Noir pushed through the growing underbrush with his growing form. He still wasn’t allowed in any of the other territories, a fact that was slowly grating on him. Noir spent less and less time in his family’s den. His beloved mother hadn’t been around much. Verse seemed to know where she was, but he wasn’t privy to the information. That fact was also rubbing him the wrong way.

He huffed sourly as he came out of the woods to look upon the fast moving water of the rapids. The spring had brought with it torrential levels in the calmer part of the river. The rapids leveled out here, creating a rocky beach in the shallow water. During the winter it had frozen over, now it pushed angrily at its banks.

The blue striped pup walked up to the splashing water, leaning his head down to enjoy a drink of the fresh mountain melt. The water splashed up on his features and as he raised his head the excess water rolled down his neck. He looked up into the bright blue sky of the spring afternoon and contemplated the restrictions placed in him.

Theta made her way to the running body of water. She hadn’t been bothering much with her family as of late and preferred to be anywhere but the den. Spotting a pup with shades of blue in their fur by the river side she would drink from the river beside him. He was one of the few male pups she had met so far besides her brothers, it would be nice to interact with someone who she didn’t have to live with. Maybe they could make her time spent out here slightly more bearable. Her attitude had certainly calmed down but her tolerance of this place hadn’t raised any.

As Noir stood quietly at the rushing river’s edge his solitude would become interrupted by another pup. Blue and lavender gaze shifted from the sky to her smaller form. Another pup. Another outsider. He hadn’t been impressed with her brother, and if his dad hadn’t intervened he might have tried to push the other boy into the river. He eyed her suspiciously as she drew more near and dipped her features into the cool of the winter’s melt.

He didn’t give up any of his personal space, and the least he could say for her so far was that she hadn’t shoved in to him like that punk Tornadic. ”Who are you? He asked rudely as he stared at her. Noir at least was ready for these interlopers to return to their own home. They were taking up too much space in his. The boy resisted the urge to stick his tongue out at her, and debated if her attention was even worth this effort.

The cold water slid down her throat and Theta’s drinking session was interrupted by the voice of the wolf beside her. Making eye contact with the boy she unblinkingly answered his question “Theta” Seeing no reason to hide her true name from him she introduced herself normally, the voiceless roar would be reserved for people she didn’t want hearing her name or didn’t think deserving of a legitimate answer.

Seeing his attempt at being rude with her she figured that he knew about her and her familys’ presence here. She might as well clear the air of rudeness by meeting him with the same energy. “I’m not happy to be here, so save your disdain for my siblings”

She lifted her head from her similar drink and eyed him as warily as he eyed her. Her eyes a brilliant crimson much like Verse’s. He wondered if she was as weak as his tiny sister. Verse almost wasn’t even worth bothering with how tiny she was, and his other sisters were quicker to fight in her defense than their own. She introduced herself as Theta, already he had a bit more respect for her than her idiot brother, Tornadic. She was in his personal space but at least she hadn’t just bowled right into him like Torn had. Though Noir still wondered if she had some ridiculous nickname like her littermate.

She mirrored his emotions, giving him back a rude reply as she stated how much she didn’t want to be here. ”Are they happier to be here than you?” He asked coldly as he lowered his haunches beneath him. ”Your lame brother didn’t seem to be.” Noir continued, wondering how she might react to him dissing the pointed pup.

The question the male asked was one she didn’t quite know the answer to. She hadn’t made a habit of talking to her siblings much as of late outside of day to day interactions. She should probably do that if she was going to speak on their behalf. She presumed Tythe didn’t mind being here but Tythe was Tythe she drowned him out half the time anyways.

The other wolf’s take on her brother not being happy to be here was also minorly confusing, not only the fact that he had meet one of her brothers but also the fact that there were three of them he could be talking about. He then proceeded to call that one lame which didn’t surprise her much, all of her brothers were lame. Some lamer than others though.

Curiousity pushed her to ask the question “Which one?” She couldn’t properly continue the conversation without this piece of knowledge. Remembering that she might need to clarify she added “There’s three of them and they’re all different levels of lame.”

Despite how lame he thought Tornadic was, Noir had enjoyed his confrontation with the boy. Then again he didn’t have to like the other pup to fight him. He couldn’t help but think of how it would have turned out had the adults not come in an intervened. Noir got a little lost in thought as Theta drew him back out with her unexpected reply.

She had three brothers. Noir wouldn’t let her see the jealousy he felt towards her. He wanted brothers to really fight with. The young boy tried to push the emotion down and away. ”Mr. Balmy Breeze or whatever.” He offered, making it seem he couldn’t even be bothered to remember her brother’s name. ”And at least you don’t have four lame sisters.” Noir added as he tried to one up her in how terrible their siblings were.

The other pup didn’t seem to remember the actual name of which brother he had met, calling him Mr. Balmy Breeze. Taking a moment to think about who that meant Theta decided that it must be Tornadic he had wind in his nickname after all. Theta could see how Tornadic would annoy somebody like this, calm and Tornadic didn’t seem to mix very often. She didn’t blame the other boy for not remembering Tornadic’s actual name.

He said he had four lame sisters, sure Theta didn’t have four sisters she’d give him that. Sisters might actually have been worse. Theta had gathered that they both had four siblings and that made them rather equal in those respects. “I have one sister, it seems we both have the same number of annoyances.” Then Theta realized something, she A: didn’t know his name and B: was talking more about herself than she was used to. It wasn’t often she had somebody to complain with. “What’s your name? You seem more tolerable than everyone else I’ve met so far.”

Noir was actually amused that she didn’t correct him on her brother’s name. He wondered if she was smart enough to figure out his reference, but went ahead and assumed she did as the topic returned to him and his sisters. All four of them really were lame, despite how much he enjoyed teasing them the former couldn’t be helped.

She stole the conversation back to herself as she mentioned that she had one sister, but she was quick to ask about him again. Noir internally preened at her half compliment. ”Noir Destruction,” he told her in his most grown up voice. She had already told him hers, he might as well return his own name. ”How long do I have to deal with you all being here anyway?” He asked, wondering if he’d get anymore fight before they were gone.

Theta nodded as he gave his name, Noir Destruction. She felt as if the last name should ring a bell but it didn’t. It occurred to her that she hadn’t given him her last name, but she didn’t feel it was very important anyways. The boy asked how long he would have to deal with them and Theta didn’t entirely know. She had lost track of how long she had been here and was just waiting for the sign that they could finally go home.

“We were told two weeks, but I don’t know how much of that has passed.” For the most part she wanted to escape and go home, but she didn’t mind dealing with Noir. Maybe at another time she would bother him for his company again, but for now she felt as if there wasn’t anything else to say to each other. Theta would turn away from the water to go find a place where the sun was placed well enough that she could take a nap, but not before casting a backwards glance at Noir and saying “Smell ya later sister boy.” Theta smirked at her clever nickname. It wasn’t meant as an insult, but more as an attempt at being cool and snarky. With that clever remark out of the way, Theta would take her leave.

-exit Theta-