Post by Pavane on Oct 20, 2011 17:50:34 GMT -5
Maka - Female Wolf
Niyt - Female Wolf
Lexus - Male Wolf
Anoki - Male Juvenile Wolf
---Two-River Fork---
After the confrontation with Helaku, Maka had fled from the borders of Cerulean territory. After all her time away, she hadn't expected to be faced with someone with so much hatred towards her - especially as she hadn't really deserved it. Her sister was her sister - Maka is herself. So, after taking the long way around, skirting the edge of Ute territory and then coming back through towards Cerulean, she finally found that she'd calmed down enough to make another go at it.
So, the gray wolf makes her way again towards the borderlands, nose held low as she sniffs her way rather than following any visual cues. It's that way that she finds herself back at the crossing of the rivers where her initial talk with the pack alpha had gone so terribly awry. Her paws crunch into the snow, following trodden down paths of other creatures, sometimes stopping to sniff.
For once it was actually quiet, but over the past few days Tariro had grown use to the noise and rather missed it. Helaku missing; now that he has gone looking for the wolf, and Maka who he was determined to find, if not just to see how she was. Making a quick look over everyone here, he stands stretching out his limbs before head out toward the border. Perhaps if he patrolled he'd run into her, or at least find out which way she went.
From near the northern edge of the borders, Niyt is returning toward where the rest of her pack generally stays. She's not expecting to meet anyone, and yet her senses are somewhat alert. It is winter; a time when danger can lurk anywhere. She pauses between two bushes, lifting her nose to the wind and testing it for scents. None she doesn't expect, though some are of uncertain freshness. Still, nothing to concern her. She continues on, winding her way through the reeds and brush.
It is during one of these times where Maka is standing still, sniffing at a nearby tree, that she hears the sound of other paws moving nearby. Dark ears lift, moving like tiny radar as she tries to hone in on the sound. Once she's found it, Maka bounds forward, making a *crunch* *crunch* sound as she leaps between snowbanks and appears just at a small rise not far from Niyt. "I thought I heard someone." She notes, head peeking up at first before she bounds into the snow and slides down it like a pup having their first experience with winter. As she comes to a stop, caked with snowfluff, the wolfess offers a smile and then a shake of her fur before giving a real greeting. "Hey Niyt." The poor blind wolf might just end up in the path of some shaken off snow. "Tariro isn't too upset about what Helaku said, is he?" Yes, this is still her primary concern right now, especially with the winter setting in around them.
Niyt lifts up her head at the sound of crunchings through the snow, sniffing the air and listening. Is that - ? The voice confirms it nicely, and she smiles. "Hello, Maka," she says, her alert ears relaxing as this proves to be just a winter meeting, not a winter threat. Snow scattered all over her doesn't count, though it does mean she gives /herself/ a little shake. At the other wolf's question, she tilts her head to the side. Tariro... "No," she answers, though she hardly knows for sure. Her uncle isn't the type to much talk about how he feels. "He's just... disappointed. In Helaku." The other one who's really taken this hard is Helaku himself - but his exile has, at least, been of his own doing and his own responsibility.
There is a somewhat shy laugh from Maka when the other wolf shakes off, seeming a little embarassed for her overexhuberance. She'd been away from others for so long that sometimes she forgot exactly how to deal with them. "Oh. Good." The sound of relief is evident in her voice as she settles herself down, tail making a small arc in the snow behind her. "I... " She starts, and then seems to fail to find the right words. "I really didn't mean for that to happen." It comes out in a rush, her ears tucking back. "When Coinin said the name, I thought it was familiar, but the Helaku I knew of is dead. That wolf had a different name, then." She trails off, as if unsure if she should share this information or not. "I don't remember much about it, but I do remember that his pack sent him to die."
Maka lets out a breath, one that sounds distinctly like a raspberry. "As for what he said about my sister... I don't know if any of it is true or not. But I cared about Abel, and it... it hurt to be accused of anything that would have hurt him." A small whimper comes from her muzzle. "It was a long time ago."
What's a bit of snow, here and there? Niyt smiles, though her ears perk up again as Maka begins to speak, and the face becomes a little more serious. Interesting facts, from a different perspective. From the tilt of her head, she didn't know about his former name - and the way her ears flick, she /certainly/ didn't know about his former pack sending him to die. That... explains him somewhat more, actually. It still doesn't excuse him, but it explains him. "It wasn't your fault," she tells Maka. "He's... like a yearling rabbit. Twitchy. Anything can set him off." Which is something that is going to need to change, if Helaku is going to keep his welcome here, but... perhaps it still will. If he decides it is something he wishes to change. She will hold back her judgement for now, for a little longer.
Niyt lowers her tail in sympathy as Maka talks about her sister, and Abel, and takes a step forward, reaching out to nose gently at Maka's cheek if the other wolf will let her. "It was. A very long time ago." She sighs. "Sometimes, old wounds still seem fresh. That doesn't mean anyone should gnaw at those of others and tear them open." She turns her head aside, blind gaze staring away south. "I don't know the truth about your sister. I met her, once, when I was a puppy. She was nice to a curious pup, at least." She considers it a moment longer, then laughs a little and shrugs. "It was a long time ago."
"Guess I'm not much better." Maka admits with a sigh, blowing cold air out in a little puff in front of her muzzle. "I ran. I'm used to people trying to attack me, or run me off pack lands, but I'm not used to that kind of thing." The sway of her tail slows as it curls around her haunches. "I just wish he'd see that I didn't have anything to do with all that. Whatever happened in the past, it's part of the past. All the anger in the world won't change it."
She does except that nose to her cheek, although she ends up a bit surprised by the gesture. Maka leans into it slightly, probably the first real affection she's experienced in years. It does bring a laugh, though. "Jeeze, make me feel old, Niyt." In truth, Maka isn't that old, at least not in the grand scheme of things. "I be that was probably around the time I left. Maybe a little after." She didn't remember a visit to Cerulean, but that didn't mean it didn't happen. Time fades memories like that. "So..." She starts, trying to think of something more pleasant to talk about. "Tell me about the other wolves in Cerulean?" Her voice sounds more curious than anything else - she's... probably not a spy.
Running away is a different thing than lashing out, to Niyt's mind. And besides... "You came back." Everyone has done things they'd rather not have in retrospect, but nobody is perfect. All that's to be done is to fix them as best as can be and then move on. Those who don't choose to try and fix their mistakes... well, Maka doesn't seem one of those. At the accusation of making Maka feel old, Niyt laughs too, and lowers her body into the pose of a puppy for just a moment, all perked muzzle and wagging tail. "Sorry," she says from that pose, though her tone is more cheerful than truly contrite. It's all part of the great historical period of Before She Was Even Born. Then she stands up normally again, and nods. "Two years ago, it would have been. Nearly three." How time does move. Her face twitches as she narrowly avoids feeling old herself. At the question about the rest of the pack, she smiles. "Well, let's see now. You've met Tariro," she begins. "He's my uncle, my father's brother. The two of them have led this pack since we became Cerulean."
The words 'you came back' seem to echo around Maka's mind. She came back to Cerulean, but she had never gone back to Ute. She'd left when things changed - when her sister told her that she had been chosen to become alpha rather than Abel. The whole mess had confused her then, as a young wolf just on the cusp of being an adult. Up until then, she'd been the one that might have become an alpha, if her relationship with Abel held, and then the world suddenly turned sideways.
There is a troubled silence that follows those words, to the point that she nearly misses the waggling tail and youthful pose of Niyt as her mind gets lost in her own thoughts. The laugh, and look of amusement comes with a lag attached to it. "Don't be sorry." Maka smirks, her muzzle pulling up. "Sounds about right, though. I was still pretty young, myself, back then. So no calling me an old wolf yet." There is some challenge in her voice, afterall, she still had quite a few good years left in her. However, the run-down of the pack catches her interest afterwards, "So, there's two alpha males?" This is the first she'd heard of it. "I thought normally a male and a female lead together." Her head tilts. "What about their mates?"
Niyt shakes her head. "No, Tariro is alpha. My father Shag is beta," she answers, though she frowns slightly as she says it. Perhaps because of what follows next. "Tariro's mate Aika died years ago, trying to save one of her pups from winter snow." No wonder, then, that this pack looks kindly on wanderers in winter; and that her father, though beta, had a more active role in leading the pack than might be otherwise expected. One wolf can't do everything alone. Niyt pauses for a moment, then goes on. "My mother..." She sighs, and lowers her head. "My mother died of illness this summer past."
In all her travels, Maka had seen many different pack setups, and this one seems no stranger than the others. "Oh." She hadn't considered betas, although perhaps some packs did see them as leadership of some state equal to the alphas. Then, she opens her mouth to say more, but the continued sad story has her just going, "Oh..." a second time. She hesitates, wiggling a little and making the snow crunch around her rear end before she speaks again. "It must be hard to lead all on their own. My mother always said that a pack is only as strong as it's females, because females are the lifebringers." It sounds like old wisdom, but Maka simply shrugs. She's no great mystic. "Tariro never took another mate?" It seemed a logical thing, at least to Maka. "I mean, pups are important to the pack."
Niyt lifts up her head as Maka speaks. She's never heard that saying about females and lifebringing, but... "Your mother sounds wise." Niyt smiles a little. "No, Tariro never took another mate. He has two surviving children, but they're older even than I am. The pups these past years have been me and my siblings." Though what's going to become of that now, with her mother dead, her father gone, and still no mate for uncle Tariro? In fact... there's not a single mated pair in the whole pack, so far as she knows, and Niyt thinks she knows just about everyone. There will be no pups this spring, and as for the next... who knows?
As they talk at least one of the pack has been off out and hunting. It feels like it's been a while since Lexus properly hunted down something for the pack, though in the grand scheme of things a few weeks wasn't his longest break. He has been successful, his scars no longer bothering him so much he's been able to chase down a couple of rabbits which hang from his jaws as he pads back towards the pack's resting spot.
"She was." Maka replies, although her voice drops a bit. "She rejoined the spirits just after Wyanet left our home pack. That's kind of why I left. I didn't have anything keeping me there, anymore." That, too, had been a long time ago. It seems so much lies in th past. "I remember bits and pieces, though. I was pretty young." Looking upward, Maka squints as she seems to struggle for memory. "A wolf should value all life, even that which fills her belly." It sounds as if she's saying this word for word from some memory. Then, with a chuckle, Maka just murmurs, "I can't make it sound as mystical as she could."
As for the rest, her ears fold back slightly, her silence showing her concern even if Niyt can't quite see it. "Sounds like this pack has had some really rough times. Maybe... the spring will bring a change of fortune. I mean..." Words fail her again for a moment, "Well, there's new females coming into the territory. Me, and that one Coinin knew. You never know what the seasons might bring." And speaking of what might be brought, Maka's eyes swivel to take in the arrival. Another unfamiliar wolf, so she looks to Niyt, as if expecting her to somehow realize who it is even without him speaking.
Niyt nods softly to Maka as she speaks of her mother's passing. She understands well how difficult the loss of a mother can be; though for her, there was more to keep her in this pack, other bonds of love that held her. Yes, all life has value, but... she laughs. "We never can. Mothers have some special trick, I think... though mine was more likely to tell me to take my nose out of the wind and try playing for once."
Then Niyt sighs, and nods. "Yes. The wind keeps blowing, the seasons keep turning. The moment is never the same. We'll see what happens." And then, Niyt performs what might as well be a magic trick, for she tilts her head and flickers one ear, and then turns her head to gaze blindly in the direction of those footsteps and calls happily, "Uncle Lexus!" Yeah, she's just that familiar with him that she can tell from his gait and the tiny flickers of his scent that wind-eddies bring. She doesn't even need any of her spiritual gifts.
Lexus ears perk to the sound of talking but he can't greet with food in his mouth nor can he easily tell what the conversation is yet. He tries to say hello as Niyt spots him but it's little more than a grunt around the rabbits and a wag of the tail that only Maka's going to see anyway. He becomes more obviously friendly once he's put down the prey ready for the pack to eat "Hey pup" his lazy pace taking him towards his niece though his eyes have shifted to Maka "Hello. Another of the new faces, which one would you be?"
"Maybe it comes with age." Maka shrugs her shoulders upwards, dismissing it as one of those 'mysteries of time' that she isn't quite privvy to as of yet. Even if she might have miles and miles on most wolves, she has a lot of life experiences that she hasn't gotten to have just yet. "Mine used to tell me to stop playing all the time and take things more seriously. Guess parents are never happy." At least she can look back on those times fondly now.
It comes as no great surprise to Maka to see that Niyt is somehow able to not only detect but identify the arriving wolf. The blind tend to have other senses that are just that much keener to make up for the loss. Her own eyes follow the milky ones of the other wolf, and she offers a small incline of her head. "Hello." She offers at first, her ears flicking back almost shyly, "I'm Maka. I guess you could consider me the trouble maker." She muses, although she doesn't seem to take it too seriously.
Niyt laughs to Maka. Play and work, and what's the right balance? Mothers. At least they seem to have raised good wolves. "They just want what's best," she says to the other female, and then turns her attention to Lexus, taking a step toward him and greeting him with an affectionate nuzzle. At Maka's introduction of herself, she nods. She's already told Lexus a bit about Maka - and now they actually get to meet. Excellent. "If that's troublemaking, then Anoki is the lord of misrule," she says with a smile, making it into rather a joke. "You were asking about the pack - well, here's another part of it. Lexus. My great-uncle."
Lexus catches on to a little of the conversation as he closes the gap and flops down to sit on the snow near the pair "Ahh, the old concerns that you'll never grow up into a good sensible wolf, an old friend of mine seemed to be of the same opinion when I was younger. I'd suggest never listening, being serious is a horrible habit to break" not that Lex is of course entirely serious but he did used to be far less sensible a long time ago. He glances back to Niyt again and chuckles quietly "Occasionally troublemakers will cancel each other out, we're only really in trouble if they team up" he finally nods back at Maka "Pleasure to meet you though, Niyt was telling me about our newest visitors just yesterday"
Maka's head bobs in a silent nod to Niyt's words, and then she must - yet again - remind herself that it is a gesture that the other wolf cannot see. "Right." Her amber eyes shift to Lexus, watching the greeting between the two packmates. She opens her muzzle, about to ask who 'Anoki' is, but then the brown-toned wolf is introduced and she inclines her head again in his direction. "Mmm. Well, I don't usually try to cause trouble. Apparently I just kind of accidentally step in it."
She offers the older wolf a small smile, and then chuckles to herself. "I don't really ever plan on growing up, or being too serious. It would take half the fun out of life." That, of course, is when her eyes go right past Lexus and over to the kills he just brought in. It's enough to make her stomach rumble slightly. Damnit. "Um. Anyways, Niyt, if you could pass on to Tariro that I'd like to take him up on the offer... I'm afraid I have a few errands I need to run." Errands, meaning that she needs to go hunt for herself. She's not part of the pack just yet, or even offiially part of the hunters, so better to take care of that for herself just now so she doesn't come off as just a lazy moocher on the first day.
Niyt smiles fondly. "That's why we need people to make sure we don't stay serious for too long. Or we might forget how to have fun." She nods, and says to her uncle in a soft tone, "You saw a little of that trouble," before returning her attention to Maka. Her ears perk right up at what the other female says, and her tail wags. "Yes, I'll tell him!" she says happily. Good; that trouble wasn't enough to take away from the welcome also extended. She nods about the errands, and if she suspects their reason, she doesn't say anything. "Good luck... and we'll see you around."
Across the river the snow lays mostly idyllic and untouched. Mostly, because there are tracks there which lead this way and that, left behind by an ever-curious youth. Where, thus, could be said youth? No worries, for the boy hasn't strayed far. A large lump of snow is creeping along; carefully, toward the small group of sister, stranger and packmate, stealing the ground in slow creeps, a goofy grin on it's pointy face.
Lexus nods pointlessly to Niyt's whisper but he wasn't going to bring that up and spoil a good conversation, besides he didn't consider Maka the trouble maker in that case. Carrying on anyway he nods to Maka "Nice meeting you again" and watches her go before speaking up again "She seems nice enough" he doesn't seem to have noticed the sneaky pile of snow yet.
Niyt gazes after the sound of Maka's retreating pawsteps, and nods. It's really a quite excellent distraction from very stealthy clumps of snow that may or may not contain wolves. "She is. I think she'll do well here," she says, and then turns back to give Lexus' shoulder a little bump. "And you two seem like you might have a bit in common." Why, is Niyt trying to hook her uncle up? ... quite possibly.
Sneakity sneakity sneak. The lump of snow gets closer; and it can't help the wagging of it's tail at how clever it is! Oh ho ho! This shall be the best hunt ever! It picks a snowy stretch of river for it's slow crossing, as it creeps towards Niyt and Lexus; taking a chance to start curving about behind them.
Lexus raises an eyebrow at Niyt and there's barely a hint of embarrassment, after all he's only just met Maka and a life time has made him sceptical of ever being the desirable one when there are always bigger, stronger wolves around. Mind he's not so jaded to dismiss the idea "Oh yes? Such as what?" his ears twitch and swivel around and he sniffs at the air once but there's no other sign that Anoki has been spotted yet and with the scents of the pack around anyway to mask the young wolf Lex isn't really entirely convinced he heard anything at all.
Niyt would be looking Right At that stealthy snowbeast for a moment or three as it curves around. ... If only she could actually see! But the snow hides her brother's scent, and he's being very careful about the sound of his steps, and her spiritual senses don't really distinguish between 'Anoki, somewhere in the vague packland area and happy' and 'Anoki, currently sneaking up on her' without a degree of attention and focus she's not currently giving, because she's busy talking to her uncle. "She's quick on her feet, isn't she?" says Niyt. Not that she's seen Maka move, but she can hear those quick, almost restless steps. "I think she might give you quite a challenge in a race... and enjoy it, too!" And another wolf more nimble than strong might well admire those traits that go unloved by many.
The lump of snow pauses, watching his sister and his uncle with that grin.. before it suddenly explodes from the rest of the snow with a mighty "RAAAWR, I'MMA SNOW MONSTER AND I'MMA EET YOU!" and an attempt to tackle his sister from behind and try to chomp onto her thick furry neck. "Grawrg roar rawr rawr," Anoki adds, which in 'Monster-ese' means 'I win!'.
Lexus considers things for a moment before responding carefully "I suppose she did look as if she could possibly put on a turn of speed" of course he was looking, she's unrelated and he's not blind "...and I would enjoy the challenge anyway" he tries to keep his hopes firmly contained, further thoughts at scattered to the winds though as suddenly the snow attacks! "Ah!" it's just as well he recognises Anoki's not so scary 'Raaawr' quickly and starts to laugh as he gets back up again "Oh no! It's a snow monster! We're all doomed!"
Who what how AUGH! Niyt startles up as she discovers several things simultaneously. One: She is under attack. Two: Her brother is here. Ah. Non-deadly attackings. Three: He is getting rather heavy. Oof. Four: She is now sprawled out in the snow with her limbs going every which way. Thwomp. She gives herself a shake, making that thick neckfur tug back and forth in Anoki's grabbing jaws, and laughs. "How do we stop snow monsters? Lexus, heeeeeelp!" she says, making little play-whines and barks.
Anoki continues to 'chomp' on his sister; though he's learned as all pups do just how to mouth and not actually hurt. Nom nom nom nom, he moves from her neck to an ear as he flops over on his side and tries to tug her over with him, that same goofy grin on his face. "Wrarrrrr," he announces, letting go of the ear finally, and then pawing at her. "I gotcha good, hahah! I knew it, the snow worked, heehee," he say, beaming. He was so SMART, HAH!
Lexus steps closer to the most amusing battle and goes to lower his nose right down next to Anoki "Well I don't know if I can Niyt, it seems he's got a very good grip on you" he smirks "Perhaps though the monster could be convinced to become peaceful if he were offered something else to chew on? Something more edible?" old fashioned bribery it is! "It's either that or you roll over" he adds with a little grin.
Niyt laughs, shaking herself under Anoki but not seriously trying to send him flying as he noms his way up along her neck and gets her ears no matter how much they flicker. She grins, and flops sideways with him. "Pretty sneaky," she admits with a grin, and turns her head back enough to bump him with her nose. Then she laughs at Lexus' suggestion, and rolls around a bit further onto her brother, squishing him down onto the soft snow beneath them. Not enough to actually crush him or make it hard for him to breathe, of course.
"Augh!" Laughs Anoki, as he starts trying to shove Niyt off. "Nooo, Niyt you're gonna ruin all the snow I rolled in, augh!" He's laughing though, so anger? Yeah, no anger there. He wriggles, and rolls to his tummy yo avoid being skooshed by his sister, then tryes to flail his way out. "Ooh noooooo, the scary snow monster has had the snow rolled off him, nooo, now he is all vulnerable and stuff!" Yaps the growing pup-boy, before he pauses, ears perking. "Food? Like what kinda food?"
"A vulnerable snow monster sounds like the best food!" Lexus announces, the grin widening before he opens his mouth really wide and goes to pounce towards Anoki, land partially on top of Niyt and turn the tables on the snow monster by harmlessly chewing on him instead!
A snowless snow monster is hardly a monster at all! Niyt wiggles back against those flailing paws trying to shove her away, laughing, before she finally relents and rolls off him again, just in time to have Lexus pounce and sprawl over her to try and chomp her little brother. She giggles, not even trying to escape from this wuff-heap.
"Auuugh!" Anoki squirms and laughs, finally rolling over with paws tucked against his chest, giggling: "Uncle! Uncle! I give!" With a lolled-tongue grin, giggling at them both, "But you gotter admit I did good with the snow thing! Neither of ya saw me! So I snuck up pretty good! I betcha we could use that trick on a deer or two, maybe get some easy food!"
Lexus relents and lets the both of them go free as the snow monster gives in, backing off only after he's aimed a big slurpy lick at Anoki and a quick nip at Niyt just because. He laughs again, his tail wagging happily "You were very sneaky, it's true. If you can do that with prey we might all have to start pretending to be snow monsters"
Niyt grins widely, rolling free to where she's neither crushing nor being crushed and thumping her tail against the snow. "You did good," she agrees to her brother. "We'll have to try it on those deer." Admittedly, deer tend to be rather more cautious than wolves. It comes of being prey. Still, it's worth a try! "I can imagine it now. Big snow lump, medium snow lump, and small snow lump, all in a row."
Niyt - Female Wolf
Lexus - Male Wolf
Anoki - Male Juvenile Wolf
---Two-River Fork---
After the confrontation with Helaku, Maka had fled from the borders of Cerulean territory. After all her time away, she hadn't expected to be faced with someone with so much hatred towards her - especially as she hadn't really deserved it. Her sister was her sister - Maka is herself. So, after taking the long way around, skirting the edge of Ute territory and then coming back through towards Cerulean, she finally found that she'd calmed down enough to make another go at it.
So, the gray wolf makes her way again towards the borderlands, nose held low as she sniffs her way rather than following any visual cues. It's that way that she finds herself back at the crossing of the rivers where her initial talk with the pack alpha had gone so terribly awry. Her paws crunch into the snow, following trodden down paths of other creatures, sometimes stopping to sniff.
For once it was actually quiet, but over the past few days Tariro had grown use to the noise and rather missed it. Helaku missing; now that he has gone looking for the wolf, and Maka who he was determined to find, if not just to see how she was. Making a quick look over everyone here, he stands stretching out his limbs before head out toward the border. Perhaps if he patrolled he'd run into her, or at least find out which way she went.
From near the northern edge of the borders, Niyt is returning toward where the rest of her pack generally stays. She's not expecting to meet anyone, and yet her senses are somewhat alert. It is winter; a time when danger can lurk anywhere. She pauses between two bushes, lifting her nose to the wind and testing it for scents. None she doesn't expect, though some are of uncertain freshness. Still, nothing to concern her. She continues on, winding her way through the reeds and brush.
It is during one of these times where Maka is standing still, sniffing at a nearby tree, that she hears the sound of other paws moving nearby. Dark ears lift, moving like tiny radar as she tries to hone in on the sound. Once she's found it, Maka bounds forward, making a *crunch* *crunch* sound as she leaps between snowbanks and appears just at a small rise not far from Niyt. "I thought I heard someone." She notes, head peeking up at first before she bounds into the snow and slides down it like a pup having their first experience with winter. As she comes to a stop, caked with snowfluff, the wolfess offers a smile and then a shake of her fur before giving a real greeting. "Hey Niyt." The poor blind wolf might just end up in the path of some shaken off snow. "Tariro isn't too upset about what Helaku said, is he?" Yes, this is still her primary concern right now, especially with the winter setting in around them.
Niyt lifts up her head at the sound of crunchings through the snow, sniffing the air and listening. Is that - ? The voice confirms it nicely, and she smiles. "Hello, Maka," she says, her alert ears relaxing as this proves to be just a winter meeting, not a winter threat. Snow scattered all over her doesn't count, though it does mean she gives /herself/ a little shake. At the other wolf's question, she tilts her head to the side. Tariro... "No," she answers, though she hardly knows for sure. Her uncle isn't the type to much talk about how he feels. "He's just... disappointed. In Helaku." The other one who's really taken this hard is Helaku himself - but his exile has, at least, been of his own doing and his own responsibility.
There is a somewhat shy laugh from Maka when the other wolf shakes off, seeming a little embarassed for her overexhuberance. She'd been away from others for so long that sometimes she forgot exactly how to deal with them. "Oh. Good." The sound of relief is evident in her voice as she settles herself down, tail making a small arc in the snow behind her. "I... " She starts, and then seems to fail to find the right words. "I really didn't mean for that to happen." It comes out in a rush, her ears tucking back. "When Coinin said the name, I thought it was familiar, but the Helaku I knew of is dead. That wolf had a different name, then." She trails off, as if unsure if she should share this information or not. "I don't remember much about it, but I do remember that his pack sent him to die."
Maka lets out a breath, one that sounds distinctly like a raspberry. "As for what he said about my sister... I don't know if any of it is true or not. But I cared about Abel, and it... it hurt to be accused of anything that would have hurt him." A small whimper comes from her muzzle. "It was a long time ago."
What's a bit of snow, here and there? Niyt smiles, though her ears perk up again as Maka begins to speak, and the face becomes a little more serious. Interesting facts, from a different perspective. From the tilt of her head, she didn't know about his former name - and the way her ears flick, she /certainly/ didn't know about his former pack sending him to die. That... explains him somewhat more, actually. It still doesn't excuse him, but it explains him. "It wasn't your fault," she tells Maka. "He's... like a yearling rabbit. Twitchy. Anything can set him off." Which is something that is going to need to change, if Helaku is going to keep his welcome here, but... perhaps it still will. If he decides it is something he wishes to change. She will hold back her judgement for now, for a little longer.
Niyt lowers her tail in sympathy as Maka talks about her sister, and Abel, and takes a step forward, reaching out to nose gently at Maka's cheek if the other wolf will let her. "It was. A very long time ago." She sighs. "Sometimes, old wounds still seem fresh. That doesn't mean anyone should gnaw at those of others and tear them open." She turns her head aside, blind gaze staring away south. "I don't know the truth about your sister. I met her, once, when I was a puppy. She was nice to a curious pup, at least." She considers it a moment longer, then laughs a little and shrugs. "It was a long time ago."
"Guess I'm not much better." Maka admits with a sigh, blowing cold air out in a little puff in front of her muzzle. "I ran. I'm used to people trying to attack me, or run me off pack lands, but I'm not used to that kind of thing." The sway of her tail slows as it curls around her haunches. "I just wish he'd see that I didn't have anything to do with all that. Whatever happened in the past, it's part of the past. All the anger in the world won't change it."
She does except that nose to her cheek, although she ends up a bit surprised by the gesture. Maka leans into it slightly, probably the first real affection she's experienced in years. It does bring a laugh, though. "Jeeze, make me feel old, Niyt." In truth, Maka isn't that old, at least not in the grand scheme of things. "I be that was probably around the time I left. Maybe a little after." She didn't remember a visit to Cerulean, but that didn't mean it didn't happen. Time fades memories like that. "So..." She starts, trying to think of something more pleasant to talk about. "Tell me about the other wolves in Cerulean?" Her voice sounds more curious than anything else - she's... probably not a spy.
Running away is a different thing than lashing out, to Niyt's mind. And besides... "You came back." Everyone has done things they'd rather not have in retrospect, but nobody is perfect. All that's to be done is to fix them as best as can be and then move on. Those who don't choose to try and fix their mistakes... well, Maka doesn't seem one of those. At the accusation of making Maka feel old, Niyt laughs too, and lowers her body into the pose of a puppy for just a moment, all perked muzzle and wagging tail. "Sorry," she says from that pose, though her tone is more cheerful than truly contrite. It's all part of the great historical period of Before She Was Even Born. Then she stands up normally again, and nods. "Two years ago, it would have been. Nearly three." How time does move. Her face twitches as she narrowly avoids feeling old herself. At the question about the rest of the pack, she smiles. "Well, let's see now. You've met Tariro," she begins. "He's my uncle, my father's brother. The two of them have led this pack since we became Cerulean."
The words 'you came back' seem to echo around Maka's mind. She came back to Cerulean, but she had never gone back to Ute. She'd left when things changed - when her sister told her that she had been chosen to become alpha rather than Abel. The whole mess had confused her then, as a young wolf just on the cusp of being an adult. Up until then, she'd been the one that might have become an alpha, if her relationship with Abel held, and then the world suddenly turned sideways.
There is a troubled silence that follows those words, to the point that she nearly misses the waggling tail and youthful pose of Niyt as her mind gets lost in her own thoughts. The laugh, and look of amusement comes with a lag attached to it. "Don't be sorry." Maka smirks, her muzzle pulling up. "Sounds about right, though. I was still pretty young, myself, back then. So no calling me an old wolf yet." There is some challenge in her voice, afterall, she still had quite a few good years left in her. However, the run-down of the pack catches her interest afterwards, "So, there's two alpha males?" This is the first she'd heard of it. "I thought normally a male and a female lead together." Her head tilts. "What about their mates?"
Niyt shakes her head. "No, Tariro is alpha. My father Shag is beta," she answers, though she frowns slightly as she says it. Perhaps because of what follows next. "Tariro's mate Aika died years ago, trying to save one of her pups from winter snow." No wonder, then, that this pack looks kindly on wanderers in winter; and that her father, though beta, had a more active role in leading the pack than might be otherwise expected. One wolf can't do everything alone. Niyt pauses for a moment, then goes on. "My mother..." She sighs, and lowers her head. "My mother died of illness this summer past."
In all her travels, Maka had seen many different pack setups, and this one seems no stranger than the others. "Oh." She hadn't considered betas, although perhaps some packs did see them as leadership of some state equal to the alphas. Then, she opens her mouth to say more, but the continued sad story has her just going, "Oh..." a second time. She hesitates, wiggling a little and making the snow crunch around her rear end before she speaks again. "It must be hard to lead all on their own. My mother always said that a pack is only as strong as it's females, because females are the lifebringers." It sounds like old wisdom, but Maka simply shrugs. She's no great mystic. "Tariro never took another mate?" It seemed a logical thing, at least to Maka. "I mean, pups are important to the pack."
Niyt lifts up her head as Maka speaks. She's never heard that saying about females and lifebringing, but... "Your mother sounds wise." Niyt smiles a little. "No, Tariro never took another mate. He has two surviving children, but they're older even than I am. The pups these past years have been me and my siblings." Though what's going to become of that now, with her mother dead, her father gone, and still no mate for uncle Tariro? In fact... there's not a single mated pair in the whole pack, so far as she knows, and Niyt thinks she knows just about everyone. There will be no pups this spring, and as for the next... who knows?
As they talk at least one of the pack has been off out and hunting. It feels like it's been a while since Lexus properly hunted down something for the pack, though in the grand scheme of things a few weeks wasn't his longest break. He has been successful, his scars no longer bothering him so much he's been able to chase down a couple of rabbits which hang from his jaws as he pads back towards the pack's resting spot.
"She was." Maka replies, although her voice drops a bit. "She rejoined the spirits just after Wyanet left our home pack. That's kind of why I left. I didn't have anything keeping me there, anymore." That, too, had been a long time ago. It seems so much lies in th past. "I remember bits and pieces, though. I was pretty young." Looking upward, Maka squints as she seems to struggle for memory. "A wolf should value all life, even that which fills her belly." It sounds as if she's saying this word for word from some memory. Then, with a chuckle, Maka just murmurs, "I can't make it sound as mystical as she could."
As for the rest, her ears fold back slightly, her silence showing her concern even if Niyt can't quite see it. "Sounds like this pack has had some really rough times. Maybe... the spring will bring a change of fortune. I mean..." Words fail her again for a moment, "Well, there's new females coming into the territory. Me, and that one Coinin knew. You never know what the seasons might bring." And speaking of what might be brought, Maka's eyes swivel to take in the arrival. Another unfamiliar wolf, so she looks to Niyt, as if expecting her to somehow realize who it is even without him speaking.
Niyt nods softly to Maka as she speaks of her mother's passing. She understands well how difficult the loss of a mother can be; though for her, there was more to keep her in this pack, other bonds of love that held her. Yes, all life has value, but... she laughs. "We never can. Mothers have some special trick, I think... though mine was more likely to tell me to take my nose out of the wind and try playing for once."
Then Niyt sighs, and nods. "Yes. The wind keeps blowing, the seasons keep turning. The moment is never the same. We'll see what happens." And then, Niyt performs what might as well be a magic trick, for she tilts her head and flickers one ear, and then turns her head to gaze blindly in the direction of those footsteps and calls happily, "Uncle Lexus!" Yeah, she's just that familiar with him that she can tell from his gait and the tiny flickers of his scent that wind-eddies bring. She doesn't even need any of her spiritual gifts.
Lexus ears perk to the sound of talking but he can't greet with food in his mouth nor can he easily tell what the conversation is yet. He tries to say hello as Niyt spots him but it's little more than a grunt around the rabbits and a wag of the tail that only Maka's going to see anyway. He becomes more obviously friendly once he's put down the prey ready for the pack to eat "Hey pup" his lazy pace taking him towards his niece though his eyes have shifted to Maka "Hello. Another of the new faces, which one would you be?"
"Maybe it comes with age." Maka shrugs her shoulders upwards, dismissing it as one of those 'mysteries of time' that she isn't quite privvy to as of yet. Even if she might have miles and miles on most wolves, she has a lot of life experiences that she hasn't gotten to have just yet. "Mine used to tell me to stop playing all the time and take things more seriously. Guess parents are never happy." At least she can look back on those times fondly now.
It comes as no great surprise to Maka to see that Niyt is somehow able to not only detect but identify the arriving wolf. The blind tend to have other senses that are just that much keener to make up for the loss. Her own eyes follow the milky ones of the other wolf, and she offers a small incline of her head. "Hello." She offers at first, her ears flicking back almost shyly, "I'm Maka. I guess you could consider me the trouble maker." She muses, although she doesn't seem to take it too seriously.
Niyt laughs to Maka. Play and work, and what's the right balance? Mothers. At least they seem to have raised good wolves. "They just want what's best," she says to the other female, and then turns her attention to Lexus, taking a step toward him and greeting him with an affectionate nuzzle. At Maka's introduction of herself, she nods. She's already told Lexus a bit about Maka - and now they actually get to meet. Excellent. "If that's troublemaking, then Anoki is the lord of misrule," she says with a smile, making it into rather a joke. "You were asking about the pack - well, here's another part of it. Lexus. My great-uncle."
Lexus catches on to a little of the conversation as he closes the gap and flops down to sit on the snow near the pair "Ahh, the old concerns that you'll never grow up into a good sensible wolf, an old friend of mine seemed to be of the same opinion when I was younger. I'd suggest never listening, being serious is a horrible habit to break" not that Lex is of course entirely serious but he did used to be far less sensible a long time ago. He glances back to Niyt again and chuckles quietly "Occasionally troublemakers will cancel each other out, we're only really in trouble if they team up" he finally nods back at Maka "Pleasure to meet you though, Niyt was telling me about our newest visitors just yesterday"
Maka's head bobs in a silent nod to Niyt's words, and then she must - yet again - remind herself that it is a gesture that the other wolf cannot see. "Right." Her amber eyes shift to Lexus, watching the greeting between the two packmates. She opens her muzzle, about to ask who 'Anoki' is, but then the brown-toned wolf is introduced and she inclines her head again in his direction. "Mmm. Well, I don't usually try to cause trouble. Apparently I just kind of accidentally step in it."
She offers the older wolf a small smile, and then chuckles to herself. "I don't really ever plan on growing up, or being too serious. It would take half the fun out of life." That, of course, is when her eyes go right past Lexus and over to the kills he just brought in. It's enough to make her stomach rumble slightly. Damnit. "Um. Anyways, Niyt, if you could pass on to Tariro that I'd like to take him up on the offer... I'm afraid I have a few errands I need to run." Errands, meaning that she needs to go hunt for herself. She's not part of the pack just yet, or even offiially part of the hunters, so better to take care of that for herself just now so she doesn't come off as just a lazy moocher on the first day.
Niyt smiles fondly. "That's why we need people to make sure we don't stay serious for too long. Or we might forget how to have fun." She nods, and says to her uncle in a soft tone, "You saw a little of that trouble," before returning her attention to Maka. Her ears perk right up at what the other female says, and her tail wags. "Yes, I'll tell him!" she says happily. Good; that trouble wasn't enough to take away from the welcome also extended. She nods about the errands, and if she suspects their reason, she doesn't say anything. "Good luck... and we'll see you around."
Across the river the snow lays mostly idyllic and untouched. Mostly, because there are tracks there which lead this way and that, left behind by an ever-curious youth. Where, thus, could be said youth? No worries, for the boy hasn't strayed far. A large lump of snow is creeping along; carefully, toward the small group of sister, stranger and packmate, stealing the ground in slow creeps, a goofy grin on it's pointy face.
Lexus nods pointlessly to Niyt's whisper but he wasn't going to bring that up and spoil a good conversation, besides he didn't consider Maka the trouble maker in that case. Carrying on anyway he nods to Maka "Nice meeting you again" and watches her go before speaking up again "She seems nice enough" he doesn't seem to have noticed the sneaky pile of snow yet.
Niyt gazes after the sound of Maka's retreating pawsteps, and nods. It's really a quite excellent distraction from very stealthy clumps of snow that may or may not contain wolves. "She is. I think she'll do well here," she says, and then turns back to give Lexus' shoulder a little bump. "And you two seem like you might have a bit in common." Why, is Niyt trying to hook her uncle up? ... quite possibly.
Sneakity sneakity sneak. The lump of snow gets closer; and it can't help the wagging of it's tail at how clever it is! Oh ho ho! This shall be the best hunt ever! It picks a snowy stretch of river for it's slow crossing, as it creeps towards Niyt and Lexus; taking a chance to start curving about behind them.
Lexus raises an eyebrow at Niyt and there's barely a hint of embarrassment, after all he's only just met Maka and a life time has made him sceptical of ever being the desirable one when there are always bigger, stronger wolves around. Mind he's not so jaded to dismiss the idea "Oh yes? Such as what?" his ears twitch and swivel around and he sniffs at the air once but there's no other sign that Anoki has been spotted yet and with the scents of the pack around anyway to mask the young wolf Lex isn't really entirely convinced he heard anything at all.
Niyt would be looking Right At that stealthy snowbeast for a moment or three as it curves around. ... If only she could actually see! But the snow hides her brother's scent, and he's being very careful about the sound of his steps, and her spiritual senses don't really distinguish between 'Anoki, somewhere in the vague packland area and happy' and 'Anoki, currently sneaking up on her' without a degree of attention and focus she's not currently giving, because she's busy talking to her uncle. "She's quick on her feet, isn't she?" says Niyt. Not that she's seen Maka move, but she can hear those quick, almost restless steps. "I think she might give you quite a challenge in a race... and enjoy it, too!" And another wolf more nimble than strong might well admire those traits that go unloved by many.
The lump of snow pauses, watching his sister and his uncle with that grin.. before it suddenly explodes from the rest of the snow with a mighty "RAAAWR, I'MMA SNOW MONSTER AND I'MMA EET YOU!" and an attempt to tackle his sister from behind and try to chomp onto her thick furry neck. "Grawrg roar rawr rawr," Anoki adds, which in 'Monster-ese' means 'I win!'.
Lexus considers things for a moment before responding carefully "I suppose she did look as if she could possibly put on a turn of speed" of course he was looking, she's unrelated and he's not blind "...and I would enjoy the challenge anyway" he tries to keep his hopes firmly contained, further thoughts at scattered to the winds though as suddenly the snow attacks! "Ah!" it's just as well he recognises Anoki's not so scary 'Raaawr' quickly and starts to laugh as he gets back up again "Oh no! It's a snow monster! We're all doomed!"
Who what how AUGH! Niyt startles up as she discovers several things simultaneously. One: She is under attack. Two: Her brother is here. Ah. Non-deadly attackings. Three: He is getting rather heavy. Oof. Four: She is now sprawled out in the snow with her limbs going every which way. Thwomp. She gives herself a shake, making that thick neckfur tug back and forth in Anoki's grabbing jaws, and laughs. "How do we stop snow monsters? Lexus, heeeeeelp!" she says, making little play-whines and barks.
Anoki continues to 'chomp' on his sister; though he's learned as all pups do just how to mouth and not actually hurt. Nom nom nom nom, he moves from her neck to an ear as he flops over on his side and tries to tug her over with him, that same goofy grin on his face. "Wrarrrrr," he announces, letting go of the ear finally, and then pawing at her. "I gotcha good, hahah! I knew it, the snow worked, heehee," he say, beaming. He was so SMART, HAH!
Lexus steps closer to the most amusing battle and goes to lower his nose right down next to Anoki "Well I don't know if I can Niyt, it seems he's got a very good grip on you" he smirks "Perhaps though the monster could be convinced to become peaceful if he were offered something else to chew on? Something more edible?" old fashioned bribery it is! "It's either that or you roll over" he adds with a little grin.
Niyt laughs, shaking herself under Anoki but not seriously trying to send him flying as he noms his way up along her neck and gets her ears no matter how much they flicker. She grins, and flops sideways with him. "Pretty sneaky," she admits with a grin, and turns her head back enough to bump him with her nose. Then she laughs at Lexus' suggestion, and rolls around a bit further onto her brother, squishing him down onto the soft snow beneath them. Not enough to actually crush him or make it hard for him to breathe, of course.
"Augh!" Laughs Anoki, as he starts trying to shove Niyt off. "Nooo, Niyt you're gonna ruin all the snow I rolled in, augh!" He's laughing though, so anger? Yeah, no anger there. He wriggles, and rolls to his tummy yo avoid being skooshed by his sister, then tryes to flail his way out. "Ooh noooooo, the scary snow monster has had the snow rolled off him, nooo, now he is all vulnerable and stuff!" Yaps the growing pup-boy, before he pauses, ears perking. "Food? Like what kinda food?"
"A vulnerable snow monster sounds like the best food!" Lexus announces, the grin widening before he opens his mouth really wide and goes to pounce towards Anoki, land partially on top of Niyt and turn the tables on the snow monster by harmlessly chewing on him instead!
A snowless snow monster is hardly a monster at all! Niyt wiggles back against those flailing paws trying to shove her away, laughing, before she finally relents and rolls off him again, just in time to have Lexus pounce and sprawl over her to try and chomp her little brother. She giggles, not even trying to escape from this wuff-heap.
"Auuugh!" Anoki squirms and laughs, finally rolling over with paws tucked against his chest, giggling: "Uncle! Uncle! I give!" With a lolled-tongue grin, giggling at them both, "But you gotter admit I did good with the snow thing! Neither of ya saw me! So I snuck up pretty good! I betcha we could use that trick on a deer or two, maybe get some easy food!"
Lexus relents and lets the both of them go free as the snow monster gives in, backing off only after he's aimed a big slurpy lick at Anoki and a quick nip at Niyt just because. He laughs again, his tail wagging happily "You were very sneaky, it's true. If you can do that with prey we might all have to start pretending to be snow monsters"
Niyt grins widely, rolling free to where she's neither crushing nor being crushed and thumping her tail against the snow. "You did good," she agrees to her brother. "We'll have to try it on those deer." Admittedly, deer tend to be rather more cautious than wolves. It comes of being prey. Still, it's worth a try! "I can imagine it now. Big snow lump, medium snow lump, and small snow lump, all in a row."