mmm watcha say

@Levi !

The days had been wearing on with a heaving heaviness, boredom wearing down his patience. They had passed much the same, and the monotony, regularity of his schedule was scraping at the edges of his patience. Every morning he would wake up and stroll the forest, hunting down new plants that he could dig up and replant in an area near his shared den. And he would struggle with keeping some of them alive, as not all of them seemed pleased by the move. He was far from a green thumb, and already he had had to rip wilted plants from the ground to make room for new ones. The cold was not helping, and certainly his self-imposed task would be far easier come the spring, but the winter was mild enough that he felt he couldn't get away with not trying.

But trying was wearying, when the fruits of his labor proved scant. Aesop knew himself well, well enough that he was well aware of the fact that he needed to shake things up a bit. And so Aesop hatched a plan, one that would hopefully prove entertaining. Mischief in mind, he trotted to the beach, where he would set his plan in motion.

Since Levi had started talking, the whole world had opened up to him. He still wasn't a very talkative young boy, but at least he was trying. Charon had been excited that he talked, and while Levi didn't see that it was a big deal, he also didn't realize what a miracle it really was.

Today he found himself wandering along the beach, collecting seashells and bits of sea creatures that washed ashore. The greyscale boy would wander along the tide-line for a while, collect a piece or two, and return it to a cache he had started further up the beach, away from the greedy fingers of the sea. It was during such a trip from the shore to his cache that he noticed another wolf nearby, and he dropped his sand dollar at his feet to bark a greeting.

On a grey day with wet, grey sands, it was hard to pick out the youth at first, so well did he blend in with the surroundings. And, Aesop supposed, he was caught up in the fervor of his mischief and his petty revenge. So when the youth barked out to him, he started, searching the gray sand for the source of the sound.

Aesop cast a longing glance at the sharp bluffs that rose on the near side of the beach before his curiosity won out and he turned towards the youth. Swathed in monochrome, he didn't cut out against the dreary day, but he wasn't far away, and soon enough Aesop drew near. "Hey," he greeted, tail nodding amicably behind him. "You one of Charon's brothers?" Aesop ventured. They seemed to be in the same age range, after all, and he thought he knew of at least one other kid in the pack.

"Hi," Levi replied quietly. Hearing his voice was still a shock to the boy, but he was trying to become more active and involved with his pack mates. At his age, Levi knew that meant talking and interacting with them instead of simply listening. At the older boy's question, Levi nodded, then remembered he'd have to talk, too.

"I'm his only brother left." They once had a brother named Kevlyn, but he was gone. Levi hadn't seen his twin since he was very young, and each day he missed him.  "I'm Levi." He tried to smile, a weak offering, and then ducked his head toward the other. "What your name?"

The boy was softspoken, seemingly shy in was that his brother was assuredly not. He might have mistaken the boy for Gunnar if not for the fact that Levi seemed close in age to Charon, where Gunnar might not have been. So marked was the visible difference in the demeanor and appearance that, for a moment, Aesop feared he had made some mistake with his assumption.

"Right," he replied, uncomfortable. "I'm Aesop. Listen, you up to anything right now? I could use an extra hand in something." Ever the good influence, Aesop planned on roping Levi into helping him get up to no good.

Levi shook his head to answer Aesop's question and stepped forward. He wasn't doing much today and helping out a pack mate would be worth his time. Anything to help another member of the bay. "Whatcha need help with?" he asked, taking another step toward Aesop. Levi was still a few yards away, and while he was quite shy and nervous, at least he was opening up to his pack. Charon would be proud of him.

The boy took another step forward, one that Aesop took as a sign of interest.  Excellent.  "Some good old fashioned pranking," he said vaguely.  He eyed the nearby rocky ridges with interest, hoping that they would prove fruitful.  He wasn't sure if birds laid their eggs so early in the spring up here in the North, but he supposed he would find out soon.  After all, the plan hinged on some eggs.

Levi didn't know what pranking was, but he followed Aesop willingly. Perhaps it was a stupid thing to do, but he was pack, and pack was family. "What's pranking?" he asked softly, scuttling behind the larger wolf as they climbed the rocky cliff face. What would they need up on this cliff? Was this the prank? Or was there something else to do up there? Levi paused, turning his ears toward Aesop, and waited.