Let Them Be Little (Open)

[Atka]

Atka didn't know human laws; couldn't even come close to knowing. Therefore he didn't know that it was illegal to hunt on this trail. What he did know was that no human ever took aim at him here, nor had any wolf ever been killed on this property. While perplexed, Atka never questioned it. Especially not in times when he was wandering the land with his pups, showing them where was safe and where wasn't nearly safe enough. Today was a day Mitsuna couldn't watch them, and therefore Atka was more than happy to pick up the slack. He enjoyed spending time with his three youthful children.

"Sura, be careful." His voice was tender, yet filled with a gentle warning. Even as he hated scolding them, he knew he had to teach them the rights and wrongs of living around humans who would sooner shoot them than they would look at them.

The little grey and brown pup nodded towards her father in acknowledgment before she and her other two siblings were bounding down the trail, sniffing everything from the scents of humans--which already invoked fear into their small hearts due to instinct--to the odd scents of dogs. They had never seen either a human or a dog, so their minds could only conjure up what their noses perceived. To them humans were large, scary creatures bigger than bears even. Though Atka knew otherwise.

Without a care in the world since no one seemed to be on the trail this early in the morning, Atka followed after his brood at a lazy pace, a wolf-ish smile on his maw. These crisp, cool mornings with little commotion were hard to come by in the summer, and with that in mind Atka was grateful for the one they had today.

[evergreen]

Nukka padded her way down the trails, taking in the smells of the forest. She loved the trails, especially in the morning because they were out of town but she could still manage to find scraps that humans had dropped from time to time. It was also a good place to find small prey like rabbits. She also knew it was safe. She was pretty sure the humans didn’t hunt on the trails; she had never heard any of the dogs around town mention anything about hunting there. Ahead on the trail she thought she could hear movement. The dog lifted her nose into the cool air to see if there was anyone nearby. She picked up a few smells, they were wolves. A small shiver ran down the female’s spine, there were a lot of stories about wolves preying on dogs near town. The fact that she was outnumbered didn’t offer any comfort. She stopped walking and considered turning around and heading back to her little home on the outskirts of town. The dog’s ears pricked when she heard canine voices ahead, she growled under her breath and her hair stood on end for a moment. The wolves came into view up ahead. She was then comforted to see that it was a wolf with pups. He probably wasn’t hunting, just out for a walk maybe?

Nukka wasn’t a coward and by now the male had probably picked up her scent, if he was dangerous it was probably too late to make a getaway. She scented the air once more to make sure that the wolf and his little ones were alone. She was still a little nervous, he probably wouldn’t appreciate her coming up on him and his pups. She took a breath and moved forward with a friendly bark. She stepped forward into view but left enough distance between them so as not to startle anyone. She had never actually spoken with a wolf before, she usually gave them their space. She assumed they were like dogs for the most part. “Hello!” she called cheerfully.

[Atka]

The longer they walked, the less wary Atka had became. Calm winds and few recent scents knocked down his guard, something that he usually prided himself never to do. Nevertheless he had and therefore when he scented a dog in the nearby vicinity, he very nearly jumped in startlement. Instead he stopped in his tracks and told his young to do the same. Of course they loped a little further down before stopping, even then being reluctant.

"What is it, Daddy?" It was a whine from Qilaq, who apparently had been on the trail of something good when she had been told to stop her wanderings. It seemed as though Ipiktok was just as impatient to continue, while Sura just sat down and let her tongue loll out the side of her mouth for a much-liked rest.

Rather than answer his daughter, Atka scanned the area around, looking for the dog that he was smelling. It took a few long moments, but soon he spotted the domesticated canine and watched, wary. Since he wasn't aggressive by nature, there was no signs of ill-will aimed at the dog. He just waited, watching, until the dog--apparently a female--called out to him, trying to be friendly he supposed. Her words were what alerted Atka's children to her, and all three little heads turned her way. Sura was instantly standing again when she figured the female dog was friendly and without asking Atka she bounded towards her, ever eager to make a friend.

"Sura!" Atka called to her, but it was no use. The pup was at the canine's side in no time, wriggling all over with eagerness to make this dog a friend. Seeing that the dog meant no harm, Atka forced himself forward, his other two pups following shortly after, a little more wary than Sura was. "Hello." He finally spoke to the female, golden eyes boring into her, trying to sense any danger she may pose. There was none. "Nice day for a walk isn't it?" Better to be friendly and gain a possible friend than be aggressive and gain a possible enemy.

[evergreen]

Nukka was slightly concerned about the father’s reaction when one of the pups came bounding over to her, tail wagging. She then saw the wolf relax. She smiled down at the pup Atka had called Sura “Hello” she said with a friendly smile. She then looked to Atka when he spoke “Yes it is. Sorry to catch you off guard, I didn’t mean to scare anyone” she said with a wag of her tail. She had always been a little too trusting of other canines, it was a bit of a problem at times but it sometimes helped her make friends.
She looked over at the two other pups who were sticking close to their father, she couldn't blame them. "My name is Nukka" she said happily.