Scarcely a night had passed since Chogan's first encounter with members of the Hó’nehe tribe, but already his paws itched to move further into their disguised haven. His brief exchange with Sakari and Cochise had all but stoked the fires of his curiosity and left many questions unanswered. Who were they? How long had they resided on Nova Mountain's doorstep, and why hadn't anyone noticed until now? The lanky Strawberry stood with his forepaws kneading the earth on the tribe's side of the tunnel, hindquarters obscured still by leafy darkness, wondering whether or not this counted as Waiting At The Borders. Cochise – and Sakari, but less so – had made it very clear that wandering in unannounced was not appreciated by the members of the tribe, and Chogan knew from experience that he wouldn't get very far in answering the multitude of questions he had by throwing his weight around.

But, now what? Chogan pointed his muzzle into the ground and watched his toes mingle with the leaves and mud. Should he howl? Maybe just a little bit? Or wait until someone came wandering? How many wolves were there in this tribe? The questions made his head ache – he would just have to take his chances. He cleared his throat, stretched his neck out perpendicular with the ground, and announced his presence with a low, gruff howl.

I'm not sure if this is 'too much information'. :) Tell me if its, and I'll edit accordingly.

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You should take care in whom you call, child. Your own executioner may answer.

The flash of pale, eerie eyes in the distance had robbed Chogan of whatever confidence he had come armed with, and by the time the Priestess was close enough to speak her warning, he had wilted into high-level submission. ”Ah...but...” he stuttered, squinting up at her, ”...that's not you, is it? I just wanted to...to visit. And, well...at home, we howl, so I thought...oh, heck. I'm real sorry,” Not strictly true – his call had attracted a native, which had been, despite a seeming unwillingness to embrace the opportunity, the aim of the exercise. The whelp cleared his throat and brought one ear to sit tall on his head – his expression was hopeful. ”But...since I'm here – what's your name? My name's Chogan,” Yes, I know, 'Black Bird'. ”Saqui-Citlali, he added, as an afterthought.

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Sure. :)

INCHARACTER

”Eh...” Psycho! ”Saqui-Citlali?” He repeated, careful to enunciate each syllable of his last remaining (double-barreled, to boot) ties to long departed parents. Had she not heard him? Perhaps this tribe knew more about the Salvajes than he'd given them credit for – to an adult, Gold Moon Forest and its alphas were probably less of a distant memory than they were to Chogan, to whom the months succeeding the events had seemed like an eternity. He stood fast, gazing into the Priestess' wide, glassy eyes. ”Did you know my parents, or something? My mum's name was Rayen, dad was Midas. But they...they died a few months ago.” It hurt less each time he said it, and Chogan was starting to wonder whether or not that was a good thing.

Chogan's blood ran cold. ”Home?” he repeated, praying there'd been some sort of misunderstanding. The sixth sense he would later come to know as the Kidnapper Warning Sensor tingled uncomfortably. Uncertain how to respond, and made to feel thoroughly uncomfortable by the come-hither-little-boy smile on the tribe creature's maw, he began to creep backwards. Apparently, there were worse things than one's own executioner that could answer an 'All Welcome' call. ”Er...I think I'm alright in Strawberry Fields, actually,” he squeaked, and quickly added, ”Sorry.”

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The tension. >)

INCHARACTER

With your family.... Though her words undoubtedly touched a nerve, it was not the one she had aimed for. Chogan's eyes narrowed and for a moment he only stared at her with an expression of incredulity and disgust, certain this would be enough to communicate just how little he would be considering her bizarre offer. But raised eyebrows seemed to have no effect on the Spirit-Whisperer, who began to approach, desperation clawing its way through the cracks in her honey-soft voice. Chogan stepped back, but didn't cower. This lady wasn't for real, was she?

”No,” he responded, turning his head to one side as if to escape the power of her entrancing stare. One eye lingered, narrowed by skepticism. ”No,” he repeated, ”You didn't bring me up. My parents hardly brought me up. I live in Strawberry Fields. In Gold Moon Forest. Mum and dad would want me to stay there, with wolves I know.” Suddenly, a thought stuck him, and at once he swung his head around to stare her full in the face. ”If she wanted me to go with you, why don't I know who you are? Why did she not tell me? Why did she not live with you?” Alright – more than just one thought.

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:)

INCHARACTER

Ravn. He knew that name, and the fact that Zyanya knew it too made him hesitate. He let his mind wander back to the day he had shared with Styx in the depths of Wild Fire Forest, to the bloody tale of coyote invasions and true pack solidarity – with Ravn at the helm of Gold Moon Forest. But why, on his death bed, had Midas not betrayed his mother's ancestry to Styx? Did he not know? Would Rayen, whose unsurmountable love for her mate had led her to abandon her children when he disappeared, have kept this from him? One question birthed ten more, until Chogan wasn't sure what he should believe. Finally, he spoke again, but this time his tone was one of resolution and calm. ”Look,” he breathed, ”Maybe you're right. Maybe, mum and Ravn belonged to this tribe, but I don't. I didn't grow up with you – I grew up in Gold Moon Forest, and Strawberry Fields. Mum and dad told me nothing about this...about you. If she wanted me to go live with you, she would've told me.” He took two small, tentative steps towards the tribal priestess. ”But she didn't. And if she and Ravn had really wanted to find you guys, they would've found you.” He paused, ready to deliver his final verdict on her suggestion that he leave his old life behind. ”Maybe blood's thicker than water,” he began, looking her straight in the eye, ”But I've got wolves here that mean more to me than that.”

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Check us out. :O Super-speedy.

INCHARACTER

Chogan merely shrugged, refusing to let himself be convinced by stories he had no way of verifying as the truth. What would his life be like, if he abandoned the valley in favour of something utterly foreign? Would it soothe him, to be with those who had shared his mother's ancestry? Would it benefit him to get away from a place that had ruined his life? He had known nothing else in his lifetime – he was a product of the valley, inextricably bound to it by the blood, sweat and tears not just of himself, but of everyone who had fought to help him through times of difficulty. Was that not the essence of family? The youth sighed, and relaxed his posture. Zyana didn't look like the sort to resort to violence, nor did she have a motive to attack. He decided to give her the time of day – convincing him to leave would be impossible, but he hoped to make her understand why that was. ”But my mother is dead now, and so is Ravn. The only...the only thing that links me to them is blood,” he bit his tongue, certain he could feel his mother's spirit weep bitter tears over such harsh words. ”Not this tribe stuff. I'm not going. You should move on, find a new prince or princess or...whatever it is you need. I belong here, and I'm staying. I d'no what to tell you...I don't mean to sound so harsh, but you understand, don't you? Do you understand?” Please, please do, and let me be on my way.

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Omg. ;((( COUNTERTHREAT.

INCHARACTER

”Excuse me?” Well fine, if you aren't going to be civilized, neither am I! Chogan felt his lips twitch over clenched teeth, and allowed his voice to adopt a dark, rumbling quality. ”D'you know what? Just fuck off. I can't exactly help it that I'm a little bit upset at my mother for abandoning me without so much as a word about a 'lost family'. I'm sorry, mum,” he spat at the skies, knowing he wouldn't be able to take any of it back, ”I love you, a lot, but I'm still disappointed. And you,” he refocused on Zyanya, determined to make this the final set of words exchanged between them. ”You can't just come in here like you friggin' own the valley and demand I come live with you and a bunch of strangers. You don't love me. You don't even know me. Maybe I'm all 'little' and 'immature' and 'stupid' for not understanding your crazy logic, but wouldn't you think it was little fishy if a band of strangers came along, telling you that you were their 'chosen one'? Hello, a little understanding? I'll hear you out, lady, but don't expect me to drop everything and join the dark side.” He finished his retort with a defiant snort, and moved as if to turn away. ”I'm going home, now.”