Arian patted her paws on the leaf that she had found fallen to the earth in the grass. The small orange thing had caught her attention almost instantly. This was her first fall in this world after all. The three month old pup was interested in every color around her that the leaves and grass were changing. It was the most interesting thing she had ever seen when it came to transition to things. Her tail flicked back and forth as she hopped on the leaf until it broke. She yelped a bit to the crunch noise but then laughed. All was well in the young innocents mind.

The yip was unmistakable. Arian. A fond smile grew on his lips as he twisted toward the source of the sound, knowing she was close by. He hoped that nothing had harmed her and caused the yelp, because it seemed more surprised than painful - but he would soon find out which it was. As he spotted her in the distance she appeared alright, playing amongst a few leaves that fluttered on the ground. That explained things. Eagerly he trotted toward her, bending his front half closer to her level and wagging his tail. ?Hello Arian,? he would croon affectionately. The smile never faltered on his features. ?Are you having fun?? ?speak,?

Arian turned her head up when she heard the male next to her. The large man who had taken on the role as her father. When they had first met she had yelled at him. Though she hoped he held no offence to that. She was glad that he was able to help her bury her mother and that a proper prayer was given for her. Just as when her father had died. Maverick was a nice man, she knew that as much as anyone else. As the pup flicked her black tipped tail she smiled and gave a giggle.
"I was playing with this leaf and having fun yes. I wonder why they change color though. We can't do that." Arian tilted her head at the different colored leaves. She looked around, it was weird how it all did this. Witnessing her first true season change was interesting in the least. "Some of them even look like my coat color!" The brownish colored pup exclaimed. Her crystal blue eyes looking at the leaves as they fell off the branches of the tree. The grass was even becoming an odd pale color.

She was intrigued about how the leaves changed colors. To be honest he didn't know much about it, only that they correlated their changes with the seasons. He loved the fall leaves when they turned deep russets, oranges, and yellows. Warmer colors were his favorite, but perhaps it was because he was partial to the warm tones due to his own coloration. ?Soon enough some of them will be my coat color, Arian. They are kind of pretty, aren't they?? He reached down and nosed a particularly dark red leaf, nudging it toward one that looked like her coloring. ?These two look like us,? he remarked with a bit of feigned astonishment. It was wonderful how excited she was about such simple things. He'd forgotten what it was like to be a child. ?speak,?

The excitement built up within her. They would change into even more deep colors? Really! They were amazing, she wagged her tail back and forth as she hopped over besides Mav, as he pulled two leaves that looked like the two of them. His feigned astonishment made her jaw drop. With a gasp she giggled and placed her paws gently on the two of them careful not to break them. "The king and his adopted daughter. What shall happen to them in the future. Is up to the higher sources above. To be great warriors, or otherwise." She said in a small rhyming voice. Her tail flicking back and forth and turned to Maverick. Wiggling her hind quarters as she eyed him. "You want let me fall into the hands of evil would you Mavvy?" She laughed as she hopped onto his leg. Trying to climb onto his back, in which she would probably fail and fall backwards.
Arian giggled as she slid down his fur, and nuzzled him. He was really soft, at least to her. It was amazing how she had found such a family in the first place. She felt like the most lucky girl in the entire planet. No the entire land of alacritis, that was a big place wasn't it?

He watched her place her paws gingerly atop the two leaves he'd imagined as them, seeming to have fallen for his feigned astonishment. It wasn't easy for an adult to get so excited over foliage, after all. With a smile he would listen to her as she spoke - she was wise beyond her months of life. ?How did you get so smart?? He would question with both curiosity and amusement. One or both of her parents must have been intelligent for it to have rubbed off on her so quickly. She then posed an interesting question, to which his own jaw would drop slightly before folding into a confident smile. ?Certainly not, my dear. Your mother and I love you too much to let evil taint that pretty little face.? Though he had no means by which to keep that promise, he would do all he could to ensure that it didn't happen. He did love Arian deeply, and he wanted her to always walk in the path of a good and just wolf. She hopped onto his leg and subsequently tried to climb onto his back. He would contort his body in such a manner to hopefully make it easier for her. Her affectionate touch was kind and gentle, and he let out a noise akin to a purr. This was joy in its most simple form. ?speak,?

Arian didn't know she was smart, but both of her parents had been the most kind wolves in the world. She took after her mother in smartness and her father in most of personality. Looking like her mother with her leaf colored fur apart from the eye patch eyes and the black tip of her tail. She clumsily climbed onto the fluffy wolf's back. Giggling as she squished herself down into his soft fur. Maverick wasn't such a bad guy, and she was greatful to be adopted into such a family. The pup would grow into a fine young lady, if not she already was, just entirely small in her size. She pulled her head over his own and blew into his face softly. "I'm not smart, I'm just Arian, and Arian will stay Arian." She answered him with a laugh her tail wagging back and forth.
"Well then I guess that makes you my living guardian angels." Her father would speak of the angelic beings that watched over them in their sleep. Whenever she cried, or feel pain she could remember they were watching to comfort her. Sometimes they couldn't help, but they wished they could and everyone had a pair or one. Arian believed that Epiphron and Maverick had truly become her living breathing guardian angels. They could help her, instead of just sit back and watch like those poor angels in the stories.

He would duck his head in response to her weight shifting on top of it, a smile painted upon his face. The child was truly remarkable, and he was proud to know her. She disregarded his smart comment, emphasizing that she was just being herself. ?You are Arian, and Arian happens to be smart.? He would chuckle as he said this, wondering if she would continue to playfully argue with him. She'd been spirited since day one, and he expected nothing different. She called he and Epiphron her living guardian angels. He liked the idea of that, and liked that she thought so highly of them to bestow such a high honor like that. ?I guess we are,? he would muse thoughtfully in agreement. He twisted his ears back toward her. ?And your siblings are your partners in crime,? this would come with a louder chuckle, for he knew that as they grew older they were bound to get into even more and more trouble. ?speak,?

She let out a puff of air in a pffft noise as Maverick spoke. Partners in crime, it made her laugh. They'd be stealing all over town wouldn't they! She snuggled further into his fur, enjoying the feeling of his warm strands of hair. It reminded her of when she would spend time with her father. The memories made her slightly sad as the Pup disregarded them for the time being. "Don't worry Arian won't be a criminal. I'll just make sure everyone does as their told!" She exclaimed acting like the hero. As she hopped off of his back, nearly tripping over herself as she pulled herself in front of him. He was so big compared to her, it was like he was some sort of giant. She wondered if she would ever get that big.
"Mister Maverick just doesn't believe in me enough." She raised an eyebrow. Pulling back on her back legs as she took the playful position of her rump in the air and the forwards of her body on the ground. Arian giggled and wagged her tail back and forth. Her butt moving with it, with the amount of excitement she felt it was no wonder she could do such a thing. Specially in her mood.

She assured him she would be a good girl, and would make sure her siblings did what they were told. Maverick chuckled lightly, wishing and hoping that that would be true, but knowing that everyone got into trouble from time to time. ?I would like that very much,? he murmured. ?But just remember if you do run into trouble, you can always ask me or Epiphron and we'll always help you out.? There was no questioning that truth. Maverick would always be there for his children. He felt her hop off of his back and onto the earth, wriggling until she was in front of him. The tiny girl bowed into a playful stance, looking as if she wanted to wrestle. He dwarfed her by a lot, but he would not deny the child a chance to have a bit of fun with her adoptive father. And so, he would mirror her stance, shifting more of his weight to his left while his right front paw swept forward to lightly bat her on the nose, that is.. if she didn't move first. ?speak,?

The girl giggled at the giant wolf in front of her. She found it funny to see them like this. As his paw came down on her nose and stuck her tongue out slightly. She rolled over and wagged her little tail before pawing at his snout. Her soft underbelly exposed to the outside world. As she flipped over she gave Maverick a giant hug and a little puppy growl to try and nip at his shoulders. One day she'd grow into a fine warrior that was for sure.
Arian spit out the few strands of russet fur that had lingered within her mouth from her tackle. Flicking her tail back and forth as her blue eyes looked up at him. A sparkling smile on the child, she was like the essence of joy and innocence. It was perfect, in the eyes of the sun.

He smiled as she stuck her tongue out, flipping onto her back and pawing at his snout. This was a vulnerable position for a wolf, but she knew she was safe with him. He let her engulf his head in a hug, nipping at his shoulders. She certainly showed a proclivity for warfare, even if it was playful right now. She calmed herself and smiled at him, prompting him to ask her a curious question. ?Arian, what do you think you'd like to be when you grow up?? There were many things a girl like herself was capable of, and he was interested to know what she might like to do. Of course, she was still young and there would likely be a time or two when she changed her mind, but it didn't hurt to ask now. He tilted his head and let his ears swivel forward, awaiting her answer - which he fully anticipated would be amusing and adorable. ?speak,?

Arian had to aimlessly flick her tail for a few moments, then she tilted her head towards his question. That was honestly something she had simply decided after her parents deaths. It came to her naturally, she had seen a few other adult wolves do it before, her mind could always change but it was a nice start. Arian knew she wanted to work hard, but what she really wanted to do was help. She smiled closing her eyes. "I wanna do that weird stuff where they put the sticky paste of the scratches and scrapes others have! It seems like it helps them a lot, and makes all the icky pain go away." She answered. Imitating someone putting herbs on another.
Arian didn't even know the words for it, but it looked rather exciting. It was some sort of bonding that made it easy for someone to get so close like that. To make them feel better, to save lives from dying too. Maybe then she'd be able to make her family proud, for all that it was worth. She would like to heal those who could stop wolves like the one who had killed her father.