Adventure! That's all the young pup wanted. And she was gonna have it! As soon as she could sneak away out from under her mother's gaze, Athena ran out into the Sparse Pines to see what she could find. The cold snow that seemed to be everywhere didn't bother her too much and even when it did she just moved a little faster to keep herself warm. Athena spotted a particularly large boulder in the distance, particularly large to a pup anyway, and she grinned excitedly at the challenge it offered her. The silvery gray pup ran to her target, her paws making small holes in the snow wherever she went. Peering up at the snowy boulder with her red and green eyes, she looked for the best way to climb to the top. She spotted a small chip in the rock's slopping side and she took the chance to dig her small claws into the rock and pull herself up. She did this again and again till she finally scrambled to the top. She gave a huge grin and made a small, squeaky, puppy version of a howl at her small victory. Then she glanced down at the ground, her dark gray tipped ears flicking as she wondered how she was going to get down... Speech Thought Others

Azalea sat. She did a lot of sitting here, more sitting than she had done in her entire lifetime. She hated sitting but she was a prisoner, what else could she do? It wasn't like they were inviting her for a jog along the border or to help hunt. She was an outcast not that she ever intended to become part of the "in" crowd here. Even if that were on her list of things to achieve in life, she would have pump herself full of asshole blood to make herself part of Isardis' family. It seemed his family ruled the pack, from what she could tell. Argent though was not related and seemed to be the closest thing to a mate that the ruffian wolves knew. She was Isardis' main lady, after all. Azalea had gained some important as of late, having the devil's children now growing inside of her. She had yet to feel the effects but given the waning of her sex drive, she suspected it was fairly inevitable. Her ears pressed back against her skull as a sound broke the silence and then rushed forward as she realized it was a child. She suspected the place was teeming with them. Her skin crawled at the thought of all those hungry mouths pulling at their mothers' teats. She rolled her shoulders, trying to shake her discomfort. The whole process of being pregnant and rearing whelps was nauseating to her and yet she didn't mind puppies. She was already on her feet, moving toward the pathetic howl. The puppy was easy enough to find, it wasn't like she was making herself scarce. She stood perched upon a large boulder, looking out at the world around her. Inwardly the auburn headed lass rolled her eyes, definitely an Isardis child. She stopped near the base of the boulder, watching the pup as she surveyed the ground below. "You got up there, can't you get down?" Her tone was light. "I can help you, if you would like." Polite. She had no harsh feelings for the puppy, it was not her fault that her father was an asshole.

A white wolf with a russet face appeared soon after her realization of her predicament, questioning why she couldn't get down if she had gotten up there. And offering help, which Athena dismissed immediately. Her little chest puffed up proudly and she said, "No, I can do it myself!" She crept toward the edge, peering down at the ground. It looked really high to her, but with the new fea there for comparison she saw that it really wasn't all that high. That made her feel not quite so victorious about her climb now, but oh well. She crept as far toward the very edge as she could and bent her legs under her. Taking a deep breath, she jumped off the rock, aiming for a thick patch of snow. She landed with a thump and a yelp, disappearing under the surface of the snow. Safe landing, but now she was stuck all over again! She whined, reaching her nose up toward the surface. "I-I'll take that help now, please," she said meekly, her ears folding back against her head. Speech Thought Others

The devil's spawn that stood before her was aware of her approach instantly. She watched Azalea closely as she neared and then at the Valhallan's offer of help she stood tall and defiant. "No, I can do it myself!" Azalea gave her an uncertain look but took a step back to let the child try to work things out on her own. Azalea was much like the gal when she was a puppy, wanting to do things on her own. However she was softer spoken than this pup when she was that young. Finally the pup jumped, yelping as she disappeared in the snow. Amber eyes grew wide and her heart jumped into her throat, burying her now into the snow to try and make sure the small wolf was in one piece. "I-I'll take that help now, please," A nose reached up, bumping her own and Azalea drew her head back sharply. There was hope for the Isardis child yet, at least she could accept help. "Sure thing, pipsqueak." There was a smile in her tone as she leaned down to grab the pup by the scruff and lifted her upwards, taking a few steps back to set the pup down where she had already worked down from walking. "I'm Azalea, what's your name?" There was a playful tone in her voice, as there always was when it came to puppies. As she placed the pup down she gave her a good once over to be sure that she was in fact in one piece. Everything was in check, perhaps just a little soggier than before. "You should be more careful." She wanted to ask where the girl's mother was but at the same time it felt wrong. Azalea didn't want to make the pup feel small, incapable. Those were feelings she had always loathed as a child. For the first time she felt a stirring in her belly but maybe it was in her head. She frowned and squirmed in place, not sure about the feelings that were rising in her now. Disgust but also something else, something more that had been awoken in helping the puppy out of the snow. Speech,

Athena's nose bumped the muzzle of her rescuer, making her blink with surprise. The stranger was concerned for her? She thought that was more surprising than anything. If her brothers had seen her like this they would have laughed at her. And she was almost certain that her father would have made her climb out on her own. When the russet faced fea lifted her out of the snow she looked at her curiously before saying, "Thank you," quietly. "I'm Athena," she replied, memorizing Azalea's name as well. She seemed really nice, which was a new thing for the silvery pup. But at Azalea's advice to be more careful she puffed up proudly again, defiantly trying to defend herself. "I don't need to be careful. I can do anything!" She stopped, glancing up at the rock she had just jumped from. She lowered her head, her ears folding back meekly. "Weeeell, okay, maybe a little more careful." Speech Thought Others

"Thank you," came the muffled tones from a face ripe with suspicion. What could possibly be circulating in that little puppy skull of hers? Azalea wondered vaguely if the child had registered her scent, which largely did not match up with that of other Glaciem wolves. "I'm Athena," A warrior's name. It fit the little spitfire of a child. She wondered if the girl had siblings or any friends. How did wolves entertain themselves here. Her eyes glared off unamused as her mind made sure to remind her just how Isardis entertained himself . When Azalea told Athena to be more careful she received just the reaction that she had anticipated. "I don't need to be careful. I can do anything!" Azlaea remembered thinking like that, of course, she was still convinced she could do anything. "Weeeell, okay, maybe a little more careful." She smiled a bit. "There's only a few things you need to know in life, kid: Live the life you want... and give 'em hell." Her smile widened into a full grin. "You seem quite a bit like me, Athena, and if you ask me that is great thing." She could imagine everyone now, rolling their eyes and "oh brother"-ing all the while. Speech,

The silvery-hued pup looked up at Azalea with curiosity as she spoke, grinning and giggling at the russet-faced fea's advice to "give 'em hell". Her tail wagged happily and she looked up at her new friend with adoration. Azalea was just like how she wanted to be when she grew up. Athena couldn't get enough of Azalea and how unlike the rest of their pack she was. Athena padded closer to Azalea and pounced playfully on the older fea's forepaws, grinning all the while. She lifted her emerald and ruby gaze up to Azalea's again, and curiosity came over them again. Azalea didn't smell exactly like the other wolves in Glaciem and she seemed like way too much fun to be from here. Athena finally spoke her mind and asked, "Azalea, are you from here like me? Where are you from?" She wondered briefly if it was rude of her to ask, but she was so curious she just had to. Maybe she was friends with her father? He seemed to have lots of friends that were girls here. That's the only way Athena could figure out how there was so many feas with him aaaaall the time. Speech Thought Others

Azalea's words were enough to delight the pup, she grinned madly. Suddenly the child was at her paws, pouncing them playfully, much like her sisters might have. She felt a pang of loneliness, here in the bitter north with no family. In the same moment she jumped backwards away from the pup's touch, mouth opening wide as her head swooped down and play gnaw at the girl's little legs and chest. "Azalea, are you from here like me? Where are you from?" Her question was abrupt and the auburn headed lass had to avert her eyes from the girl. She seemed to have finally noticed that something was off about her. Azalea briefly wondered if a lie would suffice, if only to keep her pint sized friend from thinking differently of her. She couldn't lie to a pup though, she wouldn't. "No, I'm from Valhalla. You see, your... pack... took a member of mine and I traded my freedom for his own, see he had a mate back home who missed him dearly. I cannot freely leave this place." She was slow and careful with her words. The last thing she wanted to do was offend the pup, that could land her in a heap of trouble real fast. She smiled lightly at the girl, cautious of how she would react.

Athena giggled excitedly as her new friend jumped back and bit lightly at her legs and chest. Yes! Play fighting! She loved to play like this with her brothers, but they were never any fun to play with. She liked playing with Azalea though. She was fun. Her question made the russet-faced fea act differently, turning her eyes away from the silvery pup and speak slowly and carefully. Athena listened with her head tilted to the side and her brows pulled together, thinking hard about what Azalea said. So Valhalla was another pack like where they lived now? And her pack took one of their members so Azalea came to live here instead... And now she was trapped? Athena's ears folded back as she glanced down at the ground and thought hard about what all of this ment. Did her daddy have something to do with it? He was the king, right? So he was being mean and keeping Azalea here? Why would he do that? Her emerald and ruby eyes looked up at Azalea again, still considering all of this. "So you came to save that other wolf from your pack right? But now you're stuck here?" She considered this as well for several moments before nodding resolutely and giving her new friend a little smile. "Well you're really brave for staying here in your friend's place." Speech Thought Others

"So you came to save that other wolf from your pack right? But now you're stuck here?" She smiled lightly at Athena, seeing the little silvery pup was struggling to put it all together fully. The auburn headed she-wolf didn't think she could make Athena see things as they were, not without her getting angry for accusing Isardis of crimes she knew nothing of. A light nod was all she gave, to confirm the questions. "Well you're really brave for staying here in your friend's place." Her smile returned, bigger this time. "Well thanks," She said before sweeping her tail from left to right and bounding ahead of the child. She pivoted around, play bowing and waiting for Athena to catch up. "Do you enjoy it here? Its sold... harsh. Where I am from the seasons are all long and there is lots of sunshine. Hills and open prairie, forests. Lakes and rivers." Valhalla was a beautiful painting in her mind and she hoped that Athena saw it too. The image, beautiful as it was, made her chest grow tight with a hollow pain. Home...

The silvery pup was happy that Azalea liked her compliment and returned Aza's wider smile. Her new friend suddenly hopped up and bounded past her and Athena scrambled to her paws to turn around and see Aza turning back toward her with a graceful bow. Athena grinned wide, wondering how she was able to be all graceful like that, and bounced over to the older fea excitedly. Athena listened to Azalena as she discribed her old home and asked if she liked it here and the pup thought about it for a moment, trying to picture this land that had sunshine and fields and lakes that weren't frozen. Athena had never seen such a place, really didn't know it existed. It was hard for her to imagine, but if it was anything like what popped up in her head she was sure it was really, really pretty. What was it like to not be cold all the time? Athena really didn't know. "Living here is alright I guess. It's just reeeeeeally cold all the time. And, you know, everything is frozen and stuff. Your home sounds really pretty. Do you get snow there too?" Speech Thought Others

Athena bobbled her way through the snow to stand before Azalea. "Living here is alright I guess. It's just reeeeeeally cold all the time. And, you know, everything is frozen and stuff. Your home sounds really pretty. Do you get snow there too?" The older female laughed a bit before nodding enthusiastically. "Yes we do, but only in winter." Seasons blurred together here, did Athena even see them as defined times of year? Winter has teased them this year, or perhaps it was her body being tricked by the weather here. It was still fall, it seemed. See? Even Azalea was getting her seasons turned around by this place. A sly smile slid onto her face, lighting up her features. A paw lifted, swiping playfully down at the child's face. "Be a little poofier, kid, then you won't be so cold!" Azalea naturally had a plush coat, she was born in winter and relatively used to the cold. She enjoyed winter and snow but being here she had already had about enough of it. Isardis was one very good reason to never like the season again.

Her head tilted to the side as the russet-faced fea explained that they only had snow in winter, her gaze curious. Being only a season old, Athena knew nothing but snow and ice, nor would she ever know anything but that if she stayed here in the north her whole life. The thought of anything besides cold and winter was completely foreign to the silver pup. Athena glared jokingly up at Azalea as she playfully hit her face, telling her to be more poofy. "I can't grow more fur on command, silly!" she retorted with a flick of her tail. She hopped up onto her paws and, with a shake of her rump, she leaped toward Azalea, tackling the older fea's forelegs with a laugh. She was a rough and tumble type of pup, a tomboy some might say, and wrestling sounded all too fun to her. Speech Thought Others