He had not taken much time to stray far from his homeland, it was not very often that the pale pup was seen away from his family. Especially Morphine. She had somehow lost track of him, and he decided it was time to explore the lands that surrounded his home. Ares had taken the day off from his normal training, the amount of walking he would do today would be plenty exercise to compete with a lesson. It was time for life to teach him a few things. His large paws brought him to the resting place of many boulders, their large forms capturing his incredulous curiosity. An idea formed into his head, he may not have planned on any lessons today, but a game would be in store. With little effort the large pup leapt upon one of the stones, his back feet struggled slightly for traction. With a last slip he found his footing and was fully atop the boulder. His amethyst gaze surveyed the accompanying stones, which one would be best to leap to? An amused tinge of a smile crossed his pale maw as he leapt with grace to the next stone, and then the next and the next. Each leap coming with increased ferocity. A snarl could be heard with each incredible leap he took. Speech,

The summer was the worst time for Maija to be out and about on her own. Aside from the humidity that threatened to weigh her coat down from sweat and the sweltering temperatures, she cursed the season because of the most horrible reason: Maija was in heat. Desires that she had been denied for so long now attempted to rise and take over her thoughts and actions, causing her body temperature to rise even more and become more miserable. Mentally, she cursed her unknown mother for deciding to squeeze her out in the hottest months of the year. If there was anything to keep her mind from the raging hormones in her body, she wouldn't mind it at all. With a heavy, yet guarded heart, Maija found herself on the outskirts of the woods surrounding the Rock Garden. Tons of different types and sizes of stones littered the large piece of land, making it a great place to practice leaping and pretending the ground beneath them was a lava pit. Such ideas of child's play appeared in Maija's mind, but she pushed the warm thoughts away as she focused on what she saw out in the grand open. Hiding among the bushes and shady areas of the woods she occupied, her leaf green eyes searched the empty plain until she saw a bit of movement a quarter of a mile away. Her ears perked as she saw a miniature version of a wolf leaping from rock to rock. An eyebrow rose and she blinked a few times to make sure she wasn't having a mirage. When did dwarf wolves begin to exist? She had never lain eyes on one, so the discovery was indeed a change to her usual run-ins with the adult wolves she had come across. She sniffed the wind that brought his scent to her and slowly, she pulled herself away from the safety of the shade. It was a reluctant move, but she did it anyway. Eyes remained glassy and unreadable as she crouched in a hunter-like manner. Her hunting habits made her stay in the shadows of the biggest piles of rocks, covering her body from view and letting her have an advantage of spying on the young pup. Maija was still surprised at his size...did adult wolves really come in those measurements? Curiosity burned in her soul for the first time in a long time, and she got a bit closer, golden frame sticking close to the ground and the shade that each pile of rock made for her. speech here

With great care he found himself reaching for larger gaps between his leaps, with more practice the distance became easier to overcome. He growled as he gave himself a running start on a particularly long rock. His white claws kicking on the hard surface, he pushed his limbs to make him move faster. As he neared the end of the rock he could feel his muscles start to coil, readying themselves for the tremendous leap he would take. A growl rumbled deep within his chest, and with all of his power put into his hind limbs he leapt from his perch. GrrrrrrRaw! Front legs extended with grace, their direction poised perfectly for his landing. Ares found himself suspended in the air for what seemed an eternity as his gargantuan leap came to a close. He extended his toes to have a better grip upon landing, his rear legs pulling forward to land with his front paws. He found himself pushed against the other stone, his body compacting to better absorb the shock. He felt a gasp escape him as he landed his jump perfectly. A pleasured purr left his throat as his height was reattained, pride swelling in his chest as he realized his accomplishment. Suddenly an unrecognizable scent was wafted in front of his pale snout. A wolf he had never smelled before was somewhere close. He had no idea of their intentions but they seemed close. He felt himself adopt a fighter's stance, he couldn't know what was coming for him so it was better to be prepared for anything. Another growl erupted from his chest as he called out to the stranger, Come out come out wherever you are. Lavender gaze searched for the intruder, Let's not begin our encounter with childish games. Even as a pup the playtime had been minimal. It was all seriousness from day one. Speech,

The voice that came from the dwarf wolf made Maija want to snort in laughter. She was amused that such a sound came from a male that size, but showing such emotion would be a bad choice. Paranoia of such things made her shy away from being open about what emotionally showed on her face and in her actions. Instead, she let the moment of revealing her amusement remain in the privacy of her chosen pile of rocks' shade and her face recovered its blank expression. His call for her to reveal her presence was something she didn't mind doing. For once. With her heart now light and giddy beneath the icy layers, Maija placed both front paws on the edge of the top stone. It wasn't a far pull up from where she had crouched, but it was high enough to make her add a spring in her climb. Hind legs gently bounced up from the ground and pushed her lower half in the air. With a graceful bound, the landing was just as smooth when her whole body was revealed on her own pile. Luckily, her pile was steady and she didn't have to worry about them toppling from the addition of her own weight. Maija's crouched form became straightened out in less than a few seconds. Her majestic head and chest were pushed up and forward, showing the pride that she carried when she wasn't out hunting and quietly sulking. Slender form that never knew the presence of pups in its womb slinked from side to side as she paced across the large, smooth top of her succeeded pile of stones. Maija's leaf green eyes remained emotionless and glassy, yet a smirk dared to cross her beautiful features that didn't mirror her gaze. "What is this thing, 'childish games'?" She inquired, tones thick with her Romanian accent. Her voice held the false humor she was so used to having in the presence of others, especially ones that she didn't care for. Although she had just met the little wolf, she kept that small sliver of her usual paranoia for males open in her mind. "Obviously, I choose to stay away from such things. 'Tis not something that would be appropriate for someone such as I. As for you..." Her cold gaze ran over the pup's form, tail flicking in slight unfelt annoyance in the process, "I suppose that it comes naturally. It seems that way, regardless, if you deny it." The fact that Maija even said anything after barely meeting the male was indeed a change for the femme. A 'Wow' moment, if you will. speech here

He expected a quick response and that was what he received. A leer found its way across his small muzzle, his eyes gleaming with amusement. Glistening eyes took in the frame of the she wolf who found her way into his presence. He let his gaze look her over, scrutinizing every point of her. Something was different about her than any other she wolf he had met. Was it something in her scent? He wasn't sure, but he didn't let his eyes fall from her. His bone colored ears were fixated on her as well, with his head held proudly. He might have been smaller than she physically, but he held himself as though he were ten feet taller. Her odd voice found its way to his ears, an accent like that had never been offered him. "What is this thing, 'childish games'? Obviously, I choose to stay away from such things. 'Tis not something that would be appropriate for someone such as I. As for you... I suppose that it comes naturally. It seems that way, regardless, if you deny it." He let them fall over his ears, it was easy to hear her in the still hot air. There was no way to deny his age, no matter how much he dested it. Another growl bubbled up, it was becoming an automatic reaction, though this time it was not directed toward the she wolf. He didn't wish to address any of her words, he was just annoyed that he had to stop his training. She didn't seem too much bigger than he was, maybe it was possible she'd be up to help him. The heat of the day was upon them, a perfect opportunity to intensify his experience. Well if that wasn't your intent, what do you want old woman? Speech,

Her eyebrows slowly rose, making an impact on her facial features. It had been rare for Maija to show emotions in any way, especially to complete strangers. Maybe it was because she was in heat and had hormones moving all over the place. She didn't appreciate the fact that her body was becoming unbalanced, and Dragomir wasn't there to fix it. However, she dealt with it and continued to focus on what she had on her paws for the moment. So...this pup thought she was old? Pfft, as if he knew much about the ages of wolves. A part of her kept the mental scoffing at a minimum and she shook all over, letting her golden fur move like blades of grain in the wind. Leaf green eyes narrowed to the male in front of her and she blinked a couple of times before she decided to speak again. Should she even let the male know why she was out there in the open like that? Such things shouldn't be shared, especially the brutally open and honest truth. Why should she share her intentions, however innocent they would be? Pfft...innocent. As if she ever had been in her life (not that she could think of, anyway). It was better to be honest than lie, she finally decided. Maija's slender haunches lowered themselves on the chosen pile of rocks as she answered his question. "I was curious," she said. "Your scent crossed my path and I was wondering what...or whom...you were." Her tail curled its way around her hind paws and delicately rested against her right side. "Now, I have my own question." Just as she had sat down, she was up again, walking in a circle on her pile of stone before she leaped to a nearby set on her left. "Why would someone as young as yourself be out in the big world, all alone?" She allowed a faint of a smirk to appear on her lips. "Unless...you strayed from your mother's side, of whom has no idea you have disappeared?" speech here

A look of complete bewilderment overcame the young pup's features. His mother's voice could be heard suddenly, the demand to have her son by her side one he could not deny. The venom that could be seen at the choice of the other she wolf's words was not mistakable. How he loathed the age he was currently experiencing. One day wolves would not mistake him for a child. He would turn with out another word spoken, his ears flat against his head, sure to not wish to hear any more of her comments. A growl would rumble in his chest as he followed the sounds of his mother's voice. -exit Ares- Speech,

Her potential play thing had to retreat to an unfamiliar call, no doubt being his mother's. An ear perked in the opposite direction as he set off to return to his family's home. At that point in time, Maija didn't know that one day, Tortuga would be a part of her future. So, with a sliver of merriment dancing in her green gaze, she watched him disappear from the rocks and she followed tu suite. Without a proper toy, she would end up being bored out there anyway. Her hunter's paws took her back to the seclusion of the forest and its shade, where she welcomed both with a roll in the dirt and a nap soon following. -EXIT Maija- speech here