Post by Pavane on Mar 17, 2012 3:08:58 GMT -5
Ahiga - male adolescent wolf
Althaea - female juvenile wolf
Ikuna - male adolescent wolf
---Wildwood Acre---
It is close to evening. The sun has already dipped behind the horizon but the light of day still lingers in the sky. It's grown colder as days have past. Winter is here, although there's no calendar to tell him so. Ahiga knows. It's something in the crisp wind, or perhaps the length of the days or just some embedded instinct that alerts him. It's winter. The snow will come any day now, thick and piling to drifts and mounds. It's fun snow. It's troublesome snow. But one good thing about winter is that now that its here, it will eventually have ot end! The young wolf male is near the old, dead tree near the southern portion of the acre, ears perked and listening for any signs of scurrying life within. Maybe a squirrel or mouse looking for a last bit of hoarding might foolishly dash out...right into his waiting jaws. Mwuaha!
Jumping into a bush in the dimming light without looking probably isn't the best thing to do when chasing after a mouse, but the young female Ute didn't think it much to concern over until coming face to face with a set of well knit branches and getting stuck. Tail flailing about through the end she entered from, she wiggles till suddenly stopping, barking at the mouse who now know feels confident enough to mock her. Pushing herself further into the bush, dispite the branches, the mouse scurries from the opposite end of the bush fearing for its life. Desperate to catch the rodent before another happens across it, Althaea finds it in her to bite through the limbs that bind her till she is free.
Or maybe it's the thick fluffy coats on the wolves that give away the secret of winter. Ikuna pads quietly through the woods, listening to the leafless branches creak in the wind. Well, not entirely leafless - a few of their fall tatters still cling to them, but they look rather bedraggled as opposed to their earlier splendor. The near-adult is neither hunting nor patrolling at the moment - just out for a walk. When he catches a glimpse of Ahiga, his ears perk up, but seeing as how the other wolf looks busy hunting, he doesn't speak... he'll just go quietly to join Ahiga. That's the plan, at least - up until the sound of twigs snapping and branches rustling shatters the peacefulness of the forest. Ikuna goes to full alert, and trots quickly over to find... his niece, tangled up in branches.
Hmm.. That definitely isn't the sound of some hapless furry creature scrambling down the dead hollow a tree. Ahiga's ears twist as a slight ruckus reaches them, and after a few more seconds of determined tree staring, he turns his head as well. He spots Ikuna first, looking surprised as he hadn't heard the other wolf's arrival, and the rustling definitely wasn't him. "Hey," he greets from a distance as he rises, following his gaze to the bush that seems to have come alive...and grown a tail. Blinking, he approaches, a brow quirked questioningly as he glances from bush to Ikuna then back to bush. Ah, it's a wolf eating bush! Or rather...a wolf that's eating a bush. "How's that tastin'?" he asks, voice portraying the amusement that's now seen on his face.
An aweful taste - branches. Biting through them takes a bit but in time the young wolf manages to create a sizeable hole large enough to squeeze though. However before getting the chance to make her escape a voice causes pause. It was one she wasn't to sure of, sniffing the air but much to her dismay only picking up the bush she's in. "Ukie." Althaea's tone is muffled. Shuffling around in the bush, she makes a sound that could only correspond with being prodded with one of the snapped libs to her side. Going forward wasn't going to work.. Audibly fustrated and to proud to ask for help she decides against her fredom for the moment.
Ikuna glances over to Ahiga, and nods. "Hey," he answers back, but he's already looking back to Althaea as she disentangles herself from the shrubbery. He smirks at the other male's joke, and then his ears flit back briefly. Okay, yes, it's funny, but... probably not to /her/. "...do, uh... you need any help?" he asks. It certainly doesn't look comfortable!
Teehee. Ukie? "Yeah, I bet," replies Ahiga with a snicker. He doesn't know this pup, but he knows /of/ her. She's a pack member. Skahla's kid. So..Ikuna and Tala's niece. He exchanges a grin with Ikuna before he flops back onto his haunches, apparently not as eager to offer a lending paw. Not that he'd leave the poor kid there...but hey, it's not everyday that he gets to tease! "Hey hey," he says, waving a paw to Ikuna as speaks up. "If she needs help, I bet she'd ask. Buuut.." he glances back at the stuck pup, "I think she can figure it out. Right pup? You don't need us to pull ya outta there, cuz all that'd happen is we'd pull your tail. It'd hurt. You'd get scratched up by the branches. It'd hurt." He exhales a light sigh.
Althaea doesn't answer not wanting the assistance even though she could use it. Whipping her tail through the bush, Ahiga had it right. Looking at every angle of her surroundings a big grin goes to her face figuring something out. Bringing her hind legs up against herself, he gives one big push against the branches around her, hoping to exit the way she came. Sure enough too, she goes flying out landing on her back twigs and crumpled leaves flying everywhere.
Ikuna can't not offer to help! It'd go against everything he stands for. ...sits for, once he settles down. Help has been offered, and if Althaea isn't going to take him up on it, well... it's not like he has any genius ideas for getting her out. He went smashing into his share of brush as a puppy, and about all he ever figured was "don't do it in the first place." Too late for that this time! "At least it's not a bramble. The berries are tasty, but the thorns... owww." Especially if you're uncautious enough to get jabbed in the tongue! When the youngster does manage to extract herself, he grins. "There ya go. So what was it? Rabbit? Mouse? Game of tag?"
"Oooh, yeah," Ahiga agrees, nodding to Ikuna. "If it was a bramble, she'd be a bloody mess right now. Bleedin' everywhere. Thorns stuck right through the fur." He turns his eyes back to Althaea just as she seems to get her inspired idea of how to free herself. And..oop! There she goes! He squints his eyes closed as she pops out, bringing a rush of twig pieces with her. After a brisk shake of his head, he fully opens his eyes and pricks his ears, eyeing the overturned youngster. He snickers in mirth, head tipping to one side. "Hooray! Y'passed the test," he mock cheers, tail thumping a few times.
Rolling to all four, she looks rather worse for wear, picking herself up and shaking out her coat. Getting most of the foliage out except for a few twigs she smiles out of success. She got out of the bush all by herself. Looking to her uncle Altha's eyes grow big before looking all around. "Mouse.. you see it?" Not that she expected him to of.
There are no broken bones, and Ikuna doesn't see blood, either. He's not worried. Yeah, Althaea's fur's all mussed up, and stuck with branches and old leaves... Shawnee may have a fit when she comes home in that state, but there's nothing to actually be concerned about. So he gives her a grave nod, then tilts his head to the side. "Mouse, huh? Nah, I didn't see him. He probably ducked down a hole."
Ahiga aahs lightly as the source of all this ruckus is told: A Mouse! He squares his shoulders a bit and stands, beginning to snuffle around, nose to the gorund. Not that he expects to find the mouse. If the thing has /any/ brains whatsover, it's long gone down a deep, deep deep hole. "Oldest trick they know," he says wisely, lifting his head from the ground now to regard the youngster. "They know we're big 'n they're small, so they try to ditch us with a bush when we're /juuust/ about to snatch'm up. My advice?" And oh yes, he's going to give his advice whether she wants it or not, "Keep your eyes up." He nods sagely. "Keep your eyes on th'prize of course, but y'gotta know where you're goin' too. Prey can be dumb, but some are a lil' smarter than others."
What an upset to hear that she had lost the mouse, frowning some. Gettin over the lose rather quickly her tail wags high looking to Ahiga with a tilted look. Not knowing him made her curious and the fact he was giving her advise just made her all the more intrigued. She'll have to try that next time she finds something worthy of a good chase. "Will get it next time." She exclaims. Taking a seat just then, Altha's paws shuffle across the ground infront of her, distracted for a moment. Moments later she looks to her uncle then to Ahiga suddenly bored.
Ikuna nods his agreement to Ahiga's advice. "Yeah. You can't get distracted and forget the bigger picture." He frowns for a moment, as Althaea shuffles around. "So, now that you're leaving the den, there's something important you gotta know. Now, maybe you've already heard it, but it's worth repeating. Don't go trusting anyone, _anyone_ that isn't in our pack. No matter what they say, even if they say they're part of the pack, or that it's important, or anything. If you find someone like that, you run and tell an adult right away."
Oh yeah, Ahiga's been useful! He grins a little, standing just a little straighter, though he allows that grin to melt aways as Ikuna gets to a serious topic. Oh yes! That's a good point. And they're supposed to be keeping an eye on the younger ones now. Teaching them useful pieces of information like this. Heh. Ikuna is good at that. He sounds /just/ like the adults did when they told them something similar. He glances at the pup thoughfully, then his ears perk up with sudden inspiration. "Got it, pup? Let's see how good ya are. Pretend /I'm/ a stranger. Like..." he furrows his brows, thinking. "Like a really nice wolf who's soundin' really friendly, ok?" He gives his body a little shake, preparing himslf for his role of "The Stranger". He lifts his tail in a confident way, then walks smoothly back towards Ikuna and Althaea, his eyes on the latter. There's a smile on his face, warm and inviting. "Hello little pup," he says, deepening his voice a little. "My name is Evening Star and I'm lost. Can you help me find water?"
So that could basicly be anyone that she doesn't now, packmember or not. That piece of information wouldn't be to much of a problem but for some reason she was confused. She wasn't to trust anyone outside the pack or anyone who says that they are.. then how is she suppose to know whos in the pack when she asks if they are. Head tilting she slowly nods believing she knows what her uncle is saying. Brow raising to Ahiga when he speaks she blinks at him. Pretend... she doesn't have to. Sitting there she watches him closely as he approaches. This was where she was to retreat to safer surroundings right? She doesn't do that. Instead she just stands readying herself should she actually have to do something. Not a word spoken.
Admittedly, Ikuna did not learn this lesson so well when he was a puppy. Not until he got his lesson in a form much less nice tha Ahiga's play-pretend version. That failure, however, has made him all the more determined not to let it happen again. Ikuna looks to Ahiga as he starts to approach Althaea, and as she does... well... precisely nothing. Uhhhhhhh...
Hmmm. The silent treatment, huh? Well that's one way to go about facing a stranger, but not exactly what Ikuna said to do. So let's continue! "It's alright, little pup. I'm not going to hurt you, I'm just thirsty," Ahga continues in his silky voice, and he comes to a pause just a few feet from her. "I'll be /very/ grateful, and you'll be helping me a lot. I bet your mom and dad would be very proud that you helped a guest, wouldn't they? Don't you want your mom and dad to be proud of you?" He lowers his head some so that he's more level with her, brows raising expectantly.
Her uncle didn't really say to run and seek help either.. so she does what she thinks is right. Stepping back when Ahiga becomes to close for her own comfort she head shakes and growls the moment he lowers himself to her level. She doesn't need to run to show she doesn't trust him.
Ooookay, clearly something's up here. Ikuna looks between the two, then settles his gaze on the younger as she decides to go the growly route. "Althaea, what's the matter? Is there something you don't understand?" Because, well, it's that, or... she's decided to take on adolescent rebellion early? Maybe? ...yeah, he's not really sure. Uhm.
Ahiga hms and glances over to Ikuna, ask if seeking help. And ah, there's the help. He drops his act and sits up to a more normal level. "Yeah, cuz I'm a big stranger that's tryin' to like, y'know...trick you and stuff, and you probably shouldn't try to fight me because...." he glances left, right, then focuses back on her. "I'm bigger and stronger and faster an' all that jazz.." He grins a little, head slightly tilting to one side. It's a good thing they're here. This is what it's all about right? Educating the youth! Preparing them for real life experiences!
Althaea has techinally relied on herself to accomplish things since well.. since everyone took notice her brother was sick. Food was the only thing she couldn't do. So when her uncle looks at her puzzled by actions she looks to him. "I..." How to put this without making it sound beyond her years. "I don't trust him, but I didn't run." She wanted to depend on herself to deal with something. What if she didn't find someone after she ran.. what then.
Ikuna sighs, and shakes his head a little. "But Ahiga's right. He's bigger and stronger than you. He could have grabbed you by the scruff, and you wouldn't be able to fight him off." He pads a few steps closer, looking at Althaea earnestly. "If a mouse tried to growl at you instead of running, you'd bite it, right? A bad wolf, or a bad cougar, or a bad eagle could do the same thing to you. That's why you should run and find one of the bigger wolves to help you; together, we can stand up to all sorts of bad things that could hurt us if we were alone."
Ahiga bobs his head in agreement and rises to his paws to move alongside Ikuna, lifting his paw to lightly knock the back of it against his ankle. "Trust me, you wanna listen to your uncle, pup," he says, nodding, his expression somber. "He knows what he's talkin' about." He glances to his friend with a slight frown, though returns his attention to Althaea not long after. "If you got the chance to run, you'd better run. Always run to the den. Someone's gonna be there, an' no wolf is gonna follow you that close to where we all sleep."
"But.." She frowns as apparently she'd done something wrong. "But if they are bigger and stronger.." and as Ahiga said, faster. "..wont they catch me even if I run. What I do then?" It was something to think about. Looking to Ahiga her ears drop when he calls her a pup and tells her what to do. She really didn't like it. Reverting back to her uncle she sighs. This wasn't fun at all.
Ikuna keeps his eyes on Althaea, even as Ahiga nudges him, but he does nod to the other wolf. He most certainly does know what he's talking about, having Done It Wrong. To his niece, he answers, "Maybe they will, and maybe they won't," says Ikuna. "If you keep alert, you'll have a head start, and that might be enough. If it isn't, and they do catch you... you yell out for help. You yell as loud as you can, so someone from the pack can hear you. We'll come running."
Ahiga settles onto his haunches, looking thoughtful. "So always stay close to the den right?" .. Huh. /Now/ that warning makes sense. It sure didn't when he was a kid! "That way, you don't have to run far to get to a safe place. An' someone's gonna always hear ya if you yell."
Althaea doesn't know what happened to her uncle when he was just a pup.. but if she were ever caught she wouldn't just yell like her life depended on it. She'd do whatever possible to escape their grasp even if it meant harming herself. Not always a wise choice, but weak she was not. However, past mistakes makes it hard for new ones to be made and so she just nods. She wasn't going to win this one. In all honestly she just want to have fun and if taking their word for it would make that happen she'll make an acception and listen just this once. "So, run and call for help. Ok."
Somehow, Ikuna and Ahiga have turned into the responsible ones passing on lessons to the youngsters. ...weeeeeeeeird. He nods to Althaea as she agrees. "If you want to explore someplace far-off, that's okay. Just get a grownup to go with you. They've got more experience, and know how to handle more things, so they can keep you safe."
"Plus, you'll probably jus' get lost out there by yourself," points out Ahiga with a stretch, bowing his body down a bit as he digs his claws into the earth. "We can show ya around no problem. And it'll be more fun with us anyway." Ahiga definitely includes himself and Ikuna in the classification of 'adults'. "But hey, this is your first winter," said as he straightens up, grinning suddenly. "After a while, everything looks the same in winter, but we'll take ya places when we're not busy hunting and stuff for the pack. It'll be fun." He smirks. "Oh, and my name's Ahiga. Not a stranger."
Althaea says nothing, plopping to the ground. She cant guarantee she wont venture out on her own but she doubts she'll go and disobey just yet. Digging at the ground with her paws imitating Ahiga some, she puffs at the dirt she's loosened. She gets it; dont do anything without a grown-up - can they play now. All this talk is making her antsy.
Hey, they're supposed to be taking on adult responsibilities, right? That's the official word. So they must be adults. Logic dictates. They're certainly adult-sized, so there's that in their favor. Ikuna grins a bit and nudges his shoulder against Ahiga's. "Self-introductions don't count." Otherwise all the strangers would just cheat and say their names. He then says to Althaea, "It's true, though. Ahiga's an Ute wolf, just like you'n me."
Ahiga glances at Ikuna at the nudge, and he smirks before exhaling a sigh. "Guess you're right but...I bet she's smelled me before, haven't ya pup? You've smelled my awesome scent around the den, haven't you?" He grins now, tail waving. Oh, play likely is on his mind, though so are other things that he needs to tend to this evening before it gets too late. And as tempting it is to ignore his responsibilities, he's done it often enough that one more time may be one time too many! "Hey, this pupsitting thing isn't so hard," he remarks to Ikuna. "It's so easy I bet you can do it all by yourself, huh?" He grins largely and makes a leaping backward step. "Gotta go! I'll catch up with you guys at the den."
There is goes again, calling her pup. Getting no real reaction from Althaea except for maybe a flick of her tail, she's taken it upon herself to find something to do. As Ahiga readys himself to achieve other goals, she stands up and she moves over to the troublesome bush that she was caught in and stiffs around then moves over to the tree branch scupture. Moving into its shell the sound of an unknown critter echos and Altha jumps darting from its deeps.
Can... has.... yeah, 'bout that. Ikuna smirks as Ahiga makes his retreat, and nods. "See you later!" When he turns back to Althaea, he discovers that she's already moved on to other things. Seems she's not much interested in other wolves... He shrugs a little, watching her as she explores.
He'll run into that pup again soon, Ahiga's sure, especially now that he's aware that she's out doing stuff. Growing up and all that. He's had his fill with the youth of the pack and now is off to do the great things that grown up wolves do! Patrol and stuff. Woohoo!
Not to interested in other wolves.. she is- its just the ones that are/were with her were more interested in talking about things she's not quiet capable of fully understanding. Seeking out new things- that was something she understood a tad better. Several yards from the encloure, Althaea looks back and cautiously creeps forward. What made that sound, she wondered. Was it big.. small.. she'd find out soon enough.
Ikuna can't respond to thoughts, much as he's tried to be a psychic wolf. It just doesn't work that way. He flops down, lazily nibbling at one of his forepaws to groom it while keeping a general eye on Althaea as she explores. Not that it's needed, exactly - if she's roaming this far from the den, she can evidently be on her own - but it seems a suitable thing to do.
Back in the enclosure Althaea looks around slowly. A familiar scent was in the air and she grined. Sniffing around it was only a matter of time before she finds the hiding spot where her lost mouse had run off too sending it running once more. She scrambles to turn around and give chance but this time loses it to a small crack in the branches. No way was she going to go biting into something like that again. Moving up to the crack, she paws at it a few times before whinning. Mice dont play fair.
Ikuna chuckles a bit, watching. "Aww, you'll get it sooner or later," he says, and then rises to his feet. "I'm going to go on a patrol now... you can come with me, if you want, and I'll show you our borders. Or... you can try for that sneaky little mouse some more."
Althaea sits down all disappointed like before moving over to her uncle. She wasn't going to get the mouse tonight when it knows she's here waiting. "I'll go with you." Seeing how far she can go looks like fun.
Ikuna smiles, and nods to Althaea. "Okay, then." He starts out at an easy pace, mentioning various landmarks for the route around the packlands... occasionally with small stories about something that happened there, or about the scents that can be found.
Althaea follows along quite easily. New sights, time with her uncle.. whats not to like about this.
Althaea - female juvenile wolf
Ikuna - male adolescent wolf
---Wildwood Acre---
It is close to evening. The sun has already dipped behind the horizon but the light of day still lingers in the sky. It's grown colder as days have past. Winter is here, although there's no calendar to tell him so. Ahiga knows. It's something in the crisp wind, or perhaps the length of the days or just some embedded instinct that alerts him. It's winter. The snow will come any day now, thick and piling to drifts and mounds. It's fun snow. It's troublesome snow. But one good thing about winter is that now that its here, it will eventually have ot end! The young wolf male is near the old, dead tree near the southern portion of the acre, ears perked and listening for any signs of scurrying life within. Maybe a squirrel or mouse looking for a last bit of hoarding might foolishly dash out...right into his waiting jaws. Mwuaha!
Jumping into a bush in the dimming light without looking probably isn't the best thing to do when chasing after a mouse, but the young female Ute didn't think it much to concern over until coming face to face with a set of well knit branches and getting stuck. Tail flailing about through the end she entered from, she wiggles till suddenly stopping, barking at the mouse who now know feels confident enough to mock her. Pushing herself further into the bush, dispite the branches, the mouse scurries from the opposite end of the bush fearing for its life. Desperate to catch the rodent before another happens across it, Althaea finds it in her to bite through the limbs that bind her till she is free.
Or maybe it's the thick fluffy coats on the wolves that give away the secret of winter. Ikuna pads quietly through the woods, listening to the leafless branches creak in the wind. Well, not entirely leafless - a few of their fall tatters still cling to them, but they look rather bedraggled as opposed to their earlier splendor. The near-adult is neither hunting nor patrolling at the moment - just out for a walk. When he catches a glimpse of Ahiga, his ears perk up, but seeing as how the other wolf looks busy hunting, he doesn't speak... he'll just go quietly to join Ahiga. That's the plan, at least - up until the sound of twigs snapping and branches rustling shatters the peacefulness of the forest. Ikuna goes to full alert, and trots quickly over to find... his niece, tangled up in branches.
Hmm.. That definitely isn't the sound of some hapless furry creature scrambling down the dead hollow a tree. Ahiga's ears twist as a slight ruckus reaches them, and after a few more seconds of determined tree staring, he turns his head as well. He spots Ikuna first, looking surprised as he hadn't heard the other wolf's arrival, and the rustling definitely wasn't him. "Hey," he greets from a distance as he rises, following his gaze to the bush that seems to have come alive...and grown a tail. Blinking, he approaches, a brow quirked questioningly as he glances from bush to Ikuna then back to bush. Ah, it's a wolf eating bush! Or rather...a wolf that's eating a bush. "How's that tastin'?" he asks, voice portraying the amusement that's now seen on his face.
An aweful taste - branches. Biting through them takes a bit but in time the young wolf manages to create a sizeable hole large enough to squeeze though. However before getting the chance to make her escape a voice causes pause. It was one she wasn't to sure of, sniffing the air but much to her dismay only picking up the bush she's in. "Ukie." Althaea's tone is muffled. Shuffling around in the bush, she makes a sound that could only correspond with being prodded with one of the snapped libs to her side. Going forward wasn't going to work.. Audibly fustrated and to proud to ask for help she decides against her fredom for the moment.
Ikuna glances over to Ahiga, and nods. "Hey," he answers back, but he's already looking back to Althaea as she disentangles herself from the shrubbery. He smirks at the other male's joke, and then his ears flit back briefly. Okay, yes, it's funny, but... probably not to /her/. "...do, uh... you need any help?" he asks. It certainly doesn't look comfortable!
Teehee. Ukie? "Yeah, I bet," replies Ahiga with a snicker. He doesn't know this pup, but he knows /of/ her. She's a pack member. Skahla's kid. So..Ikuna and Tala's niece. He exchanges a grin with Ikuna before he flops back onto his haunches, apparently not as eager to offer a lending paw. Not that he'd leave the poor kid there...but hey, it's not everyday that he gets to tease! "Hey hey," he says, waving a paw to Ikuna as speaks up. "If she needs help, I bet she'd ask. Buuut.." he glances back at the stuck pup, "I think she can figure it out. Right pup? You don't need us to pull ya outta there, cuz all that'd happen is we'd pull your tail. It'd hurt. You'd get scratched up by the branches. It'd hurt." He exhales a light sigh.
Althaea doesn't answer not wanting the assistance even though she could use it. Whipping her tail through the bush, Ahiga had it right. Looking at every angle of her surroundings a big grin goes to her face figuring something out. Bringing her hind legs up against herself, he gives one big push against the branches around her, hoping to exit the way she came. Sure enough too, she goes flying out landing on her back twigs and crumpled leaves flying everywhere.
Ikuna can't not offer to help! It'd go against everything he stands for. ...sits for, once he settles down. Help has been offered, and if Althaea isn't going to take him up on it, well... it's not like he has any genius ideas for getting her out. He went smashing into his share of brush as a puppy, and about all he ever figured was "don't do it in the first place." Too late for that this time! "At least it's not a bramble. The berries are tasty, but the thorns... owww." Especially if you're uncautious enough to get jabbed in the tongue! When the youngster does manage to extract herself, he grins. "There ya go. So what was it? Rabbit? Mouse? Game of tag?"
"Oooh, yeah," Ahiga agrees, nodding to Ikuna. "If it was a bramble, she'd be a bloody mess right now. Bleedin' everywhere. Thorns stuck right through the fur." He turns his eyes back to Althaea just as she seems to get her inspired idea of how to free herself. And..oop! There she goes! He squints his eyes closed as she pops out, bringing a rush of twig pieces with her. After a brisk shake of his head, he fully opens his eyes and pricks his ears, eyeing the overturned youngster. He snickers in mirth, head tipping to one side. "Hooray! Y'passed the test," he mock cheers, tail thumping a few times.
Rolling to all four, she looks rather worse for wear, picking herself up and shaking out her coat. Getting most of the foliage out except for a few twigs she smiles out of success. She got out of the bush all by herself. Looking to her uncle Altha's eyes grow big before looking all around. "Mouse.. you see it?" Not that she expected him to of.
There are no broken bones, and Ikuna doesn't see blood, either. He's not worried. Yeah, Althaea's fur's all mussed up, and stuck with branches and old leaves... Shawnee may have a fit when she comes home in that state, but there's nothing to actually be concerned about. So he gives her a grave nod, then tilts his head to the side. "Mouse, huh? Nah, I didn't see him. He probably ducked down a hole."
Ahiga aahs lightly as the source of all this ruckus is told: A Mouse! He squares his shoulders a bit and stands, beginning to snuffle around, nose to the gorund. Not that he expects to find the mouse. If the thing has /any/ brains whatsover, it's long gone down a deep, deep deep hole. "Oldest trick they know," he says wisely, lifting his head from the ground now to regard the youngster. "They know we're big 'n they're small, so they try to ditch us with a bush when we're /juuust/ about to snatch'm up. My advice?" And oh yes, he's going to give his advice whether she wants it or not, "Keep your eyes up." He nods sagely. "Keep your eyes on th'prize of course, but y'gotta know where you're goin' too. Prey can be dumb, but some are a lil' smarter than others."
What an upset to hear that she had lost the mouse, frowning some. Gettin over the lose rather quickly her tail wags high looking to Ahiga with a tilted look. Not knowing him made her curious and the fact he was giving her advise just made her all the more intrigued. She'll have to try that next time she finds something worthy of a good chase. "Will get it next time." She exclaims. Taking a seat just then, Altha's paws shuffle across the ground infront of her, distracted for a moment. Moments later she looks to her uncle then to Ahiga suddenly bored.
Ikuna nods his agreement to Ahiga's advice. "Yeah. You can't get distracted and forget the bigger picture." He frowns for a moment, as Althaea shuffles around. "So, now that you're leaving the den, there's something important you gotta know. Now, maybe you've already heard it, but it's worth repeating. Don't go trusting anyone, _anyone_ that isn't in our pack. No matter what they say, even if they say they're part of the pack, or that it's important, or anything. If you find someone like that, you run and tell an adult right away."
Oh yeah, Ahiga's been useful! He grins a little, standing just a little straighter, though he allows that grin to melt aways as Ikuna gets to a serious topic. Oh yes! That's a good point. And they're supposed to be keeping an eye on the younger ones now. Teaching them useful pieces of information like this. Heh. Ikuna is good at that. He sounds /just/ like the adults did when they told them something similar. He glances at the pup thoughfully, then his ears perk up with sudden inspiration. "Got it, pup? Let's see how good ya are. Pretend /I'm/ a stranger. Like..." he furrows his brows, thinking. "Like a really nice wolf who's soundin' really friendly, ok?" He gives his body a little shake, preparing himslf for his role of "The Stranger". He lifts his tail in a confident way, then walks smoothly back towards Ikuna and Althaea, his eyes on the latter. There's a smile on his face, warm and inviting. "Hello little pup," he says, deepening his voice a little. "My name is Evening Star and I'm lost. Can you help me find water?"
So that could basicly be anyone that she doesn't now, packmember or not. That piece of information wouldn't be to much of a problem but for some reason she was confused. She wasn't to trust anyone outside the pack or anyone who says that they are.. then how is she suppose to know whos in the pack when she asks if they are. Head tilting she slowly nods believing she knows what her uncle is saying. Brow raising to Ahiga when he speaks she blinks at him. Pretend... she doesn't have to. Sitting there she watches him closely as he approaches. This was where she was to retreat to safer surroundings right? She doesn't do that. Instead she just stands readying herself should she actually have to do something. Not a word spoken.
Admittedly, Ikuna did not learn this lesson so well when he was a puppy. Not until he got his lesson in a form much less nice tha Ahiga's play-pretend version. That failure, however, has made him all the more determined not to let it happen again. Ikuna looks to Ahiga as he starts to approach Althaea, and as she does... well... precisely nothing. Uhhhhhhh...
Hmmm. The silent treatment, huh? Well that's one way to go about facing a stranger, but not exactly what Ikuna said to do. So let's continue! "It's alright, little pup. I'm not going to hurt you, I'm just thirsty," Ahga continues in his silky voice, and he comes to a pause just a few feet from her. "I'll be /very/ grateful, and you'll be helping me a lot. I bet your mom and dad would be very proud that you helped a guest, wouldn't they? Don't you want your mom and dad to be proud of you?" He lowers his head some so that he's more level with her, brows raising expectantly.
Her uncle didn't really say to run and seek help either.. so she does what she thinks is right. Stepping back when Ahiga becomes to close for her own comfort she head shakes and growls the moment he lowers himself to her level. She doesn't need to run to show she doesn't trust him.
Ooookay, clearly something's up here. Ikuna looks between the two, then settles his gaze on the younger as she decides to go the growly route. "Althaea, what's the matter? Is there something you don't understand?" Because, well, it's that, or... she's decided to take on adolescent rebellion early? Maybe? ...yeah, he's not really sure. Uhm.
Ahiga hms and glances over to Ikuna, ask if seeking help. And ah, there's the help. He drops his act and sits up to a more normal level. "Yeah, cuz I'm a big stranger that's tryin' to like, y'know...trick you and stuff, and you probably shouldn't try to fight me because...." he glances left, right, then focuses back on her. "I'm bigger and stronger and faster an' all that jazz.." He grins a little, head slightly tilting to one side. It's a good thing they're here. This is what it's all about right? Educating the youth! Preparing them for real life experiences!
Althaea has techinally relied on herself to accomplish things since well.. since everyone took notice her brother was sick. Food was the only thing she couldn't do. So when her uncle looks at her puzzled by actions she looks to him. "I..." How to put this without making it sound beyond her years. "I don't trust him, but I didn't run." She wanted to depend on herself to deal with something. What if she didn't find someone after she ran.. what then.
Ikuna sighs, and shakes his head a little. "But Ahiga's right. He's bigger and stronger than you. He could have grabbed you by the scruff, and you wouldn't be able to fight him off." He pads a few steps closer, looking at Althaea earnestly. "If a mouse tried to growl at you instead of running, you'd bite it, right? A bad wolf, or a bad cougar, or a bad eagle could do the same thing to you. That's why you should run and find one of the bigger wolves to help you; together, we can stand up to all sorts of bad things that could hurt us if we were alone."
Ahiga bobs his head in agreement and rises to his paws to move alongside Ikuna, lifting his paw to lightly knock the back of it against his ankle. "Trust me, you wanna listen to your uncle, pup," he says, nodding, his expression somber. "He knows what he's talkin' about." He glances to his friend with a slight frown, though returns his attention to Althaea not long after. "If you got the chance to run, you'd better run. Always run to the den. Someone's gonna be there, an' no wolf is gonna follow you that close to where we all sleep."
"But.." She frowns as apparently she'd done something wrong. "But if they are bigger and stronger.." and as Ahiga said, faster. "..wont they catch me even if I run. What I do then?" It was something to think about. Looking to Ahiga her ears drop when he calls her a pup and tells her what to do. She really didn't like it. Reverting back to her uncle she sighs. This wasn't fun at all.
Ikuna keeps his eyes on Althaea, even as Ahiga nudges him, but he does nod to the other wolf. He most certainly does know what he's talking about, having Done It Wrong. To his niece, he answers, "Maybe they will, and maybe they won't," says Ikuna. "If you keep alert, you'll have a head start, and that might be enough. If it isn't, and they do catch you... you yell out for help. You yell as loud as you can, so someone from the pack can hear you. We'll come running."
Ahiga settles onto his haunches, looking thoughtful. "So always stay close to the den right?" .. Huh. /Now/ that warning makes sense. It sure didn't when he was a kid! "That way, you don't have to run far to get to a safe place. An' someone's gonna always hear ya if you yell."
Althaea doesn't know what happened to her uncle when he was just a pup.. but if she were ever caught she wouldn't just yell like her life depended on it. She'd do whatever possible to escape their grasp even if it meant harming herself. Not always a wise choice, but weak she was not. However, past mistakes makes it hard for new ones to be made and so she just nods. She wasn't going to win this one. In all honestly she just want to have fun and if taking their word for it would make that happen she'll make an acception and listen just this once. "So, run and call for help. Ok."
Somehow, Ikuna and Ahiga have turned into the responsible ones passing on lessons to the youngsters. ...weeeeeeeeird. He nods to Althaea as she agrees. "If you want to explore someplace far-off, that's okay. Just get a grownup to go with you. They've got more experience, and know how to handle more things, so they can keep you safe."
"Plus, you'll probably jus' get lost out there by yourself," points out Ahiga with a stretch, bowing his body down a bit as he digs his claws into the earth. "We can show ya around no problem. And it'll be more fun with us anyway." Ahiga definitely includes himself and Ikuna in the classification of 'adults'. "But hey, this is your first winter," said as he straightens up, grinning suddenly. "After a while, everything looks the same in winter, but we'll take ya places when we're not busy hunting and stuff for the pack. It'll be fun." He smirks. "Oh, and my name's Ahiga. Not a stranger."
Althaea says nothing, plopping to the ground. She cant guarantee she wont venture out on her own but she doubts she'll go and disobey just yet. Digging at the ground with her paws imitating Ahiga some, she puffs at the dirt she's loosened. She gets it; dont do anything without a grown-up - can they play now. All this talk is making her antsy.
Hey, they're supposed to be taking on adult responsibilities, right? That's the official word. So they must be adults. Logic dictates. They're certainly adult-sized, so there's that in their favor. Ikuna grins a bit and nudges his shoulder against Ahiga's. "Self-introductions don't count." Otherwise all the strangers would just cheat and say their names. He then says to Althaea, "It's true, though. Ahiga's an Ute wolf, just like you'n me."
Ahiga glances at Ikuna at the nudge, and he smirks before exhaling a sigh. "Guess you're right but...I bet she's smelled me before, haven't ya pup? You've smelled my awesome scent around the den, haven't you?" He grins now, tail waving. Oh, play likely is on his mind, though so are other things that he needs to tend to this evening before it gets too late. And as tempting it is to ignore his responsibilities, he's done it often enough that one more time may be one time too many! "Hey, this pupsitting thing isn't so hard," he remarks to Ikuna. "It's so easy I bet you can do it all by yourself, huh?" He grins largely and makes a leaping backward step. "Gotta go! I'll catch up with you guys at the den."
There is goes again, calling her pup. Getting no real reaction from Althaea except for maybe a flick of her tail, she's taken it upon herself to find something to do. As Ahiga readys himself to achieve other goals, she stands up and she moves over to the troublesome bush that she was caught in and stiffs around then moves over to the tree branch scupture. Moving into its shell the sound of an unknown critter echos and Altha jumps darting from its deeps.
Can... has.... yeah, 'bout that. Ikuna smirks as Ahiga makes his retreat, and nods. "See you later!" When he turns back to Althaea, he discovers that she's already moved on to other things. Seems she's not much interested in other wolves... He shrugs a little, watching her as she explores.
He'll run into that pup again soon, Ahiga's sure, especially now that he's aware that she's out doing stuff. Growing up and all that. He's had his fill with the youth of the pack and now is off to do the great things that grown up wolves do! Patrol and stuff. Woohoo!
Not to interested in other wolves.. she is- its just the ones that are/were with her were more interested in talking about things she's not quiet capable of fully understanding. Seeking out new things- that was something she understood a tad better. Several yards from the encloure, Althaea looks back and cautiously creeps forward. What made that sound, she wondered. Was it big.. small.. she'd find out soon enough.
Ikuna can't respond to thoughts, much as he's tried to be a psychic wolf. It just doesn't work that way. He flops down, lazily nibbling at one of his forepaws to groom it while keeping a general eye on Althaea as she explores. Not that it's needed, exactly - if she's roaming this far from the den, she can evidently be on her own - but it seems a suitable thing to do.
Back in the enclosure Althaea looks around slowly. A familiar scent was in the air and she grined. Sniffing around it was only a matter of time before she finds the hiding spot where her lost mouse had run off too sending it running once more. She scrambles to turn around and give chance but this time loses it to a small crack in the branches. No way was she going to go biting into something like that again. Moving up to the crack, she paws at it a few times before whinning. Mice dont play fair.
Ikuna chuckles a bit, watching. "Aww, you'll get it sooner or later," he says, and then rises to his feet. "I'm going to go on a patrol now... you can come with me, if you want, and I'll show you our borders. Or... you can try for that sneaky little mouse some more."
Althaea sits down all disappointed like before moving over to her uncle. She wasn't going to get the mouse tonight when it knows she's here waiting. "I'll go with you." Seeing how far she can go looks like fun.
Ikuna smiles, and nods to Althaea. "Okay, then." He starts out at an easy pace, mentioning various landmarks for the route around the packlands... occasionally with small stories about something that happened there, or about the scents that can be found.
Althaea follows along quite easily. New sights, time with her uncle.. whats not to like about this.