Karai*Others

With spring past and summer beginning to take hold over the land, Karai had been staying at the ranch for just under three months. Shy and unwilling to get near either Martha or John at first, or any of the horses or other animals about the place, the silver fae had taken her time about settling into her life here. She'd never displayed aggression to any living thing on the property, but she'd shied away from all human touch. She would let Tahmores touch her occasionally, because he had been pack and she knew him well enough, but she would not allow anyone else - including most of the canines here - get close enough for that. Still, she had become quietly-friendly if shy member of their pack here.

However, she hadn't let that shyness effect her relationship with Brother. If anything, what had already been a warm relationship between them had escalated - and finally, Timber would see a profit from his near-endless teasing on the topic - Karai and Brother were officially mated, and as she'd all but disappeared from the ranch over the past several weeks, and Brother had been gone a lot too, it was pretty well a safe assumption that they had a litter someplace - but Karai was only new-come to human care, and though she trusted that Brother would keep them and the ranch dogs from harming their pups, the wolfess had still felt the need to have her den away from the building, and out of respect for her wishes, Brother hadn't invited anyone to come see them yet.

So this was the pup's first venture out of the den - they were just old enough to walk fumblingly about, and strong enough that Karai finally judged it safe to bring the little ones back to the ranch to meet the rest of the guardians. It was early in the morning, before even the house had woken for the day, when her silver face peered out of the trees, and she let out a light woof. Instantly awake, Brother came to greet her with a bright smile, a tail wave, and a soft, affectionate nuzzle. But where that was a common-enough sight around here, as the new mates couldn't seem to get enough of affectionate touch, what was unusual was the way that he then directed his attention lower, and gave four smaller nuzzles - Axyiel and Reiki were crouched with their siblings at their mother's heels, and these were the smaller ones the father was greeting.

Timber & Others

In the early morning, at an hour when the dew still clung to the grass and the heat was still at bay, Timber was stretched out on his side in front of the porch door. He was snoozing very lightly, with ebony ears that twitched a little at the faintest sound, and proved he wasn't fully asleep - just getting a bit more relaxation before the Masters awoke and the daily chores begun. His improved mood over the last year had gradually risen a bit more over the past few weeks, when it became clear that all his good-natured pestering seemed to have payed of. When Brother was around, the collie could tell he was a happier spirit, and though he didn't often get to spend time with Karai, in respect for her timidness, he could see that even she improved from her first days here. Pups were out there, somewhere.

The largest of the young litter stood next to his mother's leg, wagging his stubby pup tail when his father's giant face loomed down to nuzzle them all. His coat, eventually to be a yellowed white, was still very fuzzy and had a grayish cast to it that would fade in the coming weeks. For now though, he looked like a little cotton ball on chubby legs. Pressed in with the others, the even lighter-coated Akembi was just as eager to reach up and lick at his father's greeting muzzle, temporarily forgetting that they were on an exciting adventure away from the den.

By now, Timber had rolled over onto his paws with his head and ears perked up. The collie couldn't keep his white-tipped tail from beating soundly against the deck, nor keep a tugging smile from his mug. He wanted to trot right down there and investigate the newcomers right away, but he knew better than that - even with Tahirah's new litter, Timber had waited patiently until the mother was ready to bring her little ones to him first.

Karai*Others

The smallest of the litter reached up and batted playfully at her father's muzzle as he bent to greet her, the coat of silver that matched her mother's disguised in the half-shadow of the trees by the black guard-hairs. Brother laughed softly - he'd never known Karai when she was growing up, but watching their daughter grow and develop an inquisitive, loving personality filled in the gaps for him. The soft golden eyes were lit with excitement and expectation, and she was so eager to meet the world that she suffered misstep, and came back to all fours half on-top of Reiki, who rolled aside from his father's nose altogether and gnawed on his sister's ear in revenge. It wasn't until the ebony-coated male got back to his paws that he peered past his mother's legs and his father's tail, little blue eyes peering at Timber where he lay on the porch. "Ama, Apa," Reiki asked, his nose twitching curiously, "What's that?"

A soft, musical laugh left Karai, who bent down and placed a deft nose to her curious son's side to guide him forward a little, but it was Elder Brother's rumble of a voice that informed the group, "That, son, is your Uncle Timber. One of Apa's oldest friends." Ayxiel wasn't quite as bold as her brother - she cuddled up next to Tunga and asked him, "What's a Timber?"

Timber & Others

When Ayxiel and Reiki got into a little bout of play, Akembi's plump tail wagged vigorously, and he prepared to pounce at his siblings and turn the mini-battle into a free for all. The blue-eyed pup was stopped from doing this when his smaller brother noticed something that the others had yet to spot, and instantly the wagging tail stopped and he craned his head past his mother's solid leg to try and see what Reiki was talking about. Tunga stood in place, letting his nose go to town on all the new odors, and his ears soak up the chatter of forest sounds. His playful side came in spurts, yet already in his early life, he was proving to be a little quieter than his other brothers, particularly now as he stayed next to his tiny sister. "It's... it's that thing. It's like a small Apa." Tunga explained, after bobbing his head to the side to catch a glimpse of this new creature.

"What's that...?" Akembi's eyes looked like they might pop right out of his skull as he marched a few brave steps forward and looked from Timber to the house, and the odd way that the whole area around it was so... open, with few trees to limit his field of vision. For his part, Timber rose to his legs and sauntered down off the porch, and that's about the point where Akembi's bravery vanished and he scrambled backwards in a fumbling retreat to his mother's legs again.

Karai*Others

Ayxiel's nose twitched in tandem with Tunga's, and her ears perked forward a bit out of their cautious position to listen to the sound of Timber's paws as he heaved himself off of the porch. "Everything is smaller than Apa," she informed her brother in all of her pupish wisdom, not having yet encountered anything outside her family, aside from a couple of rabbits and squirrels, and the occasional bird, all of which were smaller than the hefty Brother. She wiggled forward just a little, not confident enough yet to leave the protection of her mother's legs or the comfort of Tunga's presence, but hovering more toward curious, rather than cautious.

Intrigued by this 'Uncle Timber' business, and further interested by the soft talk of his siblings behind him, Reiki braved up and did what none of the others had yet built up the guts to do - he stepped forward from under Karai's belly and twitched his nose at the approaching collie, despite the way that Akembi darted beneath their mother for safety. He was by far the boldest - and often, most reckless - of them. This time, it was Brother who laughed. "That's a den, Akembi. The kind that two-legs live in."

Timber & Others

Timber's slow, methodical approach had Akembi's eyes glued on him, as well as Tunga's. The larger pup's short-lived bravery was all but forgotten as he finally pulled his eyes away from the collie to look in alarm at Reiki, "Careful!" It was funny seeing the big puff of a pup hissing frantically at his smaller brother, all while taking shelter under his mother's belly and peeking out between her front legs. He'd gotten to caught up in Timber's approach to rightly catch the answer for his question about the house, but it hadn't been lost on Tunga. The paler pup looked more awed by Timber's approach, though he had to look up briefly to his parents to see if they were alright with this 'Timber' getting so close. And seeing that they were relaxed, Tunga too kept his cool, "Does Uncle Timber live with two-leggers? Can we... can we see two-leggers today, Apa?"

He stopped a few feet from the little family, still taking plenty of caution and tempering his joy and delight with old wisdom - mothers with young were to be treated with utmost respect and patience, or you might find yourself at the wrong end of defense fangs and claws. "So my nose wasn't deceiving me." Timber smiled more broadly now, lowering his head downward, so that it'd be more at the pup's level, "I owe you two quite the congratulations - this moment was long overdue!"

Karai*Others

One of Reiki's black ears flipped back at Akembi's cautionary words, and the other flitted toward their father. He was more brave than the others, and more daring, and inclined to put aside the advice of his siblings if he thought they were being too 'sissy-like' - but he would still come to heel if his parents repeated the caution. He was bold, but not too foolish. So when Brother did not also warn him back from Timber, and the collie himself did nothing threatening, Reiki took another couple of steps forward, and then a couple more, until he was maybe a foot away from Karai - close enough to dive back under if Timber suddenly became frightening, but far enough away where he could smell and examine Timber much more easily. As the smallest of their sons crept forward, Brother was speaking quietly, "Yes, Uncle Timber lives with three two-leggers. And so do Ama and Apa, usually... we've taken a little time off to take care of you." The latter question, however, was one he was more hesitant about answering. He knew that Karai would not object if he wanted to introduce the pups to the humans of the ranch, but he knew also that she still was not altogether comfortable with them, and he did not want to make that call and make his mate uncomfortable. So finally, he used the age-old daddy-cop-out answer. "You'll have to ask your mother about that one, Tunga."

But just as soon, he was laughing, and his tail waving at Timber's comment. "You're stealing my material, Timber - I said the very same thing to you the first time I saw your pups," he teased, but with a smile on his face and a bounce in his step that hadn't been there before, he was clearly enjoying all of this jesting, now that fate had been kind to both he and the collie, and returned to them the families that war and disease had cost them both. "The brave one here is Reiki - and these are Akembi, Tunga, and Ayxiel. Everyone say hello to Uncle Timber." From her place, Ayxiel obediently chirruped "Hello," but it was Reiki who took the cake by finally deciding that Timber was okay, and hopping forward to tackle one of the huge-looking black and white paws. "Hi! was his exclamation - and though she watched her son carefully, Karai seemed alright with letting him investigate the collie.

Timber & Others

Akembi occasionally tried to rival his brother with adventurous antics, but he always seemed to be the first one to squall about a particularly hard tumble, or a playful bite that applied too much pressure. And like now, that competitive drive was overshadowed by caution, which he tried to cover up by posing next to Ayxiel, as if trying to take up the semi-protective role that Tunga was filling. "He's kinda funny looking."

"That's not nice." Tunga chastised, yet just as quickly dropped his voice and whispered both to his sister and Akembi, "His face is kinda funny looking. And his ears!" The examination of the dog was broken when their father called them to greet Uncle Timber, in which both responded with the same 'hello' piped up by their sister.

The dog chuckled, "Is that so? I thought I'd just return the favor, I guess." After jesting with his good friend, and giving a warm woof of a greeting to the four little ones, Timber was intruiged by the little pup that suddenly came forward to tackle his foot. His smile stretched into a grin, and he lifted the assaulted paw to gently bow Reiki over and give him a little something to fight back against, "If your mother says it's alright, I'll bet the four of you would have fun playing with Pip and Sky - they're just a week or so older than you."

Karai*Others

"Shhh, shhh!" Karai hissed at her children, trying to quiet their slightly-impolite words, but Brother, being more informal and comfortable with Timber than his mate was, knew that the collie would be amused by their words rather than insulted. However, seeing how Reiki was interacting with Timber and not being scolded or cuffed for it, Ayxiel began to relax some, enough where she whispered, "He's big - but he doesn't look very scary. And we've smelled him on Apa before... remember, when he comes to the den at night, sometimes, and smells like other wolves? He smells like that."

However, Reiki was putting significantly less thought into things than his intelligent, quiet-voiced sister - he'd found out that Timber was willing to play! That made anything else unimportant right now, and he put it all aside to hop up and try to catch hold of the collie's snout. In the middle of a laugh, he cried to his siblings, "Funny looking or not - the first part of funny is FUN!"

Timber & Others

"It's quiet alright." Timber assured with a quiet chuckle, well use to the odd comment here or there, particularly coming from the kittens or the chicks at the barn. His chocolaty eyes were down on Reiki as he spoke, so that he expertly swished his muzzle to the side when the youngster jumped for it, and brought it down just to try and bowl the pup over. "Haha, now... it's been a while since anyone has called me fun."

Tunga and Akembi alike dipped their heads a little in response to their mother's warning, with Akembi peeking his head up from around her leg and shooting his mother an appeasing little smile. Tunga didn't move away from Ayxiel yet, but his tail was starting to wag all over again, "He does smell familiar. A good kind of familiar, too." While Tunga and their sister contemplated the two-toned collie, Akembi was taking his cue from watching Reiki. Building his courage off of his brother's wealth of it, the pup left the protection of his mother for a second time and bounced forward to get a little closer to the 'big' dog.

Karai*Others

Plopped onto his back in mid-jump, Reiki let out with a shout of laughter - just like that, he decided that Timber was okay, and hopped up with a play-growl to pounce forward at him again. "You must know a lot of boring wolves," he told Timber solemnly, his voice thickened by his tiny growls. "Boring wolves don't know how to have fun." Karai gave her son a look, but he didn't see it, and after a moment's thought and some encouragement from her mate, she didn't scold the pup. At the least, Timber didn't seem to mind, and the silver fae was slowly learning to relax with him - she was just taking her careful time, as she did with everyone.

Encouraged by her two brothers, Ayxiel slowly took a few more steps up, until she was crouched between her mother's front legs, leaned against the left one as she turned her eyes up to Karai. "Ama? Is Uncle Timber okay to play with?" She asked that quietly, as if the way neither parent was discouraging Reiki weren't sign enough that the collie was safe. Karai was silent only for a beat or two before she reached down and tenderly nuzzled the side of her daughter's face. "Of course he is, Ayxi," she answered, and nudged the pup toward Timber. "He is Ama and Apa's friend - you can always play with him." Her blue eyes went up to meet the collie's chocolate ones as she said this - apparently, Timber had just passed the mother-test, and she now trusted him enough to play with her children without feeling the need to be guarded. For Karai, that was a big step in the direction of becoming accustomed to living with people.

Timber & Others

Having heard so much about Karai from Brother and Rihanne, and indeed seeing for himself of her personality, Timber understood just how much it meant that she afforded him her trust with the pups. She was kind and innocent to a fault, but her devotion to the pups was as strong as anything, and to be allowed to romp a little with them told Timber he was good in her book now. "Boring wolves, huh?" The black jaws dropped down, issuing their words along with a throaty rumble that went along with the play. He never set the fangs against Rieki however, figuring it was best not to employ his dentals against such a young pup, even in play, until Karai had gotten more use to it. Instead, he gnashed his jaws against the air, and buffeted his muzzle against Rieki, slow enough so that the pup could have his chance at pouncing at and attack his muzzle.

Akembi had stopped about a foot away from his brother and Timber, needed one last look at his parents before his confidence was high enough to bounce forward the rest of the way and engage the glossy-furred dog. Tunga stood mostly idle still, with a now endlessly wagging tail and a touch of excitement in his voice when he next piped up, "Are more of your friends here, Ama? Apa?" He hadn't quite figured out how to pick out individual scents from the confusion of odors his nose was always taking up, but he knew there were plenty of interesting smells that his father carried home at night.

Karai*Others

Beyond satisfied with his new, over-sized playmate, Reiki let out a yip of delight as he landed half-sprawled over Timber's nose, and immediately set into the muzzle with his little teeth. He was gentle enough to not actually pierce the skin with his pointy, pin-like puppy fangs - Karai had been strict with raising them - but he was still gnawing actively at his elder's face. "You bet," the ebony pup replied, his voice slightly muffled around his mouthful of nose. Brother subtly cleared his throat, and Reiki's ears dipped backward for a moment, as he switched his reply to the more respectful, "Yes sir, Uncle Timber." And then the ears came forward again, apparently not at all bothered by the way his father had corrected him on his manners as he continued to rough about a bit with Timber's snout.

With even the quiet, protective Tunga displaying eagerness and relaxation, Ayxiel finally let her slender little tail wave slowly, and her ears came completely forward to indicate the shift in her mood from caution to curiosity. This was emphasized when Brother spoke up again. "Yes, most of our friends are here. Perhaps when more of them are awake, you will meet Rihanne and Aidan, and also Tahmores, and all of Timber and Aidan's children." And with the topic turning his attention to the wolfboy, Elder Brother returned his attention to Timber. "Tahmores is later than usual in getting up this morning - did he have another of his late nights?" This was a fairly normal question between them by now - between the general worries over the ranch and Ben's visit a few months ago, Tah's rest had been suffering. He was commonly known now to sneak out after Martha and John had gone to bed in order to sleep with the canine guardians, and even then, he was up late and awoke early in the morning.

Timber & Others

Before he knew it, Timber had a pup attached to his face, and another one gnawing at an elbow joint. After enduring a short while of this, the collie flipped his muzzle to the side to try and dislodge Rieki, and sort of reared back and lifted his assaulted limb to shake off Akembi. A grin was still playing along his muzzle, part of it accounting for his amusement at just how strictly trained the younglings were. It reminded him a lot of Aiden's youngsters, and that entire line of Lurker offspring that tended to have a distinct way of being brought up. "I think you'll get along well enough with my son, Nak." The collie pointed, again carrying a little bit a mirth with his words.

The waving tail slowed down while he listened to his father, then promptly began to wiggle more emphatically at the answer he was given. He'd taken a few steps forward now, pausing again near Ayxiel as he looked from his father to his brothers, and Uncle Timber. Besieged by the two pups, though well use to it now, thanks to his own litter and those of not only Aidan, but the occasional kittens as well, he answered Brother easily enough, "Another late night. Everything's been pretty quiet, but he can't seem to relax ...it worries me."

Karai*Others

Undaunted by the inch or two of a tumble he took to the ground as Timber carefully shook his muzzle with a practiced move, Reiki hopped instantly back up onto all fours and found his new target in the white-tipped tail that flashed behind Timber. As he was stalking over toward the appendage, ready to pounce, Brother's face shifted ever-so-slightly; the pups wouldn't notice, but Karai saw a small line of worry work into his features, and certainly, Timber had known him long enough by now to read his expression. "That strange two-legger disturbs him," the father mused, almost as if speaking to himself in order to keep the words out of the hearing of the pups. "And for a human, Tahmores has good instincts... he knows nearly as well as we do that there is something ill about him."

"He smelled like many things I know... and many things I do not." Those were the soft tones of Rihanne, who was slowly making her way out the door, characteristic limp in tow, but her head held proudly high as always. She wasn't the head of their 'pack' here - those were the Masters - but she and Timber were the highest ranking canine members that lived, followed closely by Aidan and Brother, and so she knew she had the right to hold her head so. "Soap, and fire, and gunpowder," she told them, and paused briefly to woof a soft and gentle hello to the pups before turning her attention back to the topic at hand. It wasn't that she wasn't happy to see the pups - after all, all of them were thrilled to have their friend finally settled with a mate and family - but she'd learned to accept and respect Karai's slower way of learning to trust others. In fact, she'd taken to it almost naturally, with trust being a thing that had been shattered for Rihanne herself so early in life - she'd let the mother introduce her offspring at her own pace. And for now, she said, "Your boy is wise to be wary of him, Elder Brother. But it drives him to distraction. This is the third night this week he has sought us out for comfort in the night while you have been gone seeing to your family.."

Timber & Others

Down Akembi went as his target pulled away from him and gave him a good enough shake to send him sprawling onto his side. The larger brother had to look fleeting to Rieki, just to make sure his brother was still near at paw and attacking Timber, before he scrambled up and pounced forward for another attack. Still waiting behind them, Tunga plopped down on his haunches, thumping his tail against the ground when Rihanne approached and gave them all a greeting. "I didn't know dogs could look so different!" So use to the more pointy muzzles and wolvish eyes of his parents, it was a fun change to see how much variation their kind could have.

Still undaunted in his task at entertaining the pups and keeping to the more somber conversation that had sprung up, the collie patiently allowed for his tail and paw to be ambushed, "The gunfire bothers me. And the sheer number of others I smell on him." For the sake of keeping this conversation away from the limelight where the pups might overhear, Timber too adopted a quieter voice to reply both to Brother and Rihanne. Brother's look wasn't missed on his friend, which prompted him to reassert an idea they'd earlier discussed, in the hopes of easing his friend a little, and getting a better grasp on this strange man that they all were wary of, "Aidan's kin in the mountains can aid us in figuring out where this guy lives, and what his habits are."

Karai*Others

Reiki was setting into Timber's tail enthusiastically, again too well taught by his mother to actually let his pointy puppy fangs break the skin, even if it wouldn't have really hurt the collie. Still, he was roughing the waving appendage about a bit, play-growling and having an all-around good time now that he'd decided Timber was safe. In fact, when Rihanne scooted up beside the collie and offered him their usual shoulder-nudge of greeting, it was Timber that the pup ducked under, mostly because he was closest. But even that didn't startle him for long - only a moment later, after a quick glance to both of his parents and Timber to ensure that none of them were alarmed, Reiki was back out again, and examining the pit-mix carefully. And after a moment, his eyes lit with understanding. "Oooohhhh - you're Rihanne, right? The one Apa says-" The pup was interrupted by a small sound that Brother made in he back of his throat. It sounded merely like the father was clearing his throat, but the normally-bold Reiki's ears laid back in submission to that noise, and he quickly changed what he'd been about to say. "Apa says you're one of his friends." Clearly, Brother had taken the time to impress upon his children the same thing that Timber had - Rihanne's injury meant she wasn't to be rough-housed with, nor was it to be talked about. And though the cover-up of the statement the pup had been about to make was awkward at best, Rihanne behaved as though she hadn't noticed it - she merely smiled down at the little male and murmured, "Yes - I've known your Apa for many years."

With that topic covered, and the possible awkwardness of it avoided by Brother's thoughtful reminder and the restoration of Reiki's manners, the father returned his attention to the matter of Tahmores. "He smelled the gunpowder too - his sense of smell is more heightened than Mark's or Martha's. I think that is partially what bothers him." And then, to even Brother's surprise, it was the soft alto of his mate that sounded next, and her tones carried deep wisdom. "He perceives enough of our world to create a partial image - only the haunting details of the full situation that we understand. Ordinarily, this is not a problem for him... but when he thinks there may be a danger, and he cannot discern all the details that we can, it alarms him. It only means that he is wise... and that you have taught him well the dangers of the world, Brother."

Timber & Others

The paw he'd begun to wrestle with took a backseat when Reiki ducked for cover. Akembi bolted under the collie a half-second later, following his brother's actions before he even realized why Reiki had bolted. Just as soon as the smaller pup found it safe enough to venture back out, and to speak up to the new wolf, Akembi was right behind him with a wagging tail, "...and you get to go into the Masters' den?" The house was still a major fascination for Akembi, even if Timber's paw was resting so enticingly just a pounce away, and begging to be attacked again.

"He is as close to our language as I've seen a human get." Reiki and Akembi's attentions might be in other directions, but Timber found it necessary to lower his pitch a notch more when he saw Tunga's ears cocked in his direction, "And I've found no wolf more closely bonded than you and him-" Timber looked to Brother as he said this part, "-yet there remains a boundary that even Tah can't cross. I think the best we can do is stay close to him until this stranger is figured out."

Karai*Others

In the way that it always seemed to do when pups were around, Rihanne's throaty chuckle came to life in sheer contrast of her usually gruff and guarded personality. "Yes - I stay there during the night hours, and keep the Masters company during the day." She could have mentioned that she was always guarding the house, but that would have led to questions as to why she needed to guard it, and like most of them, Rihanne tried to keep the pups sort of protected from the knowledge of the more blood-strewn years of the ranch - at least until they were a little older. So she didn't say it; instead, she asked softly, "And what are your names?" after first looking up at Karai to be sure the mother didn't look bothered by her interaction with the pups. The silver fae was watching, but she did not move to interfere, so Rihanne took it as a good sign - and Ayxiel found the voice to answer softly, "I'm Ayxiel - Ama calls me Ayxi, most of the time. And this is Tunga." So saying, she reclined beside her brother and leaned some of her weight against him, plopping one paw over his back just as if they were piled up for sleep instead of talking to an elder.

Shaking his head a little, Brother admitted, "Yes - for all of that, he is still human, poor boy. He thinks of himself as wolf, but he is coming to terms with being a man instead. It has been a struggle for him. I-" He paused, and his ears perked as though there were a sound to hear, though the morning was silent - he was responding to something deeper than his sense of hearing. "He's up," the wolf pronounced, a beat or two before the keen hearing of the other canines would bring the familiar sound of bare feet on old wooden floors to their awareness.

Timber & Others

The wag in Akembi's tail slowed and froze, only to start up again and resume its lofty waving, "What's it like in there? Can you take me?" Talk of the house beat out the paw that was waiting beside him, yet even his ever shifting interests and excitement couldn't push out all the diligent upbringing from his parents. "If it's okay with Ama and Apa...?" The youngster's ears went back appeasingly as he gave both wolves the typical 'puppy face' of begging. Tunga was quite excited about the prospect of seeing inside a human den, but he was far more reserved with his words, and so long as Ayxi was settled against him, the brother wasn't going to bounce forward and join in with all the excitement just yet. Tunga just bobbed his head to Rihanne when his name was given, and flipped his tail against his sister in a friendly gesture.

"He's gifted in that regard, having the beni-" Timber caught the same sounds as Brother did, directing his head towards the porch. "This will be their first introduction with a human? That will be something..." Being born out in the barn, Timber had been introduced to the humans on day one, so it was never a grand shock to see the two-leggers, or any of the other strange assortment of animals on the farm. But for Brother's young batch, this would be quite an eye-opener.

Karai*Others

Pretty well knowing that Karai wasn't comfortable herself in the house, since the wolf had never yet set paw inside it, Rihanne was prepared to deny Akembi's request to go inside, figuring their mother wouldn't approve. But to avoid any disappointment on the part of the pups, Rihanne used a distracting maneuver. "Wouldn't you rather see a human? One of your father's oldest friends is a human - he'll be outside in just a minute. Don't you want to see him?" Seeing what Rihanne was doing, the silver fae offered her a smile over the childrens' heads, and then moved to support what the copper mix was saying. "Yes - do you remember Apa telling you about Tahmores?" she asked, remembering all too well how often her mate had told the pups about his blood brother - it was a favorite topic of his. And unlike the house, Tahmores was one feature of this new, human-filled world that Karai was comfortable with - she knew him, and because Brother had mainly raised him, she knew that the young man wouldn't hurt her pups. He would likely be the key to getting all of them - Karai included, eventually - to accept the other humans on the ranch. "A real human?" Ayxi asked, her tones amazed, as though humans were something that were normally out of a fairytale - which they had been, in her short life. Her tail wagged cautiously in anticipation, and she turned to her brother. "Hear that, Tunga? A real human!"

Setting the more grim topic aside for now, the new father allowed himself a chuckle. "Tah loves pups. And he is good with them. Plus, I have told them stories of when he was smaller - they know his personality well enough by now." He grinned a little in mischief, and then added on, "But I don't think they quite understand how big he is. I know that Reiki thinks that Tah is more their size, and I'm not too sure the rest don't think the same."

Timber & Others

The trick worked like a charm, easily diverting the youngster's sporadic attention to something that Karai was far more comfortable with. Akembi couldn't keep his front paw from prancing in anticipation, "Really?!" His eyes lit up even more, with all the images of humans running rampant through his young mind - none of which came close to representing what the two-legged species really looked like. It was one thing having such a bizarre looking creature described, and something entirely different seeing it in real life. Tunga's excitement became more pronounced too, until he stood up, looking anxiously towards the house, "I'm going to ask him to pet me! Apa says his paws are really good for that." Just like his brother, Tunga didn't really know what he was talking about, but he was imaging a sensation something like a good grooming from his mother, or maybe a satisfying scratch after being bitten by a pesky flea. Either way, he was dying to see what the funny looking paws of the humans looked like.

"After today, they might just sleep a week to catch up on their energy." Timber chuckled. From being completely enthrawled by seeing him, the little ones would get quite the surprise at meeting their first human, and likely be ready to drop with exhaustion before the day was over. "Wait till they get a look at Nass and Contus, then they'll really get an eye for what 'big' is."

Karai*Others

Tolerantly enduring her childrens' excited chattering, Karai nudged Ayxiel as the little one stood up and pressed herself against one large silver leg. "Are humans okay to play with, Ama?" she asked softly, more cautious than her brothers, and ever prepared to ask for permission before she did anything. And as she normally did, Karai took a moment to consider her answer to her intelligent daughter before she replied, "This one is, Ayxi. He's Pack." And that satisfied the young fae - if Ama said someone was Pack, Ama trusted them, so they were okay.

The father, however, was shaking his head, eyes rolling a little. "If only," he muttered, though this was mostly jest - the pups never did seem to sleep long enough to allow their parents a good rest, though of course that would change as they grew older. For now, everything was too interesting and new for the pups to consent to sleep for long. But before he could reply to the collie's second comment, Reiki gasped aloud, and skittered back under his mother's belly, followed shortly by Ayxiel - Tahmores had just stepped onto the front porch. As was typical for him in the hot summer months, he wore only an old pair of jeans, his upper half bare to the sun and wind, and his skin deeply tanned, showing his Native American heritage clearly. Leaving the pups in their mother's care for a moment, Brother moved to greet the young man, who offered him a greeting-whine before his attention was captured by Karai - and the four little figures he could see huddled under and around her. As he scratched at Brother's shoulders, he looked over at Timber, and to Rihanne, finally letting his eyes fall on Karai, who waved her tail, shyly, but seeming to be glad to see him.

Timber & Others

The term rang in the ears of both brothers, putting further assurance in their minds about this two-legger they'd soon be meeting. As bold as Akembi tried to make himself out to be, he'd just as quickly have scrambled for the safety of his mother, preferring to wait for someone else to go with him before investigating the human. And that's exactly what Akembi did - he high-tailed it after Reiki, crowding himself in under the silver figure of his mother, along with a slinking Tunga. "That... he's..." Akembi blabbered unsuccessfully, his words completely failing him as his bright eyes took in the shape of Tahmores, which went completely against the images he'd previously conjured up in his mind.

Timber tried to hold back a chuckle at the pup's mix of awe and natural fear, as well as Brother's fond exasperation over his offspring's boundless energy. The collie hung back long enough for Brother to greet the young man, giving the two their own personal time before he sauntered forth to nuzzle at Tah and greet him for the day.

Karai*Others

"Yeah," Reiki agreed in a whisper with his brother's words, jumbled and nonsensical as they were. Really, Akembi's stumbled, oddly-put-together half-sentence encompassed what all of them were feeling, at the moment. Smaller than any of her brothers, but showing already her mother's keen intelligence, Ayxiel recovered enough to whisper in return, "He's big. Like... really, really big." She leaned into the soft nuzzle her mother sent down, which then traveled to each of the pups to reassure them and remind them that this newcomer was a friend, and not someone to be feared. Ordinarily, she would have joined Brother and Timber in greeting the young man for the morning - but she was first and foremost a mother, and with her pups cowering beneath her, she wouldn't abandon them to their own defenses. So she merely waved her tail, and answered Tahmores with a whine from her distance.

In response, he tilted his head to one side and squinched his eyes a bit, not-quite-closing them - this was canine happiness and curiosity, as displayed on a human face. As he was stooping to say good morning to Timber with a fond scratch of the ears and a shoulder-rub, he continued to watch, silently, as the pups crouched under Karai and talked him over, trying to decide if he was scary - or interesting.

Timber & Others

A complete sentence remained past his abilities as his mind was completely dedicated to soaking in this new creature, and making sense of the funny angles, colors, and posture that made him up. Karai's nuzzle acted like a bridge back to the real world, and all his jumbled thoughts finally rushed out to compliment his sister's view of Tah, "Totally! And look at his fur! It's all on his head!" There was simply too much about the human that struck Akembi as amazing or outright odd, but he did his best to point out each and ever aspect of interest. And as he did, he seemed to forget about whispering, "Woah, look at those paws - they're all stretched out, and long. Wooahhh..."

"Wow...." Tunga breathed at length, peeking over where Akembi had initially huddled backwards in front of him, "Did you see that? He looks friendly...!" He said this hopefully, but still had to look up at his mother, to make sure that he'd read Tah's expression correctly.

Karai*Others

The initial statement made by Akembi was lost on Tahmores, with the distance between them, but the second made one of those warbling-yips that was canine laughter leave the young man, and the long fingers flexed to indicate that he'd understood, at least to a degree, what had been said. That done, he plopped casually onto the porch, settling down with Brother on one side and Timber on the other, just as he did every morning, as if he were one of the dogs himself. He half-leaned against the wolf's bulk, waiting for the pups to overcome their natural hesitation and come to investigate him.

Meanwhile, Karai was speaking softly. "He is friendly - very much so. He's an oversized pup, sort of. He likes to play." Figuring that the concept that only Tahmores could understand and communicate with them would be too much for her offspring, the mother offered out something the young ones did understand - play. And then, knowing that Reiki was often the ringleader, she stage-whispered to him, "Maybe if you go ask, he'll play." And the chubby male looked back at his siblings, meeting eyes with Tunga, and then with Akembi, as if still looking for support - someone to go with him so that he wouldn't have to investigate this new creature alone.

Timber & Others

The collie stood momentarily at Tahmores' side before he sank down to his haunches and stretched his jaws in a yawn. With the pups' crucial first day at the Ranch going so well so far, Timber had to take a moment to glance around and be sure all was well, and would stay that way. The dog looked more or less calm and relaxed, but his nose and ears were on high alert.

Akembi began to prance his front paws again, falling back into an excited whisper to his litter mates, "Did you see that?!" He wanted so badly to dash forward and meet this human face to face and figure him out, yet even with Karai's gentle suggestion, he looked first to Reiki, "Lets go, guys!" And he did take a small step forward, trying to initiate his smaller brother to move, whilst being prepared to stop and wait if the others didn't surge ahead with his own little prompting. Tunga was right with them in eagerness, especially as it reached a point where it trumped his otherwise quieter nature, "Maybe he'll play wrestle with us...!"

Karai*Others

At this point, only Ayxiel seemed to still be overly-hesitant about going to see Tahmores. With Akembi's encouragement and willingness to go, Reiki had perked right up, and stepped forward with his brother to make their way toward the porch, where their father waited with Tahmores and Timber. But Ayxiel hung back a bit, still unconvinced. "Ama?" she asked quietly, her voice still filled with a little doubt. But Karai answered her warmly and assuredly. "He is Pack - he is safe. And Apa is over there. He will not let anyone harm you, as you know well." That helped her relax some, but she still didn't look prepared to trot forward as her brothers were. Finally, the mother asked quietly, "Do you want me to come with you?" Generally, the pups were so independent that this question was unnecessary, but she knew that Ayxiel, being smaller of size than any of her brothers, and more inclined to intellectual pursuits than rough-housing or play-fighting, was more timid about certain things.

That finally convinced the little female, and she nodded. "Please, Ama," she requested, and finally, Karai stepped forward with her pups, moving toward the house that she herself had always avoided. She'd never tried to conquer her own innate fear of the building, but she daren't let her children know that she was uneasy with this, or they would be afraid. Her air and step were confident - but sitting in his place, Brother could see the subtle way that she walked that indicated she was not altogether certain about this. "One thing you must give my love credit for,," he whispered to Timber as they watched his family draw closer, "is that she will do anything for the pups... even set to task with some of her own fears." And indeed, Tahmores seemed to notice this too, because though he was a trusted figure in the eyes of Karai, he had grown very still against the two canines, not wanting to frighten either mother or pups further with any sudden movements.

Timber & Others

As soon as he had at least one brother going with him, Akembi had all the confidence that he needed to bounce along toward the porch - pausing a little here or there, just to make sure Reiki was still with him. "I dare you to go touch him first!" When they had gotten to within a few feet from the porch, Akembi stopped to hiss this dare to his brother, grinning slyly as he did so. The dare was mostly because he was a little uncertain about getting close to the human, but wasn't about to admit his fear to his brother. "I double dare you."

Tunga had set out at first to trot along with his brothers, until he realized that Ayxi wasn't tagging along with the bolder bunch. So he stopped, tilting his head to the side and slowly waving his tail, "Don't worry Ayxi, he's Pack like Ama said. And look at Apa! He's right up there with him." Tunga encouraged. Trotting back the few paces to his mother, the brother was happy to stick with them as they moved as a group towards the house, having no clue that this was a trial for his mother as well. But Timber knew, and he whispered low to Brother as the family approached, "You weren't lying when you said how much pups mean to her."

Karai*Others

"Hey, no fair!" Reiki squealed, and then flinched back, as if seeming to remember just how close they were to the human. "You can't dare and double dare too," he hissed, lowering his voice now. "You can only to one." But before anything could come from this brief argument, there came an oddly-accented but clear, "Hello," and Reiki looked up, ears perked forward in surprise and interest, looking up at Tahmores. "It talks! Akembi, it talks!" Brother chuckled softly, "He talks, Reiki." And though his eyes never left Tahmores, the pup obediently repeated, "He talks," and then asked his father, "What can he say?"

Rather than answer that question, Brother spoke to Tahmores. "These are my pups, boy. There's Akembi, in the white, and the black one is Reiki. With Karai are Tunga and little Ayxiel, who looks like her mother." And, as if to display that he understood, Tahmores looked about to follow Brother's eyes and identify each pup, and then went back around again, his strangely-accented tones pronouncing clearly, "Akembi. Reiki. Tunga, Ayxiel." Correctly identifying each pup, he then produced slowly, "I am Tahmores." His understood volumes of the canine speech were endless, but his speaking was limited at best - he spoke far fewer words than did the pups themselves.

Timber & Others

"Uh-uh! I can do two if I want! What, are you too chicken-" He was ready to goad Reiki into venturing forward first, but wasn't prepared for hearing a human speak his own language. The big pup jumped a little and scooted closer to Reiki, gaping up at Tahmores now. "He's got a funny way of talking." A little more willing to push past the otherwise obedient way they responded to their parents, Akembi lowered his voice to try and evade his father's hearing when he remarked on Tah's accent.

"Nice to meet you Tahmores." Tunga dared a reply to the strange looking creature, while staying close to his mother and sister all the while. "I like your paws." Feeling the need to break some ice, even if it was with a peculiar compliment, Tunga spoke up on the main point of interest he saw in the young man. "Ama and Apa said you can do a lot of neat things with them. Like picking things up!"

Karai*Others

"It is a driving force in her personality, for certain," Brother whispered to Timber, in delayed response to the collie's comment. "I have never found anything else that alights so much joy in her as pups do." And because he was responding to the collie, he didn't catch wind of Akembi's words. Reiki heard him though, and nodded. "Yeah," he whispered in return, and perked his ears a little more to better catch whatever Tah said next. "But he does talk... and he knows what we're saying."

"Most of what you're saying," Brother corrected, as Tah turned his eyes to Tunga and flexed his fingers again, offering a squinty-eyed wolf's smile to indicate that he'd at least understood that the pup's comment was meant to be friendly, and the general topic he'd been covering, but didn't respond in so many words. "He gets the general idea of things, mostly... but he can't say much back to you. He's good with names, and basic things like 'play' and 'eat', but if you say too much at once, he'll get confused." And it was at this point that cautious Ayxiel made up her mind; Ama and Apa both said this human was pack, and Apa was right up there with him, nuzzling on Tahmores and behaving just as though he was another wolf. Finally, she turned to Tunga, and spoke over-loudly so that her usually more-courageous brothers would be sure to overhear. "Come on, Tunga. I'm not scared of Apa's friend." And in the rare, willful way that would sometimes take her, she stepped right out from under her mother and stalked toward Tahmores, stopping about a foot away and extending her nose to sniff ticklishly at one of Tah's bare feet. She was startled when it twitched a little as the young man fought the impulse to squirm from the ticklish sensation, but just as quickly went back to sniffing. "He smells good - some like rabbit, and other animals, and he smells clean... but he really smells like wolves. Smell!"

Timber & Others

"Do you think she'll be alright with them meeting Martha and John so soon, or should that wait?" Timber carefully tuned his voice down for Brother's ears only, trying to escape detection of the wolfess standing nearby, "I don't doubt the pups will take to them soon, and by association, I imagine it'll help her overcome some of her fear." At the same time, Timber was willing to accept that Karai might never be fully comfortable around their Masters, in the same way that Tahirah often was. The pitbull allowed for touching on occasion, and had no problem letting her offspring interact with the humans, but she otherwise tended to keep her distance from the humans, whereas her own mate would happily sprawl out next to any one of them for a good belly rub.

"Oh... I see!" Tunga tilted his head the other way now, grinning broadly after Tahmores flexed his funny paws. It'd probably take a while before he learned not to say so much at once to the boy, but here the fear barrier had been breached and curiosity took over. Tunga bounced forward shortly after Ayxiel, standing a few inches past her shoulder as she leaned in to sniff at the equally funning looking foot. "It does smell good. And... I think I smell other humans too. And..." The pup was leaned forward, scrunching up his nose as he tried to make sense of all the smells stuck to Tah's foot, particularly the ones from within the house.

Karai*Others

Brother's eyes flashed briefly to his mate, considering her carefully and working over his knowledge of her, all the while mindful to keep his tones out of her earshot. "I don't think it would hurt to bring them out here, at the least - she knows that the trees are at her back, and that she can quickly move into them if something threatens her or the pups." That was his careful answer after a long bout of consideration, and then he turned his eyes to watch Ayxiel and Tunga as they slowly examined Tah's toes. To his credit, the young man was holding admirably still, and he moved with slow grace as he raised one hand and reached it a little toward Ayxi to be sniffed as well. At first, she ducked down and laid her ears back, but she didn't bolt... and finally, she tilted her head up to investigate the fingers. "There are other humans here," said Brother's wise voice as he watched his daughter investigate Tahmores' hand. "Two, to be precise. Martha and John are the two other Masters."

Timber & Others

One ear angled back towards the house, but no sound came out to indicate either Martha or John being awake yet. Sooner or later, he knew the mother would be up and about, though it was hard telling with the boy, "Martha was always good with Tahirah's young, and not being too fussy with them. I think she'll be careful like that with these guys as well." John, on the other hand, would be a bit more abrupt in how he handled the youngsters. He was by no means dangerous or threatening, but he wasn't as considerate of Karai's fears as his mother was. Unnoticing of the adult's whispered conversations, Tunga stiffed a little as Tah lowered one hand, watching those fingers he was so fascinated by, and at the same time hesitant of. When they didn't move to harm his sister, Tunga stretched his twitching nose forward to sniff at the 'paw', and when he did so, his tail slowly began to wag again, "Are Martha and John big like Tah?"

Karai*Others

Brother had to smile a little at that thought, and his voice was warm as he answered Timber, "Martha has the same mothering instinct to her that Karai has, I think. She is certainly fond of young creatures, and she has a way of knowing what to do for them that one could almost call instinctive. And she knows, too, when to pull back and not make her presence known. She is a rare person - certainly, she did a marvelous job in helping me to look after Tahmores." That was a definite note of praise, coming from Elder Brother - as kind and friendly as he was, when matters came to dealing with Tahmores, Brother had always been picky and difficult to satisfy; such blatant compliments of Martha's dealings with the wolfboy were high praise indeed, coming from the wolf.

And coming straight out of that more serious note, the father had to chuckle again at Tunga's question. "They're both big - Martha's quite a bit smaller than Tahmores, perhaps. But John is closer to Tah's size." As she listened to her father, Ayxi's tail began to twitch - she reached up after a moment and licked carefully along one of the young man's offered fingers, and yipped a bit. "He tastes funny. Do all humans taste funny?"

Timber & Others

"She's always been a good mother to all of us." His tail thumped against the wooden deck, declaring his pleasure to hear Martha in good light from Elder Brother. "It's the vet visits that I don't like - you guys are lucky to be exempt from that." Perhaps there was one thing he didn't like about his Master, and that was when she forced him to go to the vet. Brother, Karai, and Tahirah were all free of that hassle, simply because the latter two weren't human-friendly enough to handle, and because she wasn't going to impose anything on Tahmore's wolf companion.

Tunga was trying to figure out what he should expect from these humans, and felt a little better that the last two wouldn't be any bigger than Tahmores. Regaining his curiosity and interest, Tunga mimicked his sister's act by giving the fingers a quick lick. "He's... salty! Is he suppose to taste salty...?" Sweat was one of the many new things that Tunga would learn of humans.

Karai*Others

The new father's tail wagged, and his face took up a lopsided, mischievous grin. "Better you than me, Timber," he whispered with a smile, and nudged his friend a little roughly in a playful gesture. One thing he had never even considered having to endure was the vet's office - and he knew for a fact that Karai would react badly to it, as well. As Aidan had noted to Timber before the new fae had even arrived, she'd been unkindly-crossed by the medical variety of humans before, and come out of it the worse. She'd never displayed too much of a problem with it, since coming here, but there would be times, now and then, when something strange and unhappy would light up at the back of his mate's eyes without warning, and then disappear just as suddenly. Brother knew without being told that the only way to get her to tolerate a visit to the vet would be for her to be so terribly injured that she simply couldn't fight it - otherwise, the shy and timid but sweet wolfess would be likely to become aggressive. A shadow passed over Brother's face as he thought of this... but he quickly set it aside to answer Tunga's newest question. "It's called sweat - humans do that instead of panting. It keeps them cooler."

Timber & Others

"You watch it, Brother. Martha just might change her mind and haul you off there for a round of needle pokes and smelly medicines." The collie returned with mock annoyance. In truth, just as Brother knew it, he and Karai would never see the vet unless their injuries were past Martha's ability to treat. It was a little past Timber why he and most of the others had to endure the place every few months, and he never did understand why they had to poke him with the needles - but he endured it, only because Martha was there, and she commanded it. On a more serious side of it all, Timber recognized the look that briefly encompassed his friend's face, and understood without asking what had brought it there.

"Ooooooh." Tunga gave the hand another lick, "The sweat keeps them cool? What about his fur? Does he shed it in the summer and grow it in the winter?" Tunga didn't actually know much about 'winter', except that it was suppose to be cold, and that he'd get thicker fur to help keep him warm.

Karai*Others

The little joke Timber made lifted Brother's mind some from the heaviness of the issue at hand. He wasn't quite ready to admit it to the collie just yet, but there were times that his mate would look at him just as if she'd never seen him before - and it showed clearly in her eyes that, for that second, she didn't know him. It haunted him in secret, but he wasn't frightened enough over it to confide the collie about it just yet, particularly since it was mostly Karai's secret. But Tahmores whined quietly, his glance cast to Elder Brother in concern - he'd seen the look that had also disturbed Timber. Not wanting the boy to worry, and not wanting to alert the pups to the problem, Brother smiled and nuzzled Tah's concern away, and then proceeded to answer Tunga, "No, his gets longer and longer, no matter whether it's summer or winter. But sometimes, Martha cuts it shorter." "Cuts it?" This was a word Ayxi hadn't yet encountered, and she paused in her study of Tah's fingers to look up at her father. And as the boy's hand flexed a little to gently scratch behind the female's ear and she leaned into the caress almost without thinking, Brother answered, "She uses these metal things to make his fur shorter."

Timber & Others

Timber didn't know about this particular secret of Karai's, or the moments when all faces looked foreign and strange to her. He knew the humans had it in their power to do unbelievable things, and he could only assume that her earlier encounters with the more dastardly two-leggers had resulted in something bad... but he didn't realize just how bad it had been. Figuring Brother's look was more for his mate's fear of humans, rather than something more personal, Timber wisely didn't pursue the topic any longer. The pups provided a good distraction for easing off the topic, too, "Metal things?" Tunga scooted himself closer, getting more comfortable by the second. The pup stuck his snout against Tah's hand, nudging it forcefully. "She won't... cut our fur, will she?"

Karai*Others

Seeing that Ayxi hadn't drawn back from the soft, almost timid touch he'd applied to the little hollow at the base of her ear, which was one of Brother's favorite places to be scratched, Tahmores kept petting; his touch was gentle and feather-light, applying no pressure at all and proving a willingness to let her duck away if she became afraid; and perhaps that was the reason why Ayxi didn't. Indeed, when Tunga tossed his muzzle up into the hand, the warbling-yip of laughter sounded from the boy, and he transferred his hand over to the larger male, and ran a pair of fingers gently through the downy fur at the back of Tunga's neck, another of Brother's favorite places. Keeping his touch lighter than air, he gave a little whine to reassure both pups that all was safe... and this finally convinced Reiki to pad forward and begin his own examination of the curiously adept appendage. At the same time, Brother was laughing a little at the nervousness in Tunga's voice. "No, son... she cuts Tahmores' fur only because humans do not shed like we do.

Timber & Others

His tail slowed some to reflect his uncertainty about the giant hand shifting his way, but it quickly gave into to a flurry of wagging when the deft fingers brushed ever so lightly over his nape. The result was a pleasant sensation, not entirely unlike a caress from a parent's tongue, though it definitely had a uniqueness about it. Tunga's mind was made up - Tahmores was most certainly Pack, and he could be trusted. It wasn't to say he was completely relaxed in the human's presence, but he was past the greatest hesitancies now, "Ooooh, I see. So if she didn't cut it, it'd get really long?" Well, now that all his siblings had ventured forward, Akembi had to join them, waltzing up as if he hadn't been afraid in the first place. "How do you eat stuff? Your muzzle is so flat!" The squat little youngster barked up at Tah, finding and endless list of things that looked funny about the human, just as Tunga had. Remembering his manners, he hastily tacked on, "Which is kinda cool. But... isn't it hard to eat?"

Karai*Others

The mother could have stepped forward and allowed herself to be pet as well, now that her children were not hiding beneath her; but though she trusted Tahmores and enjoyed his touch, the fact remained that he was seated on the porch, which was part of the house that she absolutely refused to go in, still. So though she allowed her pups to approach him, she kept back, and Tah seemed to understand why - he didn't reach out for her, but rather left her be. And thus far, his instincts were serving him well in dealing with the pups... he continued to pet softly at Tunga's ruff, while gently and slowly extending the other hand so that the approaching Akembi and Reiki would have something to sniff at, too. To Akembi's question, he answered slowly, "Eat later," which didn't really answer what the pup had asked, proving that speaking was not his forte.

Timber & Others

"You're saying too much to him, Kembi." Tunga informed, as he continued to melt under the petting, preferring this to the play that Akembi was looking to get out of the human paw that was extending his way. "Aww, he heard some of it, anyway." The other brother mumbled distractedly, forgetting about his question to Tah as his golden eyes focused squarely on the fingers reaching his way. One side of his muzzle wrinkled up in a playful snarl, but he was a little leery of gnawing on the digits... so he resorted back to his usual ploy, "Hey Reiki, I dare ya to play with him!" Akembi himself took a step back, bowing his front end down in a playful manner, but not yet engaging the hand that hovered near him.

Karai*Others

With Tunga thoroughly enjoying being petted, Ayxiel had lain down and was watching her brothers with interest as they investigated Tah's 'paws'. And the young man continued to provide the affection for as long as Tunga stood with him, never seeming to tire of it. However, out of the corner of his eye, he caught Akembi's play bow, and crane his neck up so that he could bow it down in return, indicating that he was ready to play. This, as much as his brother's dare, convinced Reiki that he was ready to take on the misshapen paw, but before he could leap forward, Karai's voice sounded in caution. "Don't play too roughly with him, dear. Humans are easy to hurt - their skin is thin and easy to puncture. Don't bite too hard." Reiki whispered out an obedient, "Yes, Ama," and then slowly scooted forward to bat at the young man's hand. In return, Tah reached one finger over and flicked the end of Reiki's nose - and that brought the black pup's tail to waving, and drove him into an all-out assault.

Timber & Others

"We'll be careful, Ama." Akembi piped up with similar obedience, with the playful growl lingering in his tones. Hind end in the air, the pup escalated his growling, watching and waiting until Reiki had taken on the human before he pounced clumsily forward to attack the hand that was petting Tunga. He kept his mother's words in mind as he mouthed at the fingers. Tunga sat back with an annoyed grunt, glaring at the brother who'd ruined his petting, "Kembi!!" And just like that, the easy-going brother plowed into Akembi, tackling him to the ground and starting up a rough and tumble game of wrestling. "Reiki, Ayxi, help me! Get 'em!" Tunga had his brother pinned, leading to the other pup squealing for help from his smaller litter mates. "Tah, get him!"

Karai*Others

With one hand occupied with Reiki, who ignored his brother's calls for help with the justification that Akembi had brought it on himself - and was truly in no danger - Tahmores spared the other hand to respond to the chubby pup's request where his siblings did not. With a soft and deft twirl of one hand, he swooped down to try and swat gently at the pups to roll them over and give Akembi the momentary upper paw, while again laughing aloud in delight. Seeing the worry fade from Tah's features for a few spare moments, where they'd been heavy with thoughts for the weeks since Ben's visit, Brother smiled more, which in turn got Karai to relax - her mate had been so concerned about the young man that she'd noticed his distraction several times. And with them happy, Ayxi was happy - she chose not to participate in the brawl, instead scooting forward and scrambling up into Tah's lap, where she could put her paws against his chest and reach up to examine his face more closely.

Timber & Others

"Reiki, you dander head!" Akembi floundered and hollered out, unable to kick Tunga away from him. All the rough-housing was in good nature of course, so when Tahmores came to the rescue, Tunga was going after the boy's hand shortly after picking himself back up. He'd heard Karai's warning about being gentle, something which Kembi seemed to have forgotten. While Tunga mouthed half-heartedly at Tah's fingers, Akembi tried to latch onto the human's thumb and gnaw at it with all the feigned ferocity that he used against his siblings.

"Welcome home." Leaving the pups back with Tahirah, Aidan had rounded the corner of the house, and greeted the cluster of canines and human with a soft woof.

Karai*Others

"Hey!" It took only Akembi's insult to get a rise out of Reiki, who left off of gnawing on Tahmores' hand and leapt forward to tackle his larger brother, which would leave Tunga as the only one tugging on the human. Not that it seemed to matter - despite Karai's warning, Tah didn't seem all that bothered by the tiny fangs that pricked into the skin of his hands, and kept right on playing with the best of them.

It was as all of them were doing this that Brother noticed the approach of Aidan. His tail instantly patted the porch with a thumping sound, and his voice turned warm. "Aidan - good to see you again. I believe we'll be staying this time, my friend. The pups are old enough that if we find a good place, we'll be able to keep them closer to home, which will mean less time away for me."

Timber & Others

He was too caught up in gnawing away at Tahmore's hand to see his brother rushing his way, and before he knew it, Akembi was hitting the ground again and giving a sharp squeal that completely destroyed the tough-guy image he tried so valiantly to maintain. The pup made up for it by issuing the meanest snarl he could muster, and trying to take on one of Reiki's ears. Tunga kept up at his battle with Tah's hand, until he spotted what he sister was up to. With all the gloriously short attention span of the pup he was, Tunga abruptly left off with his fight and scampered up onto Tah's lap, to join Ayxi in peering up at the human's face.

"That's good to hear." The blue-eyed hybrid returned pleasantly, and dropped onto his haunches before he'd reached the porch. Like the others, he wasn't going to invade the space of the pups without first getting permission from the shy mother, "I know my own little ones will be thrilled to have a few new playmates around."

Karai*Others

As Tunga hopped up into Tah's lap, Rihanne heaved herself up onto the porch and settled down, stretching her bad leg out and watching the pups as they nosed at Tahmores' neck and chin. Ayxi had discovered that the young man was ticklish, and was hopping up and licking at the hollow under his chin to make him squirm while he tried to fend her off in a good-natured way. She was persuaded down when he began to pet her again - she settled right down on his lap and closed her eyes like a kitten, leaning into the touch. Karai smiled a mother's smile - she always liked to see her children happy. And this was amusingly accented by Reiki's snarls as he tugged his head backward in an attempt to free his ear from Akembi's grasp, all the while nipping at his brother's front paws and trying to roll a bit where he'd have an advantage over his larger sibling.

Over the din of the playing youngsters, Brother told Aidan, "I'm sure ours would be happy for a change of playmates as well. They've never seen other pups aside from their siblings - it'll be an interesting experiment for them." At this moment, Karai chose to stretch out on her belly in the grass, apparently content with the situation as it stood - and Brother met Aidan's eyes, a silent message that he knew the silver mother was comfortable enough for the male to come closer.

Timber & Others

Tunga moved to sit back on the young man's leg, in order to watch as his sister interacted with him. Only, the pup misjudged the roundness of the surface he was standing on, and his rump went down on empty air. With a yip of surprise, the youngster slid right off Tahmores' knee and proceeded to bounce off the first step like a slinky, ending up on his back at the lowest step of the deck. Timber held his breath for a second or two, but his alarm was unfounded, as he could have guessed it would be. Tunga looked a little cowed as he picked himself up after his unfortunate tumble, but was no worse for wear. Deciding against climbing on Tah, at least for now, the pup settled on a safer activity - exploring the human's foot.

Akembi lost his grip on the ear eventually, and had to put up with Reiki's attempts at rolling away from him. The big pup was relentless, and tried to grab at his brother's fluffy nape next, and pin him down. Aidan was taking all of this, and not missing the look Brother drifted to him that meant he was welcome to join the group, "Whenever you think they're settled in enough, I know Tahirah would have no qualms over introducing them."

Karai*Others

For the space of a moment or two, Tahmores looked down at Tunga in concern, clearly worried that the pup had perhaps hurt himself in tumbling off of his lap, just as Timber was. But when the little male not only didn't begin yelping, but in fact came forward to investigate some more, the young man relaxed, and proceeded to wiggle his toes dexterously to give Tunga something more interesting to look at. In the meantime, Ayxi had settled completely down in his lap - Brother noticed with fond amusement that his daughter had given up all suspicion and decided that Tah was a good napping-surface, and that the young man himself had instinctively slowed his petting to soothe her and keep her asleep.

On the other hand, Reiki was getting more rambunctious by the second - no sooner had he yanked his ear back with a laugh of victory than he found himself on the bottom again, with his brother's larger weight sprawled atop him. "Kembi, keep your paw out of my eye!" he whined briefly, but at the same time shifted his weight around in an attempt to wiggle free - and his eyes landed on Aidan. Before the father could even respond to the question posed him, Reiki was piping up, even with his scruff trapped in his brother's jaws and himself looking up from under Akembi's paws. "Hey look! It's another one. Who're you?"

Timber & Others

The animated toes were a source of incredible fascination for the pup, because like the hands, they were so completely foreign to him. No creature that he'd yet encountered in his young life had paws that looked like that. Lacking any fingers of his own for exploring his world, Tunga resorted to the wolf's way of investigating things - he first gave the big toe a cautious lick, then mouthed at the tiny digits in a way that likely very ticklish.

"Keep your eye out of my paw!" Akembi rumbled back with a grin, even though it was hidden from his brother as he worked at gnawing and thrashing at Reiki's ruff. He kept right on wrestling with his smaller brother, intent on keeping him pinned down, until his attention was directed to the newest canine. Still keeping his paws on Reiki, but letting go of his nape in order to turn his head, Kembi looked over Aidan with a wagging tail. The other looked mostly wolfish, but had sky-blue eyes, and tinges of red about his ruff that made them stand out all the more. "My name is Aidan." The male responded lightly, "Who might you be?"