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The aged gray wolf creaked along, patrolling near a bubbling stream. The gray wolf looked stout and bulky, but he was obviously a little arthritic judging by his movements. His timepiece pendant swung quietly with him, barely ruffling his fur. It had stopped ticking long ago. Eyes flicked back and forth, studying his surroundings. Those green eyes held glimmers of deep wisdom if one was keen enough to look into them. He was in fact surveying the area, plotting to carve out a piece of this land for himself. That was the best way to raise his son after all, Petbe needed to grow up in a reliable environment. In his eyes that was the only way to properly rear a pup. Otherwise his upbringing might suffer from lack of supporting wolves...

Old ears flicked, listening to the sounds of the forest. Game was nearby this place, and often from the look and scent of it. Good, because he was too old to chase anything too far. Aion's job had always been to stand and fight, not to do sundry things like digging a den for pups, which he had badly failed at on his first attempt, or hunting down animals for food. If only that surly wench hadn't driven him out in the first place. Well, that would all be for the better in the end. She and he weren't meant for each other from the beginning, and so it didn't work out in the end, that was that. Maybe he could have forced her out instead, but Aion was too polite for that. At any rate taking the only surviving pup with him probably dealt enough of a blow to her to satisfy him.

Aion nearly pitched into the small stream from being lost in his musing. Abruptly he was startled out of his own thoughts, and leaped sideways, joints creaking and his head and tail going straight up in his instinctive reaction to the unexpected. Sure Aion, you tell that stream. Sighing, he bent his nose low and hoped for a trail to small game. The little things he could still run down, or chase to thier holes to dig up. Some father he was, bringing home squirrels and small rabbits, when younger wolves could bring down deer on their own. Perhaps soon he would get lucky, and a sick old doe would stumble right in front of him. Grumbling to himself, Aion began to stalk along the scent of a rabbit, watching for rocks wanting to trip him into the water.

Over the scent of rabbit, the metallic smell of blood struck Aion's nose harshly. Immediately it attracted his attention as a potential easy meal, so it wasn't long before he was stalking down the source of the smell. It wasn't much further before he closed in on it, and the blood identified itself as wolf's blood. Gray head reared back, he gathered himself before advancing. His human timepiece swished like the wind through leaves across his fur in tune with the movement of his front paws as he bore down on Occam, his nose no longer to the ground, but his body taking the regal stature that should have been his all the time.

His eyes thankfully had not gone over the years. The markings of this other wolf stuck out in the night like a beacon, a flare to draw the old wolf nearer. Aion's nose told him that the tinge of blood was faint, and his... company did not have much of a wound.

Green orbs peered down onto the black and red wolf from up on the bank slope. "Hello!" A deep old voice pierced the softness of the night sounds, calling out to the black, stained red wolf. Aion's eyes were focused on the strange mark on the other male's forehead. "The smell of your blood called me over, are you badly hurt?" The rumbling voice betrayed a little genuine concern. Integrity and traditional upbringing would not let him leave injured brethren. Hopefully his nose wasn't failing him, for it was difficult to see blood on black and red fur, especially in the dark.

Creaking joints clacked down the slope toward this very broken looking wolf slowly. Aion let out a deep breath, not quite a sigh, and tossed the mane of fur around his neck side to side in a bit of frustration. There may have been nothing worse than a stubborn injured wolf save one who squarely didn't know how injured he was. Well, the red and black boy was certainly not a threat, and that made the old wolf soften toward him. The strong, bulky body ruffled to a halt right in front of occam, and leaned his near white muzzle down eye level with the stubborn wolf.

"Now you little whipper snapper, I don't know what's got into your head, but its pretty damn obvious you need some help." Shifting, Aion leaned to haul the stranger into a sitting position by his scruff. Contrary to looks, it wasn't difficult for the aged wolf. Adding to that was probably Occam's generally light frame, but hell if the alpha would admit it. Leaning back, he studied the red stained boy with a wary eye, but not necessarily a distrustful one. Silently he made a note that if he did catch more than one thing for supper, this whelp would share the meal if he liked it or not. Granted, he'd probably have to drag the whelp to safety, but Aion was getting a little ahead of himself. "Now you skinny pup, what's your name, and how is it you're stumbling around here in the dark?"

Aion huffed audibly. Apparently this poor frightened wolf was not only hurt and scared out of his wits, he was pitiful as well. He had to be moved, or something not so friendly would come upon the red and black wolf in the night. The old alpha only took a moment to feel sorry for Occam before he barked, softly but authoritatively, "Get up, Occam." He took up a commanding pose, for a moment shimmering in the essence of the great alpha he once was. "We are going somewhere safe before you're killed in the night, whelp." The last word was not spat as an insult, as it could have been. Instead Aion used it as he did pup and whipper snapper, as a description and not so much caustic. He had earned the right over the years to do so, he supposed. Aion was preparing to haul Occam to his feet again when a sharp yip pierced the night.

"Dad!"

A golden coated wolf came flying down the slope, losing his footing halfway, and went sliding into Aion's front paws. A timepiece nearly identical to his father's glinted around his neck, except the golden watch's second hand still spiraled around smoothly, ticking the minutes by. It shimmered in the moonlight for a moment before hiding in Petbe's coat again. "Hey, company!" He studied Occam with his flashing green eyes for a moment before grinning and thumping his tail. The pup was midair and ready to pounce his newfound friend before Aion blocked him and pushed him back. Petbe whimpered.

"Now Petbe, be good and don't cause trouble." Aion glared at his son and swished his ears forward. Instinctively the pup sat still, half out of fear, half out of admiration for his regal father. The alpha turned back to Occam. "As I was saying, you are going to get up. Lean on me if you have to, I'm sturdy." He prodded the red and black wolf gently with his whitening muzzle as motivation. Things were a little more urgent now that his stubborn pup had decided to go wandering at night. Aion wanted the comfort of the little area he'd claimed as his own.

What a strange, pitiable lone. Aion creaked up the slope after him, every joint clacking as he started to move before it loosened up and ceased. He leaned his towering, but recently diminishing, bulk over the foolish Occam and glanced him over with cool green eyes. Well, he was alive. Whatever was going on in his head could assail the black and red in his dreams, but from somewhere safe. Raising his whitened muzzle to glance about, the aged alpha sought at least some partial cover. He didn't have to hunt through the night long to find it, there were dense shrubs and a small grove of trees nearby.

Petbe bounded up the slope, unhindered by either bad memories or old age. Obediently he resisted attempting to pounce his new friend again, and sat, wagging his tail madly. The pup was overenergetic and playful all the time, a fact that often got him into trouble. New generations and their mischief. "Dad, he fell over." Petbe cast his innocent mint eyes up at his father curiously. He would know what to do.

Nodding, Aion started to tug Occam lightly by his scruff toward the sheltered grove. They could rest there for the night. It took a bit of heaving, but the old wolf managed alright. Occam would be safe for the moment. He glanced at his son, "Hungry?"

Vigorously Petbe shook his head. "I caught a chipmunk!" He puffed up proudly, and Aion smiled and lay down outside the thicket. "Good, because your old man can't do much more tonight." He folded his paws and rested his chin on them, quietly surveying the sounds of the night as he always did. Petbe took the hint and lay down beside his father quietly.

The golden puppy wagged his tail furiously, and started to bounce in place. He was awake, awake, and now Petbe coupld play! The pup yipped and spun a quick circle once in his excitement, tail never pausing. Te golden watch 'round his neck jingled and bounced with his erratic movements, the soft ticking still coming from it. The old gray was nowhere to be seen, he was probably off hunting. It said something that he trusted Occam enough to leave his only pup there alone.

"HI!" It took everything Petbe had not to trounce the still lying down wolf with his little paws. The mischevious thoughts glinted in his mint eyes. "Will you be my friend? Do you like to play?" His forelegs crouched down and Petbe wriggled his rump high in the air.

Petbe tumbled sideways and bounded back to his feet with a bark, wriggling with an abundance of energy. Finally, someone to play with! He was bursting at the seams.

"Petbe!" he yipped, and bounded at Occam's paws, tail flying in a golden streak. It was a wonder his old man could put up with him at all. "Whats yours, areyoustaying withus?" His speech was panting and scrambled as he bounded back and forth in front of his new playmate with the energy of a pup who'd been injected with speed. Little Petbe was extremely exciteable.

Aion watched silently from a grove of nearby gray trees that hid him rather well, a pair of rabbits at his feet. The old wolf smiled at the two, unable to help a few wags of his own tail. Perhaps this would all work out for the best after all. He hadn't been so sure after Occam's strange behavior the previous night, but anyone Petbe took to so readily was bound to be worth having about, if only to keep the rambunctious pup from accidentaly bouncing the life out of his father.

The little pup grinned happily at the compliment just before he was sent sprawling through the forest floor, picking up broken leaves, sticks and dirt all through his yellow coat. Grinning and yipping, he bounded to his feet and shook off before taking after his new friend Occam, who he just couldn't seem to.. catch up to. It wasn't very long before he was huffing in his fruitless chase, and not long after that before he splattered, tongue lolling, to the ground. Petbe however, never lost his mischevious puppy grin. "Occam! I likethatname. Are you going to stay with us, Occam?"

Aion had indeed been studying the romping for quite some time, but at this point he figured he'd seen enough to know everything was alright. Clacking his joints into motion, the majestic old gray brought two young rabbits into the small clearing, much to the delight of the puppy. Smiling, the alpha put them down and told Petbe with his eyes to wait. "I think your new friend will be staying around long enough for a meal, since your old father was lucky this morning." His deep green eyes rested happily on the red and black wolf before he nudged one of the rabbits in Occams direction.