Mohave

Mohave was a big boy already. He was only about six weeks old, but the size of him and his paws showed he would be large. Yet, he was still the smallest male of his litter, and only one of his sisters would be smaller than him upon their adulthood. Yet, Mohave was going to be a strong male once he was fully grown. His Pit Bull blood was more evident in him than his siblings, with his blue-gray coloring and stocky build. And he had a curiosity that rivaled all others.

He had wondered away from his mom and siblings, opting to go out on his own and explore without his sisters constantly warning about how mom was going to kill them if they went any farther away. And he did not want to deal with their whining about how they missed mommy or they were scared. He wanted to be free and on his own. These were big dreams for such a young pup. He walked along until he came to an area with tall grass. He had no idea that this was the Tall Grass Prairie. Yet, that was exactly where he was. He looked around with big dark brown eyes. He had no idea what he might find here to get into, but he was looking for something to cause some trouble.

Nachi

Pack life wasn't exactly what Nachi was suited for. A full-blooded wolf she was, but she just... didn't feel right in the pack dynamics, and didn't particularly care that Starscream was now top dog in the pack, and she was alpha. Pups had always been her draw, and she never failed to keep an eye and ear out for the opportunity to 'inherit' a new one. Today happened to be her day.

The brown and gray blend of her coat didn't exactly mix well with the snow on the ground, but the tall stalks of the prairie grass were still standing, tanned and dead though they were. The dormant vegetation offered the she-wolf some cover as she meandered through the area, casually following the scent trail of a badger. Up ahead, the muffled crunch of tiny paws on the frozen ground brought her to a dead-stop. Nachi focused her ears in the direction of the sound, listening intently as Mohave padded about without a care for the dangers that might lurk in such a vast place. Slowly, the wolfess started forward again, picking up the subtle scents that told her this was a young canine, and... as far as she could tell, there were no other similar scents in the breeze. This pup was alone.

It didn't take much for Nachi to make up her mind and move forward, seizing the opportunity that presented itself. "Hello, darling. Where ever are your parents?" Her voice was sweet and motherly, just like her expression.

Mohave

Mohave had no idea that anything was amiss in this vast land of tall, albeit dead grasses. He had no idea that the horror stories that his mother had told him about puppy killers, humans, and pup nappers had any merit at all. He just thought of these stories as being a way for his mother to scare them into staying close. But he was far too smart for that, or so he thought. He sniffed the air, thrusting his little nose up into the air and inhaling deeply. He wasn't quite sure how to decipher all of the new scents yet, since he was still very young. That would come in time. As of now, all the scents were a little overwhelming to him. So, he hadn't paid any attention to the wolven vixen approaching him. Yet, he stopped sniffing the air when he heard her speak. She spoke in soft tones that were comforting, like his mother used when she was trying to calm them.

He puffed his little chest out at this, he wouldn't act like some little pup and give into the lull of her voice. My mother is back at our den. But I don't need her. I'm big enough to take care of myself. He spoke in determined tones that were far too big for his little body. He tried to pretend he was a big dog, and that he didn't need anyone. He could fend for himself. That's what he thought.

Nachi

Confident little one, aren't you? She thought to herself upon approaching Mohave and seeing him puff his chest up and speak as if he had not a fear in the world. "Yes, you look quite capable. And you must be a very brave soul to be out here by yourself." Nachi spoke in a flattering tone that was meant to boost his already healthy-sized ego. The sly wolf's mind was churning and plotting as she talked and looked over the youngster, unable to resist the old urge to pick him up as she had so many others. But... how far away was the den he spoke of? What about his father? Were other pack members near, or was it just him and his mother? Nachi slowly circled around Mohave to sniff about and read his scent, learning what she could about him. Very quickly, her scheming brain had come up with a ploy, "Which way is your den, little one?"