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Gizmo nodded, and also turned to face the den, a small whimper breaking free as his tail curled about his hind leg. Mone-no-no-kaye He shook his head and wrinkled his nose, running his eyes over her marbled fur. I call long-named wolf Marble. He gave a wolfish grin before taking a tentative step towards the den, listening for any sounds of movement. Gizmo had given his own little nicknames to all the pups he had met, it was just a little habit of his.

The silence which greeted him made him even more nervous than a sound would have done.

Noke followed a trail continuing her usual duty. Ever since Nyx had her puppies Akui and Noke were nearly constantly hunting. Not that she was complaining. She liked it, because she could go out and explore. She continued to pad through the forest until she heard something. Immediately she craned her neck around as amber orbs searched the foliage around her. Audits perked atop her crania, then a strange foul scent began to burn her nostrils. She had never met a "two legger" but she certaintly didn't want to. She took a step back unsuredly then took in the scent of another. This time it was something unmistakingly familiar, another wolf.

The blizzard has since gone down, and both Kaya and Shilah, restless as only the young can be at staying in one spot too often, have gotten bored and have disappeared out into the snow. With the human boy's coat - blisslessly ignoring the fact that he himself might be cold - Kaya doesn't mind going out. Since Balan has been sleeping, both children refused to go very much farther from the caves - Shilah knows his promise to talk to Balan's alpha will keep until Balan is ready to travel, or Feanaro or Hige returns. Until then, he's content to explore this area with his 'packmate.'

The two are gambooling in a small wooded area nearby. The weeks have wrought an alarming change in the young human girl. She's lean - one might almost say depravingly skinny - but has gained some muscletone. Her hair, not very neatly-kept before, is now all but in tangles. It looks like she cut it, too - but inexpertly. Her arms are now criss-crossed with numerous scars, some newly healed, others older.

Shilah pounces her, tusseling in the snow, but perks up as he sniffs something else around the area. His head raises curiously, tail twitching.

Noke stood where she was at puzzled at how she could of have gotten both scents, at the same time, with the same strength. Could my wolf-brethren ((she's calls every wolf her kin or brethren)) be in trouble? This thought made her extremely uneasy. Her nose sifted through the scents again. She finally got the nerve to approach. Her purple figure slinked across the ashen snow. It didn't take very long for the scents to overwhelm her nostrils. She then paused walking off the normal path into a patch of dead foliage and continued through there. Then she saw them, it was a very odd sight. Her fellow wolf-brethren was indeed not in trouble, but was walking with the "two-legger" Noke couldn't believe her eyes.

Shilah, alerted of the newcomer's presence, lets out a warning bark, ears flung forwards in curiousity as he pads out across the snow. Kaya rolls over and freezes slightly at the sight of the adolescent she-wolf, warily coming into a crouching position. She knows Soft Fur and Wind Call and Fire Whisper - her names for Balan, Feanaro, and Hige respectively - but she's never met a female of 'her' species before. Kaya is quite convined, at this point, that she's a wolf - a weird, two-legged wolf that's quite vulnerable to the elements, but a wolf nevertheless. She watches the newcomer, eyes slitted.

Shilah, however, offers a hesitant tail-wag, coupled with a yip of greeting as he nears the she-wolf, stopping a good distance away, his tail hung slightly lower in submission and good will.

Monenoke watched as the two finally realized her existence. Her optics narrowed on the "two legger", whom was crawling around like a wolf. Hackles raised slightly as a warning growl was emitted form her throat, but that was all. She then looked at the pup who obviously was submitting to her. Optics glanced back at the "two legger" she heard the yip, but thought nothing of it. The she-wolf stood for a second in a position ready to defend herself if need be. Hackles slowly fell fell and ears let up from pressing on her skull. Noke had heard terrible things about these, "two-leggers" Nyx said never to trust them, so Noke being one to respect Nyx didn't trust any of them. Noke walked up slowly to the pup and sniffed him then licked his face. Then backed off showing no greeting towards the "two-legger"

"Tell me why you bring a 'two-legger' into these parts?"

Monenoke frowned at the pup's comment. Noke turned her gaze towards the "two-legger", "That thing isn't of our kin..." She said slightly irritated and confused. She backed off several steps and sat on her haunches. Her gaze remained settled on Shilah. Noke shook her head, how could the pup think that it was one of them. "I'm Monenoke..." She said, her tail however did not wag. She would never dream of wagging her tail in a "two-leggers" presense.

Monenoke shook her head yet a second time, "It's a two-legger under little clothing, that's what it is." She murmered knowing fully that the true saying was, 'a wolf in sheep's clothing.' Noke continued to watch the pup before tossing a nervous glance at the "two-legger." Noke paused before answering the question giving another cold gaze at the girl. What if, it can understand our tougue? She thought, What if when I answer this question it will go back to it's pack-land and tell them of our location. Then Nyx, Akui, Cheza, and the pups would be in danger. The fur on the back of her neck bristled at the thought. "Me? Nah, I'm just exploring."

The striped puppy blinks, bemused, just smiling a blank little smile. He looks slightly disheartened at the response, but perks up. "That's what we're doing, too. Well - us and Balan and Hige and Feanaro, anyways. Balan and Hige have a pack, but we have to go talk to the alphas yet." He scratches behind an ear with one hind leg absent-mindedly. "But for now we're just staying around here, 'tis nice, and Balan brings us food back. You haven't seen Hige or Feanaro, have you?" He querries, expectantly, perking up.

"Hige?" She murmored, remembering that name from somewhere. She searched the back of her memory for a wolf of such an aquaintance. She paused looking back at him, "I think I have seen Hige around somewhere, but it was awhile back." She said furthermore ignoring the pup's response with the blank smile before that comment. Noke looked at the pup, "Don't become too dependant on Balan, if something were to ever happen to him what would you do for food?" She said that from personal experience if it hadn't been for Akui she would've starved to death.

Shilah shakes his head. "Then it would've been too far back...he was with us until a bit ago, when he went back to his pack to talk to them. He'll be back sometime, though, I expect," He says, with the direct optimism that the very young seem to hold in endless reserves.

But at the statement, the child grow unnaturally serious. He fidgets slightly. "I know," He says, a brief flicker of fear leading him to sound annoyed. "Kaya can trap some small things, she's a better hunter than I am, and I'm...learning." That would be probably the best way to describe his less-than-lethal skills.

Noke nodded her head slightly as the pup told her about their hunting skills. Her orbs became slits at the mentioning to the "two-legger." She couldn't help it as her hackles raised slightly again as she shot another glance at it. "Do not rely on 'two-leggers' either..." She said sharply, relying on a pack was one thing as long as you put your share of the work into it. But relying on a "two-legger" was worse then anything else. She had heard plenty of stories of wolves and creatures of their like becoming corrupt and actually joining "two-legger" packs. They became inane and blunt not even able to catch the simplest of prey.

Why not? The puppy demands, in a mixture of curiousity and defensiveness. She's my packmate, of course I'll rely on her. She's got nimble paws, she's able to do things I can't, nor any other four-legged wolf. She can create warmth with her paws, too. A bit too stifling for his taste, but she must need it when she is in her furless state. She's magic, too, she can take off her fur when she needs to.

"Exactly my point, she is a 'two-legger' she is NOT one of us!" Noke's voice roared, hackles rose now. "Those are not paws, they are called 'hands' and that fur coat of it's is wolf pelt. They murder our kin, our brethren and you choose to call her one of us!" Noke said before turning her amber orbs towards the "two-legger." She growled before taking several steps back. "Don't you see, they have already corrupted you." With that Noke began to walk away.

The puppy blinks at Monenoke's outburst, ears flattening slightly, but he doesn't look too perturbed - in fact, it doesn't look like much would ruffle him unduly. But it's elk skin, He says, confused, nose wrinkling up. She took it from a lower-ranked member of our pack. The 'killing' part just confuses him more. Why would wolf want to kill wolf unless that wolf invaded a territory - and even then, deaths were rare. Usually only wolves, driven insane by some disease or other, had ever been killed, to his knowledge, anyways. She's not sick in the mind, he says, watching the she-wolf stalk off with a perplexed look, as if unaware as to what he had said wrong.

The wolves pup's comment made her angry, they were right about the "two-leggers." she thought to herself. The she-wolf was shivering slightly, but not because of the frosty air. It was moreso hurt and anger. She was hurt that the pup didn't even realize what/who the wolf kin was anymore and angry that Hige and the other's let the "two-legger" live. Noke felt instinct flood her veins, the urge to save that pup from the "two-legger" was great. Also revenge, revenge for all the hurt that the "two-legger's" have caused.

Noke looked up at the pup her orbs soft and sad looking, "One would hope that you would see the truth, but I fear that it is too late. I wonder what our ancestors would say if they saw you, one can only wonder." Compared to her outburst her words were soft the she-wolf gave the pup a nod. But as Noke turned she snapped out her jaws not to reach the "two legger," but moreso as a warning. As her jaws clenched thin air she turned and left traveling back towards the dead foliage, which had brought her here in the first place.

This would be the very day, in which Noke pledged her soul against mankind. She chose the wild path to live just like the ancestors before her. No, she'd never turn tail to rely on the "two-leggers" Noke then started to trot back up the path when she reached out of view she cocked her head back and released a cry. Tunes wavered in the air as each note rose and fell. Then when it seemed it would die away she released another and another. Finally it died, and she continued her way.

I dunno. The pup scratches behind his ear again, doubtfully. I'd think they'd probably not have much to say, being dead and all. Once you were dead, you were dead, that's how Shilah saw things. He bristles, however, as the she-wolf threatens his pack member, hackles raising slightly as he gets to all fours, glowering at her.

Kaya crouches, still, fingers touching the pommel of her knife. Her lambent dark eyes flicker in slight fear as the jaws snap towards her - a bit too close for comfort. But in a battle, she knows she'd be completely overwhelmed by the adolescent. I'll have to learn to fight, she thinks, grimly. Even if she has joined a pack, she'll have rankings...and won't be able to keep up any rank for long unless she can. She watches, apprehensive, as the purple wolf turns off, and disappears.

The puppy trundles over to her and nuzzles against her leg, nibbing it lightly in play. Even that brings up some blood - she playfully buffets him away, but is much more solemn, settling down onto the snow quietly.