Dixie

It had been some time since Dixie had seen Argolis. Soon after he had asked her to be his mate, she had been forced to excuse herself. Her own daughter, Eclipse, who had gone out on her own at a young age had needed her. The younger canine had fallen ill and needed help to survive. Of course, Dixie would not turn her away. Yet, she did not want to bring illness to the pack, so she had left until her daughter was better. Now she was returning. The smaller but longer haired female followed behind her mother, Dixie, followed by two smaller bundles of fluff. At just four years old, Dixie already had grand pups. It was time for them to join the pack where their mother and grandmother now ruled. Upon reaching the den, the boxer female sent out a series of barks calling for Argolis. This was to let him know of her return and that she would like to speak with him. She wanted to assure her family would be welcomed here as well. Many males wouldn’t take well to their mate’s pups if they were from another male, but she hoped that Argolis would be different and accept them.

Argolis

Argolis had been rather anxious about Dixie's departure. He'd have opted to go with her, but couldn't afford to be away from the pack for that long when he was their only leader, and nor could he risk their health by inviting Dixie's ill daughter to reside with them. So with an heavy mind and a worried heart, the hybrid went back to being the sole alpha of the Shadow Lurkers and carried on in Dixie's absence. Argolis' concern sharpened as the weather continued to deteriorate in its annual cycle, bringing winter and it's icy claws closing viciously down around the Valley, making life hard for everyone, human and hound alike.

This particular day was brisk and the wind sharp enough to cut through all but the thickest of fur. Even Argolis shivered as he stood atop a dumpster bin, watching Bullet and his son Pistol pad into the Den with some scraps of food to offer the young and old members of the pack waiting inside. His belly was already full after finding and catching a pet rabbit that had gotten lose from it's master somewhere downtown, and besides, the brindle hybrid's mind wasn't on food right now. It was the distant barking that he heard and recognized by heart. Dixie was back! Argolis lifted his long muzzle and issued a drawn out howl to answer his mate back, expressing his excitement and relief that she was safe.

Dixie

Every day that Dixie had been away from the pack was another day that she felt completely out of place. She never had realized just how much she depended on the pack for comfort and steadfast companionship. Yet, these weeks without them had made her appreciate exactly what she had. She had especially missed her dear Argolis. Sure, she had known that she had feelings for Argolis and that they were strong ones, after all, she had not only accepted his offer to be his mate for a rank. The rank was something that meant little to her. Though, Argolis seemed to mean more and more to her with every moment they spent away from each other. So as soon as her daughter had gone a week or so without showing any symptoms of sickness, she had led her and her grand pups back to the pack. She hoped Argolis would not be cross with her for taking so long, it could not be helped. Her family was very important to her even if her pups had gone their separate ways at a young age.

Hearing Argolis’ return call, her tail wagged despite the chilly wind that pierced her sleek coat and chilled her to the very bone it seemed. She was glad that Eclipse had been gifted with a thicker coat that could keep her pretty warm. Then she moved towards the general area where she had heard the call originate and where she knew that Argolis should be waiting for her. And, she did find him there. Her tail continued to wag as she quickly closed the ground between them. A quick nudge was given in greeting as a warm smile was worn on her features.

Argolis, I have missed you…

There was a short pause as she thought of what to say and then soon recovered from her lack of speech by parting her kissers to speak.

This is my daughter Eclipse and her pups Bacardi and Bourban. I would like them to be invited to stay here with the pack, love… If you would accept them, that is.

She spoke softly to keep the rest of her party from hearing her request. Though, there was a hopefulness in her warm chocolate eyes. She wasn’t sure what she would do if he turned them away, though she reminded herself it was a real possibility…

Argolis

The second he saw the boxer appear down one of the alleys, Argolis sprung down from the trashbin and waited. His tail, held as high as his perked head, was swaying ever so slightly from side to side, giving away his anticipation and joy at seeing his mate finally return. By the looks of it, Dixie was in good health, and certainly not appearing thin like she and Holly had when the first joined the pack. "I almost sent Mesa out to check on you." That was Argolis' way of saying he had missed her to, and if that wasn't enough, the hybrid leaned his brindle muzzle forward to give her a nuzzle, not at all abashed to show affection to the boxer, despite his rather hard-lined, 'macho' personality. After that greeting, Argolis drew his head back and turned his eyes to Eclipse and her two pups, looking them over in the same critical way he'd inspect anyone new that he wasn't familiar with. "If they're family of yours, they're welcome here." It didn't take him long to make that decision however, if only because they were related to Dixie, and he wasn't above holding her in special favor. "Most of the pack is in the den now, if you'd like to come in and meet them. Unless you're hungry?" Because of the cold weather, food was one of his top priorities, especially for the short-furred members of the pack. As important as it was to introduce the new members to the rest of the Lurkers, Argolis first wanted to make sure everyone had a full belly.

Dixie

Dixie had not been expecting for Argolis to rush to her in a fit of affection and make some huge reunion scene, so it did not surprise her to see him standing there with his tail wagging ever so slightly as she approached with her family in tow. Though, the fact that he was thoughtful enough as to think of sending one of his own to check on her was enough for her. She knew that she had been missed by him; if not by the rest of the pack at least Argolis had missed her. She then waited as he passed judgement on her family, and her tail wagged as he welcomed them. There was a thankful look in her chocolate brown eyes that couldn’t be missed. Eclipse finally spoke. Thank you, sir, but I think we have had our fill for now, we would enjoy meeting the others. The mixed breed dog was friendly in speaking, she had seen how happy this hybrid had made her mother and she was glad for this. Eclipse had never met her father, so she wasn’t upset with him for taking her mother from him. Once pointed in the direction of the den she entered, followed by her two young pups. Dixie hung back with Argolis. It means a lot to me that you accepted Eclipse and her pups. She spoke from her heart since they were alone now. It would be good to have pups around again since the three who had joined them here in the beginning were now nearing adulthood.

Argolis & Others

Argolis was taking a moment to pin the names of the new arrivals in his memory, juggling that amid a plethora of other thoughts that were occupying his mind right now. He'd never fully appreciated how much effort and coordination it had taken his father to lead the pack by himself until he took up the mantle after Lyckos' departure, and adding a handful of new canines to the Shadow Lurkers was a handful more that his brain had to keep up with. But for Dixie, he'd have accepted any number of relatives or friends, and besides, for ever new dog that joined the pack, that were that much stronger against their enemies. "Very well. On through those doors there, you'll find entrance to the Den. Make yourself at home." He gave Eclipse a vague nod to acknowledge her words of appreciation, then turned to address his mate, "You're my equal now, Dixie, and my partner. I wouldn't have turned away your family, and you have every bit as much authority as I do to welcome them to the Lurkers." In addressing the boxer, Argolis spoke in a slightly lighter, warmer note that was accented by the waving motion of his tail and the lack of a domineering look that he otherwise carried in his focused eyes.

Inside the building, Eclipse and her brood would find the usual collection of canines scattered about here and there. Ninaki and Rataska were laying side by side, with the larger female offering the beta the warmth of thicker fur and greater bulk. In the center of the room, Black Arrow and Garrow, two yearling hybrids of Auri and Desmon, were playing a rowdy game of tag. Arrow, the silver-coated female with a streak of black along her spine, had an old cow's rib in her jaw, and was bounding wildly away from Garrow without looking where she was going. "Arrow, watch out-!" With her head turned back over her shoulder to watch her brother, she didn't see Eclipse and the youngster enter the den, or that she was careening straight for them...

Dixie

Eclipse listened to what her new leader had to say, telling her how to get into the den and she only nodded before leaving him and her mother alone. That was only after a nudge to each of the pups who both just wanted to stay there with Dixie. When they got inside, though, all three of them were surprised at the amount of dogs in the area. Eclipse could tell there were many scents but it was much more shocking to actually see them all occupying the area. And they didn’t have much time to take in the sight as the three of them were run into by some unidentified furry object. Bacardi was rolled into Bourbon who in turn was knocked over into Eclipse’s legs. The pups looked around a little dazed while their mother nudged them back up, not being angry with the other pup or anything. Instead, her tail wagged to and fro as her children finally realized there was another pup and began to bounce around. Hi! It was the little female, Bacardi who spoke.

Dixie watched as her family went into the building. As soon as they had she noticed the subtlest of changes in Argolis. He seemed less hard and a little more loving in speaking to her. Then he told her of how she had as much say in accepting new members as he had. She nodded her head. Thank you, I will try to live up to your standards but this whole alpha thing is new to me… And so far I’m not doing the best but I promise you that I’ll try. She had hated to leave Argolis alone to deal with all of the stresses of the pack since she had just accepted the alpha position. Though, it couldn’t have been avoided. So, she just waited to see how Argolis would react to her statement.

Argolis & Others

Black Arrow felt the air slam out of her lungs when she plowed into Bacardi, slid a short distance, and landed on her back with legs flailing in the air. Watching the whole scene play out before him, Garrow stood back with wide eyes and a tucked tail, half expecting this stranger to snap at Arrow for being so careless. To his relief and Arrow's, Eclipse wasn't mad, and neither were her children. "Oh gosh... gosh, I'm sorry!" Black Arrow whined appeasingly, before her tail started to slowly wag when she realized she'd caused no apparent harm. In fact, the pup she'd fallen into was the first to shake off the tumble she took and offer a friendly greeting. "Hi! Hey, you smell like..." Arrow brought her muzzle forward to sniff at the other pup's coat, "...kinda like Dixie! She's our alpha's girlfriend." Padding up behind her, Garrow snorted, "Nu-uh, they're mates, dunder-head. She's our alpha too."

Argolis shook his head dismissively, "Don't worry over it, it'll come to you in time. Matter of fact, it took me a while to get the hang of it when I first took the mantle of alpha here." His words were nothing short of confident and assuring. That very personality was what led him on to the next topic he had in mind, and something that he'd been thinking about since Dixie had left the pack to help her daughter. "Dixie, there's something else I want to talk with you about.." The big, brindle male took a stilling breath, without betraying the little flutter of nervousness in his heart, "..I thought that we could start a family. The pack is secure and strong, our enemies have not heckled us in years - I think now would be a perfect time to raise a litter. If you're interested, that is." Argolis never beat around the bush when he had something on his mind, not even a subject like this.

Dixie

Baccardi was a friendly girl by nature, even if she really hadn’t been around any pups other than Bourbon. So, she had not even thought of being angry when she saw that her assailant was another puppy probably close to her age. A big doggy grin was spread over her Shepherd-like muzzle. Her golden eyes glimmered intelligently and with a joyous sparkle as the other pup issued its apology. Then the pup went on to say that they smelled like Dixie and she nodded. It was Bourbon who spoke up, though. Yeah, Dixie is our grandma. She brought us here to live with her. Bourbon wasn’t quite as bubbly and openly friendly as his sister, but he was a good pup underneath his tough exterior. Eclipse moved a little farther in the building and sat down to allow the pups to play or talk or whatever without having to have her standing over them. Her fluffy tail wagged gently.

Dixie was glad that Argolis was understanding with her. He also confided that it had taken her a while to get into the groove of being the leader of this pack. She nodded and then sighed before speaking softly. I just hope the rest of the pack just doesn’t regret your choice to have faith in me. She wasn’t trying to be a downer in the least, she just knew that she had a lot to live up to. When he said he had something else to say to her she just nodded, waiting for him to continue as she knew he soon would. His next statement threw her for a loop, though. She hadn’t really ever thought that Argolis would want a family, maybe it was because she had always thought he was already so busy with his current family, the pack, to want to start another extension of that. But, a smile spread across her boxy muzzle as she responded. I would love to start a family with you. So, I have to say I’m very interested. She would love to have pups once again, she had enjoyed raising her own and then Asrai, Dagda, and Guess with Holly’s help. And she knew that it would be better to have their father in the picture as well as the pack to keep them safe. So, she was all for starting a new family.

Argolis & Others

From Baccardi's joyful eyes and the wagging tail that said all was well between them, Black Arrow and Garrow both responded by issuing friendly, excitable tail wags themselves. Eyes turned to Bourbon when the brother spoke, and Arrow answered him back with interest, "Oooh, she's your grandma? So..." Brown eyes shifted to Eclipse to watch the adult wander a short distance away and sit down. Cocking her head to the side a bit, the pup came up with another question, "Is that your momma then? She smells like you guys and Dixie too. But I don't think I've ever met her before." As she and Garrow both looked back to watch Eclipse, another member of the Lurker's pack had taken note of the group's entrance. Argolis' howls earlier pretty well informed everyone that these newcomers were welcome, so neither Eclipse or her two pups were immediately approached and interrogated, yet it didn't take long before their arrival warranted more attention. It was Pistol who decided to approach Eclipse first, and did so with his thin, black tail swaying idly from side to side, "You must be a relative of Dixie. I'm Pistol."

Argolis gave a small huff and shook his head, "No, they won't regret it." And if any of them did, or dared to raise any objections about her, Argolis was fully prepared to deal with them, though he honestly had no doubts over Dixie's ability to stand beside him as alpha. Even if she were a shier, more submissive fae, he'd have wanted her with him anyway, and would have defended her status with tooth and claw. "I have confidence in you." The alpha spoke that with every ounce of certainty, and on that note of confidence, he listened with perked ears and watched with intelligent, eager eyes as Dixie responded positively to his last question. Argolis couldn't help it - his wolfish tail swayed merrily like a pup's behind him and he reached his muzzle forward to give her a lick on the muzzle. "Under our leadership and care, the Lurkers will grow stronger yet."