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t felt as thought strings attached to her young heart had been snipped. The last day she saw her parents was months and months ago. The babe was growing fast and had shed the most of her puppy weight. She was now a long limbed gal with oversized paws, a long tail, and slender features. It was growing more and more evident she was destined to be a massive creature at adulthood but from her point of view she felt miniscule.

The day papa howled was the day she managed to slip away from Cordelia's grasp. Leaving Mordi and Recluse to find out what was really going on. It was a hard venture and not after long did she feel rather helpless on all accounts. She followed mama but gave up and ended up hiding in a bush. Not before long the babe was stumbled upon by Deathbelle who was luckily enough Papa's sister. Banshee admitted who she was and was directed away from the field by her aunt and remained at her side ever since.

As of this point in time Banshee was resting next to a large tree root with her head upon her paws. Little puffs of breath could be heard as she sulked. The babe was never in a good mood and felt unyielding guilt for leaving her siblings. What came of them? Are they still with their crazy aunt? She shut her eyes tight to fight back the tears and sucked in a breath. Hopefully no one saw, Banshee never wanted anyone to ever see her cry like a little baby. The babe eased her breathing and thought of more positive things such as her next meal or adventure.

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Deathbelle padded softly up to the girl, she had felt like a mother doe the last few months. Leaving Banshee in indiscriminate places while she gathered herbs or looked for Hannibal. She was a mostly self sufficient creature, though needed fed and trained. It was little sacrifice for her brother’s child. If she could not have Hannibal she could have his daughter. The child sulked though, a problem the Klein woman had yet to resolve.

”Come along Ban,” She commanded softly with an affectionate nuzzle to the girl’s scruff. ”It’ll do you no good to lay around all day.” Belle stepped away from the girl, indicating that she should be followed. ”Keep your mind on your studies, it will dull the pain.” Belle gave her an understanding glance, but she wouldn’t coddle her niece. Deathbelle knew the pain of loss just as strongly as the child. Losing both parents and siblings. The pain was horrendous, but life went on. You got stronger or you perished as well. Belle didn’t want to lose Banshee too.

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anshee's lady aunt was bothersome but the babe felt grateful at the same time. Without a mother and father she had no one to teach her right from wrong or do tasks such as feeding her and keeping away predators. It was a constant battle internally for the youngling. Most of the time she wished to scream, cry, and bite all at once. But other times she really felt as though she owed everything to Deathbelle. Not even her own parents were caring enough to mind for the pup but the piebald lady stepped in as both a caretaker and a role model. At times the young Klein wanted to run off and live her life along but she knew well it would end up in her own demise. Starvation or getting hunted by a larger animal sounded much less nice then following in her aunts tracks. Thus, Banshee settled with her dull sulking.

A nuzzle came forth which knocked the white splotched pup from her daydreaming. Beaming blue eyes of a Klein widened as she looked up to Belle. Lips twitched slightly to expose a tiny grin. Despite Banshee wanting nothing more then to live her days in angst and seething rage she couldn't help but to secretly enjoy the company of her father's sister. The youngling took a moment to stand, shaking each long limb as she did so, and ending with a long squeak of a yawn. Ban stared up at Belle, "When can we leave this stupid forest?" A twinge of irritation was evident in her tone but the babe nearly instantly regretted it. Sometimes the angst just came out unwillingly.

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Deathbelle managed to eek out a smile from her sulking niece. She returned the expression but did not turn to offer her more affections. The world was a harsh place, it would do the child no good to be wrapped in warm happy feelings the whole of her childhood. The act would leave her ill prepared for the challenges of adulthood. Belle would not see Banshee set out into the world unprepared. She allowed the girl her sulking, as long as it didn’t get in the way of her care or education. Eventually it would leave her system, once she realized how insignificant her problems were.

Deathbelle tried to forget the time in her life where angst ruled her. Around the time she realized how much the status of her mother in the Empire mattered. Or didn’t matter as it were. Her father never allowed her to see any favoritism, and silently she thanked him again for it. He’d been an amazing teacher and role model, and she hoped she could do the same for Ban. ”When can we leave this stupid forest? Belle looked away as the amused smile played over her lips before regaining her stoic composure when she looked back to her niece.

”Today,” she answered simply. Already she felt as though the pair of them had lingered here for too long. For a long time she hoped for the return of Hannibal or his woman, but neither reappeared. ”I haven’t decided if we should go west so that I might teach you to be at home in the desert, or south where we will have access to more resources but also the presence of more competition for those resources.” Deathbelle told her niece softly as her lilac gaze peered in each direction respectively. What kind of opinion would her niece offer?

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anshee was painfully aware of how harsh the world could be. Fate ripped her away from her loved ones so early on. But, perhaps it was for the better. The babe was so young that she could live her more amiable and precious years of youth with someone who truly cared for her. Banshee felt more sad for the loss of her siblings. She really feared for how her two smaller and less confident siblings would fair in such a horrible world.

Deathbelle's response came quick and without flourish or flattery. Her aunt was a straightforward creature with little fluff. Banshee's mother had been a luxurious woman of many words and dramatics. Her father had been rather quiet but attentive in a way. So Belle was quite a different type of creature from what she was use to. With the response came the prospect of traveling. They could either go south where many packs and loners resided or they could venture to the desert. In the youth's mind the desert was home of only cruel things like Scorpions or Snakes. The idea of sand and the unrelenting sun boggled her mind. Banshee offered a skewed grimace at the thought and rushed to the opinion of the south being the better choice. "The desert sounds horrible." With a wrinkled nose Banshee moved towards the direction in which Belle looked when mention the south, "South is better. Maybe we can find Mordi and Recluse there." With a firm nod she offered a glance to her aunt.

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Deathbelle hadn’t met the other two young Hannibal had left behind, she had been too late to collect them. Or they hadn’t been as cunning as their sister, and in that case their loss to the Klein lineage would be no great consequence to anyone but her poor niece. The thought placed a snippet in her head that she wasn’t so sure she was comfortable with. Reproducing had never been high on her list of accomplishments to conquer. She supposed finding a partner to impregnate her would be easy enough. However, finding a wolf worthy of such a powerful position over her was the real challenge.

She mentally shook the thought from her mind, Banshee was plenty of responsibility despite how much a few cousins would help her to grow. Once the Empire was returned to them, then deathbelle would consider her stake in the future. There was not near enough stability for them in life yet.

”Do not judge the desert so harshly, young one. She provides bounties to those who know her.” It had taken Belle almost dying of starvation to learn her, but now the Klein was just as at home in the desert as anywhere else. ”However, the south will likely provide the experience you need to further your learning.” She mentioned her siblings again and Belle gave her an encouraging smile. ”And maybe we’ll find Mordecai and Recluse.” The Klein had little hope of reuniting them at this point, but she wanted to be hopeful for her niece.

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he hopes of potentially reuniting with her siblings was enough for the babe to keep going. Banshee had to grow up fast and had no choice but to keep going or die alone. The concept of death was so far from the younglings mind but it was still scary to say the least. Thus, despite the immense amount of angst she would try to respect her aunt. Impulse and fits would drive her to say and do things she hardly means. But, it all came with being young Wolf being practically abandoned by her parents.

Banshee listened to her aunt with flicking ears. Klein-blue eyes took in the forest as scents filled her partially pink nose. Belle told the pup not to judge the desert but in her young mind she couldn't think past the sand, the heat, the burns, nor the cold nights. Ban's mother had been from such a place and spoke of it from time to time. It was not as appealing as going south and potentially finding her siblings or even her parents. "What are you going to teach me next?" Glistening eyes darted up to Belle full of wonder. Despite her anger she was interested in learning. Perhaps without the distraction of others she could fill her mind with knowledge. Banshee was naturally ambitious.

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Banshee was quiet as Belle explained to her lightly the desert that drew her aunt so vividly. However much Belle was not convinced of winning her niece over. Not that she could blame her, potentially running back into her siblings or parents verses the visually lifelessness of the sandy desert. She wouldn’t go to harshly on the young girl. The babe looked upon her with innocent blue eyes and Belle smiled back as she questioned hernext lessons.

The ivory splashed Klein returned to her niece, offering another nuzzle as she swelled in her pride of the youngling. ”To survive, to thrive, to fully grasp your identity as the Klein Princess you are.” Deathbelle wanted deeply to provide the girl a Kingdom to bask within. One day soon, if the fates smiled down at her. ”Your fighting techniques, certainly. Some simple herbalism. Even if you have no desire to learn the flora around you, knowing how to take care of your own wounds is a vital skill in any warrior.” Ban hadn’t shown any interest in her herbs yet, but Belle would teach her none the less.