Wolf RPG

Judas, this time, was not in his den. He was instead wandering around to look for something that interested him. He headed toward a trail he had found in his earlier searches, before his whole 'kill the wolves' incident. Now it just looked barren. He was starting to look skinnier, as prey was not as common as he had hoped. 

He soon stopped at a running stream. At least the swarm had not taken water with the plants. That would have left the world even more plain than it was. He stepped in, letting the water cool him off a bit from the sun's heat.

Mitanni felt discouraged. With the damage--courtesy of the locust swarm--done already, the Phantom Hollow appeared spookier and quieter than usual. Of course, she was too comfortable there now to be bothered by the change, but it did leave her with considerably fewer options by which to further her hunting skills. How was she supposed to improve herself if there wasn't anything to hunt?

She huffed in irritation as she trotted along, her head lowered and a slight pout shaping her muzzle. She needed something else to do, something as productive but that still managed to keep her attention. Sneaking and stealthing were still options--though maybe she wasn't quite so comfortable in the now spookier forest to go poking into dark corners--but neither currently appealed to her.

For a moment as she traveled, she considered going beyond the pack's borders in order to assess the damage elsewhere, but as she ventured nearer to one of the pack's streams, scenting Judas's smell along the way, she found herself making a detour. She moved quietly, watching, as she approached the stream and the tan-hued coywolf standing in it. "How's the water?" she called, her tone conversational and her amber eyes curious.

Judas couldn't help but splash around his forepaws, swishing them back and forth. Perhaps it was the playful side of the wolf in him starting to come out. But he soon stopped, having heard a voice behind him.

How shameful it was for him, to be caught in such an act. Yet the coywolf did his best to regather himself and put on a facade of his normal self. "Fine...Just fine." He could not help but turn his face away. He did not want any ridicule for what Mitanni must have seen.

There was naturally that initial moment of nerves that quickly stole through the lithe little wolf, remnants of the fear engrained in her after the attack, but she did her best to stamp it down. Judas's reaction helped that, noticing the unease--and was it embarrassment?--that forced his gaze away from hers and made him answer so simplisticly. Oops.

Mitanni hadn't meant to catch him so off guard, or cause him any sense of discomfort. They'd been making strides so far in repairing their relationship, and she hated to think that something as simple as this could possibly cause another tear in it, if it could.

Afraid to take the chance, she ventured a smile, tentative but embarrassed in her own right, and with a quiet hum of sound she strode forward until she stood within the stream too, the water covering her paws and swirling around her legs. Fine seemed an apt descriptor, but maybe only just.

As she'd seen him do, she lifted her foreleg and swished it within the water, enjoying the feel of it and the coolness. "Thank goodness we still have our water," Mitanni commented conversationally, watching it as she set her foreleg down and began to move water around with the other, "the bugs messed with everything else."

The coywolf was mildly surprised, even though he did not show it, that she would venture so close. By giving a quick glance at her leg, he guessed it was getting better. She seemed to move her leg well enough. Still, staring at the limb gave him plenty of guilt. 

Judas gave a solemn look in her direction, his tail falling low. They did strip the land of green and any cover for any creatures. And food for prey. "But water does not provide food, does it?" he queried. The hunger was putting him on edge and making him a grump. He cast his gaze down after that, scuffing a paw through the water. "How have you been handling this?"

The small sense of happiness she took in simply being able to enjoy clean water felt diminished by the remark Judas made about food, and she sighed quietly as it settled in. "No, it doesn't," Mitanni answered, just a little disheartened. While she didn't feel the hunger pains strongly yet, she knew they were bound to strike eventually, and she wasn't looking forward to it at all. 

While Judas asked after her adjusting to their new circumstances, the lithe female bought herself a little thinking time by lowering her head to take a quick drink. Licking her lips once as she finished, she answered, "As best as I can." She paused for a second then added, "The bugs creeped me out more than they should have. There were so many of them." 

Despite feeling immensely glad that they were gone, Mitanni swished her foreleg through the water again and strode a step deeper into the stream. "I'd never seen anything like that before."

Judas was somewhat disheartened in hearing her sigh. "Why? Why am I so blunt?" he thought to himself. The other voice in his head gladly answered for him, "Cause you got me in here." He would have snarled if he didn't know Mitanni was there.

His attention was drawn back to her as she replied to his earlier question. He solemly nodded along. At first, they had indeed scared him, no matter how much he denied that fact. He had not seen so much devastation. When he looked over, his ears fell as she spoke again. She must have been sad. Already, Judas thought of something he thought he'd never do. Cheer someone up.

Then an idea sprang up. With a paw, he splashed water in her general direction then quickly looked up at the sky. Humming tunelessly with a mischievous grin.

She was distracted with her thoughts, still reflecting on the unsettling swarm that had passed through, and was completely caught off guard by the water that splashed her way. Mitanni started, flinching slightly, and gaped in shock as she realized what happened. Did he just..?

Turning her attention back to Judas, he didn't look her way, but his expression was nonetheless telling. He grinned--had she seen him smile like that before?--and the tune he hummed was just too conspicuous. Catching herself beginning to smile a little, taken in by this unexpected show of play, the mottled black and brown female lifted her once-injured leg and splashed water back, trying to gauge whether Judas was actually open to the game that he'd started.

Judas side glanced, his grin wide and tail wagging. That grin disappeared when he felt water hit him across the back and head, dripping down his fur. "Oh, you are gonna get it!" he shouted, splashing back at her with both forepaws then prancing back, but not into a play bow. He didn't know how to do that. This felt like how playing worked, to him. Maybe he could get used to this.

Mitanni succeeded in returning the splash that Judas had made against her--no matter how he tried to hide it, she knew it had been him. For a brief second as his smile disappeared, a little shiver of anxiety stole through her, but despite the warning there wasn't any malice to his tone. Maybe she'd been right in thinking it was all in fun.

More water was sent her way, and reflexively the petite wolf turned her head and closed tight her amber eyes, feeling the water strike the side of her face and her exposed side, some of it rolling down her back. She shook once without quite realizing she did, and seeing the attentive, expectant look about the coywolf it felt safe to assume the game was on.

Tail wagging, Mitanni leaped playfully in Judas's direction before smacking one forepaw down followed by the other, aiming two consecutive splashes of water at him with a laugh.

The coywolf grinned slyly at seeing her get hit by more water. If this kept going, they would look more like mops than wolves. Dripping wet from their playing in the stream. Any thoughts he had were washed away, only focused on the game at hand. 

Judas seemed to get the intended reaction he wanted. Their game was on. His tail wagged as he waited for her move. She came at him and splashed down. He did not move, though, allowing the water to hit. Only to run right by her, making his footfalls heavy on purpose to make water fly across her side. Then he came to a halt, but slipped and fell momentarily.

Another success! She coudn't quite believe she was currently in a splashing game with Judas. Of all the wolves of the pack, he'd been the one whose relationship with her had been the most tenuous, at least since the incident. It made her feel unexpectedly giddy and still a bit shocked from the unlikeliness of it. What would the rest of the pack think?

She didn't have time to finish the thought. Judas surprised her yet again by charging her way, and on instinct Mitanni braced and flinched slightly away from him. Water splashed up across the entire length of her side as he went, but as that was all that was done to her, she quickly dispelled her worry again and stayed in the game.

Turning quickly around, noticing Judas's prone position, Mitanni scrambled closer while laughing and, trying to strike before he got his footing again, rearing up onto her hind legs to splash down with both forepaws at once for a bigger wave of water.

Before the coywolf could get up, another wave hit him. One of the biggest splashes she had sent his way. It was then he heard it. So unfamiliar, yet at the same time he knew what it was. Laughter. His laughter. He was laughing, joyously. That stopped him, and he lay there confused at himself. 

Slowly, he turned to glance at Mitanni. She showed no fear at him. How so much had changed after his incident. It confused him so much more. His face contorted to that of uncertainty and confusion. What was that warm feeling? Joy? Happiness? It was like nothing he had felt. His body froze, and it felt as if time itself stopped for him, even though it truly hadn't.

The little brown wolf's ears perked as she caught the laughter of the coywolf, and though it surprised her she shared in it. It was strange, seeing and hearing Judas act in this way, to witness him behaving like just another wolf. Her tail wagged and she grinned as she stared at him, laughing once more.

But quickly Judas quieted, and the look on his face fell away into uncertainty. Mitanni's own laughter still, and the smile on her face faltered as she watched him. Uncertainty of her own began to resurface, bringing with it anxiety. What was wrong? What had changed in him to drive away the good mood, the fun?

She shifted on her feet, shuffling in the water of the stream, and lowering her head she peered worriedly at the tan-hued wolf-mix. "Judas?" Her tone was soft, nervous, and as a precaution she didn't move closer.

Judas flinched at her voice yet did not speak. He looked away, trying to think for an explanation. An answer to his current feelings. Then, he came up with a question to ask her. "What does joy..feel like?" he asked curiously yet with his normal tone.

"Is it warm? I can't explain this feeling I have. For I have felt nothing like it." He looked to her, waiting for an answer to his perhaps odd question. He in fact started to feel anxious, starting to think it was something else.

Her ears tipped back when she saw him flinch, unable to comprehend the sudden change in his demeanor. They'd been having so much fun--he'd even laughed!--but somehow it was all gone. Mitanni swallowed back the worst of her anxiety and shifted her weight again from one side to the other. Part of her wanted to turn and run, just to be safe, but another reminded her he'd been making such good strides in recovering...

She licked at her lips, fighting to think of something good to say, but nothing came to mind. Not even when he posed a question to her could she really think of something to say, and instead she stared in puzzlement to begin. Joy? Did she even know how to properly describe it? How did she do that?

Encouraged at least by his normal sounding tone and the lack of aggression, though still worried by his apparent growing anxiety, Mitanni tried to answer. "I...I guess it is warm," she agreed, trying to be helpful. "And light. Like your paws might stop sticking to the ground and you'll fly away." Was that right? Had she been feeling that just now, before this all happened? She couldn't even remember.

There was a little pause as she continued to try to explain how she understood joy, and after a few seconds she added, "And it's easier to laugh."

Judas cocked his head lightly, ears perking up at her explanation of joy. This must have been joy he felt. That gave him a smile, his worries behind him. Well, most of his worries at least. "Joy...It feels nice" he said with a small smile on his face. It was better than anger. Much better.

Now that was over with, he thought they should play again. Yet all of a sudden he didn't feel like it. Instead he felt like something else. "Mitanni..despite what I have done, you have been a great friend..I have a favor to ask. Could you teach me? How to mingle with the pack like a proper wolf." Despite having been teaching her a couple of things, now the role had flipped.

She wasn't sure what to think or what else to say, but seeing Judas begin to smile again was reassuring. Her nerves eased and a little sense of calm began to return to her, sighing under her breath when he stated the feeling was nice. Progress. For someone who'd lived through a rough life, and who'd been so hell bent on bringing death to wolves, Mitanni thought this was monumental.

Her smile returned tentatively, slowly creeping back into place as she continued to try gauging his mood and the subtle twists to it. Whatever she expected next, it certainly wasn't the favor the coywolf asked for. Teach him? Her expression blanked, stunned and lost. How did someone teach that sort of thing? Wasn't it typically just picked up along the way?

For a second, her ears dipped. Mitanni didn't feel entirely qualified for the request made of her, but they'd been doing so well in repairing their relationship. Shouldn't she at least try to help him? "I...I'm not sure how to do that," she admitted, shifting again under the weight of this new responsibility. "But I can try." There was a chance she'd need help, but that was what the pack was for. They'd look out for each other; they'd been doing it all along anyway.

Thinking about what she'd agreed to, the mottled brown wolf's lips quirked into a helpless sort of half smile. "I'm not even sure where to begin."

Judas' smile widened at her saying that she would try. He was actually doubting she would, yet she did. "Thank you. Trying is better than nothing, am I right?" he queried with a grin. He moved out of the stream to find a dry spot to sit, as he believed this would be a while. 

He hesitated on her statement. Where could they start? After some thought, something came to mind. "How about..basics. Greeting another, showing affection to another pack member, thanking another. Those sorts of things." One of those was completely alien to him. It was easy to pick out which of those that was.

It looked like his mood had permanently changed. Not even her uncertainty made his smile falter, and if anything it looked as if it grew instead. Mitanni smiled a little easier back at him, following as he began to step out of the stream and onto the bank. "Yeah," she agreed through her smile, "it is." At least she hoped so.

Finding a spot at a decent distance away from the coywolf, the little brown female shook herself, sending water droplets flying and her fur spiking, disheveled. Noticing, she turned her head to try and smooth down a bit of the unruly mess with her tongue, but didn't get far before Judas narrowed down what he was asking of her. Greetings, affection, and thanks. That seemed more doable.

"Hmm." Mitanni thought for a second, reflecting, and when she looked Judas's way she tilted her head just slightly to the side. "You weren't really bad with greetings before. And they're pretty basic. Hey. Hi. How are you. What's up." She listed them easily, and added with a visible thought, "Sometimes just even a smile works." And his looked like they were coming more readily now than before. There was also the tail wag, but she figured that one would come on its own.

Judas watched her go out of the stream, waiting for her to being. She shook off, then began to smooth out a bit of her messy fur. It didn't even come to mind that he should do the same, as he was just waiting expectantly.

The coywolf nodded along, listening to each of her listings. His smile disappeared to a serious face as he listened. Then when she said that even a smile could help, he put on a smile. Except, this time it was a bit forced. He only smiled when he wasn't serious, and at the time he was. He was always serious about a lesson.

"Like that?" he asked after making his smile go away, not noticing how initially scary it must have looked. "And what about the other things? I see wolves prod others with noses and stuff like that." That was the alien thing to him. He never had much affection given to him as a pup, as his life with his mother was short lived.

There was so much serious attention on Judas's face that it was a little intimidating for Mitanni to give her lesson. She really didn't want to disappoint him or teach him wrong, and she tried to keep her uneasiness over it under wraps, shrugging it away. She tried to console herself with thoughts of, He's never had this taught to him so anything's better than nothing, but even so she wanted to help and not accidentally hinder him by mistake.

As she mentioned the smile, however, he tried to follow her direction and forced his expression into one, much less natural and relaxed than his initial smiles had been. It was a bit comical, and Mitanni had to bite the inside of her lip to stop herself from laughing, but she managed it and smiled encouragingly. "Yeah, something like that," she nodded, hoping that with practice it would end up coming along more naturally.

Her ears flickered as he spoke of affectionate touches, and she quickly considered how to continue. Personal space was something she rather liked, even around the pack that she now trusted with her life, but it was a strong part of pack life whether she enjoyed it or not. "It's...kind of like saying I'm happy to see you, I guess," Mitanni stated haltingly, "just without the words." She visibly struggled to find the right words, and she hoped she was describing it well enough that Judas would understand.

But even as she thought about it, she realized there was more to it. "It can mean different things, though," she added, frowning thoughtfully, "depending what you do and how you mean it. A nuzzle could mean I'm glad you're here, thank you, or even I like you." Her tail twitched and she tried not to shift her weight again. She was grateful, partly, that all of this was typically second nature to most wolves. It was pretty hard trying to put it all into words.

Judas dipped his head in gratitude, still not realising how bad his smile had been. he was glad to have done something right, after all. Another thing to thank her for. All this teaching, he was very grateful for. He had to learn these if he was going to start a new life here in the pack.

He tipped his head to the side in slight confusion as she explained all the affectionate touching. Couldn't they just use words? He thought about trying it out, but then he remembered that no one might want to get near him. So he remained still. But did still voice his opinion. "That could be achieved by words, though. What difference does it make, except for the fact that you are physically close to someone?" The same went for the nuzzling. His frown deepened as she explained the nuzzling, his tail halting it's slow swaying.

Maybe she wasn't explaining it right. She recounted everything she'd been saying as she caught the confused look Judas sent her way, hoping she hadn't messed up. Ears tipping back nervously, Mitanni didn't think she'd gotten it wrong, but it sounded as if the coywolf struggled with it too. Words did work just as well, maybe even a little more direct, than actions.

Because it was still a little foreign to her, her frown deepend as she both tried to understand and explain. "I think...it's that whole saying--actions speak louder than words?" she ventured, amber eyes fixed on his for any sense of comprehension or recognition. "When you actually do something about it, I think it means more." That sounded right. Maybe she'd just figured it out for herself right then too.

He nodded in understanding. He had heard that saying passed around here and there. Like the saying 'What comes around goes around'. He heard that one a lot. And he guessed their meanings, but never thought of them in this way. 

Judas noticed her nervousness from the ears tipping back. "Hey. You are doing great. I have learned so much from you in this short time." He shuffled back, just in case it was in fact him making her nervous. "Thank you, Mitanni. For helping."