Light cream paws padded gently onto foreign ground. Julian had just turned 6months and took the opportunity to explore. Or course this was taken whilst his parents weren't looking, for he knew they wouldn't allow him to go somewhere with some sort of follower. Grumbling to himself he approached a loud roaring waterfall his blue eyes widening at the sight, he had never seen so much water in one place. Stepping out onto the slippery rocks he grinned, he was an adventurous one. The second oldest In his liter as well. Julian was always a troublemaker, even as a young pup.

Padding out further onto the rocks he dipped his paw into the water, still a bit chilly from the snows of winter, yet bearable. Looking up at the pink sky he smiled. The sun was just rising and his mother and father were probably just awakening, he wondered what they and his siblings were up too. He was sure his parents would be rather annoyed with him for leaving without telling someone but He didn't care, they could deal with it. He was growing up and soon he might venture off on his own. He had heard a great deal about the rogue life, it greatly interest him, he wished to go explore the world. Howver he knew he would not be allowed or able to leave until next spring. But as soon as he could he would, for he wished not to get tied down by any fae.

Small paws bounded over the rough terrain of the falls, this hadn't been the first time Paige had left the den to explore the lands of Helidos, they were quiet interesting so far and she showed a lot of interest about her home. The small fae still don't know what she wanted to do when she got older, weather to stay in the lands or stray away but so far she was leaning towards staying. A familiar scent began to fill the air, one she was far to familiar with, it was Julian her brother. Of course she loved her brothers to death but sometimes they could be a little annoying, we'll that is when they wanted to be. The hazel eyed fae decided to play with her brother a little bit, she had taken quiet a lot of interest in hunting and watched some of the hunters in the past, studying some of there techniques by just watching them and analyzing there movements. The tri-colored pup crouched slowly inching closers occasionally stopping for a moment narrowing her eyes on Julian, deciding she was close enough Paige pounced. Closing her eyes tray for the sudden impact on her brothers body but that never came just a feeling of cold water, realizing that she had failed to tackle Julian she yanked herself out of the cool falls water. The fae gave a weak smile to her brother with a nervous chuckle, "Hi Brother." Paige said as the water dripped from her pelt onto the ground around her, she cocked her head to the side questioningly "Do mom and dad know you're here Julian? Or did you just leave without telling them again?" she questioned giving a small flick of her tail to him.

((I'm on my phone so sorry if there are some random autocorrects))

Julian was far too distracted with the sunrise to notice his younger sister creeping up on him and was more than surprised when she leap at him, splashing into the water. A yelp flew from his maw as he jumped and slid face first into the chilly water. Wading to the pools edge he shook out his fur, showering little droplets across the ground. "Paige you dummy" he sputtered spitting out some water and flicking it out of his ears. He couldn't help but insult her for falling into the water but he also gave her credit for trying. She aspired to be a hunter as far as he knew. Unlike him who wished to be a brave warrior. Her question made him laugh"Of course not do you think I want a bucket load of questions about where I'm going and why? What about you? Do they know you're here?" he questioned, sitting down at the waters edge wrapping his tail around his paws. He loved his little sister, he loved all his siblings. He would admit that they annoyed him sometimes but hey what are siblings for if not to annoy each other? He knew that if it came down to it he would protect them with his life, especially his little sister. As much as he hated to admit it they meant a lot to him.

Paige let a small snicker escape her maw as Julian yelped, giving him a look that clearly read very mature as he called her a dummy. Pushing that past she watched Julians every movement , it didn't take him to answer the question that she recently asked  "No, they don't know I'm here either. I snuck out earlier while Chase, Achak, Mother, and Father were asleep. That's when I noticed you were gone." The small fae wrapped her tail around her front paws in attempt to at least try to et some of her body warm again. Failing at the attempt she started to shiver some, but not majorly the water had been chilly from the winter and still quiet cold.

Paige's eyes flickered from Julian to the waterfall and then bak to Julian  "It won't take them long to realize that we're gone. Unless they don't wake up" she said. Paige stood up and shook some of the water from her pelt but   Some of the water still remained soaked within her coat but the rest had flown off of her coat and lande in random places.

Julian rolled his eyes at the look his little sister cast him. Her answer to his retorted question didn't surprise him, of course they didn't know she was gone. If they had she wouldn't be alone. "I wonder how long it is until they send someone to look for us...hopefully it isn't father himself who comes looking for us. Julian muttered. Julian considered himself a fairly large wolf for his age, he stood over his sister and mother for sure. Their father Howver was massive. Easily the largest wolf in the pack and him angry was not a pretty sight for any of the pack. Looking around he sighed sure chatting with his sister was fun but he couldn't help but wonder who else was awake and when, not if, they would get in trouble for leaving without notifying anyone. If he knew his mother she would have someone looking for them within the next hour or so. He also wondered where Chase and Achak were and if they too were adventuring in spite of their parents worry and protectiveness. A protectiveness he couldn't help but wonder about. No one would tell him why they were so protective but he was determined to find out.

Since the time Quinn had discovered she was carrying a second litter with her mate, she promised herself that she would take much better care of these pups than she had her Alpha's litter and her first litter. She still did not know where her loves had gone off to, but she sure did wish that one day they would be re-united. She stirred in her sleep most nights, waking about every hour to do a head count of her young. Luckily for their family, Azul had forged a rather large den for his family to share, and now that they lived in his quarters, they could tell just how much work he had put into the whole thing. But on this long night, she did not wake. Her heart was finally at peace after six months that all would be well and her family was safe. Perhaps now she could finally get a night's rest. When the sun appeared over the horizon, Quinn was still sound asleep. But when she finally did arise, she did as she normally did. She looked to her mate first, making sure he was still there pressed to her side. She smiled to him and gave a soft lick to the side of his ear. "Fenris, I love you more than moon needs the sun to glow." She whispered to him in a soft and tender voice as always. She moved her head to the side of her body. Two pups laid there, perfectly asleep. They were so angelic, peaceful, and their little snores forced love to seep from her heart. She licked each of them once on the top of their heads and then looked on the other side of Fenris for her other two pups. But they were not present. She sat up, ears pressed to her head with concern and regret. Her harvest hues searched the darkness of their den, but Julian and Paige could not be found. With a soft whimper, she rushed from the den.

Picking up the scent of her two loved ones, she raised her head as high as she could. Her harvest colored orbs looked over the terrain of the pack clearing. But nothing stirred awake. The pups were not playing in the designated area she and Fenris had spoken to them about. Immediately her snout was close to the ground once more, following the trail of tiny paw prints towards a very dangerous path. Quinn's tail hung high above her spine and she paraded herself to their destination. Worry and horrible thoughts attacked her mind. What if something happened to them? What if they were in danger? Picking up her pace, she started a light jog, which quickly turned into a run. She had ran herself just as fast, if not faster, than the day she ran away from her natal pack. This was life and death to her. On her approach of the falls, she could hear their tiny voices. A sigh of relief escaped from her lips, but her heart was still barreling against her chest. It seemed as though it could literally climb out of her throat and into the open for all to see. Quinn climbed over a small slope and found her two playing with one another. She held her growl deep in her throat, not wanting them to know how furious she had been just yet. Pups were so young and did not know to do things such as checking their surroundings. They were far too busy picking on one another to even notice their own mother was watching them. Ears moved to rest atop her head, pressed to the most forward position possible. She did not snarl, she did not growl. Instead her voice was as sweet and loving as it had always been, with just a twang of disapproval. "Julian and Paige, what do the two of you think you are doing here without the permission of your mother and father? Get away from the falls now before you hurt yourselves. In fact, come here right this instant and not a second too late. We need to have a very serious discussion."

Paige's eyes stayed trained on her brother until a small butterfly flew by, she watched as the small creature flew past the two of them before focusing on Julian once again. The small canine began to zone out blinking a few times before coming back down to earth just as Julian began to speak, the small fae muttered something that she wasn't even quiet sure what it was. The mention of there father coming to find them was actually quiet a scary topic to think about, she had never been seemed out by her father it was always her mother and Paige didn't want to find out what would happen if her father did come looking for them "I'll give them about an hour." she muttered her train of thought traveling back to who would come looking for them, why was Julian  concerned about there father looking for them? "Father himself? He rarely comes looking for us. Well for me.....it's always been mother finding me, or myself making it back before they notice I've been gone. " she wasn't able to finish her statement as her mothers voice broke through.

The tri-colored pup Let her ears droop instead of letting them stick up, she then turned her attention to her mother instead of Julian  "Yes Mother...." Paige stood from her sitting position and slowly made her way towards her mother tucking her tail in the process of doing so. The pup knew she had done wrong, it was quiet obvious, but never did she know why her parents were so protective, she didn't mind it though. It felt nice to know someone was there protecting them at all costs, she glanced up at Quinn but quickly let her eyes fall to the ground once again.

It was always bad getting caught, it left an uneasy feeling deep down within Paige's stomach as if it was flipped upside down. Not to mention how terrifying it was to hear her name being called even when it was a gentle call, it always sent a shock wave through her body and she tensed. Paige let her eyes travel back to Julian before taken in a breath and looking up at her mother  "A serious discussion?" those didn't sound like very good words. But she was still curious what kind of serious discussion they needed to have.

He huffed as his mothers voice rang out in the air. He knew someone would be bound to find them, He was lucky it wasn't their father. Turning to look at his mother he huffed "Mother i'm an apprentice now, I hardly think i need permission to explore then lands i live in." He grumbled. Despite his grumbling he dropped his eyes and approached his mother, sitting down and bowing his head as so her was no longer taller than her. As he sat he positioned himself close enough to Paige that he could casually rest his tail on hers. He did this in a manner that would look like it was an accident, but in all reality he was doing so to comfort his youngest sibling. He couldn't help but feel slightly responsible for this issue. Maybe if he hadn't left she would have stayed in the den. However he also knew it was her choice to get up and leave. Even if she made that choice because she say him already gone. Julian was half tempted to question his mothers protective worrying, but knew that now was not the time or place. Glancing to his sister he flicked his tail,wrapping it around hers trying to cheer her up. They were old enough to explore now. The more he thought about it the more he couldn't wait to be off on his own, Be a loner.

Quinn was understanding when it came to pups. They were young, they thought they knew everything. It was this very thing which had gotten so many pups into trouble. The Alphess tried to keep herself as calm as possible, but her son was acting quite the fool in this matter. She really couldn’t blame them for wanting to explore, but it was much safer to do it with an adult around in the very least. It could have been any member from the pack and she would not have cared much at all. But with all the stories of the rogues, and the large predators returned from winter’s grasp on the world. The small adult looked to her young. Paige knew she had done wrong and Julian’s body language showed he knew he had done wrong, but his mouth retaliated with the fight of a thousand wolves. She could tell he was going to be a hard case to crack, but eventually they would begin to see things their parents’ way. ”You are an Apprentice, not a Warrior, not a Hunter. You are in the stage of your life when you must listen to the things your mother and father tell you. We do this not to be mean or to seem as though your lives are so horrible, but we do it because we love you and we want you and your other siblings to be safe at all times. You four are not the first litter your father and I have had. You have three older siblings, two sisters and a brother, who may or may not be alive right now. Your father and I think about them every day and wish we could have been around more for them.” Quinn could feel that she was starting to lecture them. That was not what she wanted to do, but it seemed it had been going that way. The Alphess thought to herself for a moment, trying to think of a way to explain this to them as easily as possible. ”Julian, I once knew a wolf who was very much like you at his young age of six months. He was a strapping lad and braver than any pup I had ever seen. He was not my own, but in my natal pack, I was the Caretaker for my whole pack. That year I was blessed to watch over the young of the Alpha pair. That was my job, to watch them, keep them safe, and above all, save them from any danger. But you see Julian, his mother and father told him the same things about exploring the lands, that it was dangerous and things could really harm you. But he did not listen, and he did not like to listen to me. One day we were out in the pasture, allowing each of them to run and play, but he wanted to go to the woods. After I told him not to, he ran from our small group. When I found him, he found the den of a bear. But he did not know it belonged to a bear because he had never smelled one or even seen one before. As I told him to come from the den, he was yelling back at me, and it woke the beast. The bear attacked and when I went to save him, it flung my body against the trunk of a tree, like I was nothing.” Quinn looked to them with soft eyes as she recalled the interaction with the beast.

”You see, my children, I was not able to save the young brute, and he was killed instantly. Do you know what would happen if you found a puma or even an eagle? They are much larger than you, and could kill you or just take you away from your family. Do you want that?” Quinn allowed her ears to rest on her head, looking to them still, unable to stop looking at them. Her heart was filled with sorrow and loss. She wondered if one day her young would return to her and Fenris again, or if they would just be lost forever. The Alphess looked to them, and thought much longer about how she would tell them of their siblings. ”Reed, Cadence, and Harley are the names of your siblings. Your father and I lost them in our old pack where we were the Alphas. There was a forest fire, and it destroyed our lands. Neither I nor your dad could do anything to stop it, so we ran. I was separated from everything I knew. Your dad knew not where I was or if I was even alive. Still to this day, we don’t know if our first litter is even still alive. If we lost you too, we would both be so heart broken. Do you wish for us to endure that pain once again?” Quinn had hoped these stories would shed some light on their minds, and allow them to understand why she did not want them to be so far from them, or leave without asking. It was a dangerous world out there, even inside the terrain of Helidos. So many things could go wrong in such short time.

Paige's eyes flickered over to her brother for a split second before focusing on there mother once again. The small pup listened to her mother carefully,No she was not a hunter as much as she wanted to be one. Julian wasn't a warrior either, this was clear to the small fae as she looked away, she gave a small nod before returning her eyes back to her mother. The mention of another litter had come up quiet quickly within the talk, she had more siblings? That were older than Chase,Achak,Julian, and her? This interested the tri-colored female. As Quinn continued on Paige shifted a little in her spot, she knew that her parents loved them and that they wanted to protect them, even though she already knew this it was nice to hear her mother say it.

As Quinn began to speak once again it was directed towards her brother Julian rather than herself but she listened still, the story was quiet scary for the small pup but interesting she glanced over towards Julian once again but this time keeping her eyes trained on him, 'Is that going to happen to Julian? Are we going to lose him? ' these thoughts ran through Paige's mind and she tried so hard to shake them but they wouldn't seem to go away. By the time Paige had pushed the thoughts out of her mind her mother had already started talking again. The small canine shook her head "N-no mother." she sputtered trailing her eyes to the ground but leaving them there this time.

Julian listened carefully to his mother speak, His ears flicking with shock. They had older siblings? Does that mean Julian had more family out there? Shaking his head he continued to listen to his mothers words. A bear? Oh my. Julian would never be so foolish as to enter a random cave. He knew of the dangers of wild animals and though he didn't know their scent he knew that if there was a foreign scent he probably shouldn't go towards it. He thought of some incredibly sarcastic retorts but kept them all to himself knowing better than to spout them. His mother was such a worry wort, and though he now saw her reason that didn't give her the grounds to compare him so morbidly to a dead apprentice from another pack. Holding in a growl he let his mother finish speaking, He knew better than to interupt or growl at her, Though he for sure couldn't wait to get himself out of Helidos. Whether it was to another pack or not. He wanted out.

As her final words came from her maw he sighed "Mother of course i don't want to hurt you and father, But you've got to understand. I live in these lands, And i'm not stupid enough to go wandering into some cave that has a foreign smell emanating from within. Not to be disrespectful in any way mother but you can't keep us cooped up in the camp forever and you can't always have someone following us around. And i know that you just do it because you love us but it is getting out of hand. We aren't pups anymore we don't need a Designated Play Area we need to go explore our territory and teach ourselves and learn from our mistakes. We can't do that in the drab, Boring area that is the Helidos camp." He finished taking a breath. Everything he had said was from the very bottom of his young heart and he knew his mother might take it as a disrespect, But he needed to get it out there. He needed to make her understand.

Deep in sleep, Chase had vaguely felt the kind lick of his mother on the top of his head, and he stirred a little, but he quickly carried on with his resting. But soon after, he had begun to awake a little more, unsure of why his mother would do such a thing unless she was leaving. He felt the warm side of one of his siblings, however unable to place which one of the three it was. He gave up on trying to find unconsciousness again, and he rolled to his stomach, blinking his eyes to escape the fogginess from them. After the task was complete, he wearily got to his paws and shook his pelt. He turned and looked to see Achak still slumbering. He smiled. Realizing his brother most likely would not awake until a little later, so less he chose to, he whirled around and took off, using the scent of his mother and the familiar smell of his two siblings, Julian and little Paige. Yipping quietly, he propelled himself faster into the dawning a new day.

Setting eyes on his family in a place he didn't recognize. Then again, he had only recently turned six months and he had never been anywhere except the pack clearing, which he now knew like the back of his own paw. Nearby, a strange body of water rushed by menacingly, and he felt no desire to near it. He quickly scurried over to his sister's side and tried to nudge her shoulder playfully. "What'd I miss?" he said with his usual sarcasm. By the way his mother appeared to be lecturing the two, and how Paige's eyes were turned down, but the way he listened to the tail end of Julian's speech. Chase shook his head in confusion. "What are you saying, brother?" he asked, trying to decode the meaning of his words.

((So sorry that I couldn't reply sooner. I will check in again tonight, as I am going to Universal Studios today.))

The day's warmth had not thus far touched his pelt, and Achak slumbered peacefully within the pack encampment. The daily commotion went about by the den as usual, yet the young wolf was sleeping in much too long today. Twitching in his sleep, he rolled over and felt the warmth from one of his siblings. In his dream he was running through a large pine forest, with a ferocious puma keeping up in pace by his side. The feeling of freedom and nobility rushed through the whelp, and his paws felt as quick as a soaring eagle. Suddenly the puma turned towards Achak and began to mouth words to him, but nothing came out and the young wolf shook his head in confusion. Quite abruptly, the familiar warmth and scent of his littermate was gone, and Achak began to drift back towards the plane of reality as his dream faded into black nothingness. Slowly beginning to stir, the wolf's bright amber eyes began to blink awake and the warm spot where his brother had lain against felt cold and airy. 'Ugh.. how long was I asleep?' He wondered to himself, moving his small body into a seated position. Early sunlight peaked in through the den, and Achak mumbled to himself. Around him there were no others. Everyone was gone, and the whelp twitched his ear in grumpiness.

Stretching his paws out and shaking his fur, Achak looked to the den entrance and sniffed. 'Whatever trouble are they getting into now..' He thought to himself, shaking his head at the mischief his siblings were no doubt causing. 'Mother isn't here either, though.' Frowning, the wolf trotted out of the den entrance and squinted his eyes as the sun blinded them momentarily. Following the path of scents his family had left behind, Achak quietly slipped out of the camp and began to chase after his siblings. His paws bounded quickly against the forest floor, and his senses were alert for pathways and danger. This close to the pack he could alert someone quickly about his trouble, but he still might end up an appetizer if the prey was quick enough.

The sound of rushing water soon filled the young wolf's ears, and Achak silently began to take in the beauty that the rapid falls possessed. Woodland and water combined together here, creating a beauty of shimmering water and peaceful serenity. The scent trails were stronger here, and the middle brother set his eyes on the group settled near the water. 'Everyone is already here, it seems.. Paige, Julian, and Chase.' Flicking his eyes towards the adult wolf, a smirk grew on the whelp's face. Mother was here too, no doubt giving Julian a lecture. He was such a troublemaker. Quietly slipping across the spring water rocks, Achak began to overhear the speech from Julian. "Julian, within days of being able to roam freely you'd tell some moose you didn't like the shape of his head or that his antlers were horrendously disfigured, and then I'd be down one brother." Achak mused to his brother, finding a seat near his mother. "I'd be distraught for months, you know." While he normally preferred to remain quiet, the young whelp felt rather grumpy today. He beamed his amber eyes up at his mother, wondering what all of the fuss was about.

It was not long after her tale that the rest of her young started to file in from the family den. Of course they followed their inquisitive little noses. What else did they have better to do? Fenris must have been out doing his patrols for the day, leaving them all with their mother. Quinn continued to keep herself calm, now feeling better that Achak had risen his voice to his own unruly brother. This pleased Quinn, even as Achak was not the oldest or the largest, he seemed to have a good head on his shoulders above his other brothers. He was wise and Quinn could see a part of herself in him, both in his attitude and his eyes. They shared that reddish-orange harvest color that had drawn Fenris to her in the first place. It had pulled most wolves to look into her eyes, as it was a different color than normal. It happened to be a rare gene passed down to her from her father’s mother. ”You are not an adult. You are still so young, still a pup. You must understand that you will not be anything other than an Apprentice before the age of two years old. When that day comes, then I will be fine with you out adventuring on your own. When I know you have been training, then and only then will I allow you and your siblings the ability to ‘wander’ as you please. I am still your mother, and the Alphess of this pack, so you shall do as I say, Julian. Do I make myself clear?” Her tone grew very serious with the young pup and she hoped it had forced him to realize that father was not the only one to fear, but Quinn as well. Yes she was tiny, but she had now ran two packs on her own and could take down anything. She was not afraid to put wolves in their place, though she hated when she had to be the bearer of bad news. If Fenris had been here, she knew he would have given them a stern talking to and possibly much more. With Achak resting beside her, she knelt her head down and licked the top of his head, placing some fur to lay down. ”Alright my little ones, today since we are all here…. We will be having a little bit of a training day. In this area, if you look around there are many dangers here. The rapids are no joke and can take you off your paws, sweeping you out into the ocean if it so pleases. What I want you all to do today is to hone your senses, your skills, and bring me back a present. Now I don’t want just any present. The morsel I seek has a wide – fat body. His legs are long, allowing him to jump at long distances. He has two big and wide eyes that sit atop his head. And he makes an awfully silly sound. Can anyone tell me what this gift is?” she asked as she looked to all four of them. ”I want one from each of you. Be careful of the slippery rocks and be aware of your surroundings! No go! Go and catch the little buggers!” Quinn smiled as she waited for her young to bounce off into their own directions. She would watch all of them equally, waiting to see just who would catch the biggest frog.

Paige's ears flickered as the rest of her brothers came sauntering into the area, she looked over towards Chase who had given her a small playful nudge and gave him a small weak smile. The question he asked wasn't quite serious as she could sense the note of sarcasm within it; therefor she didn't really need to answer it. Soon after Chase’s arrival Achak came, Achak was a wise pup just like her mother and father. It was also something that they both simply had in common; it wasn't that big of a thing that they had in common though. The small fae turned her attention back to her mother listening as she spoke to Julian, it may have sounded like a lecture to Julian but it sure didn't sound like one to her. It sounded more of an explanation, a life lesson that needed to be taught to him, Achak, Chase, and herself. After all these things were important, her mother’s voice broke through her train of thought once again, the sound of her mother saying training made Paige excited, she loved to learn new things an picked up on the quickly. The canine listens to her mother as she continued her speech. A description of an animal came up and the small pup took in everything thinking while her mother continued to describe it 'A wide fat body, long legs. Like A rabbit but no no that couldn't be it rabbits don't make any silly sounds, nor do they have two wide eyes that sit on top of their heads. But they do jump long distances. Hmmmm  ' a small excited gasp elicited from the tri-colored pup as she had finally figured out what the animal was. Paige was excited no doubt that finally she yipped “Is this gift a frog mother?" Paige questioned tiring her head to the side just a little before straightening it and standing up. Putting two and two together once again to make sure that was she was going to be seeking for was right she thing once more, finally coming to a conclusion that the animal she was indeed seeking was a frog. The small canines paws began to bound over the terrain stopping for a second to look over her shoulder back to her siblings and mother somehow she was always the first to seek out these things. Finally she decided to stop thinking and start working, Paige turned her head back in front of her dipping it down to the ground sniffing some, but the only trail she had gotten was of dirt and grass. The canine continued searching taking a few steps around before finally getting a scent, she glanced towards the bank of the falls noticing a set of eyes peering out from the water but we're quick to vanish under it. Paige crouched slinking towards the bank of the falls ever so carefully to make sure not to scare off the once again peering frog, once getting close enough her eyes trained on the slimy creature she pounced a loud splash being heard afterwards. The small canine snapped her jaws towards the creature catching a taste of it but not yet grabbing it. Paige looked around for the creature for a few minutes before spotting it once again; the water was shallow and made it easier for her to slink closer to the frog. Once again trying her assault towards the small animal snapping her jaws at it grasping onto what she had just caught. It was not yet dead as she could tell by the desperate squirming of the slimy animal and the blood taste that constantly filled her maw; she didn't want the frog to suffer from the enduring pain it had to be facing so she clamped her teeth down onto it. It stopped moving and fell limp in her mouth, proud with her kill she climbed out of the water and trotted over to her family dropping the dead frog that had still not moved an inch at her mother’s feet, giving her a small smile as the water dripped from her already damp coat once again.

As his brothers showed up he grumbled. Achak was such a suck up, He was always close behind mommy or daddy seeking some sort of approval or congratulations from them. As for Chase he was more of an annoyance than anything. He was the eldest in the litter and took great pride in that. Ignoring his brothers entirely Julian half listened to his mothers words, once again holding in a growl. She was beyond irritating to the young brute and he more than often wished his mother would find someone else to harp at. Huffing he rolled his eyes at his mother not replying with anything other than that. Though he did continue to listen to her request for a present. Deciding to comply he turned and began to travel across the body of water on the small natural path of stones. Reaching the other side he sniffed the air and listened carefully. Hearing some slight movement in the bushes and the smell of something that dwelled primarily in water he turned his attention to it. Crouching he leapt toward the bushes, missing the good sized green creature, sending it bounding toward the water where it knew safety dwelled. Twisting himself around he followed it leaping at it once more, his jaws closing around its slimy body seconds before it hit the water, filling Julian's mouth with its sour, not so warm blood. Unfortunately he reached the destination the frog was aiming for in the most undesirable way, ending up face first in the chilly water. Surfacing he made his way back to his mother. Dropping the dead, medium sized morsel at his mothers paws and shaking water from his fur, not seeming to care who got splattered with it.

Keeping his amber gaze to the ground, Achak listened to his mother's words. Julian was normally so hasty; he caused so much trouble for their parents. Furthermore, he always seemed so aggravated towards everyone - aside from Paige, that was. They never got along, Julian and Achak; in fact his brother would pick on him a lot. However, Achak felt no ill will towards his unruly brother. 'I can only hope that within time he'll come to his senses,' the whelp thought to himself, letting his ears fall against his head .'I hope...' His mother gently licking his head arose the young wolf from his thoughts then, and he could feel heat rise to his face. Some of the wet fur stuck to his head, and the spot was a little chillier as the air touched it. He respected his mother - she was a strong leader and a kind mother. The whelp was prepared to do his best to bring honor to his family's name, if only for her sake. It would be a long time before they were given a full rank within the pack, though, and until they were two years old they would all train and work hard in order to 'graduate.' In fact, his mother now was beginning to tell her pups that today would be a training day. Excitement filled Achak, and he rose his gaze up to Quinn. Hanging on to every word, the whelp replayed the words in his mind a few times. 'Long legs...wide eyes that are stationed on the top of his head... silly sound?' His mind clicked for a few moments. 'The long legs suggest a rabbit, but surely we couldn't hunt down rabbits yet.. could we? Rabbits don't have their eyes on the top of their heads, though - that would just look ridiculous. Hmm..' Looking out to the falls, an idea came to his mind. 'Judging by the terrain, then-' Suddenly, his sister's voice spoke up excitedly. Frogs! Of course. That was the creature he was looking for. Paige was the first to go, and afterwards Julian grumpily went as well. Standing calmly, Achak watched his siblings. They were focused on their work and determination filled them. Quietly he nodded to his mother before treading towards the falls.  

In his solitude, Achak had practiced 'hunting,' but it had only been targeted on unruly leaves that billowed in the wind and poor unsuspecting bugs. This was his first chance to have a taste for hunting. Keeping his paws light as he drew upon the water's edge, the whelp was careful with his stance. Lowering his shoulders as he neared the edge between land and water, his amber eyes observed the life underneath the surface. Tiny fish swam along the bottom, not yet noticing his approach.  'Nice, but not what i'm looking for..' Turning away from the spot, Achak hopped onto one of the rocks in the water and scanned again for his prey. Keeping his head low, the young pup let the scents around him waver on his nose and his eyes watched the waters for any sudden movements. Unfortunately, all he could smell was the potent aroma of fish. Suddenly, a movement caught the corner of his eyes; near the falls, a foolhardy frog had made a jump. Excitement welled up in Achak. 'Ok, first I check my surroundings and then I-' Getting caught up in his paws on the tiny rock, the whelp lost his balance and fell into the cool water beneath. While it was fortunate that the pool was not deep, water engulfed the small wolf in its grasp. Surfacing quickly, Achak felt his fur stick uncomfortably to his body weighing him down - almost seemingly wanting to drag him back down into the depths below. Growling underneath his breath, Achak charged ahead through the water and made a dash towards the fall. He had already made a mistake - if he stalled much longer, he'd lose sight of his prey. Seemingly surprised by the sudden outburst, the frog was hesitant on what to do; his fatal mistake.

Bounding onto a rock and taking a leap from there, Achak landed just in range of the amphibian. Scooping the poor creature into his mouth, the whelp was quick with its end as his teeth bit down into its slimy flesh. The taste was rancid in his mouth, but, biting back the urge to spit it out and wash his mouth out with the falls water, the apprentice hunter slowly made his way through the water back towards his family. The frog's leg moved lifelessly from the movement as it dangled from his mouth. Exiting the pools as the terrain grew stable again, Achak shook his tri-colored pelt free from water droplets. While it was not enough to dry his coat, some of the weight from the water had been expelled. 'Not entirely the dream first catch, but it's a start.' Trotting towards his mother, giving her a short smile, the whelp found his place amongst his siblings once more and placed his frog along with the other catches. It was not the largest catch so far, but somehow the pup felt better that it was that way. He wanted one of his siblings to have the boast of glory. It was then that Julian began to shake his pelt, sending water droplets flying everywhere. Close to the brute at the time, Achak could feel the water hit his coat. Sighing under his breath, the apprentice found his seat next to Quinn once more. He was already wet, it didn't matter.

[hope you don't mind me jumping in?]

The warming spring air was a nice change from the winter, she had waited ,I the for this. And now, as the snow had all melted and the waters were cool, the caretaker could relax under the sun. But not so much as she might not be able to want to, her new rank and task to watch over the Alpha pair's son was as much as a hassle as the mother said it would be. Maybe even a little more so, Julian was quite the rambunctious child. Opening her eyes, the fae slid Her paws forward and arched her back in a long stretch. Her jaws opening wide for a yawn to escape through. Straightening her stance, Elsbeth looked around her, searching for anyone around. There was no one. An hour or so earlier she had found a small sunny spot in a clearing and had settled down for a small nap. She had the day off as Quinn and Fenris went about their way to tend to their young. The family was so well loved that seeing them all together sometimes both made her heart melt, and twist in pain. She missed her sons that had been taken by that horrid fire, and she regretted the way that she had left her love afterwards in tears. But staying there was unbearable, but she had wished that had followed her. Found her, and journeyed with her. They might even had been able to have another litter, but alas that could not be done. Because her actions now separated them, possibly and most likely forever.

Sighing she padded out of her resting place. Her paws carrying her towards Rapid Falls, a great place to cool of on an afternoon in the sun. The heat had left her warm, and though soothing, was starting to get to her. Her throat was also partched from the lack of water, so it see,Ed almost necessary to make a stop there. It was close by anyway and would only take her a few minutes at a steady trot at least.

Arriving in the water filled area, the sight of her leadress and her four children greeted her. She seemed to scold them at first but then gave in and sent them to go do something. Most likely searching for small animals that lay hidden there. Moving forward she came to Quinn's side, her head dipping in respect and a smile came over her mouth as she said, "Good day, Alphess Quinn. her voice was cheerful as she continued, "What are you and the young ones doing out here today?" She turned her face away from the smaller fae then, lowering her head so her tongue could lap up the water nearby. An ear flicked back though to hear the female's response as her eyes followed the younger wolves around. Then lifting her head she wiped off the excess water from her jaws and lips with a paw before laying beside the grey pelted she-wolf. She kept a few inches,maybe a foot or so, between them so that she wasn't intruding her personal space much. She lay there looking at Quinn for a few moments before Turing her gaze back onto the pups. They were growing fast and she couldn't help but wonder which pup would take what path of life as she watched them scramble about in the shallow pools and stream.

One by one her pups were off and searching for the special thing she had requested. She wore a smile among her lips and her eyes glistened with glee. She was content watching them be so quick and ready to anything that came to their paws. They were intelligent and witty. Each of them had their own way of getting the job done, but some had a certain way of doing it. Either way, once they brought their prizes back to Quinn, all but Chase, she smiled and nodded her head. ”So many frogs to choose from. Now, can any of you tell me the difference between a frog and a toad? They are very similar in how they look, but there are some differences.” Before she could go on with her young, they were greeted by the Caretaker named Elsbeth. Quinn lifted her eyes from her young and smiled to Elsbeth. ”Why hello dear, how are you today? I had discovered that one of my young decided it would be a good idea to leave the permitted areas of playing. I went after him, and found an accomplice. The others just showed up, so I decided to make a little game for them.” She looked back to the young wolves and pawed at the carcasses before her. Their slimy bodies looked so disgusting, but she knew when pups were young they loved to get down and dirty. ”Okay, now I will require a small creature with big big big ears atop its head. Do any of you know what this animal is?” Quinn could see their little minds at work as she asked this question. Most, if not all, would know the answer to this one. ”I want each of you to go get me one. It can be any size! No go, hurry and come back.” Again the pups left her side and rushed for their prize. When all had moved from her, she turned to Elsbeth and spoke in a soft voice. ”So what brings you out here, other than fulfilling your duties? Pups I swear have gotten much more determined now-a-days to break the rules. When I was their age, I did everything my mother and father told me. Do you think it could be something from Fenris’ family… this willingness to be wild and free? Though I must say, not all of them have it. Achak and Chase seem to stay pretty close to the boundaries. I really think Paige was just worried for her brother. What do you think?”

((OOC: Omg I made you all wait FAR too long, and it was inexcusable. I wasn't sure if we were gonna keep going with it, so I wanted to see what happened. Again, so sorry! >.<))

Chase felt no need to go into the water. Unlike his siblings, he wished to stay inland, away from the rushing rapids. When their mother asked them the differences between toads and frogs, he tilted his head. He had yet to see a toad, let alone know the differences between one and a frog. He sighed, realizing that his mother would've been disappointed in him for not catching anything. He watched her tell them to go catch a creature with big ears. He knew it was a rabbit instantly, but he made no acknowledgement of it as he stood and first walked, then trotted, and took off at a dead sprint into the trees. Rabbits. Why do that when you can go after something bigger? Something better? Perhaps a boar...? Maybe a deer...? Setting his jaw and letting a determined growl rumble through his chest, he put on a burst of speed and went even faster.

"Frogs and rabbits... Small prey. We're apprentices now. This is no longer pup's play," he muttered to himself as he slowed down to try and find a scent of a larger animal.

((OOC: It's crappy, but I had to get it up. So sorry... It'll be better next time, I swear. I just got home from camping and stuff, so I didn't have much time. >.< Again, my apologies.))

As the silver coated vixen replied to the caretaker, Elsbeth could not help but hold back a small laugh. Pups would be rambunctious and wild as long as they remained young. She shook her head with a smile, "Pups will be pups I suppose... But I am doing alright. Busy with the children, but that's a wonderful bother." While the other she-wolf directed her attention to her young, Elsbeth sat and watched with a happy look on her face. The Alphess made a wonderful mother. She knew exactly how to keep her young busy. Each of them had different personalities, however she got them all to do something individually but together. However, she noticed that Apprentice Chase, who was undetermined in catching the frog, now trot off happily in search of the hare. As soon as they had all dispersed in search of the little animal to complete their mother's task, Quinn's voice reach her ears once more. Her ears flicked towards her before her amber eyes followed. She waited patiently for her to finish before speaking. The other female did seem like the type to follow orders, but set an example. So she doubted that Julian got his mischievous trait from her. However she did not know Fenris that well, or his history. But her best guess would be that t was from the brute. Chase and Achak did seem more laid back and easygoing than the other two pups. And Paige did seem to follow her brothers out of curiosity a lot. So she agreed with their mother's hypothesis. "I had come down here to come cool off in the springs. The weather is getting warmer and I thought a day by the river would be a great way to relax. Though I am happy that I ran into you and your little family, minus Alpha Fenris, here. As for where they inherited their rebellious personality, I think that you might just be correct that they come from your mate. As for your observations of the pups, I think that you are very well correct. I think that they all take after both of their parents. Where Julian, if our assumptions are correct, takes after his father, where Achak and Chase take after you. Paige, well, she's somewhere in between I believe." She got up then and walked a few steps int the water. Then, lowering her mass, she lay in the shallow areas of the stream. The water flowing past her as it made its way downstream. She looked back at Quinn then her head tilting to the side as she asked, "And how have you been holding up?

"Yes, I suppose it is getting warmer out. The water does feel rather refreshing, I would imagine. I might as well indulge too. Can't be serious one hundred percent of the time, can we?" she asked with a smile. Quinn moved to step into the chilled waters. She bent her neck down, lapping at the water and drinking until she was full. When she was, she took three steps into the water, leaving her last leg out. She stood this way for a moment, not really knowing quite why. Stepping forward, she was not completely in the water. She found a place not too deep and pretty close to Elsbeth to lay down in. The waters rushed over her sides, onto her back. It felt nice to be doing this, relaxing and watching her young. "Yes, they are very much like their father, and I love them even more for it. It keeps me reminded of how much I do love Fenris. I can see bits and pieces of him in their little faces." As the young did their thing, she rested. Quinn lifted her head and looked to Elsbeth as she asked the question. How was she holding up? Pups had been hard from the start, the whole pregnancy was tough. The young wolves had not made her job as Alphess or mother an easier either. Most of them listened to her, respected her, but one did not. "I have forgotten what it is like to have babies again. I am constantly reminded of previous mistakes and therefore, I feel like I am tougher on them than anything else in this world. They deserve a place to live that is protected and strong. Sometimes I think I should back off some, but then I can never get myself to do it. I love them far too much to lose any of them... But how are you dear?"