The little girl had no idea how much trouble she was going to be in when her mommy or daddy found out she left the den. She had snuck out while Mama was giving Ric a bath and then took off like a mini rocket towards the borders… and unfortunately not the borders that they shared with Fiori. Not the border where she’d be safe. The child perked her ears, her mane falling before her right eye as she padded along. It would continue to grow as she aged… and undeniably marked her as one of Ganta’s children. Her blue eyes, shining bright, as well as the brown coloration she had, could just as easily be suggested from Arietta, her grandmother…

As she reached the edge of Dragoste territory the little girl paused, feeling the ground start to get squishy. The tide was out, luckily… and the sun was starting to dry the land back out. Philomena pressed her paw down harder into the mud, giving a delighted squeal before pouncing over the border into the plain. The squishy ground was fun! “Take that! And that! Grreeewww!” Her little growl was… hardly terrifying. In fact anyone watching the child would had likely smiled or chuckled at the sight. She was innocent… she was untainted… and she was vulnerable.

He walked through the land, a king ready to take what was his. The pieces were falling into place and he would be taking the home his brothers and sisters should of had to begin with. If it weren't for those abraven bitches and imperium scum they would all be under the rule of either his father or enigma. Though he felt enigma didn't wish for the throne as much as him. He took after his father completely though his mother's colors diluted what should of been a pure white pelt. His tail hung behind him though was ready to lift at a moment's notice. He stopped at the scent that belonged to one of the runts kids. So apparently his warning hadn't deterred his brother from keeping his wells inside the lines of his pack. Not that the borders would honestly stop the pirate. His paws angled and he came upon his niece playing in the mud.

He knew his scent differed from ganta's but still was close enough that she might think she's been caught by her father. It occurred to him he could use his niece to get to ganta, it was time to put on some charm. He made his way and sat only about five feet from her. "Hello there. You must be my brother's child..... So what has my courageous niece been named, hmm?" he kept his voice calm, even and even let honey drip into it. Hed see just how much of a hellstrom she was. He figured he'd start by sweet talking her and probably telling her of her uncle's and aunt and how ferocious her family truly was. He's corrupt her little mind and make her hang on his every word.

He lowered himself to the ground then so he was at her level. He could tell she was alone by the trail she left behind. His golden eye was on her form and the empty eye socket held open for her to view.

Philly hadn’t noticed the scent of another until after a second, less than intimidating growl, her ears perking and eyes widening as she looked around. She indeed thought she might turn to find her father, but the male before her didn’t look like daddy… not exactly. She took a breath in with wonder, unafraid as she took a small step towards him. He looked to be about as big as her daddy, but she wasn’t really good with comparing heights yet. Her heart was still beating fast, but no longer from the thought that she might have been caught by her father… but rather the thought of getting to know someone else.

“Hullo! I’m Philomena, but erryone likes to call me Philly! Or Mena!” The child beamed up at the man, canting her head to one side. “Daddy didn’t say he had any family… but Mommy has family we’ve met! Auntie Heather~” The little pup kept coming closer, her blue eyes curious. He sounded nice. He sounded like her daddy. He smelled a little like daddy too! So surely he had to be family, right? Right?

Flicking her mane back the child tried to get a better look at the man. He helped, lowering himself to the ground… and that was when she saw his empty eye socket. But she wasn’t afraid. She breathed in with wonder, coming right up to his face to get a better look. “What happened to your eye? Does it hurt? It looks cool!” A million thoughts were bubbling in the little girl’s brain, and she looked back towards her uncle. “What’s your name, huh? Why are you alone out here? -Gasp!- You’ve come to slay the mud monsters too haven’t you!? You have right?!”

She was spunky and talkative. No wonder none of his other siblings had had kids yet. They were quite obnoxious with all their questions. Though he could recall himself and he hadn't been so talkative. He was a thinker not a talker. He gave a snort as she said ganta hadn't mentioned that he had family. He could straight up tell her but then he wouldn't get the pleasure of seeing this child become tainted. He wasn't looking to have do gooders in the family. After all those like ganta were weak and tended to let things happen without doing something about them. Well he could start with her then make it to the boy he could smell on her coat. It seemed either this girl and her sibling were too much for ganta's woman or that forsaken had done his job and culled any others from stressing the mother. He filed away the bits of information he gathered for later on.

"Of course your daddy forgot to mention your other family members, after all he thinks he's too good to hang out with the rough and tumble crowd. Though I bet your a strong and brave one aren't you Philly? I'd bet you fit right in with your Hellstrom family members." he eyed her and gave her a half smile half smirk. Of course he intended to remain friendly for now. Perhaps through sweet talking this one she would willingly follow him around. Oh that would be fun. Ganta coming to find his daughter conversing with what he thought was an evil man only to find he wasn't what ganta thought. Oh making ganta second guess himself would be quite fun. Then Riker could deliver the ultimate punch, by telling the girl how she could stick around and become a strong Hellstrom or return with her father and play house with the weaklings of the pack.

Oh so much mayhem was going to be created and to make matters worse for poor little ganta Riker intended to make him look like the bad guy to his daughter. She asked what happened to his eye and he chuckled. "A very bad man took it when I was little because I refused to fight for him. Of course I had been kidnapped and your uncles, aunt, and grandfather were busy doing their best to disappear from some nasty wolves in Abraven and Imerialum, after all they were condemning mere children to death because my daddy taught a woman to respect him." he'd start by making his father's deeds sound heroic and like he did everything for a good reason. He playfully tapped her chest with his paw. "I'd bet you have a heart just like his. Noble and kind, fierce and strong." he made it sound like such a good thing to be Hellstrom. Of course to him it was. He wouldn't change his name for nothing.

He sat up a little and chuckled at her next set of questions. He wasn't as alone as she thought. He had friends in dark places and siblings that tolerated him rather well if he had anything to say about it. "Names Rikeros, but you can just call me uncle Riker or just uncle will do. And as a matter of fact I'm not truly alone and I could help defeat all the mud monsters but I'd bet your better at it than me. yes covering her in mud could be of benefit to him. Then he could lure her to Auster where his siblings could either make short work of her or teach her to be Hellstrom. He could even ransom her for ganta's weakling pack. After all a pack or your own flesh and blood, he knew which he would likely choose but ganta wasn't him. He slapped a paw down in the mud aiming to spray some on her and cover her scent.

Philly frowned as the male said that he didn’t mentioned her other family members. That didn’t sound like her daddy… he said family was really important. But then again… he did discourage her and Ric from playing too rough. Maybe it was because the rest of the family was prone to fighting, to being strong, that he was ashamed of them or something? Maybe they didn’t listen when he said to be more gentle… she frowned a little, showing a bit of confusion, but she liked the name Hellstrom. It sounded powerful… and daddy and mommy both said that she and Ulric had been named strong. She puffed out her little chest and gave a vigorous nod. “Mhm! Me and Ulric both are really brave and strong!” There was an obvious love for her brother as she mentioned him, her blue eyes shining with delight.

“You should meet him~ He’s just as big as me~” Her tail was wagging back and forth eagerly. At least until he started speaking again. She didn’t get it completely… Abaven? Imperium? She frowned… they sounded like other packs! She tried to process what the male was telling her, but it was a lot… especially for her little puppy mind. But she understood that there were baddies who had tried to hurt her family… had hurt her uncle. She gave a soft whine, though not out of fear. It was out of sympathy as she closed the distance between them and licked Rikeros’ cheek.

“Bad wolves like the one that hurt you don’t deserve to stay here.” She said matter-of-factly. “Anyone who hurts our family should be taught a lesson.” Then he tapped her chest, saying that she must have had a heart just like her grandfather. “Mommy and Daddy say I am! I’m going to be the strongest wolf in Dragoste!” Her eyes were shining with determination, and she raised her little tail over her back. “I’mma protect our whole family!” Philomena canted her head to the side then, grinning widely.

Then, at last he gave his name. Uncle Riker! She liked his name… it sounded cool. The little girl gave another serious nod as he said he wasn’t alone. “Course not! You’re with me now, silly!” She tapped his forepaw with a little giggle. “So don’t you worry! I’ll get all the mud monsters and keep our family safe. Watch this uncle Riker!” With what she thought was a fierce roar the girl turned again, rearing up on her hind paws before splashing her front paws down into the mud. It splashed up on her body, particularly getting in her mane, belly, and legs. Though Riker’s aim had helped cover some of the higher areas and she let out a laugh as she looked at him.

“Unclllleee don’t let ‘em get awayyyy!” She went to slam her paws down again but slipped, sliding onto her side as she practically rolled in the mud, growling and pawing wildly. “No you don’t! I’ll get you! No one escapes Philomena, destroyer of the monsters! Greeeeeeewwwww!” Before long she’d be thoroughly coated in mud, her breaths coming out in excited little pants before she lay on her belly and looked back at Riker.

“All gone~ They won’t mess with us ever again!”

She was giving away information she didn't even know she was. Her brother was Ulrich and they were both bigger children. That was information he could use. Obviously he wasn't out to hurt children though, in fact it's a reason she was completely safe from him. He was having to put alot of thought into things. Like who of his siblings to take the girl to. Definitely not forsaken, he was enough of a wild card as it was.

He watched as she practically coated herself in mud. He had to admit if she had been born a child to him or his other siblings, she would of been more than just fearsome. As it stood right now he found her to be cute. Of course he had originally been skulking the plains for followers, but what better follower was there than his own niece perhaps?

As she said something about letting the monsters get away he smirked and jumped up, slapping both forepaws in the mud, containing his own chest and her possibly more. Then with all the power in his back legs he leapt again, aiming to throw himself onto his back. This was going to be easy. He rolled a little, coating himself in the mud as well before he rolled back over to look at her as she said the monsters were all gone. She was coated in mud and he gave her a smile. Obviously ganta wouldn't be tracking him now. It would give him the leisure of taking his time to go back to his family and followers. "Darn would u look at that, they covered us and now we're filthy. I know a place we could go get cleaned up, if you wanted to come and meet your other uncle too. Enigma would just love to meet you I'd bet. Oh and your aunt paradox of course would love it too. We're gonna have to slip past your uncle forsaken though..... He doesn't like kids and gets grumpy." he gave her a wink with his missing eye. She would of course probably be safer with enigma and paradox than just with him. "I'm sure they'd love to teach you to fight and play games with you if you'd like. And you could stay with us overnight too, I'm sure your daddy wouldn't mind terribly. After all we'll keep you safe and sound." he stood then and kept a.pleasant smile on his face. Of course this wasn't technicay kidnapping her since she would be coming of her own free will but then again what he saw was different than what ganta saw. In fact ganta probably wasn't going to think about the fact that there was no blood or chunks of fur or anything of the sort. Of course Riker didn't exactly hurt kids so he wasn't about to start with his gullible and corouptable niece.

Philomena looked up at her uncle seeing that he too was covered in mud. She wasn’t exactly eager for a bath, but her mama would definitely give her a thorough bath if she came home dirty! Philly wasn’t entirely sure that leaving Dragoste was okay either though. Something nagged at the back of her mind, her mother’s warnings… but… she glanced back up at Riker. Her uncle was so cool… and he said he could introduce her to her uncle Enigma and aunt Paradox. She glanced back towards Dragoste’s lands for a long moment, thinking on it, at least until he said that her daddy wouldn’t mind. If she was safe and with family it was okay, right?

“Well.. Okies then! But we can’t stay away too long. Mama will get sad… and I don’t like her to be sad… but I want to meet uncle ‘nigma and auntie Paradox!” She barked happily, snuggling up next to Rikeros. “C’mooooooon! Where are they uncle? Show meeee~” She was growing excited, eager to meet even more members of her family. She didn’t even realize that she was falling into the exact sort of trap that Roza and Ganta had so often warned her about… no… she was  too naive to realize the position she was placing her family in.