Bearclaw Valley A Feast for All!

The male's gaze was pulled from the children closest to him as he heard heavy steps coming his way. He knew who it was without having to look up, since there was only one who could have such small steps, but make them sound so big. He looked up and was met by the sight of his largest child, who was coming straight towards him. When she made contact, he discovered what she was after right away—food. It didn't come as a surprise at all, really. It'd been made obvious that she loved food from the second she came into the world. It was a bit funny, at times, but at other times it was slightly concerning. The Inuit believed she would grow into her current body fat, but he did want for her to be healthy and work on not being so food-orientated. Then again, it wasn't overly worrisome at the moment. She still had plenty of time to grow, after all. Besides, Kove didn't want to press her to be something she wasnt, anyways. Extra fat just meant she'd be extra warm once the colder months rolled around.

A chuckle escaped the man's throat as the girl fell onto her butt and burped. It was, oddly enough, rather adorable, as was the look she gave afterwards. The only meat he had to offer was that of some fish, though he didn't know if the girl had ever tried it before. Without knowing that, he was unsure whether she would like it or not, but had a sneaking suspicion she would. Food was food, after all. Propping himself up some, he regurgitated what he could, an instinctive action he'd grown use to performing. As the final bits of the warm food left his mouth, he returned to his previous laying position and looked to the chubby girl. "Fish," he stated, pointing to the pile of meat with his nose, though it looked nothing like a fish at this point. He looked to Xan and Nanook then, and even sent a glance in Sesi's direction. Without saying anything, he signaled that they were more than welcome to try it, too—well, only if they could get to it before Desna gobbled it all down.

Alexander was on high alert as Desna started running towards his dad. He narrowed his eyes into a glare, though it wasn't very intimidating given his currently soft features. His fur bristled a bit as she got closer, and he even let out a tiny growl. It wasn't loud enough for his dad to hear, or so he suspected since he wasn't given a disapproving look of any sort. The large girl went right up to Kove, and had the nerve to call him 'daddy'. Didn't she know she had different parents? It irked him, and he smirked when she fell onto her butt. The sound she made afterwards made his skin crawl, though. The boy looked to his dad expectantly, hoping the elder would chase the weird wolf away, but he didn't. Instead, he laughed. He actually found what the girl was doing to be funny! To make matters worse, the older Inuit then offered up food for the girl. What was going on? Why was he being nice to her when she wasnt his kid? It made him frown, but also stirred up a bit of confusion within the boy.

When Kove motioned towards the meat, the young albino's attention was drawn to it. Sniffing the air, he found it smelled almost like any other food, but was somehow a bit different. He thought it was weird, and was hesitant when given the signal that he could try it. Then, his mind started working it over. The older wolf was his dad, and cared for him. So no matter what, he wouldn't harm him, or give him something that would be dangerous. Xan moved closer to the pile of fish, and took a bite of it. It didn't taste bad, but was also different from what he was use to. Never had he eaten fish before then, but now that he'd tried it he was interested in having it again. The boy glanced to Desna afterwards, narrowing his gaze as he did so. He knew how stingy she could be when it came to food, and didn't want her to take all of it. Though, he also knew he couldn't take her on alone. She was huge in comparison to the other children. It was then that he found his gaze shifting to Nanook, urging her to help him out if needed. It was a rare occasion for him to ask for assistance, and probably would never happen again unless in secret.

When papa wrapped his paw around her, Nanook's heart nearly exploded from her chest. Her tail stormed the ground, and she pressed her face deeper into the warmth of papa's leg. If she hadn't been certain before, she was settled now that she would never ever let this moment go. She would stay pressed against papa forever, breathing in the scent of his fur that smelt familiar, but at the same time so very different from mama and Raziel's. She would hold papa here forever. But the he had other plans, and soon the cool touch of air replaced where his paw had pressed, and he nudged her again, only this time away from him.

The smell of food stained the air, and the sound of mama preparing their meals. Saliva formed in her mouth at the prospect of supper, but she did not run to mama. Where papa had held her still tingled with heat, and she turned back to him and plopped herself down in a mimicry. He wasn't going anywhere, so neither was she. The fact that Xan wouldn't budge only strengthened her resolve to stay. She eyed him now with a narrowed gaze, a challenge that lasted but a fleeting second before the pulse of heavy footfalls broke her concentration and she twisted around just to see Desna barrel past her, and Nanook trailed her larger sister as she ran straight into papa's legs.

Nanook felt none of the jealousy she felt toward Xan when her sister ran up to papa, but still she locked her gaze on Desna with a skeptical look. What could she possibly want from him? Papa didn't take long to answer her unspoken thought. He retched a pile of strange smelling food on the ground, and without hesitation, Nanook sprung forward to claim her place around whatever new thing he'd brought them. She wouldn't be left out again.

While Xan sniffed the meat, Nanook shot papa a questioning look, and though her skin prickled, she tested his word herself. "Ff-i-shhhh." She breathed the word, slow and quiet, turned it over in her mouth. Then she dropped her gaze to this fish and sniffed, just as Xan took a bite - an act that made her forget her reserve and uncertainty. Nanook pushed her head toward the slimy pile and slurped a taste, only to recoil at the flavour that filled her mouth. It was like nothing mama had brought them, and gave a funny tang she wasn't sure she liked. Nanook swiped her tongue around her lips, but the tang wouldn't go away, and for a few seconds she lost herself to the rhythm of cleaning away the taste. Only when she noticed Xan's glance in her peripheral did she let her attention shift, and she turned to him, ready to bristle or snap. But she stopped herself short, and she tipped her head. There was a different glint in Xan's eyes, and though she had no word to make sense of it, the look made her glance back at Desna. The sight of her - paired with Xan's peeved face - made her ticking thoughts click. A wily smile crooked over her face, her confusion replaced by mischief, and she eyed them both with an unsettled decision.

Desna was delighted when her father listened to her wishes and prepared them some other food. She jumped excitedly, watching how Xan approached. Unlike the others Desna always jumped into new things with fearless ferocity. So she basically jumped on the 'Fish' instead of the meats mommy always gave her. She barely chewed as she tried to wolf down parts of it, but after the second bite Desna realized she disliked the taste. She spat it back out again and moved her tongue in and out to get the horrible taste of it. She let out a whine and pawed at her muzzle.

She looked at her brother and sister, wondering if they liked it. She was surprised that they were eating it. Desna looked puzzled, and clearly shocked. She looked up at her father with a hurt expression. Why would he trick her like that? Though he did warn her that it was fish and not meat Desna felt a bit betrayed. She then noticed that Nanook's pile of meat was still untouched, including Xan's. Fine. That was how it would be then. The dark pup pushed herself up, clearly not interested in the fish anymore. She trotted with her heavy bulk swaying to the piles of meat and started to gobble that down with lightning speed.

Feel free to still attack her for stealing their piles of meat instead of all the fish.

Nanook's amusement turned to suspicion, and she narrowed her gaze on Desna's retreating form. She was playing with them. This was a trick so they'd let their guard down. Desna was always eating everything, so it had to be, because her sister wouldn't just walk away from food.

Only when Desna neared ma's food piles did Nanook realize her sister wasn't playing a trick to get the fish. A hot buzz jittered all the way through Nanook's tiny body at the sight of Desna scarfing ma's food. Her food, and the world around Nanook shook, the trees and grass speckling out to a blur of black and white. Forget Xan and the weird tasting fish, forget pa and ma and the other wolves. That food was hers, and Desna wasn't allowed to eat any of it, or any of the other piles, because she'd had hers already and that portion was hers!

With a guttural growl (as fierce as a pup her age could make), Nanook locked her aim on Desna and charged. The ground beneath her blurred, and though at times she stumbled, she did not stop. Her tiny heart beat war drums against her chest. The food hoovered into Desna's mouth, and Nanook's fury only grew. She reached her sister in a flurry and lunged without thinking of consequence. Desna would pay, and Nanook peeled her jaws wide and aimed her tiny fangs at Desna's face with a ferocity so far from play.

You sneaky pup! :P If you want Nanook's teeth to deal damage (they might be sharp enough now? I don't know for sure), feel free.

Xan watched, both with anticipation and curiosity, as the other two children tried the food that had been offered to them. His odd eyes flickered between their faces, watching the expressions they gave off. His own face took on a smug look, as was usual for the child, when he was given the impression that they didn't like the weird new food. That just meant he could have it all, which sounded fine by him. He hadn't wanted to share, anyways, and was glad he would not be forced to. That joy faltered, however, as he watched the large girl's retreating form. His eyes narrowed, watching every step she took once he'd realized the direction she was heading in. Was her destination his mom, or the food she had provided? It was a foolish question, he reminded himself, since there was only one thing that drove the girl, and that thing was food. The boy huffed as his suspicions were confirmed, and he watched in both disgust and annoyance as the mommy-thief started eating the meat. A second passed, and he found his gaze being pulled to the movement of something else—or, rather, someone else.

Staying where he was, the young Inuit watched as his sister ran after the other girl, and couldn't help but grin when he saw her lunging towards her. If he'd had any doubts about his relation to the light grey child before, they'd all been washed away with her actions. He wanted to join, too, but then who would protect the fish and his dad? Frowning, the boy looked between the two directions, before decided he'd be safe to chase after. Taking a few more bites of the fish, and then giving a glance in Leo's direction to ensure he stayed put, Xan rushed forward to aid his mighty sister. It'd be like his 'playing' with the lion child, except he would probably need to be a bit rougher. Desna was a giant, after all, and didn't seem like she'd be easily put in place. No matter, the boy continued forward, circling the two girls as he awaited an opening for the darker one's ears. It was a cheap shot, usually, but she needed to learn she couldn't steal food that wasn't hers. "Desna's in trouble," he pointed out, grinning all the while.

Desna let out a loud cry when she was tackled down by her sister, more in shock than in pain. But then the actual pain came because her sister bit hard in her muzzle. Desna let out an actual cry of pain, so loud it echoed through the valley. Usually pups had a few cries. Happy ones, pleading ones, and the one where the pup was in actual pain. Desna instantly started crying because she didn't know why but her muzzle really hurt. Tears filled in her eyes and they rolled down as she cried for her mother. Some warm liquid fell on her paw and it had the color of his mother's eyes. She didn't know what it was but it smelled a bit like the carcass but different.

She sniffled harder when Xan was so mean to her. Why was she in trouble? She was only eating the food that was left by the others. Her mother told them not to waste food. Desna only cried louder and tried to get away from Nanook. The cheerful pup suddenly realized that she was more fearful now. Why were her siblings so mean???

Scarlett was just about to rest and digest the meat she left for herself. The pups were learning about fish from Kove and Scarlett took this moment to just have a quick rest between all her pack members. Her heard was rested between her paws. She listened in on all the conversations that slowly turned into a mess of mumbled. She as drifting off, but not long though. Because a scream that struck to her core made all the alarm bells sound in her mind. She jumped up and watched how Nanook was almost viciously attacking poor Desna. Xan was circling them like a predator. She grabbed Nanook roughly by her scruff and then placed her down giving her a hash correcting nip. Scarlett did the same with Xan, she didn't allow Bullying in her litter. She was the one that was always bullied by her other siblings and it hurt.

She approached the crying Desna and startled licking over her muzzle, there were some light bite marks that would probably heal, but for now it was probably hurting the child. Once she licked her wound clean she stepped to the others. "What were you thinking?!," she growled to the two children. "You can't hurt your sister like that! If you did not want her to eat your food you should have eaten it right away, or ask her not to eat it. Or even come to me, I could have guard your food too!," Scarlett let out strictly. "Go eat your food, now," She added in a tone that if they didn't listen they would feel it. Scarlett could be a strict mom. The mother then turned to Desna. "Desna, you can't eat all the food. Your siblings need food too. I understand you are hungry but you can ask me for more if you are still hungry next time. That food didn't belong to you," she scolded. Scarlett knew after all that Desna wasn't completely innocent. Frankly she was shocked by the aggressive display Nanook showed. Her name was cute and kind, not mean and vicious. Scarlett was keen on eliminating all that aggression from her little grey girl.

When the cries exiting the larger child's maw, Xan grinned wider than ever before. He was almost giddy at her reaction, believing she would have learned her lesson from the experience. "That's what you get," he stated, words laced with a sardonic tone. To him, his sister's actions were justified. Desna had done something she wasnt suppose to do, and so she'd needed to be punished for her actions. The lighter girl had done just that, and he found himself growing proud of her—though the feeling would most likely end up lasting only for the moment, before fading away in a manner that might suggest it never existed at all. "Good job." For practically the first time ever, words of praise fell from the child's mouth, and they were directed towards none other than Nanook. He was truly happy with the course of action his little sister had decided to take, but the realization that his views were not shared was forced upon him soon after.

Without any real warning, he watched as his actual sister was lifted away and then nipped by their mother. That made no sense to him, though. Didn't she understand that Desna was bad? That she was a thief in more ways that one, and needed to be stopped? His unasked questions were soon answered without words, and the answer was not one he liked. As he was lifted away, he squirmed and kicked out his hind legs, making it known that he wanted put down immediately, and did not take kindly to his mother butting into the situation. When he felt her teeth graze over his body, he immediately recognized it as an action meant for correcting someone—an action he believed was not necessary for him. "No," he corrected, looking up at the older albino without any intentions of backing down. Xan thought himself to be in the right, and wasn't about to tolerate being 'corrected' for doing the right thing. "She deserved it," the child repeated, a belittling tone entering his voice when he referred to the dark-furred girl. "Get rid of her." The boy's tone turned almost deathly serious then, making it known how much he currently despised his alleged 'sister'.

When told to eat his food, the child made no move to go anywhere. He stayed standing right where he was, a defiant look in his odd gaze as he stared up at his mother. "She's like Leo," he informed the elder, nodding towards the crying girl. "She doesn't belong." His gaze narrowed into a glare as he stole a glance at Desna, but quickly averted it back to look his mother in the face. The chubby whelp was not worthy of a look lasting any longer than a millisecond, and he was determined to make that known to all those around him. When it came to Alexander and what he believed, he could be as stubborn as a mule, and then his arrogant nature forced him to make sure others knew he was right.

Kove had watched as his daughter and son headed off, but had thought nothing of it. To him, it was better to let the children handle the issue amongst themselves, rather than the adults getting involved and taking sides. Of course, there was always a point in which an adult would need to step in, but it hadn't yet reached that point when Scarlett intervened. Sure, Desna had been bitten, blood had been drawn, but it was only a flesh wound. Nanook was angry, and rightfully so, and so she'd acted on that. He believed there to be nothing wrong with that, either. It reminded him of a time in which he and his siblings were hanging around with their cousin, Yakone, and her siblings. They were all still quite young, and the girl had done something to offend one of the other children. When the other retaliated, they were left to do their own thing, and his cousin had ended up with a wound that eventually became a scar. The adults around had stepped in once they'd realized how deep the wound was, and that the other child possessed no intention of letting up on her. With Desna, however, it was nothing more than a flesh wound. Her cries had been loud, but she had needed to be taught not to steal the food of another. If she were to do something like that when older and allowed to leave the valley, chances are she'd be attacked, or possibly even killed. The idea of that happening was not one he liked, and so he thought the other children correcting her was definitely the better option.

Pulling himself up to his feet, Kove made his way over to the others, looking between the children as he approached. He'd heard what his son had said, and had sent him a sharp look, which caused the defiant look in the boy's gaze to falter. A trace of confusion seemed to take the place of the defiance that had fallen away, and only then did the elder turn to look at Scarlett. He would speak with the boy later, explain things to him and correct him, but not in the presence of the whole pack. It was a matter to be taken care of in private, unless, of course, if it were to escalate even further. "I think you should've waited to step in," he voiced, sharing his opinion in a calm manner. He could not force her to view things his way, and would not even attempt to, but he did want her to understand where he stood on the matter. "She needed to be corrected, and they may have succeeded in doing so. Think of when they're older, Scarlett. You know the type of danger she could be put in if she were to steal food outside of the valley, and I don't think words alone could have gotten that danger across to her. She needed this." All the while, he kept his voice even and tone calm, not aiming to start anything.

*Throws crying children at Scarlett*

Tiny fangs met their target. The soft down of her sister's face, still ripe with the innocence of a child, brushed against Nanook's widened jaws. Time seemed to enter a different dimension. Everything was slow, yet everything was fast, and even she couldn't stop her teeth from sinking further. Past the state of play and childish anger. Piercing into the soft flesh of her sister's face. A choking trickle of liquid streamed down Nanook's throat, and she gagged as its warm metallic taste swarmed her tongue.

A shriek distorted the air, a voice that sent tremors along every muscle and taut sinew. A pressure snapped around Nanook's neck and with a yelp she released her purchase on Desna's face. The world spun, trees and grass amass with flecks of black and white and blurry forms she couldn't name. The ground came fast, and mama's scent overwhelmed her just as the same jaws that carried her grazed her face with sharp reprimand.

Nanook yelped and drew back and pawed at her face. Her body pulsed with flashes of heat, and her simple thoughts fluxed with anger and confusion and the overwhelming urge to hide. Mama growled, and Xan fought back, but Nanook only stared at the ground, consumed by her sea of emotions. The echoes of everyone, once so surreal, drew to reality at a snail's crawl. The speckled world grew and bright, and Nanook's breathing grew shallow and quick. Reality dawned. Mama and papa's voice became more than a garbled mess, and every word from Xan, and every cry from her sister.

It was too much.

Her shallow breaths grew fast and the world spun again. She couldn't stay here. She had to get out. Without thinking, Nanook risked her mother's wrath and tore away. Not for the food, and not for papa. The ashen Apaata tripped over her paws, but didn't stop. The den had never been so far away, and when she reached the opening, she let the darkness swallowed her whole. There were too many eyes, too many voices. The metallic sting still stung her throat, the taste of her sister's blood, and Nanook shoved her shivering self into her secret corner and curled herself tight. Desna had taken her food. She deserved to be punished, not her. But Desna's weeping still shook Nanook, and mama's anger. What had she done wrong? Confusion and anger and fear tripped her breath, and she squeezed her eyes tight until her ragged sobs ran dry.

Ad didn't say much, he just watched everything on fold. He looked at Scarlett and as much as he hated to admit it Kove was right in this instance. Scarlett should not have interfered. There was a code in the wild, a way of things. You had to be tough to survive and had Desna been a wolf that Ad didn't know, a stranger and had taken his food. He would have ripped her throat out, or at least give her a beating. So with a soft sigh he got to his feet and followed after Nanook. Not caring if it wasn't his place, but he wasn't about to let a little sibling despite his misgivings about being and adopted big brother run around crying.

He stepped near the den following her scent and spoke softly, Nanook?

*pushes in a post* Hopefully I can get some wi-if soon :(

He was to busy poking at the meat to notice anything around him. Nothing pulled him and it apart for now. He stared down at it with his pouty eyes, wanting to just eat it. Why could everyone else eat it but not him? It just wasn't fair. "Want!" he yelled aloud, "Leo want!"

He yelped in surprise as he heard Desna cry and Scarlett scolding Nanook. He quickly rushed over to his favorite sister and rested his head on her back. "Leo sorreh..." He ignored Xan's words since he didn't know the meaning. He licked his sister's grey ear, because he knew that it was nice. It helped him when he was sad or afraid.

it is okay, Leo! <3 Oh noes all the crying children!

Scarlett disagreed with Kove and flattened her ears a bit. She wasn't going to allow her kids draw blood from each other. But it seemed to give a whole chain of effects that Scarlett hadn't thought about. The red eyed female was even more surprised that Kove didn't even correct Xan about the fact that he called Desna like Leo. Scarlett growled and nipped Xan again, harder this time. "You will not talk about your sister like that. She is your sister by blood and family is important for a wolf," she scolded. This time it was a serious bite that she didn't appreciate him talking to her about anyone. Even though his father's look might have quieted him she was still his mother and she deserved just as much respect from her children. It was quite a frustrating job being a mother. Kove hadn't been there and it seemed Nanook and Xan were more fond of him that they were of her.

Speaking of Nanook now the girl ran away crying back to the cave. Scarlett let out a long sigh. "I won't allow them to draw blood from one another, Kove. And she will learn not to steal from others because I make her learn in other ways," she stated and got up. She noticed that Adlartok had been going after Nanook but Scarlett herself wanted to check up on the girl too. Desna knew that she was wrong and didn't need her comfort right now. She was pretty shocked about Xan where here learned to think and speak like that. Kids learned to hate, it didn't come from themselves. Maybe he had been watching too much of Raziel hating on Kove. Scarlett's dream picture just broke apart in a thousand pieces because she was certain that this might be the most dysfunctional family, and probably most of it was her own fault. Scarlett was definitely getting a kick in the butt from being a mother. She always wanted to be one but lately with all the tension between the adults it looked like the pups were learning the wrong things from that tension.

Scarlett just wanted to have a good time, and where they could feast after surviving the storm but all it got them was a fight, and disagreement about how to raise their pups. They were so different in that aspect they were probably confusing their young even more. Scarlett let out a sad sigh and entered the den. "Nanook?," she asked and went to look for the girl. "I'm sorry, Mommy is sometimes wrong too," he spoke.

Xan was lost, momentarily, on what he should do. The look he'd been given was one he wasn't yet ready to challenge, which gave him nothing to do but sit and watch. When he glanced over at his sister, he noticed something was off, and his ears perked up in interest. There was something not quite right with the way she was behaving, but what had caused such a thing was unknown to him. He wanted to ask her, to learn of what was going on, but she'd run off before he could. That only confused him further, and made him think about following after her. There he was, finally having a moment that could be described as the way an older brother was suppose to act, but his attention was pulled away from such thoughts as he witnessed another wolf head towards the den. Still, he considered going in to find and comfort his sister.

Ready to follow after and track the saddened girl down, Xan turned towards the den. He'd been about to take his first steps towards the place, but was, once again, stopped by something. It was not the sight of another that stopped him this time, but the feel of teeth touching his body. It wasn't quite a bite yet, but was definitely rougher than the previous nip he'd been given. It was enough to cause a sharp yelp to leave his maw, and out of instinct, his body turned to try and snap back at whatever had caused him pain. His little jaws closed around nothing but air, though, and he immediately started looking over the place he'd been nipped at. The thick liquid that had fallen from Desna's muzzle did not coat his pale fur, which allowed for him to release the breathe he'd been unconsciously holding. Looking up at the culprit, his gaze narrowed as she spoke.

He disagreed wholeheartedly with what his mother was saying. There was no way the chubby girl was related to him, he just wouldn't believe it. As stubborn as he was, he wouldn't change his mind simply because his mother had told him something different from what he thought. "She is not," he huffed, though his voice had softened to just above a whisper. The whole ordeal had made Xan rather upset, but he wasn't about to give up just yet. The nip had hurt, and the stinging pain had lingered for awhile after the teeth had left his body, but he still didn't want to give up. Even as Scarlett left him, heading away to check on the daughter she'd brought to tears, Alexander remained where he was, though he'd taken a seat instead of standing. Now and again, he'd glance towards the den, before finally deciding to get closer to it. He moved close enough to peek inside, but didn't dare go in after his mother had. He had to force himself not to, though, as the nagging 'protective brother' instincts had finally started to kick in. Definitely took them long enough, but being late was better than it never happening.

Once again, Kove had sent a glance in the direction of his son, as well as one to Nanook. It was simply to check over them, to make sure they were alright as well. The boy received a sharper look, though, once he'd started speaking back once more. His thoughts and words were misguided, and would need to be corrected later on. The older Inuit did not think chastising children in front of everyone else in the pack was a good idea. To him, that was something to be taken care of in private, as it was a matter that only concerned parent and child. Others had no part in it, and their bearing witness to it was unnecessary and, potentially, humiliating for the child. No matter, he did not share his thoughts, as the response he'd been given for sharing his previous ones was not ideal.

It was foolish to think she'd agree with him, and so he hadn't. The ghost had not expected for even a second that Scarlett would relate to his thoughts on the matter, and so he hadn't gotten his hopes up. The way in which she spoke, however, was something that caused him to let out a sigh of his own, though the passing breathe was faint and practically inaudible. He could understand where she was coming from, as a parent, but he also wasn't positive on how much verbal teachings could do. No matter, he kept his mouth shut, and instead focused his attention on Nanook. She'd disappeared into the den, having run off in the midst of them everyone speaking. Believing himself to be partially to blame, the man moved towards the den, too. He offered a slight nod of greeting to Adlartok, before turning his head to look into the home. Scarlett had already gone in, and despite a part of him urging him to just wait outside, he followed suit. Sort of, anyways. He moved in about half way, before looking over the darkened area. "Nanook, come on out," he voiced, tone soft as he watched for any signs of movement from the hidden girl. "It's alright. Desna's fine, you're fine... you don't need to hide, little one." Moving in a bit farther, he began nosing around the space in search of the light grey child.

Artok sighed when they both showed up and with a soft sniff of irritation. He turned and walked away. Fine if they didn't trust him to help with the child, what was the point of trying. He looked at the other children playing, and without a backward glance, he strode away from the feast away from the pack. He would find a place to sleep and they could have all their drama, he was done.

A voice pushed through the darkness, neither mama's nor papa's, and Nanook pried her crusted lids apart. Adlartok. She scare knew the man, but his presence drew a hiccough, and after a moment she moved to lift her head. But another voice came, mama's this time, and all thoughts of revealing herself snapped from her mind. Another burst of heat spread through her chest when papa joined her, and the emotions she'd just cried away surged back. Nanook tucked her head against the deepest part of her hiding place, where she was sure no one could see her.

The rough wall scraped against her cheek, her body, and Nanook wondered if maybe the rock could absorb her. If she stayed still long enough, maybe she could disappear, and mama and papa wouldn't find her. Couldn't they see she didn't want to be found? She didn't want their hugs and kisses, as much as she had yearned to stay in papa's embrace forever just minutes ago. She just wanted them to leave her alone. She turned back to the darkness and squeezed her eyes shut. The world wouldn't see her until she was ready for it to see her again.

With everyone looking after Nanook it was just time to end the feast. The ones who still wanted to eat were more than welcome to nibble from the carcass. Scarlett called out to the other pups, so they could have a nap after their meal. She laid down herself too, letting Nanook decide if she wanted her comfort or not. Scarlett was sure that the little girl would get over it. She would start to limit Desna's food so she wouldn't be something they had to roll forward instead of herself walking.

Ladies and Gentleman that is a wrap! EXP will follow soon! :)