Sasha * Scream * Ven * Rede * Sequioa

The female doberman had led the way to the prarie, knowing of a secret spot that she had found and deemed her own. It was quiet, semi secluded in the tall brush with fallen logs and a small stream for the pups to play in when it wasn't frozen. For now, they could run and slide across the waters icy surface without the adults fear of them falling through. Her gaze traveled behind her and she frowned. Voodoo and Equiss were missing, as was Patch. Something wasn't right....But, the three were near six months old now and could take care of themselves...For the most part.

Scream, having managed to escape the humans, sulked after his mother silently. Day light was gathering as the sun rose high above and he quietly lay down, his eyes on the younger pups.

Esscence came right after Sasha, always attempting to pounce on the females feet and occasionally tripping the doberman. The mother just smiled down at Esscence, knowing it was all in play. When Scream lay down, the white pup let out a yip and pounced on the black and tan male who groaned inwardly. She bit at his ears and nose and the male sounded a snarl that would appear absolutly viscious, if he didn't have a smile on his face and his eyes weren't warm and kind.

Redemption and his sister Vengeance stood shoulder to shoulder, the black male with white markings glaring straight ahead as his sister gazed all around them. It was easy to see in the group who was good and not. Esscence with her kind nature and heart, Redemption never siding with anyone, and his watchful gaze to be the neautral and then the dark sister Vengeance with her eyes that were slowly changing colors to become mismatched and hatred filled. Yes, a soon enemy she would become but not until she had gained what she wished...

Sequioa trailed the group, keeping a lookout. She would glance behind her now and again, to see if the others were coming. She didn't like the group split up, ever as it had proven very faulty in the past. She knew that Sasha still grieved for her two lost children, but it could not have been helped.

Lyckos and Kalion

The brothers followed after Sequioa, enjoying the time they had with the pack after being seperated for so long.

Lyckos had a soft smile on his face. He had missed the pack a lot, especially it's alphess, and now that he was back and so many new additions had come along, it was difficult to think that it could be spoiled. However he remained alert. With so many pups, he didn't want to let his guard down. His large ears were pricked up like radar and his eyes flicking from one pup to the next, just making sure they were still there; Mainly for reassurance, he knew that Sasha, Fanta and Hydras were more than capable of looking after their pups. When the group stopped at the spot Sasha had deemed safe, Lyckos sat down near the stream and yawned. His soft brown eyes watched the pups. He was concerned at the attitude Vengeance was showing, but didn't want to say anything, so he just observed the pack. His eyes would flick up now and again, just to check for danger in the surrounding area.

Kalion trotted up next to Sequioa, smiling softly. Hear the good news? Hydras said I could join the pack. He knew she probably had, but still, it was one way to start some sort of conversation. One ear was towards Sequioa, the other shifted positions as it checked for any sort of sound that seemed threatening or something of the sort.

Sequioa * Vengeance

Her smile was so quick, with one blink one would never have seen it. Yeah, I heard. Thats great news, Kalion. Her eyes drifted now and again, until they landed on Vengeance and Redemption. Eyes narrowing slightly, she watched the black and white female glare heatedly into her own eyes before a sinister smirk crossed the pups face. She said a word to her brother and they both stood, and began to silently make their way towards Scream. Something about that pup isn't quite right. Maybe its the fact that her father was a dark being, and her mother not much better. Bad blood. Aaka is one wolfess that I would never want to be in the way of. The most words she had ever spoken to Kalion. But, it was a start. Maybe a start to a good thing.

Vengeance stared hard into Sequioas eyes before an evil thought began to form in her twisted mind. Aye, her father Torture had left his mark on his dark daughter. Come on. She murmered to her brother. Redemption glanced towards the adults before following his sister shoulder to shoulder as always. Vengeance began to circle the playing duo, Scream and Esscence, when suddenly she leapt forward aiming for Screams ear. Her teeth sank into flesh and she heard the others startled yelp. Dark grin forming once more, she felt her brother leap, aiming for the males hind leg. An enraged snarl escaped Scream as he turned he didn't know what to do....He suddenly lashed out, his teeth sinking into Vengeances own hind leg and dragged her off of his ear leaving it bleeding and slightly torn on the tip. Another snarl escaped as he turned his fangs onto Redemption hoping to grab the male around his mid section and drag him off as well.

Esscence stared at her sister, blood coating the black females maw. When she saw Vengeance going to leap again, Esscence shouted No! You always ruin things for me! She leapt onto her larger sister and just as Scream had, felt the attack of puppy fangs as they sank into her flesh. To the unsuspecting eye, it would appear as if the two were playing. If one didn't notice the blood beginning to stain Esscences coat that is.

Fanta, Silverfur, Pups

Arget and Feather decided to stay beside 'uncle' Lyckos and 'uncle' Kalion, looking at Esscence with worried eyes. Wha-what are they doing?" Suenga whimpered, walking closer.

"Don't Suenga! We're much younger...we can get hurt!" Arget warned.

Fanta trotted near the front with Silverfur, happy that Lyckos was a great pup sitter for the day. "To bad the prairie dogs are hibernating." Fanta sighed to her mate.

Lyckos and Kalion

Kalion sighed as he listened to Sequioa, slightly startled at the fact she actually spoke more than a sentence to him for the first time; but he was too busy thinking about what she actually said. Yes, In a way I feel sorry for her, yet she had a choice; if to act with a dark heart is what she wants, there is little we can do to stop her. He looked away from Sequioa towards the pups, however it looked like they were playing to him.

Lyckos, being the more observant of the pair, did notice something strange going on with the pups and it wasn't good. If it hadn't been for Esscence shouting, Lyckos' suspitions wouldn't have been raised. He narrowed his eyes, ears forward to catch the sounds of squeals of pain. Lyckos stood up, positioning himself between Arget, Feather and Suenga. Stay back, Go to Uncle Kalion. He turned his head towards his brother, who nodded, finally noticing that something wasn't right.

Lyckos moved towards the pups. Stop it, Now! Get off them! He commanded in a sharp tone. Then he noticed the blood on Esscences coat. She was a sweet, gentle pup, who deserved no bulling from her older, crueler siblings. Lyckos leaned down to grab Vengeance, trying to catch her by the scruff, without hurting her, and pull her away from the others. He hoped one of the other adults would grab her brother. They would decide what to do with them once this little battle was sorted.

Sequioa

Her dark eyes narrowed as she heard Esscences call for help. Suddenly the white pup was running towards her and dived in between the deltas legs. With a look of confusion and....fear the female looked down at the small pup that lay quiver beneath her. Ah.... She said as she began to stand and back away. She had always been afraid of pups, afraid that she would hurt them or that they would turn out like her. It was something she didn't want. Vengeance is...What she is. Esscence, please go see Kalion. She pleaded. With a soft whimper the white pup crept towards Kalion and hid beneath him.

Not seeing Lyckos, Vengeance held her grip on Scream who was doing his best to get the two pups off without hurting them with his larger frame. When Lyckos grabbed onto the scruff of her, she immediatly let go and gave a giggle as if she was as good as little Esscence. Aww, come on unclie Lyckos. We were just playing. Her changing eyes landed on the bleeding Scream who was shaking in fury. Redemption had let go as Lyckos grabbed his sister and leapt back, laughing. Yeah, Uncle Lyckos. We were just playing. We just caught him by surprise thats all. His eyes were on Lyckos and a dark grin spread across his maw. He wasn't like his father, more towards his mother with her much quieter, darker ways. Esscence....Was like neither of her parents. Being calm and sweet, it was amazing she was alive. Rede laughed darkly and as Vengeance struggled out of Lyckos's grip, the twins trotted away, heading towards the small stream.

Scream glared after them, his body screaming in pain, his mind raging at him to kill the two but he held himself in control. Taking a steadying breath, he moved towards Esscence and Kalion. Hey....You can come out now. Come on, we'll go play by my mom. She'll make sure Redemption and Vengeance don't get us, ok? Come on, I'll race you. His voice was soft and gentle, his eyes however were filled with raging storms. He was unlike both his parents, for he was like Redemption in his own way. But, he did well keeping the darkness under control and locked down so that no one else would know. Come on Esscence. Lets go play. He began to walk away, then glanced over his shoulder to see if she was coming. Arget, Suenga, Feather. You wanna race us to? Little Esscence was no older then they, and he knew he had to be careful with them all. Esscence slowly came out from beneath Kalion and began to follow Scream. Come on guys. I'll race you. He said to them, always making sure his tone was soft and gentle. He began to pick up his speed, trotting now. Esscence leapt forward, bulleting towards Sasha with Scream following, but slow enough for the other three to run and race with them.

Hydras & Pack

Head up and eyes alert, it didn't take long for Hydras to realize that they were indeed missing some pack members, of the younger sort. "Pirqua!" She barked sharply, looking upwards at the falcon who flew low above her. "We're missing Voodoo, Patch, Equiss, and Hatch. Scout the area... if you don't see them, get your family and scour the Valley." Like Sasha, Hydras knew that they were old enough to reasonably look after themselves, but she doubted their skills when it came to combating adult enemies. Or their wisdom when it came to humans. Unable to shrug off the feeling of worry, the alphess padded towards Lyckos. As far as showing her feelings, she sat somewhere between Sequioa and Bullet. Not nearly as conserved and withdrawn as Sequioa, but at the same time, not so open and carefree as her brother. After all, being an alpha for three years had taught her a lot about moving forward with caution and much thought. "You have a good way with pups." Was the first thing Hydras said upon approaching the labradane. Her eyes narrowed slightly at 'her' two, a sort of silent warning to them. It was greatly unnerving to watch their progressively bad attitudes, and it only went to remind her further of their true lineage. Still, they were hers, and so she held off on any punishment... yet.

Pirqua, with a single nod to the hybrid, had pulled up higher into the sky as she began to search for the missing adolescents. Her search soon had her flying far from the Prairie.

Mesa did not follow her mother on this mission, though she would if Pirqua failed to find the youngster soon. Instead, she circled above the pack and kept a lookout for danger.

Bullet kept to the back of the pack at first to protect from any surprise attacks. Along the way, he had also came to realize two of his own were missing. But about that time, his sister had discovered the same thing and taken care of it... hopefully. When the pack found a place to settle down, the big hybrid eagerly sauntered over to Sasha and sat down, tail thumping pleasantly against the frozen grass and snow. As with Kalion, he hadn't noticed his son getting battered until Lyckos broke up the fight and the four pups split up. His eyes took on a look of worry as they drifted after Redemption and Vengeance, but there was little he could do, considering they were the alpha's pups.

Skeil plopped down next to Fanta, watching the pups keenly. She still couldn't get Ven's words from her head, and made it a point to watch the youngster closely.

Ankh had finally made up his mind- he needed to rejoin the family. Not wanting to upset his alpha aunt, he lingered a bit away from the pack at first and waited for things to settle down more.

Desmon was quite excited to be reunited with his family again. The youngster ran across the snow, heading for Scream and Essence just as the brother was suggestion a game of racing. Des was about to say something, but faultered and closed his mouth. He suddenly became very self-conscious of the large patch of his head where the fur had been shaved off, and were a long insicion lay. It was healing nicely and the fur was beginning to fill in again, but it was still a reminder of his condition.

Sequioa * Esscence

Sequioa watched as the Esscence and Scream took off towards Sasha and the delta visibly relaxed. Sasha was more the motherly type, always kind and understanding. When Kalion questioned her, she shrugged and murmered softly so that only he could hear I don't want them to turn out like me. With that the female turned her gaze from him and as the others were doing, watched Redemption and Vengeance. When she saw Desmon, however, a soft look came into her normally hard eyes. She wanted pups, but as she had said if they turned out like her then....The world would go up in flames. She was not easy to be around with her quiet and dark nature, prefering to stick to herself.

Esscence didn't let Desmon go unnoticed. Seeing his shaved head, she giggled and pounced on him, running away from Scream. She lightly batted Des with a small paw on his shoulder, as if she understood his insecurities. Come on. She said in a soft voice. She had done exactly as Scream had, making her tone gentle and easy. I won't laugh if you won't. She was speaking of the fact that she wasn't like her two dark siblings. In some wolvens eyes, she would be weak but in her own way she was stronger then most turning away from the darkness that beckoned her two siblings.

Redemption laughed darkly with his sister who had yet to make another sound. Always stirring up trouble somewhere. When he got no comment, the male turned and looked at her. She was glaring hard at the ice, as if trapped in another world. Who knows, maybe she was. Maybe the thought the she didn't belong here was already being placed into her mind. She looked up, breakign her still stance and said softly The others aren't back yet. Maybe they got eaten or something. Just the idea put a dark smile on her lips. She rolled her shoulders as if loosening them. Bright eyes turned back and her eyes locked onto Skeils. The same dark smile lit up across her lips and in her mind she murmered And darkness closes in, my pet. She turned back towards the ice and Redemption, who was glancing at her as if she might be crazy.

Lyckos and Kalion

Kalion watched as Lyckos tried to sort out the situation. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Esscence come running towards Sequioa, obviously terrified. The canine looked at Sequioa, noticing her reaction to the pup was almost fearful. This confused Kalion, who saw Sequioa as a strong figure. Why was she backing away from a pup who was scared and wanted her protection? Sequioa then, almost discarded the poor pup. As Esscence crawled underneath him with a whimper, the Labradane bent down and gently licked her on the head, trying to comfort her. It's alright Esscence. He cooed, in a soothing tone. He then stood back up and looked over at Sequioa and quietly whispered to her, Are you alright?

Lyckos was being tormented by pups, and it angered him. These couldn't be Hydras' pups, they were definately Aaka's. Well, Vengeance and Redemption took after their mother. He didn't say anything to them, and just watched as the pair just walked off, as if nothing had happened. Lyckos had never been able to stand those that acted like that and he knew that those two would turn out like their mother, which wasn't a good thing...In his eyes anyway. He lay down near Sasha, watching the other pups, particularly Scream and Esscence, just to make sure they were alright.

Kalion relaxed when Redemption and Vengeance moved away towards the stream. When Scream came over and asked Esscence to race towards Sasha, Kalion gently nudged her with his muzzle towards Sasha from beneath him. He smiled softly when they began to run, at least that last "play" hadn't affected them too much. He turned to look at Sequioa. Well this trip isn't what I expected it to be.

It wasn't long after that that Hydras, Skeil, Bullet, Ankh and Desmon arrived. Lyckos was about to tell Hydras about the situation with Redemption and Vengeance but he realised she must have seen it as she gave them a warning look. He wondered why she didn't punish them, but didn't say anything after all she was the alphess. He sat up from being sprawled on the ground and smiled at her compliment. Thank you, It was nothing really, I just thought I'd better break it up before it got any worse. He noticed Ankh, who seemed reluctant to approach the main group. Lyckos cocked his head and a small smile appeared on his face. He couldn't ask him to come over, he didn't know if Hydras had told him to keep his distance, and didn't want to cause any disagreement so just tried to be friendly. He then saw Desmon, with a wound to his head in a bald patch. The Labradane felt sorry for the pup, but it seemed to be healing, which was good. Desmon ran towards the other pups, but seemed to stop, obviously something was on his mind. Lyckos thought he might need some encouragement, especially if he'd seen the little "disagreement" between the youngsters earlier. So he smiled at the pup and said softly, Go and play, It's alright. He then turned back to Hydras with a small smile before watching the pups once more.

Ninaki & Black Feather

Black Feather had heard the bark issued by Hydras, and was obliged to glide down and listen in to what was said. Unlike the others, the peregrine falcon hadn't noticed the missing canines. He wasn't so engaged with the pack as his mate and daughter were, although he cared for them all just the same. As Pirqua lifted into the skies, Black Feather did the same. And like her, it wasn't long before he realized none of the missing were nearby. Circling off in the oposite direction of his mate, Black Feather began a search of his own.

The solo beta kept his distance from the pack at first, for much of the same reason that Bullet did. To ensure no enemies sprung a sneak attack. However, once the group had settled into a spot, Ninaki moved in. He was still quite and brooding, a mood that he had taken on ever since the death of his mate and two children, and so he found a quite area a few feet from the stream. Then his pale golden eyes tracked Redemption and Vengeance, alarmed by their behavior. They reminded him somewhat of Ankh, and his attitude towards Aidan. But... as much as Ankh disliked his own brother, he didn't have the darkness that the Ven and her brother seemed to possess. And that bothered him as much as it did Skeil and Bullet.

Hydras & Pack

"Their personalities... there is something about them that bothers me." Hydras admitted after a moment, her gaze trailing Redemption and Vengeance before drifting to Lyckos. Then she shook her head, to dismiss the subject as she went to another one. "Lyckos," The alpha took a deep breath, ready to say something that had been on her mind for a while now, "how would you like to be an alpha? I've been leading this pack for almost three years now, mainly on my own..." She frowned just slightly while thinking, debating which direction to take things. Should she talk strickly business style? Or say what she really felt? Indecision lasted only a moment before her mind was made, "...it does get lonely sometimes."

A smiling-grin blossomed over the adolescent's face as Essence invited him to play. Without speaking, he nodded to the question she asked him, for he was very understanding of how others felt; moreso than either of his brothers. The same smile was offered to Lyckos, along with a friendly tail-wag.

Ankh spotted his father a little ways off from the others. Seeing that Hydras was paying no attention to him at the moment, and very much hesitant to bother her, he drifted over to Ninaki. "Hey, dad." The ebony hybrid said, settling down on his lean haunches, "I was thinking... joining with the pack again. Heck, Hatch practically lives here anyway, and Des has been dying to see his cousins again." He said, as if trying to make excuses for why he wanted back in the pack.

Sasha

A wicked grin spread across her face. Suddenly Sasha whirled and leapt on Bullet. In his ear she murmered Your it. With that the doberman leapt off him and took off at a lope, heading for Hydras and Lyckos. She circled the two of them, and hearing Hydras' words she gave the alphess a quick smile. Hydras could join the tag after her talk. Come on everyone! Bullet and Sequioa are both it!

Sequioa blinked in surprise at Sasha words. She turned towards her long time friend and scowled darkly but a smile tugged at her lips. She lifted a large paw and batted it at Kalion, trying to hit him.

Esscence giggled as Desmon began to follow her and she was about to go to Sasha and Scream when suddenly the doberman announced who was 'it'. Blinking, the white female turned and began to run in the opposite direction heading towards Skeil. Come on! We'll be safe with Aunt Skeil! Although it wasn't true, she could at least give into the idea.

Redemption heard the call of tag, as did his dark sister who was still staring at the ice. Suddenly the white bridled female leapt hard onto the ice. She heard the crack and once more she pounded hard onto it. A small fragment broke and the dark water below was revealed. She glanced behind her and making sure that the adults were far away, she silently crept across the ice. She pounded hard on it once more, and when it broke again until there was a pup sized hole in the ice. She glanced to her brother and a dark smile lit across her face. The male held a look of uncertainty for a moment. Before, it had just been about hurting another. Now, his dark sister was out to kill. Ven...Thats not even funny. All he got in answer was her dark smile as she began walking back, every now and again slipping on the ice. With the adults busy with their game of tag, no one would have seen her pounding the ice. Come on. Lets go play. She said to her brother. She to ran towards Skeil, skidding to a halt in the snow. She barked merrily, as if nothing had happened before. Come on, Feather! Suenga! Run! She called to them.

Hydras & Pack

As she was focused on the serious conversation at hand, she hardly noticed the uproar that Sasha was starting. Not until the doberman headed her way and circled around. Irritation flooded the alphess at first, but it was tempered by the fact that the pack was having fun for once, and it had been a while since she actually saw the doberman so joyous. Putting aside her annoyance at being disturbed, Hydras offered the dog a fleeting smile.

Bullet was delighted beyond belief, and was even more pleased than his sister at Sasha's behavior. Scrambling up out of the snow, he stood undecided for a moment, eyes searching for a likely victim as Sasha tagged Sequioa. That's when he spotted his nephew, talking with Ninaki. Grinning, he charged at the unsuspecting canine...

The last thing Ankh expected to see was a giant hybrid rocketting his way, and much less to get tackled. With a shrill, snarling-yelp, the small Ankh was struck and sent tumbling across the snow. Ready to tear his attacker's throat out, Ankh sprung up just in time to see his uncle's toothy grin and hear "You're it!" As touchy as Ankh could be, he had to admit it had been quite some time since he last played. Giving in to fun, he grumbled under his breath, "You could have been a bit more gentle about that..." With no hard feelings, despite his remark, Ankh set his sights on Ninaki, and rushed over to tag him...

Skeil stood up quickly, excitement growing. As Ven came towards her, the pit bull smiled. She had fallen for the other's change in behavior. Then she looked to Essence and Desmon as they headed her way, "I don't know how good of a protector I'll be in this game." She laughed.

Desmon laughed as well as he followed after Essence, and was surprised and very pleased to find that he could laugh. What ever the humans had done to him, it at least hadn't affected his laugh. Now, only if he could get the words to form.. but there wasn't time for that at the moment. Game on!

Lyckos and Kalion

Lyckos turned to look at Hydras as she commented on Redemption and Vengeance. Yes, It seems very strange that pups at their age are acting so...darkly. He looked over to the pair, who were by the stream and sighed, before turning back to Hydras. He just missed Redemption stand up to jump on the ice...

Suddenly she fell silent. Lyckos was confused and looked back at her, cocking his head slightly with a quizzing look. Then she asked a question that he never thought he'd hear from her in his life. "Would you like to be an alpha?" They had to be the best words in the world. That was until he heard what she said afterwards. A slow smile spread across his face, his tail began to thump against the grass. He felt like he might explode he was so happy, but kept them all inside..well he tried to. The smile turned to a grin. Hydras, You've made me an offer I couldn't possibly refuse. Then he gently nuzzled her. You won't be lonely any more.

Kalion was rather surprised when Sasha suddenly lept on Bullet and declared him "it" along with Sequioa. Eyes wide, he spun round towards Sequioa, just as her paw batted him on the side. He laughed, That's not fair, you didn't give me a chance to run! Then he stood up, eyes scanning round for someone he could catch. They quickly darted to Sequioa to whom he chuckled, You'd better run, or I might get you back. Then he noticed Sasha running away. After all she had started it, so maybe it was fair that he got her? He bounded after her in a playful lope aiming to catch her on the hind-quaters with his paw when he reached her to tag her.

Lyckos laughed as the quiet Priarie turned into a huge game of tag. He smiled at Hydras, his new mate, with a playful glint in his eye. You up for it my dear?

Sasha * Sequioa

Sasha saw Kalion comes toward her and a giggle escaped the female. She bolted, her long legs carrying her fast and far. She was near Ninaki now and she skidded to a halt when she suddenly saw Ankh. Gah! She exclaimed. She leapt backwards and turned, now heading towards Skeil. She stood next to the white pitbull and laughed merrily, her eyes on Kalion and Ankh, trying to stay away from the two.

Sequioa heard Kalions words and for once, laughter escaped the female. She turned and ran, just as Sasha did only she headed towards Hydras and Lyckos. Softly she said to the alphess Come on, Hydras. Lets see your moves. Laughter was in the hybrids eyes as she gazed towards Ankh and Kalion, just as ready as Sasha to leap away.

Esscence giggled at Skeils words then turned to Desmon. Wait...If Sasha was here...And Kalion was chasing her....Then that meant....RUN! Exclaimed the white female. She turned and bolted, heading out onto the slick ice. Redemption looked from his white sister with her innocent laughter, to his much darker sister with her barely surpressed evil smirk. This isn't right! He hissed into Vengeance's ear. The black and white fae just giggled and went after Esscence, as if not a care in the world.

Redemption looked lost and confused for a moment before following the two. He raced as fast as he could over the slick ice, and passed Vengeance then slid past Esscence. Ess, wait! Theres a hole here. Don't want you to fall through and everything. Esscence skidded to a halt, slamming into her larger brother and sending him spiraling across the slick ground. HE dug his claws in, and was mere inches from going into the icy water. He glared over at the now seething Vengeance. But, just as quickly the look of anger was gone and the black and white female came forth Wow, E. Are you okay? She asked in sisterly concern.

Esscence looked confused for a moment before shrugging. Yeah, thanks Rede. She said to her brother. She barked, trying to get the attention of one of the canines that was 'it'. Can't catch me! She shouted to them.

Fanta Silverfur and Pups

Fanta stopped and wiffed the air, frozen air seemed to freeze her nostrils, but she smelt some deer scent somewhere off. "Deer! I smell deer!" Fanta announced. Silverfur looked at the ridge, his silver fur ruffled with the cool winter wind. Snow flakes fluttered down slowly from the sky, frolicing in the sky before they dropped down to the piles of snow.

The pups, after peeking out from under Uncle Lyckos, decided all was safe and began to play in the snow, the cold flakes melted on their coats.

"What's that!" Feather asked while holding Arget down by her armpits with her paws.

"It looks like a live thing daddy brought home last sun!" Suenga yipped, starring up at the deer on the ridge.

"What are you talkin' about?" Arget demanded, held down on her back, unable to see the deer.

Hydras & Pack

Embracing the nuzzle that reminded her of her dear Demon, Hydras returned the gesture. It had been over a year now, and she was ready to relinquish her pained feelings over the loss of her first true love, and find happiness with another. "Thank you" The alphess whispered, just around the time that she was invited directly to play in the game of tag. "If you insist." She said with a playfully devious grin, eyes flashing from Lyckos to Sequioa before picking up on the two who were it. She stood ready to run.

Bullet doubled back away from his nephew, hoping not to get tagged back. As he headed for more open ground, he was surprised to see his sister in a playful stance. Was she really playing a game? This was something the hybrid thought he'd never witness. But he knew love could do crazy things to you.

Desmon scampered merrily after Essence, oblivious to the peril that laid in wait for them, thanks to Ven. But it was Redemption who saved the day and prevented Essence from plunging into the freezing waters. Skittering across the ice, the adolescent was momentarily distracted from the game as he gazed down into the dark waters and watched as bubbles passed under the ice.

Lyckos and Kalion

Kalion came close to Sasha when she skidded to avoid Ankh. Damn... he laughed under his breath as he spun round to try and catch up with her as she bolted towards Skeil. Hearing Esscence shouting, Kalion chuckled and turned towards her but slowed down considerably, to give her a chance to get away. However the look of fun turned to concern as he spotted the hole in the ice near the group of pups. Come on, lets move away from the hole. Stay off the ice guys. After shepherding the group away from the hole, Kalion gave them a chance to run. He would chase each pup for a small amount of time very slowly before changing course to the next. Then he stopped and caught sight of his brother, Hydras and Sequioa. He ran towards them but changed course at the last minute to head for Skeil with a small laugh escaping him. He aimed to tag her now.

Lyckos smiled, then stood up next to Hydras. He caught sight of the two who were "it", Kalion and Ankh. He watched them both, only just noticing his brother heading towards Sequioa, Hydras and himself. Lyckos smirked playfully before turning and running a few yards away from where he was last stood. Then he noticed Kalion had changed target to Skeil. He turned back round with a grin, ready for any other attempts to chase him, every now and again casting a look at Hydras. Happiness overwhelmed him, it seemed like nothing to bring him down now. He was ready to take on the world.

Sasha * Sequioa

Sequioa let out a soft laugh, barely audible, but still a laugh. Leaping backwards, she continued to back up when suddenly Kalion turned and headed for Skeil. She smiled as he went after the white female instead of herself and stood still, trying to remain a statue and conserve energy. She ignored the deer that the others were speak of, they had all just eaten and there was no need to eat again.

Sasha laughed louder then Sequioa had, but when Kalion began to come towards them, she bolted once more away from the female and headed towards Hydras and others. She stopped next to them, laughter in her eyes as she watched the play.

Esscence giggled and raced away from Kalion, Redemption and Vengeance however, stayed back. A formidable scowl settled over the females face and she said in a dark tone to her brother hy'd you save her? He turned his eyes to face his sisters and said in an equally dark tone She didn't deserve to die. With that the two came off the ice and trotted out towards the outer edges of the game, watching everyone closely.

Esscence turned around and looked for Desmon, branding him her new best friend. She couldn't leave him if he was in 'peril'

Fanta Silverfur and Pups

Fanta shrugged, not hungry. Fanta gave a shake of her black head and trotted up to Sasha, suddenly her eyes hardened and she felt sorrow. Patch, oh her dear Patch, where had the pup gone! He'd been missing for almost a month with Voodoo, Equiss and a few others. "Patch...were are you son?" Fanta whispered hoarsely, her blue eyes burnt as she lowered her head mournfully.

The pups all went for Lyckos, his tail looked open and needed a beating. Arget and Feather both latched their baby teeth to the end, but Suenga wanted to be 'the big dog' and latched his teeth in the middle of Lyckos's tail.

Lyckos and Kalion

Kalion laughed, reveeling in the power that he seemed to have with the title of "It". He continued towards Skeil with a huge grin on his face. It felt good to just have fun for once.

Lyckos had been watching Kalion and Ankh so that he was prepared incase they came towards him to tag him. He wasn't watching the pups and so when Arget, Feather and Suenga latched onto his tail, Lyckos let out a shrill yip of suprise as puppy teeth bit into his tail. Swinging his head round, Lyckos smiled at the pups. Three on one is not fair! He gently began to nudge each of them off with a playful growl. Then he bent down to whisper something to them. He grinned as he stood back up and motioned towards Hydras. He had told the pups to go and ambush the alphess, just as they had done to him and play with her. He would follow them, just to see her reaction. Who knows, the rest of the pups might come over too.

Ninaki

Though not really in the mood for playing tag, Ninaki gave into the will of the pack. When Ankh tagged him, the beta scrambled to his paws and sent his gold eyes searching for a likely victim. His gaze finally settled on Vengeance, who's previous attack on the youngster had been caught by his keen observation. He had not seen the hole in the ice of course, but to attack the youngster was something that didn't sit well with him. If he could not outright punish one of Hydras's children, he'd be creative about it.

Charging through the frozen grass, he headed straight for the youngster... if he could catch her, Ninaki would try to ram and bowl her over and send her tumbling through the snow. Nothing to hurt her, but to give her a taste of her own medicine perhaps.

Hydras & Pack

Watching Kalion and Ninaki, Hydras missed the slight gesture that Lyckos had made. When she turned back to look at him, she grinned at the sight of three pups assailing his tail. He would certainly make a good father.

Skeil growled playfully when different members choose to hide behind her. But when Kalion headed her way, she wheeled around and took off like a rocket. Unfortunately, she didn't have quite the long legs that the others did, and she couldn't hope to outrun the hybrid for long. Just as he was upon her, the pit bull turned sharply and jumped at him. If she were going to get tagged, she might as well have some fun with it!

Desmon moved away with Essence, interest fading away from the icy waters. Giving a sharp yip to catch her attention, he dashed for a large boulder nearby and hide behind it.

Esscence * Sasha * Sequioa * Vengeace

Esscence giggled and lightly batted Desmon when he yipped and took off, she looked behind her and raced after him. Diving behind the boulder with him, she giggled and crouched, waiting for the adults.

Vengeance saw Ankh coming for her and a sharp snarl escaped the pups maw before she could stop it. She took off with a burst of speed, leaving her dark brother behind. Skidding to the side suddenly, she leapt back onto the ice and ran, slipping and sliding but hoping to deter Ankh from her.

Redemption laughed softly. Seeing his sister being chased was a sight that he would kill to see.

Scream laughed at the others as they were being chased. Standing by no one, he lay in the open ready to race.

Sasha stayed where she was, as did Sequioa all eyes on Ankh and Kalion.

Kalion

Not expecting any sort of resitance, Kalion was shocked when Skeil swung round and lept at him. With a startled yip, Kalion skidded to try and avoid the Pit Bull's playful bound, but failed miserably and ended up in a heap with Skeil landing on his side. He laughed, batting her with a huge paw and squeezed out from under her. He grinned, tail wagging furiously as he barked, Your it Skeil! then dashed away in the same direction he had come from but swung towards Hydras and the others after seeing Ninaki coming towards him after Vengeance.

Ninaki

Ninaki kept up his chase of Vengeance, being very swift and agile. Slipping slightly on the ice, his dark claws were able to keep him from falling completely as he veered sharply to keep up with the youngster. Running his hardest now, his looked more like a wolf hunting prey than a wolf playing a fun game of tag. Taking giant bounds, he tried to close the gap between him and his 'quarry', and tackle her to the ground.

Hydras & Pack

Skeils broad white face was lined with wrinkles from forehead to snout as she gave a big grin. "You better get runnin', or you'll be it again!" She laughed, but Kalion was easily faster than her, and out of her range. The dog began to run for Bullet now, going as fast as she possibly could.

Bullet tensed up, his tail wagging slow as he stood there, watching her quick approach. It looked as though he were going to be tagged, but at the last moment, he leapt strong and flew out of the pit bull's reach. Rushing across the ground, he quickly made space between him and his persuer. Giving up the futile chase on him, Skeil headed for Hydras next. That was a mistake; she was even quicker than her brother, and less foolish. Not waiting for the dog to get anywhere near her, Hydras took off like a rocket, easily outpacing her friend.

Skeil slowed down, panting hard but not at all detered. As she took a quick breather, her dark chocolate eyes began to seek out a likely victim...

Looking at Essence, he nodded in the direction of Scream and grinned even more, his eyes taking on a playfully sinister look.

Fanta and pups

Fanta watched Skeil and the others, panting as she licked up some of the snow, her tongue prickled as the cold liquid melted in her mouth.

The pups rolled in the snow and began to lick it, yipping and squealing happily.

Palima, Lyckos and Kalion

The african hawk eagle darted a s quickly as her large wings could carry here to the Tall Grass Prairie. The news she had was urgent and the pack needed to know, fast.

Letting out a sharp cry, Palima dived down from the sky towards Hydras, fluttering in front of here a few feet off the ground. Hydras! Fallen's being attacked by two cougars at the Alleys!

Lyckos had been smiling, but that joy instantly turned to anger as Palima relayed the news. Letting out a sharp bark to catch the attention of the others, Lyckos ran over to Hydras. What's the plan? He was an alpha now, but as he was still pretty new, he wasn't sure what to do right now. His instinct was to return to the alleys to protect Fallen and their terratory.

Kalion, concerned, followed his brother. He waited for orders.

Fanta

Fanta looked at Palima sickly and then turned to Lyckos, her eyes shimmered at the thought of Hydras and Lyckos. "Oh god not Fallen."

Hydras & Pack

Just as soon as it started, Hydras put a quick end to the fun. "To the Alleys!" She barked sharply, turning in that direction without asking further questions.

Bullet, Skeil, and Ankh all headed after the hybrid.

Fun over, Desmon looked to Essence in a questioning way. He knew enough not to make Hydras angry though, so he soon took off after the adults.