Sawtooth Spire What do you call an alligator in a vest?...

... An INVESTIGATOR LOL
ok no I'll stop
That was the first bad dad joke Google shot at me xD
Private for @Iqniq! :D

He had been warned that Tonravik might be more of a bear than a wolf these days, and the male had not a doubt of it. For now he would keep his distance, but he would be wary of any situation that might need of his assistance. Aariak was a dutiful Caretaker, passionate about his occupation, and he would not deny that he was eager to interact with the small creatures that were the new generation of Tartok in this world. He would make his best to make them strong, but judging by both their parents, they wouldn't need much help in that essence.

Filling the caches was one of Aariak's primary activities every day. If only with small game, it made an excellent exercise for Aariak's physical needs. Today, a large Badger had been a challenge, but after a good renewing fight, the wolf came out victorious. A couple cuts bled, but they were minor things, always welcome. Aariak rested beside his prey splayed in the ground and with a somewhat heavy brething, but satisfied.

OMG. Worse part of that? I could totally see my dad pulling that one off. Or trying to. -dies a little-

More hunting. It was a common task for him around these parts. Feed the she-bear. Feed himself. Feed the she-bear again. He was pulling from the caches more than he was adding to them and his hunting here and there wasn't helping as much as he would have liked. The stoats he and Kanik had found were long gone. Their pack hunt this past week had failed. When it came to keeping the caches full, he was feeling a bit scatterbrained. His heart currently wasn't in it, but he was duty-bound to put his best foot forward and try.

Iqniq moved through the underbrush, turning his nose into the wind as he tracked and stalked a fresh scent here and there. Muskrat. There. That would be a hearty meal. He pressed after it, moving towards the smell when the taint of blood filled the air. Damn. Wolf's blood and something else. After Kanik's death and Aupârtok's bloody return to their borders, he wasn't taking any more chances with the health of his pack, no matter how minor the scratch.

He abandoned the muskrat and made his way to the scene of the crime. There. Aariak and a felled badger. The wolf was breathing heavily as he lay next to the creature. Blood pooled. From this distance, he was uncertain as to whose blood belonged originally to who, but the badger was dead. At least the wolf had won. "Nice catch," he said, revealing himself from the shadows as he stepped closer and seated himself upon the ground. "These parts will be a hell of a lot safer without that thing running around."

omg mine too
let's just not let them know of it's existence

Iqniq's bright face came out of the darkness of the forest, and with a gentle wag of his tail and a bow of his head, the Inuit greeted his leader. Aariak sat up as the fire wolf settled next to him, a simple matter of education, and then he offered his catch to his superior.

"I know it's not coyote but it was one hell of a fighter..." he barked, a smile forming at the corner of his mouth. He had taken note of killing any canine that crossed his path since the moment Iqniq mentioned the attack, but he hadn't been lucky yet. Coyotes and puppies were never a good combinaion, and the pack needed to secure their young. "They are the future" his uncle would often say, and the man couldn't agree more.

"So... How are the boys?" he asked with a smile, "Got a closer look at them yet, or not even their father is allowed to see them?" and then that smile turned into more of a mirth. How grumpy could Tonravik be?

Hahaha. Good deal.

At this point in time, Iqniq wasn't sure which wolf looked more like fire. His own pelt was naturally ablaze, but this wolf looked as though he'd just escaped the bowels of hell. Iq lifted a paw, nudging it beneath his nose to suggest Aariak might wish to clean up the spot of blood that marred his face. War paint. Those crusted lines were well earned.

Iqniq laughed as the wolf offered up his kill. "Taking any predator down will do," he said with a grin, gesturing towards the badger. "It's your kill. You should enjoy the first bite." Rank aside, he recognized the efforts of his pack and had no qualms in rewarding them appropriately. Aariak had fought hard to win this victory. It was only right that he taste the spoils of his war first.

Their conversation quickly shifted to that of the pups. He was well aware this wolf was a caretaker. In that, they both shared a desire to see those kids outside of the den. Iqniq knew that feeling all too well. He was pushed his limits constantly and his patience in letting Tonravik hoard their children was quickly wearing thin.

"They're discovering their voices," he said with a grin. Their sounds were the only thing they'd been able to share with him and he occupied much of his time by partaking in their babble. "But truthfully, I've not met them yet. She guards still." Her level of instinct was grating him, but he kept that information to himself and forced his expression to remain pleasant otherwise.

"Soon, I hope." He shared that much. "I want to meet my boys. Raise them right. Learn more about them. Their personalities. Teach them what I know." It was these thoughts that revitalized his patience. He had many desires to do right by these pups. He wished to be an active parent in their lives.

With a grateful nod, the wolf took his prey for the first bite, and then offered the kill to his alpha again. He was part of the pack, and if he caught anything, regardless of whether it was a predator, it belonged to the pack, and the leader had right over it. That was just Aariak's way of seeing things, he was dutiful and righteous. He liked doing things the right way. Although the honor that Iqniq granted made Aariak feel amazing.

It was a talent of Iqniq's to make things seem less serious than they were, and laughter usually came easily around him. Even Aariak, who would usually be considered too serious couldn't resist grinning at his comments. The father admitted that he hadn't yet met his boys, which in part was hilarious. Tonravik wa a fierce female for what Aariak knew, but all he'd ever known was just like that. Tartok blood was fierceness made matter, and Tartok blood of the purest kind ran through her veins.

The Inuit knew that Iqniq hadn't been born in the Tartok world, and maybe the Tartok way was still a bit new for him, but the fire wasn't only burning on his pelt. Aariak had seen it inside him as well. Bright and warm.

"You will be a good father to them. You're strong..." the male commented in all seriousness, but then a sly grin formed on the corner of his lips, "What worries me is their mother... You will need help handling that monster..." He was used to strong women, all Tartok females had some of it, but making fun of Iqniq was something Aariak couldn't resist.

The caretaker ate first, as prompted. Iqniq diverted his gaze, allowing the wolf to eat undisturbed until Aariak offered him a bite in return. With a nod, he shifted to approach the fell badger and got in a few good noms. It was tasty, that badger. The flavor was something he didn't savor often so this was a quite a treat. The badger was delicious and their home was all the safer with it dead. Doubly good.

He finished. There was still a significant portion of it left for Aariak to enjoy or to fill the caches or to fill another wolf's belly, whichever. It didn't matter what. He stepped away from the body and licked the lingering blood from his muzzle as he first seated himself, yawned, then lowered himself to the ground. An afternoon nap sounded wonderful on a stated stomach, but he was not about to succumb to slumber.

Fortunately, he didn't have to. Aariak was amusing enough. His comments were flattering. Iqniq tried very much to be what he needed to be for this pack, or at least, his own version of what he thought he needed to be. As for Tonravik? The white wolf's comment on her brought a chuckle to his maw. "There's no handling of that swamp monster." She was a grizzly wolf as instinctual as she was ugly. "She can call the shots on them while they're in the den, but once they're free?" He shrugged and grinned. "I hope to round them out a bit." There were things he could teach them Tonravik could not.

Speaking of... if any wolf here could give him any insight as to what to expect out of the pups, that would be the caretaker. "How old until they're on solid food completely?" he asked. Soon their hunts would be crucial, and with the winter rolling in and more mouths to feed, their stockpiles and reserves would be more and more important. Similarly, his outrider blood was crawling with the desire to show them the world beyond that den and when they were old enough, the neighboring lands. "And after that? When's a good time to show them outside of the packlands?"

Iqniq took a big piece of the badger, and then left the rest for Aariak to decide what to do with it. There was still a big portion left, and the Caretaker spared the remains fill a cache for someone else to take a bite. The prey belonged to anyone who needed it, and Aariak was happy to provide.

Iqniq settled on the ground as well, and Aariak licked his lips before taking a more comfortable position with his legs stretched behind him. He chuckled at the Alpha's response, the male had an impressive talent to make fun of himself and those around him, but somehow managed to keep it inofensive. He was a talented social creature unlike Aariak would ever be. Hs strength was on raising strong wolves, which Iqniq seemed to be aware of.

"They should start to be weaned," The male stated, "Although a couple more weeks of only milk will do no harm." the Caretaker believed that those who drank mother milk longer tend to be stronger. He had been one of those himself. "Weaning should be completed around two or three moons after birth."

Then, Iqniq moved to a more complicated subject. Complicated because, so far, Tonravik did not seem to be too keen on having her brood out of sight. "I would wait no less than three or four moons before allowing them away from the rendezvous site. They should be fine to even accompany the pack on hunting expeditions as well. Although probably Tonravik would disagree..." he joked.

His ears pricked, turning towards the wolf as he spoke on what he might expect over the next few weeks and moons. He had a feeling Tonravik would simply "know" when the time was right for such things. Thus far, she was very adamant in knowing what time was right for what thing. As far as he knew, they were both new parents. He had no idea of knowing what was on schedule or not on schedule, but with a wolf like Aariak around, they could figure things out without completely winging it.

"Mmm," he mused, thinking on them. "They're nearly a month now... So what you're saying is I have to wait forever." Heck, getting into the den to actually lay eyes upon his children was something of a painfully long experience. Hopefully the time would move a little more quickly now that he had specific time goals in mind for reference.

He wrinkled his nose at the thought of three or four months before really being able to do anything with them. "I suppose they can be entertained with simple things and quick trips, so to speak." He brought up a good point about Tonravik's overprotectiveness while Iqniq was considerably more lax. He knew the pups were fragile things, but he was confident in their ability to learn and rebound based on the small things they'd encounter over their first few months. Learning hot from cold. Object permanence. The basic sounds that formed language. Simple things that would grow to be bigger things. One step at a time.

"She can't keep her eyes on them all the time, now can she?" he said with a grin. At some point his mate would want to spring free of that den and remember what the world had to offer. Until then he would bide his time and wait for the right moment to present itself. Soon, she'd feel comfortable enough to invite him in. Soon. That was the most intangible, non-descriptive word to describe an unknown but hopefully nearby amount of time. He clung to it.

"They grow faster than you think." barked Aariak laughing. Iqniq would find that three months was nothing when it came to puppies growing. They gain weight by day and grow centimeters by week, and before he noticed he would have four uncontrollable hulligans running around and causing trouble. There wouldn't be many 'quick trips' then. "But yeah, you should enjoy your time with them while you can."

The brood was lucky to have such attentive and loving parents. It was clear in Iqniq's eyes how desperate he was to know his children, to teach them what he knew about the world. And Tonravik would be an exellent mother, protective and fierce. Just the example every Tartok wolf should have since birth. That too, was Aariak's own job.

"The two of you combined won't be able to keep them still for more than a second soon enough," the caretaker revealed. But luckily they had him, who was more than happy to help them tame the little monsters.

Iqniq smiled. He had a feeling their younger months would pass by quickly. But for right now? As he hadn't met them yet, he was simply eager and excited, both of which made time slow to a crawl. The distraction of his packmate was helping. This idle chatter was filled with important, valuable information, and also worked wonders to help pass the time. "I intend to," he said, his words a promise of the amount of time he truly did desire to spend with them as soon as he was able.

The pupsitter warned him on the pups soon-to-be activity level. "I don't think I'll mind that too much," he reassured the wolf. "It will be nice to have some young life in the pack. Some playful activity and such." He grinned and looked more closely towards the white wolf. "Of course, you'll have your hands full too. You'll be the first wolf we call on date night."

Aariak had never been a father, and he doubted greatly that he would ever become one, but he had dealed with pups so many times before that he thought he knew what it actually felt like. Watching them grow and become their own selves is something the Caretaker couldn't describe, but it certainly did bring him a big deal of fullfillment.

"I'm just joking... It is always amazing to see them grow," the male reassured, passion filling his words. "I never get tired of it. But taking care of my brothers and uncle was not the same," Aariak joked, although his face looked worried as the thought of his travel buddies flooded his mind. But then Iqniq told him that he would be the new parents' first choice as babysitter, which was enough to cheer him up.

"I would be honored," he said with a bow and wagging tail. That was why he was there after all. But perhaps, this time he would stay after the job was done. Perhaps.

Had Iqniq been a father before? Yes. Had he been a present father before? No. He'd been promiscuous during his explorations. While he'd been careful not to approach females during their season there were a couple of occasions when instinct simply could not be stopped. Was it something he talked about? No. It wasn't anything he was proud of. It was for this reason he was likely overcompensating with his persistent presence. It was fine. Truly. He'd rather his kids be sick of seeing him than pained from not seeing him enough.

He held his thoughts close as Aariak assured him his earlier words had been a joke. A soft smile crept across his maw as his tail threatened to wag. "Mm. I can't wait." He wanted to play with them. He wanted to teach them. He wanted to parent them. Tonravik and himself were so different that they each offered something special to share with the kids. Those kids would be extremely well rounded. He was excited to see what adventures their future held.

At Aariak's comment on his brothers and uncles, Iqniq laughed. "Adults with opinions? Sounds like herding cats." At least with children it was a learning experience. They could grow up with discipline and obedience. They could learn when "No" meant "No" and what consequences would come with forgetting it. Adults? They definitely had more of a "I do what I want" mentality. He couldn't imagine being a caretaker over those who didn't think they needed care or looking after.

It pleased him to know Aariak was just as excited to meet the pups as he was. It would be good for the children to meet new faces and learn how to be social with more than just their little circle of family. "You'll have to stop by when we're ready to introduce them. Or rather, when Tonravik is ready to introduce him." She was still calling all the shots on their lives at this point. He'd almost forgotten.

Although his brothers' behaviors were surprisingly resemblant to that of infants, taking care of them was not the same as raising pups. Aariak laughed and shook his head lightly at the memory of his childish brothers and grumpy uncle. He wouldn't admit that he was worried about them, but it certainly made him uneasy to think why they had taken so long to catch up with him.

"I will always be around." he confirmed. Up to this point, Aariak had rarely left the area surrounding the den, keeping his distance but heedful of any situation that might need of his attendance. "There should be a thing or two I could teach them as well..." he commented with a grin. Aariak knew he wouldn't be a paternal figure for the Alphas' children, but being a role model for them and everyone else sounded just as exciting.

It was nice to have another body to help with the watching of the children. Someone who was experienced in it. Someone he could trust to teach them how to grow up in the Tartok way of life. The addition of another helping hand was a valuable reassurance that Iqniq and Tonravik would be able to retain all the duties necessary of their lives while also knowing their children were in good hands. As nice as it would have been for them both to put life on hold to raise their pups, he knew that wasn't a possibility. Trading off would be an excellent thing. He was glad for a baby sitter.

At the mention of teaching them a thing or two, Iqniq's ears lifted. "Oh yeah? What kinds of things?" he was curious. He wasn't overly familiar with the developmental stages of puppyhood or what that entailed as far as learning capabilities. He'd mostly be judging that via a series of guess and check. He'd probably introduce new things too soon, but hey, this was his first time at being a present parent. There was a large margin for error. He'd make the best of it.

Aariak was sure that both Iqniq and Tonravik would do great as first-time parents, and he was glad that he was there to support them as a more experienced caretaker. He didn't think of himself as a babysitter, although he didn't mind his Alpha using that word to refer to him. He saw himself as more of a teacher who could encourage the pups to develop their capabilities from an early age. He would be happy to train them in the arts of battle, he was sure they would all be ferocious warriors come the time, and passing on his knowledge about Tartok would be an honor (although Tonravik was probably more qualified to do so). But being so excited about pups usually gave the wrong impression to their parents.

Aariak looked up at Iqniq for a moment, hoping not to find any sign of challenge on his expression, but the way he was looking back at him told the caretaker that the father was actually curious about his comment. Aariak didn't really have an answer for Iqniq, his comment meaning that come the time it was their job (both the parents' and Aariak's) to seek the best way to teach the kids valuable lessons about life.

"Y'know... There isn't a guidebook on how to raise cubs..." the caretaker started, "You kinda just go with the flow and make sure they reach adulthood with enough valuable experiences for them to make their own, and best decisions..." he explained, knowing that this could be valuable for Iqniq as a parent. "They teach you just as much as you teach them..."

Fade this one soon and start another? I've got a thread idea for these two. :]

He looked to Aariak with curiosity written clearly on his face. He was eager to know what kinds of lessons the caretaker had in store. Was there a predetermined set of activities for youngsters he'd devised what with having a heart for children and all or did he just kind of wing it? Truthfully, Iqniq had never parented and wasn't overly involved in observing the parenting of others. He knew it'd be challenging, but advice was always a welcome thing. Whether or not he followed it? That was a different story.

As Aariak spoke, Iqniq couldn't keep the light smile from his muzzle as he shook his head. "No manual for life, eh?" he agreed in his own way. At the same time, there was a small part of him that was glad to know there wasn't really a right or a wrong way to do things. It was just about whatever he could provide for them to the best of his ability. At the end of the day, he was only a wolf. He was destined to make mistakes and hopefully learn from them. And if not his mistakes, then it seemed he'd learn a great deal from his children.

"I look forward to it, really," he said as he lifted to his paws and sunk into a quick stretch. Down dog. Up dog. "It's going to be nice to have some fresh, curious life around here. Thank you for arriving at such an opportune time. You've been a great help already." An ear turned, flicking towards a sound in the distance which reminded him he'd best be back to his rounds. He grinned before falling somewhat somber as he dismissed himself. "I hate to cut our time short, but I've got rounds. Congrats again on that badger. Looks like all the pack is safer for having you here too."

Definitely! Just tag me when the thread's up! :D

Aariak nodded, agreeing with Iqniq's comment. There was, indeed, no right or wrong way to live life, and certainly not to raise pups. That was what instinct was there for, and the Inuit was sure that The Tartok instinct was strong in the fiery male. That was more than enough to raise strong survivors.

As the Alpha got up, Aariak followed, taking the remains of the badger on his jaws and gratefully bowing at Iqniq's acknowledgement. Both parted different ways, but both knew they were already allies, bound by the same name and purpose.

The Inuit cached the remain of his kill before going back to bussiness. The day to meet the cubs was close, and then his real job would start. There were four boys that needed to become warriors.