Post by Pavane on Mar 14, 2012 2:49:01 GMT -5
Tala - female adolescent wolf
Ahiga - male adolescent wolf
Ikuna - male adolescent wolf
---Wildwood Acre---
The last few days for the pack's youth has been rather troublesome. Tala is slowly moving along coming down from the moor. She's scratched up and rather gruffy looking, her fur a mess and a slight notch can be found in her right ear. Leave it to Tala to go find something to pick a fight with. She pauses for a moment, frontpaw lifting to rub and scratch across her face a few times and she snorts a few times before a great shake is seen across her form. Her movements soon start again and she moves onwards towards some cottonwood trees, ears twitching while her gaze slides across the area and a tired sigh escapes her. There has been a lot on her mind to say the least.
Tell me about it. It's been a topsy turvy time, but at last Ahiga has had some moments to settle down and think things over. His most recent encounter with Ikuna has clued him into one thing: If this Awkward Time does not get resolved soon, the three tight-knit friends may be friends no longer, and that's something that he can not and will not accept. And so, after some soul searching, he's come up with something, and it's something that he needs to talk over with /both/ of his friends. And so he's been tracking them. Ikuna has proven to be very difficult to pinpoint, a fact that does not settle well with Ahiga, but for now he focuses on finding Tala. He's found her scent much easier to trace, and he emerges into the wood with his nose twitching and expression determined. And, lo and behold, there she is a few yards in front of him. Doing his best to put everything he's heard, said, and fantasized over out of his mind, he lifts his head to call ahead to her. "Hey, wait up."
Tala wasn't /that/ hard to find, not like she was hiding the day before off the lands after all. She has settles down upon the ground in front of trees that she wandered over to. At the voice a ear perks forward and she ponders while glancing up and watches Ahiga a few moments. Its not like she can run off and say she has to wash her fur! His found her after all. "Hey Ahiga.." Is offered with a soft tone while she shifts back to her haunches, ears lowered and tail curled tightly to her side. That stormy gaze of hers watching him quietly.
Success! She's not running off /or/ growling at him. This is a good sign, or so Ahiga hopes. His tail sways very slightly, hopefully, as he approaches, though the nearer he gets the slower he goes until he stops altogether a few yards away from where she's settled. This was much easier when done in his head, but he can't back out now or stutter and stammer like he's so foolishly done thus far. Look where /that's/ gotten him. So he takes a breath before he speaks. Then another. And then, just to be on the safe side, one more slow one. Let's cut to the chase. "Look, I don't hate you," he says bluntly. "Ikuna said that's what ya think I think about you, an' I don't. Yeah I was...sort've pissed or whatever because've what you said, but I don't hate you. You'n Ikuna are my best friends."
Tala isn't running off yet, it will depend on what he has to say it seems. Her gaze watches him closely, as if expecting him to say something she doesn't want to hear. Her head turns as she glances off a moment while her nose twitches. "I.. Didn't mean for what I said to come out like I did Ahiga." She offers with a simple tone before letting her gaze lower to the ground and a faint breath escape her. "You've known me long neough, have I ever actually been one for words?"
Ever since that... horrible, horrible moment... Ikuna has been a ghost wolf. It's not that he hasn't been back to the den, because he clearly has; the evidence of his scent and the left-behind rabbits and other food is incontrovertible. He just hasn't been sticking around long enough to actually speak to anyone before leaving again on yet another patrol or hunt or... anything else he can think of to keep busy. Even his pup-sitting has been done at intervals carefully selected for the likelihood that nobody - or at least not Tala or Ahiga - is going to be around to find him. If he can just avoid showing his face for... oh, maybe the next year or so... then all this will blow over, right? That's his plan at the moment, anyway.
It's going pretty good up until his patrol brings Ikuna around a thick cluster of brambles and he sees before him... Ahiga and Tala. Noooo! Stupid lack of wind not warning him. He hesitates there, just too far to really hear them, with his ears splayed in uncertainty. Maybe he can slip away before they notice him? He'll just - wait. What happened to Tala? She looks a mess! Did Ahi- no, he can't even imagine that. It's un-possible. But what did happen? Concern keeps him pinned for the moment, though he still doesn't manage to actually say hi or anything. Just... stands there, awkwardly. Maybe he's lucky and will manage to turn invisible! He'd like that, he thinks. Here's his sister and his best friend, and... it sure looks like they're having some sort of reconciliatory moment, and then they'll be together like everyone says, and like they both want... and that's what he wants, too, right? Well... It's what he should want, anyway. Never mind it makes him feel like his head is spinning and he's drowning under ice-water.
"Oh hey...what happened to you?" Ahiga blinks once and shakes his head briskly, as if seeing Tala for the first time (and with how caught up he was with getting out his words the right way this time, it's very likely that he wasn't actually focused on her appearance). Til now. He blinks again and leans forward a little where he stands, brows furrowing. He does answer her question, if not a litle distractedly. "No. But we never really talked a whole lot really," he muses, head slightly tilting. But really, what has there been to talk about til now? He's never had a problem with /not/ having long heart to heart conversations with her or Ikuna for that matter. They've been his friends nad playmates, there for when they needed each other no matter what. Having adventures. Getting in and out of messes. Too many words just complicate things (obviously). "Look," he says, waving a paw to dismiss the thought, "I need Ikuna here too. I've got stuff to say to you both. Have you seen him? I've been tryin' to find him but...geeze, catchin' up with him is like tryin' to catch up with the wind. He's mad at me too, or something."
Tala maw twitches slightly, her nose wiggling a moment and her ears perking forward in the process. "Nothing happened to be." She offers with a simple huff and a slight shake of her fur and head, a nice cut rests across her cheek. "Well.. No I suppose not. We was more worried about finding hidden dens and catching rabbits hum?" A soft smile seen. "Ahiga.. What I said is not what I meant.. Even if there was /others/.. I know I'd still have feelings to you.. I just hope your believe me.." This said with a soft tone. As if Ahiga could harm her, she would tear him to bits if he so tryed! There is a pause. "I.. Haven't seen him since the other day really. Why.. What did you want to say to us? An I don't think he's mad at you at all."
Or something. Definitely 'or something'. Ikuna watches, and his head lowers as he sees Tala start to smile. Yeah. This is going just... just like it should. This is what he was trying to do. To make both of them happy. That's what important here, not... not his own strange feelings. His own feelings, that don't match any of the stories or any of the songs. He'll just have to learn to deal... and so he turns with a heavy heart and starts to pad away. ...he might have made it, too, only his eyes are somehow too blurry to really watch where he's going, and he steps down onto a branch. *ker-SNAP!*
Wow, that's what she meant? Talk about getting words twisted, but that's besides the point now...even though her admitting to that has him vaguely grinning in a largel foolish way, his chest puffing out juuust a tiny bit. Er, Ahiga, focus! He snaps out of his mini reverie with a brisk shake of his head. What did he want to say to them? "It's about that. What you jus' said... but I've got to have /both/ of ya here," he insists with a wrinkle of his nose. "Everytime we all talk seperate it gets all...mixed up and wrong. You didn' see Ikuna yesterday. He /is/ pissed at me, but I dunno about what. I've got to.." *ker-SNAP!* His ears prick quickly and he turns just as briskly, peering in the direction in which the sound came from. Spy! Or a snack. His ears fold back and a growl rises in his chest, glancing to Tala in silent signal as he stalks forth. They're gonna take this thing down together!
Tala watches Ahiga curiously a few moments, a smile stays upon her maw as he seems well better then the other day. An she's never been one with words the should know this by now! "Well.. What, what is it?" There is a pause at the movement, ears perking and she blinks while glancing at the snapping of said branch and nods slightly as she shifts to her paws moving towards the right in order to come up and around to see what is 'watching' them so to speak.
Ikuna is no snack. Spy? Well, maybe, but he's a singularly bad one at the moment between the misunderstanding what he's seen and the lack of stealth. He's certainly not patrolling any more, either, because that would require him actually paying a modicum of attention to his surroundings. The young wolf hasn't walked into a tree yet, but that's more luck than skill as he shuffles along. His head is down, his tail is drooping, and his eyes are watering. He's just going to go off and be alone, and let Tala and Ahiga have their moment together. Maybe howl out to the empty sky, he doesn't know.
It smells like...like... "IKUNA!" Ahiga's eyes widen when he catches the very fresh scent of his friend, and there, not but some yards ahead of both he and Tala, he is! He puts on a sudden burst of speed, breaking out into a full out run. If yesterday is any indication, Ikuna isn't planning on sticking around, and Ahiga is hell bent on /not/ letting the other male escape! His eyes shift, knowing that Tala's gone off to the right. If her dear brother does decide to make a run for it, maybe he can herd him her way and she can tackle him down. Teamwork! It's what being a wolf is all about, right? And so he runs with every intention of tackling Ikuna if the opportunity presents itself.
Tala follows along at a quick careful pace, her ears perking forward and she tilts her head before catching her brother's scent and blinks slightly as she catches sight of Ikuna. Her ears perk forward and a frown crosses her maw. "Ikuna..?" Is questioned before Ahiga comes into the mix and she ers faintly at the sight before she bounds over rather quickly. "Ahiga.. Wait!" She calls out rather quickly.
Huh? Ikuna lifts up his head at the sound of his name. What are they coming at /him/ for? This is their moment. He was just leaving so they could have it. He wasn't expecting Ahiga, or - Tala, too? What's going on here? He blinks in befuddlement, and to try to clear away the tears that make Ahiga's shape blurry. He's just plain too stunned to even respond, let alone actually move out of the way of the charge.
What? Oh no! Tala's moving in the way! Ahiga's going full speed and Tala's an obstacle that he's not going to successfully avoid, for he attempts to slow himself a hair too late. He leaps in a last ditch attempt to jump over her to jump on Ikuna, but such acrobatic moves only really work in one's own mind, and this is how it really goes down: Ahiga jumps, but not high enough to completely jump over Tala, and thus his legs crash and tangle upon her back, causing him to fall on her. The force of his forward motion jump could possibly have a domino effect and cause the both of them to tumble on poor unsuspecting Ikuna. Wolfpile!
Tala frowns as she watches her brother, looking worried.. An then in crashes Ahiga and she erks out sharply as she goes sprawling forward.. She smacks into her and she them slams into her dear brother with a half yelp escaping herin the process.
Ikuna goes down, hard. The breath is knocked out of him with a whooof sound as he ends up the bottom of the domino effect of flying wolves. Ikuna falls down among the crumpled leaves, and if there hadn't already been tears in his eyes, there certainly would be now. Owwww.
Ugh! That hurt! Ahiga lands on top of everyone with squinted eyes, teeth clipping together. Hey, love hurts..right? "Sorry.." he winces as he squints an eye open. But hey....mission accomplished! Ikuna has been found and detained, and thus Ahiga shows no sign of getting his heavy self off of the top of the pile, determination creeping back on his face. "I'm only gonna get up if you promise not to run away, Ikuna. I can lay here all day, y'know. I don't care if you're squished down there."
Tala grunts out faintly and isn't moving to quickly as she has fell in a strange angle. She wiggles about and kicks a hindpaw a few times and shifts about until she is able to sit up. Well that was fun.. Not. "Ikuna.. Why did you leave.. What's wrong?" She questions while just ignoring Ahiga an a faint snuffle escaping her in the process.
Ikuna's ears go back against his head at Ahiga's words. He just wants to let them be happy! Why won't they leave him alone and let him deal with these feelings? Neither of them is letting him go, and Tala's asking those questions, and... he doesn't want to explain. It'll make them unhappy, and besides, he doesn't really understand himself. It's just... awkward. He's quiet for a long moment, and then he sighs. "Okay," he says quietly, sounding resigned. "I won't run."
Owow. Tala's shuffling about isn't making things easier, but at least once she's free Ahiga can still keep himseslf pinned upon Ikuna until he makes his promise. Gradually he begins to shift himself off of him, removing more and more of his weight until he finally lets him up all the way. He steps off and gives his body a brisk shake. "Sorry," he says to Tala again. He really didn't mean to knock her down, but obviously she's been through worse things than that today! He focuses his eyes on Ikuna, though his intent isn't to press him about yesterday. That'll blow over he's sure, and he's hoping to help speed that along. "Now that you're both here, stay put. I've got stuff to say, and it's gonna fix all this mess we've got. I hope." He inhales a breath and lets it out, watching Ikuna. "Ikuna, if I ever had a brother, I'd hope he was like you. I don' know why you ran the other day." A pause, and a fractional glance is given to Tala. "..Well, maybe I might know, but it doesn't matter. You're my best friend, and that's not never gonna change, you feel me? No matter what."
Tala watches her brother, looking clearly worried. She leans close and nuzzles against his cheek and neck while pressing her shoulder against his a moment. A faint smirk is offered to Ahiga and she nods to him. "Its alright.." There's a pause as he goes on, and she is quiet while watching him curiously a moment and stays quiet while he speaks..
All the mess? Cleaned up, just with what Ahiga has to say? That's a pretty big claim. We shall see. Ikuna shifts onto his belly once he's no longer being crushed, but he doesn't bother standing up. His tail is limp down against the ground, and he barely even responds to Tala's nuzzling, just tilting his head slightly and letting out a little puff of breath against her cheek. His eyes go to Ahiga, watching the other wolf as he speaks. Like a brother, huh? He twitches a little, because he knows what brotherly love is like. He does, he loves Tala like that and Asku like that and... but... but that's all he can expect, isn't it? That's the right thing. There's plenty about that in the stories and the songs. Blood brothers, united together in battle... yeah. His head lowers slightly, his eyes going to the ground. "Yeah. Friends forever." Most. Unconvinced. Wolf. Ever.
Ahiga gives Tala a "See? I TOLD you he was pissed at me!" sort of look, for it's obvious that Ikuna's mood hasn't changed much since the last time he saw him. Well...all he can hope to do is trudge on despite it all. "Really, Ikuna," he says, a forceful sound to his voice, and he lowers his head some in order to look the other wolf as close as "in the eye" as he can get. "You're the first friend I ever had. If I hadn' met you an' Tala, I don't know where I'd be right now. Dead, prolly, cuz I wouldnt've stuck around here." He exhales a slow breath through the nose and raises his head to a more normal level, golden eyes shifting to Tala now. "Tala, Ikuna told me that maybe you were gonna go to...to Cerulean lands to see Anoki," he says, keeping his voice level, though there is a slight tightness to his jaw as he says this, if one were looking closely enough. "I know y'said that..you didn't really mean what you said to me. About you only l-..likin' me because there wasn't nobody else nobody else around here...but Ithinkyoushouldgo." He rushes the last bit before his mind can change. "You're not lyin'. It really is.. /just/ me here. I guess. So uh, maybe y'should go, kinda see if maybe there's...uh, better.. somethin' better than...y'know...me." A pause and he glances upward, just to look anywhere else. "Cuz it wouldn't be good if you ended up with me an' then wished you hadn't."
Tala lets her head bump against Ikuna. "Hey.. Listen to what he is saying." She murmurs to her dear brother, someone she would do /anything/ for mind you. A ear twitches as she glances back to Ahiga, an well.. That was the last thing she thought he would say. Her ears lower and she is quiet while watching Ahiga before letting her gaze drift off. What does she even say to that?.. She swallows a moment. "Perhaps I will.." Though its not something she wanted to say from the sound of it. Her shoulders lowers slightly while she leans against Ikuna looking well.. somewhat crushed at the moment.
Maybe Ahiga's getting through to him, because Ikuna does lift up his head and return the other wolf's gaze. His eyes are even almost steady... at least, if you don't notice the wetness beneath them, and their slight redness. "I..." he starts. ...love you, he wants to finish, but he can't bring himself to do it. Maybe it comes through in his gaze, in the anxious, longing stare he gives the other male, but... well. Longing looks have a hard time carrying through in situations like these when even /words/ get misunderstood and taken wrong. Like Ahiga's noble gesture, and Tala's reaction... which is his fault too, isn't it? He's the one who said she should go visit Anoki in the first place. This is all his fault. He lets out an involuntary whine. "I... want you to be happy. Both of you." He looks to his sister, and noses at her gently, then back to Ahiga again.
Ahiga's eyes stay elevated to the branches above for a while longer, even after Tala answers. It's easier to look up to keep his own emotions from showing. To not see whatever emotions ma be etching itself over the features of his friends. This is necessary thing, he feels, and it might make things better for them all. If Tala leaves and decides to stick with Anoki, then she will be happy. If she is with Anoki, then there won't be the awkward strain on the trio's friendship, and Ikuna will be happy and won't feel left out. And if Ikuna and Tala are happy, then things will be good. His eyes flit back to Ikuna, watching the other wolf with a look of hope as he begins to speak. He wants him to be happy? There's a very faint cant of his head before he slightly smirks. "Hey, s'long as I got you guys, I'm happy," he assures, looking to Tala after. He swallows, wanting the assurance of nearness and touch too, but who does he lay by? Snorting, he moves to the both of them and, whether they like it or not, tries to weasel himself inbetween the two of them.
Tala is quiet while watching the ground for a few moments. "Its fine.. Really.. I'll go and see Anoki." Is what she offers while her eyes close and her tail flicks a few times. It must be a good idea because Ikuna and Ahiga have suggested it after all. Who says she is going to stick with Anoki? Who's ideas is THIS? Maybe she won't pick either of them if this is what is involved with a relationship. She glances to Ahiga and slowly shifts to settle upon the ground so he can settle in the middle. So with everything said why does she feel like she lost?
Ikuna nods to Ahiga's words. He... still doesn't know what he should do, but leaving isn't the right answer. He knows that now. It's not just something that hurts him; it hurts the others, too. So, one way or the other, he's going to stick with Ahiga and Tala, and somehow figure out what the right thing is for all of them. ...somehow. He nods to Tala, though now he's less certain than when he first said it. These things are confusing! "Say hi for me," he says to her, and nuzzles her cheek before rolling aside as Ahiga shoulders his way in to lie between them. Just like a million times before, only this time... Ikuna is aware of it differently. Even though he tries to tell himself it's just... being friends... it still makes his heartbeat quicken a little, his muscles tensing a moment before he makes himself relax and just lean back in against the other wolf. It's nice.
Good. So it's settled. The boys have set up a date for Anoki. ... Hm. Perhaps they should've clued in Anoki on these plans? And of course, with two males being the masterminds of this little operation, there's no WAY that ANYTHING could go wrong, right? Ahiga inhales an exhales a breath. He definitely can't back out now, since he's giving the go ahead. It's just a trial run anyway. They've seen Anoki plenty of times before and she's never voiced or shown any interest in the guy, so why would this be different? But, shouldn't he be hoping that it's different this time? He shudders a little, cursing inside of his head. "Not for too long though," he voices to Tala, glancing over at her. "I mean, with winter and everything, we don't want you to get /stuck/ over there til spring or anything." He wrinkles his nose at the thought, though the look slightly melts away as he feels Ikuna lean against him. That's better. No running away. No weird moments. Just .. regular ol' Ikuna like any other day! He grins a bit and nips at his ear. "Me and Ikuna'll come drag you back if you're gone too long, right?"
"Well I'm not planning on staying there long." Tala offers while her head settles between her paws, her back is mostly what the boys see while her eyes are closed. "Too much to do here after all. An I'll tell him Ikuna." A slight yawn escapes her. "Maybe I'll go in the morning.." You know get it over with.
Ikuna nods his agreement. Definitely not with the being gone too long. "Chewy said she was leaving first full moon after snowfall, and she wouldn't go that late if she didn't think it was okay traveling weather for a while yet from then. So that ought to be okay... and you'll be back in plenty of time to help hunt." He gives his head a playful shake at Ahiga's nip, and his tail thumps as he leans in and mouths at the other male's chestfluff. Nothing he hasn't done before, but it somehow feels daring today... because even if it's just as a friend, Ahiga does care about him. Maybe he _can_ handle this whole thing where of course it'll end up being Ahiga and Tala in the end, because that's how all the stories go. Alpha was a boy, and Beta was a girl, and they stayed together and had puppies. That's just the way it is. So long as he still has his friends... he'll manage. He nods to Tala. "I'll let Skahla know." She'd probably rather not talk to their brother, anyway... and the alpha made it pretty clear to Ikuna last time that knowing about things like this was his only real requirement. Everything'll work out just fine!
Ha! Ahiga knew his master plan would work out in the end! It's working already, at least with one of his friends. Words can't justify the relief he feels with Ikuna's normalcy returning, and a portion of the heavy weight he feels on his heart begins to lift, making this whole mess seem a little more bearable. Is there a silver lining in the distance? Maybe. And it seems more feasible that all this will be something that they put behind them as a distant laughable memory now that Ikuna's play has returned. He feels like wrestling with joy! Romping and chomping and testing one another's strength as they always have, but he refrains from doing so, knowing that they aren't 100% out o the woods yet. Tala has to leave and come back.../preferably/ (so his heart says) without a tag along Cerulean guy. He headbutts Ikuna's shoulder just as Tala speaks of possibly leaving in the morning. He turns his ears to her before he looks her way. "Ok. Do you want us to walk ya there?"
Tala nods at the talk of Ikuna speaking with there older brother. "Good.. Cause I rather not talk to him about it." Hell, they have never truly had a conversation so why would this change anything? Her eyes close and her ears lower, she feels tired more mentaly then anything at the moment. "No, its alright. I know the way there." She was half way there a few days ago after all. As for coming back she half wonders why if it wasn't for the rest of the pack she might just keep running.. But that wouldn't be very noble of her. "I'm.. gona get some sleep. If I don't see you guys when I wake up I'll come looking for you before I leave."
Ikuna wags his tail briefly at Ahiga's headbutt, enjoying the touches even though a little part of him is saying how... well... it's all still sort of based on a misunderstanding. He hasn't quite been honest with his friend, even if he's not wholly sure of the truth himself, and that little lie by omission is wiggling around in the back of his mind. Just a small thing... for now. He nods to Tala as she voices what he already suspected, and then leans past under Ahiga's muzzle to nuzzle at her. "Okay. Sleep well..."
Ok. No walking her there. That's cool. It'd be a little strange anyway if any Cerulean patroling wolf saw three arrive and only two leave right after arriving at the borderland. And so Ahiga nods in reply to Tala's assurance that she'll make it ok without their escort, and the rest he'll have to leave up to fate. Either she's fated to fall madly in love with Anoki and have pups with him at some point in time, or come back to Ute lands and possibly have something with him. (And far cooler pups if he were to give his opinion) And the awkwardness will have to be worked out between the three of them. Again. He lifts his head a little to give Ikuna room to nuzzle his sister, and afterward, he does the same, pressing his muzzle against her neck. He's not sure why he breathes in so deeply, but he does, inhaling her scent before pulling away with a crooked smirk. "Later."
Tala ear twitches as she hears them, though at there nuzzles she's already asleep it seems. A faint murmur escaping her and her form quivers a moment after the nuzzles but its only because she's already asleep. If there was anything she was good at it would be sleeping, no one can beat her at that!
Yep, Tala is good at falling asleep. Ikuna almost envies her sometimes - just like that, she's going zzz instead of worrying about awkward things. So. Now it's just him and Ahiga, and that little voice that says maybe he's doing things wrong speaks up a little louder, making him shift a little before lowering his head down to his paws... though not so much that he's not still pressed up against Ahiga.
Ahiga snickers and shakes his head. Oh yup, she's the queen of sleep! He exhales a breath through his nose and concentrates his attention on Ikuna, tail flipping up and down a little. Unlike his companion, he's not feeling anything but right at this moment. "Told ya I'd fix it," he says with a smirk that's more than just a little cocky, chin tilting up a little. "/Aaand/ when she comesback, I think we should try to track somethin' down. The deer are gonna be out lookin' for food anyway, and when we start bringin' things down for the pack, Skahla's going to know that we're not pups anymore." Hrmph. Taking care of this love business is proof enough that they're not pups anymore!
Oh, yes. This is totally fixed. There's nothing but nothing that could ever go wrong now, and Ahiga's confidence in his own abilities has never ever been misplaced. These are incontrovertible facts, and it's all going to be deer-feasts and frolics from here. Yes.
Over in the real world, Ikuna smiles and lifts up his head again. "Yeah, we should." A good meal puts everyone in better spirits... and the pack will probably need it, what with Chewy leaving. The practical nature of it makes it easier to talk about, too, and so his voice sounds pretty well normal. "I've been smelling deer over by those willow thickets more'n usual... I think maybe that's where they're gonna come together for the winter." He seems to recall something about them doing that in winter, anyways! One of Asku's lessons, way back when they were getting those.
"Geeze, I haven't had a good hunt in a long time.." muses Ahiga longingly. "Nothin' but little things. Yeah, let's scout the thicket so we know for sure. Not too close, yeah I know. They get our scent 'n they'll be outta there like...like...really fast." So he's not a master of figurative language, sue him. He wiggles a little, getting comfortable, before flopping head cheek down onto his paws. "Hey, I've been thinkin'," he says, peering up at Ikuna with a smirk. "Y'know, I don't think Skahla really /likes/ bein' an alpha. I mean...I never see'm around, and when he is he ain't like...like how I remember your dad bein'," he says carefully. "I don' remember a lot, but I do some. Do you?"
Yeah, it'll be good to hunt again... both the thrill of the chase and the joy of working together! Ikuna nods. "Yeah. We'll check it out." Keeping busy seems like a good idea, especially while Tala's gone. It's a way to deal with stress - and if his heart goes a-flutter at the idea of keeping busy /with Ahiga/, well, he attempts to tell it sternly that it's all just for the good of the pack, that's all. (It doesn't listen. When do hearts ever listen?) His heart can, however, be talked over, and that's just what Ahiga does as he continues on. Ikuna tilts his head, looking up at the other wolf and listening. "Some," he answers after a moments' thought. "Skahla's... more like mom, sometimes." Except without her brash self-confidence to go with the flashes of passion. "He cares 'bout the pack, but... he doesn't know what to do." Gee, that sort of feeling is really familiar to Ikuna right now, for some reason. "I guess... dad didn't get to teach him." Ikuna sighs.
"Huh.." says Ahiga, brows furrowing slightly. "I never met your mom before," he admits after a quiet bit of mulling over that. Somehow someway, his path never crossed the infamous alpha female before her demise. Wriggling a little more, he changes into the Ultimate Lazy Wolf position, settling on his back with forepaws resting on his chest and eyes up on the sky. "Don't you think Skahla would've learned stuff from watchin' your dad? I mean...your dad was so cool. An' he was so friggin' big, too. I thought he was gonna eat me," he admits, snickering. "I was scared at first, but then, after I talked to 'im, it was like...I didn't have to be, but a little bit of me still was. But he made me feel like everything was ok even though it wasn't for me, y'know? An' that I was safe an' that I belonged here with you guys." He pauses, eyes turning to him now. "I think, after a while, you'll be alpha."
"Mom yelled a lot, but she cared, too." As opposed to his dad, who Ikuna saw angry... once. And oh was that a terrifying sight, because he _didn't_ yell. He just radiated his displeasure as a palpable force. Ikuna shifts himself as Ahiga changes position, leaning away and then back toward the other wolf with a fwumpf. "Dad... he just sorta was." He smiles. "I think everyone sorta misses him, still." Those are some big pawsteps to fill as alpha, and so perhaps it's not surprising that Skahla is having a hard time stepping into them the same way. Any wolf would, really. Ikuna is still musing on his father when Ahiga says that final part, and it jars him out of the memories with a, "Huh?" He blinks a few times. Did he hear that right? "Me? Why would I be alpha?"
Ahiga lifts up a paw to swat it playfully against his muzzle. "Yeah you, duh," he replies. "Cuz you like...care," he answers as he lowers his paw back down, expression growing more sincere. "Not sayin' that Skahla doesn't but...he acts like he doesn't care too much. I don' feel the same around him like I did with your dad. An' I know like, everyone's different," he admitswith a nod of his head, "but I'm thinkin', an Alpha should make everybody feel like...like they're important. An' an Alpha should be easy to talk to an' things like that. /Everybody/ likes you, Ikuna, an' you're with the pack a lot. I even bet that after not too long, he'll ask you if you wanna be it." He pauses, an ear flicking back a bit. "S'not like he can give it to Hadir, an' I hardly never see his mate much."
Ikuna gets paw-thwacked right in the muzzle. He blinks again, and only too late attempts to gnaw on that paw as is the proper retort. He's still vaguely stunned, but he does listen to what Ahiga has to say. It's true enough about Skahla... even his own sister is convinced the current alpha doesn't like her. The truth of it aside, Skahla... well, he can seem about as prickly as a porcupine and as unlikely to care, and definitely isn't easy to talk to. Still... for all Ikuna has thought about leadership in the past, he seems to be a bit stupid when it comes to applying those thoughts to himself. "But... Everyone likes Chewy, too, and she's not alpha... she's not even beta." So, see, it doesn't count for anything! ...hmm. Maybe. It's got a weirdly compelling sort of logic, though, now that he thinks on it. It kind of sounds, well, a lot like what he remembers about his father. He nods a little about Hadir; the boy will be lucky to survive this winter, let alone become an adult. Him being alpha, well... that'd just be crazy. Shawnee's always hidden away caring for the pups, and one by one he considers the other wolves of the pack and fails to find any good counterarguments. Huh. "Well... if I'm alpha, then you gotta be beta." Ikuna is _so_ not going to deal with this one alone. No way, no how.
Beta, eh? Hmmm. What is a Beta's job anyway? If it's the alpha's duty to be the brains and brawn of the pack, then a beta must be...just the brawn. Ahiga knows he isn't the brightest of wolves, usually failing when it comes to thinking up poetic words and reading between the lines of cryptic messages, but he is strong, and he has the name to prove it! So if beta means backing up his alpha, then that's definitely a job he can do! He begins to grin as he considers this and looks up at Ikuna with a slightly cocked brow. "You jus' want me to follow you around for the rest've my life, don't ya? Beta or not I'm /still/ stronger than you," he boasts before laughing. "I'll take it! Beta Ahiga an' Alpha Ikuna, future leaders've the Ute. I like the sound've that."
Well, the last beta of Ute Ikuna remembers was... a singer. That was Quidel, trying to teach a pair of small puppies to whine more-or-less on key. Then there's the beta of Cerulean, that Coinin fellow... not that Ikuna really knows what he does, other than patrol the borders (duh). The stories aren't much help either, since they either gloss over the subject or are clearly metaphorical or just plain superheroic. Still, whatever a beta /actually/ is, it's definitely the wolf that's always got the alpha's back. Given that Ahiga already _is_ that, well, that just makes it easy! Ikuna finds a grin spreading across his face as well as he looks down at the other wolf. "Well, sure. I don't ever want to be without you again, not if I can help it." He's all earnest-like, and happy-looking, because if his heart's confused about some things, it's not about this. Even if just /how/ he wants to be together is... well, still awkward. "You and Tala both." Better add his sister in there, 'cause she counts too! Just... differently. Ikuna just laughs at Ahiga's claim of being stronger, and nudges across the other wolf's chest with a paw, wrassling briefly before getting a bit more serious again. "We'll see what happens. I'm not gonna go fight Skahla for it or anything." That's the other way of making alphas, from what he's heard... and for all his brother may not be the best of alphas, Ikuna has no interest in challenging him. The whole concept is confusing enough already without adding familial discord!
Poor Tala probably isn't getting the most peaceful of sleeps with two rambunctious males around, for Ahiga does not let the bout of wrestling go without some retaliation of his own, which requires a bit of bumping and jostling against the sleeping female as he plays with Ikuna. He nips and bats before rolling to one side, pressing all four paws against him to batbat and kick at him before settling down again, using him as a nice fluffy footrest. Wait, fight Skahla? He outright laughs at that, eyes squinting in mirth. "Ha! Yeah right, Ikuna," he says after catching his breath, watching him with obvious mirth. "Him fight ya? Pft, he'll /beg/ ya to be alpha. He'll bring down two deer himself an' give them both to ya if you agree to it. I bet if he could, he'd give it to ya right now." He smirks and rolls his eyes soon after. "Nah. There ain't gonna be a fight, Ikuna. You might have ta bring it up cuz...since he doesn't talk much about stuff, but he's not gonna fight for somethin' he doesn't like doin'. I wouldn't." He flexes his toes against his fur as he stretches, the epitome of comfort, complete with a wide yawn.
Ikuna nudges and kicks back at Ahiga, grinning as he plays with the other male. This is good. This is like things used to be, and... well, it's still good, even with how things are now. He'll have to figure out the rest of what's going on sometime, and he'll have to explain it to Ahiga, but that can wait. Besides... he's not worried, anymore. Ahiga saw him being super mega weird, and he's still Ikuna's friend. One way or the other, this will all be okay. He lets out a happy sort of wurf-sigh at the end, his legs tangled up with the other's and draped together. Comfy. At Ahiga's prediction, he hmms. "Maybe I will." Even if Skahla isn't so enthusiastic as Ahiga seems to think, Ikuna doubts he'd get his head bitten off or anything. More likely, Skahla would make a weird face and sneak away. "...but not yet. Not 'til after winter, and not 'til Chewy's back, either. We still gotta prove ourselves, all of us. Even if everybody'd listen to me... they shouldn't yet."
Ahiga snickers and closes his eyes, legs tangled with Ikuna's, head slightly pressed against Tala. "Psh, I didn't mean for it to happen right /now/ anyway," he assures. "We still got too much to do together, you Tala 'n me. We /still/ never tested out our rabbit trap... Yeah I know I said it was stupid before, but maybe it really wasn' too bad've an idea. We can go explorin' outside've the borders a little after winter when the hunting's good again. Sh'yeah, bein' alpha and beta can wait a little longer, cuz once we are, we're not gonna be able to do what we want to do all the time anymore." They'll be far too busy fighting off evil bad guys and protecting the pack, being heroes! Carefree days will be over...if one can really call these days "carefree". "We better get some sleep if we're gonna get up in time to see Tala go.." Meh, a slight knot forms in his stomach as he reminds himself of that, remembering that not all is completely well just yet. "Y'know she's gonna try to sneak off without sayin' bye even /if/ she said she was gonna find us."
...and that will give Ikuna plenty of time to adjust to the idea, too! He laughs along with Ahiga, and nods. "Did Tala tell you 'bout the crazy rabbit we saw? He walked up right to me and tried to say he was Hadir's friend... I thought he had the madness or something!" He shakes his head, because seriously, what. Then it's his turn to yawn, and he cuddles a bit closer as he closes his eyes. "Yeah, we still got plenty of adventures to have. Maybe we'll go see where the river comes from... or where those birds fly away to." At the mention of Tala, he snorts a little. "Then we won't let her. We'll walk her to the edge of our territory, even if she _says_ she doesn't need us. And then I'll go find Skahla, right after." He halfway yawns again. "...but we oughta sleep now, yeah."
Ahiga peeks an eye open, a brow lifting. A rabbit....friend? "Y'sure he didn't mean to say he was Hadir's...snack?" he asks with a snicker, eyes rolling before he closes them again. "He probably /was/ crazy. Good thing you didn't eat'm. You'd probably be walkin' in circles, chasin' your tail, an' talkin' gibberish right now if ya had." With their plans of continuing their adventures before ultimately becoming the new faces of Ute set in place, Ahiga seems content to rest easy for the rest of the evening. Although leaving the task of informing Skahla sounds like a perfect thing for Ikuna to do all by himself...if he really is going to be a beta male, he'd better start practicing! And that means being there with him when news of Tala's trip to Cerulean is reported. Meh. That sounds as appealing as swallowing a worm. "Yeah. I'll find'm with ya," he murmurs as he slowly begins to drift. "Night Ikuna."
See, Ahiga understands these things. Rabbits are food, not friends! ...yeah, so Ikuna is going to need to have a talk with Hadir, too, because he certainly needs to be warned to be careful about strangers, and he may also need to have it explained how he, uh, eats meat, or at least will once he's big enough. Ikuna chuckles along, and nods. At Ahiga's offer to come along he perks up one ear in surprise - not what he expected - but he certainly doesn't mind the company. "Okay," he says, and relaxes down as he, too, drifts off toward sleep, though not before he adds, "Night, Ahiga."
Ahiga - male adolescent wolf
Ikuna - male adolescent wolf
---Wildwood Acre---
The last few days for the pack's youth has been rather troublesome. Tala is slowly moving along coming down from the moor. She's scratched up and rather gruffy looking, her fur a mess and a slight notch can be found in her right ear. Leave it to Tala to go find something to pick a fight with. She pauses for a moment, frontpaw lifting to rub and scratch across her face a few times and she snorts a few times before a great shake is seen across her form. Her movements soon start again and she moves onwards towards some cottonwood trees, ears twitching while her gaze slides across the area and a tired sigh escapes her. There has been a lot on her mind to say the least.
Tell me about it. It's been a topsy turvy time, but at last Ahiga has had some moments to settle down and think things over. His most recent encounter with Ikuna has clued him into one thing: If this Awkward Time does not get resolved soon, the three tight-knit friends may be friends no longer, and that's something that he can not and will not accept. And so, after some soul searching, he's come up with something, and it's something that he needs to talk over with /both/ of his friends. And so he's been tracking them. Ikuna has proven to be very difficult to pinpoint, a fact that does not settle well with Ahiga, but for now he focuses on finding Tala. He's found her scent much easier to trace, and he emerges into the wood with his nose twitching and expression determined. And, lo and behold, there she is a few yards in front of him. Doing his best to put everything he's heard, said, and fantasized over out of his mind, he lifts his head to call ahead to her. "Hey, wait up."
Tala wasn't /that/ hard to find, not like she was hiding the day before off the lands after all. She has settles down upon the ground in front of trees that she wandered over to. At the voice a ear perks forward and she ponders while glancing up and watches Ahiga a few moments. Its not like she can run off and say she has to wash her fur! His found her after all. "Hey Ahiga.." Is offered with a soft tone while she shifts back to her haunches, ears lowered and tail curled tightly to her side. That stormy gaze of hers watching him quietly.
Success! She's not running off /or/ growling at him. This is a good sign, or so Ahiga hopes. His tail sways very slightly, hopefully, as he approaches, though the nearer he gets the slower he goes until he stops altogether a few yards away from where she's settled. This was much easier when done in his head, but he can't back out now or stutter and stammer like he's so foolishly done thus far. Look where /that's/ gotten him. So he takes a breath before he speaks. Then another. And then, just to be on the safe side, one more slow one. Let's cut to the chase. "Look, I don't hate you," he says bluntly. "Ikuna said that's what ya think I think about you, an' I don't. Yeah I was...sort've pissed or whatever because've what you said, but I don't hate you. You'n Ikuna are my best friends."
Tala isn't running off yet, it will depend on what he has to say it seems. Her gaze watches him closely, as if expecting him to say something she doesn't want to hear. Her head turns as she glances off a moment while her nose twitches. "I.. Didn't mean for what I said to come out like I did Ahiga." She offers with a simple tone before letting her gaze lower to the ground and a faint breath escape her. "You've known me long neough, have I ever actually been one for words?"
Ever since that... horrible, horrible moment... Ikuna has been a ghost wolf. It's not that he hasn't been back to the den, because he clearly has; the evidence of his scent and the left-behind rabbits and other food is incontrovertible. He just hasn't been sticking around long enough to actually speak to anyone before leaving again on yet another patrol or hunt or... anything else he can think of to keep busy. Even his pup-sitting has been done at intervals carefully selected for the likelihood that nobody - or at least not Tala or Ahiga - is going to be around to find him. If he can just avoid showing his face for... oh, maybe the next year or so... then all this will blow over, right? That's his plan at the moment, anyway.
It's going pretty good up until his patrol brings Ikuna around a thick cluster of brambles and he sees before him... Ahiga and Tala. Noooo! Stupid lack of wind not warning him. He hesitates there, just too far to really hear them, with his ears splayed in uncertainty. Maybe he can slip away before they notice him? He'll just - wait. What happened to Tala? She looks a mess! Did Ahi- no, he can't even imagine that. It's un-possible. But what did happen? Concern keeps him pinned for the moment, though he still doesn't manage to actually say hi or anything. Just... stands there, awkwardly. Maybe he's lucky and will manage to turn invisible! He'd like that, he thinks. Here's his sister and his best friend, and... it sure looks like they're having some sort of reconciliatory moment, and then they'll be together like everyone says, and like they both want... and that's what he wants, too, right? Well... It's what he should want, anyway. Never mind it makes him feel like his head is spinning and he's drowning under ice-water.
"Oh hey...what happened to you?" Ahiga blinks once and shakes his head briskly, as if seeing Tala for the first time (and with how caught up he was with getting out his words the right way this time, it's very likely that he wasn't actually focused on her appearance). Til now. He blinks again and leans forward a little where he stands, brows furrowing. He does answer her question, if not a litle distractedly. "No. But we never really talked a whole lot really," he muses, head slightly tilting. But really, what has there been to talk about til now? He's never had a problem with /not/ having long heart to heart conversations with her or Ikuna for that matter. They've been his friends nad playmates, there for when they needed each other no matter what. Having adventures. Getting in and out of messes. Too many words just complicate things (obviously). "Look," he says, waving a paw to dismiss the thought, "I need Ikuna here too. I've got stuff to say to you both. Have you seen him? I've been tryin' to find him but...geeze, catchin' up with him is like tryin' to catch up with the wind. He's mad at me too, or something."
Tala maw twitches slightly, her nose wiggling a moment and her ears perking forward in the process. "Nothing happened to be." She offers with a simple huff and a slight shake of her fur and head, a nice cut rests across her cheek. "Well.. No I suppose not. We was more worried about finding hidden dens and catching rabbits hum?" A soft smile seen. "Ahiga.. What I said is not what I meant.. Even if there was /others/.. I know I'd still have feelings to you.. I just hope your believe me.." This said with a soft tone. As if Ahiga could harm her, she would tear him to bits if he so tryed! There is a pause. "I.. Haven't seen him since the other day really. Why.. What did you want to say to us? An I don't think he's mad at you at all."
Or something. Definitely 'or something'. Ikuna watches, and his head lowers as he sees Tala start to smile. Yeah. This is going just... just like it should. This is what he was trying to do. To make both of them happy. That's what important here, not... not his own strange feelings. His own feelings, that don't match any of the stories or any of the songs. He'll just have to learn to deal... and so he turns with a heavy heart and starts to pad away. ...he might have made it, too, only his eyes are somehow too blurry to really watch where he's going, and he steps down onto a branch. *ker-SNAP!*
Wow, that's what she meant? Talk about getting words twisted, but that's besides the point now...even though her admitting to that has him vaguely grinning in a largel foolish way, his chest puffing out juuust a tiny bit. Er, Ahiga, focus! He snaps out of his mini reverie with a brisk shake of his head. What did he want to say to them? "It's about that. What you jus' said... but I've got to have /both/ of ya here," he insists with a wrinkle of his nose. "Everytime we all talk seperate it gets all...mixed up and wrong. You didn' see Ikuna yesterday. He /is/ pissed at me, but I dunno about what. I've got to.." *ker-SNAP!* His ears prick quickly and he turns just as briskly, peering in the direction in which the sound came from. Spy! Or a snack. His ears fold back and a growl rises in his chest, glancing to Tala in silent signal as he stalks forth. They're gonna take this thing down together!
Tala watches Ahiga curiously a few moments, a smile stays upon her maw as he seems well better then the other day. An she's never been one with words the should know this by now! "Well.. What, what is it?" There is a pause at the movement, ears perking and she blinks while glancing at the snapping of said branch and nods slightly as she shifts to her paws moving towards the right in order to come up and around to see what is 'watching' them so to speak.
Ikuna is no snack. Spy? Well, maybe, but he's a singularly bad one at the moment between the misunderstanding what he's seen and the lack of stealth. He's certainly not patrolling any more, either, because that would require him actually paying a modicum of attention to his surroundings. The young wolf hasn't walked into a tree yet, but that's more luck than skill as he shuffles along. His head is down, his tail is drooping, and his eyes are watering. He's just going to go off and be alone, and let Tala and Ahiga have their moment together. Maybe howl out to the empty sky, he doesn't know.
It smells like...like... "IKUNA!" Ahiga's eyes widen when he catches the very fresh scent of his friend, and there, not but some yards ahead of both he and Tala, he is! He puts on a sudden burst of speed, breaking out into a full out run. If yesterday is any indication, Ikuna isn't planning on sticking around, and Ahiga is hell bent on /not/ letting the other male escape! His eyes shift, knowing that Tala's gone off to the right. If her dear brother does decide to make a run for it, maybe he can herd him her way and she can tackle him down. Teamwork! It's what being a wolf is all about, right? And so he runs with every intention of tackling Ikuna if the opportunity presents itself.
Tala follows along at a quick careful pace, her ears perking forward and she tilts her head before catching her brother's scent and blinks slightly as she catches sight of Ikuna. Her ears perk forward and a frown crosses her maw. "Ikuna..?" Is questioned before Ahiga comes into the mix and she ers faintly at the sight before she bounds over rather quickly. "Ahiga.. Wait!" She calls out rather quickly.
Huh? Ikuna lifts up his head at the sound of his name. What are they coming at /him/ for? This is their moment. He was just leaving so they could have it. He wasn't expecting Ahiga, or - Tala, too? What's going on here? He blinks in befuddlement, and to try to clear away the tears that make Ahiga's shape blurry. He's just plain too stunned to even respond, let alone actually move out of the way of the charge.
What? Oh no! Tala's moving in the way! Ahiga's going full speed and Tala's an obstacle that he's not going to successfully avoid, for he attempts to slow himself a hair too late. He leaps in a last ditch attempt to jump over her to jump on Ikuna, but such acrobatic moves only really work in one's own mind, and this is how it really goes down: Ahiga jumps, but not high enough to completely jump over Tala, and thus his legs crash and tangle upon her back, causing him to fall on her. The force of his forward motion jump could possibly have a domino effect and cause the both of them to tumble on poor unsuspecting Ikuna. Wolfpile!
Tala frowns as she watches her brother, looking worried.. An then in crashes Ahiga and she erks out sharply as she goes sprawling forward.. She smacks into her and she them slams into her dear brother with a half yelp escaping herin the process.
Ikuna goes down, hard. The breath is knocked out of him with a whooof sound as he ends up the bottom of the domino effect of flying wolves. Ikuna falls down among the crumpled leaves, and if there hadn't already been tears in his eyes, there certainly would be now. Owwww.
Ugh! That hurt! Ahiga lands on top of everyone with squinted eyes, teeth clipping together. Hey, love hurts..right? "Sorry.." he winces as he squints an eye open. But hey....mission accomplished! Ikuna has been found and detained, and thus Ahiga shows no sign of getting his heavy self off of the top of the pile, determination creeping back on his face. "I'm only gonna get up if you promise not to run away, Ikuna. I can lay here all day, y'know. I don't care if you're squished down there."
Tala grunts out faintly and isn't moving to quickly as she has fell in a strange angle. She wiggles about and kicks a hindpaw a few times and shifts about until she is able to sit up. Well that was fun.. Not. "Ikuna.. Why did you leave.. What's wrong?" She questions while just ignoring Ahiga an a faint snuffle escaping her in the process.
Ikuna's ears go back against his head at Ahiga's words. He just wants to let them be happy! Why won't they leave him alone and let him deal with these feelings? Neither of them is letting him go, and Tala's asking those questions, and... he doesn't want to explain. It'll make them unhappy, and besides, he doesn't really understand himself. It's just... awkward. He's quiet for a long moment, and then he sighs. "Okay," he says quietly, sounding resigned. "I won't run."
Owow. Tala's shuffling about isn't making things easier, but at least once she's free Ahiga can still keep himseslf pinned upon Ikuna until he makes his promise. Gradually he begins to shift himself off of him, removing more and more of his weight until he finally lets him up all the way. He steps off and gives his body a brisk shake. "Sorry," he says to Tala again. He really didn't mean to knock her down, but obviously she's been through worse things than that today! He focuses his eyes on Ikuna, though his intent isn't to press him about yesterday. That'll blow over he's sure, and he's hoping to help speed that along. "Now that you're both here, stay put. I've got stuff to say, and it's gonna fix all this mess we've got. I hope." He inhales a breath and lets it out, watching Ikuna. "Ikuna, if I ever had a brother, I'd hope he was like you. I don' know why you ran the other day." A pause, and a fractional glance is given to Tala. "..Well, maybe I might know, but it doesn't matter. You're my best friend, and that's not never gonna change, you feel me? No matter what."
Tala watches her brother, looking clearly worried. She leans close and nuzzles against his cheek and neck while pressing her shoulder against his a moment. A faint smirk is offered to Ahiga and she nods to him. "Its alright.." There's a pause as he goes on, and she is quiet while watching him curiously a moment and stays quiet while he speaks..
All the mess? Cleaned up, just with what Ahiga has to say? That's a pretty big claim. We shall see. Ikuna shifts onto his belly once he's no longer being crushed, but he doesn't bother standing up. His tail is limp down against the ground, and he barely even responds to Tala's nuzzling, just tilting his head slightly and letting out a little puff of breath against her cheek. His eyes go to Ahiga, watching the other wolf as he speaks. Like a brother, huh? He twitches a little, because he knows what brotherly love is like. He does, he loves Tala like that and Asku like that and... but... but that's all he can expect, isn't it? That's the right thing. There's plenty about that in the stories and the songs. Blood brothers, united together in battle... yeah. His head lowers slightly, his eyes going to the ground. "Yeah. Friends forever." Most. Unconvinced. Wolf. Ever.
Ahiga gives Tala a "See? I TOLD you he was pissed at me!" sort of look, for it's obvious that Ikuna's mood hasn't changed much since the last time he saw him. Well...all he can hope to do is trudge on despite it all. "Really, Ikuna," he says, a forceful sound to his voice, and he lowers his head some in order to look the other wolf as close as "in the eye" as he can get. "You're the first friend I ever had. If I hadn' met you an' Tala, I don't know where I'd be right now. Dead, prolly, cuz I wouldnt've stuck around here." He exhales a slow breath through the nose and raises his head to a more normal level, golden eyes shifting to Tala now. "Tala, Ikuna told me that maybe you were gonna go to...to Cerulean lands to see Anoki," he says, keeping his voice level, though there is a slight tightness to his jaw as he says this, if one were looking closely enough. "I know y'said that..you didn't really mean what you said to me. About you only l-..likin' me because there wasn't nobody else nobody else around here...but Ithinkyoushouldgo." He rushes the last bit before his mind can change. "You're not lyin'. It really is.. /just/ me here. I guess. So uh, maybe y'should go, kinda see if maybe there's...uh, better.. somethin' better than...y'know...me." A pause and he glances upward, just to look anywhere else. "Cuz it wouldn't be good if you ended up with me an' then wished you hadn't."
Tala lets her head bump against Ikuna. "Hey.. Listen to what he is saying." She murmurs to her dear brother, someone she would do /anything/ for mind you. A ear twitches as she glances back to Ahiga, an well.. That was the last thing she thought he would say. Her ears lower and she is quiet while watching Ahiga before letting her gaze drift off. What does she even say to that?.. She swallows a moment. "Perhaps I will.." Though its not something she wanted to say from the sound of it. Her shoulders lowers slightly while she leans against Ikuna looking well.. somewhat crushed at the moment.
Maybe Ahiga's getting through to him, because Ikuna does lift up his head and return the other wolf's gaze. His eyes are even almost steady... at least, if you don't notice the wetness beneath them, and their slight redness. "I..." he starts. ...love you, he wants to finish, but he can't bring himself to do it. Maybe it comes through in his gaze, in the anxious, longing stare he gives the other male, but... well. Longing looks have a hard time carrying through in situations like these when even /words/ get misunderstood and taken wrong. Like Ahiga's noble gesture, and Tala's reaction... which is his fault too, isn't it? He's the one who said she should go visit Anoki in the first place. This is all his fault. He lets out an involuntary whine. "I... want you to be happy. Both of you." He looks to his sister, and noses at her gently, then back to Ahiga again.
Ahiga's eyes stay elevated to the branches above for a while longer, even after Tala answers. It's easier to look up to keep his own emotions from showing. To not see whatever emotions ma be etching itself over the features of his friends. This is necessary thing, he feels, and it might make things better for them all. If Tala leaves and decides to stick with Anoki, then she will be happy. If she is with Anoki, then there won't be the awkward strain on the trio's friendship, and Ikuna will be happy and won't feel left out. And if Ikuna and Tala are happy, then things will be good. His eyes flit back to Ikuna, watching the other wolf with a look of hope as he begins to speak. He wants him to be happy? There's a very faint cant of his head before he slightly smirks. "Hey, s'long as I got you guys, I'm happy," he assures, looking to Tala after. He swallows, wanting the assurance of nearness and touch too, but who does he lay by? Snorting, he moves to the both of them and, whether they like it or not, tries to weasel himself inbetween the two of them.
Tala is quiet while watching the ground for a few moments. "Its fine.. Really.. I'll go and see Anoki." Is what she offers while her eyes close and her tail flicks a few times. It must be a good idea because Ikuna and Ahiga have suggested it after all. Who says she is going to stick with Anoki? Who's ideas is THIS? Maybe she won't pick either of them if this is what is involved with a relationship. She glances to Ahiga and slowly shifts to settle upon the ground so he can settle in the middle. So with everything said why does she feel like she lost?
Ikuna nods to Ahiga's words. He... still doesn't know what he should do, but leaving isn't the right answer. He knows that now. It's not just something that hurts him; it hurts the others, too. So, one way or the other, he's going to stick with Ahiga and Tala, and somehow figure out what the right thing is for all of them. ...somehow. He nods to Tala, though now he's less certain than when he first said it. These things are confusing! "Say hi for me," he says to her, and nuzzles her cheek before rolling aside as Ahiga shoulders his way in to lie between them. Just like a million times before, only this time... Ikuna is aware of it differently. Even though he tries to tell himself it's just... being friends... it still makes his heartbeat quicken a little, his muscles tensing a moment before he makes himself relax and just lean back in against the other wolf. It's nice.
Good. So it's settled. The boys have set up a date for Anoki. ... Hm. Perhaps they should've clued in Anoki on these plans? And of course, with two males being the masterminds of this little operation, there's no WAY that ANYTHING could go wrong, right? Ahiga inhales an exhales a breath. He definitely can't back out now, since he's giving the go ahead. It's just a trial run anyway. They've seen Anoki plenty of times before and she's never voiced or shown any interest in the guy, so why would this be different? But, shouldn't he be hoping that it's different this time? He shudders a little, cursing inside of his head. "Not for too long though," he voices to Tala, glancing over at her. "I mean, with winter and everything, we don't want you to get /stuck/ over there til spring or anything." He wrinkles his nose at the thought, though the look slightly melts away as he feels Ikuna lean against him. That's better. No running away. No weird moments. Just .. regular ol' Ikuna like any other day! He grins a bit and nips at his ear. "Me and Ikuna'll come drag you back if you're gone too long, right?"
"Well I'm not planning on staying there long." Tala offers while her head settles between her paws, her back is mostly what the boys see while her eyes are closed. "Too much to do here after all. An I'll tell him Ikuna." A slight yawn escapes her. "Maybe I'll go in the morning.." You know get it over with.
Ikuna nods his agreement. Definitely not with the being gone too long. "Chewy said she was leaving first full moon after snowfall, and she wouldn't go that late if she didn't think it was okay traveling weather for a while yet from then. So that ought to be okay... and you'll be back in plenty of time to help hunt." He gives his head a playful shake at Ahiga's nip, and his tail thumps as he leans in and mouths at the other male's chestfluff. Nothing he hasn't done before, but it somehow feels daring today... because even if it's just as a friend, Ahiga does care about him. Maybe he _can_ handle this whole thing where of course it'll end up being Ahiga and Tala in the end, because that's how all the stories go. Alpha was a boy, and Beta was a girl, and they stayed together and had puppies. That's just the way it is. So long as he still has his friends... he'll manage. He nods to Tala. "I'll let Skahla know." She'd probably rather not talk to their brother, anyway... and the alpha made it pretty clear to Ikuna last time that knowing about things like this was his only real requirement. Everything'll work out just fine!
Ha! Ahiga knew his master plan would work out in the end! It's working already, at least with one of his friends. Words can't justify the relief he feels with Ikuna's normalcy returning, and a portion of the heavy weight he feels on his heart begins to lift, making this whole mess seem a little more bearable. Is there a silver lining in the distance? Maybe. And it seems more feasible that all this will be something that they put behind them as a distant laughable memory now that Ikuna's play has returned. He feels like wrestling with joy! Romping and chomping and testing one another's strength as they always have, but he refrains from doing so, knowing that they aren't 100% out o the woods yet. Tala has to leave and come back.../preferably/ (so his heart says) without a tag along Cerulean guy. He headbutts Ikuna's shoulder just as Tala speaks of possibly leaving in the morning. He turns his ears to her before he looks her way. "Ok. Do you want us to walk ya there?"
Tala nods at the talk of Ikuna speaking with there older brother. "Good.. Cause I rather not talk to him about it." Hell, they have never truly had a conversation so why would this change anything? Her eyes close and her ears lower, she feels tired more mentaly then anything at the moment. "No, its alright. I know the way there." She was half way there a few days ago after all. As for coming back she half wonders why if it wasn't for the rest of the pack she might just keep running.. But that wouldn't be very noble of her. "I'm.. gona get some sleep. If I don't see you guys when I wake up I'll come looking for you before I leave."
Ikuna wags his tail briefly at Ahiga's headbutt, enjoying the touches even though a little part of him is saying how... well... it's all still sort of based on a misunderstanding. He hasn't quite been honest with his friend, even if he's not wholly sure of the truth himself, and that little lie by omission is wiggling around in the back of his mind. Just a small thing... for now. He nods to Tala as she voices what he already suspected, and then leans past under Ahiga's muzzle to nuzzle at her. "Okay. Sleep well..."
Ok. No walking her there. That's cool. It'd be a little strange anyway if any Cerulean patroling wolf saw three arrive and only two leave right after arriving at the borderland. And so Ahiga nods in reply to Tala's assurance that she'll make it ok without their escort, and the rest he'll have to leave up to fate. Either she's fated to fall madly in love with Anoki and have pups with him at some point in time, or come back to Ute lands and possibly have something with him. (And far cooler pups if he were to give his opinion) And the awkwardness will have to be worked out between the three of them. Again. He lifts his head a little to give Ikuna room to nuzzle his sister, and afterward, he does the same, pressing his muzzle against her neck. He's not sure why he breathes in so deeply, but he does, inhaling her scent before pulling away with a crooked smirk. "Later."
Tala ear twitches as she hears them, though at there nuzzles she's already asleep it seems. A faint murmur escaping her and her form quivers a moment after the nuzzles but its only because she's already asleep. If there was anything she was good at it would be sleeping, no one can beat her at that!
Yep, Tala is good at falling asleep. Ikuna almost envies her sometimes - just like that, she's going zzz instead of worrying about awkward things. So. Now it's just him and Ahiga, and that little voice that says maybe he's doing things wrong speaks up a little louder, making him shift a little before lowering his head down to his paws... though not so much that he's not still pressed up against Ahiga.
Ahiga snickers and shakes his head. Oh yup, she's the queen of sleep! He exhales a breath through his nose and concentrates his attention on Ikuna, tail flipping up and down a little. Unlike his companion, he's not feeling anything but right at this moment. "Told ya I'd fix it," he says with a smirk that's more than just a little cocky, chin tilting up a little. "/Aaand/ when she comesback, I think we should try to track somethin' down. The deer are gonna be out lookin' for food anyway, and when we start bringin' things down for the pack, Skahla's going to know that we're not pups anymore." Hrmph. Taking care of this love business is proof enough that they're not pups anymore!
Oh, yes. This is totally fixed. There's nothing but nothing that could ever go wrong now, and Ahiga's confidence in his own abilities has never ever been misplaced. These are incontrovertible facts, and it's all going to be deer-feasts and frolics from here. Yes.
Over in the real world, Ikuna smiles and lifts up his head again. "Yeah, we should." A good meal puts everyone in better spirits... and the pack will probably need it, what with Chewy leaving. The practical nature of it makes it easier to talk about, too, and so his voice sounds pretty well normal. "I've been smelling deer over by those willow thickets more'n usual... I think maybe that's where they're gonna come together for the winter." He seems to recall something about them doing that in winter, anyways! One of Asku's lessons, way back when they were getting those.
"Geeze, I haven't had a good hunt in a long time.." muses Ahiga longingly. "Nothin' but little things. Yeah, let's scout the thicket so we know for sure. Not too close, yeah I know. They get our scent 'n they'll be outta there like...like...really fast." So he's not a master of figurative language, sue him. He wiggles a little, getting comfortable, before flopping head cheek down onto his paws. "Hey, I've been thinkin'," he says, peering up at Ikuna with a smirk. "Y'know, I don't think Skahla really /likes/ bein' an alpha. I mean...I never see'm around, and when he is he ain't like...like how I remember your dad bein'," he says carefully. "I don' remember a lot, but I do some. Do you?"
Yeah, it'll be good to hunt again... both the thrill of the chase and the joy of working together! Ikuna nods. "Yeah. We'll check it out." Keeping busy seems like a good idea, especially while Tala's gone. It's a way to deal with stress - and if his heart goes a-flutter at the idea of keeping busy /with Ahiga/, well, he attempts to tell it sternly that it's all just for the good of the pack, that's all. (It doesn't listen. When do hearts ever listen?) His heart can, however, be talked over, and that's just what Ahiga does as he continues on. Ikuna tilts his head, looking up at the other wolf and listening. "Some," he answers after a moments' thought. "Skahla's... more like mom, sometimes." Except without her brash self-confidence to go with the flashes of passion. "He cares 'bout the pack, but... he doesn't know what to do." Gee, that sort of feeling is really familiar to Ikuna right now, for some reason. "I guess... dad didn't get to teach him." Ikuna sighs.
"Huh.." says Ahiga, brows furrowing slightly. "I never met your mom before," he admits after a quiet bit of mulling over that. Somehow someway, his path never crossed the infamous alpha female before her demise. Wriggling a little more, he changes into the Ultimate Lazy Wolf position, settling on his back with forepaws resting on his chest and eyes up on the sky. "Don't you think Skahla would've learned stuff from watchin' your dad? I mean...your dad was so cool. An' he was so friggin' big, too. I thought he was gonna eat me," he admits, snickering. "I was scared at first, but then, after I talked to 'im, it was like...I didn't have to be, but a little bit of me still was. But he made me feel like everything was ok even though it wasn't for me, y'know? An' that I was safe an' that I belonged here with you guys." He pauses, eyes turning to him now. "I think, after a while, you'll be alpha."
"Mom yelled a lot, but she cared, too." As opposed to his dad, who Ikuna saw angry... once. And oh was that a terrifying sight, because he _didn't_ yell. He just radiated his displeasure as a palpable force. Ikuna shifts himself as Ahiga changes position, leaning away and then back toward the other wolf with a fwumpf. "Dad... he just sorta was." He smiles. "I think everyone sorta misses him, still." Those are some big pawsteps to fill as alpha, and so perhaps it's not surprising that Skahla is having a hard time stepping into them the same way. Any wolf would, really. Ikuna is still musing on his father when Ahiga says that final part, and it jars him out of the memories with a, "Huh?" He blinks a few times. Did he hear that right? "Me? Why would I be alpha?"
Ahiga lifts up a paw to swat it playfully against his muzzle. "Yeah you, duh," he replies. "Cuz you like...care," he answers as he lowers his paw back down, expression growing more sincere. "Not sayin' that Skahla doesn't but...he acts like he doesn't care too much. I don' feel the same around him like I did with your dad. An' I know like, everyone's different," he admitswith a nod of his head, "but I'm thinkin', an Alpha should make everybody feel like...like they're important. An' an Alpha should be easy to talk to an' things like that. /Everybody/ likes you, Ikuna, an' you're with the pack a lot. I even bet that after not too long, he'll ask you if you wanna be it." He pauses, an ear flicking back a bit. "S'not like he can give it to Hadir, an' I hardly never see his mate much."
Ikuna gets paw-thwacked right in the muzzle. He blinks again, and only too late attempts to gnaw on that paw as is the proper retort. He's still vaguely stunned, but he does listen to what Ahiga has to say. It's true enough about Skahla... even his own sister is convinced the current alpha doesn't like her. The truth of it aside, Skahla... well, he can seem about as prickly as a porcupine and as unlikely to care, and definitely isn't easy to talk to. Still... for all Ikuna has thought about leadership in the past, he seems to be a bit stupid when it comes to applying those thoughts to himself. "But... Everyone likes Chewy, too, and she's not alpha... she's not even beta." So, see, it doesn't count for anything! ...hmm. Maybe. It's got a weirdly compelling sort of logic, though, now that he thinks on it. It kind of sounds, well, a lot like what he remembers about his father. He nods a little about Hadir; the boy will be lucky to survive this winter, let alone become an adult. Him being alpha, well... that'd just be crazy. Shawnee's always hidden away caring for the pups, and one by one he considers the other wolves of the pack and fails to find any good counterarguments. Huh. "Well... if I'm alpha, then you gotta be beta." Ikuna is _so_ not going to deal with this one alone. No way, no how.
Beta, eh? Hmmm. What is a Beta's job anyway? If it's the alpha's duty to be the brains and brawn of the pack, then a beta must be...just the brawn. Ahiga knows he isn't the brightest of wolves, usually failing when it comes to thinking up poetic words and reading between the lines of cryptic messages, but he is strong, and he has the name to prove it! So if beta means backing up his alpha, then that's definitely a job he can do! He begins to grin as he considers this and looks up at Ikuna with a slightly cocked brow. "You jus' want me to follow you around for the rest've my life, don't ya? Beta or not I'm /still/ stronger than you," he boasts before laughing. "I'll take it! Beta Ahiga an' Alpha Ikuna, future leaders've the Ute. I like the sound've that."
Well, the last beta of Ute Ikuna remembers was... a singer. That was Quidel, trying to teach a pair of small puppies to whine more-or-less on key. Then there's the beta of Cerulean, that Coinin fellow... not that Ikuna really knows what he does, other than patrol the borders (duh). The stories aren't much help either, since they either gloss over the subject or are clearly metaphorical or just plain superheroic. Still, whatever a beta /actually/ is, it's definitely the wolf that's always got the alpha's back. Given that Ahiga already _is_ that, well, that just makes it easy! Ikuna finds a grin spreading across his face as well as he looks down at the other wolf. "Well, sure. I don't ever want to be without you again, not if I can help it." He's all earnest-like, and happy-looking, because if his heart's confused about some things, it's not about this. Even if just /how/ he wants to be together is... well, still awkward. "You and Tala both." Better add his sister in there, 'cause she counts too! Just... differently. Ikuna just laughs at Ahiga's claim of being stronger, and nudges across the other wolf's chest with a paw, wrassling briefly before getting a bit more serious again. "We'll see what happens. I'm not gonna go fight Skahla for it or anything." That's the other way of making alphas, from what he's heard... and for all his brother may not be the best of alphas, Ikuna has no interest in challenging him. The whole concept is confusing enough already without adding familial discord!
Poor Tala probably isn't getting the most peaceful of sleeps with two rambunctious males around, for Ahiga does not let the bout of wrestling go without some retaliation of his own, which requires a bit of bumping and jostling against the sleeping female as he plays with Ikuna. He nips and bats before rolling to one side, pressing all four paws against him to batbat and kick at him before settling down again, using him as a nice fluffy footrest. Wait, fight Skahla? He outright laughs at that, eyes squinting in mirth. "Ha! Yeah right, Ikuna," he says after catching his breath, watching him with obvious mirth. "Him fight ya? Pft, he'll /beg/ ya to be alpha. He'll bring down two deer himself an' give them both to ya if you agree to it. I bet if he could, he'd give it to ya right now." He smirks and rolls his eyes soon after. "Nah. There ain't gonna be a fight, Ikuna. You might have ta bring it up cuz...since he doesn't talk much about stuff, but he's not gonna fight for somethin' he doesn't like doin'. I wouldn't." He flexes his toes against his fur as he stretches, the epitome of comfort, complete with a wide yawn.
Ikuna nudges and kicks back at Ahiga, grinning as he plays with the other male. This is good. This is like things used to be, and... well, it's still good, even with how things are now. He'll have to figure out the rest of what's going on sometime, and he'll have to explain it to Ahiga, but that can wait. Besides... he's not worried, anymore. Ahiga saw him being super mega weird, and he's still Ikuna's friend. One way or the other, this will all be okay. He lets out a happy sort of wurf-sigh at the end, his legs tangled up with the other's and draped together. Comfy. At Ahiga's prediction, he hmms. "Maybe I will." Even if Skahla isn't so enthusiastic as Ahiga seems to think, Ikuna doubts he'd get his head bitten off or anything. More likely, Skahla would make a weird face and sneak away. "...but not yet. Not 'til after winter, and not 'til Chewy's back, either. We still gotta prove ourselves, all of us. Even if everybody'd listen to me... they shouldn't yet."
Ahiga snickers and closes his eyes, legs tangled with Ikuna's, head slightly pressed against Tala. "Psh, I didn't mean for it to happen right /now/ anyway," he assures. "We still got too much to do together, you Tala 'n me. We /still/ never tested out our rabbit trap... Yeah I know I said it was stupid before, but maybe it really wasn' too bad've an idea. We can go explorin' outside've the borders a little after winter when the hunting's good again. Sh'yeah, bein' alpha and beta can wait a little longer, cuz once we are, we're not gonna be able to do what we want to do all the time anymore." They'll be far too busy fighting off evil bad guys and protecting the pack, being heroes! Carefree days will be over...if one can really call these days "carefree". "We better get some sleep if we're gonna get up in time to see Tala go.." Meh, a slight knot forms in his stomach as he reminds himself of that, remembering that not all is completely well just yet. "Y'know she's gonna try to sneak off without sayin' bye even /if/ she said she was gonna find us."
...and that will give Ikuna plenty of time to adjust to the idea, too! He laughs along with Ahiga, and nods. "Did Tala tell you 'bout the crazy rabbit we saw? He walked up right to me and tried to say he was Hadir's friend... I thought he had the madness or something!" He shakes his head, because seriously, what. Then it's his turn to yawn, and he cuddles a bit closer as he closes his eyes. "Yeah, we still got plenty of adventures to have. Maybe we'll go see where the river comes from... or where those birds fly away to." At the mention of Tala, he snorts a little. "Then we won't let her. We'll walk her to the edge of our territory, even if she _says_ she doesn't need us. And then I'll go find Skahla, right after." He halfway yawns again. "...but we oughta sleep now, yeah."
Ahiga peeks an eye open, a brow lifting. A rabbit....friend? "Y'sure he didn't mean to say he was Hadir's...snack?" he asks with a snicker, eyes rolling before he closes them again. "He probably /was/ crazy. Good thing you didn't eat'm. You'd probably be walkin' in circles, chasin' your tail, an' talkin' gibberish right now if ya had." With their plans of continuing their adventures before ultimately becoming the new faces of Ute set in place, Ahiga seems content to rest easy for the rest of the evening. Although leaving the task of informing Skahla sounds like a perfect thing for Ikuna to do all by himself...if he really is going to be a beta male, he'd better start practicing! And that means being there with him when news of Tala's trip to Cerulean is reported. Meh. That sounds as appealing as swallowing a worm. "Yeah. I'll find'm with ya," he murmurs as he slowly begins to drift. "Night Ikuna."
See, Ahiga understands these things. Rabbits are food, not friends! ...yeah, so Ikuna is going to need to have a talk with Hadir, too, because he certainly needs to be warned to be careful about strangers, and he may also need to have it explained how he, uh, eats meat, or at least will once he's big enough. Ikuna chuckles along, and nods. At Ahiga's offer to come along he perks up one ear in surprise - not what he expected - but he certainly doesn't mind the company. "Okay," he says, and relaxes down as he, too, drifts off toward sleep, though not before he adds, "Night, Ahiga."