Finding a young wolf

[Noklie Berues]

    Noklie let out a relieved sigh to see that he managed to catch it. He was still in human form so catching prey was tricky. At least his aim was right this time when he threw the knife at the rabbit and it actually hit the target. Taking the knife out of the rabbit, he picked it up and looked around. Listening to what was around. So far nothing but night was getting closer to falling, so there was a good chance other predators would be out and about.

    Standing up, Noklie headed for the cave that he was currently camping out in. Best be in something that provided protection during the night.

[Kitami Aklia]

Kitami stepped over the log in her path, brown eyes scanning the trees. Now where on earth did Izzy run off to? Her scent was everywhere! How could a child run around so much!? Kitami sighed, using the sigh to blow red strands of hair from her face. Kitami suggested to her pup that they have a picnic in the forest today, since the weather was so fine. Isonette had agreed, loudly and happily. Kitami had to do something to cheer the ten year old up. Izzy had been so depressed ever since trying to hatch her egg in the fireplace, and finding that it didn’t work. It seemed Namesiwa was right. They’d probably have to find that Dante fellow he suggested to hatch the thing.

So the two took their outing, ate a nice lunch, and then Izzy ran off to play. The child disobeyed the rule of remaining within earshot of her mother, which, considering that Kitami’s hearing was much better than a human’s, this gave Izzy a much larger range than other children got. Kitami decided to try tracking her pup. She could easily hear and find her daughter in her wolf form, but Kitami was currently wearing a light summer dress, and she didn’t feel like ruining it. Besides, she’d shift if she began to get worried. She wasn’t worried now. Not yet.

She continued, following the scattered, crazy path that her pup left, stepping lightly, since she was barefoot. Kitami paused though, scenting something different. Blood. And a wolf. Werewolf. Male. Young. Kitami frowned. She was already battling wild dogs to stay out of her territory. The last thing she needed was another werewolf. Not like she met many in this city since moving here. The other wolves of Avaleur hid themselves well it seemed. This male would be the third, if you counted Hanna and the young wolf pup Kitami met in the infirmary. What was his name? Chase or something?

Kitami detoured, heading towards the unfamiliar scent, walking slowly and steadily, footsteps light. Being in human form the risk of the male hearing her was a bit higher than normal, but the wind was in her favor. She paused when she saw a cave up ahead. She tilted her head, eying it. Izzy’s scent was near here. It was back the other way, so that was good. At least Kitami found this stranger before her pup did. She walked forward, this time a bit more loudly, to announce her coming, assuming the fellow wolf didn’t already know. She’d have a chat. And if he wasn’t a threat, then good. If he was, then he’d have to hope he could hold up to a mother’s wrath.

[Noklie Berues]

Noise. Noise caused him to stop in his tracks and look around. Clutching the limp rabbit in one hand, he held the knife with the other.

"Who's there?" Noklie requested.

He was more concerned about staying safe then taking notice that the person nearing him was a werewolf as well. The only werewolf he knew was his mother and she was long long gone. The scent of a fellow was one he didn't recognize since he was used to scenting the normal wolves alone around here.

[Kitami Aklia]

Kitami stepped from around the tree she was behind, eying the wolf. He was quite young, a pup really! Only a tad older than her own child. She took a few more steps towards the cave, then paused, one hand on her shapely hip. She eyed the male. Out here alone, no pack by the scent of it. A loner? Lone wolves could be dangerous, but Kitami’s bias against them had degraded a lot in the last few years. Especially since she considered herself a lone wolf. She wasn’t really a part of the last remnants of Lachesis’s pack. Izzy was, being his pup, but that was good.

She continued to eye the male, before she tilted her head.

“I had come here because you seem to have wandered into my territory. You’re awfully young to be on your own.” She remarked.

[Noklie Berues]

"Then I'll just go some place else in the forest. Didn't see that there was someone else here." Noklie replied as he put the knife in it's sheath around his belt. "I've been on my own for two years, my mother saw to have it like that. Besides, she raised me out here, I've learned to live out here."

All true facts. His mother had left him at ten years of age in human years, and before that she trained him to survive out here. At first he though every pup went through this but sadly he doubted it.

[Kitami Aklia]

Kitami eyed the boy a bit longer after he stated he’d simply leave. He hadn’t seen anyone? Did he really miss her scent markers? Maybe he did. Or more likely he didn’t miss them but he didn’t read into them. A wolf’s nose was the most powerful thing after all. He should have easily scented her markers. Perhaps he couldn’t read them? If that was the case, this pup’s mother didn’t teach him enough.

“You live out here? You seem to hunt well enough…” Kitami said, eying the rabbit. He could kill in human form. Impressive enough. She wondered how good his skill at hunting in general was though. How strong was he?

“Well, my territory isn’t suffering from any shortages in food. You may stay here for a while if you wish.” Kitami said. “But I don’t think a pup should be out on his own. Your mother may have taught you how to survive on your own, but you still probably have much to learn. The fact that I could approach you so closely before you noticed me is proof enough.” She said. He paused, hearing something in the far distance. The subtle shift of a bush.

“What is your name?” Kitami asked, though she kept half of her attention fixed on the sound. The shifting bush could have been anything. The wind was against both her and this male pup. Isonette was downwind, and perhaps trying to perfect her ability to sneak. If so the child was doing much better. But it really depended on whether she was still in human form or not. She had better be in human form, because Kitami did not want to scrub mud out of Izzy’s summer dress tomorrow.

[Noklie Berues]

He didn't know how to read them. His mother didn't use scent markers since they didn't stay in one place long enough to make it their territory. And usually when she found scent markers of any kind, she turned around not explaining it to him. So he just followed.

"Yes." Noklie answered.

She might not have a shortage of food, but having a strange male pup around was something that a female with her own pup might not like. Mother wolves could get protective over any little thing and if Noklie was there her wrath might get turned to him.

"I can learn, never said I was the best of anything. I didn't ask to get left behind at ten. Her choice, I had no say at all." Noklie replied to Kitami's comment on how she sneaked up on him.

Then the subject of name came up. Did she want the whole name or just the first part? Maybe it was best to give only part of it.

"Noklie is my first name." he answered standing there.

[Kitami Aklia]

Saying that he hadn’t asked to be abandoned at such a young age was probably the best way that a person could have used to disarm Kitami. She relaxed a bit, a sad look in her eyes. The poor pup. He was only a tad older than her own child. How could someone just leave their pup behind? Kitami tried to picture herself leaving Isonette and found she couldn’t do it. She’d die before abandoning her pup. And if something did happen to Kitami, Izzy had her father and brothers. Lisa might not like some other wolf’s pup in her home, but Lachesis and the boys would prevent the female from harming or mistreating Izzy. Kitami was confident in that. Well…almost anyways.

“Noklie.” Kitami repeated the name, eying the boy a bit longer before she tilted her head. “Do you hear that Noklie? Listen.” She said. She fell quiet, and all around them there was the normal sound of nature, birds tweeting, light breeze, the occasional small rodent running. Then a strange sound, the sound of wood gently scraping wood. A small clatter of dead branches being brushed aside. Kitami smiled. She bent down to pick up a good solid stick.

“Nice to meet you Noklie. My name is Kitami.” She said softly, and moments later there was a thundering crash of bushes and startled birds as a small girl with dark red hair and bright yellow eyes launched herself from the bush. She held in her hand a wooden sword. Izzy ran straight for Kitami, completely missing Noklie, and Kitami, with one graceful swing, smacked her stick against Izzy’s play sword and knocked the wooden weapon out of the pup’s hands. The sword thumped over by Noklie.

“And this is Isonette. My pup.” Kitami concluded, tossing her stick aside. Izzy huffed.

“And I thought I could surprise you this time Mama!” She said, before turning, looking a tad surprised to see a boy about her age standing there. “Mama…who is this?” She asked, sniffing the air. He was a wolf! Just like she was! This was the first time Izzy met another wolf her age in this place!

[Noklie Berues]

Noklie nodded to her question. He heard the birds at first and smaller movement, but a new sound took over. Trying to pinpoint the source of the sound, he did hear Kitami introduce herself. Although he was soon taken by surprise when a girl around his age emerged from the bushes.

With the play sword knocked out of the girl's hand and landing right in front of him. Noklie jumped back. What was that? It was wood but, it looked like a longer version of his knife. Bending down, he tapped the item a few times. Yep it was wooden but what was the point of it? If this was a knife what could would it do since it was made out of wood? It would hurt but not do much damage.

His attention was removed from the wooden sword back to Kitami when she introduced the girl. Her pup? Noklie cocked his head, still bent down and holding the rabbit in one hand. He never saw another werewolf pup before. And he could tell that there was something about her scent that was like Kitami's, showing him that she was one too.

[Kitami Aklia]

Kitami watched Noklie, seeing his reaction. It seemed he was in the same boat as Isonette. Neither had really ever encountered a fellow pup before. Izzy waited for the boy to speak his name. He didn’t. She turned to Kitami, who looked at her and offered no help. Izzy gave a bit of a huff and she walked forward, approaching Noklie. She stopped before him , leaning close, taking in his scent.

“As Mama said, I’m Isonette du Ponteloc the second. And you are?” She asked, head tilted. Kitami stood by, watching the two pups interact. It was amazing how much Izzy had bloomed since moving from Merovech. When they arrived in Alaveur, Izzy had been shy, timid, scared of things. It had been worse in Merovech. But now, Izzy had blossomed into this confident, bold new creature so like her Papa. She shared the man’s eyes, smile, stubbornness, and pride. It sort of made Kit nervous to think about Isonette’s future. She’d be a handful as a teenage wolf. But Kitami was comforted by the fact that the child seemed to be adopting Kitami’s intelligence and soft, gentle nature as well.

Izzy glanced at her sword, having noted the way Noklie eyed it, tapped it, like he had never encountered it before.

“It is a play sword. Pierre bought it for me. I want to be a knight when I become bigger!” She said, picking the wooden sword up from the ground and brushing dirt off it. It was beautifully carved, and lacquered, so that it shined in the sunlight. An expensive piece, no doubt.

[Noklie Berues]

"Noklie." Noklie answered as he looked back at Isonette.

He didn't think it best to say his last name. It was just a precaution he always took. Play sword? Noklie blinked a few times before returning his gaze to it.

"Play sword?" Noklie asked. "Why play with it? Swords aren't something to play with, but that doesn't look like a sword completely. Material wise."

Knight huh? Noklie never saw a knight, he'd seen hunters upon many numbers. But never a knight.

[Kitami Aklia]

Izzy paused, looking back to Noklie. He didn’t seem to understand the concept of a play sword. She looked to her Mama for help, but Kitami had retreated to sitting on a nearby log and watching. Oh. Isonette was on her own. It seemed whatever Izzy had to say, she was on her own. Well, she had to remember to be a lady. But she should establish her own rank too. And what was that? She was the pup of an alpha, but was she an alpha herself? Well she’d find out soon wouldn’t she?

“It is like a practice sword garçon muet! Have you never heard of one? I am not big enough or experienced enough for a real one yet.” Izzy said. She poked Noklie with the tip of her blunted wooden sword. “If it were real I’d have just made you bleed.”

She turned, swinging the sword side to side randomly, before lowering it. “What about you? What do you wish to be when you grow bigger?” She asked.

[Noklie Berues]

"No such thing out here." Noklie said, he removed the knife from his sheath and held it by the blade dip and dropped it on the ground in between himself and the girl. "Knives, daggers, and swords are all that's out here besides arrow. 'Play swords' don't exist out here."

She then poked him with the play sword and he raised a eyebrow. Honestly. Why create something that wasn't real?

"Barely a scratch with the amount of force you used though if that were real." Noklie said as he remained sitting there, only to reach for his knife and put it back in it's sheath.

He placed the rabbit he was carrying on the ground next to himself. It wouldn't be harmed just sitting there would it? As long as it wasn't on the the side that had the knife hole in it. He cocked his head to her question.

"I want to be alive." Noklie responded.

[Kitami Aklia]

Izzy tilted her head. No play weapons out here. Well no, people would use a real weapon. Izzy wouldn’t be comfortable armed with a fake weapon if she were alone. But Mama was here, and Mama could tear anything apart had she a mind to. This boy though…Izzy found him difficult for some reason. She wasn’t sure if she liked that or not. But then again it wasn’t like she ever met anyone like this before. He mentioned that with the force she used she’d have barely scratched him.

“Well no, why would I want to hurt you?” She asked softly, suddenly feeling stupid and not sure why. And she sort of hated him for making her feel that way. She looked down at her play sword, running a thumb over the wooden blade. She looked up in slight surprise when he said he wanted to be alive. Well he already was, wasn’t he?

“Just alive?” She asked. “But what do you want to do with your life? What point is living if you don’t do anything with it?” This boy was strange. He clearly was raised in some strange way. She glanced at Kitami, and found it odd that her Mama had a small smile on her lips.

[Noklie Berues]

"What's wrong with just alive?" Noklie asked. "It's hard work to just stay alive and that is doing something with it. You need food, shelter, clean water, a understanding of how things work, and much more in order to live."

It was just the way he was ever since his mother left him. She taught him some things. The basics to staying alive. But basics weren't enough as he soon learned, so he had to improve and keep learning.

"When things change around you, you need to change with them. That is doing something as well, it's in order to say alive that you change along side things." Noklie said. "Out here is different than in some town. You have yourself only to rely on most of the time. You need to be strong in many ways. And every day, there is a strong chance of things going wrong. I want to stay alive and staying alive is challenging."

[Kitami Aklia]

“I never said staying alive is easy.” Izzy replied, one eyebrow raised. “I meant that simply staying alive isn’t…hmm…” She turned to Kitami.

”Fulfilling.” Kitami said, giving Izzy the word she wanted. Izzy smiled and nodded.

“Oui! Fulfilling. I’d grow tired of simply living every day just to live. I want to do something that matters to the world! So that is why I’ll be a knight. I’ll help innocent people, battle bad men, and I’ll do it all while looking noble!” She said, giving the play sword a few swings. “You may find the play sword silly, but I think it’ll show me a better way.” She turned, swinging the sword some more.

“I think you two pups are a bit young discussing philosophy. Why not play a game?” Kitami suggested, absently dusting some debris from her dress. She’d have to sidetrack the pups with something pups could do together. This discussion might make too big of a gap between them for them to become friends, if they had a chance at that.

[Noklie Berues]

Nothing was easy.

"It's fulfilling for me." Noklie said.

It was all he knew in life. Living and surviving. That was it. Cocking his head to Kitami's words, Noklie just stayed put.

"Game?" Noklie asked.

[Kitami Aklia]

“Yes, a game!” Izzy replied, lighting up at the suggestion. She turned to Noklie, setting her play sword down. “Don’t you know what a game is?” She asked.

“It is where you play for fun. We could play tag! Or perhaps hide and seek. Or make believe something.” She said, suggesting a few games. Kitami tilted her head. He didn’t know games? What sort of mother did he have? Did she not know that playing games with pups was also a great way to teach them? Was his mother a pup herself or something? She shook her head. This boy had much to learn still.

[Noklie Berues]

If Noklie had his wolf ears out; which he didn't, they would've slanted as he looked away. No he didn't know games. His mother was much more focused on hunting and everything else. If she did play games with him, she never said that they were playing games.

She was more focused on hunting, tracking, and all that other stuff. Games never showed up in her line.

[Kitami Aklia]

Izzy paused and looked back at Noklie, staring at him as he made no answer. It seemed he didn’t want to play any games, judging from that sour look on his face. He probably didn’t know any games, considering he didn’t know what a play sword was. How strange.

“Well, you could say no, you don’t have to give me such a face.” Izzy said, walking up to him. “Well? Do you wish to play or not? I can teach you the games I know. They aren’t that hard. If you can hunt and track you can play a game, surely.” She said, placing her hands on her hips.