Post by Pavane on Oct 11, 2011 1:57:43 GMT -5
Hilltop Vista
Ikuna - Male Juvenile Wolf
Tala - Female Juvenile Wolf
Askuwheteau - Male Wolf
Blackberry - Male Fox
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The clouds have been growing overhead, dark and gray and heavy. All day they've been building up, and now - it's begun to snow. Big, fat flakes, drifting down through the air. They melt when they touch the ground, at first, but stick to leaves, to branches... and to the pelt of Ikuna, as the young wolf slowly stretches. His body is doing better than it was even a few days ago, though he still hurts sometimes when he sleeps on it wrong... or when the cold of the ground manages to seep through his too-thin frame.
Tala has been gone for a short while, trying to find something to bring back to her dear brother it seems. It took her some times before she is seen coming back carrying a mouse within her jaws. Seems Ahiga is not the only one that can hunt the mice! Her tail sways about as she glances around before troting onwards to where Ikuna is, a half wruff escaping her while she sets the mouse down and noses it too him. "Looky what I got you!"
Ahiga is really digging the change of weather. It is his first winter, after all, and thus the wonder of snow is fresh and new to him. Although he's getting pretty big now, almost too lanky to be considered a puppy anymore, he still has that pup mentality when it comes to new things. And so, when he emerges from the den, its with pricked ears and wide eyes. Coldness is falling from the sky! Bits of cloud, maybe. He snuffles as he wiggles out, shaking off briefly before promptly attacking a snowflake that fluttered just a bit /too/ close to his muzzle. Mwuaha! Cold and melty and suddenly gone. "Hey guys!" he calls upon hearing Tala and consequently noticing Ikuna's awakening. "What is this?"
Ikuna looks up, still half-crouched, at his sister's approach with prey and smiles. So she's got the hunting thing, too! Neat. He's looking forward to catching up with his friends. His tail wags in happy greeting, and he stretches just a moment more before standing up. "Hey," he says to her - and then a snowflake falls right exactly on his nose, and he goes cross-eyed for a moment before licking it off, though not before it melts anyway. Now he's got a wet nose! He turns to look back at Ahiga, and grins. "Fluffy rain?"
Tala blinks while watching the snow and peers up at the sky while snuffling out slightly. She sticks her tongue out and a few snowflakes falls upon it and she giggles out softly. "Its water! Just.. different.." This offered while she glances over to Ahiga and grins while her tail sways about. The three are back together an it's about time really.
"Fluffy rain..." Hm, now that's a thought. Ahiga glances up at the sky where the white stuff continues to flutter and fall in no random order. Not like rain at all, which always looks so organized. "Yeah. Fluffy rain. ... Oh I know!" he says, brightening a little. "Look, Tala's fluffy too," he points out as he trots towards the mentioned female, poking at her coat. "'n I think I'm gettin' like that too." He does his best at looking at himself, arching his head back as far as he can to get a good look at his sides and back. "So, maybe everything gets fluffy after the leaves fall off." Oh, he's so smart!
Yeah, things are just about back to how they should be. Mostly. Ikuna's still a bit battered, but he's making steady progress physically, and the nightmares... well, they come and go. He's usually okay when he's awake, though, so long as nothing reminds him in the wrong way. Snow is an entirely new experience - and his friends are an old and good one - so for now, it's all fine. The young wolf peers up at the snow, then grins as Ahiga trots over and nosebumps at Tala. "Yeah, maybe..." he says consideringly. "But the trees got less fluffy, right? When the leaves fell off. So it's only some stuff that does it."
Askuwheteau's voice is then heard as he slowly pads up towards the trio, "It's called snow you three..." He smiled and his eyes twinkled merrily at the pups, "...and we are all getting thicker coats." Asku's looks much thicker, and it's not just his coat as much as that has grown out, he actually put on weight, and while not fat he is considerably more...generous in proportion since he was last seen. "Our fur gets longer in the winter to protect us from how cold it's going to get." He adds as he looks at the youngest members of the pack.
Tala makes a face as she hears Ahiga and huffs out softly, her tail wagging about before she bats out at her friend. Her attention turns back to her little brother whom she noses back. "Ya.. So it seems." There is a pause and he glances over towards Asku, ears perking and she smiles before turning and running over to her and hops up to paw out at him a few times. "Asku!.. Where have you been?!"
Now this is a conundrum! Why do trees get thinner while everything else gets fatter? Ahiga thinks on this, but while he does...the answer comes by way of a wolf he hasn't seen in quite some time. Blinking, his whole body seems to perk as he hears Asku, and he whips around, peering at the large male as he lumbers closer. "/Dude!/ Where've you been?" he asks, his voice syncing with Tala's. His tail gets to wagging as he bounds towards the wolf to greet him with nips and swats of his paw.
Ikuna ponders seriously on the question of Why Does It Snow? Then he's distracted by the arrival of Asku, and the boy grins happily. If he's a bit slower, a bit more cautious of his own body in his motions as he approaches the adult, he's no less enthusiastic about it. All the young'ns know Asku's a hero. Ikuna's just had personal proof, and he joins his friends in nosing up at the adult, his head tilted curiously at the question they've voiced.
Askuwheteau smiles and leans down giving nuzzles and light nips of welcome all around before replying, "I was away for a few weeks keeping a promise I made some time ago. It's not really important, what is important is that I am back now and I have nowhere to go for the forseeable future. I'll be here much more now, and so excepting when I am doing a patrol or hunting I can be here to help watch over you all. How have you all been doing while I was away? Have you been behaving yourselves?"
Tala wruffs out and shoulder bumps Ahiga a few times as the other comes bouncing in to greet Asku as well. She soon settles to her haunches while she peers up at Asku, her tail wagging about happly a few times. "We've been good.. With Ikuna back we've been helping get him foods and all." She looks over to her sibling and smiles to him before she looks back to Asku. "Do we get to come with you when on patrol and hunting now?"
"Pssh, 'course we've been behaving," Ahiga says with a smirk to his two friends. "Ikuna especially, but that's mostly because he's been tryin' to get better. If he /was/ better, he wouldn'tve been behaving himself." He gives the other young male a teasing smirk to show that he is joking..
Ikuna looks consideringly at his big brother for a moment, then nods. He's willing to accept that lack of answer for now. He smiles, wagging his tail, and then nods his agreement with Tala's question. "We've been practicing patrols," he says, then quickly adds, "Just around the hill, but we have been." At Ahiga's comment, the young male laughs, and leans over to shove his head playfully against his friend's shoulder. "Nah, I'd still be too busy learning all that stuff you an' Tala know about hunting now."
Askuwheteau tilts his head and looks down at the pups, "Wellll...maybe we can talk about you three joining me on a patrol. But before we do that I'll have to give you a test. It'll be a hard one but I'm sure you three can handle such a grown up thing. I'll even give you a few days to train before the test. How does that sound? Just to make sure you are extra prepared. And we'll also have to get you pups a few extra pounds to help keep you warm if you start accompanying me on winter patrols. Snow can be a real hazard if you arn't ready for it." He was smiling, treating the young wolves as if he were going to put them in some sort of training for adulthood. But as he looked at them he began to wonder if perhaps that wasn't what he should be doing anyway and his face grew serious, "And if you are starting to hunt then maybe it's time I started training you in the skills you'll need as full grown members of the pack."
Tala smirks at Ahiga and huffs out faintly, her tail thumping a few times while she looks to Ikuna. "Well.. Its not hard, especially when your catching a little mouse." Her gaze turns back to Asku and her ears cup forward, a soft oh escapes her and her maw twitches while she nods quickly. "Sure.. I want to learn everything you can teach me.. An what ever I can do to help the pack."
"A test?" That gains Ahiga's attention for sure. He's always ready for a challenge, especially one that will help to prove that he is worthy of something like a job in the pack. "Hunting mice ain't that hard," he assures Ikuna, grinning. "But...this test..." his eyes glide back to Asku, narrowing a little in curious inquiery. "Is it gonna tell ya which one've us is the best hunter? Or runner? Or ...uh... tracker or somethin?"
Ikuna nods to Asku seriously. Yeah, it'll be hard. But this is what the adult wolves do, right? This is what they're supposed to learn. He doesn't want to be the helpless pup ever again. He wants to be the one doing the defending and the rescuing and the helping. He's fallen behind the others, unsurprisingly. Being stuck in a dark hole will do that. That just means he has to push himself more to catch up. So he will. How can he not, with Tala and Ahiga to reassure him and help him? He nods to them, then grins a bit. "There's lots of bests. We just all got to be good enough at alla it!"
Askuwheteau maintains his serious look as he looks the three pups over, "Ikuna is right Ahiga, you will all find you have some talent at something that no other wolf has. Perhaps Tala might find she is the fastest at running, or the most agile, Perhaps Ikuna will be the best strategist or have the best eyesight, It may be that Ahiga will be the strongest or have the best hearing. That's what this test will tell me. it will show me what talents you each have, and what weaknesses. And that is very important also. We must not only know what we are capable of, but also know our own limits. If we did not have things we needed to work at then how would we ever get better?" He then offered them a small smile, "But also remember what I have always said, a wolf's strength is in his or her pack. You three are very close, and as you grow that closeness will serve you better then any single talent you might have. Can any of you tell me why?"
Tala ears twitch forward and back while she listens to her older sibling speak, her maw twitching as she takes everything in, thinking over what is offered. A forepaw lifts and she rubs across her maw a few times before peering back up to Asku. "Becasue.. We have each other, and can help one another with a problem?"
Ahiga nods to Ikuna, apparently not minding not being the only best, as long as he does end up being the best at something! Now, if he ends up being the worst at everything...now that'd be just tragic. He grins a little as Asku speaks, imagining just what he might be the best at. He likes Asku's theoretical suggestion. Maybe he'll be the strongest! And with super awesome ears. Oooh yeah...he can live with that. "..Huh?" He blinks away his daydreamish thoughts as he focuses on the present, just catching the tail end of Asku's question. He glances to Tala as she answers, hoping to be able to piece together the question using her answer as a guide. "Because....yeah, what Tala said." Oh yeah, that's a safe answer right?
Ikuna takes a deep breath, but his voice is steady when he speaks. "Everything is easier when you're not alone." Even when the company isn't a proper pack, when it's one sad and confused cougar cub. Everything's easier. With other wolves, with his friends... it's bound to be easier still. In fact... he takes another deep breath. "If I hadn't been alone, the bird wouldn't have gotten me. He couldn't handle two wolves. I know he couldn't, because that's how come Anoki got away. I distracted the bird, and he ran."
Askuwheteau nods, a touch of sadness in his eyes at the mention of his little brother's abduction, "Yes, you are all right. We can help each other, now I want all of you to look at me closely." He smiles then, "Tell me what do you think I might not be good at?" He knew the pups had a sort of a hero worshiping mentality towards him, but he wanted to see if they were able to look at him criticly as well.
Tala ears perk slightly and she looks over to Ikuna, a slight frown seen and she noses at his cheek before glancing back to Asku. Her gaze watching him a few moments, thinking back it seems. "Well.. You tend to get angrey.. quickly.. at others.. At times.."
Ahiga gently frowns as Ikuna recollects a bit of his story. Oh how he wish that had never happened...But he's right. It likely never would have if he wasn't alone, and thus he'll make sure to always be near his friends so that he'll never lose any of them again. But, wait a minute. What could Asku possibly /not/ be good at? He's good at everything! He glances to Tala, head gently tilting. "But...that's not bad. I mean, he gets mad only when bad things happen, or when someone says somethin' stupid, that that wolf that was here before. He's not mad /all/ the time." He thinks on this. Askuwheteau's flaws? "Um...your head's kinda big...but that just means you're really smart."
Ikuna nuzzles back softly at Tala. He's holding it together. At her suggested flaw for Asku, he nods slightly, still considering on the question himself, and then on Ahiga's rebuttal. "It makes him fierce. But... if something makes him mad, he won't think. He could get caught in a trap. If... he was all alone, an' he met the bird an' bobcat an' wolverine... he still woulda attacked. An' he might have gotten hurt bad." Even heroes, Ikuna has learned, aren't invincible.
Askuwheteau smiles and nods again, "You all make good points again, and if I may supply more flaws I have noticed in myself...I am shorter then other males my age, that means I cannot run as fast. I'm not as good at chasing down prey because of this, and If I was faced with a bear or two or three wolves who wanted to hurt me I would be overmatched, but because I am not as fast running away would be dangerous too because they could overtake me and possably hurt me while my back was turned. And I admit I am a hot-head. I think I get that from mom, she had a bad temper and once tried to dig a poisonous snake out of it's hole for biting me. That was brave but it wasn't very smart. And when someone gets really angry really fast they don't think as clearly." He nuzzles each pup again, "And as smart as I am I do make bad decisions. Once i got into a fight with Skahla because I did something really dumb trying to prove something to him. And this wasn't a play fight, we we're really fighting and angry. I should have known better, and the fight was my fault. So sometimes I'm not as smart as I think i am."
Tala listens closely to her older brother, her maw opening slightly and she licks across her nose before she shifts and smiles a moment to nuzzle back at Asku. Her tail swaying a few times before she tries to give him a hug as he nuzzles her. "But.. You have good things too.. Everyone does.." She points out with a soft tone.
Ahiga sits quietly as Ikuna, then Asku, speaks. He has a feeling birds, bobcats, and wolverines are going to be the topic of things for a while, especially with his dear friend. He lightly scrapes a claw against the earth, brows furrowing faintly as the older male continues. Flaws. "I don't think you're all that short..." he offers. But then again...for his entire life, Ahiga has been smaller than Asku, which may not be the case in a couple of seasons. Hot-tempered? Hm. He can relate, for Ahiga himself has a big mouth and angers easily, though he's not quite as eager to admit to that as Asku is. But his ears perk a little. "What was the fight about?" he can't help but ask. "An' yeah, Tala's right. You've got loads of good stuff."
Askuwheteau chuckles and he hugs his little sister in return before laying down and nuzzling Ahiga lightly, "Thank you both, I always try to be better then I was the day before. That includes exercising to make my body stronger, and using my head." He sighs softly and his tail wags slowly as he begins to tell the story of the one and only real fight he had ever had with his big brother, "When Skahla and I were younger Ska was...a bit odd. He used to be really happy go lucky and he was never as grumpy as he is now. But he used to do odd things like biting at his reflection in water, I think he thought it was another wolf, and he would throw sticks into ponds because they offended him. He was just very weird, I was worried that he wouldn't make a good alpha because he never seemed to think about the things he did or the way he acted..."
Tala murrs out softly and shifts while pressing close to Asku and cuddles down against his chest while she listens to the story. Her ears perk forward as she takes in the the story while she watches her brotehrs and Ahiga. "But.. Why would you get into a fight with him over that?.. It sounds different but not that bad.." At least that is what she thinks.
Pft, it might not sound bad to Tala, but to Ahiga, who at this age thinks image is everything, finds it downright weird. "He bit his reflection?" he asks, arching a brow and twisting his head a bit in question. Weeeeird. No wonder Asku tried to bite some sense into the guy! "Alphas aren't suppposed to be like that though," he says, looking to Tala. "I mean, what if your dad went around doin' stuff like that? Nobody'd believe he was Alpha, an' they'd think that all of us were weirdo losers."
Ikuna is pretty quiet, listening to what's said about flaws and merits and different abilities. He hmms sometimes, and nods or frowns as things strike him. "Dad kinda acted silly, sometimes. When he was playin' with us, an' not being Big Serious Alpha," he muses. "I think... what really matters is how come he did those things. I mean... Chewy's silly almost alla time, 'cause she's Chewy and she wants to have fun. So it matters why." He pauses a moment, then adds, "An', yeah, what everyone else in the pack thought. You can't be Alpha if nobody wants to listen."
Askuwheteau chuckles softly, "Well what really started the fight was what i did, I could have just kept talking to Skahla, and I'm sure eventually what i said would have sunk in. But I let my temper get away from me, and in trying to make a point about how he needed to think more and act strange less I...Well I threw him into the pond we were talking beside. It was only natural that he came out mad at me, and then we had two mad wolves saying the meanest things to each other and fighting there beside the pond. I won the fight, but Skahla was so angry at me that we didn't make up for a whole year. And when I stopped being mad, I found I really missed my big brother. But I am also very stubborn sometimes, and I just couldn't admit I was wrong for what I did. I kept telling myself I was just trying to help and that it was for his own good. But getting in a fight with a family member or a friend never helps anything, it only causes bad feelings."
Tala eyes Ahiga at the comment ahd huffs. "My dad was silly.. When he played with us." She points out a few moments after Ikuna as if tyring to make a point perhaps. "An what's wrong with being different?" Her ears perk and soon lower as she hears what Asku did to Skahla. She peers up at the the older wolf. "But.. Why is he still so grumpy?.. I mean.. You two have made up, right?"
"Of course you are stubborn and have a difficult time admitting you were wrong." he says as he stalks his way up this hill. Well it has certainly been ages since he has set paw in this place. The last time he had been here had been the night that Wachiwa had thrown him out forceably and he had been rather angry about that whole incident. Still who says that he can't be gracious and forgiving? Well that isn't a very likely proposition, but at the very least the months away have cooled his anger. Blackberry is indeed also very stubborn. He continues to make his way up this hill toward the small gathering, acting as if he hadn't a care in the world. Which of course he always has, but doesn't mean he can't fake it.
"Yeah, but it's different when you're actin' that way because you're playin'," says Ahiga, nodding at Ikuna. "But he wasn't playin'." It's a good thing Ahiga was not born in the same season as Asku's litter, for it seems as if he and Skahla would get along even less than they do now! An ear twists to Tala after, and he opens his mouth to answer...but on second thought, changes his mind and keeps quiet. A good thing, perhaps. Asku did just say that it's not good getting into fights with friends, and this does not seem to be a topic that he and Tala are seeing eye to eye on. And thus, to avoid any year long feuds, the eldest pup stays quiet, settling on to his stomach.
Ikuna nods, listening to Asku. He looks to his sister when she speaks, and then his gaze lingers for a moment on Ahiga. Seems he didn't miss the disagreement there - but with it remaining unvoiced, he doesn't say anything about it at the moment. There's a more present conundrum, of being silly and being serious and the right times for each. He frowns, trying to make sense of it... and then he notices Blackberry approaching. He remembers this fox. He's not scared of him, not with all his friends here, but... he remembers. He remembers this fox trying to make trouble for Asku. His pose stiffens slightly, watching.
Askuwheteau's eyes lift to the fox as it approtches, but he makes no comment on the verbal slight against him, instead letting it pass as he chooses to answer his baby sister's question first, "I believe Skahla is always grumpy now because he is afraid he is going to make a mistake, he was not ready to become Alpha when dad and mom died. He is trying very hard to look strong and fearless. I'm sure he doesn't mean to come off as grumpy or mean. Both Skalha and I have changed a lot, you may not believe it but I used to be the grumpy serious one. I know sometimes I get very angry now, but before you pups came along I walked around with a snarl on my face almost all the time, and when I wasn't snarling I was at least looking very unfriendly. I never told stories, I never played with pups, I never played at all really. While Skahla played ALL the time, he never stopped having fun, and he never ever thought about anything serious. Skalha and I have almost completely changed now."
Tala would take her family over other things of course! A ear twitches as she peers over at Ahiga and she settles her head down upon the ground, a half yawn escapes her while she soon lets her head settle down upon Asku's foreleg, seems the fox to her has been overlooked, and she is rather tired once again. A ear twitching while she starts to doze off, half listning to the conversation.
Blackberry comes to what he believes is a safe distance and sits himself down there. It is sort of liberating to be back here. He had expended a great deal of time thinking about how he would avenge himself upon Wachiwa, and now it turns out all he really had to do to feel better was just show up. He should have done this a long time ago. For the present he says nothing, figuring his mere presence sort of says it all. After all he figures that he bested Asku before and it shouldn't be too much trouble to do it again. He watches all the little ones as they fall asleep. He certainly has no problems whatsoever with the pups. After all they haven't done anything to him. And there are limits even to his irritability.
Since his big brother is choosing to mostly ignore the fox, Ikuna does the same... though he still keeps an eye on him. He huhs, listening to Asku. That's weird, that the two of them could change so much. He glances to Ahiga, then to Tala. Are they going to change when they grow up? Is he? "Does... everyone do that?" he asks after a moment. "Change?" And if they do... is he going to lose his friends?
Askuwheteau looks down at his little brother and he can read the worry in the pups eyes. But he softly nuzzles the younger wolf, "We are always changing Ikuna. Do you think about things in the same way you do when you were really little? I've gotten calmer, and I let myself enjoy things a little more then I used to because I've learned and I've grown. Skala is different because he has grown. You and Tala and Ahiga will see a lot of things before you are fully grown, and you'll do a lot of things, you'll grow closer, sometimes you may have arguements or fights but what we always have to remember is this, Just because we get angry at each other doesn't mean the love goes anywhere. Chewy was mad at Mori for a long time, Skahla was mad at me for a long time. But we always make up because we are a pack and love is stronger then anger."
Blackberry continues to sit stoicly in his spot. He could throw in his thoughts on the matter. He could tell the pup that he needs to learn to expect pain and suffering, the betrayal of friends, the loss of family and loneliness. He could tell him that some day probably soon someone will do something to hurt him and never be sorry, and that a grudge will develop that will last a life long. He could go on to talk about how in the end its all pointless because even if you manage to have a happy life you still have to die and leave those you love behind. Yep that would be a bright and upbeat conversation, and he doesn't have the heart to say it.
That... makes sense. Ikuna nods, and nuzzles back at his big brother. Everyone changes, but... they'll still be a pack, together. He won't lose his friends. He smiles, and wags his tail softly - then pauses, as one of Asku's examples reminds him of something he's been wondering about. Mori must be Chewy's brother. And that means... "Asku?" he asks, a little tentative. "What did Mori do? That Chewy was mad at him, an' dad was mad at him..." Both people who don't get angry like that without a reason. He's heard confusing bits and piece, and now... Ikuna wants to understand what really happened. He looks up, earnest and questioning.
Askuwheteau tilts his head, a measuring look in his eyes before he clears his throat and speaks, "I suppose you are old enough to know Ikuna. Pack law says that without the permission of the Alphas no wolves can have puppies. Mori broke pack law and not only did he make puppies with a she-wolf, he made them with the mate of another wolf. Hinto and his mate Lupin had wanted pups for a long time but were unable to have any, I don't know all of the details myself. But Mori took it upon himself to make two pups with Lupin. Breaking our laws and basicly insulting our father, what he did was in effect saying he knew better then dad what was good for the pack, saying he didn't have to do what dad said because he thought he was equal with the Alpha. Now the punishment could have been very severe. Dad would have been within his rights to exile Mori or even kill him. But that is not the Ute pack way. But for a long time we were all very angry at Mori, Chewy the most because she expected better of her brother. But in the grand scheme of things what Mori did was not so bad, he didn't hurt anyone, he didn't kill anyone, he didn't betray us, he just made a bad decision. And everybody makes bad decisions sometimes. So after a while Chewy forgave him. And actually after Dad had growled at him for awhile he forgave Mori also, even sooner then Chewy did. Understand?"
Blackberry listens passively to the story. It seems that this pack might have its occasional problems. He's never been one to be too tightly controlled and the whole notion of something like this is completely foreign to him. Still he says nothing. What could he possibly add anyway? Its not his place to judge this wolf, though it does sound like he had a serious lapse in judgement. Stupidity has never been something that Blackbery took very kindly too, even in his early days when he was a very different fox. Before the years had washed over him and left him as everyone now knows him.
Ikuna listens carefully as Asku explains. It's not an easy thing to understand, but... it does make sense of a lot of things he'd wondered about, or guessed half-wrongly at. In the end, he nods. "He shouldn't have done that," the pup says slowly, considering. "But... he's still part of the pack. I think... it might be hard for people to trust him, after that. It's good to forgive him, but..." He trails off into silence for a moment. "It's like... I bet dad talked to you and Skahla after the fight, and watched you real careful. We're a pack. We gotta watch out for each other."
Askuwheteau smiles and gently licks over his little brother's ears, "Now you are getting it. What Mori did was dumb, but there is a differance between dumb, wrong, and just plain evil. Mori acted dumb, when me and Skahla had our fight we were being dumb and doing something wrong, those animals that pupnapped you and stole all those other little ones away from their families on the other paw. That was evil, and that was part of why we couldn't give them any quarter. Remember little brother, intent means a lot. And while we may frown on dumb animals doing wrong things, we must never put up with evil creatures doing evil deeds. It's just like my bad temper, It's okay to get angry, it's never wrong to feel anything. But what you do with those feelings can be wrong. I get mad a lot, but I try never to let my anger overwhelm me and make me hurt somebody, because that would be doing evil. We have to be mindful of ourselves as much as we are of others."
On the one paw 'dumb' seems to run through the pack. Asku just did a rather marvelous job stating it. Still he has to respect him, if only a little, for his later comments on anger. Yes its true anger can get you into situations that you can't ever get yourself fully out of again. There might be hope yet for Asku. He'd always rather hoped so. What he had done before was an attempt to help Asku mature a little, and it was taken the wrong way. It seems that Asku has done a bit of maturing his absence though there appears to be room to grow, "And what have you learned about your anger lately Askuwheteau?" he asks. He had to chime in sometime after all. Blackberry has never done well with sitting in silence for any great lengths of time.
Ikuna flops his ears at the licking, and nuzzles up under his big brother's chin. "Chewy says everyone makes mistakes, and that's why we gotta make sure to say sorry when we do. Because... everyone's dumb sometimes, but it's important to admit it." He smiles a little, and licks up at Asku's muzzle. "It's like you said before. If we know how we're weak, we can work on gettin' stronger." When Blackberry speaks, he glances toward the fox, but stays nestled against his brother.
Askuwheteau listens to both his little brother and suprisingly...to the fox. He smiles at the younger wolf and then turns just a hair more serious when he looked at Blackberry before replying to the question, "I learned that my anger runs deeper then even I knew, and it frightens me." He looked down into his little brother's eyes and he continues, "When Ikuna was taken from me...I let it go, completely. I didn't just let myself feel it. I wallowed in it, i bathed in it. I've found the bottom of that dark hole and I've discovered I never want to go back to that. I didn't just want to save Ikuna, I wanted to see the ones that took him suffer, endlessly, I was actually going to curse their spirits to walk the world for eternity, never knowing rest or solace, unable to even be seen or heard. I felt like a monster...and part of me liked it."
Now this he can relate too. When he had first met Asku those many months ago, he had felt that in some respects he was speaking to a younger version of himself, and it would seem now that wasn't completely incorrect. Blackberry seems to share with Asku a certain, difficulty, with anger. And he knows perhaps even a bit better than Asku what it means to be terrified of yourself above all, "There may be hope for you yet Asku." he says. Yes there might be hope for this boy indeed. Though the notion of liking the moster, that certainly was a rather dark place to be. He glances over at Ikuna, and wishes that Asku hadn't said that in front of the pup. No need to clutter the pups mind with such things, at least not yet.
Ikuna's eyes widen as he listens to Asku talk about that sort of anger. He has a hard time even imagining it. When he was taken... he was mad at them, sure. And at himself, for falling for the trick. Not like that, though. He just... wanted to bite them. To see them go away and stop being bad. Maybe to shake them, like a dead squirrel or a stick from tug-of-war. Still... the boy takes in the information. His hero has flaws, and this is one of them; that is what anger becomes, unchecked. He'll remember that. For now, he leans close and listens.
Askuwheteau seems not to hear Blackberry, for a moment he seems lost in thought, but he continues speaking, still it seems he is talking more to himself then anyone else. His eyes hold a far away and slightly scared look, "Something dark in me gibbered with delight at the idea of making them pay...no not even pay, I wanted to watch them hurt far worse then even they deserved as wicked as they were. It took all my control to push that feeling down, to shove it away. And after Ikuna was freed I went to go fulfill a promise I had made. And to do some soul searching, to try to come to terms with that portion of myself, I still haven't fully mastered it yet. But I think I am on the right track at least. I never want to feel that much anger, that much hatred again."
Blackberry had attempted to warn him the last time that he had seen him. He had seen the path that he was on and the dark place to which it lead and wanted to turn him from that path if he could. It seems that once again experience is the only teacher that matters. As he listens to Asku tell his story there was a point when he was very close to shouting 'enough' not for his own sake, but for the sake of the pup, but it seems that Asku has righted himself a bit and learned from his rather grave error, "Yes...there might be hope for you yet...some." he says again. Part of him has a desire to help this young wolf find himself. Though he doubts his help would be accepted. Still in when it comes down to it he is a sucker for long shots.
Ikuna keeps on listening. He's glad that Asku stopped the... bad urge. The mean inside of him. He doesn't want his big brother to make the sort of mistake that sounds like it would be. Even Asku is scared of that part of Asku. "You stopped it, though," the pup says softly. He takes in a breath, then continues a little louder. "That's what matters. You were strong enough. You stopped it. And... next time you'll be even stronger, right?" Whatever a 'next time' will mean. Ikuna doesn't really want to think about what else might happen to trigger rage like that.
Askuwheteau for a moment says nothing, then as he looks down at his little brother a smile slowly spreads across his muzzle and he leans down to nuzzle Ikuna, "Yeah, I'll be way stronger little bro. I'm never gonna stop getting stronger, and someday soon I'll be so strong that I'll stomp that uglyness right out completely. So while I'm training you and Ahiga and Tala to learn to hunt and patrol and be adult members of the pack, I'll be training at the same time. Deal?"
Blackberry is pleased to hear Asku say this. He has learned from experience that talk is cheap in this regard. He has no doubts that the wolf intends to do the right thing, but he thinks it may be a little bit more difficult that he anticipates. Still he appreciates that the boy has a desire to help these young ones learn the things they need to survive in the real world, and he doesn't doubt that Asku would probably make a very good trainer. For the time being he says nothing, but keeps a close eye on the pair of them.
Ikuna smiles to his brother, and nods. "Yeah. Deal." Nobody's perfect. Ikuna knows that, now. He also knows that's no excuse. Everyone needs to work on the things they're weak at. "We'll all become a better and better pack. Together."
Askuwheteau chuckles and gives his little brother a hug with one paw, "Good stuff, and I promise to do my best cause I know the three of you will be doing your best also." He then glances at the fox and inclines his head towards the vulpine, an inexplicably grateful look in his eyes. Then he yawned, "Oh excuse me, I dunno about anyone else but after such a long trip as I've had I feel like having a nap. It's been a long time since I've seen the old den and I've missed home. I'll just curl up here though." He smiled and lay down then, gently nosing the two sleeping puppies beside him and giving them both a goodnight lick, then nuzzling Ikuna's side and giving him one as well. After which he looks at Blackberry and rumbles in his chest, "You are free to stay so long as you mind your manners." Then his eyes begin to drift closed.
Interesting. He had expected a slightly different reaction, though he can't say it doesn't please him. Blackberry can't say he will always mind his manners, but perhaps he will make the effort. If only for the sake of Asku. It seems he will need to have a more in depth conversation with this one. He takes a quick glance around and his gaze briefly falls on Wachiwa sleeping. Wow she looks terrible. The healer in him takes note of this and will have to stop by at a more opportune time. He doesn't feel comfortable staying here for the night, but he might stay somewhere nearby, "Thanks. I'm sure you will see me around." he says as he slips quietly back down the hill. He will find his own place to stay for the evening.
Ikuna nods firmly. Of course he'll do his best. The boy knows that he's fallen behind Ahiga and Tala in the physical skills of hunting and patrolling. There's a reason for that, a good reason. But... no excuses. Not even for himself. Especially not for himself. He'll work hard to catch up, because that's what he has to do. For now, though... he leans in against Asku, and wags his tail. "Me too..." he says, and then finds a spot to nestle in against his big brother's side, together with the other youths. Maybe it'll even keep the nightmares away.
Ikuna - Male Juvenile Wolf
Tala - Female Juvenile Wolf
Askuwheteau - Male Wolf
Blackberry - Male Fox
---
The clouds have been growing overhead, dark and gray and heavy. All day they've been building up, and now - it's begun to snow. Big, fat flakes, drifting down through the air. They melt when they touch the ground, at first, but stick to leaves, to branches... and to the pelt of Ikuna, as the young wolf slowly stretches. His body is doing better than it was even a few days ago, though he still hurts sometimes when he sleeps on it wrong... or when the cold of the ground manages to seep through his too-thin frame.
Tala has been gone for a short while, trying to find something to bring back to her dear brother it seems. It took her some times before she is seen coming back carrying a mouse within her jaws. Seems Ahiga is not the only one that can hunt the mice! Her tail sways about as she glances around before troting onwards to where Ikuna is, a half wruff escaping her while she sets the mouse down and noses it too him. "Looky what I got you!"
Ahiga is really digging the change of weather. It is his first winter, after all, and thus the wonder of snow is fresh and new to him. Although he's getting pretty big now, almost too lanky to be considered a puppy anymore, he still has that pup mentality when it comes to new things. And so, when he emerges from the den, its with pricked ears and wide eyes. Coldness is falling from the sky! Bits of cloud, maybe. He snuffles as he wiggles out, shaking off briefly before promptly attacking a snowflake that fluttered just a bit /too/ close to his muzzle. Mwuaha! Cold and melty and suddenly gone. "Hey guys!" he calls upon hearing Tala and consequently noticing Ikuna's awakening. "What is this?"
Ikuna looks up, still half-crouched, at his sister's approach with prey and smiles. So she's got the hunting thing, too! Neat. He's looking forward to catching up with his friends. His tail wags in happy greeting, and he stretches just a moment more before standing up. "Hey," he says to her - and then a snowflake falls right exactly on his nose, and he goes cross-eyed for a moment before licking it off, though not before it melts anyway. Now he's got a wet nose! He turns to look back at Ahiga, and grins. "Fluffy rain?"
Tala blinks while watching the snow and peers up at the sky while snuffling out slightly. She sticks her tongue out and a few snowflakes falls upon it and she giggles out softly. "Its water! Just.. different.." This offered while she glances over to Ahiga and grins while her tail sways about. The three are back together an it's about time really.
"Fluffy rain..." Hm, now that's a thought. Ahiga glances up at the sky where the white stuff continues to flutter and fall in no random order. Not like rain at all, which always looks so organized. "Yeah. Fluffy rain. ... Oh I know!" he says, brightening a little. "Look, Tala's fluffy too," he points out as he trots towards the mentioned female, poking at her coat. "'n I think I'm gettin' like that too." He does his best at looking at himself, arching his head back as far as he can to get a good look at his sides and back. "So, maybe everything gets fluffy after the leaves fall off." Oh, he's so smart!
Yeah, things are just about back to how they should be. Mostly. Ikuna's still a bit battered, but he's making steady progress physically, and the nightmares... well, they come and go. He's usually okay when he's awake, though, so long as nothing reminds him in the wrong way. Snow is an entirely new experience - and his friends are an old and good one - so for now, it's all fine. The young wolf peers up at the snow, then grins as Ahiga trots over and nosebumps at Tala. "Yeah, maybe..." he says consideringly. "But the trees got less fluffy, right? When the leaves fell off. So it's only some stuff that does it."
Askuwheteau's voice is then heard as he slowly pads up towards the trio, "It's called snow you three..." He smiled and his eyes twinkled merrily at the pups, "...and we are all getting thicker coats." Asku's looks much thicker, and it's not just his coat as much as that has grown out, he actually put on weight, and while not fat he is considerably more...generous in proportion since he was last seen. "Our fur gets longer in the winter to protect us from how cold it's going to get." He adds as he looks at the youngest members of the pack.
Tala makes a face as she hears Ahiga and huffs out softly, her tail wagging about before she bats out at her friend. Her attention turns back to her little brother whom she noses back. "Ya.. So it seems." There is a pause and he glances over towards Asku, ears perking and she smiles before turning and running over to her and hops up to paw out at him a few times. "Asku!.. Where have you been?!"
Now this is a conundrum! Why do trees get thinner while everything else gets fatter? Ahiga thinks on this, but while he does...the answer comes by way of a wolf he hasn't seen in quite some time. Blinking, his whole body seems to perk as he hears Asku, and he whips around, peering at the large male as he lumbers closer. "/Dude!/ Where've you been?" he asks, his voice syncing with Tala's. His tail gets to wagging as he bounds towards the wolf to greet him with nips and swats of his paw.
Ikuna ponders seriously on the question of Why Does It Snow? Then he's distracted by the arrival of Asku, and the boy grins happily. If he's a bit slower, a bit more cautious of his own body in his motions as he approaches the adult, he's no less enthusiastic about it. All the young'ns know Asku's a hero. Ikuna's just had personal proof, and he joins his friends in nosing up at the adult, his head tilted curiously at the question they've voiced.
Askuwheteau smiles and leans down giving nuzzles and light nips of welcome all around before replying, "I was away for a few weeks keeping a promise I made some time ago. It's not really important, what is important is that I am back now and I have nowhere to go for the forseeable future. I'll be here much more now, and so excepting when I am doing a patrol or hunting I can be here to help watch over you all. How have you all been doing while I was away? Have you been behaving yourselves?"
Tala wruffs out and shoulder bumps Ahiga a few times as the other comes bouncing in to greet Asku as well. She soon settles to her haunches while she peers up at Asku, her tail wagging about happly a few times. "We've been good.. With Ikuna back we've been helping get him foods and all." She looks over to her sibling and smiles to him before she looks back to Asku. "Do we get to come with you when on patrol and hunting now?"
"Pssh, 'course we've been behaving," Ahiga says with a smirk to his two friends. "Ikuna especially, but that's mostly because he's been tryin' to get better. If he /was/ better, he wouldn'tve been behaving himself." He gives the other young male a teasing smirk to show that he is joking..
Ikuna looks consideringly at his big brother for a moment, then nods. He's willing to accept that lack of answer for now. He smiles, wagging his tail, and then nods his agreement with Tala's question. "We've been practicing patrols," he says, then quickly adds, "Just around the hill, but we have been." At Ahiga's comment, the young male laughs, and leans over to shove his head playfully against his friend's shoulder. "Nah, I'd still be too busy learning all that stuff you an' Tala know about hunting now."
Askuwheteau tilts his head and looks down at the pups, "Wellll...maybe we can talk about you three joining me on a patrol. But before we do that I'll have to give you a test. It'll be a hard one but I'm sure you three can handle such a grown up thing. I'll even give you a few days to train before the test. How does that sound? Just to make sure you are extra prepared. And we'll also have to get you pups a few extra pounds to help keep you warm if you start accompanying me on winter patrols. Snow can be a real hazard if you arn't ready for it." He was smiling, treating the young wolves as if he were going to put them in some sort of training for adulthood. But as he looked at them he began to wonder if perhaps that wasn't what he should be doing anyway and his face grew serious, "And if you are starting to hunt then maybe it's time I started training you in the skills you'll need as full grown members of the pack."
Tala smirks at Ahiga and huffs out faintly, her tail thumping a few times while she looks to Ikuna. "Well.. Its not hard, especially when your catching a little mouse." Her gaze turns back to Asku and her ears cup forward, a soft oh escapes her and her maw twitches while she nods quickly. "Sure.. I want to learn everything you can teach me.. An what ever I can do to help the pack."
"A test?" That gains Ahiga's attention for sure. He's always ready for a challenge, especially one that will help to prove that he is worthy of something like a job in the pack. "Hunting mice ain't that hard," he assures Ikuna, grinning. "But...this test..." his eyes glide back to Asku, narrowing a little in curious inquiery. "Is it gonna tell ya which one've us is the best hunter? Or runner? Or ...uh... tracker or somethin?"
Ikuna nods to Asku seriously. Yeah, it'll be hard. But this is what the adult wolves do, right? This is what they're supposed to learn. He doesn't want to be the helpless pup ever again. He wants to be the one doing the defending and the rescuing and the helping. He's fallen behind the others, unsurprisingly. Being stuck in a dark hole will do that. That just means he has to push himself more to catch up. So he will. How can he not, with Tala and Ahiga to reassure him and help him? He nods to them, then grins a bit. "There's lots of bests. We just all got to be good enough at alla it!"
Askuwheteau maintains his serious look as he looks the three pups over, "Ikuna is right Ahiga, you will all find you have some talent at something that no other wolf has. Perhaps Tala might find she is the fastest at running, or the most agile, Perhaps Ikuna will be the best strategist or have the best eyesight, It may be that Ahiga will be the strongest or have the best hearing. That's what this test will tell me. it will show me what talents you each have, and what weaknesses. And that is very important also. We must not only know what we are capable of, but also know our own limits. If we did not have things we needed to work at then how would we ever get better?" He then offered them a small smile, "But also remember what I have always said, a wolf's strength is in his or her pack. You three are very close, and as you grow that closeness will serve you better then any single talent you might have. Can any of you tell me why?"
Tala ears twitch forward and back while she listens to her older sibling speak, her maw twitching as she takes everything in, thinking over what is offered. A forepaw lifts and she rubs across her maw a few times before peering back up to Asku. "Becasue.. We have each other, and can help one another with a problem?"
Ahiga nods to Ikuna, apparently not minding not being the only best, as long as he does end up being the best at something! Now, if he ends up being the worst at everything...now that'd be just tragic. He grins a little as Asku speaks, imagining just what he might be the best at. He likes Asku's theoretical suggestion. Maybe he'll be the strongest! And with super awesome ears. Oooh yeah...he can live with that. "..Huh?" He blinks away his daydreamish thoughts as he focuses on the present, just catching the tail end of Asku's question. He glances to Tala as she answers, hoping to be able to piece together the question using her answer as a guide. "Because....yeah, what Tala said." Oh yeah, that's a safe answer right?
Ikuna takes a deep breath, but his voice is steady when he speaks. "Everything is easier when you're not alone." Even when the company isn't a proper pack, when it's one sad and confused cougar cub. Everything's easier. With other wolves, with his friends... it's bound to be easier still. In fact... he takes another deep breath. "If I hadn't been alone, the bird wouldn't have gotten me. He couldn't handle two wolves. I know he couldn't, because that's how come Anoki got away. I distracted the bird, and he ran."
Askuwheteau nods, a touch of sadness in his eyes at the mention of his little brother's abduction, "Yes, you are all right. We can help each other, now I want all of you to look at me closely." He smiles then, "Tell me what do you think I might not be good at?" He knew the pups had a sort of a hero worshiping mentality towards him, but he wanted to see if they were able to look at him criticly as well.
Tala ears perk slightly and she looks over to Ikuna, a slight frown seen and she noses at his cheek before glancing back to Asku. Her gaze watching him a few moments, thinking back it seems. "Well.. You tend to get angrey.. quickly.. at others.. At times.."
Ahiga gently frowns as Ikuna recollects a bit of his story. Oh how he wish that had never happened...But he's right. It likely never would have if he wasn't alone, and thus he'll make sure to always be near his friends so that he'll never lose any of them again. But, wait a minute. What could Asku possibly /not/ be good at? He's good at everything! He glances to Tala, head gently tilting. "But...that's not bad. I mean, he gets mad only when bad things happen, or when someone says somethin' stupid, that that wolf that was here before. He's not mad /all/ the time." He thinks on this. Askuwheteau's flaws? "Um...your head's kinda big...but that just means you're really smart."
Ikuna nuzzles back softly at Tala. He's holding it together. At her suggested flaw for Asku, he nods slightly, still considering on the question himself, and then on Ahiga's rebuttal. "It makes him fierce. But... if something makes him mad, he won't think. He could get caught in a trap. If... he was all alone, an' he met the bird an' bobcat an' wolverine... he still woulda attacked. An' he might have gotten hurt bad." Even heroes, Ikuna has learned, aren't invincible.
Askuwheteau smiles and nods again, "You all make good points again, and if I may supply more flaws I have noticed in myself...I am shorter then other males my age, that means I cannot run as fast. I'm not as good at chasing down prey because of this, and If I was faced with a bear or two or three wolves who wanted to hurt me I would be overmatched, but because I am not as fast running away would be dangerous too because they could overtake me and possably hurt me while my back was turned. And I admit I am a hot-head. I think I get that from mom, she had a bad temper and once tried to dig a poisonous snake out of it's hole for biting me. That was brave but it wasn't very smart. And when someone gets really angry really fast they don't think as clearly." He nuzzles each pup again, "And as smart as I am I do make bad decisions. Once i got into a fight with Skahla because I did something really dumb trying to prove something to him. And this wasn't a play fight, we we're really fighting and angry. I should have known better, and the fight was my fault. So sometimes I'm not as smart as I think i am."
Tala listens closely to her older brother, her maw opening slightly and she licks across her nose before she shifts and smiles a moment to nuzzle back at Asku. Her tail swaying a few times before she tries to give him a hug as he nuzzles her. "But.. You have good things too.. Everyone does.." She points out with a soft tone.
Ahiga sits quietly as Ikuna, then Asku, speaks. He has a feeling birds, bobcats, and wolverines are going to be the topic of things for a while, especially with his dear friend. He lightly scrapes a claw against the earth, brows furrowing faintly as the older male continues. Flaws. "I don't think you're all that short..." he offers. But then again...for his entire life, Ahiga has been smaller than Asku, which may not be the case in a couple of seasons. Hot-tempered? Hm. He can relate, for Ahiga himself has a big mouth and angers easily, though he's not quite as eager to admit to that as Asku is. But his ears perk a little. "What was the fight about?" he can't help but ask. "An' yeah, Tala's right. You've got loads of good stuff."
Askuwheteau chuckles and he hugs his little sister in return before laying down and nuzzling Ahiga lightly, "Thank you both, I always try to be better then I was the day before. That includes exercising to make my body stronger, and using my head." He sighs softly and his tail wags slowly as he begins to tell the story of the one and only real fight he had ever had with his big brother, "When Skahla and I were younger Ska was...a bit odd. He used to be really happy go lucky and he was never as grumpy as he is now. But he used to do odd things like biting at his reflection in water, I think he thought it was another wolf, and he would throw sticks into ponds because they offended him. He was just very weird, I was worried that he wouldn't make a good alpha because he never seemed to think about the things he did or the way he acted..."
Tala murrs out softly and shifts while pressing close to Asku and cuddles down against his chest while she listens to the story. Her ears perk forward as she takes in the the story while she watches her brotehrs and Ahiga. "But.. Why would you get into a fight with him over that?.. It sounds different but not that bad.." At least that is what she thinks.
Pft, it might not sound bad to Tala, but to Ahiga, who at this age thinks image is everything, finds it downright weird. "He bit his reflection?" he asks, arching a brow and twisting his head a bit in question. Weeeeird. No wonder Asku tried to bite some sense into the guy! "Alphas aren't suppposed to be like that though," he says, looking to Tala. "I mean, what if your dad went around doin' stuff like that? Nobody'd believe he was Alpha, an' they'd think that all of us were weirdo losers."
Ikuna is pretty quiet, listening to what's said about flaws and merits and different abilities. He hmms sometimes, and nods or frowns as things strike him. "Dad kinda acted silly, sometimes. When he was playin' with us, an' not being Big Serious Alpha," he muses. "I think... what really matters is how come he did those things. I mean... Chewy's silly almost alla time, 'cause she's Chewy and she wants to have fun. So it matters why." He pauses a moment, then adds, "An', yeah, what everyone else in the pack thought. You can't be Alpha if nobody wants to listen."
Askuwheteau chuckles softly, "Well what really started the fight was what i did, I could have just kept talking to Skahla, and I'm sure eventually what i said would have sunk in. But I let my temper get away from me, and in trying to make a point about how he needed to think more and act strange less I...Well I threw him into the pond we were talking beside. It was only natural that he came out mad at me, and then we had two mad wolves saying the meanest things to each other and fighting there beside the pond. I won the fight, but Skahla was so angry at me that we didn't make up for a whole year. And when I stopped being mad, I found I really missed my big brother. But I am also very stubborn sometimes, and I just couldn't admit I was wrong for what I did. I kept telling myself I was just trying to help and that it was for his own good. But getting in a fight with a family member or a friend never helps anything, it only causes bad feelings."
Tala eyes Ahiga at the comment ahd huffs. "My dad was silly.. When he played with us." She points out a few moments after Ikuna as if tyring to make a point perhaps. "An what's wrong with being different?" Her ears perk and soon lower as she hears what Asku did to Skahla. She peers up at the the older wolf. "But.. Why is he still so grumpy?.. I mean.. You two have made up, right?"
"Of course you are stubborn and have a difficult time admitting you were wrong." he says as he stalks his way up this hill. Well it has certainly been ages since he has set paw in this place. The last time he had been here had been the night that Wachiwa had thrown him out forceably and he had been rather angry about that whole incident. Still who says that he can't be gracious and forgiving? Well that isn't a very likely proposition, but at the very least the months away have cooled his anger. Blackberry is indeed also very stubborn. He continues to make his way up this hill toward the small gathering, acting as if he hadn't a care in the world. Which of course he always has, but doesn't mean he can't fake it.
"Yeah, but it's different when you're actin' that way because you're playin'," says Ahiga, nodding at Ikuna. "But he wasn't playin'." It's a good thing Ahiga was not born in the same season as Asku's litter, for it seems as if he and Skahla would get along even less than they do now! An ear twists to Tala after, and he opens his mouth to answer...but on second thought, changes his mind and keeps quiet. A good thing, perhaps. Asku did just say that it's not good getting into fights with friends, and this does not seem to be a topic that he and Tala are seeing eye to eye on. And thus, to avoid any year long feuds, the eldest pup stays quiet, settling on to his stomach.
Ikuna nods, listening to Asku. He looks to his sister when she speaks, and then his gaze lingers for a moment on Ahiga. Seems he didn't miss the disagreement there - but with it remaining unvoiced, he doesn't say anything about it at the moment. There's a more present conundrum, of being silly and being serious and the right times for each. He frowns, trying to make sense of it... and then he notices Blackberry approaching. He remembers this fox. He's not scared of him, not with all his friends here, but... he remembers. He remembers this fox trying to make trouble for Asku. His pose stiffens slightly, watching.
Askuwheteau's eyes lift to the fox as it approtches, but he makes no comment on the verbal slight against him, instead letting it pass as he chooses to answer his baby sister's question first, "I believe Skahla is always grumpy now because he is afraid he is going to make a mistake, he was not ready to become Alpha when dad and mom died. He is trying very hard to look strong and fearless. I'm sure he doesn't mean to come off as grumpy or mean. Both Skalha and I have changed a lot, you may not believe it but I used to be the grumpy serious one. I know sometimes I get very angry now, but before you pups came along I walked around with a snarl on my face almost all the time, and when I wasn't snarling I was at least looking very unfriendly. I never told stories, I never played with pups, I never played at all really. While Skahla played ALL the time, he never stopped having fun, and he never ever thought about anything serious. Skalha and I have almost completely changed now."
Tala would take her family over other things of course! A ear twitches as she peers over at Ahiga and she settles her head down upon the ground, a half yawn escapes her while she soon lets her head settle down upon Asku's foreleg, seems the fox to her has been overlooked, and she is rather tired once again. A ear twitching while she starts to doze off, half listning to the conversation.
Blackberry comes to what he believes is a safe distance and sits himself down there. It is sort of liberating to be back here. He had expended a great deal of time thinking about how he would avenge himself upon Wachiwa, and now it turns out all he really had to do to feel better was just show up. He should have done this a long time ago. For the present he says nothing, figuring his mere presence sort of says it all. After all he figures that he bested Asku before and it shouldn't be too much trouble to do it again. He watches all the little ones as they fall asleep. He certainly has no problems whatsoever with the pups. After all they haven't done anything to him. And there are limits even to his irritability.
Since his big brother is choosing to mostly ignore the fox, Ikuna does the same... though he still keeps an eye on him. He huhs, listening to Asku. That's weird, that the two of them could change so much. He glances to Ahiga, then to Tala. Are they going to change when they grow up? Is he? "Does... everyone do that?" he asks after a moment. "Change?" And if they do... is he going to lose his friends?
Askuwheteau looks down at his little brother and he can read the worry in the pups eyes. But he softly nuzzles the younger wolf, "We are always changing Ikuna. Do you think about things in the same way you do when you were really little? I've gotten calmer, and I let myself enjoy things a little more then I used to because I've learned and I've grown. Skala is different because he has grown. You and Tala and Ahiga will see a lot of things before you are fully grown, and you'll do a lot of things, you'll grow closer, sometimes you may have arguements or fights but what we always have to remember is this, Just because we get angry at each other doesn't mean the love goes anywhere. Chewy was mad at Mori for a long time, Skahla was mad at me for a long time. But we always make up because we are a pack and love is stronger then anger."
Blackberry continues to sit stoicly in his spot. He could throw in his thoughts on the matter. He could tell the pup that he needs to learn to expect pain and suffering, the betrayal of friends, the loss of family and loneliness. He could tell him that some day probably soon someone will do something to hurt him and never be sorry, and that a grudge will develop that will last a life long. He could go on to talk about how in the end its all pointless because even if you manage to have a happy life you still have to die and leave those you love behind. Yep that would be a bright and upbeat conversation, and he doesn't have the heart to say it.
That... makes sense. Ikuna nods, and nuzzles back at his big brother. Everyone changes, but... they'll still be a pack, together. He won't lose his friends. He smiles, and wags his tail softly - then pauses, as one of Asku's examples reminds him of something he's been wondering about. Mori must be Chewy's brother. And that means... "Asku?" he asks, a little tentative. "What did Mori do? That Chewy was mad at him, an' dad was mad at him..." Both people who don't get angry like that without a reason. He's heard confusing bits and piece, and now... Ikuna wants to understand what really happened. He looks up, earnest and questioning.
Askuwheteau tilts his head, a measuring look in his eyes before he clears his throat and speaks, "I suppose you are old enough to know Ikuna. Pack law says that without the permission of the Alphas no wolves can have puppies. Mori broke pack law and not only did he make puppies with a she-wolf, he made them with the mate of another wolf. Hinto and his mate Lupin had wanted pups for a long time but were unable to have any, I don't know all of the details myself. But Mori took it upon himself to make two pups with Lupin. Breaking our laws and basicly insulting our father, what he did was in effect saying he knew better then dad what was good for the pack, saying he didn't have to do what dad said because he thought he was equal with the Alpha. Now the punishment could have been very severe. Dad would have been within his rights to exile Mori or even kill him. But that is not the Ute pack way. But for a long time we were all very angry at Mori, Chewy the most because she expected better of her brother. But in the grand scheme of things what Mori did was not so bad, he didn't hurt anyone, he didn't kill anyone, he didn't betray us, he just made a bad decision. And everybody makes bad decisions sometimes. So after a while Chewy forgave him. And actually after Dad had growled at him for awhile he forgave Mori also, even sooner then Chewy did. Understand?"
Blackberry listens passively to the story. It seems that this pack might have its occasional problems. He's never been one to be too tightly controlled and the whole notion of something like this is completely foreign to him. Still he says nothing. What could he possibly add anyway? Its not his place to judge this wolf, though it does sound like he had a serious lapse in judgement. Stupidity has never been something that Blackbery took very kindly too, even in his early days when he was a very different fox. Before the years had washed over him and left him as everyone now knows him.
Ikuna listens carefully as Asku explains. It's not an easy thing to understand, but... it does make sense of a lot of things he'd wondered about, or guessed half-wrongly at. In the end, he nods. "He shouldn't have done that," the pup says slowly, considering. "But... he's still part of the pack. I think... it might be hard for people to trust him, after that. It's good to forgive him, but..." He trails off into silence for a moment. "It's like... I bet dad talked to you and Skahla after the fight, and watched you real careful. We're a pack. We gotta watch out for each other."
Askuwheteau smiles and gently licks over his little brother's ears, "Now you are getting it. What Mori did was dumb, but there is a differance between dumb, wrong, and just plain evil. Mori acted dumb, when me and Skahla had our fight we were being dumb and doing something wrong, those animals that pupnapped you and stole all those other little ones away from their families on the other paw. That was evil, and that was part of why we couldn't give them any quarter. Remember little brother, intent means a lot. And while we may frown on dumb animals doing wrong things, we must never put up with evil creatures doing evil deeds. It's just like my bad temper, It's okay to get angry, it's never wrong to feel anything. But what you do with those feelings can be wrong. I get mad a lot, but I try never to let my anger overwhelm me and make me hurt somebody, because that would be doing evil. We have to be mindful of ourselves as much as we are of others."
On the one paw 'dumb' seems to run through the pack. Asku just did a rather marvelous job stating it. Still he has to respect him, if only a little, for his later comments on anger. Yes its true anger can get you into situations that you can't ever get yourself fully out of again. There might be hope yet for Asku. He'd always rather hoped so. What he had done before was an attempt to help Asku mature a little, and it was taken the wrong way. It seems that Asku has done a bit of maturing his absence though there appears to be room to grow, "And what have you learned about your anger lately Askuwheteau?" he asks. He had to chime in sometime after all. Blackberry has never done well with sitting in silence for any great lengths of time.
Ikuna flops his ears at the licking, and nuzzles up under his big brother's chin. "Chewy says everyone makes mistakes, and that's why we gotta make sure to say sorry when we do. Because... everyone's dumb sometimes, but it's important to admit it." He smiles a little, and licks up at Asku's muzzle. "It's like you said before. If we know how we're weak, we can work on gettin' stronger." When Blackberry speaks, he glances toward the fox, but stays nestled against his brother.
Askuwheteau listens to both his little brother and suprisingly...to the fox. He smiles at the younger wolf and then turns just a hair more serious when he looked at Blackberry before replying to the question, "I learned that my anger runs deeper then even I knew, and it frightens me." He looked down into his little brother's eyes and he continues, "When Ikuna was taken from me...I let it go, completely. I didn't just let myself feel it. I wallowed in it, i bathed in it. I've found the bottom of that dark hole and I've discovered I never want to go back to that. I didn't just want to save Ikuna, I wanted to see the ones that took him suffer, endlessly, I was actually going to curse their spirits to walk the world for eternity, never knowing rest or solace, unable to even be seen or heard. I felt like a monster...and part of me liked it."
Now this he can relate too. When he had first met Asku those many months ago, he had felt that in some respects he was speaking to a younger version of himself, and it would seem now that wasn't completely incorrect. Blackberry seems to share with Asku a certain, difficulty, with anger. And he knows perhaps even a bit better than Asku what it means to be terrified of yourself above all, "There may be hope for you yet Asku." he says. Yes there might be hope for this boy indeed. Though the notion of liking the moster, that certainly was a rather dark place to be. He glances over at Ikuna, and wishes that Asku hadn't said that in front of the pup. No need to clutter the pups mind with such things, at least not yet.
Ikuna's eyes widen as he listens to Asku talk about that sort of anger. He has a hard time even imagining it. When he was taken... he was mad at them, sure. And at himself, for falling for the trick. Not like that, though. He just... wanted to bite them. To see them go away and stop being bad. Maybe to shake them, like a dead squirrel or a stick from tug-of-war. Still... the boy takes in the information. His hero has flaws, and this is one of them; that is what anger becomes, unchecked. He'll remember that. For now, he leans close and listens.
Askuwheteau seems not to hear Blackberry, for a moment he seems lost in thought, but he continues speaking, still it seems he is talking more to himself then anyone else. His eyes hold a far away and slightly scared look, "Something dark in me gibbered with delight at the idea of making them pay...no not even pay, I wanted to watch them hurt far worse then even they deserved as wicked as they were. It took all my control to push that feeling down, to shove it away. And after Ikuna was freed I went to go fulfill a promise I had made. And to do some soul searching, to try to come to terms with that portion of myself, I still haven't fully mastered it yet. But I think I am on the right track at least. I never want to feel that much anger, that much hatred again."
Blackberry had attempted to warn him the last time that he had seen him. He had seen the path that he was on and the dark place to which it lead and wanted to turn him from that path if he could. It seems that once again experience is the only teacher that matters. As he listens to Asku tell his story there was a point when he was very close to shouting 'enough' not for his own sake, but for the sake of the pup, but it seems that Asku has righted himself a bit and learned from his rather grave error, "Yes...there might be hope for you yet...some." he says again. Part of him has a desire to help this young wolf find himself. Though he doubts his help would be accepted. Still in when it comes down to it he is a sucker for long shots.
Ikuna keeps on listening. He's glad that Asku stopped the... bad urge. The mean inside of him. He doesn't want his big brother to make the sort of mistake that sounds like it would be. Even Asku is scared of that part of Asku. "You stopped it, though," the pup says softly. He takes in a breath, then continues a little louder. "That's what matters. You were strong enough. You stopped it. And... next time you'll be even stronger, right?" Whatever a 'next time' will mean. Ikuna doesn't really want to think about what else might happen to trigger rage like that.
Askuwheteau for a moment says nothing, then as he looks down at his little brother a smile slowly spreads across his muzzle and he leans down to nuzzle Ikuna, "Yeah, I'll be way stronger little bro. I'm never gonna stop getting stronger, and someday soon I'll be so strong that I'll stomp that uglyness right out completely. So while I'm training you and Ahiga and Tala to learn to hunt and patrol and be adult members of the pack, I'll be training at the same time. Deal?"
Blackberry is pleased to hear Asku say this. He has learned from experience that talk is cheap in this regard. He has no doubts that the wolf intends to do the right thing, but he thinks it may be a little bit more difficult that he anticipates. Still he appreciates that the boy has a desire to help these young ones learn the things they need to survive in the real world, and he doesn't doubt that Asku would probably make a very good trainer. For the time being he says nothing, but keeps a close eye on the pair of them.
Ikuna smiles to his brother, and nods. "Yeah. Deal." Nobody's perfect. Ikuna knows that, now. He also knows that's no excuse. Everyone needs to work on the things they're weak at. "We'll all become a better and better pack. Together."
Askuwheteau chuckles and gives his little brother a hug with one paw, "Good stuff, and I promise to do my best cause I know the three of you will be doing your best also." He then glances at the fox and inclines his head towards the vulpine, an inexplicably grateful look in his eyes. Then he yawned, "Oh excuse me, I dunno about anyone else but after such a long trip as I've had I feel like having a nap. It's been a long time since I've seen the old den and I've missed home. I'll just curl up here though." He smiled and lay down then, gently nosing the two sleeping puppies beside him and giving them both a goodnight lick, then nuzzling Ikuna's side and giving him one as well. After which he looks at Blackberry and rumbles in his chest, "You are free to stay so long as you mind your manners." Then his eyes begin to drift closed.
Interesting. He had expected a slightly different reaction, though he can't say it doesn't please him. Blackberry can't say he will always mind his manners, but perhaps he will make the effort. If only for the sake of Asku. It seems he will need to have a more in depth conversation with this one. He takes a quick glance around and his gaze briefly falls on Wachiwa sleeping. Wow she looks terrible. The healer in him takes note of this and will have to stop by at a more opportune time. He doesn't feel comfortable staying here for the night, but he might stay somewhere nearby, "Thanks. I'm sure you will see me around." he says as he slips quietly back down the hill. He will find his own place to stay for the evening.
Ikuna nods firmly. Of course he'll do his best. The boy knows that he's fallen behind Ahiga and Tala in the physical skills of hunting and patrolling. There's a reason for that, a good reason. But... no excuses. Not even for himself. Especially not for himself. He'll work hard to catch up, because that's what he has to do. For now, though... he leans in against Asku, and wags his tail. "Me too..." he says, and then finds a spot to nestle in against his big brother's side, together with the other youths. Maybe it'll even keep the nightmares away.