Silver Trace .+.

The blistering snow seemed to increase in wind, making it harder for the wolfess to see. She crouched lower and looked back. Hovering over the little ones so that they would not freeze to death on the journey. Her feet sunk in now, the snow was rising. Easily making its way up to her knees.

With a heavy sigh she slowed down and picked up the other female. Iota hung limp in her mouth, growling at the stranger. Silver knew the pup wouldn't like it and probably neither would the mother, but the wind wouldn't break.

Finally her paws started to sink more, until they moved into a trench. As they moved between the two hills the wind began to blow over them, leaving more warmth for them. Though the snow began to sheet over, creating a blanket to block out the sky. "Just a little further." She was heading into a bit of a forest. The trees gradually getting thicker, and the snow and wind breaking somewhat for them. The wind still blew, and the flakes still stung, but they were more sheltered.

Finally they made it, A fallen bolder wedged between the two hills. Surrounded by years of moss and brush. The opening was about four feet wide and two feet high. If there would have been no wolves diging it into a den it would have been nothing more than 1 foot back. But with a mothers touch it was a good four feet back and three wide. Leaving two feet from ground to ceilling.

Without entering she placed Iota inside, if it were earlier in the day she would have been able to shove some leaves in there, but the snow was a good five inches deep and growing. Desperate eyes turned to make sure the coyote had made it. "Come, lay in here with your pups, I'll lay infront of the mouth to keep the warmth trapt in." She called to them. Shivering only a touch. Her thick fur prevented her from totally freezing.

Iota easily made her way into the den. The soft warm ground beneath her feet as she scatched the dirt and made her way to the back, seeing only a hint of light from the mouth and the others talking. The snow littered the entrance of the cave, coming in as if a frozen army. She didn't want to mess with is. She just wated for her mother to come in.

Tahti/Aurinka/Liekki

Tahti carried Aurinka through the blizzard, getting slightly lost only once. She soon found her way back to the trail of footprints left by Silver Trace. Liekki followed close behind, howling to keep in touch with his mother.

It was not long before they reached the den. She lifted her head to face the other female. "Thank you." She said before setting Aurinka down on the ground. Liekki shivered and followed his mother to the den and flopped down by his sisters. Aurinka looked at Iota. "It's nice here, isn't it?" She asked, trying to form a bond between her and her sister.

Iota .+. Silver Trace

Iota had already made a nest in the dirt. curled in a tight ball to keep from getting to cold. She looked up to her sister with a demanding 'huh' then nodded. "Yeah, it's real nice in here. A nice den, I suppose, though I don't know what another den is like. I hope, if I have pups, that I can have one like this." She watched as her mother and the new female who had helped them. Was she their Alphess? or just a friend?

Silver nodded to the female, then made a motion for the mother to go in with her pups to keep warm. Only after the female went in did she lay down to act as a door. She faced her back to them, letting the snow slowly accumilate upon her weathered fur. Slowly it began to bury her legs and tail. She closed her eyes for a bit, to take a short nap.

Monarda

In her time as a youngster, the red-tinged wolf had her fair encounters with the smaller coyote cousins. The need to survive had taught her to steal meals from the canines when need be, but in her long loneliness, she had never harmed them. She had created a peculiar relationship with the creatures, though more often than not they ran at the sight of her.

Picking up the scent of coyote so nearby brought vague memories flashing into the wolf's mind, and she began to track down the scent until she found it mingled with her co-leader. So these were friends then?. Head low and firey tail swishing gently with her stride, Monarda eventually reached the little den area Silver had found for the coyote family. The wolfess stood a moment, squinting her eyes against the swirling flakes of snow before circling around and stamping out a little 'bed' for herself in the snow.

Silver Trace .+. Iota

Silver's head lifted at the sight of Monarda and she wagged her tail in greeting. "I found a coyote and her cubs freezing near at the Canyon, I couldn't leave her there." She sighed, a mother's instinct deep within her. If she hadn't been stolen, she probably would have been a great mothering wolf. But alas, it would very long until she had pups.

Iota heard steps on the outside, then Silver speak to someone, She couldn't see with a body in the way so she began to somewhat climb over the body, peeping her hybrid head out and growling at Monarda. "Who goes there!?" Her coy-wolf fur standing on end and trying to move around the larger body of her half sister. Silver didn't budge, not until the mother would ask her to move. "Settle down little one, She is the leader of these lands. I am just the co-leader." She nodded to Monarda then let her head sink back down into the soft snow. Iota was eager to look about. "Bah," She said and flopped back down next to Silver, hoping some how that if she just sat there the wolfess would move so she could see.

Tahti/Aurinka/Liekki

Tahti stood up. "Hello. My name is Tahti, and my pups are Liekki, Iota and Aurinka." She said, pointing out each of her pups. "We thank you for letting us stay in your land, if that is okay."