Post by Pavane on Oct 19, 2011 12:04:49 GMT -5
Ikuna - Male Juvenile Wolf
Ahiga - Male Adolescent Wolf
Tala - Female Juvenile Wolf
---Hilltop Vista---
Ikuna is determined to prove himself worthy. As he was going to sleep last night, he pondered on a plan to make sure he could pass Asku's test and get into the training. He'd run up and down the hill, he figured, until he built up all the muscles he needed. It seemed great. Apparently, though, the weather did not consult him, and last night had one of the heavier snowstorms so far this year. He's made it out of the den, wading a path through the drifts, and now he's just staring at the thickly snow-covered slope. He can barely move in this, let alone actually /run/! How's he going to train now?
This snow stuff, Ahiga has decided, is ... COOL! Yes, it's wonderful being holed up in the nice warm den, but it's even more so to be out in that chilly slick slippery snow that's decorated the world. And so, having felt one less body of warmth within the bundle of warm bodies, Ahiga has awakened to find that Ikuna is gone. Hm! It's not sudden panic, but there is a feeling of alarm. He emerges from the den, ears up and nose wriggling. Oh...there's a wolf butt over there! Smirking, he pulls himself out of the snow, gives a quick shake, and lopes towards him, pushing through the thick mounds of snow. "This stuff doesn't /stop/ does it?" He pauses and stares with him down the slope. "..What're we lookin' at?"
Ikuna is just gone, not gone-gone. Important difference, that! He stares down at the snowy slope, then twitches an ear and grins at the sound of Ahiga's voice, turning back to look at him. "You could hide an entire Chewy in it," he agrees, and then gives a little puff of breath. "Nothing much. Just the snow." All the snow. Aaaaaaall the snow. "How do you even hunt in this? The rabbits are hidden under, the deer can bound over it... what do us wolves do?"
Hm. Good question. How does one hunt? "Huh.." Ahiga says thoughtfully, glancing down the glistening slope. "I guess...dig'm all out?" he assumes with a shrug of his shoulder and smirk. "Or we can jus' push all the snow out the way and force'm out," he suggests with a broadening grin, giving his friend a sidelong look. "C'mon!" With his tail flipping, he takes a flying leap down the hill and promptly begins to roll, sending snow flying up til the young wolf barely discernible in the fluff.
Well, maybe. Digging might work, but... Ikuna hmms, and ponders seriously on the question for another good two, three moments until Ahiga takes that flying leap. Maybe the answer to how he's going to do that training is by doing his running anyway! So he does. Or... more like his flailing and sliding and tumbling end over end, laughing as he gets utterly coated in soft snow and makes a two-wolf avalanche with Ahiga. It's like running. Sort of. It's definitely fun. He tries to angle his course toward Ahiga to pounce the other youngster, or maybe just collide - he's not sure he has enough control of his tumble to actually /pounce/.
Tala woke up and couldn't find either Ikuna or Ahiga, a faint snuffle escapes her while she glances around before she shifts up to her pauses and makes her way out of the den. A glance is offered one way and then another while her tail slowly sways around. So if there both out here somewhere there together for sure most likely. She soon catches there scent and moves along until she catches sight of her brother and Ahiga. She smiles and hops along through the snow to get over to where they are. "Hey! What are you guys doing?"
Tumble tumble woo! Ahiga's eyes squint close as he rolls over and over, losing himself in the world of sparkle and white. Snow may make hunting hard, but ... it sure is a heck of a lot of fun! He has no idea if Ikuna has followed him down or not, and he's just beginning to peek an eye open to see if he can catch a glimpse of him when...crash! "Ah!" he laughs, paws flailing. He tries his best to wrap them around the other male as they flop to the bottom of the hill, snipping at his ears. And then, another voice. "Hey Tala!"
Ikuna smashes right into Ahiga, laughing as he does! Oh boy it's crashing together and tumbling with the other boy, rolling right down that hill until they flop together at the bottom with Ikuna's paw over Ahiga and Ahiga half on top of Ikuna. He giggles, panting as he paws up at his friend, and then wuffs to Tala! "It snowed!" he calls to her, not very informatively. There's a big flattened bit down the hill, now, leading right to the two of them. Convenient, that.
Tala blinks at the two and giggles as she sits at the top of the hill, her tail thumping a few times. "I see that!" She ponders how best to get down the hill and soon grins as she recalls the 'hill rolling' that Chewy and her did some time ago. She hops up and calmbers over to anotehr spot and then goes about rolling down to join the two. A fit of giggles escaping her as she goes.
Nothing like a roll down a snowy hill to get the heart going! Ikuna makes a nice cushion to alnd on, if not just a slightly bony one at the moment, and Ahiga aims a good swat his muzzle before he rolls off, tail waggling. "Nah, it rained," he teases with a smirky look, ears perking soon after as Tala joins. "Here she comes!" he warns, scrambling to get out of the way of her downward roll, but the slippery surface doees not make the going easy!
At least Ikuna's got enough bulk back to handle being flopped on! It's a start. He laughs. "Fluffy rain!" he declares, and nips playfully after Ahiga's paw, and then looks up the hill to see his sister rolling right toward them. Uh-oh! He tries to move too, but he's got the added disadvantage of needing to get to his feet first. He tries to scramble up, but... he's probably right in range for yet another collision on tonight's episode of bowling with wolves!
Tala giggles out as she slides down part way on her belly then the rest on her back as she manages to wiggle about. She plunks against the boys sides slightly and her tail thumps against the ground sending snow flying every which way. "That's fun!"
Ahiga overexaggerates Tala's collision by falling over on his side as if he had been hit by something far larger. Fwoomph! goes the snow. Grinning, he rolls onto his back and wriggles around, enjoying the cold sensation upon his back. "Hey, maybe Tala knows about the rabbit-snow thing," he says amidst his wiggle. "What do /you/ think we're gonna eat now that all the good stuff's like...buried?"
Ikuna never even quite got to his feet in the first place. Ker-thwump, as Tala collides. He laughs, and leans his head over to give a lick to her side... and just gets a mouthful of snow, but never mind. It's not like it tastes bad or something, it's just all cold and wet! As Ahiga asks the question, he nods. It's a good one, huh? They can't just eat snow, after all! Well, they could, but it's not very filling. Just like water. Clearly, there must be an answer, since the pack hasn't starved yet, but what?
Tala giggles out and wiggles about before stretching and hums while peering at Ahiga. "What snow-rabbit thing?" She questions with a blink and tilt of her head while she drops back down so she is sitting.
"The snow made the rabbits leave....or somethin'," Ahiga says, stopping his wiggling to speak. "Soooo, we're thinkin'...what are we gonna eat now? We could digg'm up, I guess, but.." He pauses, eyes widening a bit. "Hey! Do you guys think that's what Asku's gonna have us do? See who has the best nose 'n have is sniff out the rabbits?"
Ikuna lowers his head to the snow, and sniffs. "Jus' smells like snow to me," he says, and shakes his head. "Maybe they're still under there. They gotta be, right? They don't just... go away like the leaves... do they?" He can't help wondering. It seems strange, but not entirely impossible. When you're young, the world still holds things you've never ever heard of before.
Tala ohs at this and ponders a moment, her maw twitches and she hums. "Well.. what bout deer?" She questions while peering at the pair. "An I dono bout the rabbits. have to ask Chewy and Asku bout them.. I mean maybe they do go way like de leaves but who knows?"
Deer. Ahiga thinks about that. He likes rabbit more than deer, but...hey, food is food right? Ooh, how nice it is to not know how tough winter can be! To think that there's the luxury of being choosey. He rolls over onto his stomach and tests the scent of the snow himself. Hmm .. smells like a whole lot of nothing! "Maybe not. But I do wonder about all the stuff we're gonna have to do for this test. Did he say when he was gonna give it to us?"
Chewy and Asku knows, that's who. Ikuna nods. "Skahla brought a deer the other day, but the snow was way less deep then," he says. "I guess maybe we wait until it melts some? Or..." he peers back up the hill. "Until we get the snow all flattened down." They've got a pretty good start on that now. Any rabbits on that sector of the hill? Dead. ...maybe. At Ahiga's pondering, he shakes his head. "He said he'd give us time to practice, though. So I been doin' that."
Tala ohs and her maw twitches, her stomach even grumbles a few times at the talk of food. She lifts a forepaw to rub and scratch across her neck a few times. "I dono.. I mean.. It could be about anything really. We just gotta all help one another during the test you know?"
"You have?" asks Ahiga to Ikunka, a brow lifting. "Like how?" Ahiga can't really say he's been preparing for this assessment in any way, despite how excited he was about it when they learned of it. In truth, everything right now is so new and interesting, he's been so busy playing around and goofing off that he hasn't even remembered to practice any of his amazing skills! ... whatever they may be. Bright eyes slide over to Tala. "You been practicin' too?"
Ikuna nods to Tala. "Yeah. We gotta stick together." Through thick and thin, training and practice, forever and ever. He nods to Ahiga, then shrugs one shoulder against the ground. "Jus' like... seeing how far I can run. Tryin' to hunt, like you two can. At least, until the snow got thick. That sort of stuff." He leans his head over, and chomps playfully at the other male's leg. "Catchin' up with you guys."
Tala peers back at Ahiga. "Well course.. Haven't you?" She questions while smirking, a forepaw moving to poke out at his side a few times. "You should be practicing more then us anyway, your older an't you?" This questioned with a teasing tone.
Oh yes, he really needs to get serious about this training thing! "Well, I uh..." Has Ahiga been training? His what would've been made up response is interrupted by the leg chomp, which is a distraction he's thankful for. He yanks his leg back, a grin curving his muzzle. "Yeah, yeah, see cuz I'm a lil' bit bigger, that means I don't have to train so much, so everything'll be fair. I still do a little though," he assures, nodding.
"Know what that means?" says Ikuna with a grin as he looks up at Ahiga. "Means you gotta help /us/ train." It's only fair, after all. And it'll make sure they all get good enough that they can stick together and train and help each other. Because that's what packs do. Ikuna rolls over and stands up, shaking himself but not managing to get the snow out of his fur. "We got a lot to be ready for, after all. Skahla showed me the borders, and they're /big/."
Tala grins and nodnods at Ahiga, her tail thumping about and she wruffles out softly while shifting and nods at what Ikuna says. "Ya.. you gotta teach us stuffs." There'a a pause and she peers over at her brother. "Ya.. maybe Skahla will show us stuff like that.. ya?"
Help train? ... Hey, that's not a bad idea at all! In fact, it sounds like a lot of fun, for Ahiga can't think of a time where he hasn't had fun with his pals. "Yeah. Yeah, I can do that," he says, nodding as he agrees, inspired by the idea. "I can think've lots of stuff we can do to get ready. Asku'll think he made the test too easy, that's how awesome we'll be." He lifts his chin a little higher, imagining the praise they'll receive. "Hey, I'ma go find us some stuff to do to make us stronger!" He hops onto his paws and peers up the slippery hill. Heh. Task number one, getting back up that slope! "I'll be great, I promise," he says as he begins to trudge back up. "I'll let ya know when I'm ready!"
Ikuna grins, and nods. "Yeah," he tells his sister. "Chewy was talkin' to Skahla about makin' sure we learned grownup stuff, too." All that important training, like Ahiga's plotting! Or fun romping around. Either way, really. They kind of blur, when you're a young wolf. "He'll have to give us a harder test. Harder and harder, until he finds one that's right for us." He grins, and gives himself another little shake. It's easy to be confident with his friends around, with Ahiga's certainty and Tala's support. "Okay," he tells his friend as the other male starts up the hill. "Make it good!" Which it will be, of course.
Tala peers at Ahiga and tilts her head, a soft wruff escaping her even. "I know you can.. I bet you can teach us the best things too." She offers qith a rather eager tone. Her ears perk forward and she ohs softly while watching Ahiga struggle to get up the hill. "Alright.. an ya, make it good.." She leans close to Ikuna. "He isn't doing too good getting up the hill.." This murmured out softly.
Ikuna leans back against his sister, watching Ahiga heading up. "We're gonna hafta do that too, you know..." he says quietly. It's that or get dragged up it by the scruff like a puppy, and he is so totally not going to have /that/ be what happens. Nearly grown up, he is. Dignified. Never mind the bit where he was rolling down hills and is covered with half a snowdrift.
Tala peers up at the hill, her ears perking forward and she snuffles out. "Ya your right there." She offers before a faint huff escapes her. Smirking she shifts on her paws and starts to follow along up the hil after her friend and brother.
Right, so, this hill. Ikuna's paws slide at first, and then he starts to figure out this trick were if he zig-zags and is always walking diagonal against it, his paws don't slip nearly so much against the snow and ice. He still backslides from time to time, though. This is definitely a workout, all on its own. Never mind that running. Hill-climbing is training enough!
Tala grins and shifts about while moving up the hill and peering up at her brother at times. Her paw spread out, claws gripping at the snow and try to get some trackion upon the hill. Which works for a few moments before she starts to slide.. Though she doesn't give up!
Ikuna encounters a particularly slick patch, and he wurfs as his forepaws slide apart in two different directions to lower him down into a crouch. Er. Oops. He tries to pull himself up, getting one paw back into place, then having the other one slide, then getting the other one, and... hurm. This is awkward. He ponders for a moment, and then sort of play-pounces forward, sliding his forepaws just enough that one of them gets onto unbroken, traction-granting snow. Victory! He pushes himself awkwardly to his feet.
Tala slides a few steps and then calmbers forward rather quickly. Her claws gripping as much as she can and when she is about to tumble backwards she scrambles forward the last few steps and flops down at the top of the hill panting and huffing.
Ikuna continues up, placing his paws more carefully now to try to avoid the icy patches. Just a bit more... a few more steps... and... there! Hah! He makes it up to the top as well, and then walks the few steps over to his sister to flop next to her, resting his head against her side. "Made it," he says with a grin. Ahiga, it seems, has already gone off to get that challenge ready for them.
Tala giggles and wiggles about, a forepaw moving to bat out at him a few times. "Ya you did!" She offers happly before peering around looking for Ahiga. "Guess we're have to find Ahiga later."
Ikuna mouths at that batting paw, and grins. "So did you," he answers. "If there's hill-climbing in that test... we're good." He nods, then. "Or he'll find us."
Tala grins and nods while she looks over at Ikuna and wrufles out. "Well that is a thought too." She giggles and shifts resting against her side and yawns.
Ikuna lifts up his head from her side, and looks out over the hilltop. "What do you think it's going to be like, when we're the grownups here?" he asks contemplatively.
Tala blinks, a faint oh escapes her and she snuffles a moment. "Well.. I dono.." She offers with a soft tone, her ears lowering slightly. "I mean.. I dono what were gona even be in the pack you know?.. Der's an alpha and a beta, and then all the others.. So.. wut we suppose to do?"
Ikuna considers on that for a moment. Skahla's the alpha now, and Shawnee, but... his brother doesn't seem much like his memories of how his father was as an alpha. So what will things be like later? He hmms. "Maybe... that'll be us someday. You and me and Ahiga, in charge."
Tala ears perk slightly at that and she lifts a forepaw to rub at her face a few times. "Well.. I dono. I mean.. Skahla is our brother.. So maybe that's why he was alpha. Maybe one of his kids is then gna be alpha or something." Heck if she knows.
"Maybe," says Ikuna consideringly. "But if that's why, we got as much chance as he does, right? An'... I don't think it is, anyway. He was tellin' me about the first alpha. Skelaghe. She's not our family, but she led this pack before mom and dad did."
Tala ears perk and she ohs softly at this, her nose twitches. "Well.. What sorta wolf was she?.. An.. did he tell you how mom and dad got to be leaders?"
"He said that everyone loved her," says Ikuna. "That she still did things wrong, sometimes, but they all loved her, so she musta been a good wolf." He considers on that a moment. "She... just picked mom and dad, I think. 'Cause... she thought they'd do a good job, I guess."
Tala ohs softly and nods, her head lowering to press against her brother's shoulder a moment. "She must have been a realing nice wolf.." She offers with a soft tone. "Do you think mom and dad are proud of us?"
Ikuna leans back against his sister lightly, and nods. "She must have," he agrees. At the question, he tilts his head to the side, considering it seriously. "I think they are. When we're doing our best, and helping each other. Mom and dad... they never stopped trying to do what was best for the pack. Like... even when mom and dad were mad at Mori, they still wanted what was best for the pack, and so they forgave him." He smiles, and turns his head to nuzzle her. "They'd be proud of us when we're doing our best, and forgive us when we don't, 'cause they know it can be hard."
Tala ears perk slightly, her eyes close for a moment. "Ya.. I guess you have a good point there." She offers softly at the thought while snuggling close to him. "I just miss them though.. Everything that's happened lately to the pack has been such a strain on the pack.." At least that is what she's seen.
Ikuna cuddles against his sister, and nods. "I miss them too," he says, and nuzzles her cheek. "I think Skahla misses them too. He just... doesn't know how to say it right." His alpha brother doesn't know how to say a lot of things, Ikuna thinks. "Maybe... things would be better if he could. It's okay to hurt, but... you gotta admit it when you're weak, or your pack can't help you."
Tala hums softly and nods, a soft sigh escapes her. "I'm sure he does.. I just with Skahla would talk to me more like he does with you." She pauses slightly. "I sometimes thinks he doesn't like me that much."
Ikuna shakes his head. "Nuh-uh," he says. "You're his sister. He loves you. He's just... really bad at talkin' about that stuff. He was more scared about talkin' to me than he was about fightin' that wolverine." He nuzzles at her, and then hehs. "Like how Asku was too scared to tell Chewy he loved her. Boys are stupid about love."
Ahiga - Male Adolescent Wolf
Tala - Female Juvenile Wolf
---Hilltop Vista---
Ikuna is determined to prove himself worthy. As he was going to sleep last night, he pondered on a plan to make sure he could pass Asku's test and get into the training. He'd run up and down the hill, he figured, until he built up all the muscles he needed. It seemed great. Apparently, though, the weather did not consult him, and last night had one of the heavier snowstorms so far this year. He's made it out of the den, wading a path through the drifts, and now he's just staring at the thickly snow-covered slope. He can barely move in this, let alone actually /run/! How's he going to train now?
This snow stuff, Ahiga has decided, is ... COOL! Yes, it's wonderful being holed up in the nice warm den, but it's even more so to be out in that chilly slick slippery snow that's decorated the world. And so, having felt one less body of warmth within the bundle of warm bodies, Ahiga has awakened to find that Ikuna is gone. Hm! It's not sudden panic, but there is a feeling of alarm. He emerges from the den, ears up and nose wriggling. Oh...there's a wolf butt over there! Smirking, he pulls himself out of the snow, gives a quick shake, and lopes towards him, pushing through the thick mounds of snow. "This stuff doesn't /stop/ does it?" He pauses and stares with him down the slope. "..What're we lookin' at?"
Ikuna is just gone, not gone-gone. Important difference, that! He stares down at the snowy slope, then twitches an ear and grins at the sound of Ahiga's voice, turning back to look at him. "You could hide an entire Chewy in it," he agrees, and then gives a little puff of breath. "Nothing much. Just the snow." All the snow. Aaaaaaall the snow. "How do you even hunt in this? The rabbits are hidden under, the deer can bound over it... what do us wolves do?"
Hm. Good question. How does one hunt? "Huh.." Ahiga says thoughtfully, glancing down the glistening slope. "I guess...dig'm all out?" he assumes with a shrug of his shoulder and smirk. "Or we can jus' push all the snow out the way and force'm out," he suggests with a broadening grin, giving his friend a sidelong look. "C'mon!" With his tail flipping, he takes a flying leap down the hill and promptly begins to roll, sending snow flying up til the young wolf barely discernible in the fluff.
Well, maybe. Digging might work, but... Ikuna hmms, and ponders seriously on the question for another good two, three moments until Ahiga takes that flying leap. Maybe the answer to how he's going to do that training is by doing his running anyway! So he does. Or... more like his flailing and sliding and tumbling end over end, laughing as he gets utterly coated in soft snow and makes a two-wolf avalanche with Ahiga. It's like running. Sort of. It's definitely fun. He tries to angle his course toward Ahiga to pounce the other youngster, or maybe just collide - he's not sure he has enough control of his tumble to actually /pounce/.
Tala woke up and couldn't find either Ikuna or Ahiga, a faint snuffle escapes her while she glances around before she shifts up to her pauses and makes her way out of the den. A glance is offered one way and then another while her tail slowly sways around. So if there both out here somewhere there together for sure most likely. She soon catches there scent and moves along until she catches sight of her brother and Ahiga. She smiles and hops along through the snow to get over to where they are. "Hey! What are you guys doing?"
Tumble tumble woo! Ahiga's eyes squint close as he rolls over and over, losing himself in the world of sparkle and white. Snow may make hunting hard, but ... it sure is a heck of a lot of fun! He has no idea if Ikuna has followed him down or not, and he's just beginning to peek an eye open to see if he can catch a glimpse of him when...crash! "Ah!" he laughs, paws flailing. He tries his best to wrap them around the other male as they flop to the bottom of the hill, snipping at his ears. And then, another voice. "Hey Tala!"
Ikuna smashes right into Ahiga, laughing as he does! Oh boy it's crashing together and tumbling with the other boy, rolling right down that hill until they flop together at the bottom with Ikuna's paw over Ahiga and Ahiga half on top of Ikuna. He giggles, panting as he paws up at his friend, and then wuffs to Tala! "It snowed!" he calls to her, not very informatively. There's a big flattened bit down the hill, now, leading right to the two of them. Convenient, that.
Tala blinks at the two and giggles as she sits at the top of the hill, her tail thumping a few times. "I see that!" She ponders how best to get down the hill and soon grins as she recalls the 'hill rolling' that Chewy and her did some time ago. She hops up and calmbers over to anotehr spot and then goes about rolling down to join the two. A fit of giggles escaping her as she goes.
Nothing like a roll down a snowy hill to get the heart going! Ikuna makes a nice cushion to alnd on, if not just a slightly bony one at the moment, and Ahiga aims a good swat his muzzle before he rolls off, tail waggling. "Nah, it rained," he teases with a smirky look, ears perking soon after as Tala joins. "Here she comes!" he warns, scrambling to get out of the way of her downward roll, but the slippery surface doees not make the going easy!
At least Ikuna's got enough bulk back to handle being flopped on! It's a start. He laughs. "Fluffy rain!" he declares, and nips playfully after Ahiga's paw, and then looks up the hill to see his sister rolling right toward them. Uh-oh! He tries to move too, but he's got the added disadvantage of needing to get to his feet first. He tries to scramble up, but... he's probably right in range for yet another collision on tonight's episode of bowling with wolves!
Tala giggles out as she slides down part way on her belly then the rest on her back as she manages to wiggle about. She plunks against the boys sides slightly and her tail thumps against the ground sending snow flying every which way. "That's fun!"
Ahiga overexaggerates Tala's collision by falling over on his side as if he had been hit by something far larger. Fwoomph! goes the snow. Grinning, he rolls onto his back and wriggles around, enjoying the cold sensation upon his back. "Hey, maybe Tala knows about the rabbit-snow thing," he says amidst his wiggle. "What do /you/ think we're gonna eat now that all the good stuff's like...buried?"
Ikuna never even quite got to his feet in the first place. Ker-thwump, as Tala collides. He laughs, and leans his head over to give a lick to her side... and just gets a mouthful of snow, but never mind. It's not like it tastes bad or something, it's just all cold and wet! As Ahiga asks the question, he nods. It's a good one, huh? They can't just eat snow, after all! Well, they could, but it's not very filling. Just like water. Clearly, there must be an answer, since the pack hasn't starved yet, but what?
Tala giggles out and wiggles about before stretching and hums while peering at Ahiga. "What snow-rabbit thing?" She questions with a blink and tilt of her head while she drops back down so she is sitting.
"The snow made the rabbits leave....or somethin'," Ahiga says, stopping his wiggling to speak. "Soooo, we're thinkin'...what are we gonna eat now? We could digg'm up, I guess, but.." He pauses, eyes widening a bit. "Hey! Do you guys think that's what Asku's gonna have us do? See who has the best nose 'n have is sniff out the rabbits?"
Ikuna lowers his head to the snow, and sniffs. "Jus' smells like snow to me," he says, and shakes his head. "Maybe they're still under there. They gotta be, right? They don't just... go away like the leaves... do they?" He can't help wondering. It seems strange, but not entirely impossible. When you're young, the world still holds things you've never ever heard of before.
Tala ohs at this and ponders a moment, her maw twitches and she hums. "Well.. what bout deer?" She questions while peering at the pair. "An I dono bout the rabbits. have to ask Chewy and Asku bout them.. I mean maybe they do go way like de leaves but who knows?"
Deer. Ahiga thinks about that. He likes rabbit more than deer, but...hey, food is food right? Ooh, how nice it is to not know how tough winter can be! To think that there's the luxury of being choosey. He rolls over onto his stomach and tests the scent of the snow himself. Hmm .. smells like a whole lot of nothing! "Maybe not. But I do wonder about all the stuff we're gonna have to do for this test. Did he say when he was gonna give it to us?"
Chewy and Asku knows, that's who. Ikuna nods. "Skahla brought a deer the other day, but the snow was way less deep then," he says. "I guess maybe we wait until it melts some? Or..." he peers back up the hill. "Until we get the snow all flattened down." They've got a pretty good start on that now. Any rabbits on that sector of the hill? Dead. ...maybe. At Ahiga's pondering, he shakes his head. "He said he'd give us time to practice, though. So I been doin' that."
Tala ohs and her maw twitches, her stomach even grumbles a few times at the talk of food. She lifts a forepaw to rub and scratch across her neck a few times. "I dono.. I mean.. It could be about anything really. We just gotta all help one another during the test you know?"
"You have?" asks Ahiga to Ikunka, a brow lifting. "Like how?" Ahiga can't really say he's been preparing for this assessment in any way, despite how excited he was about it when they learned of it. In truth, everything right now is so new and interesting, he's been so busy playing around and goofing off that he hasn't even remembered to practice any of his amazing skills! ... whatever they may be. Bright eyes slide over to Tala. "You been practicin' too?"
Ikuna nods to Tala. "Yeah. We gotta stick together." Through thick and thin, training and practice, forever and ever. He nods to Ahiga, then shrugs one shoulder against the ground. "Jus' like... seeing how far I can run. Tryin' to hunt, like you two can. At least, until the snow got thick. That sort of stuff." He leans his head over, and chomps playfully at the other male's leg. "Catchin' up with you guys."
Tala peers back at Ahiga. "Well course.. Haven't you?" She questions while smirking, a forepaw moving to poke out at his side a few times. "You should be practicing more then us anyway, your older an't you?" This questioned with a teasing tone.
Oh yes, he really needs to get serious about this training thing! "Well, I uh..." Has Ahiga been training? His what would've been made up response is interrupted by the leg chomp, which is a distraction he's thankful for. He yanks his leg back, a grin curving his muzzle. "Yeah, yeah, see cuz I'm a lil' bit bigger, that means I don't have to train so much, so everything'll be fair. I still do a little though," he assures, nodding.
"Know what that means?" says Ikuna with a grin as he looks up at Ahiga. "Means you gotta help /us/ train." It's only fair, after all. And it'll make sure they all get good enough that they can stick together and train and help each other. Because that's what packs do. Ikuna rolls over and stands up, shaking himself but not managing to get the snow out of his fur. "We got a lot to be ready for, after all. Skahla showed me the borders, and they're /big/."
Tala grins and nodnods at Ahiga, her tail thumping about and she wruffles out softly while shifting and nods at what Ikuna says. "Ya.. you gotta teach us stuffs." There'a a pause and she peers over at her brother. "Ya.. maybe Skahla will show us stuff like that.. ya?"
Help train? ... Hey, that's not a bad idea at all! In fact, it sounds like a lot of fun, for Ahiga can't think of a time where he hasn't had fun with his pals. "Yeah. Yeah, I can do that," he says, nodding as he agrees, inspired by the idea. "I can think've lots of stuff we can do to get ready. Asku'll think he made the test too easy, that's how awesome we'll be." He lifts his chin a little higher, imagining the praise they'll receive. "Hey, I'ma go find us some stuff to do to make us stronger!" He hops onto his paws and peers up the slippery hill. Heh. Task number one, getting back up that slope! "I'll be great, I promise," he says as he begins to trudge back up. "I'll let ya know when I'm ready!"
Ikuna grins, and nods. "Yeah," he tells his sister. "Chewy was talkin' to Skahla about makin' sure we learned grownup stuff, too." All that important training, like Ahiga's plotting! Or fun romping around. Either way, really. They kind of blur, when you're a young wolf. "He'll have to give us a harder test. Harder and harder, until he finds one that's right for us." He grins, and gives himself another little shake. It's easy to be confident with his friends around, with Ahiga's certainty and Tala's support. "Okay," he tells his friend as the other male starts up the hill. "Make it good!" Which it will be, of course.
Tala peers at Ahiga and tilts her head, a soft wruff escaping her even. "I know you can.. I bet you can teach us the best things too." She offers qith a rather eager tone. Her ears perk forward and she ohs softly while watching Ahiga struggle to get up the hill. "Alright.. an ya, make it good.." She leans close to Ikuna. "He isn't doing too good getting up the hill.." This murmured out softly.
Ikuna leans back against his sister, watching Ahiga heading up. "We're gonna hafta do that too, you know..." he says quietly. It's that or get dragged up it by the scruff like a puppy, and he is so totally not going to have /that/ be what happens. Nearly grown up, he is. Dignified. Never mind the bit where he was rolling down hills and is covered with half a snowdrift.
Tala peers up at the hill, her ears perking forward and she snuffles out. "Ya your right there." She offers before a faint huff escapes her. Smirking she shifts on her paws and starts to follow along up the hil after her friend and brother.
Right, so, this hill. Ikuna's paws slide at first, and then he starts to figure out this trick were if he zig-zags and is always walking diagonal against it, his paws don't slip nearly so much against the snow and ice. He still backslides from time to time, though. This is definitely a workout, all on its own. Never mind that running. Hill-climbing is training enough!
Tala grins and shifts about while moving up the hill and peering up at her brother at times. Her paw spread out, claws gripping at the snow and try to get some trackion upon the hill. Which works for a few moments before she starts to slide.. Though she doesn't give up!
Ikuna encounters a particularly slick patch, and he wurfs as his forepaws slide apart in two different directions to lower him down into a crouch. Er. Oops. He tries to pull himself up, getting one paw back into place, then having the other one slide, then getting the other one, and... hurm. This is awkward. He ponders for a moment, and then sort of play-pounces forward, sliding his forepaws just enough that one of them gets onto unbroken, traction-granting snow. Victory! He pushes himself awkwardly to his feet.
Tala slides a few steps and then calmbers forward rather quickly. Her claws gripping as much as she can and when she is about to tumble backwards she scrambles forward the last few steps and flops down at the top of the hill panting and huffing.
Ikuna continues up, placing his paws more carefully now to try to avoid the icy patches. Just a bit more... a few more steps... and... there! Hah! He makes it up to the top as well, and then walks the few steps over to his sister to flop next to her, resting his head against her side. "Made it," he says with a grin. Ahiga, it seems, has already gone off to get that challenge ready for them.
Tala giggles and wiggles about, a forepaw moving to bat out at him a few times. "Ya you did!" She offers happly before peering around looking for Ahiga. "Guess we're have to find Ahiga later."
Ikuna mouths at that batting paw, and grins. "So did you," he answers. "If there's hill-climbing in that test... we're good." He nods, then. "Or he'll find us."
Tala grins and nods while she looks over at Ikuna and wrufles out. "Well that is a thought too." She giggles and shifts resting against her side and yawns.
Ikuna lifts up his head from her side, and looks out over the hilltop. "What do you think it's going to be like, when we're the grownups here?" he asks contemplatively.
Tala blinks, a faint oh escapes her and she snuffles a moment. "Well.. I dono.." She offers with a soft tone, her ears lowering slightly. "I mean.. I dono what were gona even be in the pack you know?.. Der's an alpha and a beta, and then all the others.. So.. wut we suppose to do?"
Ikuna considers on that for a moment. Skahla's the alpha now, and Shawnee, but... his brother doesn't seem much like his memories of how his father was as an alpha. So what will things be like later? He hmms. "Maybe... that'll be us someday. You and me and Ahiga, in charge."
Tala ears perk slightly at that and she lifts a forepaw to rub at her face a few times. "Well.. I dono. I mean.. Skahla is our brother.. So maybe that's why he was alpha. Maybe one of his kids is then gna be alpha or something." Heck if she knows.
"Maybe," says Ikuna consideringly. "But if that's why, we got as much chance as he does, right? An'... I don't think it is, anyway. He was tellin' me about the first alpha. Skelaghe. She's not our family, but she led this pack before mom and dad did."
Tala ears perk and she ohs softly at this, her nose twitches. "Well.. What sorta wolf was she?.. An.. did he tell you how mom and dad got to be leaders?"
"He said that everyone loved her," says Ikuna. "That she still did things wrong, sometimes, but they all loved her, so she musta been a good wolf." He considers on that a moment. "She... just picked mom and dad, I think. 'Cause... she thought they'd do a good job, I guess."
Tala ohs softly and nods, her head lowering to press against her brother's shoulder a moment. "She must have been a realing nice wolf.." She offers with a soft tone. "Do you think mom and dad are proud of us?"
Ikuna leans back against his sister lightly, and nods. "She must have," he agrees. At the question, he tilts his head to the side, considering it seriously. "I think they are. When we're doing our best, and helping each other. Mom and dad... they never stopped trying to do what was best for the pack. Like... even when mom and dad were mad at Mori, they still wanted what was best for the pack, and so they forgave him." He smiles, and turns his head to nuzzle her. "They'd be proud of us when we're doing our best, and forgive us when we don't, 'cause they know it can be hard."
Tala ears perk slightly, her eyes close for a moment. "Ya.. I guess you have a good point there." She offers softly at the thought while snuggling close to him. "I just miss them though.. Everything that's happened lately to the pack has been such a strain on the pack.." At least that is what she's seen.
Ikuna cuddles against his sister, and nods. "I miss them too," he says, and nuzzles her cheek. "I think Skahla misses them too. He just... doesn't know how to say it right." His alpha brother doesn't know how to say a lot of things, Ikuna thinks. "Maybe... things would be better if he could. It's okay to hurt, but... you gotta admit it when you're weak, or your pack can't help you."
Tala hums softly and nods, a soft sigh escapes her. "I'm sure he does.. I just with Skahla would talk to me more like he does with you." She pauses slightly. "I sometimes thinks he doesn't like me that much."
Ikuna shakes his head. "Nuh-uh," he says. "You're his sister. He loves you. He's just... really bad at talkin' about that stuff. He was more scared about talkin' to me than he was about fightin' that wolverine." He nuzzles at her, and then hehs. "Like how Asku was too scared to tell Chewy he loved her. Boys are stupid about love."