Snake

The light gray hybrid stood out amongst the average stray dog that could often be found wondering the dump site. For one, he looked almost exclusively wolf, despite having labrador and husky blood running through his veins. It was his mother, Aleu, that he took after the most as far as appearance went, with the only major difference being his frame was slightly bulkier than hers, and his soft brown eyes looked distinctly dog-like. It was these soft eyes that kept a constant survey of the land around him, looking for potential competitors, possible friends... and humans.

Thanks to his father, he was habituated to the two-leggers, and semi-tame to only one man. He wasn't dependent on that particular human however, and the fact that he was in this area by himself pretty well proved that. His lean snout was working over the ground as he ghosted along, looking for any bit of meat or old waste food that the humans miraculously saw fit to dump out.

Aleu

It had been awhile. A very long while, really, since Aleu had last wandered the lands of Sparkling Creek Valley, much less this particular haunt, the dump. The slender lupine had felt a strange desire to wander amongst the scattered garbage cans and mounds of trash, though now she was regretting it as the stench from the heated ruins was stinging her dark eyes. Nosing aside a few cardboard pieces in hopes of finding something even remotely edible, Aleu's sharp senses suddenly registered movement out of the corner of her eye.

Whipping her head around, frozen in place, the wolf felt herself stiffen as her muscles coiled, adrenaline suddenly rushing through her veins. What was this? Or better yet, who? The soft sound of padding paws against the ground gave away it's species, as the gait was decidedly canine; the female sniffed the air lightly, catching a scent with ease... an oddly familiar scent. How did she know it?

Recognition came slow, but it was like hitting a brick wall when it came. Snake! Aleu let out a low woof, giving a few wags of her wail as she watched in the direction the hybrid had disappeared, hoping he would hear her...

"Snake!"

Snake

Something sweet filled his nostrils after passing over a badly crushed little box of some sort. The beckoning odor drew him closer to the flimsy white box, mouth starting to water as he pawed experimentally at it. It didn't take more than a few swipes to overturn the old doughnut container and send a few bits and pieces of the stale but delicious smelling pastries out. Snake cared not that the few bite-sized morsels tumbled across other foul smelling litter - he gobbled them up and nosed about for any crumbs that might be left behind, savoring every quick bite.

His nose was into the overturned box when an oddly familiar bark immediately brought him to attention. Responding as his mother had initially upon catching his movement, his own muscles tightened in preparation to run or fight. Partially bristled, the hybrid turned around and spent all of a second before his eyes found the source of the woof. "...Mom?"

For such a tough-looking brute, the hesitant, half-hopeful word almost didn't sound right sputtering out from his astonished jaws. The wag of her tail was all he needed to see to drop his guard and let his threatening fur ease back down, "I didn't know you came back. I... does dad know you're back?" Forgetting about the doughnuts, Snake began to pad forward to greet his mother, tail wagging with joy.

Aleu

It was him! Aleu had been unsure for a moment, though to look at him was like looking in a mirror; the only differences were faint, and not easily seen to the casual observer. But it really was him, her son! It had been quite some time since she had seen him last, when she ran from Ethan and his hounds; it had been a long chase, Aleu remembered, but she had managed to elude the hunters and safely disappear.

"Hello Snake," she said smoothly, voice charming and rather upbeat, a change for her, "Yes, I just got back... no, Tom- er, dad doesn't know yet," Aleu said, correcting herself for his benefit as he mentioned Tommy, his... father. Well, perhaps he had been more of a father than she had been a mother, really; she had lost track of her daughter Esme, though she intended to find her again as well.

"How have you been? And Surjay, Jemson?" Aleu yipped, allowing her tail to wag in an excited manner, something it had not done for a long time.

Snake

Side to side his tail continued to wag, as excited to greet her as he would a long lost friend. Past puppyhood, he hadn't the opportunity to bond with his mother, but his affection for her was just as strong as it was for his father, with no hesitation from him when he closed the gap between himself and Alue and nuzzled at her neck. "I'm good, I'm good - how are you?" Snake drew his head back so that he could look more directly at Alue, the canine that so many humans would give anything to catch. "Surjay... he's his usual self. Doting after that stupid two-leger of his." The mellow brother was as loyal as any dog, and the one in the bunch who wasn't much for hunting or mischief - he stuck close to Ethan. "Eh, Jemson mostly hangs around with Dad and the group. He's doing alright though."