Post by Pavane on Oct 14, 2011 15:52:42 GMT -5
Hilltop Vista
Ikuna - Male Juvenile Wolf
Tala - Female Juvenile Wolf
---
It's the middle of the night. No, past that; because the faint glimmer of the crescent moon has risen and fallen, and now hangs only slightly above the line of the trees. The air is cold, carrying the deep, bone-chilling frost of winter. There's no reason for anyone to be awake save the owls, and even they have fluffed their feathers and settled back to roost. But... Ikuna is awake. He's left the comfortable tumbled warmth of his packmates, and sits atop a frosted boulder, staring up at that distant moon.
Tala has noticed that someone was missing when she woke up for a short time. She is slowly making her way out from the other sleeping wolves and glances around to search for someone it would seem. She soon follows after the pawsteps she sees within the snow, following them towards the boulder and peers up at her dear brother. "Ikuna.. What are you doing?" Is questioned after a few moments of watching.
Ikuna is silent for a moment, like a frozen statue, and then he lowers his head toward the sound of his sister's voice. "Just... thinking," he says softly.
Tala ears perk and then lower slightly as she shifts and soon hops up and settles down next to him upon the boulder peering at him and then up at the sky. "Wut you thinking bout?"
Even Ikuna's fur is lightly frosted. He's been out here rather a while, apparently. He sighs again, looking out at the sky again. "Why?" he asks - then a moment later goes on. "Why do bad things happen? Mom and dad and the bear. The bad wolf, and the bird and those... what makes people do bad things? Did something go wrong in them?"
Tala maw opens slightly and she tilts her head while watching Ikuna before leaning closer to him. Her head moving to press against his shoulders. "I don't know why.." This said with a soft tone. "Perhaps they was something very bad happen to them and didn't have a family to love them back and help them." She offers with a soft tone, her ears lowering. "I thought I lost you too.. An I don't know what I would have done if you didn't come back.. Even with the pack.."
Ikuna is cold, as Tala leans in, and he's still for a moment before he leans back against her. "I'm sorry," he says, and nuzzles gently at her cheek. "I missed you. A lot." He presses against her for a few moments in silence. "What if it turns me bad? I don't want to ever hurt you, you or Ahiga or any of the rest. But what if I can't help it? What if the bad... got into me?"
Tala shifts and presses close to her dear brother, hoping to make him warm up it seems. She takes in a soft breath and looks to him, a soft smile is seen. "I know you did." This said with a soft tone and she noses at his cheek. "No, you could never do anything bad.. Your great, and your always kind. An I know you could never hurt me or anyone else in the pack."
Ikuna leans back against his sister. He's still got that worried look on his face, but gradually his body begins to relax, the ice thawing from that warmth. "Maybe," he says hesitantly. He's quiet for a moment, then speaks again. "Asku was talking. About... when I was gone. How he got so angry, he wasn't him anymore..."
Tala snuggles close and lets her eyes half close. "Maybe nothing.. I know it." She offers with a rather sure like tone. A ear twitches for a moment. "Asku was mad.. but.. I don't think he let it get that bad. He was still Asku just more grumpy. At least to me." She pauses. "Not that I was very open with anyone." She spent a lot of time on her own, or with Ahiga.
Ikuna smiles a little at Tala's certainty. It does help. "He said he felt different. That he was scared of how he felt inside." He lowers his head, staring at his paws for a moment, then sighs. "I don't want be be scared, or mad. It feels bad."
Tala nods slightly. "Well.. I can understand that.." She pauses for a moment. "I felt different too. I got really sad and depressed." This said with a soft tone. "I started to think that everyone was going to leave me.. Ahiga, Asku, Chewy.. I thought I was going to be on my own forever. I didn't like that feeling at all, it was a cold feeling in the pit of my stomach. I'd fall asleep and then wake up and it was still there.."
Ikuna whines softly as Tala describes how she felt. Being alone is a feeling he can remember all too well. "I'd never want to leave you," he tells her, and nuzzles firmly at her shoulder, burying his muzzle in neckfur. "I... I don't know if I'll always be able to stay. But if I'm not dead... I'll come back. Always."
Tala is quiet for a few moment, a soft sigh escaping her and she looks over to him. "I know.. An I'm thankful for that.. But If I lose you I don't know what I'm going to do." She would really rather not think about it, the thought of losing Ikuna again after everything isn't happy thoughts at all. "But.. I don't want to think about that.. Its not happy thoughts after all." She murmurs out.
No, it's not happy thoughts at all. Happy thoughts aren't exactly what got Ikuna up in the middle of the night to stare at the sky. Nightmares, more like. He nods, and stays pressed against his sister in silence for a few moments. Happy thoughts. He remembers those, doesn't he? Back before everything bad started to happen? ... only barely. Early puphood memories become foggy over time. He makes an effort, though, and his tone almost manages cheerful. "What do you think Asku's test will be like? For training us?"
Tala ear twitches at the question, her eyes open and she looks out of the area, many memories from when she was younger becoming more of a fuzzy dream then anything really. "I don't know.. I imagen it will be hard, he has to see what we will be good at after all." This said with a soft tone. "But.. I bet we can deal with it, we've dealt with other hard things after all."
"Yeah. We can," Ikuna says with a nod. "We can help each other, too. That's what a pack does, right? So even if we're good and bad at different things, together we can make sure we all make it through, because we gotta all train together." Because, well, they just do. That's the way it is.
Tala nods, her tail swaying a few times. "Ya.. That's what I think we should do.. If we help each other in it then that will show were help others in the pack. I'm sure everyone is better at something more then someone else."
It's not cheating on the test, it's... succeeding at the meta-test. Makes perfect sense. Ikuna nods, and nuzzles at his sister's cheek. "Yeah." He smiles. "Maybe... when it's light out, we can try racing each other. That's probably part of it, for chasing prey and everything."
Tala ears perk and she smiles before nodding and noses back at him. "Sure.. An I bet it is on the test too. Asku commented on someone possibly being faster then another.
Ikuna nods, and shivers a little as he leans against his sister. The cold is getting to him, and no wonder. He doesn't really have a proper bulk for winter. "Yeah. Prob'ly you and Ahiga will be best at most of them," he says without any bitterness. Of course his sister and friend are awesome! He's glad they're part of his pack. And he knows he still can't even do all the stuff he could before he got stuck in the cave, let alone all the stuff they learned during that time.
Tala tilts her head and noses out at Ikuna's ear. "Come on.. You're cold we need to get you warm again." She offers while trying to make him get off the boulder. "An you never know.. You're pretty fast too."
Ikuna smiles a little. "All right." He lets himself be coaxed off the boulder, standing up on legs that have nearly frozen themselves stiff and hopping down. "I'll... try to sleep a bit more." It's hard, especially with how winter has forced them into the den.
Tala hops back down to the ground and looks back to him, a soft smile seen and she nods. "Hey.. Its alright. I'll be there with you, and so is Ahiga." She points out softly while nosing at him.
Ikuna nods, but he hesitates. "Sometimes... when I'm asleep... I think I'm back there. Back in the hole," he admits in a very quiet voice, looking down at the snow by his feet.
Tala is quiet for a moment before leaning down to nose at his cheek. "Well.. Its alright.. Maybe we can go sleep somewhere else then? Open but with some cover from the snow?"
Ikuna considers on it a moment, but then he shakes his head. "I don't know anyplace. And... I wouldn't want you to freeze." He bumps his head against her shoulder. "I'll be okay." Brave words, and maybe they're even true, though he's not certain.
Tala tilts her head and leans close and nuzzles against his cheek, a soft murr escapes her and she nods while she moves on towards the den, her tail swaying a few times. "It'll be alright.. An your really brave Ikuna."
Ikuna pads along with his sister. At being called brave, he sort of gets a weird look. He doesn't feel brave. He feels scared. He just... does stuff. That's all. "I guess," he answers ambiguously, and continues with her toward the den where the rest of the pack sleeps.
Tala pauses and bats out at Ikuna a few times. "Well.. I think you're really brave.."
Ikuna eeps as he gets batted at, and he can't help but smile as he bats back. "Maybe that's what I'll be. The bravest wolf. I won't give up, even when everything's against me." It starts out playful and self-teasing, but actually turns almost serious by the end.
Tala smiles and nods, her tail wagging about and she wruffs out happly. "I bet you will be the bravest wolf ever!" She offers with a happy tone while making her way to the den.
Ikuna's smile sort of lingers. Being brave... well. It's something to work on, even if he's not sure he actually is. But everyone has things they need to work on. He'll just make that one of his. "I'll try," he says, but his tone is a fairly cheerful one, and he bumps shoulders with Tala.
Tala nods and lets her shoulder press back against his, her tail wagging about. "If anyone can do it.. I'm sure you can Ikuna." She offers with a proud tone.
Ikuna wags his tail slowly, smiling as he leans back against his sister. Her confidence in him is one of the things that keeps him going. With her, with his pack around him - well, maybe he can. He'll try.
Ikuna - Male Juvenile Wolf
Tala - Female Juvenile Wolf
---
It's the middle of the night. No, past that; because the faint glimmer of the crescent moon has risen and fallen, and now hangs only slightly above the line of the trees. The air is cold, carrying the deep, bone-chilling frost of winter. There's no reason for anyone to be awake save the owls, and even they have fluffed their feathers and settled back to roost. But... Ikuna is awake. He's left the comfortable tumbled warmth of his packmates, and sits atop a frosted boulder, staring up at that distant moon.
Tala has noticed that someone was missing when she woke up for a short time. She is slowly making her way out from the other sleeping wolves and glances around to search for someone it would seem. She soon follows after the pawsteps she sees within the snow, following them towards the boulder and peers up at her dear brother. "Ikuna.. What are you doing?" Is questioned after a few moments of watching.
Ikuna is silent for a moment, like a frozen statue, and then he lowers his head toward the sound of his sister's voice. "Just... thinking," he says softly.
Tala ears perk and then lower slightly as she shifts and soon hops up and settles down next to him upon the boulder peering at him and then up at the sky. "Wut you thinking bout?"
Even Ikuna's fur is lightly frosted. He's been out here rather a while, apparently. He sighs again, looking out at the sky again. "Why?" he asks - then a moment later goes on. "Why do bad things happen? Mom and dad and the bear. The bad wolf, and the bird and those... what makes people do bad things? Did something go wrong in them?"
Tala maw opens slightly and she tilts her head while watching Ikuna before leaning closer to him. Her head moving to press against his shoulders. "I don't know why.." This said with a soft tone. "Perhaps they was something very bad happen to them and didn't have a family to love them back and help them." She offers with a soft tone, her ears lowering. "I thought I lost you too.. An I don't know what I would have done if you didn't come back.. Even with the pack.."
Ikuna is cold, as Tala leans in, and he's still for a moment before he leans back against her. "I'm sorry," he says, and nuzzles gently at her cheek. "I missed you. A lot." He presses against her for a few moments in silence. "What if it turns me bad? I don't want to ever hurt you, you or Ahiga or any of the rest. But what if I can't help it? What if the bad... got into me?"
Tala shifts and presses close to her dear brother, hoping to make him warm up it seems. She takes in a soft breath and looks to him, a soft smile is seen. "I know you did." This said with a soft tone and she noses at his cheek. "No, you could never do anything bad.. Your great, and your always kind. An I know you could never hurt me or anyone else in the pack."
Ikuna leans back against his sister. He's still got that worried look on his face, but gradually his body begins to relax, the ice thawing from that warmth. "Maybe," he says hesitantly. He's quiet for a moment, then speaks again. "Asku was talking. About... when I was gone. How he got so angry, he wasn't him anymore..."
Tala snuggles close and lets her eyes half close. "Maybe nothing.. I know it." She offers with a rather sure like tone. A ear twitches for a moment. "Asku was mad.. but.. I don't think he let it get that bad. He was still Asku just more grumpy. At least to me." She pauses. "Not that I was very open with anyone." She spent a lot of time on her own, or with Ahiga.
Ikuna smiles a little at Tala's certainty. It does help. "He said he felt different. That he was scared of how he felt inside." He lowers his head, staring at his paws for a moment, then sighs. "I don't want be be scared, or mad. It feels bad."
Tala nods slightly. "Well.. I can understand that.." She pauses for a moment. "I felt different too. I got really sad and depressed." This said with a soft tone. "I started to think that everyone was going to leave me.. Ahiga, Asku, Chewy.. I thought I was going to be on my own forever. I didn't like that feeling at all, it was a cold feeling in the pit of my stomach. I'd fall asleep and then wake up and it was still there.."
Ikuna whines softly as Tala describes how she felt. Being alone is a feeling he can remember all too well. "I'd never want to leave you," he tells her, and nuzzles firmly at her shoulder, burying his muzzle in neckfur. "I... I don't know if I'll always be able to stay. But if I'm not dead... I'll come back. Always."
Tala is quiet for a few moment, a soft sigh escaping her and she looks over to him. "I know.. An I'm thankful for that.. But If I lose you I don't know what I'm going to do." She would really rather not think about it, the thought of losing Ikuna again after everything isn't happy thoughts at all. "But.. I don't want to think about that.. Its not happy thoughts after all." She murmurs out.
No, it's not happy thoughts at all. Happy thoughts aren't exactly what got Ikuna up in the middle of the night to stare at the sky. Nightmares, more like. He nods, and stays pressed against his sister in silence for a few moments. Happy thoughts. He remembers those, doesn't he? Back before everything bad started to happen? ... only barely. Early puphood memories become foggy over time. He makes an effort, though, and his tone almost manages cheerful. "What do you think Asku's test will be like? For training us?"
Tala ear twitches at the question, her eyes open and she looks out of the area, many memories from when she was younger becoming more of a fuzzy dream then anything really. "I don't know.. I imagen it will be hard, he has to see what we will be good at after all." This said with a soft tone. "But.. I bet we can deal with it, we've dealt with other hard things after all."
"Yeah. We can," Ikuna says with a nod. "We can help each other, too. That's what a pack does, right? So even if we're good and bad at different things, together we can make sure we all make it through, because we gotta all train together." Because, well, they just do. That's the way it is.
Tala nods, her tail swaying a few times. "Ya.. That's what I think we should do.. If we help each other in it then that will show were help others in the pack. I'm sure everyone is better at something more then someone else."
It's not cheating on the test, it's... succeeding at the meta-test. Makes perfect sense. Ikuna nods, and nuzzles at his sister's cheek. "Yeah." He smiles. "Maybe... when it's light out, we can try racing each other. That's probably part of it, for chasing prey and everything."
Tala ears perk and she smiles before nodding and noses back at him. "Sure.. An I bet it is on the test too. Asku commented on someone possibly being faster then another.
Ikuna nods, and shivers a little as he leans against his sister. The cold is getting to him, and no wonder. He doesn't really have a proper bulk for winter. "Yeah. Prob'ly you and Ahiga will be best at most of them," he says without any bitterness. Of course his sister and friend are awesome! He's glad they're part of his pack. And he knows he still can't even do all the stuff he could before he got stuck in the cave, let alone all the stuff they learned during that time.
Tala tilts her head and noses out at Ikuna's ear. "Come on.. You're cold we need to get you warm again." She offers while trying to make him get off the boulder. "An you never know.. You're pretty fast too."
Ikuna smiles a little. "All right." He lets himself be coaxed off the boulder, standing up on legs that have nearly frozen themselves stiff and hopping down. "I'll... try to sleep a bit more." It's hard, especially with how winter has forced them into the den.
Tala hops back down to the ground and looks back to him, a soft smile seen and she nods. "Hey.. Its alright. I'll be there with you, and so is Ahiga." She points out softly while nosing at him.
Ikuna nods, but he hesitates. "Sometimes... when I'm asleep... I think I'm back there. Back in the hole," he admits in a very quiet voice, looking down at the snow by his feet.
Tala is quiet for a moment before leaning down to nose at his cheek. "Well.. Its alright.. Maybe we can go sleep somewhere else then? Open but with some cover from the snow?"
Ikuna considers on it a moment, but then he shakes his head. "I don't know anyplace. And... I wouldn't want you to freeze." He bumps his head against her shoulder. "I'll be okay." Brave words, and maybe they're even true, though he's not certain.
Tala tilts her head and leans close and nuzzles against his cheek, a soft murr escapes her and she nods while she moves on towards the den, her tail swaying a few times. "It'll be alright.. An your really brave Ikuna."
Ikuna pads along with his sister. At being called brave, he sort of gets a weird look. He doesn't feel brave. He feels scared. He just... does stuff. That's all. "I guess," he answers ambiguously, and continues with her toward the den where the rest of the pack sleeps.
Tala pauses and bats out at Ikuna a few times. "Well.. I think you're really brave.."
Ikuna eeps as he gets batted at, and he can't help but smile as he bats back. "Maybe that's what I'll be. The bravest wolf. I won't give up, even when everything's against me." It starts out playful and self-teasing, but actually turns almost serious by the end.
Tala smiles and nods, her tail wagging about and she wruffs out happly. "I bet you will be the bravest wolf ever!" She offers with a happy tone while making her way to the den.
Ikuna's smile sort of lingers. Being brave... well. It's something to work on, even if he's not sure he actually is. But everyone has things they need to work on. He'll just make that one of his. "I'll try," he says, but his tone is a fairly cheerful one, and he bumps shoulders with Tala.
Tala nods and lets her shoulder press back against his, her tail wagging about. "If anyone can do it.. I'm sure you can Ikuna." She offers with a proud tone.
Ikuna wags his tail slowly, smiling as he leans back against his sister. Her confidence in him is one of the things that keeps him going. With her, with his pack around him - well, maybe he can. He'll try.