Kichi was growing bigger all the time.  The pup was around six months old now and felt confident in being able to take care of himself.  It was perfectly easy now to outrun Lurid’s boring bear and since her bird never bothered him he didn’t mind if he could spy it frequently in the sky.  Maybe he shouldn’t run off so much on his own but then again if Lurid wanted to go off with Al to train or hunt or whatnot then did it really matter where Kichi chose to be alone?  Not in his mind. Moving along beside him was a small fawn about eighteen inches in height, whose spots were already starting to fade.  On close inspection, one could see what looked like two tiny pointed sharp teeth sticking out under the deer’s lips.  In time the water deer's tusk’s would become more noticeable but they were just starting to grow.   It might seem like an odd combination but the two were good friends.  When Kichi leaped over a log the small deer bounced over it easily as if it had springs for hooves.  This followed with the fawn shoving its head into Kichi’s side and striking a tiny hoof on the ground.  It made a demanding bark-like sound clearly stating its desire to play. Kichi spun around and whacked its head soundly with a paw with a glare and got another headbutt this time into his shoulder.  From there it turned to an odd sort of spar as deer and wolf traded blows from bites and slashes to head butts and kicks.  At first, what could look serious on close inspection showed obvious play as the bites never appeared to draw blood nor a kick soundly connect.   "Speech" Think

He headed out to the redwoods near the pack lands. If anyone asked, he was doing a perimeter sweep in the lands surrounding Winterfell to make sure there weren't any possible intruders lurking nearby. Then again...it was just an excuse he was going to use in case anyone asked where he was going. Nothing ever really happened around here, but lately, he wasn't feeling totally content with that. At first, the idea of living peacefully with his pack was something he wouldn't have questioned or wanted to change. But after the day with Corvus...his entire mindset changed. He couldn't get it out of his head, and if anyone knew that he was always thinking about the Abaven male, they'd say he was obsessed. It was clear he was...but he was in denial about it. He stopped in his tracks when a strange sight came into view. He spotted a young kid seemingly battling it out with a...fawn? Was the kid trying to hunt it? His lips began to lift to show his teeth. Normally, he would have just gone up and sat down to watch the spectacle, but he hadn't been feeling particularly friendly these days. A low growl emanated from his throat and he took up a slow stalking position for a moment before racing forward. He aimed to eat up the distance between him and them. His intention of wanting to bring down the prey animal clear as day. "Speak"

Pup and deer played with the apparent innocence that only youth can claim.  The deer reared to kick out with his front legs while Kichi reared up to show off all his teeth and making mock snarling sounds at it.  They both froze and turned their heads about the same time as they heard and spotted the wolf charging down. The young tiny deer jumped sideways and back a pace even as Kichi got in front of it.  The pup showed no fear at the giant charging wolf.  He spread his legs out a bit wider, his tail ran horizontal to his body and he pulled his lips back to make sure teeth and gums were all clearly visible.  There was no sense of play or nor fretful hesitation in appearance. “Back off stranger! That’s mine!” Kichi snarled out the threat to the charging wolf.  Kichi’s shoulder muscles bunched together, ready to react if the wolf didn’t stop.  No one could take something he claimed.  The pup had lost his real parents and nothing else would ever be stolen from him.  He would allow no one to take the life of what was his. "Speech" Think

His attention was focused solely on the little deer. On catching it in his teeth and ripping it to shreds. But as he drew closer, the young pup put himself between Ignis and the fawn. Stop! He screamed in the back of his mind, but the drive to mercilessly kill the prey was overwhelming. He continued his advance, ready to barrel into the pup and bring his fury onto the fawn. But...at the last moment, he couldn't do it. Ignis slid to a halt, snow and dirt kicking up as he threw on the brakes. He couldn't hurt this kid. And if the prey belonged to the kid, then who was he to take it from him? "He is a child. You are much bigger...just take it from him!" A voice screamed in his mind. "NO!" He cried out as he finally came to a stop just a foot or two from the pair. His eyes tightly closed for a moment as he violently shook his head, trying to rid himself of the violent thoughts that threatened to take over. When he finally got control of himself, he took a deep breath and looked at the two. He must've looked crazy as hell doing that! "Sure, finders keepers then I guess," He snorted. That was the best he could do to try and play off the mini psycho episode he just had. Standing up, he took a few steps back as he shook his coat free from any debris he might've kicked on himself before eyeing the two. So when do you plan on eating it?" "Speak"

The wolf was getting so close, Kichi rumbled in his throat body tensing and adrenaline starting to flow and – and then the wolf stopped when Kichi was about to spring to meet him.  That threw the pup off balance for sure.  He remained standing with his legs taut ready to react.  Kichi was giving the guy a wary face, head lowered to protect his neck.  The look in his eyes wasn’t some naïve innocent pup, it was a young wolf ready to risk his neck in a fight.   As the wolf took a breath and seemed more under control Kichi slowly relaxed his stance, but he continued standing between the deer and stranger.  Kichi wasn’t concerned with a guy hollering in response to who knew what.  Kichi’s experience with other wolves only went so far and unbeknown to him, his own family was far from the normal.   “He’s mine.  Not as in my meal, he’s my pet and my friend.  He’s smarter and braver than normal dumb deer.”  Yah, aside from laying claim to it he could even stick up for its value. “Anyone ever tries to eat Torch and I’ll rip open their belly to see if that solves their hunger problem.”  Kichi turned his head so that it was facing Torch as he made the threat so the threat would seem more generalized than targeting Ignis.  Kichi didn’t desire to get in a life and death fight with this wolf and potentially die, only advise them on how important the deer's safety was for him.   There was definitely a darkness to the words and demeanor but then it faded as he turned his attention back on the strange wolf, “I’m Kichi, who are you?”   The question was casual and lighthearted as if it had been two different wolves speaking.  The darkness of life and the joy of a puppy both having their place in his small life.  Maybe there was a reason the wolf’s odd actions earlier didn’t seem to affect the pup. Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Hear" ---- Think

“He’s mine. Not as in my meal, he’s my pet and my friend. He’s smarter and braver than normal dumb deer.” He almost didn't keep from snorting at the last remark about the deer. Well, if that was the case, then Ig supposed eating him would be detrimental then, wouldn't it? “Anyone ever tries to eat Torch and I’ll rip open their belly to see if that solves their hunger problem.” Ig looked at him with a skeptical eye, but at the same time...he believed the kid. He probably would say the same thing if someone tried to harm his own companions, but then again...the wolverine and the cockatoo could handle themselves. "Sure, whatever you say kid." He muttered before the boy offered his name and questioned wh he was. Ignis didn't miss the sudden switch in voice tone, but it was...normal, he thought, for puppies to do that. They didn't have that great of an attention span after all. "Ignis. Y'know, you probably shouldn't be wandering around out here on your own. It could be...dangerous. Never know if you're gonna get attacked by, I dunno...a cougar...a bear...another wolf..." He side-eyed Kichi with a serious look on his face. "And on top of that, your first Winter is coming up. It's not easy to survive out here without a pack. Any loner who doesn't move south will tell you that." And he knew that if the boy decided to stick around the area, even that dumb little deer wouldn't be able to protect the boy. "Speech"