Whitebark Stream upon one summer's morning

kivaluk begun his mid-morning patrol and on a sudden whim — with only a temporary moment of hesitation as a small spark of fear making him wonder if he'll get in trouble for it — he moves out of the protection of the borders. for a moment, he gets a rush of adrenaline. his limbs tremble with for a moment before he pushes forward, making to small trip from qeya river into whitebark stream.

despite the sudden burst of bravery, he does not venture too far from natigvik's borders. just in case.

for a brief moment, kivaluk is content with exploring the closest birch and white-barked aspens, though before long he finds himself wandering further, towards the heart of whitebark stream's territory.

Sadey is not a motherly wolf, truth be told not even a nice wolf. However, a debt owed needs paying and this Natigivik pack had given her healing. She was allowed to roam, a bit. Not as much as she was want too. She had left her healing bed, to catch some game. The numbers of this pack seemed small. 

Once upon a time, she'd have got the gang to attack it, but now that seemed in poor face. So instead she would pay what was owed and protect them she supposed in her own way. While walking, one tiny white paw in front of the other, a movement caught her eyes. She studied her quarry. A young pup, not yet a yearling. He was leaving the territory. The red on his fur was a clear indicator that he belonged to the leader of the pack.

So abandoning her hunt. She followed him at a safe distance. She didn't wish to quell his sense of adventure, but she would keep an eye on him none the less for Miss. Amalia, for the leader of Natigvik. Because to lose a child, well she imagined that was a pain worse than having lost her husband, but she didn't dwell on it.

it takes kivaluk a prolonged moment of assumed freedom to realize that he is not actually alone. her footfalls draw his errant attention with a small swivel of his left ear and then after a few more paces, proven with a glimpse over his streamlined shoulder; wiry with muscle that had weeks ago been cub fat.

he was still growing but more and more he noticed less of a distance of height between his mother and him, and before his temporary departure: his father and him.

he no longer felt so small. only a little bit awkward as he continued to grow into his lanky legs and too big paws.

he does not recall the woman's name — unsure if it was ever mentioned to him — but in his desire to become more involved with natigvik with his father's trip he is less interested in playing and has learned that there was a woman presently under amalia's care.

black, leathery nostrils flare, discreetly taking in her scents: notable of natigvik ...and yet, he does not exactly know if she intends to stay. which seems almost important as he considers it; his steps drawing to a pause before he turns to face her.

i don't need to be babysat. he says in way of introduction; the prickly nature around strangers that had developed during his time in moonglow making its appearance. it was something, he considers, he would need to work on; but then again he assures himself it's fine because she isn't technically apart of their pack ...but she's using their medicines and amalia's time.

The youngling caught on pretty quickly, but not quick enough for Sadey's liking. Though she didn't speak her distaste, yet. It would depend how this meeting would go. She wasn't the easiest to get along with, at best she could be called irritating at worst prickly, nasty, mean, cold. She'd be soft and warm once and look what it got her, broken hearted and alone.

Did I say you did, youngling. Though I figured I could return some of your wolf's time and medicine with hunting. Happened to see you.

She tilted her head, eyeing him, taking in the way he sat himself. He'd make a fine hunter someday, but he had to get there first. 

You didn't notice me at first. You should be aware of your surroundings at all times. Trust me on that one. Some foul beast set upon you before you even have time to think, you don't keep a weather eye.

her name is amalia. kivaluk says, a bit more defensively than he meant to. but hearing this stranger who has known nothing but natigvik's kindness call amalia 'your wolf' made him cringe. made him ( even more ) prickly. the least she could do, he thinks sourly, was learn her name.

he parts his mouth to speak, prepared to defend himself next despite that she was right, he closes it with a small snap as she continues on. the stubborn part of him that is still childish wants to tell her that he only takes lessons from his father ...but if that were true he'd be waiting for some undisclosed amount of time.

there was no telling when kigipigak would return. and...kivaluk was the oldest son. he could not afford to be childish. not anymore.

right, the boy concedes, ears fluttering against his skull; thinking that he was still close to the safety of natigvik. but not close enough. what kind of foul beasts? other wolves? kivaluk inquires because he's assumed that they — wolves — were the top of the food chain.

She studied him. She had meant it as a compliment, but they didn't know her ways. Amalia belonged to them as essentially as she belonged to Colt and he, her and the rest of the gang. She was unsure how to word it eloquently so she just jumped in with all 4 paws. 

I know Miss Amalia's name. I meant it as a compliment youngling. She belongs to your pack. She is essentially yours, family right?

Sadey knew he was going to jump to his own defense. She was pleasantly surprised he hadn't. And also a little disappointed. The fight part of her, had been looking for an excuse to leave she supposed, but more than that. The boy needed to speak up, know his own mind. He did that by testing boundaries by pushing back. However, his question was a good one so she decided she would answer. 

Well some yes, but there's also Cougars. They can kill a wolf soon as look at them. There's bears, same thing. Especially a mother bear. They rip you limb from limb you too near their child, not even think twice about it. Even if you weren't aware the babes were there.

kivaluk processes her words; albiet slowly. trying to find the compliment in the statement that he had prickily mistaken for being offensive. a soft hum vibrates within his throat; ears cupping forth atop his skull. she is. he affirms with a sage nod. she was natigvik. i assume it was more polite to use her name. he doesn't speak it to be criticising of her venacular, though it could easily be percieved of that. he offers it as a way of explaining why he reacted how he had.

i misunderstood. he adds after a quiet moment.

oh, kivaluk mumurs, left ear twitching. it was a bit humbling to find out that wolves were not the top of the food chain. so, stay away from cougars and bears. he draws in a breath and lets it out in a soft, contemplative sigh.

Sadey shrugged a shoulder. Truth be told youngin' It probably is more polite, but I am not a mannerly sort of wolf. Little more rough around the edges than most, but that's what rough living will get ya. But I promise I hadn't meant offense.

Sadey shifted and perked her ears forward. Licking over the hole in her muzzle for what felt like the 1000th time. She just couldn't help it. It was there and annoying and her natural inclination was to just lick it.

She nodded her head. If you're itching for a fight and want to prove yourself. They'd do, but you make sure you have a whole pack behind ya before you tangle with 'em. They're near mountains and further in the forest aways. So you shouldn't have to worry about them here.

Sadey shifted and stretched. You fancy a bit of hunting?

a low snort of amused agreement leaves kivaluk before he can stop it. it's only in the hairsbreadth of aftermath that he regrets it with a small stab of guilt; but interestingly enough, does not offer an apology for it. she was rough around the edges and it didn't take kivaluk long to reach that conclusion even before she stated as such.

but you don't have to live rough. kivaluk points out after a moment of consideration. it wasn't his place to offer her a home among them but as she was already ( temporarily ) staying with them he didn't think it was that big of deal. i'm sure if you want to stay with us my mama would let you. again, it was an assumption he had no right to make but in a stubbornly childish moment does all the same.

yeah! he chirrups when she offers a hunt, tucking away her tidbits of information about cougars and bears; hoping he would remember. what're we hunting? he asks eagerly.

Sadey chuckled along with him. No need to hide that laugh. That was an honest one there. If nothing else i like honesty. 

She smiled at him, grey eyes amused. And turned away. He didn't owe her an apology far as she was concerned, he'd been laughing at the truth. Cause she was rough, and tumble. A bit more feral than him and his.

Sadey flattened an ear though at the next part and she studied him. No I s'pose i don't, but is all I know. I was born into this life, married into this life, buried my mate in this life. I don't know what else i would do. Mayhap she would, but I imagine ole Cole leaves I'll follow. he's my pack mate. She didn't say friend, because he wasn't exactly her friend. Most of the time she couldn't stand the man. But there was loyalty there.

Well that depends. What you  hankering for?

for a prolonged moment, kivaluk assesses her, trying to make sense of her 'rough n' tumble' attitude; almost surprised that she hadn't taken offense to his snort-to-hide-his-laugh.

his expression turns contemplative then as she gives him the ( very, he assumes ) watered down version of her life thus far. a rough life and as she tells it, the only one she's ever known. though he has known the itch of adventure, having taken his very first one so young, he cannot imagine living any sort of 'rough' life. does it get...lonely? kivaluk inquires, unable to fathom what kind of life that might be like.

Sadey is not want to take offense to most anything. You question her motives, honor, life any of it. She'd just roll it off. The only thing she might take offense to is the thought of not knowing love with jax.


Sadey frowned in though. well it depends i s'pose. Depends on what you want. I never really wanted relationships of the loving kind. Just sort of fell into it with my mate. And i had the gang and now despite our issues i have colt.

She shrugged unsure how to fully answer. It does at times won't lie.

a soft hum resonates in kivaluk's throat as she goes into a little more depth about her lifestyle and history. he can't say it resonates with him or that he can even begin to understand, he figures that as long as she's happy then that's all that matters. why d'you hang out with colt if you have issues with him? kivaluk asks, unable to entirely wrap his mind around that.

though, admittedly, there weren't too many wolves that kivaluk could say he didn't get along with ( though there were moments when he was undeniably prickly ).

uh, maybe ...rabbit? he asks after a prolonged moment, realizing after a few beats that he hadn't answered her question.

She didn't expect the youth to understand. Hell there were days the shewolf didn't understand her self. Though his question drew her brows up in surprise. And she had to truly think of an answer. 

There's a sense of loyalty there. And Cole, well he's not a good wolf you see, but he's a loyal one. Always willin ta save my hide if it needs savin. He'd treat someone well, if they could tame him, but he's a feral one.

Sadey nodded. Rabbit it is. Do you want to chase or catch and I chase? I think i can move my ass to chase some your way.

She gave him a cheeky smile.

hm, kivaluk hums; letting her words about this mysterious cole writhe around in his mind. it seemed like ...more trouble than he was worth, if kivaluk was being honest. then again, he only ever knew loyalty and has yet to really experience betrayal in any sort of fashion. in this sense, he was still naive; a testament to his true age and lack of worldly experience despite how mature he liked to act like he was.

even so, he does not speak these words aloud; tucking them away.

i'll chase. he offers, not really giving it much thought. if he had, he might've considered that it be more beneficial to let her chase so he could get practice at the actual 'hunting' part.

Sadey was probably more honest than she shoulda been, but simple fact was Colt himself would tell the boy he wasn't a good wolf. He had a sense of pride in it, as ass backwards as it were. Though, if she was not mistaken, he had a hankering for the boys mother and that would possibly end badly on all parts. But if the red wolf did her own thing. Well that was on her head, not Sadey's.

Very well youngling.

She trotted towards the way she had smelled the warren and nosed towards it. They're that way.

Sadey shifted, the youth was actually possibly already bigger than she. He would probably do better than her with the chasing anyway. She shifted her body into a fluid stance, and waited for him to chase some rabbits her way.

kivaluk isn't entirely thrilled with the nickname of 'youngling' and makes his ear twitch with the consideration that perhaps she's already forgotten his name. it takes all of his self restraint not to mutter a correction under his breath; brushing off the worst of his terrible manners.

there was a time and place ...and when a potential snack was riding upon it? wasn't the place to poke at her nerves.

his gaze studies the rabbit warren for a moment, ears twitching as he tries to decide how many linger within. young, he thinks, if the small cries are of any indication. he is not interested in babes and turns his predators' gaze to the swaying grasses; muscles tensing as he notes a brown ear among the yellow and green grasses.

with stealthy steps that he hopes his too large paws do not hinder, he crouches in the grasses, ears pinning to his skull before he lunges towards the rabbit; teeth snapping at its back in an effort to spook it towards sadey.

Sadey saw his ear twitch for a moment, and she turned away, hiding a smile. He was a young one, male, hale and hearty. It made sense that he would wish to be seen more than what he was, that nicknames would be trivial to him. However, he would get nothing from her until he proved he could be named the name he bore.


The rabbit came rushing at her. In a blink of a moment and though it hurt she grabbed it in her maw. Busting some of teh scabbing as she opened her maw wide. But the blood that flitted on her tongue was not all her own, and she had won them their prize. She dropped it quickly and waited to see if the youth would continue, blood dripping down from her own snout to mingle, but she didn't mind. 

She put herself back into position, ready.

fade with your post? <3

the scent of blood hangs tangy and metallic upon the air; strong and in time with the sound of splicing flesh as kivaluk ushers their quarry towards sadey. it teases him; causing his mouth to water. he hadn't been hungry but the predator instinct within him has been triggered and he flushes out another rabbit and another and a fourth!

though whether sadey was able to get all of them or not goes largely unknown as kivaluk wraps himself in the thrill of the hunt.

the last he both chases and launches at as the hunter; teeth gripping fur and taking chunks of it but the rabbit proves to be the quicker; unencumbered by the ache of exhaustion that plague kivaluk's legs. he lets it go with a small sting to his pride and huffs as he returns to sadey.

lets take what you caught back?

Certainly thank you for the thread <3

Blood continued to fall from her muzzle, and she jumped to grasp the other four he flushed out, only managing to grab one more. They split around her. She grumbled quietly to herself, but two was better than none, and it would make a fine meal for the two of them or someone else.


So with bloody maw, and sore jawline. She picked up one of the rabbits, the blood and gore tickling her tongue. Her mouth would be too full to speak and pained, but she would nudge the boy good naturedly. A wink in her eye at him to convey his good job.