The storms had not let up since the first row of clouds appeared. Rain had fallen and continued to pour upon the earth, not giving it enough time to soak up what had been there before. The ground had turned to mush, mud making up almost every corner of the Delta and the Springs. The combination of the Springs and their steamy hot tubs with the cold rain resulted in a fog that surrounded all of Sawtooth's territories. It spread like a disease, covering every nook and cranny that belonged to the quiet pack. Dhiren didn't let that stop him from doing his duties. He walked through the mud and entanglements of uprooted trees, intending to get through one more round of boundary patrols before retiring to his den. The male had made sure that Guinevere and her baby were all right, snuggled deep in their den with enough food to keep up the baby's milk for a few days. He hadn't said a word, but his gaze said enough for Guinevere to understand. His black form continued to walk through the fog and rain, enduring the weather despite his mother's wishes. He needed to stay busy; otherwise, he would go insane from being in captivity. Silver and gold eyes looked around in the fog as his steps remained solid and slow. If anyone tried to find refuge in his pack lands, he would have to deal with them. "Speech" Lineart courtesy of Kaylink on dA - Character belongs to Wynn

She wanted to reconnect with her littermates, meet her younger siblings, and get to know the newest arrival to the family. So, she had returned to the storm riddled eastern lands, against her better judgement. That had gotten her stuck in the middle of a storm, with her head in a bush. Luckily she managed to attract heroes everywhere she went, and was rescued just in time to avoid the worst of the oncoming storm. Now, she was heading for the Sawtooth pack lands, and trying to get used to the new name while she walked. As she neared the lands, a dense fog made it pretty much impossible to see. Which meant, you guessed it, she did a whole lot of slipping in the mud and tripping over everything. A trail of curses followed in her clumsy wake, echoing in the fog as she went. However, that didn't seem to be enough for the universe. No, she wasn't feeling the love enough yet.
She did not see the pool that was about to drop off right in front of her. "Son of a bi-" Came the startled cry before she got a mouth full of tepid water and was officially soaked to the bone. Continued swearing was her mantra as she hauled her willowy frame from the water, and stood on the edge of the pool, still streaming oaths as she pointlessly shook water from her pelt. Why bother, it was pouring rain anyway. Old habits, it would seem. She took a step forward, and her single ebon paw went out from under her, and the pallid babe went catapulting back into the not so hot spring. It seemed to really like her, and not want her to leave. So, she stood in the middle of the fog, up to her elbows in lukewarm water, dropping every profanity she knew into the air around her. Because why bother leaving if she was just gonna get dragged back in again?

The rain was still firmly falling from the sky, no promises of letting up coming anytime soon. Dhiren was already soaked to the bone from the tropical storm, but he didn't care. At that moment, he was focused on finding strays that would attempt to seek shelter in Sawtooth. His trust levels weren't high already, making it difficult for him to tolerate trespassers. The mere idea of someone doing it to his home was enough to make his body tremble in silent waves of anger. Little did he know that his feats would be tested. Dhiren heard splashes nearby. Someone had fallen into one of the springs and was cussing up a storm almost as strong as the one around him. He changed direction and began to walk towards the source. His bi-colored gaze fell upon a white figure, drenched from the rain and even more so by the spring she had rolled into. Upper lip began to curl from realizing he had a trespasser upon his lands, but when he saw the black ear and marking upon her lower back, he stopped. "Kota?" he asked, voice hoarse from not being used in so long. Surprise was evident in his tones and he took a few steps closer to the girl standing in the spring. When he realized that she was the one upset with the water and cursing her brains out, Dhiren couldn't help but laugh. She looked so mad and with how tiny she was...it made him laugh harder than he first started out doing. Talk like this

speech,





A voice met her audits through the rain, a familiar one, if a little deeper now with age. She ceased her strings of profane language, instead peering up through water heavy lashes at her brother with a grin. Now she lacked an ability to care that she was probably going to get pulled back into that stupid fucking pool, and started to scramble out of the spring. Looking altogether like a drowned rat, with her thick fur clinging to her dancer's form and her head between her petite shoulders, she wasn't about to be making a good impression on her estranged sibling. Blinking through the rain that just kept falling, she had to stop herself from tackling her big brother. However, as she straightened up, the pallid femme realized that he wasn't in fact her big brother. She was the bigger one, still. It seemed she'd been the only one to take after their father in height. How odd. Regardless, a huge grin came to play at her delicate features. "Dhiren!" She barked happily, soggy banner rising from where it hung at her hocks, and wagging joyously at her rump.
She had missed her brother, and took a cautious step forward, before pressing her snout into the waterlogged fur of her brother's neck. "I missed you! It's been forever!" She exclaimed, taking a step back and meeting her brothers mismatched gaze with her own dual toned optics. Hopefully he didn't react like Canta had, that would really suck, to have two of her siblings on bad terms with her.

All thirty-six inches of Dhiren was enough for anyone he came across, even his taller sister. Lakota hadn't been around the past year or so, but that didn't mean Dhiren didn't love her. She raced towards him and collided into his body, her impact making him take a few steps back. He finally dug his hind paws into the dirt, but his action only made him slide further than he had intended on doing. Nevertheless, he returned his sister's bump with his own and their chests collided in a happy reunion. "I agree," he said, voice filled with mirth. It had been quite awhile since he was happy and to have his sister reunite with him upon his lands was something he hadn't thought about happening. As he realized that she was trespassing on Sawtooth, Dhiren pulled back and hurriedly whispered, "Since you're not legally a member of Sawtooth, I'm going to have to make you a guest of honor. That way, you won't get in trouble." His silver eye blinked in a wink and he nudged her face with his wet, black nose. Even as they talked, the rain continued to cascade in large amounts. He began to move in the direction he was heading, already drenched and water causing his fur to stick to his body. Muscles moved with each step and he gave her a wordless motion to follow him. He was almost done patrolling anyway, making him think of how delicious a warm deer leg would be in his dry and comfy den. "What have you been doing for the past year?" he asked, soaked form still moving slowly through the drenched pack land. Speech,

After a bit of slipping and sliding on her ever graceful brother's part, he finally figured out where his footing was, and embraced her. She grinned happily, chuckling as her brother spoke. It had been forever, and she was rather enjoying that her brother's voice was a lower timbre, he sounded quite a bit like father. Not to mention he looked nearly identical to the man that had sired them. Her brother whispered dramatically that he was going to have to make her an honored guest in the lands so she wasn't perceived as a threat. She laughed again, louder this time, happier. She was being received well by her brother, much better than by Canta. This was wondrous. He tossed her a wink, and touched his nose to her cheek. She returned the affectionate bump with one of her own, snout pressing against her brother's cheek briefly. It wasn't long before her brother motioned for her to follow him, and so she did. Delicate paws touched down upon the soggy terrain, sticking rather close to her sibling's side and watching him out of the corner of her eye. He had gotten big, and become a man as surely as she had become a woman. It was strange seeing him like this, so suddenly changed from the young boy she saw him as in her mind when she thought of him, into this muscular, regal man. However, if was definitely a good change. At his query, she shrugged, letting out a very long, sad sigh. "Damned if I have a friggin' clue, but I spent the whole time trying to get back home." She murmured, her voice hardly audible over the falling rain all around them. Lakota didn't much like talking about what had happened to her that while ago, but she knew her family needed to know that she hadn't run off for no reason at all. "But it doesn't matter, I'm back now!" She announced with a smile, sodden tail wagging behind her. If it hadn't been pouring rain, the pallid femme might have caught the scent of another on his coat, a young woman. Her narrow shoulder bumped against that of her obsidian littermate, a grin coming to play against her dainty features. "So, met anyone special while I was off in a world of pure imagination?" She asked him, raising a brow quizzically. (Best reference ever oh yeah go Den) Speech,

Her vivid vocabulary made him smirk. Lakota was always the one that stood out from the perfect set of sisters he was raised with. She had been the only girl to explore with him outside of the pack lands as a pup, only to get told off after returning. They had been partners-in-crime, even if they didn't have too many bad adventures. His silver and gold eyes sparkled as he replied. "Yes, I am glad that you have returned, Kota. You have missed out on so much, but I hope you are around enough to witness more things." Lakota's question about a special girl made Dhiren's smile fade. His happy nature slowly diminished and he took a deep breath in. When he exhaled, he cleared his throat and broke his gaze from his sister's. Facing the ground, he softly spoke to the rain in front of him. "That...is a complicated matter, Kota," he admitted, tones now sad and filled with heartache. "So much happened lately and I have not worked through all of the tangles yet. There is someone, but it's hard to admit it right now." Talk like this

OOC: Christ almighty on a bagel, I'm so sorry that took me forever! I never got the notification that you replied! Her brother sucked in a breath at her question, looking away. Had she said something she shouldn't have? Whoops, seemed to be a recurring theme with her. Lowering her crown, it fell between her shoulders as she tried to find her brother's lost gaze. Brow knotted with worry, mismatched audits fell backwards in anxiety. What was wrong? Her ebony coated brother cleared his throat, looking to the ground as his paws ate away the distance between them and wherever their destination. She continued to watch the sorrowful profile of his features, this man who looked so much like their father. He spoke, lyrics full of heartbreak. Complicated matters, never a good sign. She bumped her shoulder against his again, trying to be reassuring. He tried to explain it to her, but she knew he wasn't about to tell her every little detail about his love life. And she didn't want to hear everything. It wasn't her business, not in the least. When her brother ceased in his speech, she let a whine of condolence slip past her onyx lips. It wasn't pity she felt, but sympathy. All she wanted was for her one and only brother to be happy, he deserved only the best. Did she need to go have a chat with this little lady? Maybe she should, that might be helpful. Or not. Probably not. That might just fuck up Dhiren's future with this she wolf (he wolf????) even more than it already was. "I'm sorry Ren, I hope things get better for ya." She murmured, nuzzling the obsidian pelted male's cheek once more. She let silence reign between them for a moment, so her brother could get his head on straight again. No doubt that conversation might have fogged it up a little, and it was always good to get your ducks in a row after that before getting caught up in conversation again. Talk like this

Lakota's reaction was one that Dhiren appreciated. She cared for him and that was what he needed. Her brush against his shoulder was all the more accepted, for he bumped back into her as the silence took over their rainy walk. As his black and white paws squelched into the mud, he looked over at Lakota with his bright gold eye. "Thank you, Kota...You don't know how much you mean to me right now." His words made his head rise, showing how her words and company impacted his sudden mood swings. His chest felt lighter than before and he knew that she wouldn't judge him, no matter what decisions he made in the future. Dhiren's wet tail lazily moved behind him as he turned the conversation's direction towards his sister. "So, what about you? Have you found anyone that's tickled your fancy yet?" Lakota was a loaded pistol; anyone that wanted to take her on would need a bulletproof vest. "Speech" Lineart courtesy of Kaylink on dA - Character belongs to Wynn

Her brother bumped her shoulder right back, and she couldn't help but smile a little. He voiced his thoughts, how much he appreciated her being there now. Her smile only grew, and she nipped at his ears a little. "I probably don't." She chuckled. It was always fun to be around Dhiren, even when he was being a little bit gloomy. He was a great brother, the best a girl could ask for. He pushed the topic toward her, and all she could respond with was a peal of hearty laughter. Yeah right! She was in no way a relationship wolf, and it was probably for the better that she wasn't all that interested in males right now. All she wanted to do was wander, but a companion wouldn't be a bad thing at all. "Dhiren, it'd be a miracle if I found someone this soon after getting back home." She laughed, tail swinging to and fro cheerily at her rump. She was completely okay with a lack of romance right now, it was something she could worry about at a later date, maybe never. She'd cross that bridge when she got there.
Since today was not the best day, and was having a hell of a time drenching her in both warm and cold water, it only seemed fair she'd get to wipe out just one more time. A misplaced paw earned her a split second to realize her mistake, upon which she took the opportunity to curse. "Shit!" She barked, before taking a one way trip into yet another spring. Her fall was awkward, earning her what would soon become a nice big bruise, marked by the loud crack of her right ankle connecting with the edge of the pool. Dunked completely in the warm water, she managed to hit the bottom as well, nose smashing right into the silty ground. Flailing wildly, she scrambled back to the surface. Breaking through the water, she was willing to waste her first lungful of air. "You've got to be shitting me right now!" She shouted, paddling back to the edge.
The beginnings of a very evil plan entered her head, and she had to work at not grinning. It would give the whole thing away. As she pulled herself back onto the shore, she wrapped her forepaws around her brother's neck and threw herself backwards. If it worked, her brother would fall headlong into the water with her. If she had to suffer this misery, so would he. It was the law of being related. Especially to her.

When Lakota fell into the pool, Dhiren began to get frantic. He saw her flail in the water and his eyes widened. "Kota!" He yelled as he stood over the edge of the spring. He heard the soft crack beneath the water and he began to kneed his paws at the water's edge. Oh dear, what was he going to do?! His answer was granted without him even asking. Lakota came up from the water, grabbed his neck, and pulled him under. Surprise was on his face as he went down, and soon he was surrounded by very warm water. The male was unable to get in a breath, so he struggled against Lakota's firm grip. He felt her front limb lessen and he broke the surface to suck in as much air as he could. Without hesitating, he dove back under the water and began to tickle her stomach with his large front paws. He smiled beneath the surface, causing bubbles from his mouth to rise above them. Speech, Awesome pic by Seren <3

Her brother was quick to retaliate to her attack, much to her surprise and eventual delight. His great big forepaws began their assault on her belly, tickling her until she was about to start sucking in water. She replied to this with gusto, rear paws kicking out to return to favour to her brother's own stomach. She could see him grinning even with her vision blurred by all the water, and couldn't help but start to smile herself. Colours she couldn't name began to dance at the corners of her vision, and she was starting to feel dizzy. Shit, all this not laughing was starting to hurt. She pushed at her brother's belly with her rear paws, half assing an attempt to propel him to the surface as she clawed her way up as well. Air seemed like a very good idea. OOC: Oh my sweet avocados such a bad reply so sorry Speech,