A Time to be so Small [Kyuu&Open]

[Tumainii]

Heat. Oh how she hated the heat. And as to why she decided to travel out here she wasn't sure, it seemed like a good idea at the time. New place, new scents, new surroundings. But she really wasn't built for this kind of climate. She was a mountain wolf through and though, adapted to cold climates, shade from the pines, and rain so cold you swore it was ice.
Her tongue hung out of her mouth trying to catch a small breeze, her pace was slow trying to conserve energy. 'Maybe I should sleep now, in the heat of the day, and travel at night.' Same rules as any dessert. She stopped in her tracks and looked around the canyon. Nothing but rock here, some dead shrubs maybe and a lizard or two, but no shade. She kept at her slow pace making sure to scan every crevice.
Aha!
There, a small cave, she could sleep or at least rest there until the cool of the night. Tumainii picked up the pace her claws clicking on the rock beneath her, but just as she started to speed up she slowed down. The scent of more wolves drifted to her, she was to close now though, and she needed the shade if she wanted to get out of here.
"Hello?" she asked as she closed in, her head high and tail streaming out.

[Kyuu]

Saku laughed quiet;y, seeming to realize it. She was just about to answer when her ears perked. Green eyes narrowed and earthen ears flicked straight up again. "Zeke. There's someone else here..." She walked (well, walked as much as you can with three legs...) over toward the cave mouth, but stopped short a bit to look at Zeke.

[Emz]

The maned wolf was starting to get frustrated with Saku’s laughing – she wasn’t taking this seriously! And he was serious. There was no way he could stand to see her get even more hurt (and that would probably happen because he wasn’t watching her ever second of every minute of every day!). Ugh, he was stressing so much lately that his side was beginning to throb even more...

But that wasn’t important.

Just as Zeke was about to come up with a witty retort, or scold Saku for being so...careless and unconcerned for her own well-being, he heard a noise. Reacting immediately, the wolf’s body tensed up (ouch – he only slightly winced at the tug on his skin), and he was immediately alert. So too, it appeared, was Saku. (ooc: sorry, but hey, that rhymed! 8D)

“I know,” he replied to his companion, moving with her and standing so his body was shielding her. He wasn’t on full worry/hey, let’s freak out mode, yet, as not too many threats should have the audacity to announce their presence – at least in such a way as a simple ‘hello’. So, he figured, let’s be civil, and responded with his own greeting of sorts, poking his head out and visually locating the stranger. “Who are you?” was said in a rather rude and blunt tone. Quite a clichéd response, but ‘if it ain't broke, don’t fix it’.

_{[ooc: there we are lol. this took so long because i am a massive fail. sowwee :C hello tumainii <3]}

[Tumainii]

At least she got a response and not a full out "Get out of here before I claw your face" reaction. Somehow this made her breath a little easy, even if the wolf did seem a little edgy by her approach.
She looked over the wolf who greeted her, he looked like he had been through a lot recently. And stale scent of blood hung in the thick hot air. Were they wounded?
"I'm Tumainii, I'm just looking for a little shade." she explained calmly. The heat was really getting to her, she hoped that he would understand and allow her inside. She panted at a steady pace trying to capture a cool wisp of air.


[[ooc: Hello Emz! :3 And no worries]]

[Kyuu]

(OOC: it did!)
Saku's ears flattened when she realized that Zeke was now blocking the entrance. She huffed as she heard the stranger's reply, lying down on the ground. She squirmed her way under Zeke a bit, poking her head out from between his front legs and out of the cave. "It's plenty shady in here, so if he...", at this she glanced up at Zeke then back to the stranger," Says it's okay, then you can rest in here with us."
(OOC: I have two dogs who are about the same size that do this all the time. If one is blocking a door, the other just lays under them and puts their head between the front legs of the other. It's a really cute sight.)

[Emz]

“Tha-Oi!”

Zeke had been about to answer this new wolf’s query when he was very rudely interrupted by someone squirming their way under him and between his legs. He glanced upwards and rolled his eyes at Saku’s response – when would she learn? This wolf could be dangerous, and she goes putting herself in a position that is in no way helpful should anyone decide they wanted a fight. Seriously! Anyway, he had been about to say near enough the same as her.

With a huff, Zeke manoeuvred himself over a bit, carefully stepping over Saku so that he wouldn’t trip. “As she-” With this, he pointedly looked down at Saku – a mock of her earlier gesture, “-said, you are free to rest here if you wish.” He had determined that Tumainii, as she had called herself, was not a threat. But that didn’t mean he wouldn’t be keeping a watchful eye on her.

“We were just about to head out, but...” He gave her a look over, noticing her panting. If it really was too hot outside, maybe they should wait until the evening before they headed out. He was worried about Saku... “...but if it’s too hot, maybe we shall wait until evening. If you don’t mind our company.” If she did, well she could find another cave, he wasn’t about to leave now.

He moved aside, to show that the wolf was free to enter and glanced at Saku. “I think it best we wait until evening. No use killing ourselves in the heat. But I’m still nervous. We leave as soon as the air starts to cool.” Wouldn’t want to wait too long and risk any of those humans having travelled out this far...

[Tumainii]

A wave of relief washed over her hearing yes from both of them.
"Of course I don't mind the company," she answered ,"besides, you two were here first." she shrugged.
She walked past the male when he stepped aside. She quickly made her way to the back and laid her over heated fur on the cold stone.
Tumainii lifted her head "Your nervous?" She repeated looking over the two. It was only now that she noticed they were both bloody and the female was missing a leg.
"Oh!" she sat up looking at them "What happened? Were you attacked?" she asked suddenly, lifting a paw up. She shook her head "I'm sorry, you don't have to tell me. But I'm curious to know."

[Kyuu]

Saku laughed as she stood up, wobbled a little, then straightened. "It got shot off, actually. Humans, you know. Not very friendly to us. I'm Saku by the way." She smiled warmly at this new wolf, moving to lay near her. "Don't be afraid to ask. If I don't want to tell you, I'd tell you that." She rested her head on her one front leg and looked at her.

[Emz]

His eyes followed the wolf as she made her way towards the back of the cave and bit his lip at her questions. It wasn’t exactly something he wanted to recall – the scars were reminder enough – but Saku seemed happy enough to answer (even if he jumped towards her with a mini heart attack when she wobbled), so he let her explanation be enough.

“Exactly the reason I’m nervous.” He spoke as he positioned himself at the entrance, sitting down with his back to the others. “Though I’m not sure if the humans would really follow us this far, I’m still wary. To encounter more now...” It occurred to him that Tumainii, however friendly she was acting, was still a stranger, an unknown variable. It would not be wise to declare that they were still weak. He glanced over his shoulder briefly, “It would not end well.” For either group. With narrowed eyes once more keeping watch, Zeke licked his lips. He could still taste their blood.

[Tumainii]

Tumainii stayed silent after their brief explanation, but every wolf knew that the simple word 'humans' was as good as any explanation. Amethyst eyes glanced down at the cave floor ever fiber of her being told her it was wrong to leave two wolves in such condition alone and running for their lives from the very devil himself. She clenched her jaw, she was never a people person. She had the skills of a leader but almost no social skills and sometimes that's the most important skill a leader could have. The dog inside her told her to leave them and let them fend for themselves, but the wolf in her told her to help. Even if Zeke and Saku hadn't stated forwardly that they were weak... it was a given.
"I don't know how persistent these humans are, the ones that are after you," She spoke finally ",but I'm willing to help you... if you want it." She offered softly not trying to imply that they were weak and need her.
"I don't know this area well, but I do know the mountains like the back of my paw. You could escape up there and hide with ease. Start another life."

[Kyuu]

Saku thumped her tail a few times. She moved to press her nose to Tumainii's shoulder, before looking at Zeke. "We never really had a destination planned, did we Zeke? We do need to get out of this valley..."