Open to anyone.

It had been a long three weeks? travel. Gerhardt?s paws were nearly bleeding from the constant movement. His tongue lolled out of his mouth as he slowed to a halt. The trip could have been ? and would have been ? much shorter if it had not been for the three pups he and Adette had adopted along the way. Maverick, Valkis, and Kamala had lost their parents in an apparent volcano eruption, and Gerhardt had not had the heart to leave them to the same fate. Adette, having recently lost a litter, had taken the pups in with relative ease. Now they were nearly ready to wean completely onto solid food. He tossed his head back to gaze at the lot of them, Adette at his side and the three pups in tow. A smile tugged at the corners of his lips, but was soon lost as a cold jet of air blasted him in the face. The day was nearly half spent and they had not found a suitable place to rest yet. Being that he knew very little about this land, he knew that he would have to work fast to find somewhere for them to spend the night. ?You four, I?m going up ahead to see if there?s anywhere we can settle for the night.? He picked up a bumpy lope and sped up ahead, knowing that Adette could keep the pups under control until he returned. Truth be told he was getting a bit exasperated with their antics, particularly the boys. They were a handful, and he wasn?t sure how well he would connect with them. Gerhardt hadn?t been around pups much, although Adette seemed to know quite a bit about them. As he came up over a small hill, he noted a colossal river spanning horizontally for miles. A great sigh welled up in his chest and hissed out of agape jaws as he staggered forward and into the water. It was cool and crisp, and just the thing he needed after the long day. Tossing his head up he let out a chorus of barks to beckon them forth to the river. Fish splashed all around him in protest of his invasion of their space, but he didn?t care. Shifting downward he laid on his stomach and let the cool water flow over his bodice. Speech,

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Time had seemed to drag on over the past two weeks of endless traveling. The dame and her partner, Gerhardt, had been traveling practically night and day in search of a new home, so of course nature was taking its tole on the pair. They were both exhausted, but the dame was exhausted not only physically, but mentally. She had recently lost her own litter of pups to a freak miscarriage, and the pain hadn't even begun to heal. The pain in her heart stung worse than any physical pain she could endure, and to make matters worse the endless walking only gave her time to think about her pain. Why her? Why did it have to be her pups? She had done nothing wrong, besides mate with someone who she was not bonded with through marriage. Either way the deed was done, and her pups had suffered an untimely death. --------------------------------------- Along the way, Adette and Gerhardt had come across a barren landscape that had been wiped out by a volcano eruption. Life had been completely sucked out of the land, and as the pair passed through, the ashes of the deceased filled the dames lungs, making her cough roughly. She wanted so badly to leave the lands, and when the end came near, she could barley contain herself. That's when she saw them: three small pups curled around each other, smothered in black smudges from head to toe. Of course she couldn't leave them there, they would either die from the horrific conditions or starvation. After a bit on convincing, Adette took in the pups as her own, allowing them into her and her partners pack. At times the babies made the hole in her heart heal, and others made her heart ache more. She would never have her own litter back, and she had to accept that at some point. She didn't let her bitterness show through as she raised the pups though, because she knew it wasn't fair. They had lost their birth mother and father, and from the odd markings on their pelts, she figured their pack must have been extraordinary. Luckily the pups didn't protest the adoption, but she knew at some point they would. They looked nothing like her or their adoptive father. For now things were going well, and all they had to do was find the new territory they would call home. -------------------------------------------- ?YOU FOUR, I?M GOING UP AHEAD TO SEE IF THERE?S ANYWHERE WE CAN SETTLE FOR THE NIGHT." The mans words snapped her back into reality. The sun was falling, and once again it was that time; time to find a place for the night. A heavy sigh slipped off the dames tongue as she watched him walk away. Since they had come across the pups they have had little to no time alone together. She missed it, missed it being just them two against the world. She turned to the three pups who were tumbling over one another in some attempt at playing tag. "Little ones, stay here. I need to go talk to Gerherdt alone or a moment. Don't go anywhere, alright? I'll be back." She said, giving each pup a stern look. She couldn't bear the thought at losing one of them. With a swish of her tail she turned away from the trio, and took off towards the mans scent. ---------------------------------------------- He hadn't gone very far, which was a good thing since she left the pups alone. He was wading into the shallow part of a massive river, and from the looks of it he was enjoying himself. The dames eyes flickered happily as she followed the small trail to his position, stopping at the waters banks. "Come here" She said, a flirtatious smile tugging at the corners of her lips. She could barley contain herself when she was alone with the man. She had been madly in love with him since she was a pup herself. Speech,

[B]

As the chilly water rehydrated his dry and parched frame, he sought the same relief for his mouth by thrusting his muzzle headlong into the depths. Holding his breath and instinctively blowing air out of his nose to keep from drowning, the man gulped up as much water as he could. His face emerged from the water, dripping and soaked, but refreshed nonetheless. A smile broke across his lips as he turned to see her, standing there and grinning at him. As she spoke her command, Gerhardt let out a jubilant laugh and then trotted toward her. No matter how tired he was, he would always come to her side. A sigh left his lips as he came near her, noting that the pups were not present. She must've told them to wait back for a minute. That was good, as they really did have a few things to discuss, the first of which would be where in the world they were going to find shelter. But that could wait for a moment. He rubbed his cheek against hers and then rocked back onto his haunches in front of her. My love, His eyes sparkled as he spoke, his words taking a deep and machismo tone. I know you and the pups must be exhausted, we've been traveling for so long now. He paused, wondering just how much more their little 'family' could take. This part of the continent seems untouched by the volcanic activity, perhaps it will be suitable for us to settle down here.. at least for a day or two. His eyes focused farther off behind her, to the hill which hid the pups from his view. He knew they would be alright, and he would be sure not to leave them alone for long. Besides, there wasn't any sign of life around here besides the fish. Gerhardt's mind wandered to the fish, they would be a decent enough meal, and he was a good enough fisher to catch plenty of food for today.. but fish would grow old after a while. Soon enough they would have to move again. What's on your mind, Adette? She had gone through so much lately, he as well - but not nearly as much as she. She had been so brave through all of this, Gehardt was sure it had to be taxing on her mind. He wanted to be sure she wasn't bottling everything up. Their plan had seemed so glorious just weeks before, when they'd been two against the world. But now.. now they were carrying the weight of taking care of three innocent lives. Gerhardt didn't blame the pups, they had really had no part in the agreement, but at the same time he missed when it was just he and Adette. It had been simpler then. Speech,

	- it was odd, to feel like a stranger in the lands she had roamed. one might question how such an emotion could be possible in a creature that had been born and raised in the terra being intruded upon, but as she stood perched atop a nearly-fallen tree a good fifty yards away from the riverbank, she could almost convince herself that she was trespassing. the way that the two lupines swam desperately across the rio grande as if they were dying to return to their homes gave her the feeling that she was gazing in upon a dangerously private, intimate event. she shifted uncomfortably, the shallowly-angled arbol quivering slightly under her weight. she glanced down at the ashen wood, blinking plaintively at it with her violet eyes and mulling over her gratitude for its lingering strength. - what strange creatures these were, that entered the lands. she had heard the rumors that a far-away land had been ruined by seismic and volcanic activity, but there, crossing the river, was living proof of the event. they came from the correct direction, and looked endlessly weary. her brow furrowed with relative pity for them, as she knew that it would be in iterjup's general personality to aid them. maybe this was merely her excuse for her conscience kicking in, but either way, she eliminated any will to rise and approach them. though they may seem docile from a distance, there was always a chance that they could be crazed with desperation or hunger, and though she was confident in her ability to defend herself, jupiter did not feel like a stand-off today. - the lass wondered how she must seem, sitting there in relatively plain sight, her fiery fur in plain view of the strangers if they looked her way, perched upon a ruined tree, not a single muscle in her body moving more than her basic life processes required. had her chest not been rising and falling, there was a possibility she could have been mistaken for a statue. well, of course, also if her colors were dull and not the vibrant shade that they were now. sometimes she hated the way they stuck out, as they made hunting difficult, but then again it paid off at certain times. they were good for getting the attention of others if she needed to train the focuses of others upon herself for some odd reason, but otherwise they were relatively useless. - jupiter lowered her raised dial and huffed lightly, waiting to be noticed, or maybe to get bored and walk away. ? 427 words ? [ o o c ; ]i'm really sorry for how bad of a ramblepost this was. ; - ;

Kamala bounced along energetically behind Gerhardt and Adette, her little white tail waving enthusiastically in the air. Yes, it had been a long time since they'd stopped migrating, but the young female was as full of energy as ever. When the day grew later she would run out of energy swiftly, but for then, she was as energetic as ever. The young female had complete and utter faith in her guardians. She knew they could find a place for them to stay, in that naivety that all youngsters had. Although the female knew that they weren't her parents, they had looked after her, and even if she missed her parents, she had her brothers. By the time that they had walked a little longer, the energy was gone from Kamala's steps. The female had begun to fall behind a little bit, and every once in a while she would break out into a run to catch up with her siblings as they wandered ever onwards. It was only when Gerhardt told them to wait that she flopped down against the ground, breathing an almost silent sigh of relief. Her tail twitched against the earth as Adette spoke, and the quiet female nodded her head, flicking her ears to show that she had heard the female. But the curious female didn't stay still for long. She glanced at her brothers curiously, tail flicking. "Let's follow them." Kamala suggested, voice soft in the silence. She wanted to know what they were talking about. Curiosity may have killed the cat, but Kamala was far from a cat, and to be honest, she got a little nervous when she was left alone for too long. She'd seen a lot in her short life, and there was a distant, niggling doubt that Gerhardt and Adette would leave once they were out of sight. On top of that, she also wanted to know what they talked about. There was a lot of thought going into those three words, and Kamala would go with or without her siblings. Still, she wanted to hear what they had to say. Would they come or stay? Rising slowly to her comparatively large paws, Kamala shook herself vigorously, sending dirt and debris flying from her fur. She sneezed moments later, shaking her head fiercely. The lanky female glanced in the direction that Gerhardt and Adette had headed, noting absently that a small hill hid them from sight. That meant that if she wanted to see what was going on, she'd have to be careful and sneaky. But she could definitely do that. Speech,

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She watched the man come towards her, and as his large frame arose from the icy water, chills rolled down her spine. She loved the way he looked when he was dripping wet, his delicious muscles and stature turned her on. Adette had always been one to enjoy her sexuality, so small things turned her into a sex craved demon. This was the main reason why she had ended up pregnant in the first place, but the past was the past. Now her heart belonged to Gerhardt, and the thought of stealing his precious innocence tickled her inside. At some point they would have their own family, but it wouldn't be until the new little vermin that had joined them had grown up. Her left brow raised as he spoke to her, and the little nickname he called her only made her raging lust multiply. Then he brought up the pups, and her brow lowered. Were those little things involved in every conversation they had? She rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I think we are all exhausted Gerhardt. And I agree, it seems like we are the only ones around here." She replied, her eyes drifting to their surroundings. "We could settle here for the night I suppose." She watched his eyes drift away from her own, and towards the hill the three pups were at. A raspy cough split the silence. She wanted all the attention on her! But was that selfish of her? The pups were so young, and needed constant supervision.. But she couldn't help herself. "WHAT'S ON YOUR MIND, ADETTE?" That question was the last thing she wanted to answer. To be honest, he didn't want to know what was on her mind. Her thoughts had turned into a pile of mush trying to process half of what had happened to her over the past few weeks, and she didn't want to explain that to him. "What do you mean darling? I'm perfectly fine!" She replied back with a tight smile. She had never been one to pour out her feelings, most of the time she held everything in. Sure, in some ways it made things worse, but at least others couldn't see her pain. She had held a fake smile that masked the emotions she felt inside since she was a pup, so it was natural for her. Her mind started to drift, when an odd scent wafted across her nose. The smell was unmistakable. "We're not alone, Gerherdt." She said, her lips curling around her sharp fangs. A low growl bubbled inside her chest, and her head automatically snapped toward the hill her three small pups were on. To her surprise, she saw one of them "sneakily" making their way down the hill towards her and Gerhardt. By the looks of it, it was the female, Kamala. "Of course. They just can't stay still." She murmured, taking off to meet her pup, and knowing them, the other two as well. Speech,

[B]

Walking, walking. It's all they ever did anymore. Occasionally he would traipse ahead of his siblings, and other times he'd lag behind depending on if anything interesting was nearby that he had to check out. Overall though, the three little wolf pups trotted along like obedient little ducklings, all the while wondering why in the world these two adult wolves had chosen to 'adopt' them, as they called it. Maverick knew his mother and father were gone, and that these two had taken their place.. but why? Why would any adult wolf want to take them in? It wasn't even like they were a part of Talutah and had a good reason to! However, Maverick's little mind didn't think on these subjects for too long at a time. He had better things to be thinking about, like why that bug looked the way it did, and why his siblings acted the way they did. The russet and white boy's rump hit the ground thankfully when Gerhardt gave the signal to stop. He was grateful for the break, it seemed like they'd been walking all day long. Still, the walking beat that one day they'd run for hours. That had been the first day they were all together, the day his mother and father had died. He didn't like to think about that day, and shook his head with a furrowed brow as Gerhardt walked off first, followed by Adette.

They were alone. Maverick liked it when they were alone, there weren't so many eyes and ears watching and not so many mouths telling them to be still, or be quiet, or come here, or anything like that. Olive eyes turned to his ivory sister who was fidgeting. As she spoke up Maverick yipped in approval, not bothering to see what his brother's reaction was. Valkis could be fun at times, but other times he wasn't. His tail wagged back and forth excitedly as he came up beside his sister and walked a few paces ahead of her, crouching low as they approached the top of the hill that concealed Gerhardt and Adette from their prying little eyes. As he crouched, Maverick's ears instinctively flattened against his skull and his wagging tail quieted itself and lay limp on the earth. He curled his head to the side slightly, looking at his sister. Can't hear nothin' from here.. les' go closer. With that, he inched his way forward, not bothering to think that his russet coat would make him stand out like a sore thumb on the backdrop of the grassy hill. Ah well, how much trouble could they get in anyway?

However, as he moved closer, he noticed Adette seemed upset about something. Maverick instinctively shrunk back to his previous position. She sees us! He looked around, trying to come up with a reason as to why they had been eavesdropping. Just then he noted something peculiar in a tree not too far off. It had funny colors, but they were close in range with Maverick's own coloring. The pup's lip curled and he tensed up slightly, the fur bristling on his back. Adette came near and Maverick spoke up. There's somethin' in that tree.

He knew she was agitated. They'd grown up together, he knew her inside and out. However, he had a feeling she wasn't quite ready to share what was irritating her. He pondered these things. A lot had been going on lately, but he suspected she resented the pups in some way, heck.. he did every now and then. Their lives had been turned upside down with these three new additions, and right now with no family or friends to give them a break, the pups were a constant presence. Time with Adette had been cut drastically, but once they had found a place to settle more permanently Gerhardt would be able to do more about spending time with just her. Just her tone was enough to tell him that she was upset with the current state of things, but Gerhardt knew there wasn't much he could do at this point. I know it's hard right now, but we'll figure this out. He reached forward to nuzzle her, but she turned her head toward the hill where a small white figure was looming. Gerhardt smirked slightly, noting that it was the female, Kamala. He counted in his head, three.. two.. one. Just then, the russet figure of Maverick appeared beside her. Just like clockwork. Adette tensed and moved toward the pups, and Gerhardt followed, knowing if he didn't she'd be even more upset. As they arrived at where the pups were eavesdropping, Gerhardt came up in front of Maverick. He felt especially responsible for the boys, given that he used to be one. His ear flicked as Maverick spoke about there being something in the tree. Violet eyes migrated to where the pup had mentioned, noting the presence of an unusually colored wolf in the tree. Kids, get behind me. Instinctively the fur on his back and neck bristled, and his lip curled ever so slightly to reveal pearly white canines. He took a step toward the beast, perplexed at it's coloring and that it was up in the tree. Can we help you? He spoke rather calmly to the figure in the tree, managing to relax himself slightly. Violet eyes continued to watch the wolf cautiously, ready to evacuate the pups and Adette should it become necessary to do so. Speech,

Kamala grinned a lupine grin at her brother, her tail flicking enthusiastically. "Les go!" The female responded enthusiastically as she began to move forward. Her pawsteps were as quiet as she could manage to make them, but for all of her sneaking she couldn't make up for the fact that she stuck out like a sore thumb against the country side. That was the downside to being white and reddish-brown. You didn't really blend in anywhere, though that was a concept that Kamala had yet to grasp. Her green gaze danced about, settling upon an orange figure perched in a tree not too far away from them. How interesting. The female didn't understand that this wolf could be a threat to her safety or anything like that, but she did know that her 'father' didn't look very pleased by the sight. Kamala did wonder why. Ears pricking in Gerhardt's direction, Kamala strained to make out what was going on as Adette padded closer. Gerhardt followed as well, and Kamala grinned again, looking pleased by the development. They wouldn't be able to keep secrets when they were right there! And that satisfied Kamala's curiosity. Well, at least a little bit. At Maverick's words, Kamala glanced at her brother, huffing softly. "Hide!" She hissed urgently, hoping that even though the adults had turned towards them that they hadn't noticed the duo. So Kamala shrunk against the earth, trying fruitlessly to hide away from the seeking eyes of the adults that had taken them in. That, of course, failed as the two adults drew closer. Still, they didn't seem to be unduly upset with Kamala and her brother. That much, at least, was good. Kamala moved swiftly behind Gerhardt at his instruction, but that didn't stop her from peering out at the orange wolf, eyes gleaming with curiosity. "Why are they in a twee?" Her words had a childish, lilting tone to them. They were hesitating and careful, and she clearly did not have as much experience as some with talking. She was quieter than her siblings, and her words were more halting than Maverick's. As Gerhardt moved forward, Kamala padded along behind him, wide green eyes peering out at the strange orange wolf. She wanted to know why the wolf was there! And why they were in a tree. Why were they orange? Did they live here? Did they know anyone who did? Questions chased themselves in circles inside the pup's head, but she was hesitant to voice them. Instead, the pup kept quiet and watched the larger orange wolf curiously. Speech,

	- she wasn't quite sure when the pups arrived, but before she really knew it, they were there. she blinked down at them, a innocently overjoyed expression upon her features as she watched them conspire and mill about in the distance. her tail wagged as it hung over the other side of the log, sweeping back and forth with excitement. her ears flicked back, though, as the attention of more wolves than she would have liked were suddenly trained upon her--including that of the parents. she stiffened considerably, features heavy with proper fear at being stood up to by protective parents. both iterjup and jupiter were endlessly grateful for their elevation, as it would serve as an easier escape should these protective parents decide to attack. - she blinked and frowned at the male as his hostility heightened to the point of him baring his teeth. her ears flicked back further and she shrunk a little, iterjup being surprised by the display when she had been there first. "umm..." she murmured uncertainly, averting her eyes. "i've... been here... sitting..." within, jupiter felt bitter disdain for this male already. i should be asking you that question, she thought contemptuously, appalled by the rudeness of the other. it wasn't her fault that they hadn't noticed her earlier before letting their pups wander around. despite her inner workings, iterjup still overruled any emotions that came from within, dominating with her continually optimistic personality. the she-wolf rose a little, smiling and wagging her tail again. - "but, um, if you guys need help," she proposed, tone and demeanor on a consistently-rising slope, "i can definitely be of assistance! i assume that you guys are another set of victims? from the volcano? how terrible if you are! i only wish i could have done something to stop it!" came her ridiculous wishes, timbre filled with honest regret and concern. ? 311 words ? [ o o c ; ] sorry this took so long; forgot to add this to my post tracker. cx