(OPEN TO DOGS ONLY) Making it "Home"...

[mintchan]

Aisa padded over a few feet in the direction that her mother had gone and gave a low whine. She didn't like being seperated from her for very long, and she was out in the open...still...if her new family members were going to be around, then nothing too bad could happen to her...she hoped.

She padded back over to Kiera, the less-dangerous looking of the two, and sat down quietly, keeping a hesitant eye on her "brother". She wanted to make him feel better about whatever it was that was bothering him, but she didn't want to be eaten in the process...and he looked hungry.

[silvergreenfurret]

Nero continueed to chew the grass until he could no longer taste it. He swallowed the coarse mush and wiped his mouth on his foreleg. ~What to do, what to do.~ His mind had still to decide if he was going to wait or if he was going to make a meal now. It wouldn't be too hard for him to snag the eevee. If he grabbed her right, she'd hardly have a chance to make a noise. However, grabbing her would most likely set the fire-type mother on his tail. He could evade her, but why put himself through all of that fuss?

Nero shifted his eyes over to the other poochyena. She looked a bit younger than he was, but better conditioned over all. He guessed she might not have been sepparated from her parents that long. She wasn't like him. She hasn't fought to survive as long as he had. He'd seen plenty of the failures out on the plains. Cubs too foolish to stay out from underfoot. Cubs who mistook their inexperience for bravery. Cubs that Nero had no issue about lining his belly with.

Nero stood up and began to walk away from the two young females. He needed to put a little distance between himself and them before his stomach made up his mind for him.

[Umby]

As Kiera watched Nero walk away from them, she became somewhat relieved. He's not gonna give us trouble. After watching until he was far enough away to allow herself to feel safe about letting down her guard, she turned to the Eevee.

"S... So! Your name was Aisa, right?" she asked. "Your mother left you in charge, so it's your call! What do you wanna do?"

[mintchan]

Aisa sat and thought. She was a bit hungry, but moreso bored...there had been nothing to do on the way there! Plus, she knew that Eriko would probably make her take a nap, and she wasn't sleepy yet. So...

"...T-Tag!" she squealed, hopping onto the tip-toes of her paws. She hadn't played tag since Artemis and Ven had disappeared, oh, this would be so much fun! Quickly she tapped her paw against Kiera's and ran away, giggling.

[Umby]

When Aisa ran off, Kiera grinned. "I'm gonna get you!" she yelled after the eevee, before bounding off after her.

This was thrilling! Fun! Kiera could barely contain her glee as she ran. She began to build up speed, keeping right on Aisa's tail.

[Ren]

The sun was almost below the ground...Nero was no longer at the top of the list of threats anymore. Eriko had to hurry.

Thankfully, when she found the younglings again, each was in one peice. Aisa and Keira were playing tag and Nero was off to the side, probably for self-control reasons. If he stuck around, she'd have to help him with that.

A couple of small, rat-like pokemon were hanging by their tails in her jaws-mates, it seemed, the poor creatures. The male was larger than the female by a small amount, but it was enough to tell which was which. And, hopefully, this would keep the young ones happy until the morning.

Eriko placed the two down, only to pick the female rat once more and take it to Nero. Wordlessly, she placed it in front of him and was turning away again to wait for the girls to settle down.
It made sense in her mind; The bigger one went to Aisa and Keira, for they had to share. Eriko silently promised she'd find more in the morning, but for now the little ones had to eat and then get to sleep.

[silvergreenfurret]

Nero had been contemplating the longevity of his stay as he listened to the two younger pokemon playing. In his fight to hold back his drive to kill, he had swallowed grass, dirt and a small twig. All would pass through him harmlessly enough. He reasoned that he had never needed anyone after the death of his family. He had been tested by the harshest of nature's cruelties and passed. No, he did not -need- anyone.

But did he want anyone?

This angle of the question pestered him. His last feeling of safety in the presence of another was a long time ago, back when his body was still snub snouted and fat pawed. Logically, a larger group could get more prey. More prey meant he would never have to fear the demon in his gut again.

But does this make me weak?

Nero had developed a pride in being a loner. His ego was built on knowing he could outsmart nearly any pokemon and make even the most dire situation turn in his favor. He never had trouble finding food, just trouble finding enough all the time. Would he grow soft by relying on other pokemon to get food? And if he didn't meet the expectations of the others, does that make him a failure?

Failure.

That word bit at him harder than his demon gut. His parents had failed and he was alone because of that. What ever it was that had bound them to their clan laws, they had failed and his siblings had paid the price. Would that be his fate if he stayed? Would he break a rule and be banished or hunted? Was this any different than what may have befallen him had he taken the eevee's life for his meal?

Nero sniffed. He smelled the flareon approaching him and smelled the blood of a rodent. His mouth salivated, washing out the shards of twig and clippings of grass from between his teeth. He watched her leave the rattata before him then turn away to tend to her young. Nero stared at the dead rodent for a moment and considered all he had thought about.

He inched forward on his belly and grabbed the rattata by the head. The poochyena's stomach gave an acid gurgle in response to the taste of fur. Nero buried his teeth into the soft belly flesh and slurped down the tenderest parts first. In minutes his teeth sawed through the haunches, tail, backbone and torso. His tail wagged slightly as he gnawed on the skull, one of his favorite parts to relax with. He enjoyed the chew and crunch down to the last bit of bone.

When he was done he licked his fur clean, then stood up. He still wasn't sure about staying, but he decided he might at least try and see what advantages there were to be had in a larger group. He could always leave them if he wanted to. He could always resort to his original plans.

Nero followed Eriko's trail.

[mintchan]

"Food!" Aisa squealed, clambering over Kiera's head and bouncing over to her mothers side. She had just made a big leap and had landed on her for a tag, and had been sitting on her back with her front paws perched by her ears. "Food, Kiera, food~!" she sang, turning back with a happy grin. She had forgotten all about the danger with Nero...not that there seemed to be any anyway, not anymore.

Wagging her tiny tail a mile a minute, she began to dig in on her favorite part, delicately nipping off a chunk of meat and munching happily, smiling up at Eriko in thanks for the dinner.

[Ren]

Eriko smiled back down at Aisa. "Save some for Keira, dear," she told the pup.

She glanced back at Nero. "Was that enough for now?" she asked him, sending a smile his direction also.

[silvergreenfurret]

Nero nodded. The combination of roughage and rattata had filled and quieted his angry gut. He was full and he felt as if he could relax. "Didn't eat 'em." he half smiled at Eriko. He felt a little proud of the small control he had taken back from his belly.

In a few hours, the problem would arise again. Nero decided he would take a chance at hunting in the night. He was after all, a creature of the dark element. If he got enough, he might even share it with this flareon. She seemed not to have taken food for herself.

[Umby]

"Food, Kiera, food~!"

Kiera turned to look where Aisa ran off to, and became excited when she saw Eriko, returned from her hunting trip. Gleefully she trotted over, remembering how hungry she really was.

When she rejoined them, she settled in next to Aisa and, after looking at first Eriko and then Aisa, tore out a piece of meat.

[Ren]

Eriko had stopped paying attention to the children; her gaze was sweeping over the savannas, making sure no threat was near by. She was also looking for signs of an abandoned den or something where they could rest for the night. It would be terrible for them to sleep out in the open, though there may not be many threats for dog pokemon. Besides other dogs, of course.

The leader's gaze fell back on the pups. Each was about done by now. "Is anyone too tired to walk?" she asked. She had two easy options: 1) THey could stay right where they were and she could keep watch at night. 2) They could find a den, but it might be a little late and it would be difficult to find an empty one. But it could be done.

[illusion]

does anyone mind if my eevee joins in?!?!

[silvergreenfurret]

Nero shook his head. He was more of a night pokemon in any case, but if they were going to stop for the night someplace, it might be useful if he knew where they were.

He stood up and paced around a little. Eriko had said nothing to him about him keeping his word. Why was he seeking her approval anyways? Perhaps next time she left he would not bother.

[Ren]

((Of course your eevee can join. ^__^ The more the merrier.

Also, I'm not going to reply again until Umby-chan and Mintchan post. Just so you know.))

[mintchan]

(ah, sorry ^^; I've been at college orientation the past couple days. I'll post now...oh! but also, I am goning to be away from a computer june 10th-20th, going on a little trip...so I'll try to make Aisa fall asleep or something befroe that ^^

Aisa shook her head, though her eyes were drooping slightly. The meat in her stomach had made her feel much better, and she was ready for a good long nap. But, Eriko knew best. There was probably a good reason she wanted them to walk, and if there was, then there would be no point in keeping the others behind. She'd be able to stay awake for a little while longer, anyway...

[Umby]

After the meal, Kiera was stretched out on her side, trying not to yawn. It was getting late, and while she might not have been as exhausted as Aisa, it had certainly been a long day, and she was ready to settle down for the night.

"Is anyone too tired to walk?" Eriko asked them, and Kiera sat up lazily.

"I can walk, yeah..." she replied quietly. Though she would rather lie down and relax for a little while longer, the prospect of somewhere cozy and warm to spend the night was too appealing to pass up.

[Flame]

Iceshadow the loner ended up walking in the middle of everything. "Eh, hello," he grinned sheepishly.

[Ren]

Eriko looked up once she heard a new voice. A new pokemon had come in...she should have noticed sooner. Maybe she was getting older than she thought...ridiculous.

She moved to stand in between the newcomer and the three with her. This pokemon didn't look dangerous, but one could never be too careful.

"Hello," she said back to him.

[Flame]

"What's going on?" As he noticed Eriko being on her guard, he added, "You don't have to tell me," His front paws twirled around in the dirt, like they did when he was nervous or embarrased.

[mintchan]

Aisa lightly jumped onto Eriko's back, peeking out from behind her head with her front paws perched on either side of her mother's ears. She stared at the strange new pokemon for a moment, silent, before a large grin hit her face.

"I knew we'd find everyone here!" she said to Eriko, tail wagging. "New family member?"

[silvergreenfurret]

Nero looked at the newcomer and sneared. Great. Another one he wouldn't be allowed to eat.

The poochyena looked over at Asia and Eriko. "I'm going. Find you later." Nero walked away and took a deep breath. Night was young and he was looking forward to the thrill of a hunt. Maybe he'd find something delicious, easy to kill and big. He might still consider bringing some back to the vulpine mother and daughter.

He gave the newcomer one last glance before jumping into the sea of grasses that spread over the plain.

[Ren]

Eriko watched Nero as he made his exit. She didn't worry though; she trusted him enough to assume he knew what he was doing.
Probably off to find more food, she guessed.

She turned her attention on the new dog and relaxed a little. He was doing something odd with his paws.
"My name is Eriko," she introduced. "I am a Pack Leader that was sepperated from my previous pack. Now I'm hoping to rebuild it." It wasn't a huge secret; she didn't mind telling him. He might even join. That would be a relief; another semi-adult to help take care of the children.

She shook her head lightly to get Aisa's attention. "Why don't you climb down and get some sleep, okay?" She didn't want to leave, since Nero was coming back. It would weigh heavily on her heart if anything happened to him.
"Keira, are you sleepy too? You can rest; I'll look out. NOthing bad will happen," she said to the female poochyena.

[mintchan]

As Eriko shook her head, Aisa felt her paws slipping a little and hopped off, tumbling into the tall grass. Blinking sleepily, she looked up towards the others as she was told they weren't going to move after all. It was probably for the best...she wasn't sure if she would have been able to travel very far anyway.

Yawning a bit, she curled up and closed her eyes, ears drooping down softly as she began to doze...

[Umby]

Kiera was quite interested in the new pokemon; she had never seen anything like it before. She was growing more tired as each moment passed though, and soon Eriko's suggestion that she sleep sounded better to her than satisfying her curiosity, at least for now.

And so, after looking around briefly, she curled up next to Aisa and closed her eyes.

[Flame]

"I see," Iceshadow walked a bit closer, but slowly and cautiously. "What happened to your old pack?" He settled in the grass where he was standing. His umbreon rings glowed faintly, giving him a ghostly appearance. He yawned, then shifted around until he was comfortable, still a bit wary of the adults.

[silvergreenfurret]

Nero hadn't gone too far. He had begun to make a slow circle around the group to sniff the winds and look for a trail to follow. He caught the newcomer's question. It wasn't something he had thought or cared to ask about. After all, he wasn't about to divulge his life story onto anyone here. The past was the past.

However, it might be important to know what failures the flareon had had in the past. Information about one's surroundings always gave the informed the edge! Nero gave one last sniff at the night air. Nothing yet.

The poocheyna crouched down low and perked his ears forward. He would listen in for a little bit, then continue his search for prey.

[Ren]

The leader took a sitting position close to the sleeping pups. She sighed and looked up at the sky. The stars gave off a dim light.
"It's not a very interesting story..." she replied softly. A sad smile came to her face. "A series of terrible events led to us becoming sepparated. I tried to find them but..." she broke off and let her head fall.

It was a few moments before she looked back up. "I was still a child. I underestimated everything. I know better now." Her gaze landed on Kiera and Aisa. "A leader's job is to protect those that they are leading. A leader must be strong, and I wasn't strong enough before. But I am strong now; I am wiser now."
She smiled brightly now. "And now I've decided; I will never let that happen again. I'd sooner die. Nothing will ever happen to those who I am leading. I will be a good leader."

She laughed. "I babbled a bit, didn't I? My deepest apologies."

[Flame]

The hybrid yawned, then replied, "No, you didn't babble. I know what you mean, too," He closed his eyes and sighed, "I might stay in the area a while, but please, don't mind me. I'll try to help you build a pack. I might even join..." Somehow, the loner felt safe by these pokémon. He slowly rested, keeping one eye fixed on the forest.

[silvergreenfurret]

Nero cocked his head to one side. So, that was it? Well, perhaps that was all he needed to know. The poochyena smirked and turned back towards the wide grasslands. He felt that she might not have been telling everything about her past for a reason. It -would- be foolish to expose your faults to a stranger.

Nero's mind thought about the strange pokemon who had arrived. Feh! What was this pokemon's angle. What was he going to do around here? Maybe he was looking to take over... or take up an easy alpha male role by taking Eriko as his mate. If he was aligned with her, it would make it impossible for him to make a meal of any cubs.

So what now? Nero pondered on his options and sniffed at the old scents of pokemon gone by. Some he knew were too much trouble for him to take on by himself. Others were just not worth the time to produce such a small meal. Nero wandered further and further away from the main hub of the newborn pack.

A good twenty minutes later, he haulted. His fur rose up and a grim smile spread his face. Ah! Now this was something he could sink his teeth into! ....