Post by larkspur on Jun 13, 2007 19:32:56 GMT -5
-- Characters Involved --
- Viridian Pack -
Haze, male juvenile wolf
- Lazuli Pack -
Larkspur, female juvenile wolf
Felstride, male wolf
-Woodland Clearing-
Hurtling through the forest, not bothering to take in the sights as he did when first leaving the valley, Haze is a veritable blur of brindle-colored fur as he speeds along the ground, kicking up dust and pebbles as he runs as fast as his little paws will take him. Anything in his way isn't there for long, flowers and grass being trampled beneath him as he runs deeper into the woods.
Being farther away from the den than her parents would like gives Larkspur a certain thrill of adrenaline. The feeling of rebellion makes her bold and makes her paranoid of every unexpected sound- are her parents coming to carry her back? The girl shudders to think of the scolding she'll receive if she's caught sneaking around out here. She starts at the sound of a rustling nearby. A loud rustling that's getting a little too close for comfort. Is it her parents? Or something dangerous, like her father warned her about?
Suddenly bursting from a clump of grasses out into the clearing, Haze only now sees the other pup, and unfortunately, there's no physically possible way he can stop himself in time to keep from hitting her. Bowling straight into the other wolf, the pair tumble over onto the ground, Haze landing on his back rather painfully - but his puppy resilience pulls through, and aside from a few bruises, he's not hurt. Shaking the dust out of his headfur, he's a little too dazed to realize what's just happened yet.
Yelp! It's a bear! A cougar! Larkspur slams her eyes shut at the impact, waiting for her imminent death as she tumbles on the forest floor. Waiting. Still waiting. After a moment, she cautiously opens one eye. She's landed on her side and squints to see a /something/ sprawled out beside her. Certainly not big enough to be a bear of a cougar, she's pretty sure. Sniffsniff. It's a wolf, just a kid like Toby and Hali. But Daddy /did/ mention that other wolves could be mean, just as mean as other animals. Just to be safe, the girl scrambles up on her paws and puts a few inches of distance between herself and the other canine.
Shaking his head again to try and regain his senses, Haze pushes himself up onto all fours, looking over at the shewolf he ran into with mild curiosity. Obviously, he's seen other wolves before, even being trapped in the valley all his life -- but this isn't one of the Viridian wolves he's grown so familiar with seeing. This is someone new. Tilting his head slightly as he looks her over, he offers a tentative "Hi."
"I'm Haze. I'm from the Viridian pack." Well, technically, at least. He's not sure of his actual status after the stunt he just pulled not five minutes ago. "Do you have a pack too?" He'd assume so, but he's only ever heard rumors of other wolf packs around, and he's never actually seen them himself. Larkspur's the first wolf he's seen that's not been of his own pack, or even a rogue.
Viridian? Lark has heard whispered about that before, but she's never known what it is. "Yeah- I'm with the Lazuli." The girl stumbles around the word a little, not used to saying it. She thinks as hard as she can, trying to remember if the Viridian are bad guys. Taking a step closer, she asks, "Whatcha doin' over here? I thought the Viridians were kinda far away." That's how it sounded when the alphas were talking about it, anyway.
Viridian? Lark has heard whispered about that before, but she's never known what it is. "Yeah- I'm with the Lazuli." The girl stumbles around the word a little, not used to saying it. She thinks as hard as she can, trying to remember if the Viridian are bad guys. Taking a step closer, she asks, "Whatcha doin' over here? I thought the Viridians were kinda far away." That's how it sounded when the alphas were talking about it, anyway.
Haze hesitates before replying. "I ran away," he answers simply, not going into detail as to why, though his expression belies something like shame or guilt.
Larkspur stares. "Ran away? From yer whole /family/? Why?!" She knows that the mere thought of leaving her pack makes her shiver. What could convince him to do this? "They couldn'ta been /that/ mean t'yah," she says, finally.
"Maybe not...but I was really tired of dealing with them," Haze admits, deciding he's got nothing to lose confessing his story to a complete stranger. "My sisters were always teasing me, I don't know who my father is, and I've managed to have two of my siblings come close to death while I was playing with them. I figured I'd be better off just leaving for a while," he continues. "Besides, I wanted to explore outside of our valley - everything's really pretty out here," he adds as an afterthought, looking directly at the other youth as he delivers his indirect compliment. The only other wolves his age that he's known have been his sisters, after all, so she's certainly something special just by that fact.
Was that a compliment? Did he just- nevermind. Lark's ears flick up in surprise and she smiles, ever so slightly. After a moment, she responds with, "Well, they're yer family. They're annoying, butcha gotta deal with 'em." Her forepaw absently brushes at the dirt, kicking up a small cloud. "Are you gonna go back, or...?" The girl trails off, unsure if she feels brave enough to offer shelter for Haze back at the Lazuli den.
"Maybe. They'll probably come looking for me once they find out what happened. But I don't really want to go back just yet - I mean, I'm gonna get in trouble anyway, ya know? Might as well make the best of it," Haze replies with a slight shrug, daring to take a few pawsteps closer to the female, sniffing at her scent to familiarize himself with it.
Hey, he has a point! Lark giggles and nods. "I'm doing the same thing, actually. Just..not going quite as far." She throws a look over her shoulder, in the direction of the den. When she turns back, she notices that Haze has stepped closer. Stammering, she asks, "Y-you said you didn't know who your dad is- who's gonna come lookin' for you? Just your mama?" It's not so bad, she thinks, the boy being just that much closer. He's not mean or scary, like Daddy said other wolves could be.
"My mom, and probably the other alpha and beta," Haze answers. "One of them might be the dad, but I dunno who. Or it might be the alpha who died when I was still a pup." No wonder he, unlike his sister, refuses to call any one of them 'dad'. He glances back towards the direction Lark looked in. "That where you live?" he inquires casually, not intending to pry.
The notion of not knowing who one's father could be is a baffling one to Lark. She follows his gaze, twisting over her shoulder to look. "Oh, yeah. Not very far- I'm still getting used to wandering around this far from the den." Gah! Why did she just blurt that out? Now Haze is going to think she isn't cool or tough or anything! An expression of panic crosses her face.
Not like his situation is much different. "Heh, maybe we should switch parents, since yours don't seem to mind you exploring and mine would make sure you never get used to that," Haze jokes, a smirk turning up the corner of his maw - though it fades once he thinks of a possible repercussion of being here. "They're not going to chase me off or anything if they find me here, are they?" He doesn't know anymore about Lazuli than Lark knows of Viridian, so it's a very likely possibility that she's the only nice one of her pack.
Giggles errupt from Lark and it's a while before she gains enough control to speak again. "My parents aren't crazy about me wandering, either. They, uh, don't really know I'm out here." Hopefully. "They won't do nothing to you. They might just ask where you're from or whatever. Mama's really good about letting people stay with us. Well she was, except since Rook and SilentPaws she's been a little tougher." A gloomy look clouds the youth's face, thinking about her lost pack-mates.
"Rook and SilentPaws?" Haze repeats, his head tilting slightly. Really bad pups that ran away from home, maybe? But if Larkspur's telling the truth about her parents, which he has no reason to believe she wouldn't be, then he should be fine until his parents come and take him home. Having just run away, he's not yet homesick, and so the allure of staying with a different pack is much stronger than the urge to see his mother again.
Can Haze really not know? "Y'know, Rook and SP...they died. Some other wolves killed them." Lark's voice falters and tapers into silence as she finishes. The girl is silent, lost in memories for a moment. Suddenly, she looks over her shoulder, paranoia refreshed at the thought of her pack-mates. How long until they come looking for her?
"Oh...I'm sorry," Haze replies, frowning slightly. He doesn't remember Pinta too well, so his death didn't affect him too much, but he's at least familiar with the concept of death. "One of my dads died when I was little," he offers, in the childlike manner of offering sympathy by giving an example of tragedy in one's own life.
Dads- plural? Oh, right. Haze doesn't know who his real Daddy is. Lark shakes her head a little, still baffled by the idea. "D'you miss him? Even if he wasn't yer real dad?" The youth knows she misses Rook and SP terribly...but not quite as much as she used to. She's moving on.
Haze's frown deepens, shifting back and forth on his paws. "I was really little when he died...I didn't know him really well, just had a name and a picture of him in my head of what he looked like," the brindle pup says, shrugging shyly, pawing at the dirt as a further sign of his awkwardness.
Speaking of fathers. The Sangre is dead. Well, most of them, and some semblance of peace has been restored to the forest where the Lazuli have made themselves at home over these past seasons. However, upon returning to the den from his previous patrol to find Storm and Miakoda bloodied and battered from their fight, he noticed Larkspur had gone missing. She was not dead, because the maurading wolves had not bragged about it, nor were they covered with blood. So, the alpha male had taken off straight from his previous patrol, nose to the ground, face set in stone. It is soon through the subtle whisperings of the forest that two distinct voices catch him, and he knows one of them. Felstride alters his paws steps and emerges into a clearing, standing tall, head high, bright eyes focused on the pups nearby. Mmhm.
Larkspur nods and quietly replies, "Oh." Guess that was Haze's way of saying 'no'. Unsure of what to say, she is quiet. She shifts her paws as well, though more out of nervousness than awkwardness. The movement brings her a few inches closer to the male. Her ears flick back, catching a rustling sound. The girl turns in the direction of the noise. "Daddy!" She squeals with surprise.
At Larkspur's squeal, Haze looks up at the indicated wolf with an anxious expression. He hasn't the slightest idea how Felstride is going to react to his presence, though fortunately he's too young to be mistaken for whoever killed Larkspur's friends. Too afraid to talk, he waits for Larkspur to introduce him, simply standing in place in the meantime, looking up at the much larger male.
Felstride already knows well enough who killed those of his pack, and he isn't as malicious as to kill a young wolf pup. However.. he is with his daughter, after all. The wolf's eyes narrow just slightly as he takes in the scene, and although they are not terribly far from the den site, the rule about not wandering into the forest is still in effect. He is an amicable wolf, but the past few months have hardened him just slightly around the edges. "Larkspur," he churrs deeply, yet gently, as he takes a few long paw strides forward. He doesn't finish the sentence, however, wondering if the little wolf pup will figure out what he was going to say.
Wellll, Daddy doesn't seem /mad/. Still, best to head him off in case he feels like lecturing her. "Hi, um, Daddy. Ok, well I know I'm not supposed to wander away from the den but I'm getting older now so I figured if I just went this little way it would be alright, and I wasn't going to go any farther and I ended up finding Haze." Most of this is said without pause, several of Lark's words slipping together in her attempt to say them all before her father could object. At the mention of the other pup, she looks at him. "This is Haze, Daddy. He's from the, uh, Viridian." Right? Something like that anyway. The girl looks at Fel, flashing her cutest smile, hoping to quell any bad feelings he might have about this.
"Hello, sir," Haze says after Larkspur's rapid introduction, on his best behavior while he's in someone else's packlands, though he wonders what sort of trouble he's going to get into with his own parents if Larkspur's daddy is so upset with her only being a little ways away. He's a lot further from home than she is. Oh well - he's already going to get in trouble for leaving with Kiva in the first place anyway.
Unfortunately for his daughter, Felstride isn't stupid, and her continuous little ramble only causes his ears to fold down, not in annoyance but in a kind of stern, unappreciative gesture. He chuffs loudly, his tail swaying in a slow, rythmic way, "Larkspur," he offers again, this time his voice a little less gentle, although still quiet and reserved. "You know that you are not supposed to leave the den site, and that your mother and I would take you at the appropriate time. It is still very dangerous." Viridian's name causes Felstride's mouth to turn downwards as he looks at Haze with an equally unamused stare. "You are far from the mountains, Haze." But that's all he says, but he doesn't want the Viridian coming and looking for him here. They've had enough of wolves in their territory.
Darn. And that was an adorable smile, too. Lark's ears flatten and she looks away from the alpha, scooting a little closer to Haze, as if to protect him. "I know, Daddy," she replies, still looking at the dirt. "I'm sorry, please don't be mad. Haze isn't mean or bad or anything, please don't be mad."
"I know, sir," Haze replies truthfully, although not elaborating on his response. He has the feeling that quick, succinct answers would probably work best right now.
Well, actually, Felstride would probably prefer to be told everything at present time, although with children it's probably best that they don't say too much - those lies can get awfully confusing very quickly. A brief flick of his eyes is given to Larkspur, though most of his attention is on the young male pup. "Haze," he burrs, "You will return to Viridian's territory. I am not about to have your pack thinking that the Lazuli have taken you." Pfeh. "I will accompany you to their borders, but no further than that, and the mountain saftey of your pack is where you belong." And then the eyes shift to Larkspur, and a different kind of sterness behind them. "Larkspur. You will return home."
Larkspur looks from Haze to her father. "Daddy, no! Haze doesn't wanna go back- d'you Haze?" The pup takes a step backwards from the alpha, almost defiantly, except for her trembling. She's not going home until Haze is allowed to come, too.
"Sir, they wouldn't think that. I'd tell them the truth, and besides, my sisters were there when the bear attacked, so they know what happened too," Haze gently protests. He's not about to let himself get this far only to be marched straight back home - and by a parent that's not his own, no less. At Larkspur's objection, Haze finds himself looking at her with surprised, appreciative eyes - she's certainly the first girl his age who's ever stuck up for him. Cottonpaws would have turned him in in a heartbeat, and Kiva just wouldn't care if he got in trouble. "She's right, sir. I...I ran away. Please don't make me go home just yet. They'll probably come looking for me soon enough anyway...I promise I'll tell them the truth, and that you made sure I was safe and you didn't cubnap me or nothing." Now it's Haze's turn to ramble.
"That is not my concern!" Felstride barks back at his daughter's outburst despite himself, ears flattening in the process and hackles barely bristling. Daddy dog really is a lovable wolf, yet with all the strange happenings in the forest, his family's defiance to both his rules and Storm's have pushed him beyond into a zone where a different kind of leadership is necessary. Pups need to learn, as all wolves do. He could easily discipline Larkspur in a number of different ways, yet he goes no further than a verbal warning. "I do not want your parents to come looking for you, Haze. I do not want more wolves on my lands." There is a finality that he can stick to. "You will return to the mountains, but it is your choice as to whether or not it is by your own paws or in my mouth."
Larkspur flinches, ears flattening completely against her skull and tail tucking between her legs. She timidly looks to Haze, apologetically whispering, "I'm sorry." The girl is quiet for a moment, staring intently at the ground. "Can't he just stay for the night, Daddy? It's getting late..." Her voice is still soft, pleading. It's not /terribly/ late, but she's grasping at straws here.
Haze's reaction mirrors Larkspur's at the alpha's bark, turning to look at Larkspur with sad gratefulness. "No, it's okay, Lark," Haze murmurs to her. "I'll leave." Having taken a few steps closer to the alpha himself while delivering his speech, he now turns and walks past her, just close enough so that he can whisper something to her as he passes by, heading south towards the towering mountain at a snail's pace. He's in no hurry to get home.
The whispering is frowned upon, greatly, and a low warning huff is issued in order to speed the pup along his way. Larkspur's objections aren't even addressed, and before she can follow Haze south toward the mountains, he steps over her to pick her up by the scruff and return her home. Someone is getting the equivalent of a grounding.
Larkspur's eyes widen at the other pup's words and she does a double take as he passes, tail wagging ever so slightly. Her brow crinkles with frustration as the alpha picks her up and she calls out "Bye, Haze!" loudly. Oh, well. She's getting in trouble anyway, might as well get to say good bye to her new friend, even if her father doesn't approve. The girl is reminded of Haze- doing what he wants because he's getting in trouble anyway, not knowing who his father was...
Haze glances back at the farewell with a smile that's tinged with hope, watching the pup as she's carried back to the den before turning around and continuing his slow march south.
- Viridian Pack -
Haze, male juvenile wolf
- Lazuli Pack -
Larkspur, female juvenile wolf
Felstride, male wolf
-Woodland Clearing-
Hurtling through the forest, not bothering to take in the sights as he did when first leaving the valley, Haze is a veritable blur of brindle-colored fur as he speeds along the ground, kicking up dust and pebbles as he runs as fast as his little paws will take him. Anything in his way isn't there for long, flowers and grass being trampled beneath him as he runs deeper into the woods.
Being farther away from the den than her parents would like gives Larkspur a certain thrill of adrenaline. The feeling of rebellion makes her bold and makes her paranoid of every unexpected sound- are her parents coming to carry her back? The girl shudders to think of the scolding she'll receive if she's caught sneaking around out here. She starts at the sound of a rustling nearby. A loud rustling that's getting a little too close for comfort. Is it her parents? Or something dangerous, like her father warned her about?
Suddenly bursting from a clump of grasses out into the clearing, Haze only now sees the other pup, and unfortunately, there's no physically possible way he can stop himself in time to keep from hitting her. Bowling straight into the other wolf, the pair tumble over onto the ground, Haze landing on his back rather painfully - but his puppy resilience pulls through, and aside from a few bruises, he's not hurt. Shaking the dust out of his headfur, he's a little too dazed to realize what's just happened yet.
Yelp! It's a bear! A cougar! Larkspur slams her eyes shut at the impact, waiting for her imminent death as she tumbles on the forest floor. Waiting. Still waiting. After a moment, she cautiously opens one eye. She's landed on her side and squints to see a /something/ sprawled out beside her. Certainly not big enough to be a bear of a cougar, she's pretty sure. Sniffsniff. It's a wolf, just a kid like Toby and Hali. But Daddy /did/ mention that other wolves could be mean, just as mean as other animals. Just to be safe, the girl scrambles up on her paws and puts a few inches of distance between herself and the other canine.
Shaking his head again to try and regain his senses, Haze pushes himself up onto all fours, looking over at the shewolf he ran into with mild curiosity. Obviously, he's seen other wolves before, even being trapped in the valley all his life -- but this isn't one of the Viridian wolves he's grown so familiar with seeing. This is someone new. Tilting his head slightly as he looks her over, he offers a tentative "Hi."
"I'm Haze. I'm from the Viridian pack." Well, technically, at least. He's not sure of his actual status after the stunt he just pulled not five minutes ago. "Do you have a pack too?" He'd assume so, but he's only ever heard rumors of other wolf packs around, and he's never actually seen them himself. Larkspur's the first wolf he's seen that's not been of his own pack, or even a rogue.
Viridian? Lark has heard whispered about that before, but she's never known what it is. "Yeah- I'm with the Lazuli." The girl stumbles around the word a little, not used to saying it. She thinks as hard as she can, trying to remember if the Viridian are bad guys. Taking a step closer, she asks, "Whatcha doin' over here? I thought the Viridians were kinda far away." That's how it sounded when the alphas were talking about it, anyway.
Viridian? Lark has heard whispered about that before, but she's never known what it is. "Yeah- I'm with the Lazuli." The girl stumbles around the word a little, not used to saying it. She thinks as hard as she can, trying to remember if the Viridian are bad guys. Taking a step closer, she asks, "Whatcha doin' over here? I thought the Viridians were kinda far away." That's how it sounded when the alphas were talking about it, anyway.
Haze hesitates before replying. "I ran away," he answers simply, not going into detail as to why, though his expression belies something like shame or guilt.
Larkspur stares. "Ran away? From yer whole /family/? Why?!" She knows that the mere thought of leaving her pack makes her shiver. What could convince him to do this? "They couldn'ta been /that/ mean t'yah," she says, finally.
"Maybe not...but I was really tired of dealing with them," Haze admits, deciding he's got nothing to lose confessing his story to a complete stranger. "My sisters were always teasing me, I don't know who my father is, and I've managed to have two of my siblings come close to death while I was playing with them. I figured I'd be better off just leaving for a while," he continues. "Besides, I wanted to explore outside of our valley - everything's really pretty out here," he adds as an afterthought, looking directly at the other youth as he delivers his indirect compliment. The only other wolves his age that he's known have been his sisters, after all, so she's certainly something special just by that fact.
Was that a compliment? Did he just- nevermind. Lark's ears flick up in surprise and she smiles, ever so slightly. After a moment, she responds with, "Well, they're yer family. They're annoying, butcha gotta deal with 'em." Her forepaw absently brushes at the dirt, kicking up a small cloud. "Are you gonna go back, or...?" The girl trails off, unsure if she feels brave enough to offer shelter for Haze back at the Lazuli den.
"Maybe. They'll probably come looking for me once they find out what happened. But I don't really want to go back just yet - I mean, I'm gonna get in trouble anyway, ya know? Might as well make the best of it," Haze replies with a slight shrug, daring to take a few pawsteps closer to the female, sniffing at her scent to familiarize himself with it.
Hey, he has a point! Lark giggles and nods. "I'm doing the same thing, actually. Just..not going quite as far." She throws a look over her shoulder, in the direction of the den. When she turns back, she notices that Haze has stepped closer. Stammering, she asks, "Y-you said you didn't know who your dad is- who's gonna come lookin' for you? Just your mama?" It's not so bad, she thinks, the boy being just that much closer. He's not mean or scary, like Daddy said other wolves could be.
"My mom, and probably the other alpha and beta," Haze answers. "One of them might be the dad, but I dunno who. Or it might be the alpha who died when I was still a pup." No wonder he, unlike his sister, refuses to call any one of them 'dad'. He glances back towards the direction Lark looked in. "That where you live?" he inquires casually, not intending to pry.
The notion of not knowing who one's father could be is a baffling one to Lark. She follows his gaze, twisting over her shoulder to look. "Oh, yeah. Not very far- I'm still getting used to wandering around this far from the den." Gah! Why did she just blurt that out? Now Haze is going to think she isn't cool or tough or anything! An expression of panic crosses her face.
Not like his situation is much different. "Heh, maybe we should switch parents, since yours don't seem to mind you exploring and mine would make sure you never get used to that," Haze jokes, a smirk turning up the corner of his maw - though it fades once he thinks of a possible repercussion of being here. "They're not going to chase me off or anything if they find me here, are they?" He doesn't know anymore about Lazuli than Lark knows of Viridian, so it's a very likely possibility that she's the only nice one of her pack.
Giggles errupt from Lark and it's a while before she gains enough control to speak again. "My parents aren't crazy about me wandering, either. They, uh, don't really know I'm out here." Hopefully. "They won't do nothing to you. They might just ask where you're from or whatever. Mama's really good about letting people stay with us. Well she was, except since Rook and SilentPaws she's been a little tougher." A gloomy look clouds the youth's face, thinking about her lost pack-mates.
"Rook and SilentPaws?" Haze repeats, his head tilting slightly. Really bad pups that ran away from home, maybe? But if Larkspur's telling the truth about her parents, which he has no reason to believe she wouldn't be, then he should be fine until his parents come and take him home. Having just run away, he's not yet homesick, and so the allure of staying with a different pack is much stronger than the urge to see his mother again.
Can Haze really not know? "Y'know, Rook and SP...they died. Some other wolves killed them." Lark's voice falters and tapers into silence as she finishes. The girl is silent, lost in memories for a moment. Suddenly, she looks over her shoulder, paranoia refreshed at the thought of her pack-mates. How long until they come looking for her?
"Oh...I'm sorry," Haze replies, frowning slightly. He doesn't remember Pinta too well, so his death didn't affect him too much, but he's at least familiar with the concept of death. "One of my dads died when I was little," he offers, in the childlike manner of offering sympathy by giving an example of tragedy in one's own life.
Dads- plural? Oh, right. Haze doesn't know who his real Daddy is. Lark shakes her head a little, still baffled by the idea. "D'you miss him? Even if he wasn't yer real dad?" The youth knows she misses Rook and SP terribly...but not quite as much as she used to. She's moving on.
Haze's frown deepens, shifting back and forth on his paws. "I was really little when he died...I didn't know him really well, just had a name and a picture of him in my head of what he looked like," the brindle pup says, shrugging shyly, pawing at the dirt as a further sign of his awkwardness.
Speaking of fathers. The Sangre is dead. Well, most of them, and some semblance of peace has been restored to the forest where the Lazuli have made themselves at home over these past seasons. However, upon returning to the den from his previous patrol to find Storm and Miakoda bloodied and battered from their fight, he noticed Larkspur had gone missing. She was not dead, because the maurading wolves had not bragged about it, nor were they covered with blood. So, the alpha male had taken off straight from his previous patrol, nose to the ground, face set in stone. It is soon through the subtle whisperings of the forest that two distinct voices catch him, and he knows one of them. Felstride alters his paws steps and emerges into a clearing, standing tall, head high, bright eyes focused on the pups nearby. Mmhm.
Larkspur nods and quietly replies, "Oh." Guess that was Haze's way of saying 'no'. Unsure of what to say, she is quiet. She shifts her paws as well, though more out of nervousness than awkwardness. The movement brings her a few inches closer to the male. Her ears flick back, catching a rustling sound. The girl turns in the direction of the noise. "Daddy!" She squeals with surprise.
At Larkspur's squeal, Haze looks up at the indicated wolf with an anxious expression. He hasn't the slightest idea how Felstride is going to react to his presence, though fortunately he's too young to be mistaken for whoever killed Larkspur's friends. Too afraid to talk, he waits for Larkspur to introduce him, simply standing in place in the meantime, looking up at the much larger male.
Felstride already knows well enough who killed those of his pack, and he isn't as malicious as to kill a young wolf pup. However.. he is with his daughter, after all. The wolf's eyes narrow just slightly as he takes in the scene, and although they are not terribly far from the den site, the rule about not wandering into the forest is still in effect. He is an amicable wolf, but the past few months have hardened him just slightly around the edges. "Larkspur," he churrs deeply, yet gently, as he takes a few long paw strides forward. He doesn't finish the sentence, however, wondering if the little wolf pup will figure out what he was going to say.
Wellll, Daddy doesn't seem /mad/. Still, best to head him off in case he feels like lecturing her. "Hi, um, Daddy. Ok, well I know I'm not supposed to wander away from the den but I'm getting older now so I figured if I just went this little way it would be alright, and I wasn't going to go any farther and I ended up finding Haze." Most of this is said without pause, several of Lark's words slipping together in her attempt to say them all before her father could object. At the mention of the other pup, she looks at him. "This is Haze, Daddy. He's from the, uh, Viridian." Right? Something like that anyway. The girl looks at Fel, flashing her cutest smile, hoping to quell any bad feelings he might have about this.
"Hello, sir," Haze says after Larkspur's rapid introduction, on his best behavior while he's in someone else's packlands, though he wonders what sort of trouble he's going to get into with his own parents if Larkspur's daddy is so upset with her only being a little ways away. He's a lot further from home than she is. Oh well - he's already going to get in trouble for leaving with Kiva in the first place anyway.
Unfortunately for his daughter, Felstride isn't stupid, and her continuous little ramble only causes his ears to fold down, not in annoyance but in a kind of stern, unappreciative gesture. He chuffs loudly, his tail swaying in a slow, rythmic way, "Larkspur," he offers again, this time his voice a little less gentle, although still quiet and reserved. "You know that you are not supposed to leave the den site, and that your mother and I would take you at the appropriate time. It is still very dangerous." Viridian's name causes Felstride's mouth to turn downwards as he looks at Haze with an equally unamused stare. "You are far from the mountains, Haze." But that's all he says, but he doesn't want the Viridian coming and looking for him here. They've had enough of wolves in their territory.
Darn. And that was an adorable smile, too. Lark's ears flatten and she looks away from the alpha, scooting a little closer to Haze, as if to protect him. "I know, Daddy," she replies, still looking at the dirt. "I'm sorry, please don't be mad. Haze isn't mean or bad or anything, please don't be mad."
"I know, sir," Haze replies truthfully, although not elaborating on his response. He has the feeling that quick, succinct answers would probably work best right now.
Well, actually, Felstride would probably prefer to be told everything at present time, although with children it's probably best that they don't say too much - those lies can get awfully confusing very quickly. A brief flick of his eyes is given to Larkspur, though most of his attention is on the young male pup. "Haze," he burrs, "You will return to Viridian's territory. I am not about to have your pack thinking that the Lazuli have taken you." Pfeh. "I will accompany you to their borders, but no further than that, and the mountain saftey of your pack is where you belong." And then the eyes shift to Larkspur, and a different kind of sterness behind them. "Larkspur. You will return home."
Larkspur looks from Haze to her father. "Daddy, no! Haze doesn't wanna go back- d'you Haze?" The pup takes a step backwards from the alpha, almost defiantly, except for her trembling. She's not going home until Haze is allowed to come, too.
"Sir, they wouldn't think that. I'd tell them the truth, and besides, my sisters were there when the bear attacked, so they know what happened too," Haze gently protests. He's not about to let himself get this far only to be marched straight back home - and by a parent that's not his own, no less. At Larkspur's objection, Haze finds himself looking at her with surprised, appreciative eyes - she's certainly the first girl his age who's ever stuck up for him. Cottonpaws would have turned him in in a heartbeat, and Kiva just wouldn't care if he got in trouble. "She's right, sir. I...I ran away. Please don't make me go home just yet. They'll probably come looking for me soon enough anyway...I promise I'll tell them the truth, and that you made sure I was safe and you didn't cubnap me or nothing." Now it's Haze's turn to ramble.
"That is not my concern!" Felstride barks back at his daughter's outburst despite himself, ears flattening in the process and hackles barely bristling. Daddy dog really is a lovable wolf, yet with all the strange happenings in the forest, his family's defiance to both his rules and Storm's have pushed him beyond into a zone where a different kind of leadership is necessary. Pups need to learn, as all wolves do. He could easily discipline Larkspur in a number of different ways, yet he goes no further than a verbal warning. "I do not want your parents to come looking for you, Haze. I do not want more wolves on my lands." There is a finality that he can stick to. "You will return to the mountains, but it is your choice as to whether or not it is by your own paws or in my mouth."
Larkspur flinches, ears flattening completely against her skull and tail tucking between her legs. She timidly looks to Haze, apologetically whispering, "I'm sorry." The girl is quiet for a moment, staring intently at the ground. "Can't he just stay for the night, Daddy? It's getting late..." Her voice is still soft, pleading. It's not /terribly/ late, but she's grasping at straws here.
Haze's reaction mirrors Larkspur's at the alpha's bark, turning to look at Larkspur with sad gratefulness. "No, it's okay, Lark," Haze murmurs to her. "I'll leave." Having taken a few steps closer to the alpha himself while delivering his speech, he now turns and walks past her, just close enough so that he can whisper something to her as he passes by, heading south towards the towering mountain at a snail's pace. He's in no hurry to get home.
The whispering is frowned upon, greatly, and a low warning huff is issued in order to speed the pup along his way. Larkspur's objections aren't even addressed, and before she can follow Haze south toward the mountains, he steps over her to pick her up by the scruff and return her home. Someone is getting the equivalent of a grounding.
Larkspur's eyes widen at the other pup's words and she does a double take as he passes, tail wagging ever so slightly. Her brow crinkles with frustration as the alpha picks her up and she calls out "Bye, Haze!" loudly. Oh, well. She's getting in trouble anyway, might as well get to say good bye to her new friend, even if her father doesn't approve. The girl is reminded of Haze- doing what he wants because he's getting in trouble anyway, not knowing who his father was...
Haze glances back at the farewell with a smile that's tinged with hope, watching the pup as she's carried back to the den before turning around and continuing his slow march south.