Post by Pavane on Mar 21, 2012 15:53:19 GMT -5
Jatya - female adolescent dog
Tala - female adolescent wolf
Anoki - male adolescent wolf
Coinin - male wolf
Silverstream - female wolf
Ahiga - male adolescent wolf
Helaku - male wolf
---Two-River Fork---
The sky is covered in dark, brooding grey, but the weather so far today is calm save for a bit of wind coming around the edge of the mountains. Something else is coming from that direction as well; Jatya trots along down one of the sloping paths with her head lifted high to peer curiously at this and that around her.
Tala is settled near the river, a yawn escaping her while her tail flicks about a few times. There is a pause and she tilts her head to the side, ear twitching and she hums a moment before shifting to her haunches as something has gotten her attention it would seem.
Jatya pauses, lowering her head to snuffle at a hole in the ground. It smells like... ooh, she's not sure what it smells like, other than 'interesting!' She snorts, and noses at it, using one paw to scrape at the edge of the hole and widen it somewhat.
Tala ears lowers slightly while she shifts up onto her paws and starts to move towards the new scent that she has caught. Her tail lashes around a few times in the process. She knows that smell, its a dog. Its been a while since she's actually seen one though.
With her nose full of this scent - rabbit, maybe? Badger? Mole? She's just not sure! - and her head shoved partway down in the hole, Jatya is far too occupied to notice the wolf's approach. As dogs go, this one looks more wolflike than most; she's got that same lean build, and a similar (if somewhat more curly) tail. Even her black-and-white coat, while unusual in a wolf, wouldn't be out of the question. Her bright blue eyes, on the other hand... well, those're a little strange, admittedly; and any wolf so oblivious to her surroundings likely wouldn't have lasted this long. Still, she's certainly far closer to a wolf than a chihuahua... or even most hounds.
Tala paces along, her steps slow as she goes once she catches sight of the dog. Her ears flick and nose twitch, this dog doesn't persay look all like a dog though. She clear her throat after a moment. "Afternoon.." Escapes her.
Huh? Jatya's ears flick against the dirt and she lifts up her head sharply. There are those bright blue eyes - puppy eyes, though she's certainly no pup from her size. "Oh!" she says, looking over the other. "Hello... I mean, afternoon!" She smiles, giving her tail a friendly wag.
Tala tilts her head as she catches the color eye from that dog, not that she can say much having hazel like blu eyes herself. A faint smile is seen. "Your new around here I take it?" She questions curiously, seeming rather relaxed and friendly like.
Jatya's tail sways a few more times, and she nods. "I was on the big loud thing, but it stopped and I jumped off... but then it started again and left me."
Tala looks a bit confused as this 'big loud thing' is talked. "What sorta big-loud-thing you talking about?" Not that this wolf would know much about humans after all.
"It runs fast, and puffs out clouds... oh! And it barks very loud whenever it sees other ones like it!" Jatya smiles, and then it turns into a small frown. "All of us were on it, but I'm the only one who got off."
Tala ohs, and titls her head while watching Jatya. "Well, why did you get of an no one else?" She questions curiously as she settles to her haunches, tail swaying a few times in the process.
Jatya splays her ears, and then lowers her head. "I was curious," she answers quietly. "Taysiku told me not to, but... I didn't listen. I thought it'd be okay if I was quick."
Tala lifts a brow and she snuffles. "Who's Taysiku?" She questions before a faint oh escapes her. "I'm Tala by the way.. Who are you?"
"My brother," answers Jatya. "He was the biggest one of us... Mama said once we met the rest of our team, we should listen to them, but Taysiku was in charge 'til then. Only... I didn't listen to him."
Tala looks crossed eyed for a moment while she listens to the dog, a soft snuffle escapes her. "I see.. Well.. What sorta team you talking about.. An why does dogs have teams of anything?"
Jatya sighs. "Mama said we would have a team. She had a team too, only then they had to go and she couldn't 'cause she had us puppies. We were going to meet our new team, and we were going to find out all about it."
Tala still seems confused over the talk of this 'team' part. She peers at Jatya once more. "Well.. What sorta team is it.. I mean.. What do you do?"
"A team runs together," answers Jatya, and then with the tone of one reciting something she says, "Lead dog forge through snow, wheel dog use your strength; between them all dogs go, length by bounding length."
Tala ahs a moment and blinks at this. "Why would it matter run place you ran in? I mean when I go hunting with my pack we are in different spots to run down the deer but that just doesn't sound right." Here goes a wild wolf attemping to figure out why the dog is talking about a sled team.
Well, because... because it does! Jatya frowns a little, tilting her head to the side. "Well, that's how it is. Because.... the strongest is wheel dog, and the second strongest and smartest is lead." She stares at the other for a moment... well, okay, she's heard the word pack before, but as for the rest of it... "You... hunt deer?"
Tala hums and looks to Jatya as if she grew a second head. "Well.. ya.. I mean you gotta eat something after all." She offers with a nod. "Deer, sometimes mice and stuff just depends on what we find when go out hunting."
Jatya still seems a bit stunned by this concept, peering at Tala. "Well... yeah, of course you have to eat. That's what the fish is for."
Tala just peers at Jatya a moment and ohs. "Well ya fish an't bad but you can't live on fish all the time." She points a paw towards the creek. "The water here gets ice cold and freezes over a good amount during the winter so you have to look to something else during winter."
Jatya blinks, and looks over to the river as if she's never seen one before. Long. Perplexed. Stare. "But there's fish in the big fur bag! It's sort of dry and you have to chew it slowly, but there's always fish there." She looks back to Tala, then to the river again. "...and... what's freezes?"
Tala lifs a brow and shifts on her paws, moving over to the river to poke at it a few times. "This here freezes over in winter." She offers before peering at the dog once more. "What you mean it comes outa a bag? We have to hunt and catch our food out here... An.. what's a bag?"
Jatya just stares at the river, clearly perplexed. After a while, she looks back to Tala. "It... it comes from the bag, when it gets dark. Only... there wasn't any, the last few nights, but..." She frowns.
Tala eyes Jatya once more. "I dono what a bag is though.." She offers once more looking rather confused as her nose twitches. "An.. why would fish come from them? They come from the river.."
It's... well... a bag! This other dog (wolf? Huh? What's a wolf?) just doesn't understand basic concepts. Jatya shakes her head a bit. "They do! Only then they get dry, and go in the bag, and that's what you eat when you aren't at a river or on the sea."
Tala glowers slightly at the dog. "I don't know what your talking about.. A bag don't make no sense." She offers trying to figure it out but she just can't it seems. A faint huff escapes her as she is getting agervated at the moment at all this. "Are you planning on staying here.. Cause winter is coming and it ain't gona be easy."
To speak of the river.. The winter has not frozen every part of the river yet; though snow has begun to fall from the sky in light scatters, threatening to seal the water entirely. Which is what sent the (lazy? crazy?) Anoki roaming up river for a time; only to come wandering back to where the rest of his pack lay, carrying with him the heavy smell of fish in his fur, and a slightly.. turned, aged leg of a deer in his jaws. Well! He found something other than fish, didn't he! ... Although it's most likely scavenged from something else's kill.
But it's... it's a bag! Jatya dips her tail and lowers her head, frowning as Tala scolds her. "'m sorry," she murmurs, and then is quiet for a long moment. "Stay... for winter? Mama said we'd see winter when we got to our team. Is there winter here, too?" she asks softly, and then looks up at the approach of Anoki. Her nose twitches, and she catches the scent of fish on him and gives an almost accusing glance to Tala. See! Fish! Like that! Then she wags a tail in friendly greeting to the other adolescent.
Tala peers crosses eyed and then huffs a moment. "Sure.. what ever.." She is over the whole bag bit." There is a pause and she glances over to Anoki and grins. "Hey Anoki!" She calls ou to her friend, tail swaying a moment. "Ya I know.. he smells like fish." She says to the dog without a glance over seeming to almost get the idea what she was thinking! "Did you catch a deer??" She pouts. "I was gona help teach you how to hunt.."
"Huh?" Anoki hrrus? As he approaches, stopping to drop the leg at his feet, looking between Tala and the dog. Well, unlike Tala, he /has/ met a dog, at least once, so he can tell this isn't a wolf, but she also doesn't look like the dog he met, either. "Oh, nah, I found a dead deer halfway up the river. Looks like something else got it though; a lot of the good stuff was gone, but the leg was left. I was thinking about bringing back the head, too, but I could only carry the leg, an' I thought I heard whatever killed it coming back for it so I grabbed what I could and got outta there."
Jatya is still a bit droopy, because, well, bags and winters and... deer? Apparently. So what this... Anoki... has must be a deer. Her tail starts to rise up a bit, and she looks over in that direction curiously. Her nose twitches, sniff... sniff... well, it does smell pretty good, whatever it is. She looks up to the other-dog (wolf-what?) and smiles. "He- afternoon." That's what Tala said, after all, so it must be the right thing around here... and she doesn't want to offend Tala again!
Tala ohs at this and nods to Anoki. "Well.. What do you think got it?" She questions while peering around, ears perking a moment as she snuffls out towards the deer leg. "Ah.. This is.." There is a pause and she peers at the dog once more. "Ah.. I.. can't remember your name.." She is forgetfull like that though.
"S'adog," Anoki says, peering at Jatya curiously a moment, before he shrugs. Hey, she seems hungry, so he offers: "You look hungry, if you want the deer leg you can have it, I was mostly bringing it back to try and show I can find food other ways than fish hunting," he says, with a roll of thick-furred shoulders, before he nudges it towards Jatya with a few jerks of a paw, then stands, and finishes his trot closer to Tala. "Dunnooo. Sounded big. Probably a bear tryin' to get one last bit of food in his belly before sleeping for the winter. I know I sure like to sleep on a full belly. Unfortunately, almost all the fish that come up the river to do the baby fish making dance in the shallows are gone now."
Tala ahs and nods to Anoki, her tail swaying a few times in the process. "Well that wouldn't surprize me. Bear's are awful things after all." This said as she makes a face atht ehtought and a slight snort escapes her. "Anyway.. the dog here is talking about eating dry fish.. from a bag.."
Blink. "Dunno what a bag is," Anoki says, thoughtfully, "but dried fish sounds pretty good. I betcha if you could dry fish, it'd last a long time, kind of like how if you dry wood it lasts a long time," he considers this, sitting down, and thoughtfully starting to stare off once more. One of his thought things. "I wonder.. if I could rip bits of fish apart, and leave them in the sun, maybe they'd dry out or something and then I could have fish all winter. be a lot easier than hunting," he chortles lazily.
Jatya pawshuffles and looks kind of awkward, but she also watches curiously. As Anoki makes the offer of sharing, her ears perk, and she nods hesitantly and starts forward with an, "Uhm, thanks..." Then Tala starts going on about what she said - she wasn't trying to make anything silly, honest, just, well... Eardroop again, but she perks as Anoki seems to take it seriously. "It... tastes funny, after a while. But it's still good," she says. Admittedly, that's with fancy human drying and smoking, but...
Tala ohs and shrugs a moment. "I suppose it is possible for that to happen with the fish. Might want to give it a try perhaps?" She looks to Jatya and smiles. "It an't bad.."
"Well sometimes if you leave deer for too long in the winter it gets hard and tough," Anoki observes thoughtfully, "But if you chew on it a while it gets soft and you can eat it. Maybe it's the same thing with fish. Gosh, now I wish I had some fish I could try it out on, but the river's done gone fishless." He frowns at the thought. Then hms. "So dog, what's your name? I'm anoki, that's Tala. My pack lives around here, and hers is farther north, but she came to visit for a while because her brother was being dumb," he pauses, grins slyly, and adds, "And the boy that she lii~ikes was being even dumber."
Coinin has been off patrolling around. The winter seems to slowly, but surely be coming. The temps have fallen and there have been the occasional moments where snow had begun to fall in places. Not really enough at this point to give the ground any kind of good coating, but it was there. He was glad that Tariro had returned from looking for dens before the snow began to fly. He returns to the river fork to have a strange sight meet his eye. Anoki and Tala seem to be awake, and are talking to...what is it. Its not a coyote. He has seen so few dogs in his life that he can really only go by the descriptions he has heard from others. It must be one of those. He also knows that dogs mean humans, and he has heard plenty of negative stories about them. He doesn't want to come in and just run her off but he isn't sure he wants her chatting with the packs young member and his young guest. He enters with his tail and head held high and speaks, "Hello." She doesn't appear to be causing any trouble, but she is trespassing.
Jatya perks up her ears to listen to this talk of hard, tough deer. She tries a bite of this one, and it is not so tough... though not all that much like fish, either. "Dried fish can be hard too," she says, and smiles before trying another bite... just in time for introductions. "Ohmhh," she starts, then swallows. "Uhm. It's nice to meet you. I'm Jatya," she says, with a smile and a wag of her tail. She nods about brothers being dumb... oh, and then she blushes a bit, ducking her head. Such a head-ducking, that she doesn't even see the approach of Coinin until he speaks. She looks up sharply, and her tail goes down into a placating wag as she looks up at the adult wolf. "A-afternoon."
Tala sticks her tongue out at Anoki. "What ever.." She offers with an amused tone and then ahs and nods to Jatya a smile seens. "My brother isn't dumb.. just looking out for me I imagen." This said while she tilts her head and glances towards the movement of Coinin and then looks over to Jatya with a faint snuffle escapes her.
Oh great its' Coinin. Stuffy adult alert! Anoki does not deign to leap to his feet at the approach of the beta, instead watching Coinin approach calmly, before he says, "Hullo, Coinin. This is.. Jatya, she's a dog." he says, looking to the dog again, with a smirk, before looking back to Coinin. "She was asking about fish, but since I couldn't find any I let her have the deer leg I found. I figure it's fair to treat guests nicely, ain't it?" he smirks faintly to himself; he can already see how Coinin is trying to be all threatening. Admittedly, Anoki is starting to get the idea he shouldn't be such a smart-tail towards the beta.. But he also finds it somewhat amusing that Coinin seems so... put off, by the dog.
Sniff, sniff! So many scents of so many wolves! No matter how many times he does it, leaving the borders of his homelands is always a thrill. New faces, new smells, that ever-present feeling that something dangerous can happen at any moment. The added fact that he left on a whim, not telling a single Ute soul that he was going or where just makes this excursion a little edgier than others. Ahiga moves carefully, yet still with a brisk and quiet pace, following the chilly river that runs into Cerulean lands. And here's the heart of it where all the scents collide into one heavy wolvish mixture. He slows, ears perking as voices drift to them. Ahead he can see figures, and he adopts a submissive posture, head lowered and tail down and slightly tucked as he continues forth, like a proper visitor and guest. No need to be mistaken for some no good rogue! He is, after all, alone.
There is so much that the young wolf doesn't understand about how things work. He might be a bit stuffy but its only because he honestly cares. He doesn't want to see any harm come to any member of the pack. There is a reason for the tried and true rules of how things are done. He has definitely welcomed guests. He welcomed Tala and in the past both Ikuna and Ahiga. He has welcomed coyotes at times though they are rather odd creatures and even a fox or two, but a dog. Dogs are just well...unnatural. Coinin notes that the dog is doing her best to be non-threatening and this does placate him just a bit. He glances to Anoki as he speaks and nods, "Its good to welcome guests Anoki you are right." he says. He will watch to see if she is any kind of threat or if she has any present connection with humans before he runs her off, "Good afternoon." he says to Jatya. Its then that another wolf appears on the scene. He turns his head to face the arrival of the youngster. He soon enough recognizes it as another Ut
Ute wolf. Ute must be rather empty these days...they seem to be mostly here. At least Ahiga knows how to approach a situation properly.
Jatya's brothers were... well, smarter than her, she guesses! They've gone on to meet their team, and she's here with a bunch'f dogs that don't even know basic stuff. ...and why do they keep being so specific about how she's a dog, anyway? Of course she is, and so are they. She starts stealing longer sidewise glances at them. They look like dogs, yeah. Same body shape, same fluffy fur... they wouldn't be out of place on a team. Yeah, they smell a little different, but that must be from living out here, and eating deer instead of fish. She looks over at the new approaching wolf, and her tail continues its friendly, submissive sort of wag.
Tala is quiet while Anoki speaks with Coinin about Jatya. Her tail swaying a few times in the process while she lifts a forepaw to rub across her face a few times. There is a pause and she blinks while looking to the side catching another scent. "Ahiga..?" A warm smile is seen and she shifts to her paws moving over to him with a slight bounce in her steps as she goes.
Ears twitch as Anoki raises his snout slightly to the air, catching the scent of yet another incoming wolf, and.. he smiles weakly, yet wryly. Ah, the 'man of the hour', as it were; and true to his thoughts on the matter, Tala bounces off to catch up with Ahiga.. and he sighs, only then shifting to stand, then sit, leaning forward a little to smell at Jatya without trying to upset her. Dog smell. It's strange. "So, uh, Jatya. Why are you out in the woods..? Did the two-legs leave you? The last dog I met got left by Two-legs, too," he says, leaving off the fact that he doesn't know what a two-legs is. He does know that his mum always sayd dogs weren't bad, they were just different. "C'os uh, it's kinda dangerous out here for someone who wasn't, y'know, born out here. All kinds of big thnigs that can hurt you."
Ahiga recognizes one of the Cerulean leaders rather quickly. A good habit, to know when the head haunchos are around, especially when you're not in the head hauncho's pack! Golden eyes drift to Coinin first, acknowledging him with wags of his tail as he draws nearer to the congregation. Anoki's about too, and his ears lift a little at the sight of him. If Anoki's here, then surely.. Ah-ha! Spotting Tala heading towards him he grins, head lifting a little from its bowed position to greet her. "Y'know, I was startin' to think you got lost or somethin'," he remarks, smirking and brows lifting haughtly, greeting with a customary headbump. "Cuz..." Sniff, sniff. Wait a second. What's that weird smell? Alert, he raises his head fully, only now resting his eyes upon the unknown Jatya. He blinks once. Twice. Then furrows his brows. "What's...that?"
Silverstream smiles as she walks over to conin, hoping he remembers her if only vaguely as a visiter and doesn't attack or feel threatened by her. She tries her best to walk towards him in the open and show no signs of being a threat.
Coinin gives Ahiga a nod in greeting. He isn't worried about the young Ute wolves. They seem to be a very respectful and rather good batch of youngsters. They are certainly old enough now to be on their own and wandering about, though he is sure that the Ute alpha would like to know where they are. But thats not his business. As long as they conduct themselves well on the lands he has no problem with them being here. He smiles as he watches Tala head over to Ahiga. So this is the young couple he surmises. Hopefully all is well with that pair. He then turns his attention toward Silverstream. He does recognize her and offers her a polite nod as well. He isn't in the business of attacking anyone unless they are posing a threat, "Hello Silver."
Jatya watches as Tala runs off to the newest of the arrivals, and then turns back to look at Anoki. Her tail gives another way, equal parts friendly and hopeful as she launches once more on the story of how she got here. "We were going to meet our team. Me and my siblings, on the big cloud-making thing that goes fast. Only it stopped, and... I wanted to see more. Taysiku - he's my brother, and he was being lead - said I shouldn't, but I thought it'd be okay if I just looked quickly. So I slipped out, but then the cloud-maker started goin' again, and I couldn't catch it." She ducks her head again and her ears twitch at Ahiga's words. Why are these dogs treating her like she's so weird? What's wrong with them? ...what's wrong with _her_?
Tala smiles and moves to try and tackle Ahiga!.. Seems she is rather happy to see him. "Oh please.. You know I can't get lost." She offers with an amused tone while she lets her fontpaws try to pin him down. Her tail wagging about happly behind her in the process. A soft ah escapes her. "Its a dog.. Her name is Jatya." She glances over towards the dog. "She is rather nice.."
Ears twitch lazily, forward, side, forward, then fall into a slight droop; Anoki is doing his best to try and pretend he's not seeing Tala and Ahiga reunite out of the corner of his eye, since it's not polite to stare at such things, and because it's kind of.. well.. depressiong. Lucky bastard, and Ahiga doesn't even know it. The Cerulean youth nods, listening.. But stops, and peers at Jatya thoughtfully. A cloud making animal? ... Huh.. Does that mean she was brought by a messanger of the wind? "... It sounds like you were.. being carried by a messenger of the Spirits." He muses aloud at Jatya, thoughtfully, "You probably shouldn't have left it's protection.. But maybe it will come back for you." He catches her expression.. and smiles, tail wagging slightly. "Don't mind them, they're fish dancey. And don't mind all the strange looks. We don't see dogs around here often. I guess from what my mom said once, most dogs fear wolves, because some wolves," and here he shoots Coinin a look, casual, hardly hidden, and brief, "Will attack dogs just because they're different."
Tackle? Oh hey, that's not fair! Ahiga definitely wasn't ready to defend himself, too caught up by eyeing the unknown face that is Jatya. It's almost...kinda like a wolf, but not. Curious! Curious and disturbing at the same time. And -- TACKLE! "Woah!" In a display that's far from smooth, the young wolf is easily taken down by his playful friend, the wind gushing out from his lungs in a large huff! Cough, hack, wheeze! He squirms beneath her, but alas he's already pinned! This wasn't a fair match at all, and in front of Anoki and the others too! He'll have to redeem himself later. "A /dog?/" he says in disbelief, glancing from Tala's face, over to Jatya, then back up to Tala. "Pfffft, get outta here, that's not a dog. I've /seen/ a dog, and it ain't look like that." Grinning, he lifts up a large paw to try to smoosh it in her face while his hindlegs work to push her off of him.
Silverstream smiles as she takes a bit more of a catiuas aproach as she just getting to know the wolves of this area. Still it is nice to be reconized and she replies "Hello there Coinin, how is hunting these days?" She asks as she walks over to Coinin, the young wolfess smiles as she spots the young wolves. She remembers being playfull like that, what seems like yesterday. Though she supposes it couldn't have been so soon. She sighs and sits next to coinin looking at him as if she wanted to ask him something. Yet she remains a bit reserved as she knows not how to describe her desire to stay with the pride. She not sure if its a strange wish to finally settle in one place or something else, but she does know she doesn't want to leave the lands. She considering joining the pack, yet that thought frightens her as well.
Who said anything about attacking anyone. There is a huge difference between being wary and wanting to attack. Coinin isn't in the business of attacking anyone unless they are a threat. The most he would do to this dog is ask her to leave politely. He listens as Anoki fills the dog in on some of the differences between dogs and wolves and speaks up after he finishes, "I'm not going to attack anyone." he says simply. It seems that she is not in direct contact with humans and would be therefore not a direct threat..different yes...but not a danger, "Anoki is right. We wolves do no see many dogs here. Most dogs find wolves to be distasteful. I've heard." Of course he has no direct experience so he couldn't say. He then turns to Silver, "I've been doing well thank you. I trust things have been going well for you?" There would be no reason to be nervous about wanting to stay. Coinin is sure that Tariro would allow it if she wished to ask.
Tala grins a Ahiga and winks a him before nosing at his cheek as she bounces off of him with a sway of her tail. "Ya.. she's a dog.. I guess they don't all look the same you know?" There is a pause as she looks towards another wolf and tilts her head, nose twitching in the proces. She looks over to Ahiga. "So.. did you miss me or something?" Cause she didn't miss him!.. right.
A messenger of the Spirits? Jatya tilts her head. "Maybe," she says softly. "I... don't know about spirits, really." She ducks her head then, nodding. Oh, she certainly shouldn't have left, but... it's too late for that now, isn't it? Maybe the cloud-maker _will_ come back. Jatya sighs. Anoki's description of the other youngsters as fish-dancy makes her blink, but at least the dancy part makes sense! More confusing is where he goes next. Wolves? So, these... aren't dogs? She looks among them, and then she hears Ahiga. She's... not a dog either? Then what is she? Her mama _said_ she was a dog! "I, uh..." she trails off, looking hesitantly at Coinin-the-most-threatening with her tail halfway to between her legs. Apparently he thinks she's a dog? And that they're wolves? So confusing! "I... you seem a lot like... like me. You... wolves, I mean."
"Well, yeah, we're kinda alike. I mean, we all breath the same air, we all eat the same food, and we all sleep under the same sky. But the fact that we look different kinda upsets some people." Anoki shrugs. "I think you look nice, if that makes you feel any better, but I'm not in charge of things around here, my uncle and Coinin over there are." He looks Coinin's way, and then says, "But no, we're not dogs. You are though. But that doesn't mean we can't be friends. But your cloud-beast makes things kind of problematic, c'os I guess, we can't be sure it won't be angry at us for being around you." he frowns some, then says, "but that remains to be seen if it comes back."
Ahiga lightly makes a face as his cheek is nosed, because well..that's what he's supposed to do eh? Inwardly, he smirks and rolls his eyes before rolling onto his stomach to sit up. After a brief shake, he can't help but give another look at Jatya, cocking a brow. Dogs don't all look the same? Well that's just plain ridiculous! Wolves don't all look the same either, but they have the same...layout. This dog looks nothing like the other dog he saw. Different color. Different ears. Different nose. Different face shape. Different body. How can they both be called the same thing? "Yeah well, if this dog's like the other one, s'better off leavin' it alone," he advises in a slightly elevated voice, giving a meaningful look to Anoki. But, what was that? His attention whips back to Tala, and he clears his throat a little, gaze shifting slightly to one side. "What? Uh...ny-..oo. No. Nah. I mean, it's been weird that you aren't around. Ikuna's goin' kinda crazy with you gone, y'know." Which definitely explains why Ahiga is
here and Ikuna is not, doesn't it? "You jus' said you weren't going to be gone for long, and..it was startin' to feel sort of long. It's been snowin' a little at home, and so I figured I'd come and...remind you."
Silverstream smiles and says "Well enough, though I suppose." She pauses as she tilts her head a bit confused as she never tried to join a pack before being her first time she not quite sure how to ask. She does not know either of them well enough to know that it be fine for her to stay. Yet she does try and keep her composer her words are lost to her. She sighs and wishes she could comunicate better her feelings.
Coinin gives a smile and a nod to Silver. Yeah those pesky feelings are hard to communicate sometimes. Still when she is ready to ask he is sure that she will find an answer that she likes with Tariro, "I'm glad to hear that things are going well for you." he says. Now his mind turns back to the dog. She looks afraid. He doesn't want her to feel afraid. She will not find injury here thats for sure. He slowly wanders over to be a bit closer to her, "You don't have to worry. No one here will hurt you."
Tala blinks as she hears Ahiga and watches him a few moments as he says no. Her ears lower. "Oh.." Is said while she shifts and lowers to her haunches. "I see." She glances towards the dog, a ear twitching to Anoki. "She's fine Ahiga, seems really nice. Maybe you should get to meet her. I bet that will change your mind." Seems she's not as happy as she was a few moments ago, well when the wolf you like says there not here to see you it sorta brings you down a few pegs. "Ya well.. I don't see him here, I see you here an you didn't miss me so why should I bother going back yet?" Her tail lashes a few times as her mother's anger starts to creep forth and rear its head. "I'm very capable of remembering on my own too."
Aww. She looks nice! Jatya smiles, and wags her tail to Anoki in a way less don't-eat-me and more happy. She nods understandingly about him not being in charge; of course the lead and wheel dog are going to be somewhat older. ...er. Whatever those are called when it comes to wolves. So she looks at Coinin again, her tail giving a bit of a sway... and then it wilts as she hears Ahiga. Better left alone? Is that what these wolves think about her? She wilts visibly, and looks to Anoki again. He seems to like her, at least. And the other one - Tala - seemed mostly friendly when Jatya wasn't doing things wrong. She's in the middle of an argument with her... fishy-dance-partner, though. Jatya brings her full attention to Coinin as he speaks, her tail curling under her a little... and then she relaxes in relief. "Oh. I'm... glad. I don't want to cause any trouble, to anyone..."
There's a grin. And then Anoki says, "I don't think you're gonna cause trouble. Like I said, we can handle the cloud-beast if and when it comes back.. that is, if you stick around. I wouldn't mind you sticking around. You seem nice, and it'd be kinda neat to have more folk around who're my age, even if you're a dog." He grins, standing up and coming closer to nudge at her shoulder first friendly-like with his snout, and then playful-like with a paw. He looks at Coinin then, appraisingly. Yeha, okay, it's Coinin's call mostly, if she's allowed to stick around, but. "I don't think there'd be a problem with that. I mean, big woods, we're not hurting for food yet.. But I reckon you might need to learn to hunt before the snow gets really thick," secretly admitting maybe he too should learn this, Anoki is, "Or else learn how to look for food like the deer I found." he pauses. Then, in an attempt to appeal to Coinin, "Hey, I forgot all about that, I found the leftovers of a deer just up the river a bit; looked like a bear mighta got it, but I betcha there's still some food left if we need any; and there's bones enough for pups to chew on later if Uncle Tariro has his way this spring.."
Ahiga snorts at the outrageous suggestion given by Tala. "Go meet her? Sh'yeah right, and catch dog?" He tosses his head back in a laugh. "I'll pass. I've talked to enough dogs to fry my brain for one life." Seems as if someone hasn't had the best of experiences with their canine cousins! He snickers despite the fact that Tala seems so adamant that this particular dog may be worth knowing, and considering the way he's acting, Anoki may be feeling the same way. His head is given a slight shake at that realization, but what's it matter to him? It doesn't, and thus he's quick to return his thoughts back to things that do. And at this moment...that's a not so happy sounding Tala. "What? Why wouldn't you? C'mon, it's winter. Althaea 'n Hadir are gettin' into stuff now, and you know we've gotta keep an eye on 'em. All of us." He folds his ears back a little.
Silverstream feels like she should say something but knows coinin busy with the others, She sighs as she considers what to say. Trying her best to be respectfull, she slowly takes a breath and says "Coinin, what's it like to be here. With a pack, I mean, to join. Is, er what does it take. To become a pack member. Is it, well" She unsure what else to say.
Tala - female adolescent wolf
Anoki - male adolescent wolf
Coinin - male wolf
Silverstream - female wolf
Ahiga - male adolescent wolf
Helaku - male wolf
---Two-River Fork---
The sky is covered in dark, brooding grey, but the weather so far today is calm save for a bit of wind coming around the edge of the mountains. Something else is coming from that direction as well; Jatya trots along down one of the sloping paths with her head lifted high to peer curiously at this and that around her.
Tala is settled near the river, a yawn escaping her while her tail flicks about a few times. There is a pause and she tilts her head to the side, ear twitching and she hums a moment before shifting to her haunches as something has gotten her attention it would seem.
Jatya pauses, lowering her head to snuffle at a hole in the ground. It smells like... ooh, she's not sure what it smells like, other than 'interesting!' She snorts, and noses at it, using one paw to scrape at the edge of the hole and widen it somewhat.
Tala ears lowers slightly while she shifts up onto her paws and starts to move towards the new scent that she has caught. Her tail lashes around a few times in the process. She knows that smell, its a dog. Its been a while since she's actually seen one though.
With her nose full of this scent - rabbit, maybe? Badger? Mole? She's just not sure! - and her head shoved partway down in the hole, Jatya is far too occupied to notice the wolf's approach. As dogs go, this one looks more wolflike than most; she's got that same lean build, and a similar (if somewhat more curly) tail. Even her black-and-white coat, while unusual in a wolf, wouldn't be out of the question. Her bright blue eyes, on the other hand... well, those're a little strange, admittedly; and any wolf so oblivious to her surroundings likely wouldn't have lasted this long. Still, she's certainly far closer to a wolf than a chihuahua... or even most hounds.
Tala paces along, her steps slow as she goes once she catches sight of the dog. Her ears flick and nose twitch, this dog doesn't persay look all like a dog though. She clear her throat after a moment. "Afternoon.." Escapes her.
Huh? Jatya's ears flick against the dirt and she lifts up her head sharply. There are those bright blue eyes - puppy eyes, though she's certainly no pup from her size. "Oh!" she says, looking over the other. "Hello... I mean, afternoon!" She smiles, giving her tail a friendly wag.
Tala tilts her head as she catches the color eye from that dog, not that she can say much having hazel like blu eyes herself. A faint smile is seen. "Your new around here I take it?" She questions curiously, seeming rather relaxed and friendly like.
Jatya's tail sways a few more times, and she nods. "I was on the big loud thing, but it stopped and I jumped off... but then it started again and left me."
Tala looks a bit confused as this 'big loud thing' is talked. "What sorta big-loud-thing you talking about?" Not that this wolf would know much about humans after all.
"It runs fast, and puffs out clouds... oh! And it barks very loud whenever it sees other ones like it!" Jatya smiles, and then it turns into a small frown. "All of us were on it, but I'm the only one who got off."
Tala ohs, and titls her head while watching Jatya. "Well, why did you get of an no one else?" She questions curiously as she settles to her haunches, tail swaying a few times in the process.
Jatya splays her ears, and then lowers her head. "I was curious," she answers quietly. "Taysiku told me not to, but... I didn't listen. I thought it'd be okay if I was quick."
Tala lifts a brow and she snuffles. "Who's Taysiku?" She questions before a faint oh escapes her. "I'm Tala by the way.. Who are you?"
"My brother," answers Jatya. "He was the biggest one of us... Mama said once we met the rest of our team, we should listen to them, but Taysiku was in charge 'til then. Only... I didn't listen to him."
Tala looks crossed eyed for a moment while she listens to the dog, a soft snuffle escapes her. "I see.. Well.. What sorta team you talking about.. An why does dogs have teams of anything?"
Jatya sighs. "Mama said we would have a team. She had a team too, only then they had to go and she couldn't 'cause she had us puppies. We were going to meet our new team, and we were going to find out all about it."
Tala still seems confused over the talk of this 'team' part. She peers at Jatya once more. "Well.. What sorta team is it.. I mean.. What do you do?"
"A team runs together," answers Jatya, and then with the tone of one reciting something she says, "Lead dog forge through snow, wheel dog use your strength; between them all dogs go, length by bounding length."
Tala ahs a moment and blinks at this. "Why would it matter run place you ran in? I mean when I go hunting with my pack we are in different spots to run down the deer but that just doesn't sound right." Here goes a wild wolf attemping to figure out why the dog is talking about a sled team.
Well, because... because it does! Jatya frowns a little, tilting her head to the side. "Well, that's how it is. Because.... the strongest is wheel dog, and the second strongest and smartest is lead." She stares at the other for a moment... well, okay, she's heard the word pack before, but as for the rest of it... "You... hunt deer?"
Tala hums and looks to Jatya as if she grew a second head. "Well.. ya.. I mean you gotta eat something after all." She offers with a nod. "Deer, sometimes mice and stuff just depends on what we find when go out hunting."
Jatya still seems a bit stunned by this concept, peering at Tala. "Well... yeah, of course you have to eat. That's what the fish is for."
Tala just peers at Jatya a moment and ohs. "Well ya fish an't bad but you can't live on fish all the time." She points a paw towards the creek. "The water here gets ice cold and freezes over a good amount during the winter so you have to look to something else during winter."
Jatya blinks, and looks over to the river as if she's never seen one before. Long. Perplexed. Stare. "But there's fish in the big fur bag! It's sort of dry and you have to chew it slowly, but there's always fish there." She looks back to Tala, then to the river again. "...and... what's freezes?"
Tala lifs a brow and shifts on her paws, moving over to the river to poke at it a few times. "This here freezes over in winter." She offers before peering at the dog once more. "What you mean it comes outa a bag? We have to hunt and catch our food out here... An.. what's a bag?"
Jatya just stares at the river, clearly perplexed. After a while, she looks back to Tala. "It... it comes from the bag, when it gets dark. Only... there wasn't any, the last few nights, but..." She frowns.
Tala eyes Jatya once more. "I dono what a bag is though.." She offers once more looking rather confused as her nose twitches. "An.. why would fish come from them? They come from the river.."
It's... well... a bag! This other dog (wolf? Huh? What's a wolf?) just doesn't understand basic concepts. Jatya shakes her head a bit. "They do! Only then they get dry, and go in the bag, and that's what you eat when you aren't at a river or on the sea."
Tala glowers slightly at the dog. "I don't know what your talking about.. A bag don't make no sense." She offers trying to figure it out but she just can't it seems. A faint huff escapes her as she is getting agervated at the moment at all this. "Are you planning on staying here.. Cause winter is coming and it ain't gona be easy."
To speak of the river.. The winter has not frozen every part of the river yet; though snow has begun to fall from the sky in light scatters, threatening to seal the water entirely. Which is what sent the (lazy? crazy?) Anoki roaming up river for a time; only to come wandering back to where the rest of his pack lay, carrying with him the heavy smell of fish in his fur, and a slightly.. turned, aged leg of a deer in his jaws. Well! He found something other than fish, didn't he! ... Although it's most likely scavenged from something else's kill.
But it's... it's a bag! Jatya dips her tail and lowers her head, frowning as Tala scolds her. "'m sorry," she murmurs, and then is quiet for a long moment. "Stay... for winter? Mama said we'd see winter when we got to our team. Is there winter here, too?" she asks softly, and then looks up at the approach of Anoki. Her nose twitches, and she catches the scent of fish on him and gives an almost accusing glance to Tala. See! Fish! Like that! Then she wags a tail in friendly greeting to the other adolescent.
Tala peers crosses eyed and then huffs a moment. "Sure.. what ever.." She is over the whole bag bit." There is a pause and she glances over to Anoki and grins. "Hey Anoki!" She calls ou to her friend, tail swaying a moment. "Ya I know.. he smells like fish." She says to the dog without a glance over seeming to almost get the idea what she was thinking! "Did you catch a deer??" She pouts. "I was gona help teach you how to hunt.."
"Huh?" Anoki hrrus? As he approaches, stopping to drop the leg at his feet, looking between Tala and the dog. Well, unlike Tala, he /has/ met a dog, at least once, so he can tell this isn't a wolf, but she also doesn't look like the dog he met, either. "Oh, nah, I found a dead deer halfway up the river. Looks like something else got it though; a lot of the good stuff was gone, but the leg was left. I was thinking about bringing back the head, too, but I could only carry the leg, an' I thought I heard whatever killed it coming back for it so I grabbed what I could and got outta there."
Jatya is still a bit droopy, because, well, bags and winters and... deer? Apparently. So what this... Anoki... has must be a deer. Her tail starts to rise up a bit, and she looks over in that direction curiously. Her nose twitches, sniff... sniff... well, it does smell pretty good, whatever it is. She looks up to the other-dog (wolf-what?) and smiles. "He- afternoon." That's what Tala said, after all, so it must be the right thing around here... and she doesn't want to offend Tala again!
Tala ohs at this and nods to Anoki. "Well.. What do you think got it?" She questions while peering around, ears perking a moment as she snuffls out towards the deer leg. "Ah.. This is.." There is a pause and she peers at the dog once more. "Ah.. I.. can't remember your name.." She is forgetfull like that though.
"S'adog," Anoki says, peering at Jatya curiously a moment, before he shrugs. Hey, she seems hungry, so he offers: "You look hungry, if you want the deer leg you can have it, I was mostly bringing it back to try and show I can find food other ways than fish hunting," he says, with a roll of thick-furred shoulders, before he nudges it towards Jatya with a few jerks of a paw, then stands, and finishes his trot closer to Tala. "Dunnooo. Sounded big. Probably a bear tryin' to get one last bit of food in his belly before sleeping for the winter. I know I sure like to sleep on a full belly. Unfortunately, almost all the fish that come up the river to do the baby fish making dance in the shallows are gone now."
Tala ahs and nods to Anoki, her tail swaying a few times in the process. "Well that wouldn't surprize me. Bear's are awful things after all." This said as she makes a face atht ehtought and a slight snort escapes her. "Anyway.. the dog here is talking about eating dry fish.. from a bag.."
Blink. "Dunno what a bag is," Anoki says, thoughtfully, "but dried fish sounds pretty good. I betcha if you could dry fish, it'd last a long time, kind of like how if you dry wood it lasts a long time," he considers this, sitting down, and thoughtfully starting to stare off once more. One of his thought things. "I wonder.. if I could rip bits of fish apart, and leave them in the sun, maybe they'd dry out or something and then I could have fish all winter. be a lot easier than hunting," he chortles lazily.
Jatya pawshuffles and looks kind of awkward, but she also watches curiously. As Anoki makes the offer of sharing, her ears perk, and she nods hesitantly and starts forward with an, "Uhm, thanks..." Then Tala starts going on about what she said - she wasn't trying to make anything silly, honest, just, well... Eardroop again, but she perks as Anoki seems to take it seriously. "It... tastes funny, after a while. But it's still good," she says. Admittedly, that's with fancy human drying and smoking, but...
Tala ohs and shrugs a moment. "I suppose it is possible for that to happen with the fish. Might want to give it a try perhaps?" She looks to Jatya and smiles. "It an't bad.."
"Well sometimes if you leave deer for too long in the winter it gets hard and tough," Anoki observes thoughtfully, "But if you chew on it a while it gets soft and you can eat it. Maybe it's the same thing with fish. Gosh, now I wish I had some fish I could try it out on, but the river's done gone fishless." He frowns at the thought. Then hms. "So dog, what's your name? I'm anoki, that's Tala. My pack lives around here, and hers is farther north, but she came to visit for a while because her brother was being dumb," he pauses, grins slyly, and adds, "And the boy that she lii~ikes was being even dumber."
Coinin has been off patrolling around. The winter seems to slowly, but surely be coming. The temps have fallen and there have been the occasional moments where snow had begun to fall in places. Not really enough at this point to give the ground any kind of good coating, but it was there. He was glad that Tariro had returned from looking for dens before the snow began to fly. He returns to the river fork to have a strange sight meet his eye. Anoki and Tala seem to be awake, and are talking to...what is it. Its not a coyote. He has seen so few dogs in his life that he can really only go by the descriptions he has heard from others. It must be one of those. He also knows that dogs mean humans, and he has heard plenty of negative stories about them. He doesn't want to come in and just run her off but he isn't sure he wants her chatting with the packs young member and his young guest. He enters with his tail and head held high and speaks, "Hello." She doesn't appear to be causing any trouble, but she is trespassing.
Jatya perks up her ears to listen to this talk of hard, tough deer. She tries a bite of this one, and it is not so tough... though not all that much like fish, either. "Dried fish can be hard too," she says, and smiles before trying another bite... just in time for introductions. "Ohmhh," she starts, then swallows. "Uhm. It's nice to meet you. I'm Jatya," she says, with a smile and a wag of her tail. She nods about brothers being dumb... oh, and then she blushes a bit, ducking her head. Such a head-ducking, that she doesn't even see the approach of Coinin until he speaks. She looks up sharply, and her tail goes down into a placating wag as she looks up at the adult wolf. "A-afternoon."
Tala sticks her tongue out at Anoki. "What ever.." She offers with an amused tone and then ahs and nods to Jatya a smile seens. "My brother isn't dumb.. just looking out for me I imagen." This said while she tilts her head and glances towards the movement of Coinin and then looks over to Jatya with a faint snuffle escapes her.
Oh great its' Coinin. Stuffy adult alert! Anoki does not deign to leap to his feet at the approach of the beta, instead watching Coinin approach calmly, before he says, "Hullo, Coinin. This is.. Jatya, she's a dog." he says, looking to the dog again, with a smirk, before looking back to Coinin. "She was asking about fish, but since I couldn't find any I let her have the deer leg I found. I figure it's fair to treat guests nicely, ain't it?" he smirks faintly to himself; he can already see how Coinin is trying to be all threatening. Admittedly, Anoki is starting to get the idea he shouldn't be such a smart-tail towards the beta.. But he also finds it somewhat amusing that Coinin seems so... put off, by the dog.
Sniff, sniff! So many scents of so many wolves! No matter how many times he does it, leaving the borders of his homelands is always a thrill. New faces, new smells, that ever-present feeling that something dangerous can happen at any moment. The added fact that he left on a whim, not telling a single Ute soul that he was going or where just makes this excursion a little edgier than others. Ahiga moves carefully, yet still with a brisk and quiet pace, following the chilly river that runs into Cerulean lands. And here's the heart of it where all the scents collide into one heavy wolvish mixture. He slows, ears perking as voices drift to them. Ahead he can see figures, and he adopts a submissive posture, head lowered and tail down and slightly tucked as he continues forth, like a proper visitor and guest. No need to be mistaken for some no good rogue! He is, after all, alone.
There is so much that the young wolf doesn't understand about how things work. He might be a bit stuffy but its only because he honestly cares. He doesn't want to see any harm come to any member of the pack. There is a reason for the tried and true rules of how things are done. He has definitely welcomed guests. He welcomed Tala and in the past both Ikuna and Ahiga. He has welcomed coyotes at times though they are rather odd creatures and even a fox or two, but a dog. Dogs are just well...unnatural. Coinin notes that the dog is doing her best to be non-threatening and this does placate him just a bit. He glances to Anoki as he speaks and nods, "Its good to welcome guests Anoki you are right." he says. He will watch to see if she is any kind of threat or if she has any present connection with humans before he runs her off, "Good afternoon." he says to Jatya. Its then that another wolf appears on the scene. He turns his head to face the arrival of the youngster. He soon enough recognizes it as another Ut
Ute wolf. Ute must be rather empty these days...they seem to be mostly here. At least Ahiga knows how to approach a situation properly.
Jatya's brothers were... well, smarter than her, she guesses! They've gone on to meet their team, and she's here with a bunch'f dogs that don't even know basic stuff. ...and why do they keep being so specific about how she's a dog, anyway? Of course she is, and so are they. She starts stealing longer sidewise glances at them. They look like dogs, yeah. Same body shape, same fluffy fur... they wouldn't be out of place on a team. Yeah, they smell a little different, but that must be from living out here, and eating deer instead of fish. She looks over at the new approaching wolf, and her tail continues its friendly, submissive sort of wag.
Tala is quiet while Anoki speaks with Coinin about Jatya. Her tail swaying a few times in the process while she lifts a forepaw to rub across her face a few times. There is a pause and she blinks while looking to the side catching another scent. "Ahiga..?" A warm smile is seen and she shifts to her paws moving over to him with a slight bounce in her steps as she goes.
Ears twitch as Anoki raises his snout slightly to the air, catching the scent of yet another incoming wolf, and.. he smiles weakly, yet wryly. Ah, the 'man of the hour', as it were; and true to his thoughts on the matter, Tala bounces off to catch up with Ahiga.. and he sighs, only then shifting to stand, then sit, leaning forward a little to smell at Jatya without trying to upset her. Dog smell. It's strange. "So, uh, Jatya. Why are you out in the woods..? Did the two-legs leave you? The last dog I met got left by Two-legs, too," he says, leaving off the fact that he doesn't know what a two-legs is. He does know that his mum always sayd dogs weren't bad, they were just different. "C'os uh, it's kinda dangerous out here for someone who wasn't, y'know, born out here. All kinds of big thnigs that can hurt you."
Ahiga recognizes one of the Cerulean leaders rather quickly. A good habit, to know when the head haunchos are around, especially when you're not in the head hauncho's pack! Golden eyes drift to Coinin first, acknowledging him with wags of his tail as he draws nearer to the congregation. Anoki's about too, and his ears lift a little at the sight of him. If Anoki's here, then surely.. Ah-ha! Spotting Tala heading towards him he grins, head lifting a little from its bowed position to greet her. "Y'know, I was startin' to think you got lost or somethin'," he remarks, smirking and brows lifting haughtly, greeting with a customary headbump. "Cuz..." Sniff, sniff. Wait a second. What's that weird smell? Alert, he raises his head fully, only now resting his eyes upon the unknown Jatya. He blinks once. Twice. Then furrows his brows. "What's...that?"
Silverstream smiles as she walks over to conin, hoping he remembers her if only vaguely as a visiter and doesn't attack or feel threatened by her. She tries her best to walk towards him in the open and show no signs of being a threat.
Coinin gives Ahiga a nod in greeting. He isn't worried about the young Ute wolves. They seem to be a very respectful and rather good batch of youngsters. They are certainly old enough now to be on their own and wandering about, though he is sure that the Ute alpha would like to know where they are. But thats not his business. As long as they conduct themselves well on the lands he has no problem with them being here. He smiles as he watches Tala head over to Ahiga. So this is the young couple he surmises. Hopefully all is well with that pair. He then turns his attention toward Silverstream. He does recognize her and offers her a polite nod as well. He isn't in the business of attacking anyone unless they are posing a threat, "Hello Silver."
Jatya watches as Tala runs off to the newest of the arrivals, and then turns back to look at Anoki. Her tail gives another way, equal parts friendly and hopeful as she launches once more on the story of how she got here. "We were going to meet our team. Me and my siblings, on the big cloud-making thing that goes fast. Only it stopped, and... I wanted to see more. Taysiku - he's my brother, and he was being lead - said I shouldn't, but I thought it'd be okay if I just looked quickly. So I slipped out, but then the cloud-maker started goin' again, and I couldn't catch it." She ducks her head again and her ears twitch at Ahiga's words. Why are these dogs treating her like she's so weird? What's wrong with them? ...what's wrong with _her_?
Tala smiles and moves to try and tackle Ahiga!.. Seems she is rather happy to see him. "Oh please.. You know I can't get lost." She offers with an amused tone while she lets her fontpaws try to pin him down. Her tail wagging about happly behind her in the process. A soft ah escapes her. "Its a dog.. Her name is Jatya." She glances over towards the dog. "She is rather nice.."
Ears twitch lazily, forward, side, forward, then fall into a slight droop; Anoki is doing his best to try and pretend he's not seeing Tala and Ahiga reunite out of the corner of his eye, since it's not polite to stare at such things, and because it's kind of.. well.. depressiong. Lucky bastard, and Ahiga doesn't even know it. The Cerulean youth nods, listening.. But stops, and peers at Jatya thoughtfully. A cloud making animal? ... Huh.. Does that mean she was brought by a messanger of the wind? "... It sounds like you were.. being carried by a messenger of the Spirits." He muses aloud at Jatya, thoughtfully, "You probably shouldn't have left it's protection.. But maybe it will come back for you." He catches her expression.. and smiles, tail wagging slightly. "Don't mind them, they're fish dancey. And don't mind all the strange looks. We don't see dogs around here often. I guess from what my mom said once, most dogs fear wolves, because some wolves," and here he shoots Coinin a look, casual, hardly hidden, and brief, "Will attack dogs just because they're different."
Tackle? Oh hey, that's not fair! Ahiga definitely wasn't ready to defend himself, too caught up by eyeing the unknown face that is Jatya. It's almost...kinda like a wolf, but not. Curious! Curious and disturbing at the same time. And -- TACKLE! "Woah!" In a display that's far from smooth, the young wolf is easily taken down by his playful friend, the wind gushing out from his lungs in a large huff! Cough, hack, wheeze! He squirms beneath her, but alas he's already pinned! This wasn't a fair match at all, and in front of Anoki and the others too! He'll have to redeem himself later. "A /dog?/" he says in disbelief, glancing from Tala's face, over to Jatya, then back up to Tala. "Pfffft, get outta here, that's not a dog. I've /seen/ a dog, and it ain't look like that." Grinning, he lifts up a large paw to try to smoosh it in her face while his hindlegs work to push her off of him.
Silverstream smiles as she takes a bit more of a catiuas aproach as she just getting to know the wolves of this area. Still it is nice to be reconized and she replies "Hello there Coinin, how is hunting these days?" She asks as she walks over to Coinin, the young wolfess smiles as she spots the young wolves. She remembers being playfull like that, what seems like yesterday. Though she supposes it couldn't have been so soon. She sighs and sits next to coinin looking at him as if she wanted to ask him something. Yet she remains a bit reserved as she knows not how to describe her desire to stay with the pride. She not sure if its a strange wish to finally settle in one place or something else, but she does know she doesn't want to leave the lands. She considering joining the pack, yet that thought frightens her as well.
Who said anything about attacking anyone. There is a huge difference between being wary and wanting to attack. Coinin isn't in the business of attacking anyone unless they are a threat. The most he would do to this dog is ask her to leave politely. He listens as Anoki fills the dog in on some of the differences between dogs and wolves and speaks up after he finishes, "I'm not going to attack anyone." he says simply. It seems that she is not in direct contact with humans and would be therefore not a direct threat..different yes...but not a danger, "Anoki is right. We wolves do no see many dogs here. Most dogs find wolves to be distasteful. I've heard." Of course he has no direct experience so he couldn't say. He then turns to Silver, "I've been doing well thank you. I trust things have been going well for you?" There would be no reason to be nervous about wanting to stay. Coinin is sure that Tariro would allow it if she wished to ask.
Tala grins a Ahiga and winks a him before nosing at his cheek as she bounces off of him with a sway of her tail. "Ya.. she's a dog.. I guess they don't all look the same you know?" There is a pause as she looks towards another wolf and tilts her head, nose twitching in the proces. She looks over to Ahiga. "So.. did you miss me or something?" Cause she didn't miss him!.. right.
A messenger of the Spirits? Jatya tilts her head. "Maybe," she says softly. "I... don't know about spirits, really." She ducks her head then, nodding. Oh, she certainly shouldn't have left, but... it's too late for that now, isn't it? Maybe the cloud-maker _will_ come back. Jatya sighs. Anoki's description of the other youngsters as fish-dancy makes her blink, but at least the dancy part makes sense! More confusing is where he goes next. Wolves? So, these... aren't dogs? She looks among them, and then she hears Ahiga. She's... not a dog either? Then what is she? Her mama _said_ she was a dog! "I, uh..." she trails off, looking hesitantly at Coinin-the-most-threatening with her tail halfway to between her legs. Apparently he thinks she's a dog? And that they're wolves? So confusing! "I... you seem a lot like... like me. You... wolves, I mean."
"Well, yeah, we're kinda alike. I mean, we all breath the same air, we all eat the same food, and we all sleep under the same sky. But the fact that we look different kinda upsets some people." Anoki shrugs. "I think you look nice, if that makes you feel any better, but I'm not in charge of things around here, my uncle and Coinin over there are." He looks Coinin's way, and then says, "But no, we're not dogs. You are though. But that doesn't mean we can't be friends. But your cloud-beast makes things kind of problematic, c'os I guess, we can't be sure it won't be angry at us for being around you." he frowns some, then says, "but that remains to be seen if it comes back."
Ahiga lightly makes a face as his cheek is nosed, because well..that's what he's supposed to do eh? Inwardly, he smirks and rolls his eyes before rolling onto his stomach to sit up. After a brief shake, he can't help but give another look at Jatya, cocking a brow. Dogs don't all look the same? Well that's just plain ridiculous! Wolves don't all look the same either, but they have the same...layout. This dog looks nothing like the other dog he saw. Different color. Different ears. Different nose. Different face shape. Different body. How can they both be called the same thing? "Yeah well, if this dog's like the other one, s'better off leavin' it alone," he advises in a slightly elevated voice, giving a meaningful look to Anoki. But, what was that? His attention whips back to Tala, and he clears his throat a little, gaze shifting slightly to one side. "What? Uh...ny-..oo. No. Nah. I mean, it's been weird that you aren't around. Ikuna's goin' kinda crazy with you gone, y'know." Which definitely explains why Ahiga is
here and Ikuna is not, doesn't it? "You jus' said you weren't going to be gone for long, and..it was startin' to feel sort of long. It's been snowin' a little at home, and so I figured I'd come and...remind you."
Silverstream smiles and says "Well enough, though I suppose." She pauses as she tilts her head a bit confused as she never tried to join a pack before being her first time she not quite sure how to ask. She does not know either of them well enough to know that it be fine for her to stay. Yet she does try and keep her composer her words are lost to her. She sighs and wishes she could comunicate better her feelings.
Coinin gives a smile and a nod to Silver. Yeah those pesky feelings are hard to communicate sometimes. Still when she is ready to ask he is sure that she will find an answer that she likes with Tariro, "I'm glad to hear that things are going well for you." he says. Now his mind turns back to the dog. She looks afraid. He doesn't want her to feel afraid. She will not find injury here thats for sure. He slowly wanders over to be a bit closer to her, "You don't have to worry. No one here will hurt you."
Tala blinks as she hears Ahiga and watches him a few moments as he says no. Her ears lower. "Oh.." Is said while she shifts and lowers to her haunches. "I see." She glances towards the dog, a ear twitching to Anoki. "She's fine Ahiga, seems really nice. Maybe you should get to meet her. I bet that will change your mind." Seems she's not as happy as she was a few moments ago, well when the wolf you like says there not here to see you it sorta brings you down a few pegs. "Ya well.. I don't see him here, I see you here an you didn't miss me so why should I bother going back yet?" Her tail lashes a few times as her mother's anger starts to creep forth and rear its head. "I'm very capable of remembering on my own too."
Aww. She looks nice! Jatya smiles, and wags her tail to Anoki in a way less don't-eat-me and more happy. She nods understandingly about him not being in charge; of course the lead and wheel dog are going to be somewhat older. ...er. Whatever those are called when it comes to wolves. So she looks at Coinin again, her tail giving a bit of a sway... and then it wilts as she hears Ahiga. Better left alone? Is that what these wolves think about her? She wilts visibly, and looks to Anoki again. He seems to like her, at least. And the other one - Tala - seemed mostly friendly when Jatya wasn't doing things wrong. She's in the middle of an argument with her... fishy-dance-partner, though. Jatya brings her full attention to Coinin as he speaks, her tail curling under her a little... and then she relaxes in relief. "Oh. I'm... glad. I don't want to cause any trouble, to anyone..."
There's a grin. And then Anoki says, "I don't think you're gonna cause trouble. Like I said, we can handle the cloud-beast if and when it comes back.. that is, if you stick around. I wouldn't mind you sticking around. You seem nice, and it'd be kinda neat to have more folk around who're my age, even if you're a dog." He grins, standing up and coming closer to nudge at her shoulder first friendly-like with his snout, and then playful-like with a paw. He looks at Coinin then, appraisingly. Yeha, okay, it's Coinin's call mostly, if she's allowed to stick around, but. "I don't think there'd be a problem with that. I mean, big woods, we're not hurting for food yet.. But I reckon you might need to learn to hunt before the snow gets really thick," secretly admitting maybe he too should learn this, Anoki is, "Or else learn how to look for food like the deer I found." he pauses. Then, in an attempt to appeal to Coinin, "Hey, I forgot all about that, I found the leftovers of a deer just up the river a bit; looked like a bear mighta got it, but I betcha there's still some food left if we need any; and there's bones enough for pups to chew on later if Uncle Tariro has his way this spring.."
Ahiga snorts at the outrageous suggestion given by Tala. "Go meet her? Sh'yeah right, and catch dog?" He tosses his head back in a laugh. "I'll pass. I've talked to enough dogs to fry my brain for one life." Seems as if someone hasn't had the best of experiences with their canine cousins! He snickers despite the fact that Tala seems so adamant that this particular dog may be worth knowing, and considering the way he's acting, Anoki may be feeling the same way. His head is given a slight shake at that realization, but what's it matter to him? It doesn't, and thus he's quick to return his thoughts back to things that do. And at this moment...that's a not so happy sounding Tala. "What? Why wouldn't you? C'mon, it's winter. Althaea 'n Hadir are gettin' into stuff now, and you know we've gotta keep an eye on 'em. All of us." He folds his ears back a little.
Silverstream feels like she should say something but knows coinin busy with the others, She sighs as she considers what to say. Trying her best to be respectfull, she slowly takes a breath and says "Coinin, what's it like to be here. With a pack, I mean, to join. Is, er what does it take. To become a pack member. Is it, well" She unsure what else to say.