Welcome to Gaia! ::

Sound was all drowned out in this storm. Leradien continued to walk, now in the middle of the clearing.

Leradien's ears swiveled back, picking up sounds from behind. From the back she heard a CRUNCH. She quickly lifted her tail and head, her heart and head pounding. Her eyes wide she flung her head over her shoulder. The hair on her neck bristling, her tail reised, a deep growl emminating from her throat.

Then she head another sound, from her side. An ambush? Had she wandered into another's territory?

Lera's ears swiveled to her right, her eyes wide, pupils dialated. One of the wolves had emerge from hiding. Her nostrils flares and her lips drew back. Salaiva dripped from her mouth, fangs bright in the dark of day. The hair on her nape standing on end. She had a wild look in her eye she most certainly look like a wild beast, ready to defend herself, regardless if she was just a pup.

Notoka awakens from his nap feeling a bit foolish but a lot better. The ground where Silv was lying has a distinct look of having been laid in, so he knows she was there at some point and her scent in the den is still strong.

He sighs and stretches his forelegs before scrabbling out of his den and standing just outside it.

"Another one?!" she thought. Great, now there were three wolves around her. But then, the darker wolf spoke. But she spoke simply. It wmust be either that this wolf thought that Lera was stupid, or had a speech impairment. She snorted. They both seemed calm enough, and Lera was definatly in no condition to start a fight. But these wolves couldn't be trusted, they were just like the foxes and bears in the wood. Dangerous.

Her muscles that were tense loosened a bit, and her lips relaxed...a bit. Still in a rather nasty snark she now had a calmer feeling. She walked towards the wolves, tail still up, and ears still forward. She wanted to know if these wolves belonged in this space, if so, she would likely be beaten up sooner or later. Might as well defend yourself from the start.

Where are they all COMING from, Notoka mutters to himself, spying this new wolf. At first he is indifferent and passive about this one until she acts a bit more hostile than he would have thought. When she starts advancing, he pads beside Silv and pulls his ears forward and a snarl forms on his muzzle in warning. He makes no move to attack her though...he stands his ground.

Thoughts raced quickly in her head, trying to remember her elder's teachings. Lera felt horendously dizzy. Hunger was knawing away at her, her travels made her weak. The other wolf then stepped forward, standing his ground. Overcome with too many ailments her instincts burst through, unrational ones, mind you. Her young body, and young mind could not take so much pressure. She took it as a threat.

Teeth beared she continued her advance, slowly, and wearily.

Notoka's neck fur bristles and his tail arches up over his back, making it clear he's growing tired of this strange wolf's hostility but he still doesn't move forward. He wants to avoid a fight if necessary but if this continues, he'll have to defend himself and things could get ugly.

I suggest you calm yourself, he manages to say in as level of a tone as he can muster. We aren't going to harm you if you don't harm us.

She slowly continued her walk, her lips lowered yet her ears were still forward and her tail was still up. Her eyes glared.

But Silva was indeed correct. About 15 feet away from the two strange wolves her body cringed, shivvering. Her body, under pressure, gave in. Stinging bile found it's way up her throat, and she vommited. Her eyes had a ghastly dazed look. she took a few steps forward, her body shuddered, and she blacked out, suddenly collapsing on the ground.

soul then could smell silva, somewere around here. she peered back at the pups and with a quick grin was off to find her.

soul spoted silvamord and barked. "hi!"

soul was more calm now but was still hungry. she sniffed silva again then ran to the water and splashed in it

soul looked over to her. she ran over but did not take any. she then sniffed it then ran back to the water and rolled in it making her wet

soul yiped happily as she to bite into the meat

Notoka was in the stream up to his belly, watching some fish that he had been attempting to catch for almost an hour now. He was wet from head to tail from the repeated divings, plus streaks of mud were attached to his coat here and there.

Notoka darts forward unexpectantly, his head going under the water for a brief instant before he again surfaces, holding a long shimmering fish in his jaws. It was quite a prize for him, considering the size made it difficult for him to stagger back to shore. Once there, he heard a whimper and looked about for the source. Before he can find that, Lera's howl reaches his ears.

He tossed the fish away from the stream and answered the howl, giving his approximate location, before again searching for the source of whimpers.
Oh, hello Silva, he says, noticing the grey wolf not to far away. I didn't know you were watching.

He whimpers with embarrassment and flicks his ears back a tad. I'm not the most graceful wolf when I'm fishing, he says with slight amusement, tilting his head to the side. Want some? It's big enough for both of us, I think. He pads over to his flopping fish and picks it up again near the gills before biting as hard as he can to decapitate it.

Lera stood still as she heard the howl. Her ears swiveled 'round to catch the sound, and then deciding on a direction she bounded off.

She leaped through the wood, running as quickly as she could. Lera didn't like being alone without her friends, it made her feel uneasy and defenseless, just as it did the first night she met Notoka. She slowed at the bank drop, and then shuffling down it clumsily. Taking a breath Lera noticed that Silvamord was there as well. She couldn't ask Notoka now. She would have to wait...

She smiled and padded up to her friends. "Hello!" she grinned. She looked at Notoka with a cocked brow...he was wet and muddy all over.

Notoka lets Silva eat what she wants from it since he's not horribly hungry...the fishing was done more out of boredom than need...and sits back on his haunches to wait for Lera.

Once the other female arrives, he barks in greetings and wags his tail. Hello Lera.

When Silva leaves the fish, he takes her place and finishes off another portion of it before looking to Lera as he licks his chops. You can have the rest, if you like.

Lera nodded to both Notoka and Silva in greeting, accepting the sniff gracefully. "Fishing, eh?" she commented, giving Notoka a silly look. It was unusual for wolves to fish... she thought to herself.

"No thank you," she responds, "I'm not hungry as of present, but thank you for offering." She nods once more.

Notoka again looks somewhat embarrassed.
I was bored, okay? he says with mock-severity as he moves into a play bow position.

She stuck her tongue out and grinned, squinting, before leaping on Notoka in a playful manner. It had been a long time since she had play-wreseled. Everything seemed so serious, since there were no adults to look after the pups. They had to fend for themselves and became jaded and weathered. Lera knew the next generation would not be as serious as their predecessors.

She growled playfully and tugged at Notoka's ear.

Notoka yelps as he's tackled and rolls with Lera, trying to dislodge her from his ears. Ooh, you're a fast one he says while trying to nab a hold on her tail. He then tries to get them to roll again towards Silva.

It had been awhile since he played with anyone as well...and certainly not with anyone here.

Lera's tail wagged viciously as she rolled around in the little 'wolf pile. ' Then she felt it lodge into Notoka's mouth. She barked and yipped as she rolled, grabbing Notoka's tail as well. Just then she felt Silva join in! Piled under fur and paws she let go of Notoka's tail and playfully grabbed Silva wrist in her mouth, being careful not to bite down.

This was an extrodinarily happy time for her.

He jumps at Silva's prod, nearly flying onto the two-leg pup's foot. Gah, Silva... he wheezes, shaking himself trying to play off his startlement.

The two-leg pup again whimpers at the appearance of another wolf but she's suddenly joined by another pup, only this one slightly older than the first. This one is male and looks at the wolves with a somewhat defiant expression, though he's not much bigger than the wolves themselves.

Lera did not notice Silva, she was solemly focused on the smaller human pup. She still appraoched slowly and sniffed the creatures belly. A rush or new scents filled her nose. She look at the creature, it seemed terrified. Lera licked her elbow.

Then she noticed another human pup, this one seemed bigger and had a harder face. Lera stood her ground, enthralled by these interesting creatures.

She heard Notoka warn her and in distress lera took a few steps backwards. The human had not touched her...she had touch it...what had she done?!

Because Lera wanted to see them, he answers Silva, his tone troubled. He had seen Lera lick the girl's arm and thought that maybe that was not such a good idea.

The girl jerks her arm away and the boy steps in front of her, shielding her with his body. He says something to the wolves in a firm and slightly angry tone, then waves his hands at Lera. Before anything else happens, the ever-familiar two-leg adult steps around the above-ground den and jerks the two children away from the three wolves.

Lera was startled by the child's wave, he was brave. But then a much larger two legged appeard. He was humungous! Thoughts ran through Lera's head, about how she shouldn't show them she was afraid. Her lips moved up ina a snarl. Her eyes narrowed and her tail went up. Her ears swiveled forward.

Lera wasn't sure how to react to this situation.

You shouldn't have touched it, Lera Notoka says with a whine, staring at the man before him with a quickly narrowing glare. The pup growls as well and basically mimics Lera's response, only he keeps his wits about him. We better go. Silva's right.

The adult two-leg turns around, having moving the young ones away out of sight, and crosses his arms across his chest. Notoka feels somewhat odd now, having been growling at this two-leg, but feeling guilty as well. His thing saved him from the evil two-legs...why was he being mean?

Lera's front legs twitched. Her paws were planted where they were. This...was a stand off. Her chest burned and her eyes narrowed. She put one paw forward, as in a 'half - step'. Behind her she heard Notoka's warning...they should leave, Lera wanted to leave...but...she couldn't. She felt as if her legs were burried in stomach-high mud.

Don't hurt him. Notoka says suddenly, with considerably force behind it. It wasn't right to hurt the two-leg who helped him and the man wasn't doing anything to them.

The two-leg stares right back at the wolves, hardly moving from where he stands.

Lera rushed forward about to snap at the two-legged's ankle when she suddenly heard Notoka's voice. She stopped short, snapping at hair. One of her ears flipped back to acknowladge what he said. She wouldn't hurt the human, she would only to to intimidate it as much as possible.

Notoka dives in front of Lera, his eyes blazing now, hoping to block her snap but relieved that she missed even though he was slow.
Don't. His voice is firm yet level.

Lera's snarl dropped. Her breathing was heavy, her eyes still narrowed. There was no thought in her head, she was wordless. She looked up to the two legged, glaring. Her chest heaved in breaths. Then, suddenly, all her emotions hit her mind like a buck's charge. She felt ashamed that she had almost bitten one that Notoka wanted to protect, and felt even worse that she had almost bitten Notoka himself. She gritted her teeth in pain. Leradien glared at the humans one more time before turning, past Silva, and walking off. Her walk turned into a run as she dashed up the hill.

Notoka snorts as Lera runs and feels compelled to follow, to make sure she's okay. He nudges Silva's shoulder before darting after Lera, his tail waving high in the air.

Lera slowed as she met the woods. She trembled as she laid down by a large rock. She wans't scared, or sad, it was more of anxiety and confusion. It was a rush of different feelings that it made her stomach do flips inside her. She looked back, Notoka and Silva had not reached the woods yet, she must have run faster than she thought...

After a few minutes, Notoka's head appears from behind the trees and he slows to a walk, ears canted forward with concern.
You alright?

Lera stood on her shakey legs. "I'm fine," she lied looking to Notoka. As Silva arrived and questioned her, Lera responded: "I don't know..." her voice trailing off as she reared her head to look at the sky. It was bright and made her squint. Lera lowered her head and started to slowly walk off.

Where are you going?

Notoka doesn't move from where he's at, though he is concerned. Lera touched the two-leg...and she didn't even KNOW him.

"To go dig myself a den," this statement was partially true. Lera was tired of sleeping beneath trees, but more than ever Lera felt as if she needed to hide, lay low for a while. Lera closed her eyes, to hide the suffering behind them, and turned her head to smile at Notoka "Don't worry," she smiled. Lera broke into a trot.

Notoka frowns at Lera as she moves away and sits back on his haunches, puzzled at what all happened. I'm fine, he answers, flopping his ears back a little. I'm just confused.

Because I shouldn't have cared that Lera was going to bite that two-leg...but I didn't want her to. Why was I protecting him? He slumps down so he's lying on his belly, head on his forelegs, and peers up at Silva.

He sighs a little and rubs a paw across his nose for a moment. Maybe...but now they might think I'm going to do it all the time.

Of course Silva wouldn't know what two-legs think. He doesn't know what they think either...and that's probably a good thing. Notoka sighs and curls his tail about his hind legs and thinks about what happened.

That's fine...and not a bad idea now that you mention it. He wanders towards his cave, where he sees Lera digging not too far away, and lets Silva in first before joining her. Perhaps a nap would take these nagging feelings away.