Mudminnow River a friend of the Devil is a friend of mine

Famine has settled in by the time morning breaks. The sun is slow to rise but the others are still sleeping, or on their own devices, and he sees no one in particular he wants to take with him. Exploring his surroundings, a new and foreign land, will better familiarize himself as they continue to move and find their purpose. The wolves of these lands do not know what is coming and Enx is excited to lay wake upon them all.
 
Enx follows a scent away from the cuesta, leading him to a small river that isn’t so appealing to the eye. The chill of the morning has settled into his fur, though thick enough to fight off too much discomfort. He lifts his head and looks along the bank to the south and then the north before deciding to move further north and follow the same direction they’ve been going. His nose scents the air constantly and ears swivel upon his head, alert in the face of new territory he does not know. A snort escapes him, with a puff of hot air materializing in front of his face, and he peers across the water into the unknown.

Early morning brings frost with it now.  Soon there will be snow, and it will become more dangerous for her to leave the territory.  She still does not tread far from Easthollow; sometimes to Wapun Meadow to check if her siblings are out, and sometimes the territories that directly surround it.  Today she goes a little farther.  

This territory is pretty aside from its water, which is stained brown by the animal activity nearby.  She sees something wriggling in the water below (a catfish, although she doesn't know it), and she spends her time batting at the surface of the water to catch it without getting too dirty.

A crinkle of dried leaves catches her attention, and her silver-moon gaze pulls up from the murky water to assess her company. She does not offer him words, not yet, but the tip of her tail sways affably near her hocks.

His eyes turn at the sudden movement, sinking back just a fraction to watch the pale wolf as she approaches the water and play with the surface. As he wonders what has her attention, he does not stay hidden for long (not that he tried too hard to begin with), so when the ground gives way beneath powerful paws, her attention is upon him. 

She wags her tail. He gives her a sickly grin. 

Each step is even, calculated, taking him to the edge of the water across from her and makes no effort to silence his heavy steps. It takes seconds to cross the narrow river, murky water splashing behind him until he stands a few yards downstream to get a better look at the girl.

Her mouth twists downward and she takes a step back without looking. She does not like the way he looks at her, the sickened smile that adorns his twisted lips. She wants to keep her pristine form away from his awful inky shadow. What, she demands flatly, her ears faltering and then pressing forward, the sway of her tail stopping.

The closer he gets, the true youthfulness of her face is noted. Untouched. A pretty little thing. His ears remain alert upon his head as green eyes scan over, noting the red of her chest as the only flaw in her coat. The rest of her is all white, from what he can see, and he moves slightly to put her between the running water and his new stature.  

She hardly seems old enough to be of much use to him in the short term. His new role means he gets to lawfully breed and procreate for their own, having shown little interest in a mate until he’s able to raise his own brood (which doesn’t mean he doesn’t have children by random women, but none that he’s kept around to support). Still, there is something about her that makes his heart beat heavy in his chest, pumping blood loudly through all his ears and limbs, and each step puts fuel in the fire. 

When she tries to put a step between them, he closes it, and licks over his lips eagerly.

“You are beautiful,” he tells her with a sly smile.

She hasn't been called that before. Mama had called her strong, and brave, and maybe the look in Daddy's eyes when he saw her last meant that she was beautiful. But it's never been like this. It makes her stomach turn. Still, she's polite. She breathes quickly, pulse quickening as she says, Thank you, but the words are empty. She takes several more steps back and trips on a tree-limb, and even as she scrambles to find her feet again her cautious eyes never leave him. What do you want?

Thank you, she says, and his smile widens, showing off his battle stained teeth. She puts more distance between them and stumbles over something behind her. He does not advance upon her even if the opportunity arises, giving her the chance to right and properly defend herself.
 
“What do you want?” he questions with a slight tilt of his head. Ears twitch upon his head, listening to his surroundings, but soon every nerve is focus on her. Acid burns in his chest, lashing at the back of his throat. Saliva pools in his mouth but he swallows once he’s licked back any evident. “Come with me and my family and I can give you everything,” he offers with a meaningless lash of his tail and a step closer. He scents the air between them, absorb the scent she carries and the wolves she lives with; something that may make this a little more difficult but he enjoys the game anyway.

What do you want?

She wanted mama and papa to live together again even though she didn't remember what those days were like. She wanted aunt Valette, and her cousin Arlette, and to be anywhere but here with this lean shadow of a man and his gnarled yellow teeth. Then he offers her something else. Come with me and I can give you everything you want.

Can you? Her words are more childish, earnest and eager now. Can you make my papa love me? She's strong, large for her age and powerful. But she is still a child.

She considers his words and he wonders what’s going through her mind. Something about her family? Her friends? Power? She is so shy and polite, easy to mold into what he wants. She will not be of service in the coming months but perhaps between now and when she is ready, he can groom her enough for his needs.
 
He nods slightly when asked but the second question gives him pause. He does not care about her father, does not care to lie enough to get what he wants. If it is her father that she idolizes, needs to love, perhaps he can offer enough to take that place.
 
“I cannot,” he tells her with an honest tongue. It is foolish to think any one wolf might make this happen, “but I can. I can give you what he doesn’t.”

Spontaneous bro is spontaneous; feel free to ignore him.

He has been tracking his brother for a little under an hour, and when he spots the familiar form within this unfamiliar territory Kuyuk's strides lengthen; he has spent much of his morning trying to find something palatable for the group but to no avail. The prey here isn't wholly unfamiliar to the nomad but he wishes for more, for larger prey and the challenge of a real hunt.

When he finds his brother, the shadow is not alone. There is a pale figure with him and Kuyuk's interest grows. As he approaches he makes sure to slip along as quietly as possible; as he gets closer he hears his brother speaking the language of the foreigners and, with a wrinkle to his snout, Kuyuk decides he doesn't like the sound of it.

He huffs as he approaches Enx so that his brother knows he's present, but he stays silent. He watches the stranger and notices their youth, and understands swiftly enough what Enx is after. His features relax to an almost bored expression, but he's appraising the girl and growing more curious by the moment.

@Kuyuk, Yakone isn't going to be played after this so I'm fading her out. <3 We can continue?

It is not enough, it seems. The girl only has eyes for her father and Enx holds her stare, trying to express his intent. He is offering her the world, a kingdom. Servants. Anything she could ask for and he’d willingly give it to her—with something in return, of course—but she does not bite.
 
Instead, his brother shows up and he turns his head to look at him. It’s enough to scare the girl.
 
By the time he swings his head back, she’s put more distance between them and he does not have time to react before she turns. Enx lunges a few steps after her but does not give chase, instead turning back and lunging angrily at his brother. Teeth clack together upon approach and he does not slow down when he is near, wishing to tear at him for ruining this encounter.

Aw! Ok. :)

His appraisal appears to bother the girl, who might've been growing comfortable with Enx nearby but not with two warriors of equal strength; he doesn't feel bothered when she spooks and slips away, not until Enx wheels around and turns his teeth upon young Kuyuk. He does what comes naturally and counters the snapping teeth with the blunt side of his muzzle, trying to parry their snouts like they're swords, but soon he's brandishing his own teeth and trying to dissuade Enx with some snaps of his own, and fancy footwork. Kuyuk isn't as burly or strong as the other warriors but he is quick, and uses that speed to keep out of his brother's reach.

Should he manage to avoid his brother's wrath long enough, Kuyuk tries to murmur in their shared language: Mümkin, siz osı janwarlarğa unaytın şığarsız ba? Bul meniñ kinäm emes. She had been nice to look at; pale and soft, and would've provided the boys with a nice bit of fun if they'd managed to make her stay. The girl's departure might mean their notoreity would spread, and perhaps the beasts of the wilds would come to confront the horde — Kuyuk entertains the thought as he dances around his brother, but doesn't mention the possibility.

His brother is quick to react, their teeth clashing against one another until they’ve shoved off and put space between them. Dark eyes narrow hard, ears twitching. Kuyuk says something foolish and he lunches, snapping against, but this tussle is just as short and they separate, Enx ultimately stomping off to soothe his bruised ego.

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