The day dawned gray and chilly, as usual this volcanic spring, with Chaos waking to watch over his pack. Today he found himself infused with a restless energy, pacing the border of the grassy basin as though it were actually a pack border rather than a simple temporary home that he'd no more right to guard than a loner. Habits were hard to break, though, and he had little other outlet for his strange mood today. He sniffed experimentally at the breeze and considered looking to see if anyone was interested in trying to chase down hares with him. It was spring, and despite the land's misbehavior closer to the volcano it was the time of year that the small mammal population would begin booming, the pack needed feeding, and he needed something to do. But he doubted he'd have the focus to actually catch any hares, so all that effort would doubtlessly be wasted. So why not waste that same energy uselessly patrolling a meaningless border instead, instead of bothering anyone else.

The young stallion trekked across the basin, nosing the ground here and there, picking at bits of grass that were still edible and not tainted by the ash that fell on the lands. He had decided to follow Jupiter. Not because he felt some obligation to him for getting him out of his captive state but because he rather liked the young wolf. After all, he was well aware that he could run off and leave him behind in the dust and he had made that clear, but he didn't feel like running away, no. Jupiter though he was a predator, was the only one that understood he wasn't the dumb animal he pretended to be to the heathen that had captured him. He was a free man now, and offered his services to help Jupiter when he needed it. Of course...he also decided he ought to extend that to the boys pack as well, though he wouldn't make it an open invitation. With the black howler sitting on his back quietly braiding his hair, Balian spotted movement in the form of another wolf. He paused to watch the strangely marked male, though he couldn't say he was as remarkable looking as young Jupiter, he was still an odd specimen to look at. Where he had come from, wolves looked as plain as the dirt they walked on, but the ones in these lands were almost anything but normal. A quick and short observation of the male told him perhaps he was looking for something, but he couldn't be sure. The pack Jupiter resided in had been forced to leave thanks to the Volcanic eruption, and in a way he could relate. He had been forced to leave his own home, too. With a quiet snort, he lumbered over towards the Male who upon closer inspection, had fangs peeking from his upper lip. They were much longer than normal wolf fangs, and he was curious about them. No doubt Jupiter had made this male aware that a horse resided among them...he hoped, anyway. And that he wasn't some random horse looking to get eaten. "Morning, wolf. Bored, are we?" He stopped several paces from him, tail swishing against his hocks while his companion peered over his neck at the alpha wolf. "Speech"

Chaos' brows raised at the tall creature who approached him - quite casually, considering that creature's species, and his own. His nephew Jupiter had taken the time to present the three slaves he'd managed to win in the auctions, but it was still strange to him to have a prey animal simply wander up to him to have a chat. "Ah," he drawled, "I like this new meal delivery service. Hello, Lunch." He gave the horse a lazy, tooth-bearing grin. Something peered over the horse's back at him, and Chaos eyed it back. "Though on second thought I'm not sure I'd eat anything that sort of weird growth on their neck."

He turned a critical eye to the alpha wolf, ears flicking against his head for a moment before tilting forward again as he snorted. He briefly glanced at the monkey on his back who had paused from his task to cast a lazy glance at the dark furred male before returning to his task. Where most of his kind would do everything they could to avoid a predator, Balian did the opposite. He wasn't afraid of them. Not since after his first encounter with the beasts who killed his parents and forced him to flee. "Do all your kind always think about food? Your species must be poor hunters..." He smirked and shook his head. "What's your deal wolf? Do you find amusement in the way you speak to others? Mocking them? Your joking attempts are quite poor, probably another thing your species does poorly." He lazily watched the wolf from his position, posture relaxed though made it clear enough that he'd stomp him to the ground if he tried to grab a bite. Though perhaps the male was being hasty in his judgment...he wasn't sure. After all, this wolf pack seemed to have lost a great deal of their lands thanks to the eruptions. It wasn't uncommon for creatures of all kinds to feel on edge in uncertain times. "Speech"

"Our food doesn't oblige by standing in one place waiting to be eaten, generally," he yawned, "So I don't think you're in much of a position to judge someone's hunting ability, I wouldn't think. Get back to me when you actually have to chase your food." His voice was mild, and a faint grin twitched back the sides of his mouth, but despite that there was a steel glint in his mismatched eyes. What, exactly, was this particularly mouthy prey animal bringing to his pack by allowing it to stay unmolested? They could wipe out that smirk in a single pack hunt, but he respected his nephew enough to let him have his schemes and slaves without screwing that up by eating his... beast of burden? "Have you considered that maybe the problem's in your head, Ponyboy? Maybe your lot waylaid your sense of humor along with your fangs when you started eating plants and getting eaten by everyone else." He gave an exaggerated shrug. "But what do I know, I'm just an apex predator. I couldn't possibly understand the struggles of an animal with your handicaps."