It had been late in the evening when her mothers returned with an older pup in tow. Bowen had been asleep, but had been roused by the soft sounds that accompanied entering paws. One green eye had cracked, but sleep pulled her down again. Whatever was happening could wait until morning. When daybreak finally came, the caramel cream girl pushed her treasure box up against the wall of the den and put a fur over it to keep it 'hidden.' It was blatantly obvious that something was under some random fur in the middle of the wall, but to her, it was hidden. She spied the new girl across the distance of the den and her head gave a little tilt. Slowly, she crept closer until she was peeking around the edge of the doorway into the chamber where her mothers had put the girl to sleep. There, she waited. Eventually the girl would wake up, right? Waiting took forever. Brothers and sisters milled around the den before heading out into an unnaturally warm autumn day. Momma made sure that she ate while Mom went out to be big and strong. Bowen was getting atnsy. When was she going to wake up?! "Bowen"

When Avantika awoke, it was as gently and normally as a soft blanket. She stared at the wall of the den, waiting for her brain to reach full consciousness. Then it hit her. Where the heck am I? Why wasn't she back at the palace? This was similar to the caves but also, it definitely wasn't them. She knew what her home looked like, every little nook and cranny she'd once hidden in. This was not where she slept.

No, no, no, calm. She retraced her memories. She'd woken up in a strange place, then she met that woman and... ah, there it is. She brought her here. Good. That was solved.

She pulled herself to her feet and stretched luxuriously. Her eyes jumped straight to the little girl staring at her. She lowered her head and narrowed her eyes. "Hi," she greeted awkwardly, not looking up. She was aware of every nerve in her body. She'd never seen someone littler than her.

Bowen had almost drifted off when the girl began to stir. She watched with wide emerald eyes as the older wolf began to stretch and wake. Bo hunkered down, peering around the doorway. She didn't want to disturb her, but she did want to meet her. Besides... she was a little shy, so the hiding helped. In time the girl saw her. The narrowing of eyes was noted and Bowen's russet and white ears tucked backwards. She was greeted at least, though it didn't stop the nervous butterflies in her stomach. The caramel and cream child had to remind herself that this was just like meeting one of the other Hallows pups. When she replied her voice was soft, showing just how shy and sweet she actually was. "H-hello. I just... wanted to meet you." The girls green gaze shone vibrantly and hopefully. "My name is Bowen. What's yours?" "Bowen"

Avantika waited, nerves firing like a tornado. She almost felt really sick to her stomach from the anxiety. What if she doesn't like me? What if she doesn't like me and she tells Resin and Tamsyn and they kick me out? What if I do something wrong and break the rules and mess everything up and nobody likes me and they punish me and kick me out? What if- She fought to stop the panic from completely drowning her. Okay, drowning. Water. Think of pools of nice, calm, water. Nobody could drown in those. Somehow her brain jumped to the times her parents had forgotten to give her water, and her heart rate rocketed back up. No, no, not that! Uh, just breathe then. She counted out four seconds as she inhaled, then another four as she released. Good. She was stable. Not perfect, no, never perfectly calm, but not drowning either. It didn't exactly hurt that the younger pup's ears pointed back at her hello, but it definitely didn't help. The ocean-eyed castaway's brain immediately translated the action as a sign that her companion didn't like her. "Sorry," she apologized automatically. Her eyes didn't leave the pup's form, scanning every microscopic movement. She kept her stare away from meeting her eyes though, to illustrate her nervousness. The girl's voice was soft as she said hello and gave her name. "Avantika." A part of her liked seeing her nervousness reflected in another being. Maybe it made her feel less alone, or maybe it just made her superior for once in her life. "speak"

The girl seemed a little upset about something and eventually apologized. Bowen had no idea why. There was no reason to. The small child shook her head, viridian eyes going wide. "No, no. I'm sorry." She wrinkled her nose, dissolving into a huge pile of awkwardness. "I'm sorry. I'm a little shy." Her voice was soft as a summer breeze and her ears went back once more as she admitted her shyness. Mom said that she would grow out of it eventually, but it didn't feel like she ever would. As the older girl gave her name, Bowen cracked a little, bashful smile. "That's a pretty name." She remembered that shortening a name meant that you were friends and the child's eyes brightened. "Can I call you Tika? You can call me Bo!" She nodded, hoping that the other girl would accept her friendship. "Sota taught me that short names mean friends." Once more that shyness clouded her eyes which were suddenly downcast. Hesitantly she asked, "Do you... want to be my friend?" Please, let her like me! "Bowen"

The younger girl's nervousness continued to be a trend. A trend that alarmed Avantika more than she wanted it to. While she had been treated with nothing but kindness, it seemed like someone who was raised in that sort of loving environment ought to be confident. The girl had met very few people in her two seasons of life, and most of them very recently. She couldn't really count her relationships with the palace guards as real, considering they had always treated her with cold politeness at best and avoided her entirely when they weren't forced to cross her path. So she made assumptions about others based on the only things she knew. As the little girl apologized for her shyness, the ocean-eyed castaway simply nodded. If she insisted her fault, she could tell they'd never get out of that subject. "I mind, no." She frowned, thinking of the proper words. "I don't mind." That was better. Someday she'd know all the words in the world and anything she said, people would understand. No one in that future would ever know of these times, when she had to laboriously ponder every word to make sure it was right. The pup spoke again, calling her name "pretty". Avantika wasn't quite sure of the meaning of the word, but she liked the sound of it. She smiled. She didn't exactly know why she was happy  After all, she wasn't the one who'd given her the name. Then the girl said she wanted to call her Tika and her smile rose. That had to mean something, right? And probably something good. She was rewarded with an explanation soon enough. Apparently someone named Sofa had told her that shortening names meant people liked each other. That was odd, but she liked it. She almost didn't notice her new friend's shyness, so great and strange was her joy at being asked to be someone's friend. "Yes," she replied, keeping her voice impassive. Now that they were friends, shouldn't they do something to get to know one another? Avantika knew very little about other children, but surely that had to happen at some point. "What do you do? Like, fun." It was sloppy, she knew that, but she couldn't figure out how to say it any other way. "speak"

The way that Tika spoke didn't bother Bowen at all. She didn't even think twice about it. She was still so young that it didn't dawn on her that something might be wrong with the older girl. The same with Emile; it was just the way they spoke. At so young an age, Bowen was a pure soul. There was no malice in the child, though as she aged, that was subject to change. So far the world had been as sweet to her as she had been to it. The smile on the patchwork girls face made Bowen's own features light up. Tika was so pretty. Especially when she smiled. The tiny girl leaned her cheek against the doorway to the chamber, a smile of her own on her cream and caramel face. "I like when you smile." Her little body began to quiver as her tail swished back and forth behind her. "It makes me happy that you're happy." Her moms didn't tell them much about the girl other than the fact that she was sad. Grimshaw was sad too. She was determined to make them both happy though. Tika asked what she liked to do and if the girls face hadn't been lit up before, now it would be beaming. Brows lifted and viridian eyes widened. "Oh! My favorite thing to do is hunt for treasure!" Ears tucked back for a moment as she spoke shyly. "Do you want to see my treasures? I have a special box for them that Mom gave me." With a nod, Bowen motioned for Tika to follow her out into the main chamber of the den. "Bowen"

The ocean-eyed castaway noticed Bo's little smile. Adorable kiddo, she decided. Even if she was shy, she seemed sweet. It was clear as day, even to her suspicious gaze, that this girl wouldn't hurt her. She'd come to talk to her on her own free will, presumably, and was continuing a conversation even with little input from Avantika. She resolved to learn how to talk better so she could communicate properly with the people here if they would insist on talking to her. Bowen's voice was kind as she told the girl that she "liked her smile". That was a nice thing to say. It left her feeling even warmer inside, as if the sun had forsaken its lonely sky and curled up right inside her heart. As the girl continued talking, the feeling only grew. It was odd but wonderful. She would stay around people forever for just one more drop of such happiness. Her tail mimicked Bo's, her body vibrating with joy she couldn't conceal. "Thank you." It was for far more than the compliment. A part of her was reluctant to show her true emotions, but for once, fear didn't control her. Joy did. She followed Bowen to her "treasures" silently, not wanting to mess anything up. It was so strange, having someone who she could maybe someday even call a friend. Maybe? Her smile flickered for a moment. She wouldn't ask if they were friends until she was sure. She decided she wouldn't even call them that in her head, to keep her from hoping for things that wouldn't happen. Just Bowen. "speak"

Tika smiled again and Bowen beamed, her tail becoming a blur. She really hoped that they would end up being friends. If Tika was living with them though, would she be a sister like Grimshaw was a brother? They weren't all born together, but surely if they lived together they were family, right? It was something she'd have to ask about. It was far too confusing to figure out on her own. As Bowen led Tika to her treasure box, there was a little prance in her step. She was small and dainty. Much smaller than the rest of her siblings and much smaller than Tika as well. She didn't let her size bother her though. It just meant that she was small enough to fit into places where others couldn't. Places where there might be treasure that others hadn't been able to reach. Pushing open the lid to her wooden box, she motioned Tika forward to look inside. There were various rocks. Some were smooth and marbled. Others glittered when they struck the light from the den mouth just right. There was one pink and white flower that was old and dry. She had a little mouse skull within and one big, red leaf. "I don't have too many treasures yet, but treasure is supposed to be hard to find. That's what makes it so special." She cast her green gaze towards the earthen hued girl. "What do you think?" Her eyes were big and hopeful. Would Tika like her treasure too? "What kind of things do you like?" "Bowen"

Bowen got even more excited when the ocean-eyed foundling smiled. Her tail was so fast! Avantika wouldn't like to get hit in the face with that going full speed. She made a mental note not to be behind the younger girl when she got worked up like that. She could knock an ear off with that kind of momentum. Avantika needed her ears! Humor aside, there was something adorably wholesome about the little girl, for all her earlier shyness. Surely Resin and Tamsyn had to be nice, for her to be so sweet. She didn't look nervous now. Maybe people could just be a little shy sometimes and not have there have to be a reason for it. She would think about that. It made some sense, though. Even with her very limited experience with other people, Avantika supposed that it would be as likely as anything else that people were just different from birth. Different bodies, different pelts... She could find a lot of things different about other wolves. She didn't know why she'd assumed personality wasn't among those things. The half-yearling was careful not to tread on Bowen's tiny paws as they moved to the box. When she pushed the box's lid open, Avantika stiffened, but inside was only a bunch of rather ordinary, if pretty, objects. The stones came in all colors and types. Some glinted when they hit the light, like fangs in a dark cave. She shivered at the thought and tried to distract herself with the other items in the box. The mouse skull was the next thing her eyes fell on. She imagined cracking it in her teeth. She had hunted stray mice before, in the palace caves. It was out of necessity. She'd suck the bones dry and chew on them when even that was gone, trying to get any little bit she'd missed. Her heart rate sped awry and she stopped smiling, as she was thrown into a flashback of herself. She was lying on the floor, mostly motionless, not even willing to use the energy to get up, gnawing on a leg bone from deer meat that she'd been given far too long ago. She'd cracked the bone eventually and stared at the fragment. The worst part was that she didn't even hesitate. She was so malnourished, she swallowed the bit without a moment's pause. Then she'd gone back to the bone for more. Back in the present, she was too foggy with memories to hear Bowen speak, but she realized she had asked a question pretty quickly. "Yeah, uh... Walk." Okay, that worked, right? Everything seemed distant, like something was stuffing her ears. She stumbled back. "Alone... I'm gonna..." She pulled herself away, speed-walking outside as fast as she could. She had to be alone. She didn't want Bowen to see her like that. The world blurred, and Avantika wanted to blur right along with it. "speak"

Everything was going so well and then Tika changed. Her smile faded and Bowen could see something different in her face. Was it fear? Alarm? Either way, the older girl turned and moved quickly from the den, saying that she wanted to be alone. The cinnamon child's ears drooped as did her tail. Seeing Tika so uncomfortable made her very sad. Bowen curled up next to her box of treasures, tears in her big green eyes. Bowen was young, but she knew that her life was a good one. She couldn't even begin to imagine why someone would be as hurt and afraid as Tika. Her little imagination wasn't so great that she could make up reasons as to why the bigger girl was how she was. She wanted Tika to be okay though. Bowen didn't want anyone to be sad. The Hallows was safe. Her family was good. Maybe it would take time, but she eventually wanted Tika to see. Until then, the tiny girl curled up and she cried. "Bowen"