbits and deer and mice on the earth for us to eat so we wouldn't go hungry. The Great Spirits made everything! But this story isn't about the great spirits, nope. It's about the first wolf. His name was Alpha, because he was the first, and it's because of him that we call our leaders 'Alpha' to this day." She turns to lick at his head again as he curls against her, and hmms softly. Yeah, maybe she'll just wait a few years, and then Ikuna can be like, her boy. Sure! ... Sure. "Alpha was lonely, though, because he was the only one. He began to ask the spirits for companionship, and through this we learned to howl, so our voices could reach the heavens. Let's howl a moment," she says, grinning, before she lifts her snout in a low howl, playful.
Ikuna giggles, and nods, looking up at the big trees overhead! Then he mmmms at the list of tasty foods... how nice of the Great Spirits to make sure that wolves would have plenty to eat. "Firs' -ever-? Wooow..." he says, and then nods. Alpha must have been really lonely... why, Ikuna gets lonely when he's alone for five or ten minutes! Imagine, being alone all the time. That must be terrible. He snuggles in closer against Chewy, and nuzzles at her. Such a sweet boy. Only... rather young, yes. A few years, that'll do... something. He sits up a little to add his yipping little voice to the howl, though he isn't very good at it yet. But he tries!
Tail thimping slightly at her back legs, Wachiwa grins. "The Great Spirits heard Alpha's laments of lonliness because our howls are so beautiful and loud. And so they put Alpha into a magical sleep, and they took away bits and peices of him to make a she-wolf out of; one of his teeth for her fangs, one toe from each of his feet for her legs, part of his long long tail for her own tail and her fur, you see? And when Alpha woke up, he looked as we wolves look today.. and he had the first lady wolf to be his mate. Her name was Beta, for she was the Second wolf; though she and Alpha lived as equals at the time. That is why the second leaders of the pack are known as Betas." She lazily takes to grooming at Ikuna's ears while he's distracted by the story.
"Oooooh." The Great Spirits must be even smarter than a bigwolf, if they can do things like that. Ikuna is impressed! But... "Couldn' the spirits jus' make more wolf?" Why not just make Beta from fresh... whatever it is spirits make stuff from... instead of using bits from Alpha? He looks up curiously, his ears flicking as they're groomed and then perking up again to listen more.
"Because by then," Wachiwa says, "They had already used all the new spirits in the world to create all the animals and plants," she chuckles softly, "That is why we eat animals for food, so we can become big, and they eat the grass to become big, and when mommies and daddies are ready, they have babies like you and Tala. And when we die, our bodies feed the grass, so it can grow again, while our spirits join the Great Spirits above, and whisper to us on the wind." She smiles slightly, then says, carefully, "In that way, while our souls never die, the spirit-matter of our bodies can be reborn. When your mommy gave birth to you and Tala, she put parts of herself into you, and so did your daddy." She smiles.
Okay, that makes sense. If Ikuna took all the mousies, there wouldn't be any for Tala - unless some of them got taken back from him. He nods, looking up to the sky and down to the grass beneath - and then he gets quiet, for a moment, considering on the last part of what Chewy says. "Mommy an' daddy in... me?" he says softly, and considers. "Bu'... I dunno if I ever be that bii." How can a little puppy ever hope to match up to his parents?
"Mmhmm," Chewy says, before she lifts a paw to gently poke at his side, "Your mommy put a bit of herself here," she tickles lightly with a grin, "And your daddy a bit here," she pats a paw on his head, ruffling his fur and ears, "And they both put a lot of themselves here," she pokes at his chest, "In your heart." She smiles a loving smile at the pup before her. "And you don't have to worry about becoming exactly as big as them. When you're big enough, you'll stop growing. Until then.. just concentrate on having fun." She grins. "My mommy and daddy put a lot of themselves into me, too, and into Shawnee." She pauses, then asides in a playful whisper, "I think your brother Skahla got all their grumpy myself, while your brother Asku got all the seriousness."
Ikuna rolls over onto his back, as he's poked at, and giggles a little, pawing up at that nudging paw. It's nice to think about his parents this way, putting bits and pieces of themselves into all his siblings and himself so they didn't get lost. It makes the fact that they're gone a little less sad, because at least they're not gone all the way. "I wonner what I gots..." he says, considering for a moment. "An' what 'ala's got."
"You most definetly got your father's cute." Says Wachiwa amusedly, as she leans in to lick at his chest and belly now that he's esposed them in a groomy way. Hey, he's getting a slow bath that doesn't seem like a bath at all! ... Maybe Chewy is wiser than some would give her credit! Hm. "And Tala got your mother's beauty. As for what else you got, we'll have to wait until you're grown up to know for sure." She smiles. "Now do you wanna hear the rest of the story?" She grins playfully and wrinkles her nose a little at him with a grin.
This bath comes cleverly disguised as lickings, and accompanied by a story. It's quite sneaky enough to creep in undetected by Ikuna! The puppy giggles as he's called cute, and paws up at the bigwolf's face, wiggling from side to side a little. "Tha's forever an' ever," he insists. A good three or four times his Entire Lifespan So Far, until he's grown up all the way. Too long to wait...but then his ears perk up. There's more? "Yeah! Alpha an' Beta, an' then what?"
A grin, as she's pawed at, eyes closing slgithly, and then she lets him up, giggling, "Oh, don't worry. Time goes by super fast. Like, this time last year, I was still a puppy like you," she says, though she's exaggerating a bit. She smiles. "Besides, there's so many fun things for you to do while growing up, you don't want to become a big wolf too fast and miss them all, do you?" She chuckles.. but when he reacts the way she thought he would to more story, she nods knowingly. "Alpha and Beta lived in the forest for a long time together. Now, the forest where Alpha and Beta lived, all animals were friends, from the littlest mouse, to the biggest bear. They would share fruits and foods with each other; and when one animal died, the body was split among the rest fairly so that the spirit energy coul return to be reused. But there was one large tree in the forest, which no animal was allowed to eat from, and it was protected by the Great Spirits' earthly form, which no animal was allowed to harm. One day, while they were going from animal home to animal home eating the food gifts they were given, Alpha and Beta came across this tree; and the tree's fruit looked so very very yummy, and the great Protector was asleep in the grass before it. They sat, viewing this sight for a while, and by by, along came the large black bird, Raven."
Ikuna blinks up at Chewy. She was a puppy? But she's been around forever, and knows everything! Weeeeeird. He shakes his head, and giggles. "Nuh-uh. Jus' bii 'nuff!" He grins, and then rolls back over to listen to more story, sitting there with his ears perked and eyes bright. Alpha and Beta's forest sounds like a fun place! Full of lots and lots of friends... though, of course, Alpha and Beta must have been better friends than all the rest, because they were both wolves. "Bad tree?" he asks, tilting his head to the side. "Or spirit bein' mean?"
"It was a bad tree," Nods Wachiwa. "But don't worry." She mms, and continues: "Raven had always been jealous of Alpha and Beta, for they loved each other very much, and he and his own mate did not get along well. He thought maybe if he took a fruit from the tree to his mate, she would love him like Alpha and beta loved each other.. but because of the protector, he could do nothing. However, Alpha and beta were both strong, and had sharp teeth, and Raven had an idea. "Look," he said, to Alpha and Beta, "You see the form the Protector takes? It is the form of a stag. That means that the great Spirits honor the Stags before they do you two, even if you are their first Creation." Alpha and Beta did not like this news, but Beta said, "I am sure the Protector is only in the form of a stag now for that was the last animal to give its body back to the earth." Alpha, however, was not convinced. In fact, Alpha was angry, and he said, "No, Beta, Raven is right, that isn't fair. We should confront the Protector, and demand to know why." Raven said firmly, "You should indeed! And while you do that, I shall fly to the top of the tree and make sure that the Great Spirits do not see you."
Mean, sneaky Raven! Ikuna shakes his head. "Stoopi'," he says. Alpha's being stupid, for sure - believing mean things first, instead of waiting and seeing what's going on instead. That's like grumpy-Skahla, getting angry at people... or like Mori, who's so sure he has the right answer that he doesn't stop to think. It's a very boy sort of stupid, too. All that testosterone. "Wha' then?" Trouble, almost certainly, but what exactly happened? Inquiring puppies want to know!
"Well," Wachiwa said, with a smirk, "Yes, it was a stupid move, but as I said before. The difference between your stupid moves is wether you realize you made a mistake or not." She nuzzles the boypup, then continues. "So, Alpha charged down to the Protector, and growled at him gruffly," Here Chewy deepens her voice to try and simulate a male, "Hey Protector, why are you in the form of a Stag, and not a Wolf? Aren't we wolves your first Children, and thus your most worthy children?" And the Protector awoke, and said wisley back, "You are indeed the first of my Children, but that does not mean you are the most worthy. All children are worthy of being the Protector of the Tree of All Evils." Beta was sated with this answer, but not so the hotheaded Alpha, who said, "As your first child, and your strongest and most cunning, it is I who should defend this tree; for see how week a Stag is compaired to I?" And at that he lunged for the great Stag's throat, and tore it open with his mighty teeth."
Ikuna nods. Not being stupid is hard! Especially because... stopping to think too much can be stupid too. That's what gets big brother Asku into trouble! Really, that whole thing about being sorry when you're stupid seems like it's the only option. He listens to the story, and nods at the Protector's answer. Wolves are the best, but other things are okay too. Just like mom and dad... well, Skahla and Shawnee, now... are in charge of the pack, but the other wolves are all still good and smart and strong. When Alpha attacks the Stag, Ikuna gasps, his eyes getting really big. Deer are for eating, sure, but... "Grea' Spirits gonna be mad!"
"The great stag was struck down by this blow," nods Wachiwa, with a bit of a sad frown, "And Alpha, defiant, said, 'Who is greater now?'. Just then, Raven appeared again in the tree above, and said, "Foolish wolf, for now you have made all the fruit of this tree available to any who would take it. Great animals of the Forest big and small, come, feast upon the tree, for Alpha the Wolf has broken the Spirit's Laws, and now all is free for the taking!'" Chewy mms at this, and shakes her head, sadly. "Poor Alpha and Beta were betrayed by the wily Raven.. and in fear they ran, as all the animals of the forest came to Raven's call, and ate of the tree. But the great Spirits are everywhere, and they can see everything we do.. And though they were sad and angry, it was noth with destruction that they came to find Alpha and Beta digging a hole to hide within, but with the love of any parent."
Awr. Mean Raven... but he got Alpha and Beta into trouble, too. That's extra-mean! Even parental, loving anger is... a terrifying thing. Not just angry, but _disappointed_. That's the worst, that crushing disappointment of having been thought better of. And as for all those other creatures coming and eating... they should have listened to the spirits too. "Bad tree... shoulda kept away," Ikuna says, and shakes his head. "Did Alpha say sorry?" That's what you should do when you're stupid!
"Welllll.." Chewy says, amused. Then she mms. "The great Spirits came to Alpha and Beta in a likeness of their image; as a spirit wolf. 'Alpha, Beta,' they said sadly, 'Have you seen what has happened to the Great Protector of our tree? Raven says that you killed the Great Stag so that he could get to the fruit.' Alpha, frightened, kept digging into the hole at first, because the spirits obviously knew, and would punish him. But Beta stepped forward. 'Great Spirits, we cannot lie, it was Alpha who slew the great Protector in anger, and it was indeed Raven who misled us.'" Chewy lets that set a moment as she licks at Ikuna's back a moment, then says, "The Great Spirits weree sadder that it was Alpha who stayed silent, but because Beta admitted the truth, they said this: 'Alpha, Beta, I am sad that you broke our laws, and worse yet, Alpha, that you are too scared to admit to it when your mate, Beta, is not. I am sadder still that because of you, all the animals of the world have eaten of the tree... and because of that, there must be punishment not just for you, but them as well. For now that the fruit has been eaten, all animals shall forever-forth be weak to the evils of life. Meat eaters shall never again share among their species willingly, and the prey animals will never again give of themselves willingly. There will now be famine, times where there is no food to be had, and there shall be sickness, which will make you weak and frail before killing you. There will be fired, to destroy the world, and floods to drown it.'"
Wide-eyed puppy listens to the story. He nods approvingly when Beta admits to what happened - that's the right thing to do, even if it is all scary. It's the right thing to do - but that doesn't mean everything gets to be okay. His ears splay as Chewy continues, and the spirits speak of all the bad things that are going to start happening now. "Bad Raven, an' bad Alpha, an' bad everyone..." he says, with a little whine.
Nuzzling the pup 'twixt the ears, Wachiwa continues: "'And you, Alpha, and Beta, for your misdeeds, you are to be punished. Foreverforth, you shall never have an easy hunt; you must gather more together at your side to hunt your prey lest they are small. And as you are so keen to hide in a hole, then foreverforth shall your kind be punished to find safety only in the earth when you rest at night.' However, as the spirits realized that the two were tricked, they added: "From now on forth, all animals shall have the ability to create more of their kind through the sharing of their spirits with one another. In this, you may replace those who will die from the evils released on the world. Alpha and Beta, as you are the first of my children, so too shall you have the first of your own; but because you are sharing your spirits, there will be pain in the birth when your young leave your body.' And so Beta was with pup, and from that day forth we have always lived in or around dens in the earth," Chewy says, smiling. "As for Raven... The Spirits punished him too; 'From that day forth, Raven has never been liked by any animal, for he makes great noises. From that day forth he has never again been allowed to eat a meal without being chased away from it, and from that day forth he cannot strut about, but instead must walk with a bob."
The punishment doesn't sound all that scary, at least. Ikuna knows that the bigwolfs hunt in packs, and the den is a nice comfy place to curl up in. It's kind of a parent punishment, in that 'for your own good' way that mostly just makes you think about how you've been bad so you try to do better next time. "Alpha an' Beta's puppies oughta go an' bite Raven, too," he says, with a firm nod. Being stupid is one thing, but intentionally being mean and hurting someone - lots of someones - is another one entirely!
A laugh, and Wachiwa nuzzles in at the puppy, "The Great Spirits already punished Raven, dear child," she says, licking at Ikuna's face tenderly, "And since they have done it for us, we Wolves feel no more need to bithe the Raven for his mischeif. But do you see now what I meant earlier about not trusting strangers, even the nice seeming ones?" She smirks faintly, hoping there may be a lesson yet for the puppy.
Ikuna hmphs. Maybe Raven's been punished enough, but that was still a pretty mean thing he did. The pup nods, though, and nuzzles back at Chewy. "Well... okay," he says. Then he nods about strangers. "Uh-huh. Bu'... some're nice. 'Higa is!" And he was a stranger once. So... not all strangers are mean, even though some of them are, and some of them hide the mean. That's a complex thought for a puppy. Good thing he has bigwolfs to help him when it comes to specific strangers...
"Not all nice strangers are going to be nice all the time, Ikuna," says Wachiwa softly, "After all, Raven was nice to Alpha and beta at first," she smiles though when he mentions Ahiga. "Have you seen him around in a while? I was hoping to get a better look at him, maybe see if he wanted me to hunt some food for him like I do you and Tala," she says, chuckling softly, before she licks at Ikuna's face again. And snuffles at his fur. Oh lord, that addictive smell of puppy fur and breath. She's going to miss when he gets too old to be groomed by her, she decides.
That's true. Raven was nice. And Ahiga... when Ikuna first met him, he was kinda acting all tough and not always nice, either. People are hard to understand. Ikuna nods, pondering on that for a few moments. His gaze wanders down to his paws, then looks back up at the question. He shakes his head. "Nuh-uh," he says, then amends to, "Namuch. I think... he's scare'a S'ahla." Not that Ikuna can really blame him. Big brother Skahla has a scowl, like, all the time!
That causes Chewy to laugh. "You know, I used to be scared of Skah, too, when I was your age. He was grumpy even then, but.. When you get to know him, there's a side to him that's softer, and loveable." She chuckles softly, then pulls the pup close, "Mmmmc'mere." She tries to catch him by the scruff and drag him to her paws to finish those last few licks of bath. "You know why Skah is so scary right now, Ikuna?" She says, softly, as she licks at his face and ears and shoulders, "It's because he couldn't stop the monster from hurting your mom and dad.. And he's afraid the same thing might happen to you guys, or Shawnee, or anyone else in the pack. He never expected to have to be in charge so soon.. and he's afraid he'll mess up, and someone else will get hurt. And," she pauses, as she looks down at Ikuna thoughtfully, "I think he's also really sad about your mom and dad... but he doesn't think he can show it because it might make people think he's weak."
Ikuna isn't scared, nope, not him. He just... avoids Skah for entirely incidental reasons, that's all. He hurms, and then half walks, half is-dragged closer, closing his eyes as the licks come over his face and trying to continue his Serious Thinking despite the indignity of being washed up. "Bu'... he's all big an' loud for /everyone/. Like... daddy bein' really mad, bu'... allus." Ikuna shakes his head a little. Why can't we all just be friends, huh? Skahla may be his brother, but clearly, one of them got the far bigger share of aggression and bluster.
"That's just Skah's way, hon. He takes after your mom a little.. When she's angry, she's really scary. One time she tried to dig a rattlesnake out of it's hole for biting Asku in the face. Asku wasn't hurt badly, but.. the scare of it was enough." Chewy smiles, finally letting him free od the indignancy of bath. Puppies have to be clean, heck if she knows WHY, but her mom always insisted on clean, and so she assumes all moms do. "He yells. But he does love you. And he can't be all bad, or my sister wouldn't love him so much. Well. My sister, now she's your auntie. Which kinda makes me your auntie, too, huh." She chuckles.
True, mama could be very scary. She was always the one who kept him and Tala in line... sure, daddy was big, but a puppy could climb all over him and he wouldn't do more than say something in that gruff voice of his. Mama, though... ooh, yeah, she could be scary. But she still loved her puppies a lot. If Skahla's like that... well, that makes him make a little more sense. He giggles at the story about her digging out the rattler. "Mama's spirit mus' be yellin' at the mons'er. Real fierce!" Why should a little thing like death stop her? He grins, and then gives himself a shake, wetted fur floofing up a bit and making him look super extra adorable. "Auntie," he repeats in a considering tone, then laughs, and leans up to nibble gently at her cheek. "Chewy."
"Mmmhmm." She grins, "I betcha if we listen the next time the stars are out, we can hear her yellin' at the monster. Your momma was the best momma ever. We all miss her.. but.. It's remembering the stuff like how nice she was, and all the yelling, that makes it easier." As he nibbles at her cheek, she puffs her cheeks out a bit, and stifles a faint giggle in her throat, before she wags her tail with great heavy thumps of appriciation. She turns to nuzzle Ikuna and smiles. "I know you've got to get big eventually.. but don't you /ever/ stop being cute." she tries a super serious face... but.. Chewies just ain't made for serious.
Ikuna giggles. Yeah, he had the best mama. She's gone now, but... he's still got a part of her. That's how it works when you make puppies, and Ikuna knows that now. He nods, remembering his parents again - but with a smile, now, and giggles for the strange and silly and awesome things they were and did. "'membering goo'," he says with a firm nod. Even if her face does blur sometimes... he can remember her shouting, and her nuzzling him, and all the little fragments of things. As he's exhorted to stay cute, Ikuna nods earnestly. He will do his utter best. To disappoint a Chewy would be a fate too horrible to even comtemplate. "Okay," he says. "I be bii AN' kyoo!" Then he licks up at her muzzle and both cheeks, making it even more difficult to try to be serious. Puppylicks!
Puppy licks get Chewy giggling, and she nuzzles at his face, and then his belly, curling one paw slightly up against his back, before she murmurs, "I know you didn't get to spend as much time with your momma as I did.. But they're both in the same place, and I'm sure my momma is keeping yours company. And you know what? The next time the moon is big and full, I'll see if Skah will let me take you and Tala up the kill to the crab tree, where you can see the moon real good. And we'll sing a song for your mom and mine. How's that?" She smiles. "Sing it good and loud, so they know we're thinking about them."
His mama and Chewy's, friends forever! That's a good idea. He wouldn't want his mom to be lonely... and Chewy's mom must be nice, 'cause Chewy is super nice and so she must have gotten some of the nice bits from there. They can be friends just like their kids are. He wiggles about at the nuzzling, and licks up at the bridge of Chewy's muzzle with a giggle as she noses his belly. At her suggestion, he perks up, and nods firmly. "Yeah!" He lifts up his muzzle and gives a little yaroo! right now. Holding the notes is the hard part. Well, and hitting them consistently. And the right patterns. Okay, pretty much all of howling is hard, but he keeps on trying, because even if he gets it all wrong, if he does it loud enough, momma and daddy are going to hear him, and that's the important part. "Bii song!"
"Yes! A biiiiig song." She smiles nosing at him again. "You're going to be a big handsome wolf some day, Ikuna. break a lot of hearts. Maybe even mine." She laughs with a grin, before she says, "But that's okay, you're not a bad puppy. You'll be a good wolf." She chuckles softly, then, half flops over, laying her head on one forepaw, making a good climbing range if he wants to. She grins. "Just remember one thing when you're older, Ikuna," Wachiwa sniffs, then, "Being big is a lot of responsibility. One day, you'll have puppies yourself! And if I haven't gone to be with our moms and dads, I'll be happy to take care of them, too." She grins.
But Ikuna will be nice and loving to everyone! However could he possibly break hearts? He listens earnestly and tries to understand, but... romance is hard for grown wolves, let alone puppies. "Nooo... Chewy an' Oona friends! Allus!" he insists. Even if he doesn't understand everything, that much he's sure of. "Be bii an' goo' an kyoo!" All of it. At once! He starts to plant a paw on her shoulder and wiggle on top of her, then pauses to listen to this one thing he's supposed to remember. Responsibility... that means doing what you're supposed to, even if nobody's watching. And puppies of his own? Well! "Chewy great aunty!" And, if he shares his spirit to make puppies... he'll be very glad to have her helping him with them.
A laugh at this, and Wachiwa murmurs, "Thanks, Ikuna, it's very nice of you to say so! I try to be, though i never expected I'd end up being an auntie." She laughs amusedly, and then settles into letting him scale her, unworried about things finaly at last, for the moment anyway. How can you be worried with such an adorable puppy clambering all over you? Oh, if only she could get Asku or Tokota to join her. Or Shawnee, for that matter, she knows her sister would have fun, too! A sigh. Where HAVE all her family members gone aside the little'uns?
Ikuna reaches to the top of Wachiwa Ridge, standing with his paws splayed, and looks around from that vantage point. Everything looks different from up here... ths must be how bigwolfs see the world all the time. He tries to look all big, puffing out his chest - then loses his balance a bit and thumps down on his belly over his neck. There's no harm done, though, and he laughs before licking at one of her ears. If only he were older, maybe he'd be running off too - of course, if it weren't for the puppies needing to be watched, Chewy could slip off and find one of the others easily enough, instead of having to wait for them to come here.
And Chewy doesn't complain, because that's what she does; she takes things in stride, and always with a bit of sillyness. When he falls over, she utters a squeak. "Careful there, Ikuna," she grins, as she looks over to him, then siiighs. "Man, after that story, I feel sleepy. I bet you don't though." She grins a little, tail thumping. She exaggerates a yawn, just to test, then adds, "Ikuna, you must have stolen all my awakeness!" with a teasing tonr.
Ikuna nods at the admonition to be careful, not trying to get up yet but just nuzzling again from where he lies. "Nuh-uh..." he says. He's not tired at all. But... "Goo' s'ory!" It was, wasn't it? Even if it had sad bits. All the best stories seem to, but things turn out okay in the end, and you can learn something important from them. Like how to be careful around strangers! Or how it's important to be good and help others. So... "Chewy sleep, an' Oona be bii an' watch!"
"hmmm. I wish I could agree to that, kiddo," Chuckles Chewy softly, "But you know the rules, baby. If you're awake, I have to be awake too, until someone else comes by to watch you." She smirks a little, but closes her eyes a wee bit, ears twitching. Hey, she can listen just fine, and rest her eyes just fine as well.
Well, he tried. Ikuna gives those ears another lick or three, and then pushes himself up to his feet. "Okaaaay," he says, and then carefully turns himself around, bouncing back down the opposite side as he climbed up. He peeks at the shut-eyed wolf for a moment, and considers. She may not be able to sleep, but... if she's tired, he should probably let her rest. So... he casts around for something else to do, and discovers the half-chewed legbone from a deer. It's nearly as long as he is. PERFECT. He pads over to it and starts adding his toothmarks to the ones already there.
One eye opens; and as long as Ikuna is within view of her, Chewy can close that eye again and rest, somewhat. At least it's better than having to chase after overactive puppy, for now anyway. At least for now, the world is perfect; there are no threats, and life is somewhat easy. She sighs, slipping into that watchful state of a parent listening, yet also resting.