Calliope limped into the clearing by the water where the small almost-pack had set up their home. The caramel coated female seemed somewhat worse for wear and wore an angry grimace on her face. Her face was crossed with a smattering of blood and one leg dripped with darkened gore. Muttering under her breath, she came to a dead halt, breathing in raggedly. A long, low growl ripped from her throat as she let loose all the frustration and pain that had been building up on her trip back.

Pain blossomed in her vision as she stepped into the slow flowing river. Autumn was coming and the river was beginning to cool down but the chilled water felt good as it numbed her leg. Calliope hoped the wound would clean properly. She had seen wounds go septic and it hadn't been pretty. Lowering her muzzle, she licked, loosening the clods of dried blood and letting the ichor flow into the stream.

Zagreus trotted along the game trail, setting a somewhat jaunty pace. It had been a good afternoon, all in all. A limp mass of fur dangled from his jaws. The hare hadn't been aware of him until it was far too late. He had already eaten earlier on, so he had decided to take it back to the clearing. No doubt somebody would be hungry.

Entering the open area by the stream, the dark wolf came to a halt, looking around himself. Spotting Calliope standing in the stream, his ears perked slightly and he loped towards her. However, once he had drawn closer, he realised that something was wrong. She was standing oddly, and he could smell new blood on the air.

Lowering his head, he dropped the hare onto the bank before looking back up at the she-wolf.

"...Calliope? Is everything alright?"

Her tail hung limply, her head down at the water, ears flicking back as the other wolf approached. She sighed heavily and raised her head slowly as if being pushed down by the weight of the world. "Things have been better..." she managed, her silver eyes glinting in the last remnants of sunlight as they rose to look at Zagreus. She wasn't sure she really wanted to explain to him the reason behind her current state. She still wasn't sure he'd agree with how she thought of those rabid oddly coloured wolves.

Rolling her shoulders back she walked onto the bank, her front left paw half trailing, half limping. "What have you got there?" she asked, trying to sound perkier, somewhat trying to avoid the issue of her injury even for a little time.

Zagreus was quiet for a moment, regarding her through golden eyes. After the brief pause he spoke again. "Just a hare. I brought it back for anyone who might be hungry."

His entire demeanour now considerably subdued, he padded quietly to the water's edge where she stood. He stopped again, studying her intently before his gaze fell to her injured leg.

"What happened?" he asked finally, concern visible in his eyes.

Calliope sighed as the other questioned her. She really didn't want to get into the issue but she knew Zagreus probably wouldn't let up until she at least gave him a decent reason. It was what made him a good friend, she supposed. A close friend. She looked up at him and then back down to the ground, licking her paw in a way which seemed reminiscent of a cub in trouble.

"Another wolf." she said, trying to find the right words to explain. "She took my kill, I tied to take it back. " she grumbled, unhappily. The rest came out in a flood of anger "BLUE! she was, BLUE! like the sky. What kind of wolf is blue!? She took my kill, she dared! It was mine and that b***h stole it. I wasn't letting any sky-wolf take my meal from me so I chased her..." she trailed off, looking somewhat embarrasedly to one side. "She was larger than me, bit my leg and loped of. I couldn't chase her. I got a chunk out of her though!" she smiled a little, licking her muzzle. She wasn't sure what to feel in all honsty. She was happy she'd managed a bite but she had lost in the end to one of those wretched odd-coloured monstrosities.

Sitting down in the grass beside her, Zagreus listened as Calliope began to speak. He nodded his head a little when she spoke about her kill being stolen. His expression changed a little as she began to speak about the wolf's colour, becoming a little confused. He'd seen a fair few blue wolves. What was unusual about that?

As she finished, Zagreus rose to his feet and padded over to the hare lying crumpled on the ground. Picking it up, he moved back over and dropped it at her feet. Moving a few steps to the side, he lay down in the grass, crossing one front leg over the other. He regarded her sympathetically.

"I'm sorry. I've had kills stolen from me before - it's infuriating when you're the one doing all the work and getting nothing for it but pain." He leaned forward, taking a closer look at her leg. Pulling back, he looked up at her again. "It doesn't look like she bite you too badly though - I think it will heal soon with us around to help you." He paused before continuing.

"I don't understand one thing though. There are lots of blue wolves. What's unusual about that...?" he asked, a tinge of curiousity entering his voice.

She smiled as she thought of the support she had gained by being in the small group - it truly was better than being on her own. She stared at him slightly when he asked her about the blue wolves. She knew some of the 'normally' coloured wolves didn't seem to have a problem with the odd coloured ones but Zagreus was someone whose opinions she actually cared for and she wasn't sure why he didn't find them odd!

"They're... not normal." she began, sitting down beside him, her painful paw raised off the ground. "I mean... I never saw them when I was growing up. Not a single pup which wasn't black, brown, white or colours between. When I came here... well they're everywhere. Frog wolves, sky wolves, butterfly coloured wolves! and all I've met of that kind have tried to cheat me, hurt me or take my food. They seem me primitive kind of wolf... savage like dogs. Gahh..." she sighed agrily, looking off into the bushes. She'd never understand them, she thought.

Zagreus gazed at her for a moment, an uncomprehending expression on his face. It seemed odd to him that she had never seen a wolf with bright fur before arriving here. He had grown up in a pack where fur in all colours of the spectrum was fairly common.

"Really? That must have been strange." He tilted his head. "I've never heard of an area where wolves are only black, white or brown. There's always been lots of colours." He smiled a little. "I guess we're all different, huh? In seriousness though, I've never seen a difference in colour that means anything. Some wolves are vicious, no matter what their fur is like. I think you've just been unlucky.."

He paused again, seeming to consider something for a moment. Then, he looked up at Calliope. "You know, the worst injury I ever got from a wolf was from one that was brown, like you." He inclined his head towards her, showing the female the large chunk missing from his ear.

Calliope did think highly of Zagreus's opinions but on this issue she disagreed with him. She could not really concieve of wolves of normal colours living along with wolves of odd colouring. It simply did not fit within her world view. She was about to reply as much when he mentioned how he had gotten his injury. "Well, I didn't say normal coloured wolves were all good just that.... I've never met an oddly coloured wolf which wasn't, in some way, odd."

She considered that he had been brought up amongst such oddly coloured wolves. Perhaps he had kith and kin amongst them. She could see, then, why he might think more highly of them but perhaps it was a fondness borne of being close to them. Perhaps they could be taught to be better wolves if they were within a larger pack.

"Mmm" was all she answered, not willing to commit to a change of mind quite yet.

Zagreus gave a slight smile, at least as far as his wolfish features would allow. "What's odd and what is normal then? Every wolf is different afterall. Doesn't mean there's anything wrong." He had never realised that Calliope had this view before. She must have grown up a long way from here. The dark wolf was sure that she'd realise for herself that there wasn't any difference between the wolves she perceived as 'strange' and 'normal'. She just needed time to adjust, that was all. She also hadn't had the best of experiences since arriving here. Perhaps now that she was among friends, she'd be able to see things as they really were. It would just take time.

Zagreus' gaze moved to the hare before back to Calliope again. "That hare's yours, you know. I ate earlier, and you lost your kill. You must be hungry still."

Calliope smiled at the grey-black wolf. He was wise and fair and very mildly tempered. She still didn't agree with him but she simply attempted a wolfish smile, nuzzling at his jaw lightly instead of answering his qiestion. "Thank you." she said to him, turning her attention to the food in front of her. She leaned forward, instinctively, placing her foot down. Wincing, she quickly drew it back up, feeling slightly sheepish.

Her belly was grumbling as she bit down into the flesh, awkwardly holding it with her one good paw. Zagreus was a good hunter and always brought something back for their little pack between large kills. She rested slightly aganst him as she ate.