Walk | "Talk" | think

Now that the pups were more than mobile - sometimes a bit too much so for her tastes - she knew exactly where their first trip out of the pack's lands had to be. If there was anyone that she knew would want to meet these little balls of fluff it would be Sirius. They had discussed their children growing up together back before they were born and she fully intended to follow through with that promise. This would be their first play date, but she was certain it wouldn't be the last.

She took the lead, letting Resin take to the rear of the group to make sure none of their little pups went astray. It wasn't a long walk between the hot springs and the tall grass plains, but that didn't mean that this protective mother was any less worried about the trip. She continued to glance back over her shoulder at the pups that lingered behind her and gave a gentle nudge to any of those that tried to get ahead. Once they were in the familiar terrain of the grass lands she was able to relax a bit, a little smile pulling at her lips. She just couldn't wait to see Sirius and Zee's reactions to their family and see how all of their pups interacted.

"This way, darlings!" she called as she led them to the open area where the pack would hold its meetings, figuring that was as good a place as any for pups to play. Once they were there she let out a little call for her friends before turning to face their sons and daughters. "Now, remember, be on your best behavior! Don't go where we can't keep an eye on you, okay?" she asked, looking at each of them to make sure they were paying attention and gave a particularly pointed look to Artorias and Rudyard.

This was a tremendous day! Finally, after being kept locked down in the Hallows, Artorias and his siblings were being allowed to set foot beyond their borders! Ever since he'd first laid eyes on the vast, expansive world from his first minute outside the den, the little black and blue pup had known he wanted to see it all! Even just around the Hallows there had been so much to see and do, but over the past couple of weeks, he'd ventured almost everywhere his little legs (and his protective parents and their companions) would allow him to go. On more than one occasion, Artorias had meandered near the edges of their territory, watching the waters of the rivers cut through dense forests and daydreaming about what lay beyond. Oh, how badly he wanted to explore it all! And now, after weeks of waiting, the time had come at last!

Following closely behind Tamsyn, Artorias bounded along behind the black woman's legs, taking an extreme amount of self-restraint to not rush ahead and see what was coming over the next hill or past the next tree. She had already fussed at him once when he tried to run ahead and nudged him back in line, much to the boy's protests and grumbles. What was the point of adventuring if you had to keep holding back? Besides, it wasn't like he was trying to run away or anything; he just wanted to see what was around the bend! Actually, come to think of it, he wasn't even sure where they were going. Mama and Mom had told them that they were going to visit some friends, but that was it. Who were these friends? Would they be friends with them too? Would they all be adults, or would there be wolves their age too? Mysteries abounded as they walked past the border separating their home from the outside lands. Despite his young age, Artorias could already smell the scents of other wolves marking the hardline between their lands, smells he hadn't met before. His ears perked up while his tiny black nose twitched. They were officially outside of home.

Flooded with excitement and energy, Artorias yapped and bounced behind Tamsyn, occasionally falling back to Rudyard's side to dance around his brother as they walked. Rudy was like his partner in crime, and the two brothers had already formed a strong fraternal bond. He hoped his other siblings were as stoked to be going outside the pack lands as he was! The trees of the forest gave way to open grasslands, covered only by the cloudless blue sky and warm sunshine as opposed to a canopy of leaves. Artorias had never seen somewhere so open before. He could practically see for miles around! "Whooooa!" the boy exclaimed while rustling through the high grasses. His black and blue fur stood out in stark contrast from the verdant greens and muted browns of the autumn grasses. Wide eyes scanned his surroundings, taking them in with awe. This was just outside his front door?! How many other types of lands existed that he couldn't even imagine?! His mother's call caught the pup's attention for a second before he returned to roaming around the grasslands, sniffing anything and everything he could find. He was going to have so many adventures here!

Tamsyn laid out the rules for them. Be good and don't wander off. Of course, Artorias rolled his eyes, but he knew better than to test the consequences of disobeying his parents. "Yes, Mama," he agreed, drawing out his voice in the way that children did when reluctantly accepting what an adult told them to do. Artorias pushed his small snout through the grasses, sniffing the ground and snapping his jaws at grasshoppers as they leapt for safety away from the miniature wolf. He hoped his mothers' friends showed up soon. He wanted to keep exploring, and them all just sitting here waiting was the exact opposite of exploring.

"Speech" — Thoughts

They were going to have visitors, pups their own age! Excitement and Nervousness collided in her chest as she fussed with her fur, picking out burrs from her latest adventure. Her giant red fox companion, Ásta, relaxed nearby in the sun. The day was gorgeous and sunny. Barely a hint of a breeze and it was nice and warm for a fall day, a fact the fox intended to take full advantage of.

While Gossamer waited for the call she hunt for herbs. Ásta had told her about a spiky plant with purple flowers that smelt really good when it bloomed. It might no be in bloom now but Gossamer was determined to find this thing called laven… levener… no, lavender! With her nose down and her tail up she worked her way through the grasses. She was looking for something that looked and smelled interesting and she didn't know which sense would pick it up first.

Gossy's ears swiveled back as she heard the call at the border. That had to be them! "Last one there is a rotten egg!" She screeched as she raced toward the source of the call.

Ásta was on her feet in a flash. "Gossamer, wait for your par… oh why do I even bother." The fox loped after the pup and into the presence of their guests.

"Hi!" she chirped. "Are you mommy and daddy's friends?"

Walk | "Talk" | think

Rudy followed along and seemed on surprisingly good behavior.  He followed along at his mom’s pace, with his only changing pace being to occasionally catch up to Art when Art wasn’t going back to him.  When even with him the occasional shoulder push or paw swat had to show itself.  He was staying in line but Rudyard was still happy, frisky, and playful so Art was the natural source to take it out on.  

Rudy was once more doing his best to behave himself, proved with his keeping in line but his mind was already imagining these other wolves and what might come from it.  He was looking about at the strange scenery and thinking about how he’d want to spend more time out here exploring in the future.  Plenty of questions and potential future plans kept him in check.

Mom’s reminder of being on best behavior was noticed only a minute after biting some sort of beetle that had been crawling on a blade of grass.  After a moment he spat the black bug back out.  It tasted yucky.  Oh right, mom.  He looked up at Tam, wagging his tail joyous and completely innocent appearing eyes offering up a “yes mama.  We’ll be good!” Well, at least he and Art would.  Art was almost always good and Rudy would be good today with a bunch of new wolves to meet.  What could go wrong?

Another pup and a fox were approaching!  Wow, a fox with her? They had to be part of this pack and therefore perfectly safe.  Rudy charged ahead to meet this wolf, “C’mon Art!” He called back behind him before ahead, “Hi! Prob’ly.  Depending who they are, who are you?” glancing back to Tam, “Mama is it her mom and dad you’re friends with?”  

Walk | "Talk" | think

Kotori had been stalking a squat looking grey creature with black legs and head with a white blaze down its face.  Stalking might be overstating it as the creature had turned its head to look at him several times making some snarly-hiss threatening sound.  Kotori wasn’t sure how exactly to attack it, for all its small size it had a pretty confident and hateful personality.  In fact, Kotori had backed up twice when it had lunged in closer.  It was a game of how close could Kotori get before it decided to attack.  The pup was guessing if he got in close and the thing lunged at him Kotori could try to avoid the attack and bite at the top of its head?

Kotori sped up his pace, the creature turned, and then he heard Gossy screeching to her fox friend in the distance.  Were these mom and dad’s friends? “Another time!” He warned the badger as he ran off to leave the angry creature to its own devices.  He’d find it again another day.  After a bit he could smell the strangers and then there they all were.  “Hey, Goss!” Then he looked to the strangers, several pups and two adults.  “I’m Kotori Fatalis,” the brown and black pup with boldly stated with tail and head held high with all the authority belonging to a young pup. His horns were starting to poke out a bit and with them his feelings of importance.  He was the son of Zee and Sirius Fatalis, and the only boy in this current litter, brother of Mort and Azure which meant he had to act the part. “Walking on pack lands you are supposed to state your names and purpose.”  Sure, they were probably mom and dad’s friends, but they had to properly obey the rules on entering the land.  Right?

The warlord had to laugh. He had been waiting to find a hoard of violent midgets let loose in his meeting grounds. Ready to do battle, the titan thundered across the territory at the expected call. Two of his children had beaten him here, and he arrived in time to heat Kotoris words. He laughed and kissed the boy on the head "Manners, they are family." He explained to his son. By his choice, and they would be raised knowing it as fact. Both of these mothers where family and beloved by him. "This is Gossamer and Kotori, who do we have here?" He asked Resin and Tam, trotting over to hiss cheeks on both the adults. They looked good, like their pack and motherhood were doing them well.

He also intended to get himself in a little playing. As far as he was concerned, this was a play date for him as well as his kids. He made his way to a half-blue wolf (Artorias) and crouched down. "Hey sprout, what do you think of the Armada?"

Walk | "Talk" | think

She had been waiting since early morning for these visitors they were supposed to have to arrive, keeping herself occupied with hunting down a few herbs that Io had told them about so that she could start making a little collection of them the way that Io did. She wanted to be the best healer the same way that she wanted to be the best fighter and if Aunt Io was the best healer right now and she had a collection of herbs then that meant that she needed to have one too, right? So she made trips back and forth around the pack's territory, finding interesting bits of plants and bringing them back to a pile she was making near their den, sorting them in to neat, meticulous piles.

The howl she had been waiting impatiently for came just as she was getting done sorting her latest finds, her head popping up to listen. Finally! She'd get to meet these other pups! She was kind of excited to meet them, but she already knew they couldn't be as cool as her and her siblings even if they were supposed to be family or whatever. Putting down her herbs, she got up and trotted over to where they were all meeting, her turquoise eyes looking them all over curiously. Lots of blacks and grays, one white and russet sort of colored one, no horns or anything exciting like that in sight... And then she spotted the boy that her father was currently crouched down talking to. All the other new pups seemed to be more bland colors, but for some reason he was blue! Well, not all blue, but a whole half of him was blue.

She made a bee line for the unusual boy, slipping up beside her father and leaning into his extra large shoulder as she eyed Artorias skeptically. "Why are you blue?" she questioned, narrowing her eyes at him. "None of the other pups are blue." Looking up at her father, she poised the question to him as well, "Dad, why is he blue?"

Guh! Why did her dads legs have to be so long? Sure, she could have called out to him and he would have slowed down to keep to her puppy pace but-well! She didn't want to do that. Lately she had gotten it into her mind that she had to impress him, that she had to the best little Ophie she could be and honestly the prospect was already a little daunting. She had so many siblings, both big and small, and competition was mighty fierce. She wanted to be up the top with the best of the best but aside from being her Dad's little hope there wasn't much she was good at just yet. But she would try and persevere and in the end she'd surely emerge victorious, right?

By the time she caught up with her dad there were already plenty of wolves on the scene, both familiar and strangers. She paused, still a little out of breath, when she realised that three of her litter mates had already beaten her to the punch and were starting to mingle with the rest. Her little sides heaved as she lingered on the fringes of the gather, her brows drawn as she rocked her weight to her hindlegs. No one had noticed her, she could easily slip away before anyone did. But then that thought made her heart ache in a strange way, like something was terribly wrong. Ophie took after her Mother in far more ways then she knew, poor little thing.

But all of this, the waiting and worrying, was kinda silly wasn't it? Why was she getting so worked up other nothing,  her family was here and what more did she need?

"Hiii!" Ophie cheered as she trotted onto the scene with a spring in her step as though nothing was wrong. All was great on the Ophie front, thanks for asking.