Post by Pavane on Mar 16, 2012 1:55:36 GMT -5
Cerulean:
Niyt - female wolf
Anoki - male adolescent wolf
Coinin - male wolf (beta)
Tariro - male wolf (alpha)
Ute:
Tala - female adolescent wolf
---Two-River Fork---
The days are still growing shorter and colder, and Niyt has made her way to atop a rock facing across the river to where the sun rises each day. She sits there, letting the chill wind ruffle through her fur, and lifts up her head to howl a song; a song of the seasons, of vanished summer and coming winter. A song of days gone and yet to come; a song of the great cycle of the world. An old song, one that wolves have sung for many years, and one whose tune is echoed by the winds and waters. So Niyt howls.
The howls are picked up by one wolf that is not a common sight in this area. Upon slow steps comes Tala, ears twitching while her maw twitches and she pauses at the other edge of the river while her ears flick forward and hen lifts her head to let out her own howl.. Though her's is to show that she is there more then join in the call from Niyt it would seem.
Below the rocks and the run, in the river, the fish swarm is slowly fading away, to leave only the weakest and the last, late swimmers who've made their perilous trek up the streams and river itself. And among the shallower, tamer waters, Anoki stands, taking his time to pick out the largest of the late arriving salmon; smaller than a bear, even he has some trouble at this art, but with the fish weakening it becomes a bit easier. Just as he lunges in for a large one, the sorrowful serenade hits his ears, and knowing it is only his sister, he pauses barely a second before going under the water, and coming back up, dragging a weak, yet large meal with him toward the shallows, and then the rocks and dead brown grass of the bank. The fish, already mostly dead except the small twitches of body reflex, lays still almost as soon as he lets it go. Anoki smirks at this, shaking the water free from his thickening reddist-brown pelt, before he turns to lift his voice, lyric tenor to the song.
For all Niyt's howl is ancient ritual, passed down through the ages and the voices of spirits... it's still a wolf-howl. Wolf-howls are a way to greet one another; for a pack to connect and for visitors to make their presence known. So, when she hears another voice rising up - and then another - both known to her and unknown, she simply continues to call out, finishing out her sun-salutation before lowering her head. Her eyes open, fogged-over with blindness as they are, and she perks her ears to listen before slowly padding down off the rock and closer to the river where the other wolves are.
Tala ponders for a few moment before she steps on into the river crossing through a shallow part and soon catches sight of Anoki not all that far away. A slight smile is offered to the other along with a bob of her head. "Hello Anoki." She calls out to the other young wolf. It has been ome times since she saw him, and Tala has grown a fair amount during that time. Her form has started to fill in with muscle, legs still long and somewhat lanky and end in rather large paws. Scars rests across her right shoulder and neck, along with her left ear having a few notches across the edge. Seems like she got into it with something at some point in time.
Ears twitch, and Anoki smiles as the dulcet tones fade away. He turns to start upon his fish when Tala approaches, and he looks up from it to start to greet Tala-- before he stops, blinkign a bit. Goodness, she has become something more than he'd ever thought he'd see of the Ute wolves, hasn't she. Granted, he's no longer the gangly thing of youth either, but among his age group, he at least seems to have fared better, save for that bit of tailtip that's never grown back quite right. .. Oh, wait, he's the one that's not right in the head. Suppose that makes up for physical scars rather well. "... Hullo-" He squeaks a moment, coughs, then tries again at a proper tone, "Hullo, Tala," with a smile, and a vague flag of tail behind him. "You're a ways from the hill, aren't you? Get lost hunting?" He tries, before using a paw to pin down his meal before he begins trying to break it in half with his teeth.
Niyt approaches the two youngsters slowly, her ears perked to listen. Her brother clearly knows this wolf, so this can't really be a stranger. The name does sound faintly familiar. If she's from the hill... well, this must be one of the Ute wolves. She did meet quite a number of them when she visited there! In any case, she smiles as she comes near, and nods her head. "Hello."
Tala keeps her smile, her tail twitching a few times as she seems well.. Nervous for one reason or another. But after the last talk Ikuna, Ahiga and she had there is no wonder. "Well.. No actually I didn't. I came to see how you might be doing. Haven't spoken to you in a while after all." Sure that works! An its not like she doesn't like Anoki, she just doesn't know him all that well. Her ears perk and she looks over to Niyt, a soft smile offered along with her head even though she is blind. "Afternoon Niyt." Seems she remembers the older wolf.
A slight jump at Niyt-- Sisters, gack! Before Anoki grunts, and cracks the large salmon mostly in two. "Uh, Hullo, Niyt, I was actually just going to ask if you wanted half of my fish, you sounded sort of sad," he says, to his sister, with a smile-- before looking between her and Tala. He hehs softly. "Niyt, you remember Tala, right? 'course, the last time you saw.. well, last time you met her, she was about a raccoon's height to a stump, so maybe you don't remember her that well.." he chuckles softly, before he coughs. "She's Ikuna's sister and she uh.. seems to have come to-- you came to see me, with winter on the horizen? Aren't you worried you might get stuck here or something?" he asks, looking to Tala with a vague, confused blink.
Niyt smiles to Tala, and then nods to Anoki's explanation... so far as it goes. "Ah, yes..." That's right, one of the other pups! She remembers now... there were just, well, a few more new faces for her than for Ute at the time. "It's nice to see you again... you've certainly grown. Even your voice is bigger now," she says to the younger female, and then tilts her head back to her brother. "The wind's been forgetting. With winter, so many old voices are fading," she explains, and sighs. "But yes, I think I would like some of that fish. Thank you." She pads closer, and nuzzles at his cheek lightly.
Tala ears perk while she looks to the fish, an amused look seen while she settles back to her haunches tail swaying a few times in the process. "Well indeed it is rather close to winter but I'm not too worried about it. I.. didn't really plan on staying all that long but thought it would be nice to keep up the friendship we all started back then an so froth." Sure that's a great answer.. right? She glances to Niyt and then to the sky curiously it would seems.
Nudging the head end of the fish towards Niyt - arguably his favorite part, and the best part of the salmon, in Anoki's opinion - he nods, nuzzling back, and adding comfortingly, "Even if the wind forgets, we don't have to, Niyt. And some day those old voices will be new voices, remember?" He smiles, then looks to Tala, noticing her curious gaze upward. He grins a little. "The sun sometimes needs a reminder, when winter is upon us, not to make itself a stranger." He chuckles, then nods his head, "It is, indeed, a nice idea to keep up friendships. I would have made my way towards your lands when the snow was gone myself, I imagine, but never when it's so close to coming. Winter tends to be a time of hardship for us." He frowns, then, briefly reflecting on what Coinin had been saying the other day. He tries to shake it off with a rough laugh and a murmur of, 'Yeah, winter is hard,' to himself, before he smiles. "So how is your family, Tala? Your brothers are well, nothing has befallen them? You look like you met the business end of something this summer.."
Niyt smiles to her brother, and she nods. "So they will." With that, she settles herself down on her belly, drawing the part of the fish in between her legs and nibbling it delicately as she listens to the two younger wolves talk.
Tala ahs softly and nods with a smile. "I see.." Is offers with a soft tone, her tail swaying a few times next to her. "An that's alright. We all figured you was busy and what not. Ahiga and Ikuna wanted to come as well but they figured it would be best if only one of us left home for a few days." A faint shrug is seen at the talk of winter being brought up again before her ears lower a momment at the talk of how Anoki and Niyt has a hard winter around here. A faint smile is seen. "Ya well.. Ikuna and I got into a fight with a wolverine a while back.. Was crazy to say the least."
There's a twitch.. and for a moment, Anoki goes somewhat quiet, staring vaguely ahead at nothing, not even Tala; funny, how the word 'wolverine' triggers such an odd reaction. He sits there like this for several unusual moments of silence, before he jumpstarts again, blinking, and nods, "Ahh, Wolverines, those uh.. those're some nasty business there, yup yup." He grins weakly, then chuckles, standing, and moving to slowly walk around her, remarking, "Well, you don't look like you got too badly hurt, I mean, you're still.. quite a lovely wolf indeed," Anoki smiles as he comes around front again, then says, "But I'm sure someone like you has suitors coming out of the woodwork." He chuckles, and smiles. "I mean, there're so many more Ute around.."
Niyt lifts up her head at the mention of wolverine, but Anoki manages to pull himself together before she says anything. Which is for the best, really; she won't always be there for him - not that she doesn't want to be! - and so it's good that he's learning to handle things on his own. She stays like that a while, head tilted and listening, instead of going back to her fish... and as Anoki starts to move on to matters of romance, she gets a smile. Oh, if only their mother were here! Now that would make things interesting.
Tala ears perk forward as she peers at Anoki, pondering the look he has and a few snuffle escapes her and she licks across her maw. "Ya.. It.. Was hard on Ikuna to deal with being around it." She offers softly at the thought and glances to the ground. That is until Anoki goes moving around her and she blinks while tilting her head and watches him curiously. A soft chuckle escapes her and she smiles. "Well.. Thanks.." This said with a soft murmur, an her ears seem a bit pinker. She pauses a moment and clears her throat. "Well.. No I don't really." As for Ahiga she isn't sure how he feels anymore after the last conversation. "As for there being many around Ute there is, but I'm pretty much related to everyone save Ahiga."
"... Yeah, I guess that makes things a little hard huh." Anoki says, though he seems to have been thinking of something else when he mentioned how many ute there are. "Guess maybe we're in a like situation, huh. Only girls around here are my sister, or are the mates of my uncles. Kinda boring, really, without anyone else around my age, but I can't go runnin' off all the time. S'portant that I learn to help the pack out and stuff. Like learn to hunt for things more dangerous than fish," he says, but he doesn't quite like that topic either to tell the truth. "Easier to find around the river than it is to find other things," he says, amused, before he sits, and revisits the tail end of the fish, settling down into a half recline to gnaw on the tail and the gutsy bits, ripping the fatty flesh off and chomping it down.
"It was much the same when I was your age," offers Niyt. "The only young wolves I had even _met_ beside my family were Mori and Zuphi." She smiles, then goes on. "Our packs are families at heart, and so we often must look outside them for love. My mother was from another pack, and met my father when she came here. Perhaps it was similar with your parents, Tala."
Tala glances over to Niyt an ponders a moment it seems. "Well.. I don't know how my parents met one another actually." This said with a soft tone at the thought. Truthfully she doesn't know a lot about her parents other then they was alphas of the Ute pack that is. Her gaze turns back to Anoki and a smile is seen. "Ya.. I suppose you could say that. Round about in the same way an such." Her tail sways and a grin soon crosses her maw. "You know.. I could always give you some help with teaching you about hunting deer if your interested." After all up in the mountains there are no fish.
"Coinin wants to teach me hunting.. and a lot of other things that're probably all a bunch of stupid hooey, but since he's the Beta, I have to listen, I guess," Anoki says, playfully rolling his eyes for show as he rips a few more chunks of meat from the tail end; then says, "Y'know, stuff I suppose I gotta learn eventually anyway. I'm supposed to learn that kinda stuff from dad or my uncle, but y'know. Dad went off, and I guess he's probably dead by now, an' Uncle Tariro's.. I dunno. I ain't seen him around since that lady wolf he's so interested in showed up. So I guess it's gotta be Coinin." He shrugs slightly, then says, "S'a step up I guess. 'Least you got brothers an' Ahiga to learn this stuff with." He frowns a little, then chomps down more fish, mumbling through working jaws, "And at least your family's not all over the place with that.. lovey dovey stuff.."
Niyt takes another nibble of her fish, chewing it slowly. "You can likely learn a great deal from Coinin. Listen, and weigh what he says against your heart." The beta he may be, but he is a newcomer to their pack as these things are measured. He has not fully proven himself, at least not to Niyt. She has no doubts of his hunting skills, but she'd rather not have her brother listen blindly to the rest... though it's certainly useful for him to be aware of it. As for the lovey-dovey, well... she smiles and ducks her head slightly. Since Zuphi's return, even she has been in... well, good spirits. They're not mates - not even officially courting again - but when she visits with him, she usually returns with a smile.
Tala ahs softly at this. "Well.. My one brother Asku taught Ikuna, Ahiga and I how to hunt deer.. We've been on a few hunts even." She offers with a slight flick of her tail at times. "Which is why I was offering to lend you a paw if you want." Well she's trying to be all friendly! She smirks at the lovey dovey stuff. "I wish it was that easy to say it wasn't that way. I think that's just a given in familes.. An I an't too sure I'm interested in the -lovey-dovey- stuff anymore. Seems to just be more trouble then its worth."
A soft 'hmm' comes from Anoki as he ponders it. "Well, yeah, I suppose you could help out, I mean, I know Coinin's busy all the time, especially with how he's as caught up in the mushy stuff as Niyt is," he says, casting an accusatory, yet playful smirk at his sister, before he blinks at this. Trouble? Huh. "Dunno about 'trouble'. I mean, love isn't /all/ bad. It leads to puppies, I guess, since you always only see puppies if the two are in love, and stuff. So it means more folks in the family, eventually. Dunno about trouble though. Kinda hard for me to find out," he says, chuckling, tail swishing side to side a moment, "After all, I'm like, the only one around here our age. If I wanted to, say, do the love thing with you, I'd have to run off and go.. to.. uh.." He stops, blinking. "... Tala, you uh. You came an aweful long way, with the snow threatenin' to fall at any time, just to see me.. alone.."
Niyt smiles at her brother's accusation, and gives her head a little toss. For not being courting, it's true there's definitely /something/ between her and the torn-eared wolf. When she speaks, however, it's not to address her own situation, but just to say, "Coinin has other things to occupy him as well." That whole being beta thing, with all it entails. Patrols, hunting... keeping order in the pack... mmm. "Or at least, those in love wish to have puppies, to give that love a new shape in the world." She smiles, and then... oh, then she lowers her head, pretending to be busy with the fish as Anoki rambles his way to something rather interesting!
Tala tail flicks a few times and a forepaw faintly paws at the ground. "Well I guess so.." Sorta funny how he brings up /puppies/ that's how this crazyness started back home thanks to Wachiwa. She glances over to Niyt smiling to the older she-wolf before looking back to Anoki as he goes on and blinks.. Darn questions like that. A soft sigh escapes her and her shoulders roll a moment before a faint shrug is seen. "Its.. sorta funny that you talk about puppies cause Wachiwa thought Ahiga an I would be a couple I suppose and have puppies come spring or something." She lifts her forepaw to wave it slightly while her tail flicks once more nervous like. "Ahiga doesn't hold the same idea as Wachiwa." Maybe it can just be left at that?..
Blinking a few times, Anoki tilts his head. "And you thought I would or somethin'?" He asks, curiously, as he considers this strange news. She's given a look up and down, and then Anoki offers, "Well uh, I suppose if you /need/ puppies I could. uhm. Do whatever it is that's needed for that but... Tala, what do /you/ think about it? I mean, pssh, my mom was like that alllll the time for Niyt. It's a .. mom thing, I guess. They wanna see you happy so they come up with stupid stuff like, 'oh, you'll be all grown up and have puppies when spring comes!' because they think you'll be happy like that. But Niyt doesn't have any puppies yet, and she's still happy, AND still all lovey all over whoever this guy is she /stilllllll/ hasn't introduced me to." He doesn't mention the fact that his mom is also dead, but that's okay. "If /you/ want it and it'll make you happy, go for it. if you don't want it and you'll still be happy, then don't."
Tala just blinks and eyes Anoki a moment. "No!.. That is /not/ what I said.." She mutters out faintly an soon snorts. "What is it with you boys taking everything I say and putting some different /spin/ on it?" She glowers faintly and its a look her mother knew well not that anyone around here know it. A snrot escapes her. "I came to vist you cause I thought we was friends or something and it just seemed like a good idea to leave with the way Ahiga and Ikuna have been acting lately."
A blink and then a soft snicker. "Oooooh, I see." He dips his head, picks what's left of his half of the fish up, and then takes it carefully to the river, dropping it into the water, speaking softly: "It came from the river, so I'm giving it back. Thank you for the energy and food, river." before he stares into the water thoughtfully, before he speaks louder, "Tala, we're friends,sure, but.. Have ya ever thought that maybe if something's bothering you about Ahiga, you should talk to him and not go runnin' off to someone else -- 'specially another /boy/ -- to try and get around it?" He looks over to her with a grin, before he turns and trots her way, attempting to nose at her hip and then shoulders with playful nips. "After all. If you run away from your problems, they only get worse. You gotta confront things eventually, I guess. Like I gotta some time confront the fact that I'm afraid of holes."
Tala shrugs slightly at this. "I did try to talk to Ahiga about it.. He and Ikuna both came up with the same answer that I could come see you for a bit or osmething." She's somewhat confused over the whole mess to say the least. A glance is offered to Anoki and she smirks a moment before swatting out at him with a forepaw. "I know it can make things worse, but.. Its what they wanted me to do so I guess its the right thing."
"That just means Ahiga's trying to avoid it to," Anoki says, amusedly, before pausing to dip playfully before her, bowing and tail arching into an over the back wag as he briefly slaps the ground with his forepaws. Then he leaps up and prances fancily around her playfully. "I'll betcha anything he likes you, too, but he's too afraid to say anythin' c'os you're like Niyt; too good for just any ol' dumb dog that comes around. He thinks he ain't worthy. And I'll betcha Ikuna told you to come c'os you're his sister. Brothers are supposed to look out for their sisters, an' stuff. He's tryin' to make sure you don't get hurt none because of Ahiga being a big ol' scaredy cat." he grins.
Tala watches Anoki curiously for a moment, an amused grin seen as she shifts on her paws to drop into a playbow as well. Her tail swaying about in the air and she chuckles. "Well.. I suppose you have a point there." This said before the bounces forward a few steps towards Anoki.
A yip of amusement escapes the he-wolf as he skirts away from Tala's bouncing forward, and then he, too bounces forward with a playful attempt to nip at her shoulder again, grinning. "Yeah, I betcha that's 'zactly why Ikuna told you to go; he doesn't wanna see you get hurt by somethin' stupid that you and Ahiga both gotta figure out on your own. Ikuna's alot smarter than me, I s'pose," he murmurs, smirking, pawing at the air slightly, "If it was me, I probably woulda tried to rough Ahiga up because I'm dumb like that.." he reflects back on the fight that almost was between him and Coinin over Niyt.. and though it's hard to tell because of his reddish fur his cheeks would be blazing, as would his ears. He hmms. "I got an idea, though.. I betcha, if you really /want/ Ahiga to like you, Tala -- an' only if, y'know -- you could try bringing him something. I watch the other animals all the time.. I guess they mostly know I'm not going to try and eat them so they let me get close. Boy birds will present girl birds with presents if they want them to sit on eggs.. But who's to say girls can't do the same if they want a guy to smarten up?"
Coinin has been resting, as he usually has lately, in the spot that he has claimed for himself. Though with all the commotion going on at the present moment it is difficult to sleep. He lifts his head from his paws and looks around. There is a new smell here, and it seems like he has smelled it before. His gaze quickly settles on Anoki and the strange wolf, though he thinks he recalls seeing her before. After a moments thought he remembers that she was one the wolves that had come over from Ute to visit Anoki, and it seems that they are back...at least one of them is.
Tala grins as she bounes upon her paws, staying just a step ahead of Anoki it seems. Her tail sways about and she shifts to bap ouat him with her right paw only for her left paw to swing up and try to bap at his chest. She soon hops backwards a few steps. Her ears perk and she lifts a brow. "Well.. I suppose that is one thought about it." She ofers with a soft tone at the idea and tilts her head. "Well I never thought about bring him something.." There is a pause while she eyes Anoki. "I couldn't bring him a stick though that wouldn't make any sense."
Some conversations don't need interfering with. Niyt just listens quietly for a while, smiling from time to time. In this, at least, she is a different wolf than their mother. Alaqua would never have been able to keep her mouth shut. She'd be driving young wolves into dens by now and telling they they couldn't come out until puppies were on the way! ...actually. There is something she should say, and while it's not really her role to explain to Tala, better that the explain wrongly than some mistake happens. She remembers what happened with that Mori she knew as a pup... and his family. While these wolves of Ute seem good-intentioned, they also seem like, well, hormonal adolescents. Time to horribly embarrass them. "Just remember this. Puppies are an expression of love, yes - but what they come from is when a boy puts his boy-part inside a girl. Don't do that if you're not willing to have pups."
There's a large grin at the mention of stick- "I dunno," Anoki says, as he whirls in a circle a moment, looking for a stick. He spots a mostly dormant willow, bounds that way a moment, and yanks off a low laying limb with a crack. he starts to bound back with it in his mouth, talking through gritted teeth: "You could always start with him tuggin' on one side of the stick, and you tuggin' on the other, a--" And then there comes SUPER SISTER, Dun dunna DUN. And he almost trips over his own feet stopping so fast at her words. He yarps, stick falling from his feet and turns to /stare/ at her. "... Niiiiyt! That was disguuustin'. I mean just.. geeeewwwww.." he makes a horrified face, before looking at Tala with ears back. "She is soooo only my sister because mom an' dad had her first I swear."
Coinin is still sufficently groggy that he isn't really paying all that much attention to the conversation. He yawns again and lifts his paw to rub his eyes. It has been a pretty lazy day. He should probably get up and do a bit of patrolling but he just doesn't really feel like it at the moment. After a few more moments he decides to speak, "Hello everyone." He brings himself to a sitting position and quickly surveys the rest of the area. It seems that Niyt is the only other wolf thats awake.
Tala grins while she shifts to follow after Anoki with her eyes looking amused as he goes about pulling off a stick. She shifts and wiggles bouncing over to try and grab hold of the free stick end as her tail sways about. She is about to say something until Niyt speaks up and she blinks and looks her way looking well, utterly confused and grossed out at the same time IF that is at all possible. A faint um.. Escapes her and she glances to Anoki unless what to say now.. A ear does twitch towards Coinin though.
Niyt is horrible and awful. ...and she remembers what she heard about Mori. Either that was intentional on his part, in which case she's rather disappointed in him, or else it was at least in part a mistake, in which case Ute had and may still have problems in teaching their youngsters. Not everyone has the 'advantage' of a mother tripping over herself to explain these things to an adolescent daughter just to encourage her with how good it would feel and how cute the pups would be! She sits up, apparently totally unashamed of having just been quite possibly the most embarrassing sister /ever/. "It's not a bad thing, but you should be careful."
Never would Anoki EVER have thought he'd be glad to see Coinin. I mean, really, always Coinin has been a stuffy old adult. But now? With Niyt there being.. so.. AUGH... Anoki brightens as coinin appears. Oh gosh hopefully the other male can save him. "Coinin, hiiii, can you like, take Niyt somewhere /else/ so she'll stop being all gross and stuff?" he says, before looking to Tala again apologetically. "She's so just.. It's her head, really, she got hit on the head as a pup, honest, I swear.."
Coinin isn't really stuffy...well ok he may be a bit stuffy, but he really does mean well. He doesn't really dislike Anoki at all, as a matter of fact he has plans for Anoki. He would love to get to know the young wolf a bit better, and at the very least teach him how to defend himself...even if he refuses to learn to hunt, "Anoki I don't control what Niyt does...you should know that." He hasn't been able to control Niyt ever, what makes anyoen think that she will listen now.
Tala eyes Niyt curiously a few moments, her maw twitches and she shifts while promptly settling to her haunches. Well there goes her mood for playing! "Well.. Alright..ya.." She is a bit speechless on what to say now after that sort of subject it would seem. A glance is offered back to Coinin and she offers a polite not to the beta.
Niyt continues to ignore her brother's increasingly desperate attempts to divert her, focusing on Tala. "You should ask an older wolf you trust if you have questions. Perhaps Wachiwa..." Of the wolves she met in Ute, that one seems the most likely to fill a role of counselor for the youngsters. "You can talk to me as well, but... you may be more comfortable with someone you know better." She smiles. Or maybe Tala _would_ prefer someone like Niyt, who she can avoid seeing for a month afterward. Either way is fine by her, and she certainly doesn't expect any questions with the current crowd. That done, she turns to the beta. "Hello, Coinin." For all the world as if she hasn't just been horribly embarrassing and gross!
"Oooooh moon its as if she was mom all over again," Moans Anoki into his paws as he buries his snout between his two forepaws against the ground. He shakes his head, then looks at Tala miserably. "She's. Uhm. I .. Guess she's probably right or somethin', but I'd say ask your brother's mate instead of someone who's tried to make you and Ahiga have puppies or something," he says, before looking at Coinin waspishly-- SOME HELP HE WAS. Whatever happened to that whole bros before hos.. thing. He shakes his head, and then looks to Tala with a sigh. "Well as I was gonna say, a game of tug o' war can be fun between anyone really. And I betcha if you let him win, he'd be happy." ears flattening out to the sides, Anoki tries to.. just.. get.. over the fact that his sister.. uuuugh. SISTERS. He shudders. ".. And for the love of moon, never ever EVER say that to your little brothers ever. Especially not in front of a girl!"
Coinin is goign to be staying out of this conversation. It doesn't appear to be any of his business anyway. After all Anoki is Niyt's responsibility, "How have you been doing Niyt?" he asks. He will do his best to distract her from the present conversation though. Of course there is no guarantee of his sucess, "Hopefully things have been going well." he hasn't really had much of a chance to chat with her lately, and it would be nice to hear about what she has been up too. He gives Tala and quick smile, "Its nice to see you again Tala, welcome to Cerulean again."
Tala ahs a moment and nods as she hears Niyt while eyeing the ground a few moments, it suddenly looks very interesting then sitting in the middle of this conversation. "Yes.. That may be a good idea." Though she has a slight idea what Niyt is talking about after all, Asku had talked about it to Ikuna and her some time ago. Her gaze turns back to Coinin and she offers him a polite smile. "Thank you.."
Mom would have easily been ten times worse. Easily. Niyt smiles, and then is pretty much done... after having decided to take responsibility, not just for the education of her brother but of Tala as well. Having already made things, oh, about as bad as she can, she lets her brother complain about her at length and explain his theories for making boys like you without interference. Instead, she replies to Coinin. "I've been well. Winter is coming close again... how about you? How have you been?"
Tala peers over at Anoki, an amused look seen across her face while her tail waggles about. "An.. that's a rather good idea actually. Ahiga does like to play games and stuff.. Don't worry about your sister, I think she's fine. She has a good point that we need to be told.." Though she doesn't agree with bring it up now mind you!
Yeah, Sisters.. ugh. As Coinin seems to distract Niyt way way too late, Anoki siiiighs, and sinks into a hunch, ears splayed. "I'm sorry 'bout that, Tala," he murmurs at the other teen wolf (awoo) before he heaves a sigh, and sliiiides into a flump on the ground. HUFF! Then, trying to safe his own face, he remarks, "But yeah, I s'pose if you wanna help me learn to hunt deer, that would be okay. As long as it do it somewhere /else/." A scowl is shot Niyt, before he then remarks, "I'd offer to show you how to hunt fish, but I know you guys don't have much of a river where you are. Plus fish are a lot easier to catch when they're coming back to the river to do the fish dance in the shallows."
Coinin is pleased to hear that things have been going well. It seems that things have been quiet for her as well. Things have been very quiet for him. So much so that its been borderline boring, "I've been alright I guess. I haven't really had that much to do lately." he responds. For the time being he is content to let Anoki and Tala have their conversation and fun. He is interested in learning how long Tala plans to stay, but that can wait.
Niyt smiles, and nods to Coinin. "That will change come spring, I suspect." What with all those lovey-dovey couples and their prospective puppies! Her ears perk to catch bits of Anoki and Tala's conversation, and that, too, makes her smile. While she finds nothing wrong with her brother eating fish, catching deer is a good skill for him to have. There won't always be fish to catch, and fish won't feed an entire pack. Neither will the lizards and mice she manages to catch while blind, for that matter... but her brother doesn't have her impairment. He can join the pack in proper hunts. If a cute Ute wolf is what it takes to get him started, well then. She won't stand in the way.
Tala doesn't plan on staying all that long actually, but she sorta already told Anoki and Niyt this. She smiles to Anoki and nods a moment while shifting on her paws, giving herself a good shake in the process. "Well sure.. An its a good skill to have I must say." She offers softly while glancing towards the two adults and then back to Anoki curious like. "Do.. you want to go and see if we can find a deer now?" Well it is possible, the deer are on the move more when winter on its way.
Oh, moon, anything to get away from Niyt lest she embaress him again, but at the same time, he eyes his sisyer scrupulously. "After what she said," Anoki mutters, "I don't think I want to go off with a girl alone any time soon. Not your fault, Tala, just.. Y'know." Yeah. He may rag on Niyt for being all lovey with whoever it is she keeps running off to see, but.. but he's allowed to he's the younger brother, it's as much his job as watching out for her is! But heaven FORBID he give /her/ ammo, oh heck no. "Besides. Do /you/ want to go off alone, with a boy, after what /she/ said...?"
Coinin figures there will be a huge change in the pack. Certainly he doesn't begrudge anyone a relationship or puppies or anything like that. He is totally looking forward to seeing Tar and Lex's pups. Still he has been lonely himself lately. He hasn't seen Molasses around anywhere lately and the thought concerns him. Hopefully she is doing ok wherever she is...He has been pondering going to look for her, but with his responsibilites here he can't very well go wandering off for extended periods of time, "Yeah...I think you might be right."
Niyt settles down again, curling her tail around herself. "Sometimes I am, at that..." she says to Coinin, with a smile playing around her muzzle and a flick of her ear back toward her brother. She'd rather like to see him with a girl, if it meant he'd be happy, but... well. She can't just let everyone stumble around in ignorance, now can she? With great power comes great responsibility. With big-sistering comes being embarrassing.
Tala blinks as she hears Anoki, a faint oh escapes her at this and well she seems a bit unsure what to do it seems. Her head tilting while she glances off homdwards and then looks back to Anoki with a smile. "Well if we an't planning on doing anything but hunting then what's the problem?" She questions with a few flicks of her tail seen. "Or.. you chicken to try and hunt a deer?" Her brows lift at this while she grins to see if she can get Anoki more interested in hunting.
"Pftt, chicken? Naw, I ain't scared," Anoki says, with a snort, "I just don't want Niyt thinking that we're gonna go off and do exactly what she just told us not to." He sniffs, then streeeetchies his forepaws out before him, before rolling to his side, then his back, letting those paws bob over his chest a bit. "Besides. You aren't stayin' long, are you? Gotta be gone before the snow traps you here. I don't wanna spend all that time killing thinngs when we could y'know, talk, or play games, or stuff like that. Maybe if Ahiga and Ikuna were here, sure," Because then it'd be three boys tryign to one-up each other, wouldn't it? "But just you an' me? Naw." He hmms. Then says, looking over to Tala, "Soooooo.. /do/ you like Ahiga?" he asks, slyly.
Coinin thinks that Niyt is right probably most of the time, "How have things been going with Zuphi?" he asks her. He hasn't really been kept in the loop of how things have been going with that. Hopefully Zuphi has been healing up well. He is sure that if Zuphi had been really ill then he would have heard about it. He also is half listening to Tala and Anoki's back and forth. He really hopes that Tala will get him over his worries about hunting. The pack will likely need another wolf on deck for hunts during the winter.
Through the woods a howl can be heard, echoing through the shadows and off the trees. Its owner, a wolf whos presence has been sorely lacking. Moving through the undergrowth, nearly dead from the nearing winters chilled air, a white wolf emerges at the rivers edge, down river, like that of a ghost or the snow itself. He could hear voices not to far off as he drank, a few quite familiar to the ear.
"He's recovering fairly well," says Niyt with a smile. "Doing some small hunting and the like. He may want to speak with you during the winter, you and Tariro both. We shall see." For now, he's mostly been keeping to himself, inside Cerulean's lands but not by much. A compromise, between him wanting to not be in the way and his continued weakness. Niyt still hasn't answered how it goes between her and him - but she perks up her ears at the sound of a howl, and lifts her head to give a short call in response.
Tala tibbits at Anoki. "I bet you are chicken.." She points out while bouncing from paw to paw a few times as her tail sways about behind her and she grins. A ear twitches and she soon shrugs. "Well ya I guess that is true but that doesn't mean I can't help you out with some hunting." There is a pause at the question from Anoki and she blinks. A faint ah escapes her wondering how to answer how she feels about Ahiga. An then there is a howl! Oh well she will just skip over that question as she glances towards the approach of anoher wolf.
A strange howl stiffens Anoki where he lays, sending him flopping back over to his belly and lifting his head, ears twitching. But after Niyt joins in, he settles, honing in on the voice a bit; and he too joins in with a shorter call that comes up short, more of a wooop than a 'wooo', before he moves to sit up, looking over to Tala. Oh, she might get away with not answering for now, but he's going to ask again, oh yes! .. Later! ... When it doesn't look like there's about to be someone he hasn't met before approaching.
Coinin knows that voice. Its a voice that he hasn't herd in what seems to be forever. He had been wondering what had been going on with the alpha of the pack. Tar had always rather kept to himself, but he has never been 'absent' like he has been. He lifts his own head to return the howl. This is turning out to be a very interesting evening so far. He will have to ask Niyt more about Zuphi later, "I'll be happy to talk to him anytime, and I'm sure Tariro would too." he responds.
The returned howls brings a gentle smile to the wolfs muzzle, lifting his head to glance up the river to the group thats settled in amongst the trees. Letting the howls fade, he then steps into the river to cross it; shaking out his pelt once on the other side. Its then that he approaching the gathering, not a work spoken till close enough to do so. Hearing his name in his approach a brow raises. "I would what?" He wonders breaking through the treeline looking at everyone, pausing on the young wolf from Ute, an added nod giving to her.
Niyt nods to Coinin. When, and about what, will be up to Zuphi. She may be his best friend in this pack, but she is not responsible for him, nor he for her. She simply... cares about him. That's all. She turns to listen to the approaching wolf, and flicks her ears at his words before answering. "Be willing to speak with Zuphi, if he asked. He may, sometime during the winter."
Tala watches how the other react, her maw twitches nervous like while she shifts a few inches closer to Anoki as she ponders what wolf is wandering into the area. A ear twitches to Anoki but that is about it, she won't give the question a answer until asked again! She looks to the wolf that apepars, a ear flicking forward as she watches how Niyt and Coinin react ahd she just keeps quiet. A polite dip of her head is offered back to the alpha and she soon settles herself down upon the ground with a yawn escapes her. "I guess we can go hunting later.. After I get a nap in that is."
Eyes widen, and Anoki, seeing it's his uncle, heaves a whuffy sigh of relief. Yeha, no wonder he didn't recoignize the older wolf; how long has it honestly been since he's heard his uncle howl? Too long. He looks over to Tala, and says, "That's just my uncle, you don't gotta be worried about him." He's about to thn launch into trying to ask her again, but when she yawns, his ears pop forward, the playful mischief wipes from his face. "Oh.. Yeah, okay, you should go rest, long trip and all." he smiles at Tala, adding, "Tomorrow, when you've had rest, we can hunt. Better to hunt with the sun to an angle so there are at least some shadows to slip into when we sneak up on a deer."
Coinin is definitely very pleased to see Tariro, it seems like everyone is. He is sure there is probably an interesting story behind his absence that he will no doubt share in time. It seems that Niyt got to answer first in regards to the Zuph, so for the time being he plans on just leaving that alone since it seems Niyt doesn't want to talk about it further, "Its good to see you Tar. We missed you." he points out. Yep he definitely was missed.
Now that was something he didn't expected to hear. He hadn't seen Zuphi for quite some time and now he was considering speaking to him out of the blue. Was certainly a surprise to say the least. Tariro was willing to see him though; winter was a hard time for everyone and the young wolf deserved better. Moving in he comes to a halt just short of the group before settling to his haunches. Ears twitching to the mention of hunting he looks to Anoki but says nothing just yet. He last heard that Coinin was going to teach him... was that not the case now. Glancing to the young female he says. "You are welcome to join us further in for warmth if you choose to." A friendly offer if Tala were to accept it. No use being cold while she visited. Turning to Coinin, Tar nods. "Its great to be seen." He says. "I've missed you all. I hope I haven't missed much."
Niyt smiles, just relaxing and listening to the others converse for now. Being surrounded by her pack - well, and a visitor - is a good place to be, so far as she's concerned.
Tala hums softly and nods to Anoki. "Well.. That's good to know." She offers with a soft murmur to her friend. A glance is offered to the alpha and she nods slightly from her spot, still near Anoki. While the alpha goes about talking to his pace few that are here she goes about falling asleep. Her forepaw lifts to rub across her face a moment before she curls up and seems to drift off to sleep.
With Tala falling asleep, Anoki is left alone to the horrors of three adults, wo of which his blood relaives, and a third which he already sees as stuffy and grumpy. The fact that his uncle is back is nice. But he's still an adult and Anoki is still young enough that adults are these things you only listen to when you're bored, or they're pulling the 'I'm bigger and older than you' thing. So, with his own yawn, Anoki rises, and turns, heading for the side of the river, where he then lays down, and begins to stare into the water thoughtfully.
It seems that most everyone is settling in for the evening. That doesn't surprise him, Tala probably had quite the trip from Ute. He does find himself wondering where he partners in crime are, but no doubt he will hear in time. Now isn't the time for questions. He has attempted to have a conversation with Anoki about hunting but the conversation didn't go too well, it seems though that might be chaning a bit. Perhaps he just needed someone closer to his own age to teach him, "What have you been up to?" he asks Tar. Probably a good story there.
Picking up on Anoki's rather teen like demonour Tariro hmms. Seems he's missed something alright. What his nephew may now know however, is that he's not one to pry let alone make someone do something their not ready for. Plus he hasn't been around long enough to know the full extent of whats going on. So rather then gives Anoki the run down he lets the wolf ponder his own thoughts. They'll soon meet up in time. Coinin's question is not forgotten, looking to him. "Nothing to exciting I'm afraid." Yea, so much for a good story. "First I was just wondering." Everyone knows how he likes doing that. "Then I came across the old densite that the Lazuli use to use. I stayed there a few nights before considering it a possible location for the coming Spring litters." Giving a brief look to Anoki, then to Niyt he continues. "I would have returned sooner, but I couldn't help but clear the den and put new bedding in. Thought we could use it to escape the winter weather when it arrived while we waited for its proper use."
Niyt tilts her head to the side at her uncle. "Just how near to there are we?" she asks, curious. "I know this is somewhat near Lazuli's old lands, but most of the once-Lazuli wolves don't care to talk about it these days." She shrugs - that's from before her time, and she only knows fragments of what went on back then.
One ear only vaguely twitches at mention of densites; Anoki truely is not listening to the adults; instead seeming lost in his own thoughts. At length, his head starts to droop, then dip, before he yawns, and curls himself into a ball, nose to tail with a few snuffs and snorts, before he soon falls to sleep of his own accord.
Coinin is interested in learning more about this densite. It is a very practical matter that definitely needs to be addressed before the pups that are likely coming actually arrive, "Where is this at?" he asks. He has poked around himself a bit and found a few possible densites, though he didn't stray too far from where the pack presently lives.
If he looked hard enough he could probably seen the undergrowth from here, but rather than strain his ageing eyes he just says, "Its a good walk but I wouldn't say to far." If anyones every been out and about they've probably come across it several times and hadn't noticed.
"I'd be glad to show you when theres free time." To his nephew once more, who seems to have dozed off he hmms. Something about him just doesn't seem right.
Coinin will definitely have to see it at a more awake and about hour of the day, "I'm really glad you were thinking ahead. I've been thinking about looking for dens myself. I don't think I'll have a use for one other than to rest in during the winter." Yep. Coinin's romance thing hasn't really worked out like he thought it would.
Planning ahead isn't always a good thing though, especially when your needed back home. Tar may not know it yet but he's desperately needed. "I didn't do so well the first time, so thought I'd make up for that this time by providing a safe environment." He lost a son and mate those many moons ago due to poor planning.. well not this time. If he know how Coinin's relationship was going he's certainly feel sorry for him. "Dont give up hope, I'm sure one day you'll be doing more than just resting in one in years to come."
Coinin isn't really giving up hope or anything, its just really difficult because he thought he had that problem solved and well he didn't apparently. Not like there is anything he can really do about it other than keep an eye out and hope that she returns, "I agree...the pack has probably needed a den for a long time, but now is defintely the time to make sure we have one."
Niyt nods, listening to what's said between alpha and beta. She's relaxed, not asleep yet like the younger wolves but still taking it easy.
Tariro nods. He wasn't the only one who couldn't find their other half though... Maka has gone and disappeared somewhere too and in her state it worried him. Hoping that she comes back before winter truely sets in, he'll have to keep a look out. Letting out an uncontroled yawn, the wolfs drops to his stomach. "Things will work out so long as we work together."
Niyt smiles. "We've found our way so far, though it's been a winding one at times."
Tariro nods in agreement there looking to his niece. "Yes.. yes we have." No matter how winding the road gets theres nothing they haven't overcome. "I look forward for the good times to come again." Things ran smoother then.
Niyt leans onto her side, stretching out comfortably. She doesn't notice the gaze, her own eyes looking out blankly. "It all comes and goes. Good times, bad times..." She smiles. "Has Maka been joining you on her wanders? It seems like she'd enjoy exploring like that."
Tariro goes to head shake but breaks it off into a sigh. "No, she hasn't." He says. "I haven't seen her since the change in season." It had him in a gloomy state. "It worries me something could have happened to her, even when I know better. She could very well be doing what I had been, showing up when I least expect it." He'd like to believe that so much.
Niyt lifts up her head slightly from the ground, her ears perking. "She's quick on her feet, and smart," she says to her uncle reassuringly. "Even if something did happen... I'm sure she could make her way out of it with no harm done." She laughs a little. "Perhaps you'll find she went to find a den herself, and you two were just heading in different directions the whole time!"
Tariro smirks. "Your probably right." Its times like this were his glad to have another who understands and is capable of reassurance. "We'll find out if and when she returns I suppose." Dropping his head to his paws now he takes a deep breath.
Niyt smiles. "We will indeeed. Even with winter coming, I wouldn't worry too much. It was winter when she first came to us, after all." And for all she appreciated a pack in that season, she'd been taking care of herself fairly well. Niyt stretches, sprawling out. "Rockfall was asking about you the other day..."
Tariro eyes were starting to slide close when son is mentioned, puling them open. "Oh.. Did he say what for?" Rockfall has never asked much of him before so he's rather shocked he'd be asking for him now.
Niyt mmms, and shakes her head. "Just wondering how you were doing. If there was any particular reason why, he didn't mention it to me."
Tariro nods slow. And here he was thinking it was something important. "I guess we can all give him an answer to that now." he chuckles softly. "I'll have to meet up with him soon then, let him now I'm still alive."
Niyt smiles, and nods. "I think he'll be glad to hear it. Perhaps you two can go hunting together or something..."
Tariro mmms. "I'll bring it up to him. It'll be good to see what he knows, perhaps teach him a few things he doesn't." He really does need to spend more time with his son before he loses the chance.
Niyt nods, and stretches once again before curling herself up somewhat. "Hopefully this winter will be a good one for us..." The pack has gained new members in this past year, and perhaps the winter will give everyone time to connect and get to know each other. "For now, I think I'm going to follow their example..." she tilts her head to indicate Anoki and Tala. "Goodnight, Tariro."
Tariro follows the tilt. "Night, Niyt." He smiles at the similarity of those words. "Rest well." He should likely do the same, get an early start on tomorrows activities.
Niyt - female wolf
Anoki - male adolescent wolf
Coinin - male wolf (beta)
Tariro - male wolf (alpha)
Ute:
Tala - female adolescent wolf
---Two-River Fork---
The days are still growing shorter and colder, and Niyt has made her way to atop a rock facing across the river to where the sun rises each day. She sits there, letting the chill wind ruffle through her fur, and lifts up her head to howl a song; a song of the seasons, of vanished summer and coming winter. A song of days gone and yet to come; a song of the great cycle of the world. An old song, one that wolves have sung for many years, and one whose tune is echoed by the winds and waters. So Niyt howls.
The howls are picked up by one wolf that is not a common sight in this area. Upon slow steps comes Tala, ears twitching while her maw twitches and she pauses at the other edge of the river while her ears flick forward and hen lifts her head to let out her own howl.. Though her's is to show that she is there more then join in the call from Niyt it would seem.
Below the rocks and the run, in the river, the fish swarm is slowly fading away, to leave only the weakest and the last, late swimmers who've made their perilous trek up the streams and river itself. And among the shallower, tamer waters, Anoki stands, taking his time to pick out the largest of the late arriving salmon; smaller than a bear, even he has some trouble at this art, but with the fish weakening it becomes a bit easier. Just as he lunges in for a large one, the sorrowful serenade hits his ears, and knowing it is only his sister, he pauses barely a second before going under the water, and coming back up, dragging a weak, yet large meal with him toward the shallows, and then the rocks and dead brown grass of the bank. The fish, already mostly dead except the small twitches of body reflex, lays still almost as soon as he lets it go. Anoki smirks at this, shaking the water free from his thickening reddist-brown pelt, before he turns to lift his voice, lyric tenor to the song.
For all Niyt's howl is ancient ritual, passed down through the ages and the voices of spirits... it's still a wolf-howl. Wolf-howls are a way to greet one another; for a pack to connect and for visitors to make their presence known. So, when she hears another voice rising up - and then another - both known to her and unknown, she simply continues to call out, finishing out her sun-salutation before lowering her head. Her eyes open, fogged-over with blindness as they are, and she perks her ears to listen before slowly padding down off the rock and closer to the river where the other wolves are.
Tala ponders for a few moment before she steps on into the river crossing through a shallow part and soon catches sight of Anoki not all that far away. A slight smile is offered to the other along with a bob of her head. "Hello Anoki." She calls out to the other young wolf. It has been ome times since she saw him, and Tala has grown a fair amount during that time. Her form has started to fill in with muscle, legs still long and somewhat lanky and end in rather large paws. Scars rests across her right shoulder and neck, along with her left ear having a few notches across the edge. Seems like she got into it with something at some point in time.
Ears twitch, and Anoki smiles as the dulcet tones fade away. He turns to start upon his fish when Tala approaches, and he looks up from it to start to greet Tala-- before he stops, blinkign a bit. Goodness, she has become something more than he'd ever thought he'd see of the Ute wolves, hasn't she. Granted, he's no longer the gangly thing of youth either, but among his age group, he at least seems to have fared better, save for that bit of tailtip that's never grown back quite right. .. Oh, wait, he's the one that's not right in the head. Suppose that makes up for physical scars rather well. "... Hullo-" He squeaks a moment, coughs, then tries again at a proper tone, "Hullo, Tala," with a smile, and a vague flag of tail behind him. "You're a ways from the hill, aren't you? Get lost hunting?" He tries, before using a paw to pin down his meal before he begins trying to break it in half with his teeth.
Niyt approaches the two youngsters slowly, her ears perked to listen. Her brother clearly knows this wolf, so this can't really be a stranger. The name does sound faintly familiar. If she's from the hill... well, this must be one of the Ute wolves. She did meet quite a number of them when she visited there! In any case, she smiles as she comes near, and nods her head. "Hello."
Tala keeps her smile, her tail twitching a few times as she seems well.. Nervous for one reason or another. But after the last talk Ikuna, Ahiga and she had there is no wonder. "Well.. No actually I didn't. I came to see how you might be doing. Haven't spoken to you in a while after all." Sure that works! An its not like she doesn't like Anoki, she just doesn't know him all that well. Her ears perk and she looks over to Niyt, a soft smile offered along with her head even though she is blind. "Afternoon Niyt." Seems she remembers the older wolf.
A slight jump at Niyt-- Sisters, gack! Before Anoki grunts, and cracks the large salmon mostly in two. "Uh, Hullo, Niyt, I was actually just going to ask if you wanted half of my fish, you sounded sort of sad," he says, to his sister, with a smile-- before looking between her and Tala. He hehs softly. "Niyt, you remember Tala, right? 'course, the last time you saw.. well, last time you met her, she was about a raccoon's height to a stump, so maybe you don't remember her that well.." he chuckles softly, before he coughs. "She's Ikuna's sister and she uh.. seems to have come to-- you came to see me, with winter on the horizen? Aren't you worried you might get stuck here or something?" he asks, looking to Tala with a vague, confused blink.
Niyt smiles to Tala, and then nods to Anoki's explanation... so far as it goes. "Ah, yes..." That's right, one of the other pups! She remembers now... there were just, well, a few more new faces for her than for Ute at the time. "It's nice to see you again... you've certainly grown. Even your voice is bigger now," she says to the younger female, and then tilts her head back to her brother. "The wind's been forgetting. With winter, so many old voices are fading," she explains, and sighs. "But yes, I think I would like some of that fish. Thank you." She pads closer, and nuzzles at his cheek lightly.
Tala ears perk while she looks to the fish, an amused look seen while she settles back to her haunches tail swaying a few times in the process. "Well indeed it is rather close to winter but I'm not too worried about it. I.. didn't really plan on staying all that long but thought it would be nice to keep up the friendship we all started back then an so froth." Sure that's a great answer.. right? She glances to Niyt and then to the sky curiously it would seems.
Nudging the head end of the fish towards Niyt - arguably his favorite part, and the best part of the salmon, in Anoki's opinion - he nods, nuzzling back, and adding comfortingly, "Even if the wind forgets, we don't have to, Niyt. And some day those old voices will be new voices, remember?" He smiles, then looks to Tala, noticing her curious gaze upward. He grins a little. "The sun sometimes needs a reminder, when winter is upon us, not to make itself a stranger." He chuckles, then nods his head, "It is, indeed, a nice idea to keep up friendships. I would have made my way towards your lands when the snow was gone myself, I imagine, but never when it's so close to coming. Winter tends to be a time of hardship for us." He frowns, then, briefly reflecting on what Coinin had been saying the other day. He tries to shake it off with a rough laugh and a murmur of, 'Yeah, winter is hard,' to himself, before he smiles. "So how is your family, Tala? Your brothers are well, nothing has befallen them? You look like you met the business end of something this summer.."
Niyt smiles to her brother, and she nods. "So they will." With that, she settles herself down on her belly, drawing the part of the fish in between her legs and nibbling it delicately as she listens to the two younger wolves talk.
Tala ahs softly and nods with a smile. "I see.." Is offers with a soft tone, her tail swaying a few times next to her. "An that's alright. We all figured you was busy and what not. Ahiga and Ikuna wanted to come as well but they figured it would be best if only one of us left home for a few days." A faint shrug is seen at the talk of winter being brought up again before her ears lower a momment at the talk of how Anoki and Niyt has a hard winter around here. A faint smile is seen. "Ya well.. Ikuna and I got into a fight with a wolverine a while back.. Was crazy to say the least."
There's a twitch.. and for a moment, Anoki goes somewhat quiet, staring vaguely ahead at nothing, not even Tala; funny, how the word 'wolverine' triggers such an odd reaction. He sits there like this for several unusual moments of silence, before he jumpstarts again, blinking, and nods, "Ahh, Wolverines, those uh.. those're some nasty business there, yup yup." He grins weakly, then chuckles, standing, and moving to slowly walk around her, remarking, "Well, you don't look like you got too badly hurt, I mean, you're still.. quite a lovely wolf indeed," Anoki smiles as he comes around front again, then says, "But I'm sure someone like you has suitors coming out of the woodwork." He chuckles, and smiles. "I mean, there're so many more Ute around.."
Niyt lifts up her head at the mention of wolverine, but Anoki manages to pull himself together before she says anything. Which is for the best, really; she won't always be there for him - not that she doesn't want to be! - and so it's good that he's learning to handle things on his own. She stays like that a while, head tilted and listening, instead of going back to her fish... and as Anoki starts to move on to matters of romance, she gets a smile. Oh, if only their mother were here! Now that would make things interesting.
Tala ears perk forward as she peers at Anoki, pondering the look he has and a few snuffle escapes her and she licks across her maw. "Ya.. It.. Was hard on Ikuna to deal with being around it." She offers softly at the thought and glances to the ground. That is until Anoki goes moving around her and she blinks while tilting her head and watches him curiously. A soft chuckle escapes her and she smiles. "Well.. Thanks.." This said with a soft murmur, an her ears seem a bit pinker. She pauses a moment and clears her throat. "Well.. No I don't really." As for Ahiga she isn't sure how he feels anymore after the last conversation. "As for there being many around Ute there is, but I'm pretty much related to everyone save Ahiga."
"... Yeah, I guess that makes things a little hard huh." Anoki says, though he seems to have been thinking of something else when he mentioned how many ute there are. "Guess maybe we're in a like situation, huh. Only girls around here are my sister, or are the mates of my uncles. Kinda boring, really, without anyone else around my age, but I can't go runnin' off all the time. S'portant that I learn to help the pack out and stuff. Like learn to hunt for things more dangerous than fish," he says, but he doesn't quite like that topic either to tell the truth. "Easier to find around the river than it is to find other things," he says, amused, before he sits, and revisits the tail end of the fish, settling down into a half recline to gnaw on the tail and the gutsy bits, ripping the fatty flesh off and chomping it down.
"It was much the same when I was your age," offers Niyt. "The only young wolves I had even _met_ beside my family were Mori and Zuphi." She smiles, then goes on. "Our packs are families at heart, and so we often must look outside them for love. My mother was from another pack, and met my father when she came here. Perhaps it was similar with your parents, Tala."
Tala glances over to Niyt an ponders a moment it seems. "Well.. I don't know how my parents met one another actually." This said with a soft tone at the thought. Truthfully she doesn't know a lot about her parents other then they was alphas of the Ute pack that is. Her gaze turns back to Anoki and a smile is seen. "Ya.. I suppose you could say that. Round about in the same way an such." Her tail sways and a grin soon crosses her maw. "You know.. I could always give you some help with teaching you about hunting deer if your interested." After all up in the mountains there are no fish.
"Coinin wants to teach me hunting.. and a lot of other things that're probably all a bunch of stupid hooey, but since he's the Beta, I have to listen, I guess," Anoki says, playfully rolling his eyes for show as he rips a few more chunks of meat from the tail end; then says, "Y'know, stuff I suppose I gotta learn eventually anyway. I'm supposed to learn that kinda stuff from dad or my uncle, but y'know. Dad went off, and I guess he's probably dead by now, an' Uncle Tariro's.. I dunno. I ain't seen him around since that lady wolf he's so interested in showed up. So I guess it's gotta be Coinin." He shrugs slightly, then says, "S'a step up I guess. 'Least you got brothers an' Ahiga to learn this stuff with." He frowns a little, then chomps down more fish, mumbling through working jaws, "And at least your family's not all over the place with that.. lovey dovey stuff.."
Niyt takes another nibble of her fish, chewing it slowly. "You can likely learn a great deal from Coinin. Listen, and weigh what he says against your heart." The beta he may be, but he is a newcomer to their pack as these things are measured. He has not fully proven himself, at least not to Niyt. She has no doubts of his hunting skills, but she'd rather not have her brother listen blindly to the rest... though it's certainly useful for him to be aware of it. As for the lovey-dovey, well... she smiles and ducks her head slightly. Since Zuphi's return, even she has been in... well, good spirits. They're not mates - not even officially courting again - but when she visits with him, she usually returns with a smile.
Tala ahs softly at this. "Well.. My one brother Asku taught Ikuna, Ahiga and I how to hunt deer.. We've been on a few hunts even." She offers with a slight flick of her tail at times. "Which is why I was offering to lend you a paw if you want." Well she's trying to be all friendly! She smirks at the lovey dovey stuff. "I wish it was that easy to say it wasn't that way. I think that's just a given in familes.. An I an't too sure I'm interested in the -lovey-dovey- stuff anymore. Seems to just be more trouble then its worth."
A soft 'hmm' comes from Anoki as he ponders it. "Well, yeah, I suppose you could help out, I mean, I know Coinin's busy all the time, especially with how he's as caught up in the mushy stuff as Niyt is," he says, casting an accusatory, yet playful smirk at his sister, before he blinks at this. Trouble? Huh. "Dunno about 'trouble'. I mean, love isn't /all/ bad. It leads to puppies, I guess, since you always only see puppies if the two are in love, and stuff. So it means more folks in the family, eventually. Dunno about trouble though. Kinda hard for me to find out," he says, chuckling, tail swishing side to side a moment, "After all, I'm like, the only one around here our age. If I wanted to, say, do the love thing with you, I'd have to run off and go.. to.. uh.." He stops, blinking. "... Tala, you uh. You came an aweful long way, with the snow threatenin' to fall at any time, just to see me.. alone.."
Niyt smiles at her brother's accusation, and gives her head a little toss. For not being courting, it's true there's definitely /something/ between her and the torn-eared wolf. When she speaks, however, it's not to address her own situation, but just to say, "Coinin has other things to occupy him as well." That whole being beta thing, with all it entails. Patrols, hunting... keeping order in the pack... mmm. "Or at least, those in love wish to have puppies, to give that love a new shape in the world." She smiles, and then... oh, then she lowers her head, pretending to be busy with the fish as Anoki rambles his way to something rather interesting!
Tala tail flicks a few times and a forepaw faintly paws at the ground. "Well I guess so.." Sorta funny how he brings up /puppies/ that's how this crazyness started back home thanks to Wachiwa. She glances over to Niyt smiling to the older she-wolf before looking back to Anoki as he goes on and blinks.. Darn questions like that. A soft sigh escapes her and her shoulders roll a moment before a faint shrug is seen. "Its.. sorta funny that you talk about puppies cause Wachiwa thought Ahiga an I would be a couple I suppose and have puppies come spring or something." She lifts her forepaw to wave it slightly while her tail flicks once more nervous like. "Ahiga doesn't hold the same idea as Wachiwa." Maybe it can just be left at that?..
Blinking a few times, Anoki tilts his head. "And you thought I would or somethin'?" He asks, curiously, as he considers this strange news. She's given a look up and down, and then Anoki offers, "Well uh, I suppose if you /need/ puppies I could. uhm. Do whatever it is that's needed for that but... Tala, what do /you/ think about it? I mean, pssh, my mom was like that alllll the time for Niyt. It's a .. mom thing, I guess. They wanna see you happy so they come up with stupid stuff like, 'oh, you'll be all grown up and have puppies when spring comes!' because they think you'll be happy like that. But Niyt doesn't have any puppies yet, and she's still happy, AND still all lovey all over whoever this guy is she /stilllllll/ hasn't introduced me to." He doesn't mention the fact that his mom is also dead, but that's okay. "If /you/ want it and it'll make you happy, go for it. if you don't want it and you'll still be happy, then don't."
Tala just blinks and eyes Anoki a moment. "No!.. That is /not/ what I said.." She mutters out faintly an soon snorts. "What is it with you boys taking everything I say and putting some different /spin/ on it?" She glowers faintly and its a look her mother knew well not that anyone around here know it. A snrot escapes her. "I came to vist you cause I thought we was friends or something and it just seemed like a good idea to leave with the way Ahiga and Ikuna have been acting lately."
A blink and then a soft snicker. "Oooooh, I see." He dips his head, picks what's left of his half of the fish up, and then takes it carefully to the river, dropping it into the water, speaking softly: "It came from the river, so I'm giving it back. Thank you for the energy and food, river." before he stares into the water thoughtfully, before he speaks louder, "Tala, we're friends,sure, but.. Have ya ever thought that maybe if something's bothering you about Ahiga, you should talk to him and not go runnin' off to someone else -- 'specially another /boy/ -- to try and get around it?" He looks over to her with a grin, before he turns and trots her way, attempting to nose at her hip and then shoulders with playful nips. "After all. If you run away from your problems, they only get worse. You gotta confront things eventually, I guess. Like I gotta some time confront the fact that I'm afraid of holes."
Tala shrugs slightly at this. "I did try to talk to Ahiga about it.. He and Ikuna both came up with the same answer that I could come see you for a bit or osmething." She's somewhat confused over the whole mess to say the least. A glance is offered to Anoki and she smirks a moment before swatting out at him with a forepaw. "I know it can make things worse, but.. Its what they wanted me to do so I guess its the right thing."
"That just means Ahiga's trying to avoid it to," Anoki says, amusedly, before pausing to dip playfully before her, bowing and tail arching into an over the back wag as he briefly slaps the ground with his forepaws. Then he leaps up and prances fancily around her playfully. "I'll betcha anything he likes you, too, but he's too afraid to say anythin' c'os you're like Niyt; too good for just any ol' dumb dog that comes around. He thinks he ain't worthy. And I'll betcha Ikuna told you to come c'os you're his sister. Brothers are supposed to look out for their sisters, an' stuff. He's tryin' to make sure you don't get hurt none because of Ahiga being a big ol' scaredy cat." he grins.
Tala watches Anoki curiously for a moment, an amused grin seen as she shifts on her paws to drop into a playbow as well. Her tail swaying about in the air and she chuckles. "Well.. I suppose you have a point there." This said before the bounces forward a few steps towards Anoki.
A yip of amusement escapes the he-wolf as he skirts away from Tala's bouncing forward, and then he, too bounces forward with a playful attempt to nip at her shoulder again, grinning. "Yeah, I betcha that's 'zactly why Ikuna told you to go; he doesn't wanna see you get hurt by somethin' stupid that you and Ahiga both gotta figure out on your own. Ikuna's alot smarter than me, I s'pose," he murmurs, smirking, pawing at the air slightly, "If it was me, I probably woulda tried to rough Ahiga up because I'm dumb like that.." he reflects back on the fight that almost was between him and Coinin over Niyt.. and though it's hard to tell because of his reddish fur his cheeks would be blazing, as would his ears. He hmms. "I got an idea, though.. I betcha, if you really /want/ Ahiga to like you, Tala -- an' only if, y'know -- you could try bringing him something. I watch the other animals all the time.. I guess they mostly know I'm not going to try and eat them so they let me get close. Boy birds will present girl birds with presents if they want them to sit on eggs.. But who's to say girls can't do the same if they want a guy to smarten up?"
Coinin has been resting, as he usually has lately, in the spot that he has claimed for himself. Though with all the commotion going on at the present moment it is difficult to sleep. He lifts his head from his paws and looks around. There is a new smell here, and it seems like he has smelled it before. His gaze quickly settles on Anoki and the strange wolf, though he thinks he recalls seeing her before. After a moments thought he remembers that she was one the wolves that had come over from Ute to visit Anoki, and it seems that they are back...at least one of them is.
Tala grins as she bounes upon her paws, staying just a step ahead of Anoki it seems. Her tail sways about and she shifts to bap ouat him with her right paw only for her left paw to swing up and try to bap at his chest. She soon hops backwards a few steps. Her ears perk and she lifts a brow. "Well.. I suppose that is one thought about it." She ofers with a soft tone at the idea and tilts her head. "Well I never thought about bring him something.." There is a pause while she eyes Anoki. "I couldn't bring him a stick though that wouldn't make any sense."
Some conversations don't need interfering with. Niyt just listens quietly for a while, smiling from time to time. In this, at least, she is a different wolf than their mother. Alaqua would never have been able to keep her mouth shut. She'd be driving young wolves into dens by now and telling they they couldn't come out until puppies were on the way! ...actually. There is something she should say, and while it's not really her role to explain to Tala, better that the explain wrongly than some mistake happens. She remembers what happened with that Mori she knew as a pup... and his family. While these wolves of Ute seem good-intentioned, they also seem like, well, hormonal adolescents. Time to horribly embarrass them. "Just remember this. Puppies are an expression of love, yes - but what they come from is when a boy puts his boy-part inside a girl. Don't do that if you're not willing to have pups."
There's a large grin at the mention of stick- "I dunno," Anoki says, as he whirls in a circle a moment, looking for a stick. He spots a mostly dormant willow, bounds that way a moment, and yanks off a low laying limb with a crack. he starts to bound back with it in his mouth, talking through gritted teeth: "You could always start with him tuggin' on one side of the stick, and you tuggin' on the other, a--" And then there comes SUPER SISTER, Dun dunna DUN. And he almost trips over his own feet stopping so fast at her words. He yarps, stick falling from his feet and turns to /stare/ at her. "... Niiiiyt! That was disguuustin'. I mean just.. geeeewwwww.." he makes a horrified face, before looking at Tala with ears back. "She is soooo only my sister because mom an' dad had her first I swear."
Coinin is still sufficently groggy that he isn't really paying all that much attention to the conversation. He yawns again and lifts his paw to rub his eyes. It has been a pretty lazy day. He should probably get up and do a bit of patrolling but he just doesn't really feel like it at the moment. After a few more moments he decides to speak, "Hello everyone." He brings himself to a sitting position and quickly surveys the rest of the area. It seems that Niyt is the only other wolf thats awake.
Tala grins while she shifts to follow after Anoki with her eyes looking amused as he goes about pulling off a stick. She shifts and wiggles bouncing over to try and grab hold of the free stick end as her tail sways about. She is about to say something until Niyt speaks up and she blinks and looks her way looking well, utterly confused and grossed out at the same time IF that is at all possible. A faint um.. Escapes her and she glances to Anoki unless what to say now.. A ear does twitch towards Coinin though.
Niyt is horrible and awful. ...and she remembers what she heard about Mori. Either that was intentional on his part, in which case she's rather disappointed in him, or else it was at least in part a mistake, in which case Ute had and may still have problems in teaching their youngsters. Not everyone has the 'advantage' of a mother tripping over herself to explain these things to an adolescent daughter just to encourage her with how good it would feel and how cute the pups would be! She sits up, apparently totally unashamed of having just been quite possibly the most embarrassing sister /ever/. "It's not a bad thing, but you should be careful."
Never would Anoki EVER have thought he'd be glad to see Coinin. I mean, really, always Coinin has been a stuffy old adult. But now? With Niyt there being.. so.. AUGH... Anoki brightens as coinin appears. Oh gosh hopefully the other male can save him. "Coinin, hiiii, can you like, take Niyt somewhere /else/ so she'll stop being all gross and stuff?" he says, before looking to Tala again apologetically. "She's so just.. It's her head, really, she got hit on the head as a pup, honest, I swear.."
Coinin isn't really stuffy...well ok he may be a bit stuffy, but he really does mean well. He doesn't really dislike Anoki at all, as a matter of fact he has plans for Anoki. He would love to get to know the young wolf a bit better, and at the very least teach him how to defend himself...even if he refuses to learn to hunt, "Anoki I don't control what Niyt does...you should know that." He hasn't been able to control Niyt ever, what makes anyoen think that she will listen now.
Tala eyes Niyt curiously a few moments, her maw twitches and she shifts while promptly settling to her haunches. Well there goes her mood for playing! "Well.. Alright..ya.." She is a bit speechless on what to say now after that sort of subject it would seem. A glance is offered back to Coinin and she offers a polite not to the beta.
Niyt continues to ignore her brother's increasingly desperate attempts to divert her, focusing on Tala. "You should ask an older wolf you trust if you have questions. Perhaps Wachiwa..." Of the wolves she met in Ute, that one seems the most likely to fill a role of counselor for the youngsters. "You can talk to me as well, but... you may be more comfortable with someone you know better." She smiles. Or maybe Tala _would_ prefer someone like Niyt, who she can avoid seeing for a month afterward. Either way is fine by her, and she certainly doesn't expect any questions with the current crowd. That done, she turns to the beta. "Hello, Coinin." For all the world as if she hasn't just been horribly embarrassing and gross!
"Oooooh moon its as if she was mom all over again," Moans Anoki into his paws as he buries his snout between his two forepaws against the ground. He shakes his head, then looks at Tala miserably. "She's. Uhm. I .. Guess she's probably right or somethin', but I'd say ask your brother's mate instead of someone who's tried to make you and Ahiga have puppies or something," he says, before looking at Coinin waspishly-- SOME HELP HE WAS. Whatever happened to that whole bros before hos.. thing. He shakes his head, and then looks to Tala with a sigh. "Well as I was gonna say, a game of tug o' war can be fun between anyone really. And I betcha if you let him win, he'd be happy." ears flattening out to the sides, Anoki tries to.. just.. get.. over the fact that his sister.. uuuugh. SISTERS. He shudders. ".. And for the love of moon, never ever EVER say that to your little brothers ever. Especially not in front of a girl!"
Coinin is goign to be staying out of this conversation. It doesn't appear to be any of his business anyway. After all Anoki is Niyt's responsibility, "How have you been doing Niyt?" he asks. He will do his best to distract her from the present conversation though. Of course there is no guarantee of his sucess, "Hopefully things have been going well." he hasn't really had much of a chance to chat with her lately, and it would be nice to hear about what she has been up too. He gives Tala and quick smile, "Its nice to see you again Tala, welcome to Cerulean again."
Tala ahs a moment and nods as she hears Niyt while eyeing the ground a few moments, it suddenly looks very interesting then sitting in the middle of this conversation. "Yes.. That may be a good idea." Though she has a slight idea what Niyt is talking about after all, Asku had talked about it to Ikuna and her some time ago. Her gaze turns back to Coinin and she offers him a polite smile. "Thank you.."
Mom would have easily been ten times worse. Easily. Niyt smiles, and then is pretty much done... after having decided to take responsibility, not just for the education of her brother but of Tala as well. Having already made things, oh, about as bad as she can, she lets her brother complain about her at length and explain his theories for making boys like you without interference. Instead, she replies to Coinin. "I've been well. Winter is coming close again... how about you? How have you been?"
Tala peers over at Anoki, an amused look seen across her face while her tail waggles about. "An.. that's a rather good idea actually. Ahiga does like to play games and stuff.. Don't worry about your sister, I think she's fine. She has a good point that we need to be told.." Though she doesn't agree with bring it up now mind you!
Yeah, Sisters.. ugh. As Coinin seems to distract Niyt way way too late, Anoki siiiighs, and sinks into a hunch, ears splayed. "I'm sorry 'bout that, Tala," he murmurs at the other teen wolf (awoo) before he heaves a sigh, and sliiiides into a flump on the ground. HUFF! Then, trying to safe his own face, he remarks, "But yeah, I s'pose if you wanna help me learn to hunt deer, that would be okay. As long as it do it somewhere /else/." A scowl is shot Niyt, before he then remarks, "I'd offer to show you how to hunt fish, but I know you guys don't have much of a river where you are. Plus fish are a lot easier to catch when they're coming back to the river to do the fish dance in the shallows."
Coinin is pleased to hear that things have been going well. It seems that things have been quiet for her as well. Things have been very quiet for him. So much so that its been borderline boring, "I've been alright I guess. I haven't really had that much to do lately." he responds. For the time being he is content to let Anoki and Tala have their conversation and fun. He is interested in learning how long Tala plans to stay, but that can wait.
Niyt smiles, and nods to Coinin. "That will change come spring, I suspect." What with all those lovey-dovey couples and their prospective puppies! Her ears perk to catch bits of Anoki and Tala's conversation, and that, too, makes her smile. While she finds nothing wrong with her brother eating fish, catching deer is a good skill for him to have. There won't always be fish to catch, and fish won't feed an entire pack. Neither will the lizards and mice she manages to catch while blind, for that matter... but her brother doesn't have her impairment. He can join the pack in proper hunts. If a cute Ute wolf is what it takes to get him started, well then. She won't stand in the way.
Tala doesn't plan on staying all that long actually, but she sorta already told Anoki and Niyt this. She smiles to Anoki and nods a moment while shifting on her paws, giving herself a good shake in the process. "Well sure.. An its a good skill to have I must say." She offers softly while glancing towards the two adults and then back to Anoki curious like. "Do.. you want to go and see if we can find a deer now?" Well it is possible, the deer are on the move more when winter on its way.
Oh, moon, anything to get away from Niyt lest she embaress him again, but at the same time, he eyes his sisyer scrupulously. "After what she said," Anoki mutters, "I don't think I want to go off with a girl alone any time soon. Not your fault, Tala, just.. Y'know." Yeah. He may rag on Niyt for being all lovey with whoever it is she keeps running off to see, but.. but he's allowed to he's the younger brother, it's as much his job as watching out for her is! But heaven FORBID he give /her/ ammo, oh heck no. "Besides. Do /you/ want to go off alone, with a boy, after what /she/ said...?"
Coinin figures there will be a huge change in the pack. Certainly he doesn't begrudge anyone a relationship or puppies or anything like that. He is totally looking forward to seeing Tar and Lex's pups. Still he has been lonely himself lately. He hasn't seen Molasses around anywhere lately and the thought concerns him. Hopefully she is doing ok wherever she is...He has been pondering going to look for her, but with his responsibilites here he can't very well go wandering off for extended periods of time, "Yeah...I think you might be right."
Niyt settles down again, curling her tail around herself. "Sometimes I am, at that..." she says to Coinin, with a smile playing around her muzzle and a flick of her ear back toward her brother. She'd rather like to see him with a girl, if it meant he'd be happy, but... well. She can't just let everyone stumble around in ignorance, now can she? With great power comes great responsibility. With big-sistering comes being embarrassing.
Tala blinks as she hears Anoki, a faint oh escapes her at this and well she seems a bit unsure what to do it seems. Her head tilting while she glances off homdwards and then looks back to Anoki with a smile. "Well if we an't planning on doing anything but hunting then what's the problem?" She questions with a few flicks of her tail seen. "Or.. you chicken to try and hunt a deer?" Her brows lift at this while she grins to see if she can get Anoki more interested in hunting.
"Pftt, chicken? Naw, I ain't scared," Anoki says, with a snort, "I just don't want Niyt thinking that we're gonna go off and do exactly what she just told us not to." He sniffs, then streeeetchies his forepaws out before him, before rolling to his side, then his back, letting those paws bob over his chest a bit. "Besides. You aren't stayin' long, are you? Gotta be gone before the snow traps you here. I don't wanna spend all that time killing thinngs when we could y'know, talk, or play games, or stuff like that. Maybe if Ahiga and Ikuna were here, sure," Because then it'd be three boys tryign to one-up each other, wouldn't it? "But just you an' me? Naw." He hmms. Then says, looking over to Tala, "Soooooo.. /do/ you like Ahiga?" he asks, slyly.
Coinin thinks that Niyt is right probably most of the time, "How have things been going with Zuphi?" he asks her. He hasn't really been kept in the loop of how things have been going with that. Hopefully Zuphi has been healing up well. He is sure that if Zuphi had been really ill then he would have heard about it. He also is half listening to Tala and Anoki's back and forth. He really hopes that Tala will get him over his worries about hunting. The pack will likely need another wolf on deck for hunts during the winter.
Through the woods a howl can be heard, echoing through the shadows and off the trees. Its owner, a wolf whos presence has been sorely lacking. Moving through the undergrowth, nearly dead from the nearing winters chilled air, a white wolf emerges at the rivers edge, down river, like that of a ghost or the snow itself. He could hear voices not to far off as he drank, a few quite familiar to the ear.
"He's recovering fairly well," says Niyt with a smile. "Doing some small hunting and the like. He may want to speak with you during the winter, you and Tariro both. We shall see." For now, he's mostly been keeping to himself, inside Cerulean's lands but not by much. A compromise, between him wanting to not be in the way and his continued weakness. Niyt still hasn't answered how it goes between her and him - but she perks up her ears at the sound of a howl, and lifts her head to give a short call in response.
Tala tibbits at Anoki. "I bet you are chicken.." She points out while bouncing from paw to paw a few times as her tail sways about behind her and she grins. A ear twitches and she soon shrugs. "Well ya I guess that is true but that doesn't mean I can't help you out with some hunting." There is a pause at the question from Anoki and she blinks. A faint ah escapes her wondering how to answer how she feels about Ahiga. An then there is a howl! Oh well she will just skip over that question as she glances towards the approach of anoher wolf.
A strange howl stiffens Anoki where he lays, sending him flopping back over to his belly and lifting his head, ears twitching. But after Niyt joins in, he settles, honing in on the voice a bit; and he too joins in with a shorter call that comes up short, more of a wooop than a 'wooo', before he moves to sit up, looking over to Tala. Oh, she might get away with not answering for now, but he's going to ask again, oh yes! .. Later! ... When it doesn't look like there's about to be someone he hasn't met before approaching.
Coinin knows that voice. Its a voice that he hasn't herd in what seems to be forever. He had been wondering what had been going on with the alpha of the pack. Tar had always rather kept to himself, but he has never been 'absent' like he has been. He lifts his own head to return the howl. This is turning out to be a very interesting evening so far. He will have to ask Niyt more about Zuphi later, "I'll be happy to talk to him anytime, and I'm sure Tariro would too." he responds.
The returned howls brings a gentle smile to the wolfs muzzle, lifting his head to glance up the river to the group thats settled in amongst the trees. Letting the howls fade, he then steps into the river to cross it; shaking out his pelt once on the other side. Its then that he approaching the gathering, not a work spoken till close enough to do so. Hearing his name in his approach a brow raises. "I would what?" He wonders breaking through the treeline looking at everyone, pausing on the young wolf from Ute, an added nod giving to her.
Niyt nods to Coinin. When, and about what, will be up to Zuphi. She may be his best friend in this pack, but she is not responsible for him, nor he for her. She simply... cares about him. That's all. She turns to listen to the approaching wolf, and flicks her ears at his words before answering. "Be willing to speak with Zuphi, if he asked. He may, sometime during the winter."
Tala watches how the other react, her maw twitches nervous like while she shifts a few inches closer to Anoki as she ponders what wolf is wandering into the area. A ear twitches to Anoki but that is about it, she won't give the question a answer until asked again! She looks to the wolf that apepars, a ear flicking forward as she watches how Niyt and Coinin react ahd she just keeps quiet. A polite dip of her head is offered back to the alpha and she soon settles herself down upon the ground with a yawn escapes her. "I guess we can go hunting later.. After I get a nap in that is."
Eyes widen, and Anoki, seeing it's his uncle, heaves a whuffy sigh of relief. Yeha, no wonder he didn't recoignize the older wolf; how long has it honestly been since he's heard his uncle howl? Too long. He looks over to Tala, and says, "That's just my uncle, you don't gotta be worried about him." He's about to thn launch into trying to ask her again, but when she yawns, his ears pop forward, the playful mischief wipes from his face. "Oh.. Yeah, okay, you should go rest, long trip and all." he smiles at Tala, adding, "Tomorrow, when you've had rest, we can hunt. Better to hunt with the sun to an angle so there are at least some shadows to slip into when we sneak up on a deer."
Coinin is definitely very pleased to see Tariro, it seems like everyone is. He is sure there is probably an interesting story behind his absence that he will no doubt share in time. It seems that Niyt got to answer first in regards to the Zuph, so for the time being he plans on just leaving that alone since it seems Niyt doesn't want to talk about it further, "Its good to see you Tar. We missed you." he points out. Yep he definitely was missed.
Now that was something he didn't expected to hear. He hadn't seen Zuphi for quite some time and now he was considering speaking to him out of the blue. Was certainly a surprise to say the least. Tariro was willing to see him though; winter was a hard time for everyone and the young wolf deserved better. Moving in he comes to a halt just short of the group before settling to his haunches. Ears twitching to the mention of hunting he looks to Anoki but says nothing just yet. He last heard that Coinin was going to teach him... was that not the case now. Glancing to the young female he says. "You are welcome to join us further in for warmth if you choose to." A friendly offer if Tala were to accept it. No use being cold while she visited. Turning to Coinin, Tar nods. "Its great to be seen." He says. "I've missed you all. I hope I haven't missed much."
Niyt smiles, just relaxing and listening to the others converse for now. Being surrounded by her pack - well, and a visitor - is a good place to be, so far as she's concerned.
Tala hums softly and nods to Anoki. "Well.. That's good to know." She offers with a soft murmur to her friend. A glance is offered to the alpha and she nods slightly from her spot, still near Anoki. While the alpha goes about talking to his pace few that are here she goes about falling asleep. Her forepaw lifts to rub across her face a moment before she curls up and seems to drift off to sleep.
With Tala falling asleep, Anoki is left alone to the horrors of three adults, wo of which his blood relaives, and a third which he already sees as stuffy and grumpy. The fact that his uncle is back is nice. But he's still an adult and Anoki is still young enough that adults are these things you only listen to when you're bored, or they're pulling the 'I'm bigger and older than you' thing. So, with his own yawn, Anoki rises, and turns, heading for the side of the river, where he then lays down, and begins to stare into the water thoughtfully.
It seems that most everyone is settling in for the evening. That doesn't surprise him, Tala probably had quite the trip from Ute. He does find himself wondering where he partners in crime are, but no doubt he will hear in time. Now isn't the time for questions. He has attempted to have a conversation with Anoki about hunting but the conversation didn't go too well, it seems though that might be chaning a bit. Perhaps he just needed someone closer to his own age to teach him, "What have you been up to?" he asks Tar. Probably a good story there.
Picking up on Anoki's rather teen like demonour Tariro hmms. Seems he's missed something alright. What his nephew may now know however, is that he's not one to pry let alone make someone do something their not ready for. Plus he hasn't been around long enough to know the full extent of whats going on. So rather then gives Anoki the run down he lets the wolf ponder his own thoughts. They'll soon meet up in time. Coinin's question is not forgotten, looking to him. "Nothing to exciting I'm afraid." Yea, so much for a good story. "First I was just wondering." Everyone knows how he likes doing that. "Then I came across the old densite that the Lazuli use to use. I stayed there a few nights before considering it a possible location for the coming Spring litters." Giving a brief look to Anoki, then to Niyt he continues. "I would have returned sooner, but I couldn't help but clear the den and put new bedding in. Thought we could use it to escape the winter weather when it arrived while we waited for its proper use."
Niyt tilts her head to the side at her uncle. "Just how near to there are we?" she asks, curious. "I know this is somewhat near Lazuli's old lands, but most of the once-Lazuli wolves don't care to talk about it these days." She shrugs - that's from before her time, and she only knows fragments of what went on back then.
One ear only vaguely twitches at mention of densites; Anoki truely is not listening to the adults; instead seeming lost in his own thoughts. At length, his head starts to droop, then dip, before he yawns, and curls himself into a ball, nose to tail with a few snuffs and snorts, before he soon falls to sleep of his own accord.
Coinin is interested in learning more about this densite. It is a very practical matter that definitely needs to be addressed before the pups that are likely coming actually arrive, "Where is this at?" he asks. He has poked around himself a bit and found a few possible densites, though he didn't stray too far from where the pack presently lives.
If he looked hard enough he could probably seen the undergrowth from here, but rather than strain his ageing eyes he just says, "Its a good walk but I wouldn't say to far." If anyones every been out and about they've probably come across it several times and hadn't noticed.
"I'd be glad to show you when theres free time." To his nephew once more, who seems to have dozed off he hmms. Something about him just doesn't seem right.
Coinin will definitely have to see it at a more awake and about hour of the day, "I'm really glad you were thinking ahead. I've been thinking about looking for dens myself. I don't think I'll have a use for one other than to rest in during the winter." Yep. Coinin's romance thing hasn't really worked out like he thought it would.
Planning ahead isn't always a good thing though, especially when your needed back home. Tar may not know it yet but he's desperately needed. "I didn't do so well the first time, so thought I'd make up for that this time by providing a safe environment." He lost a son and mate those many moons ago due to poor planning.. well not this time. If he know how Coinin's relationship was going he's certainly feel sorry for him. "Dont give up hope, I'm sure one day you'll be doing more than just resting in one in years to come."
Coinin isn't really giving up hope or anything, its just really difficult because he thought he had that problem solved and well he didn't apparently. Not like there is anything he can really do about it other than keep an eye out and hope that she returns, "I agree...the pack has probably needed a den for a long time, but now is defintely the time to make sure we have one."
Niyt nods, listening to what's said between alpha and beta. She's relaxed, not asleep yet like the younger wolves but still taking it easy.
Tariro nods. He wasn't the only one who couldn't find their other half though... Maka has gone and disappeared somewhere too and in her state it worried him. Hoping that she comes back before winter truely sets in, he'll have to keep a look out. Letting out an uncontroled yawn, the wolfs drops to his stomach. "Things will work out so long as we work together."
Niyt smiles. "We've found our way so far, though it's been a winding one at times."
Tariro nods in agreement there looking to his niece. "Yes.. yes we have." No matter how winding the road gets theres nothing they haven't overcome. "I look forward for the good times to come again." Things ran smoother then.
Niyt leans onto her side, stretching out comfortably. She doesn't notice the gaze, her own eyes looking out blankly. "It all comes and goes. Good times, bad times..." She smiles. "Has Maka been joining you on her wanders? It seems like she'd enjoy exploring like that."
Tariro goes to head shake but breaks it off into a sigh. "No, she hasn't." He says. "I haven't seen her since the change in season." It had him in a gloomy state. "It worries me something could have happened to her, even when I know better. She could very well be doing what I had been, showing up when I least expect it." He'd like to believe that so much.
Niyt lifts up her head slightly from the ground, her ears perking. "She's quick on her feet, and smart," she says to her uncle reassuringly. "Even if something did happen... I'm sure she could make her way out of it with no harm done." She laughs a little. "Perhaps you'll find she went to find a den herself, and you two were just heading in different directions the whole time!"
Tariro smirks. "Your probably right." Its times like this were his glad to have another who understands and is capable of reassurance. "We'll find out if and when she returns I suppose." Dropping his head to his paws now he takes a deep breath.
Niyt smiles. "We will indeeed. Even with winter coming, I wouldn't worry too much. It was winter when she first came to us, after all." And for all she appreciated a pack in that season, she'd been taking care of herself fairly well. Niyt stretches, sprawling out. "Rockfall was asking about you the other day..."
Tariro eyes were starting to slide close when son is mentioned, puling them open. "Oh.. Did he say what for?" Rockfall has never asked much of him before so he's rather shocked he'd be asking for him now.
Niyt mmms, and shakes her head. "Just wondering how you were doing. If there was any particular reason why, he didn't mention it to me."
Tariro nods slow. And here he was thinking it was something important. "I guess we can all give him an answer to that now." he chuckles softly. "I'll have to meet up with him soon then, let him now I'm still alive."
Niyt smiles, and nods. "I think he'll be glad to hear it. Perhaps you two can go hunting together or something..."
Tariro mmms. "I'll bring it up to him. It'll be good to see what he knows, perhaps teach him a few things he doesn't." He really does need to spend more time with his son before he loses the chance.
Niyt nods, and stretches once again before curling herself up somewhat. "Hopefully this winter will be a good one for us..." The pack has gained new members in this past year, and perhaps the winter will give everyone time to connect and get to know each other. "For now, I think I'm going to follow their example..." she tilts her head to indicate Anoki and Tala. "Goodnight, Tariro."
Tariro follows the tilt. "Night, Niyt." He smiles at the similarity of those words. "Rest well." He should likely do the same, get an early start on tomorrows activities.