Out and About...Alone {Kiba w Bandit}

[Zantalia]

ARAQUELLAH 


It wasn't often that the sleek two and a half year old Husky German Shepherd cross got out and about by herself.  Usually she was out and about with the masters and their two and a half year old, black haired blue eyed girl-child and Ara's chosen Alpha.  But tonight, under the pale moonlight, she'd slipped out the laundry room door.  Her pale ice blue magnetic collar opening the doggie door for her.  The she-dog's mismatched ice blue and amber gaze were bright with excitement, it had been a while since she had roamed alone.  As if there were a compass in her mind, Ara pointed her nose from her yard to the park...her favorite spot.  

Ara's license jingled softly as she padded along the paths in the park until she reached the Nature Trails.  Here she paused deciding whether to go left into the park or right toward the more wooded area.  Seconds later, the sleek, short-haired female trotted into the trees.  There was an oasis a short way down the path before her.  An oasis she had only ever shared with her people.  Her dainty paws carried her lean frame easily over the uneven terrain.  At the edge of a small clear pond Ara peered at her reflection, her people had been really good about caring for her, she was a beautiful grown female.  She smiled as she gazed a few seconds longer at her reflection.

Then a rumbling in her stomach alerted Ara to the fact she had forgotten to finish her dinner that evening.  Groaning inwardly, Ara trotted back to the path to the nearest open topped garbage can and sniffed about.  Lucky for her, another human had left an unfinished hamburger in the garbage.  Balancing all four paws on the narrow rim, Ara plunged her nose into the filth and dragged the burger up and out.  Then she leapt gracefully off the rim and froze.  She wasn't alone in the trees any longer, a scent wafted toward her...a wild, masculine scent.  Her mismatched gaze peered anxiously toward the source of the scent.  The burger hanging partly in her jaws as the moonlight shown on her pretty black and tan and white coat.  



Word Count: 369  
"Speaking" 
Listening

  

[Kiba]

He moved out of the path, stopping when his golden eyes met icy blue ones. His stared at the she-dog for a moment, mouth drooling at the smell of the food. Even so, he made no move towards her. From her stance and the look in her eyes, she was already nervous around him. He didn't want to scare her away.

"Hello, ma'am. Are you okay?" he asked, moving so that the long scar along his jaw couldn't be seen that easily. He sat down, his black pelt slicking back against his muscular frame as the wind blew. He perked his ears at the rustling of the trees and tweeting of the birds. He hadn't had bird meat in a while Duck sounded fantastic.

[Zantalia]

There standing before her, was a large black wolf.  Ara had only heard tales of the beasts from the glowing box in the house, they were frightening enough on the box, but to see one in real life, Ara was spooked barely able to keep herself from bolting away from him.  She saw the drool and lowered her ears a little as she watched the wolf.  Why didn't he run at her?  Why didn't he knock her flat and steal her food?  Ara took half a step back and her lowered ears picked up his deep lyrics as he sat before her, Hello, ma'am. Are you okay?  Ara swallowed her state of shock but was still a bit uncertain as she set the burger down and answered the wolf before her.  

"I...I'm a b...bit uncertain o...of you b...but I'm okay I...I guess."  She stammered as she took a second involuntary half step back from the black wolf before her.  Then when there was some distance between them, Ara looked to the male with her mismatched gaze and spoke again, a little bit more confidence in her lyrics, "I'm Araquellah.  Ara for short."  She told him as she pulled half the burger toward her and swallowed it, leaving the other half closer to the wolf, if he chose to take it was up to him.  Ara lifted her head a little and the light glinted briefly off her silver license.  Then she lowered her head again, not wishing to blind the wolf with the brightness of her sign of captivity.  

There wasn't any harm in meeting a wolf...right?  Ara shook her short single-layered coat briefly as a flock of ducks in the distance quacked as they headed toward the lake in the park.  The lake was a man-made thing, stocked with fish for other humans like her master to go fishing in.  The ducks found it rather enjoyable too.  Shaking her head, Ara's license jingled as she came back to the wolf before her and she couldn't stop it.  "Why's a wolf in the park?"  She asked him quickly and then snapped her jaws shut, afraid of what the wolf might do to her.  The thought was terrible, a small shudder twisted over Ara's frame, but she still sat before the wolf, trying to remain unafraid of him, while the shivers danced imperceptibly along her frame.  



Word Count: 401  
"Speaking" 
Listening  

[Kiba]

He listened to her as she stuttered and he lowered himself so he didn't look so intimidating. He laid on the ground and stared at the burger, but made no move to get it. It was hers, she had found it. He wasn't one to steal pre- er- food. He smirked at her question, though, feeling a bit embarrassed.

"Before I get into that, my name is Bandit. And I misjudged my time. I came here to tell others of a pack I am forming. I sort of lost track of the moon and before I knew it, Dawn had approached. I figured these trees would be my safest hiding spot from humans until night time came around again," he explained, fur heating up with embarrassment.

He tilted his head at her. "You're a pet. Where are your humans?" he asked.

[Zantalia]

Ara tilted her head a little to the left as she peered at the wolf with her blue and amber gaze, the uneaten half of the burger still sitting between the two.  Her ears pointed toward the black wolf as he lowered himself to be a bit less intimidating to her, as he responded to her question, Before I get into that, my name is Bandit. And I misjudged my time. I came here to tell others of a pack I am forming. I sort of lost track of the moon and before I knew it, Dawn had approached. I figured these trees would be my safest hiding spot from humans until night time came around again, it made perfect sense to Ara and then her ears switched back and then forward again as the wolf, Bandit spoke once more, asking his own question of her.  

 You're a pet. Where are your humans?  Ara lowered her head a little as her mismatched gaze fell upon the wolf once more, "Home.  Sleeping.  I have free reign to come and go as I please, courtesy of this magnetic collar.  I can open and close my door as I wish and it doesn't wake the family."  Ara smiled as she lifted her head a little and peered toward Bandit again as she parted her jaws once more, "That was a pretty smart move on your part though Bandit.  The only one's who know about this area are my humans and me.  I half-drug Kaitlin here on one walk."  Ara said with a chuckle as she grew a tiny bit more comfortable before the wolf.  If things got too bad, she could easily bolt away from him.  She'd probably be a bit faster too.  She smiled as she lifted her head and looked to Bandit again.  

She was half Siberian Husky and half German Shepherd, both breeds were good sprinters, the husky side was meant for extended runs, the Shepherd side was meant for bursts of speed.  She was well formed to bolt from a wolf...if the need arose that was.  She was still a little skittish, but the longer she talked to the wolf the more comfortable and confident she became.  "Well, Darkness has fallen once again, so you should be safe to flee to the wilds.  I could go with you though if you wanted to be absolutely sure no one would catch you.  I could scout ahead and let ya know if it was safe."  Ara said as she smiled toward the wolf once again.  This had turned out to be unexpected but fairly interesting of a night to take a walk by herself.  Perhaps if she stuck with this wolf and talked some more she'd make a new friend.  



Word Count: 460 
"Speaking" 
Listening 
   


  

[Kiba]

"I suppose I could leave now. But I still have all night to leave. Would you like to take a walk with me? I haven't had a good chat in a while," he said, giving her a friendly smile. He wondered if she would say yes to his request or not. She seemed interesting, yet still a bit nervous.

He then padded towards the burger that was still between them. He picked it up and set it down in front of her. He nudged it towards her, practically saying that it was hers and he wasn't going to take it.

"We could take a walk back towards the wild and then end we'll part ways at the edge of town. Maybe I could tell you more about the pack I want to create. Maybe you could pass the word around to others?" he suggested, tail wagging.

[Zantalia]

Ara's ears switched forth as the wolf spoke, I suppose I could leave now. But I still have all night to leave. Would you like to take a walk with me? I haven't had a good chat in a while, Ara tilted her head a tiny bit as she watched him pick up the untouched half of the burger and set it before her as he nudged it her way.  Smiling with slight embarrassment, Ara, picked it up delicately and shook the wrapper off of it, humans left garbage in the park all the time right and swallowed the burger as she looked to the male again.  He was intriguing, her ears switched again as he spoke once more and Ara climbed to her paws as she listened to his deep voice.  It was something she'd only ever heard from her human, and he sounded nothing like this wild canine.  

We could take a walk back towards the wild and then end we'll part ways at the edge of town. Maybe I could tell you more about the pack I want to create. Maybe you could pass the word around to others?  So he wanted to start a pack did he?  Ara smiled as she parted her jaws to answer him, "That does sound rather interesting Bandit.  Let's walk, I'd like to hear about this pack of yours.  I always like learning the goings on around my humans' home."  She told him, the nervousness in her voice was still lingering but as she and Bandit chatted it slipped deeper and deeper into her lean sixty-five pound frame.  Ara had never fancied that she would be chatting up a male, bigger than she was by an inch of height and only about two pounds.  But he was still bigger than her and he was wild, completely one hundred percent wild!  

The thought set her tail to waving a little as she peered at the black wolf before her.  He probably lead a super awesome life, one that Ara wouldn't be quite so sure of what to do in, she was a bit too domesticated at this point in her young life to go barreling out into the wild and go crazy with the feeling.  Never-the-less though, Ara wanted to learn more about the outside, unsheltered life.  And who better to start telling her than someone who lived there day and night?  Ara smiled toward the wolf as she waited for Bandit to start heading them in the right direction.  And really no one in town would think to look twice at a pair of dogs wandering the streets, sure one looked a bit more rough and tumble but hey, that's the life of a stray right?  They'd never know Bandit was a wolf unless they got close enough to see it in his eyes.  To the humans, he'd just be another scraggly stray.  



Word Count: 482 
"Speaking" 
Listening 

[Kiba]

He smiled, tail swaying as she agreed to walk with him. He then turned and headed towards the exit of the park, leaving room next to him so she could walk beside him instead of behind him. He wasn't quite sure how to start talking about the pack. After all, it had already gotten started, although they still haven't claimed the territory they wanted yet. He would do that tomorrow, he guessed. After he slept for a while.

"Well, the pack is actually started already. We have five members already, not including two pups that was brought with one of them. We haven't gotten a territory claimed yet, but I've been thinking about claiming the meadows not too far out of the city. That would be more than enough territory for the current pack. I think that once we grow some more, we'd claim a second territory right beside the meadows, if no one has claimed it. Did you want to know anything specific, Miss Ara?"

He glanced at her, golden eyes meeting blue ones. It'd be easier to answer specific questions. Even so, he would just explain what's going on if she didn't have any questions. After all, that was the next best thing. Maybe explain his whole concept about the pack. Oh. He should probably do that now.

"Oh, before you ask anything, let me tell you why I'm making this pack. I used to be the pup of a pair of Alpha's. One day, I was captured by humans and taken to a place where they contained me and had others come look. I was a mere member of the pack of wolves that was already there and got into many fights with that Alpha. I escaped, though, and ran off. I didn't know where to go and ended up in this town."

"I have Alpha blood in me, so it's only right that I would want to lead. I wanted to start a pack like no other, though. One without judgement between species. Where dogs, wolves, wolf-dogs, and foxes could be together. I don't want others to be seen as "Oh, they're too big or too small. They'd only be a problem.". Appearances are nothing in my pack. It's whats on the inside that counts. It always has been. And I want to teach the members of my pack that. And for it to continue down for generations, long after I am forgotten. We call ourselves The Kind Pack, but we are thinking of a better name for our little family."

[Zantalia]

Ara smiled as she returned the wolf's smile and padded up to his side as he headed for the park's exit.  Ara turned and peered at the wolf, her mismatched gaze fell to his face as the male spoke and her ears tipped forward as they started on their way, Well, the pack is actually started already. We have five members already, not including two pups that was brought with one of them. We haven't gotten a territory claimed yet, but I've been thinking about claiming the meadows not too far out of the city. That would be more than enough territory for the current pack. I think that once we grow some more, we'd claim a second territory right beside the meadows, if no one has claimed it. Did you want to know anything specific, Miss Ara?  Ara tilted her head a little as the wolf looked to her and then she smiled as he spoke up again, not giving her a chance to answer just yet.  

 Oh, before you ask anything, let me tell you why I'm making this pack. I used to be the pup of a pair of Alpha's. One day, I was captured by humans and taken to a place where they contained me and had others come look. I was a mere member of the pack of wolves that was already there and got into many fights with that Alpha. I escaped, though, and ran off. I didn't know where to go and ended up in this town.  Ara merely nodded her head, that did not surprise the she-dog in the least.  There were some humans she had known that were kind of like that.  They owned places they called "Sanctuaries" they were nothing more than areas with steel fences and glass and artificial surroundings.  Ara was glad Bandit had gotten away from the "Sanctuary" he had been stuck in and gotten back into his element.  

Ara's ears tipped back and forth as the wolf spoke again, I have Alpha blood in me, so it's only right that I would want to lead. I wanted to start a pack like no other, though. One without judgement between species. Where dogs, wolves, wolf-dogs, and foxes could be together. I don't want others to be seen as "Oh, they're too big or too small. They'd only be a problem.". Appearances are nothing in my pack. It's whats on the inside that counts. It always has been. And I want to teach the members of my pack that. And for it to continue down for generations, long after I am forgotten. We call ourselves The Kind Pack, but we are thinking of a better name for our little family.  A smile claimed Ara's lips as she paced easily beside the black wolf.  Bandit was definitely an interesting being.  Then Ara parted her jaws to speak to him.  

"I'm glad you got out of that so called 'Sanctuary' Bandit.  They are no place for someone like you, or heck, even me...and I'm more domesticated than you."  Ara said with a chuckle as she pranced a few steps ahead of Bandit and turned her mismatched gaze back to him as she parted her jaws once more, "Your pack sounds wonderful Bandit.  I wish you all the luck that it takes off.  Perhaps you could find another word to mean 'Family' for the pack.  Perhaps some night, once you make it, I could come visit you."  Ara told him as she gave him another smile and fell back into pace beside him.  She was enjoying the wolf's company, and it was a new adventure she could add to her mental repertoire.  She tipped her ears to the wolf and waited for his response to what she had said.  




Word Count: 629  
"Speaking" 
Listening 

  

[Kiba]

His tail wagged at what she said. That would be a good idea. Another name for family. After all, that's what he wanted his pack to be. A large family. Nothing less. It was only fair to everyone. He would have to think of another word for Family. Or something close to that.

"I would love it if you came to visit. I'll make sure to come and find you once it's started and tell you where my territory is," he commented, moving out of the park and into the streets. No one was out. There were streetlamps along the sidewalks and the occasional bark could be heard from a distant dog.

"Tell me about you. Not a lot, just what you want to say," he added, looking at her.

[Zantalia]

Ara smiled as she watched his tail wave after she had spoken. Her own went about to waving of its own accord and then her ears switched as she walked beside Bandit as he spoke and her tail waved more at his response, I would love it if you came to visit. I'll make sure to come and find you once it's started and tell you where my territory is, she heard her claws click as they made the switch from the concrete sidewalks to the paved streets and sidewalks and then she turned her mismatched blue and brown gaze toward Bandit as he spoke again as they passed under the first of the streetlamps, Tell me about you. Not a lot, just what you want to say. Ara looked over at him as the phrase draped over her. What could she tell Bandit, particularly about herself? She was quiet a while as she thought and then, she parted her jaws to speak again.



"How do I want to start? I was one of three pups born to an abandoned young German Shepherd...in the city pound. Daddy was a high ranked Siberian Husky show dog. Daddy caught her digging through the family's trash bin and invited her inside his yard. He shared his leftover food with her and let her stay in his dog house. From then on, Daddy would creep out to the park to visit her." She paused as a smile fell to her lips as she remembered her mother telling her the story. Shaking her head a little, she paused in her walking and turned to look at Bandit as she turned away and continued, "For months, they would visit in the park, but for one weekend in September, Daddy's humans decided to take a camping trip. That week, Momma got picked up by the dog catcher and thrown in the pound. There she had me and my two brothers. I was the only one to inherit Momma's short single coat, I was also the only one to inherit a blue eye from Daddy and an amber one from Momma." She paused again and chuckled as she turned to Bandit again.



"But, life in a pound is no life for a dog and pups. A couple weeks after we were born there, a lovely woman fostered all four of us. When us pups were old enough to get adopted to new homes, I was the first to go home, that's when I met Kaitlin, she's a little two and a half year old with deep blue eyes, she's also the one that I have chosen to be my Alpha dog at home. From the moment Kaitlin and I locked eyes, my life became so much better but I'm still nervous and skittish around most others and I'm not that great of a hunter or fighter, but if someone hurts my humans, I'll get them." She murmured as she fell silent and looked over at Bandit with a smile as she tipped her ears to him and waited for his response. Okay, she'd told him a lot, but that was okay, she did not mind doing it, it actually felt good to do. Sometimes someone just needed to let someone else in to the briefest of their history.  



Word Count: 550 
"Speaking" 
Listening

[Kiba]

He listened calmly as she spoke of her past, ears perking as she said pound. He guessed that must be like a prison for a dog. He knew he would never get a chance to see it, thankfully. If a human ever caught him so close, they'd run or shoot, depending on if they had a gun or not. He averted his eyes from her to stare ahead of them.

He smiled as she spoke fondly of a human pup. That was good, but why was the pup the Alpha Dog? She must take care of Ara, just like Alphas take care of their pack. As long as felt safe and wanted to protect her human family. That was alright with him. Although, he didn't think he could ever do it, even if he was only a dog and not a wolf.

"You sound like you would make a fantastic pack mate, Ara. I wish you would join my pack, but I would never ask of you to leave your humans. They make you comfortable and you make them feel safe, after all," he remarked.

[Zantalia]

Ara turned to peer at Bandit as her ears switched to take in his lyrics, You sound like you would make a fantastic pack mate, Ara. I wish you would join my pack, she frowned a little at that but then she heard his next phrase and her calm smile returned, but I would never ask of you to leave your humans. They make you comfortable and you make them feel safe, after all.  Ara smiled and nodded as she spoke, she also hadn't missed his smile when she had spoken fondly of Kaitlin.  "They do take excellent care to make sure I remain comfortable and happy.  And Kaitlin definitely feels super safe when she's with me."  Ara told him with a chuckle as she paced easily along beside Bandit.  

"Perhaps, I can still slip out and visit you some nights.  Meet your other pack members, make a few friends, maybe then, I can become an affiliated member, just not one there all the time...a part time pack member."  Ara said with another smile as she turned to look at the black wolf at her side.  She wouldn't mind having him as a friend and ally, perhaps something more at some point.  She mentally shook herself free, what are you thinking that for Ara?!  She scolded herself.  The internal struggle, thankfully did not show on her features and she waved her tail a little before it curved partly back toward her back.  "If you'll let me that is Bandit."  She said with a soft laugh and a second wave of her gracefully curved tail as she turned her blue and amber gaze back to look at the wolf once more.

  Broad, dark as the night sky, or a beautiful onyx gemstone, mesmerizing golden eyes that swallowed up the watcher, locking them in honey.  He stood just an inch taller than her and looked heavier, but with that thick fur it was to be expected, he probably didn't weigh too much more than her.  Again she had to mentally shake herself free of the thoughts that her mind was steering her toward.  Again, Ara was glad her internal thoughts were kept internal with no outward signs.  She smiled again and faced the wolf again.  All of his bearing was Alpha, Ara knew that somewhere deep inside, in the far recesses of her psyche, this male was a born Alpha.  The thought brightened her smile and she turned and looked at Bandit as she tilted her ears toward him as they drew closer to the outskirts of the city.  Still, no humans...thankfully, just the clicking of her and Bandit's claws on the concrete sidewalks, their shadows shifting and dancing between the artificial light of the streetlamps and the natural light of the moon.  


Word Count: 463  
"Speaking" 
Listening