It seemed as though the moon had just barely begun to show its shimmering white face when once again, it disappeared as the sun began to peek over the horizon, sending gentle rays of pink and orange across the land. It was barely dawn, not yet morning but not quite night either. For some reason, Ara was restless, and found herself stirring gently awake. This time, however, it was not from her father's gentle nudges or kisses, but from nothing at all. Why was it that some days she woke so early, while others she felt as though she could sleep the whole day away? Without a sound she wriggled from her father's grasp, slowly opening her eyes and parting her jaws in a silent yawn. Immediately her attention was captured by the dull colorful light that barely shone in the entrance of her family's den. Eyes were wide as she sleepily pushed herself onto all fours, wonder shining in those vivid blue orbs as she stared expectantly. Never had she seen anything so pretty, in all of the two months that she had been alive! A soft whimper escaped her throat as she padded forward, tail wagging shakily behind her. Maybe she should wake up her parents? What if the pretty light was something dangerous, but was just disguised as being pretty? With obvious hesitance, she stuck her small head from the den's opening, gaze dancing over the sky. It was not blue, or black, like normal -- but a gorgeous pink that started at the horizon and faded to orange as she tilted her head further toward the heavens. It really was amazing, and she found herself growing captivated by the scene. Behind the colors and the few clouds that dotted the sky, were faint stars, glimmering from their place in the sky. She had never been awake so early; all she knew was day and night. Not that there was something in-between like this. Amazement painted her delicate features as the young girl slunk from the den, flopping to the ground nearby her home. She had been so engrossed, she had hardly noticed she'd stepped out into the world -- for merely the second time ever. With her attention captured by what lay above her, she didn't feel unsure or afraid like she usually did.

Early morning walk, it was the only reason she was out here so early. The shewolf was still getting used to the new den arrangements, feeling a bit awkward even though nothing was going on. She shook her head, a heavy sigh slipping from her lips as she lifted her head, grey orbs looking up to the sky that had begun to change colors. Various shades of pink and orange, a sliver of violet here and there. Still visible in the lightening sky were stars, bring a small smile on Loccian's face. It was then that the wind created a gentle breeze, flowing over the lands, bringing all kinds of scents to the woman's nose. Brows came together when she identified a certain one, lowering her head and turning it to the side. Not far away she could see a small form sitting in the grass, looking up to the sky. Carefully she would move on, walking at a steady pace, moving silently towards the small creature, a pup, Bronze and Silent's. "Isn't it a bit too early for you little one?" She asked in a gentle tone, soft as she came to a stop,lowering her head to look at the pup with a small smile. She kept her voice low, gaze drifting over to the den not far off, not wanting to wake the pup's family. "normal. talk. think. you." Awesome table by Clash <3

Ara was very much enraptured by the scene, having never seen anything quite like it before. Perhaps this was one of her biggest flaws thus far, if a child so young could really have any negative qualities. She was very observant, but her attention often was captured and she had a hard time focusing on anything else. Her blue eyes, colored differently from both of her parents, were wide with wonder as she stared. The voice of another cut through the silence. She hadn't expected it -- hadn't even heard the lady approach or smell her! Briefly she scolded herself, but before she could internalize the presence of the other wolf she jumped visibly, as though startled. Immediately her gaze shifted downward, watching the wolf. She was pretty big, almost like her dad; and yet unlike her father, she felt immediately wary of her because of her size. Strangers were not always good! And yet this one was someone who belonged to the pack, a good wolf. Loccian's scent told her that much. Silence lingered as she composed herself, straightening her posture and letting her tail wag slowly behind her small body. The pup sniffed at the air, taking in and trying to remember her scent. 'Isn't it a bit too early for you little one?' The stranger inquired, and she shook her head side to side rapidly. It was pretty out now, and she didn't feel tired; so why should she still be sleeping? The lady didn't seem threatening, so she hesitantly took another stop forward, returning a smile bashfully.

She couldn't help but chuckle softly at the child's reaction, she had been so fascinated by the colors of the sky that she didn't even notice Loccian approach. The shewolf would sit back, tail curling around to lay over her paws, ears swiveling to the side then moved once again to face the child in case she spoke. Within seconds the pup recovered, her tail wagging and shaking her head to Loccian's question and moving towards her. "Your first time seeing the sky like this?" She asked, the smile still there, grey gaze moving from the kid and up to the sky with a light sigh. "It's very pretty, especially with the stars poking through the thin clouds." "normal. talk. think. you." Awesome table by Clash <3

It was strange for a pup to seem mysterious, but if Ara was anything it was indeed this; she lacked much of the normal enthusiasm displayed by most children. Instead, she watched Loccian with a wary demeanor, her curiosity withheld. She was not at all a typical looking child. She'd inherited her father's light tan fur, as well as her mother's black fur -- and two odd stripes of brown that set her apart from her siblings. She'd never seen her reflection, but knew she had a sharp contrast in fur color, able to see the light fur of her chest. Still her blue eyes remained fixated on the grey lady. Briefly she turned to look over her shoulder, as though expecting to see someone creep out of the den and scold her for wandering away on her own. Instead, all she saw was darkness. She tilted her head back to Loccian, brows furrowing a bit. "Y... yes..." Ara whispered, her voice hardly audible at all, such a small voice even for a child. Loccian noted it was pretty, eliciting a grin from month and a half old girl, even as she took a step closer. The lady was very pleasant looking, despite her size. Blue gaze lingered briefly on the scar on her shoulder, noting her father had a similar marking on him. What was it? She had only questioned him once, and he had seemed to brush her off. Gently she leaned to press her nose near the scar, eyes wide with curiosity. Of course, Ara had no idea it was a scar ... or what a scar even was. It just looked strange, and she wanted to know; especially what her daddy had over his eye. And what better way to ask?

She could not help but smirk at the child, watching her out of the corner of her peripheral vision as she looked over her shoulder. Loccian knew what she was looking for, probably the first time she has left her den, just making sure nobody else would sneak out of the shadows. The girl would be fine though, she was in Seracia, and if anything were to happen the grey shewolf was here, her parents just a few feet away and with a howl more would come. The pup and her siblings would be safe, along with Maverick's children. Loccian wouldn't let them have the same fate as Reficul. Ears would swivel to the side when the child spoke, only coming out as a small whisper. Loccian spoke like that a lot and so she could pick up on what the girl said. Eyes would close, taking in a long and deep breath of the early morning air, so fresh, relaxing. They would reopen quickly though at the touch of a cool wet nose against bare flesh, slowly her head would lower and turn, her gentle grey gaze looking into the child's blue eyes, something neither of her parents had. "Do you know what this is?" She asked softly, head tilting to the side slightly as she motioned towards the scar on her shoulder. Now that she was looking down at the girl, she really took in her appearance. Right away what aught her attention after those blue eyes were the strange markings beneath them, two curved lines under each eye. Strange but interesting, it would set her apart from her siblings, made her more unique. And her colors, black from her mother, and the creme coloring of her father covering most of her face, chest, and underbelly. A nice mixture of both. "normal. talk. think. you." Awesome table by Clash <3

The world was so big and wonderful! She wanted to drink it all in, perhaps somewhat greedily, and know everything she possibly could. And yet some things still seemed beyond her reach, and she found herself needing to question others more and more. Quiet eyes watched the lady as she came to recline gingerly on her hind legs. Her parents had warned her that strangers were not always as nice as they seemed, but this one really did seem okay -- it was like she could see how kind her eyes were, though she didn't know such a thing was possible. Something shone in her blue gaze -- a mixture of enthusiasm and curiosity alike. She felt like she could watch this lady forever, but knew staring was rude -- her mom had told her not to stare at people so long, especially not wolves she didn't know well. 'Do you know what this is?' "No..." She whispered softly, her voice still quiet as a mouse. "Daddy has missing fur like that over his eye." It was perhaps one of the longest sentences she'd spoken, and her voice was shaky and somewhat unsure. Ara was not stupid, just ... didn't find a need to speak much. Usually her siblings said most of what she was thinking, anyway. Behind her, her tail waved back and forth steadily, a gesture that said clearly she was enjoying this lady's company.

Loccian chuckled softly at the look the kid had, an ear twitching when she told the woman that she didn't know. Should she tell the girl, what would her parents think? Would Bronze want her to explain this is what happened to the body when you got hurt bad? She sighed, looking away for a moment as she thought about this, but looked back when the girl said how her father had the same thing over his eye. "It is called a scar." She spoke softly with a small smile, lowering herself to the ground so the girl could get a better look at the missing patch of fur on her shoulder, maybe even touch it if she wants. "When you get hurt, sometimes the fur stops growing." She explained, there was no reason to go into detail and no reason to explain how hurt you had to get to receive a scar. One thing was bothering her though, she knew when she got this scar, but couldn't remember how... "normal. talk. think. you." Awesome table by Clash <3

Her eyes were bright of full of wonder; like she would never grow bored of the world or the things it contained. Ears twitched on top of her small head, listening to the woman sigh and look awake. Hopefully she was not annoyed with her! But no -- Ara shook her head. This lady had approached her, not the other way around. She felt as though she was an expert at reading the expressions and body language of her siblings, and her parents, but gauging the emotions of strangers was much more difficult for her. 'It is called a scar. When you get hurt, sometimes the fur stops growing.' She listened, briefly glancing at the scar again. It was interesting, but only made her wonder more. "Something hurt daddy bad then. On his eye." Ara nodded surely, though she looked somewhat bewildered, as though amazed something could ever hurt him. Even this lady was so big and looked strong to the young girl; it made her feel suddenly tiny and vulnerable. But her attention shifted, knowing she wasn't supposed to ask personal questions. Her parents had taught her that. Ara shuffled her paws beneath her for a moment, before glancing back up at Loccian. "I don't know your name..."

At the mention of her father getting hurt on his eye Loccian would give a small nod of her head. The girl would understand, maybe not in the same way as the shewolf but she did nonetheless. Her face would light up as she sat there, curiosity fueling her, helping her to learn new things. It was a good thing, definitely for a young age but also when she would grow older. It would help her a lot. Loccian's tail would slowly wag behind her as she watched the pup, ears perking up when she mentioned how she didn't know her name. Of course, how could she not introduce herself to the young pup. "I'm sorry little one, my name is Loccian." she answered her, dipping her head slightly with a smile. "And what is yours?" She would ask back, head tilting to the side. "normal. talk. think. you." Awesome table by Clash <3

How bad would something have to hurt in order to leave a mark like this one? Briefly her blue gaze wandered again, sweeping over this lady's pelt. She was such a different color than she and her siblings, and she liked seeing wolves who looked differently than she did. Were their wolves who were the color of the sky? Of the grass? It was a wild thought, and she felt the gears in her mind turning as she tried to imagine what they might look like. But she was brought back to reality as the woman before her introduced herself. "Ara," she offered her name with a tender smile. "My sister is named Jendai. My brothers are Mercury and Faolan." Had she met them yet? It was probable that she hadn't, but she wished they were awake so that they could meet this smart woman named Loccian. Still he tail wagged gleefully behind her as she sat, enjoying the early morning with what felt like her new friend. "Are you a friend of my mom or daddy?" She knew she could trust fellow pack-mates -- she'd been taught that -- but she wondered if she had stumbled upon one of their friends.

Head tilted to the side when the girl spoke up, giving her name as Ara. She would think about it for a moment, thinking back to when Silent had her children when they got to her den when the white woman named Song was going into labor. It happened so fast she couldn't register what was going on, but she could faintly remember the names of both litters. And little Ara would go on to tell Loccian the names of her sister and brothers, she would give a nod of her head. ?I remember now, I was there when you and your siblings came into this world.? She would say with a small smile, tail wrapping around her hindleg and lay over her paws. Her question though would make her ears lower a bit, asking if she was a friend of her mother or father. With a light sigh the shewolf would lift her head and look up to the sky that now had more colors, a very beautiful sight. In no time the sun would be high enough to where the colors would fade away, be replaced with a sea of blue with a few clouds here and there. "I am not a friend of your mother, but I knew your father a little before he joined Seracia... I brought him here after he got hurt." She would say softly, the tip of her tail flicking, but she would look down at Ara after a moment of silence. "He is kind of a friend." "normal. talk. think. you." Awesome table by Clash <3

There was so much to explore in this world. Eyes, brimming with wonder, watched the woman beside her. How many friends did her parents have here? Both of them had told her that she could trust the wolves that lived here, in their home, called Seracia. But were they like... super trustworthy? Surely not as much as their parents! She had asked her dad how long he lived here -- he hadn't told her much, but it didn't seem like very long. What all had happened before that? A smile graced her features, lighting up her expression again. She was obviously innocent, and yet she was carefully guarded in her curiosities, not sure if everyone would be nearly as willing to answer her questions. Afraid of rejection, of unpleasant wolves. 'I remember now, I was there when you and your siblings came into this world.' Oh! She wracked her mind, trying to recall. "Oh! Daddy said you were a healer. Right? Loccian the healer?" she lifted her head to the sky briefly, glancing over at Loccian as though waiting for her clarification. All this stuff about scars and now she was wondering about healing! She knew it was done with plants and things, but how could she tell one from another? She went on, explaining she was his father's friend. "He got hurt? Why does everyone get hurt so much?" Was the world really that dangerous? It was a terrifying thought, and she found herself unconsciously slipping close to the woman she now identified as a friend.

Loccian would chuckle lightly at the girl's expression, nodding her head when Ara asked if she was a healer like her father told her. ?Yes I am miss Ara, I'm also one of the original members of Seracia.? She would add with a wink, turning her head towards the direction the sun was making its way higher into the sky. She began to wonder how many more questions the girl had, and if she had more, what kind would they be? Would she ask about her father, how she met him, how she learned to use herbs, where she came from, etc. Her next question was about her father, asking about him getting hurt and why everyone got hurt so much. How would she tell the child this, what would she even say if she could? ?I think, without hurt, the world can't exist...? Her voice grew soft as she watched the sky, mostly a light blue now, the colors fading away. ?We will never understand why, it would be like asking why do we eat. Why do we need to get nutrients for our bodies, what's the purpose of being here.? Brows would come together as she saw where this was quickly going, a path that was potentially dark, that Ara wouldn't understand. Her parents probably wouldn't want her to hear it. ?It is best, not to think about it. If you do, it will only make you very confused.? She would look down at the girl, head tilting to the side as she watched her slowly slipping towards her larger body. "normal. talk. think. you." Awesome table by Clash <3

The young girl craved knowledge, and yet she found herself vaguely unsure if she would ever be nearly as smart as her parents, or as Loccian. They seemed to know so much, and she so little. But she would still try, and her chest would swell with interest as she listened to the lady with the scar on her shoulder speak. So she was into plants and using them to ... make things feel better? Like the cut that her daddy had on his eye. Hmm. She went on, saying some things that only vaguely made sense -- that without hurt the world couldn't exist. She knew the concept of pain; she had tripped before, and it hadn't felt very nice. But the idea of something actually making a mark on you was different altogether. "Those are big questions," she noted softly, but giggled a bit -- she was still innocent, unaware of most of the evil that existed in the world. All of the thinking was making her admittedly more tired, and the girl's jaws parted in a wide but soft yawn. "Thinking makes me sleepy," she admitted quietly, letting out another soft laugh. "Maybe I should go back to bed before mom and dad realize I'm away." Though she was certain she wanted to speak to Loccian in the future. She was interesting, and oh did Ara have more questions!

ooc: Hope you don't mind, would you like me to start a training thread?

A light chuckle would come to Loccian when Ara said her questions were big ones, of course they would be for a child, she should have kept that in mind and made them simpler to understand. The girl would yawn though, saying that thinking made her sleep and that she should probably go to bed before her parents found out she was away. "That would be a good idea little lady, we could always talk more later." She would give a small nod of her head before lifting herself up and giving a small shake, her gaze falling to the child. "I must get going too, you sleep well." "normal. talk. think. you." Awesome table by Clash <3