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Although it had never actually worked to fend off her annoying brother when he got into one of these moods, Tasso did what she usually did: rolled over and tried to go back to sleep. That was before he chomped down on her ear. "Ouch!" She yelped, suddenly sitting up. Tasso glared at her brother and briefly considered whining to their mother that he'd bitten her, but boys would be boys and it wouldn't be the last time, she was willing to wager, that Brutus would treat her like a chew toy. Then of course, he was leaping on top of her, so she wriggled and writhed and did her best to n** him back until she was free of her rambunctious sibling.

"I'm up, I'm up," she grumbled, twisting to try to look at her ear and managing only to make herself dizzy. With a snort, she gave up. "What did you hear?" Tasso was tempted to tack on "stupid" but wasn't sure if mother was listening and didn't want to risk it. Stupid was a bad word. After a moment of listening, it seemed to be the regular noises of night time, and she rolled her eyes at Brutus. "You're just 'majinin' things. It's not real," she huffed, trying to sound like an adult, "It's maple leaf."

With a little huff, Tasso glanced back at mother. Sleeping, probably - feeding four mouths was hard work for only one wolf, although Tasso was too young to understand that. Surely she wouldn't get in trouble for taking just a little peek outside the den?

Creeping forward on her belly, ears alternating between the forward press of listening hard and the backwards flattening of guilt and fear, the young female pup shimmied towards the great outdoors to try to figure out what her brother was hearing. Although he was a pain in the butt, he probably had actually heard something - in fact, that last time Tasso could've sworn she'd heard something too.

Outside, an adult wolf much like the little girl in appearance saw her snout poke out of the entrance to the densite. Ralastor retreated back into the forest undergrowth, holding his breath. He'd tracked Layla this far, hoping to find the pups he'd left her pregnant with months ago. There, at last, was the evidence he'd been hoping for. Still, it wouldn't do for them to discover him. He knew, having followed her here, that Layla was inside. Once she left, the little ones would be his for the taking. The large, dark adult male settled down to wait.

The farther from the den the pups got, the more Ralastor quietly retreated. As much as he relished the opportunity to inspect them for the first time, he had no desire to encounter their mother. Sure, he could beat her in a fight and take them by force, but the longer it took her to discover they were gone, the more time he had to take them away to the place he'd chosen as his territory. That was why it was optimal to take them right after she left to go hunting. This in mind, the father of the unwitting pups crept backwards, intensely aware of every stick or dry leaf that might crunch underfoot.

Tasso, finding she could no longer hear or smell anything of interest, quickly grew bored. Besides, what if the thing Brutus smelled was something dangerous that wanted to eat them? A prickle of fear ran through her, and then suddenly gave her an idea. "I see something. Wait here," she whispered dramatically, and then went off a little ways before circling back and leaping out at her brother. "RAAAAAR I'M A MONSTER!" bellowed Tasso, as loud and monster-like as she could. "I'M GONNA EAT YOU UP!"

Layla woke with a start, first Tasson yelling, then Brutus yelping had her awake and alert in a second, she was on her paws but a moment later "What is it? what's going on?! Tasso, Brutus what the ....what do you think you two are playing at? you should bot be asleep" she snapped, eyeing Nox who was just now waking out of his deep slumber, that pup slept too deeply and she worried about him sometimes. "Calm down Brutus, Tasso is not a monster she's your sister and she's NOT going to eat you" although she was talking to Brutus, she aimed the last towards Tasso.


"Mom? what's going on? why are Brutus and Tasso crying out like that?" yawned Nox, he wasn't the quickest minded of wolves but he had time as he grew. He yawned again and turned his eyes on his brother and sister, one ear at a funny angle, tilting his head in slight, sleepy confusion.

"But mommy, there was a noise, and then Tasso went away, and then the monster came," whined Brutus. However, mommy had said that everything was all right, so Brutus believed it. His tail wagged frantically, and he licked her, bouncing in place with his excitement. Both tail and ears drooped a little when she reprimanded him. "Do I hafta go to sleep, mommy? I wanna play." Brutus always wanted to play when he wasn't sleeping, so it was a pretty safe bet that he would want to play no matter what Layla said. "Therewasanoise! Tasso, tell mommy there was a noise, okay?" There was, there was, there waaaas! It wasn't maple leaf or majinary, or anything!

Tasso's ears pricked up and her eyes opened. Well now she certainly wouldn't be able to sleep. "I thought it was maple leaf, mom, but then I thought it wasn't. Bring me a whooooooooooole rabbit!" Her tail began to wiggle with excitement. She was in charge and mother was going to either scare away a bad thing or bring back a tasty thing. Win win situation! She watched the adult leave, grinning smugly at Brutus.

Ralastor held his breath and remained still as he saw Layla emerge from the den. He had carefully positioned himself so that the wind blew scent in his direction, not wanting the other wolf to catch the smell of him. He hoped and waited that she would wander far enough away - and not in his direction. His every muscle tensed. He would have those pups.

Layla smiled at the pups, Simple Nox, energetic Brutus and then there was Tasso, She gave each pup a swift nuzzle, the contact something she'd never have though of had they been adults. "Stay in the den PLEASE Brutus" she chuckled, "And Tasso, i will have to see what i can get but i'll try" she grinned. Turning and leaving, for the moment not catching any signs of the male. She moved out swiftly and quietly, her ears and nose working to their fullest in the dark.