The Halfling and the Exile

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Isaac was glad enough to follow along beside Niari as they went, letting the pup hang comfortably from her jaws. The little one didn't seem bothered, and was at least small enough his behind wasn't in danger of dragging on the ground. The scent of hunters was strong, like they'd made no attempt to hide it, and he followed along the same paths she did, only occasionally moving away to check in different directions.

When they stopped, at a loss, Isaac started to look around. He followed his once and his ears but also his eyes, as he'd been taught to track in human form as well. This was near where the wolves had been killed, that much was clear, but there was no blood. For that they would have to try harder, and he started looking in trees to see if the hunters had perched there to wait for prey to wander past as humans did. That was where he found his clue.

Following the most likely direction for the hunters to have faced, Isaac trotted off that way with his senses alert, following the scents he found until he could finally begin to smell signs of first blood. With a faint whine, he looked back at Niari and stopped walking, nodding back the way they had come. He didn't want the pup near this mess. She could stay with the little one, or Isaac could, but only one of them should proceed and find the rest. They were close. He could already hear the first faint little whimpers from nearby.
 
Niari watched Isaac hunting around, lingering close to the pup. He was starting to whine a little, likely hungry. She growled worriedly and looked over at Isaac as he stopped and whined at her. The blood. She hesitated, then slowly laid down and curled up around the pup to keep him in one place. There would be nothing good coming from him going over there. If Isaac had found where the mother was slain, chances were he had found the den as well. It would not be far. A wolf mother would do anything to protect her pups.

She laid her chin on her paws, both ears perked up as she listened. Whining. It was faint, but there. She felt a cold nose pressing against her belly repeatedly and she knew the poor darling was hunting for milk. They were younger than expected. This was bad. She licked him a few times, repeatedly glancing back at the trees to keep a look out for Isaac.

In the den, four pups were clambering all over each other and whining with fear. They lingered near the back to hide from the scary noises, but they came out rather quickly once they saw Isaac.
 
Isaac moved carefully away from where Niari kept the pup safe, giving a soft, mournful sound when he found the mother. Slain protecting her children. He dragged her away so the pups wouldn't see her, though the blood would still be there, then finally went back for the den. They were so small. They didn't deserve to be orphaned like this. Even natural wolves, without human-like sentience, knew how to feel the loss of parents.

When the pups came out to him he licked them gently and urged them to come all the way out, greeted them all and made sure none were injured. Gently, he guided them back to where Niari lay and let them go to her and to their brother pup, knowing it would be a long walk for them. They would need milk or some other form of food, and they were likely scared and weak now. It was too much.

Carefully, Isaac stepped away and shifted back, shaking himself off once he was human again. "It will be faster this way." He said, and picked up some of the pups to carry. "They won't have enough energy to walk all the way back." It would be faster to carry them, and they could stay warm that way.

((off to work!))
 
Five pups.

Niari frowned when Isaac showed up with four little pups stumbling along with him. They came over to her for snuggles and warmth, but she knew that Isaac and herself would be unable to transport all of them this way. Even if they each carried two in their jaws, one would be left behind. She dipped her head once in a nod as Isaac shifted. It had to be done. Thankfully the pups did not seem to mind. She gave him three, then scooped up the last two.

They are still nursing. None of the pack are nursing now. They may starve.

Despite her reluctance to speak in the minds of others, she decided that it was important for Isaac to understand that. She kept her mind-voice gentle and quiet, leaving the connection open for him to respond if he desired, but she said nothing else to him as she started walking back toward home.


[Bye! :)]
 
Isaac was careful with the pups when he cradled them close to him, and worried about how small they were. They needed a mother, or at the very least the constant attention and food a mother would provide. They were, perhaps, just barely big enough to attempt weening them, but even that was a close call. It was likely they would reject anything but milk from a bottle, if not from a wolf. Part of him almost mourned not having a mate, if only for their sake.

When there was a sudden voice in his head that wasn't his, Isaac cringed, flinching a bit away from the source as if to instinctively reject it. He frowned afterwards, a furrow in his brow, and looked at Niari like he was seeing her for the first time. He had heard of conversing the way she was, but he had never felt it before. It was . . . strange, to say the least.

. . . They'll make it. He said tentatively, wanting to be sure but knowing there were too many variables. Give them cow's milk for now. I'll make a run into town and see if I can find something more suitable.
 
I'll try. Hopefully they don't reject it.

It was a very real possibility. Pups this small were not ready to wean yet unless forced to, and even then it could likely cause damage. Stunted growth for one. She was not willing to do such a thing to them. The cow milk would hopefully work. If not, she would help Isaac in his search for something else. For now, she focused on the two she was carrying. Through the forest they went, back to the spot where they had left Isaac's clothing as well as her own, and the book. She gently set the pair down, then shifted and got dressed quickly. After sliding the book into her back pocket, she realized something.

The pups were following her around.

Curious, she took a few slow steps forward and glanced behind her. They waddled along like little furry ducklings at her heels. When she turned, they turned. Jump over a rock? One attempted, while the other just quickly ran around it to join her on the other side. She tilted her head, then looked over at Isaac.

"Oh dear."
 
Isaac only shook his head and didn't respond, focusing on the pups as he walked. Back at their impromptu little base camp, he set the little pups down to check his clothes, and decided they were probably just dry enough to wear. He had to keep moving carefully while he got dressed, the small, furry things kept getting underfoot and he didn't want to accidentally kick or step on them.

"Hm?" He turned to look over his shoulder as he pulled a shirt down into place, and smiled a little when he saw Niari being followed around. "Congratulations. You are now the proud mother of natural wolf pups. Good luck getting rid of them."

Part of him was willfully ignoring the ones still attached to his feet as he got his jacket on and pocketed his knife. He didn't mind it much, really. He'd meant to take care of them no matter what had happened, since their parents were gone. If he couldn't be the one, he would've found someone suitable instead. It was just as well that they liked Niari, too. He had a feeling he would be spending a great deal more time with her now that he knew her secret.
 
"Mother? Me?" Niari repeated, blinking a few times.

Pups?

She stared down at the little fuzzballs, watching how they stared back up at her excitedly and wiggled around, hopping up in an attempt to get attention. They were so, so cute. She had never really thought about having children. Sure, nearly everybody in a pack tended to have kids. But she was a Halfling. Babies weren't safe for her, were they? Probably not. These were not truly her children, though. She hesitated, then bent down and scooped the two up, snuggling them close with a smile. Hers. She nuzzled each one, then looked over at Isaac once he was finished getting ready.

"Let's take them home," she said, starting to walk back. The trail was empty, which was probably a good thing. It gave her time to try and figure out what to say to her mother. Then again, the woman probably expected something like this to happen. They were orphaned pups, after all. Somebody had to take care of them. She glanced at the ones Isaac had. They seemed cozy. He couldn't keep living in a shed if he was going to care for them.

"Have you thought about getting a home of your own? A real one, I mean. We have empty ones.."
 
"Yes, you." Isaac murmured as he checked on his other things and decided he could come back for them later. The pups were busy trying to smell everything he touched, getting in the way of his putting on socks and shoes again. He guided them gently away from his hands each time, letting them have their fun in trying to struggle against him. For the most part they only tipped over and wiggled on the ground, but they needed play. He was glad they could be happy.

As Niari started walking, Isaac scooped up the three pups again and cradled them close, following after her. He didn't look at her when she questioned his living arrangements, shifting the pups a bit uncomfortably in his arms. "That is entirely up to your mother." He said, though he knew that his newly found knowledge about Niari would all but guarantee his place here. Part of him was sure that his staying in the shed was just a ruse, tricking himself. If he had a permanent home, it made everything real, including his challenging and killing his own father, and his subsequent expulsion from his pack.

((Back to work I go, sorry it's a bit short))
 
Niari nodded once. Up to her mother. Well, then. She would have to mention that Isaac should take one of the small empty cabins. He deserved a real house to live in, and it wasn't as though they were being used by anybody else. A few months ago, there had been a sickness that swept through the pack. Several died. That left the spaces empty, and if the pups were latching on to him as much as they were to her, he'd need the space for them.

Wait. If they were latching on to her as well, did that mean..?

She blinked a few times and shook her head. Whoa. She was getting way, way ahead of herself here. Move cabins? With Isaac? Sure, it was for the sake of wolf pups.. and now that she was thinking about it, that would make feeding loads easier than just happening to disappear into the woods together all the time.. but still. No way. She barely knew him. Glancing over at him again, she tried to picture him as a father figure. Hopefully he'd be a good one.

"Ah, there you are," Niari's mother said as they approached the center of the pack's clearing. She walked over to them and inspected the pups, noting how they all seemed rather cozy where they were.

"Mother, the pups are very attached to Isaac. I believe it would be to his advantage to take one of our empty cabins to give him adequate space for them," Niari said, glancing at Isaac as she mentioned it.

"Done. The cabin closest to the woods on the West side has two bedrooms. More than enough space for both of you and all of the pups."

"B-Both of us? Mother-" she stammered, but the Alpha was already walking away, knowing her will would be followed no matter what.

Well there.

"Um.. sorry.."
 
Niari's silence after mentioning a change in living arrangements didn't make him any more comfortable. He had to reevaluate all of his own motives, consider the fact that if the pups were staying with him they would need space to run around. More than that, he would have to completely reconsider the idea of staying in this place. It wasn't that he didn't want to - far from it. It was just that he was realizing he'd never truly believed he would be able to stay. He supposed he'd started to think of things in worst case scenarios, not wanting to be disappointed by holding on to hope. He was a sad, sad person, wasn't he?

When they reached the Alpha he refocused, shifting the pups around a bit in his arms so she could look at them without him dropping them. His eyes were a little wide when she immediately gave in to letting him stay, even though he realized he should have expected it. She'd entrusted him with protecting her daughter already, after all. He couldn't leave and still do that, and it would be a simpler thing to hide her feeding and give him a comfortable place to recover if they had a space to themselves.

"Well . . ." He said softly as the Alpha left, an eyebrow raised, "I suppose that simplifies things. Won't it look strange?" He thought about it for a moment, then gave his head a shake. "In any case, we have the pups to think about. Let's find them something to eat, why don't we."

They needed to get milk from someone, and possibly an old baby bottle if the pups wouldn't lap it up themselves. It was a reminder to Isaac that he hadn't eaten anything all day himself, but that could wait. The little ones were more important, and he'd gone without eating before.
 
"Eat.. right.."

Niari was still in shock at what had just happened. Isaac seemed to be just rolling with it, which was fine, but she was a bit stuck on how easily her mother had agreed and essentially kicked her out of the family cabin. Had she been thinking about it before they even got back? To be fair, Niari had considered it, but she hadn't been about to say it! She sighed and looked down at the pups. Hungry. Yes. She looked around for a few moments, then nodded.

"Okay. I will get milk and bottles, I know who has some. I'll grab those. Once we have them settled in and eating or napping, then you'll have both hands free to get all of your stuff moved in," she suggested.

"I'll be right there with the stuff. Go ahead and go poke around. It might be a little dusty in there," she added before walking off toward the cabin she had in mind. She knew the couple inside had babies recently, and the woman had complications breastfeeding. They were bound to have bottles on hand.
 
Isaac nodded a little as Niari spoke, looking to the cabin that was supposed to be theirs now when she directed him towards it. "All right. . . Make sure the milk is warm." He was sure he didn't have to tell her, but somehow giving the reminder made him feel better. He'd taken care of children before, in human or in wolf form, and while natural animals were a bit different he did still have that same protective instinct that most of his kind did. If he hadn't had that, he probably wouldn't have had the courage or the will to take down his own father.

The pups were mostly content to huddle in his arms, even with a few limbs hanging precariously off here and there, so Isaac walked slowly and quietly to where the cabin was and struggled for a moment to get the door open without dropping anyone. It was dusty inside, like she'd thought it would be, but nothing a day or so of cleaning couldn't fix. Perhaps it would be best to keep the pups in his shed for now. At least that had been cleaned and had a usable mattress and blanket. Niari could stay and watch over them and he could clean while they rested. Or he supposed they could let the pups explore a little and clean up just one area for now for them to be in.

The cabin was a simple building, with two bedrooms and a common living space, along with a small kitchen area. It would be space enough for the two of them and five small pups. When the little ones got bigger, they could start taking them out into the forest to explore and to learn. If they couldn't be integrated into some natural wolf pack, perhaps they could just be part of this one. As close to nature and life as werewolves were, he was sure none of the others in this pack would mind.

When Niari returned to the cabin, Isaac had set the pups down in the living room to explore a little, watching them carefully, and left the front door cracked so she wouldn't have trouble getting in. "They should nap well after this." He said softly as she came in, moving one of the pups gently closer when he started to get too far away. "They're tired." They'd been alone for at least an hour, if not several, before he and Niari had found them. They needed to eat something and then once they had a nap they would likely be more energetic.

"How should we get to town?" He asked when she came closer, glancing up at her. "Does your pack keep a vehicle somewhere? Or will someone babysit them while the two of us go? I could go alone if you don't mind staying and watching them." He didn't want to leave them, but it was necessary, and he wasn't sure if she had ever left her pack's land. It was better for him to go if she had never dealt with humans and shops in town before.
 
Niari came in with two pups curled into one arm and a bag balancing in the other. She nudged open the front door, then tapped it closed with her foot. Once that was done, she walked to the living room and carefully set the pups down, then went to the kitchen. The pups ran after her eagerly, and she could see the other three perking up and starting to come over as well when they caught the scent of milk.

"Good. They need the sleep. The milk isn't warm yet, but if we let it sit out for a minute, it should be fine," she said, taking a large glass pitcher of milk out of the bag with great care. She poured it into the five little bottles she had managed to procure, then set them down on the countertop while she took care of the milk. No use having it go bad before they could use it all. She wasn't sure how much natural wolf pups ate, but with five of them, she had a feeling they were going to run out quickly.

"We used to have a vehicle, but nobody liked using it, so we got rid of it," she explained, putting the tops on the bottles. "I don't really know much about it. I never went. I don't see why anybody would want to."

She picked up the bottles in both hands and carefully made her way over to sit next to him, avoiding stepping on the eager pups. It wasn't long before they both had laps full of pups, balancing bottles in both hands and enjoying the happy little tail swishes against their legs. She smiled and relaxed, letting out a tired yawn. Perhaps a nap wasn't such a bad idea.
 
Isaac let the little ones wander off after Niari when she came in, just smiling a little to himself as they fumbled and waddled to try and keep up with her. Their little whines and yips followed her wherever she moved and he thought that it would be good if they were fine with being around just her. If he was going to have to go off on his own they would need to be comfortable with her too.

As she came back he made a little bit of a face, but for a moment just let it go, fumbling around the bottles until he could let all the little ones drink, in the end just holding all three together and letting the three pups that liked him huddle together like they were drinking from their mother. They seemed to like it well enough, after the first few confused sips, but it was all right. They adapted to it quickly enough with the prospect of filling their bellies right there.

"Have you . . . ever been to town?" He asked once they were ready, their little paws scratching at his hands but not really leaving any marks. The sounds of their drinking and whining at their surrogate mothers were healthy, at least. "They're good for transporting things. . . If you're tired, you should stay." He decided after a moment, shaking his head. "I'll ask the Alpha for money and go find food for them. You'll be all right caring for them all for the day, won't you? It'll take a while on foot." He could carry his clothes and run as a wolf to get there, but coming back he would have to carry things.
 
"Well.. no," she admitted. "But I know plenty about it! I know there are lots of Humans and they have a lot of buildings. Stores. Lots of cars and trucks and roads everywhere. Not very many trees, I think. One time I heard that they like killing each other off, but I don't know if that was true.. and somebody else said there were big buildings full of nothing but candy. I wish we had candy.." she mused, trailing off as she thought about it. She was silent for a long minute, wondering what the town was actually like, then she simply shook her head and smiled at him.

"I'll be fine. You go ahead. I'll use the time to clean up in here and get some of the others to help me transport my stuff over here so that I don't have to leave the pups," she decided, nodding to herself.

She yawned again and sank down against the couch, snuggling with the pups in her arms as they lazily fed. It was clear they were drifting off as well. She slowly closed her eyes and fell asleep, her head tipping gently against Isaac's shoulder as she started to dream of gigantic candy stores. Apparently that cleaning binge was not going to happen at the moment.
 
Isaac nodded a little but didn't answer, thinking he was glad she had volunteered to stay. He didn't want to sit here and argue about the idea that human towns and cities were loud and overwhelming, and that they would have to focus and find what they were looking for. They would have to ask for help and for directions, and make sure no one saw them shifting back and getting dressed before going into the town. It was difficult enough having been to a town a few times, bringing a newcomer with him would be too much trouble.

He frowned a little when she leaned on him, looking at her and blinking slowly a few times. It was strange, thinking she trusted him enough to fall asleep next to him, leaning on him. Or maybe she was just that tired. No matter what it was, he knew he couldn't waste time. When the pups were so tired they were falling over trying to keep drinking and finally beginning to give up, he finally took the bottles away. Carefully, he shifted them over, then slid Niari gently off his shoulder and laid her down on the ground. He didn't want to give her any dusty pillows so he took off his jacket and folded it into a square, sliding it gently under her head. It would be too big to bring with him anyway.

When the pups were huddled in against her and snoozing peacefully, he made sure there was nothing for them to get into and left the cabin.

His first stop was a quick run back to where his clothes still hung and gathered everything to bring back to his shed. He left them there for now, thinking to take them to the cabin later, and emptied his bag to be able to take his things with him and bring back supplies. That done, he left the shed again and hurried off the way he'd seen the Alpha go, needing to find her and ask for money either from her or from whatever wallets the hunters had had with them. Once he had that in hand, he could start running.
 
The Alpha had gone on a hunt, but her eldest son Rickon was at home. He knew who Isaac was and how he was now living with Niari, so he didn't hesitate to give him a large wad of cash. Money did not mean much to the Werewolves anyway. Sure, it made things easier in town, but that was really it. They collected it in various ways and used it however they wished. If one was in need, it went to them. Simple as that.

Meanwhile, Niari was discovering that wolf pups did not nap long after getting their bellies filled. In fact, they were now full of an energy they had lacked before. She woke up to one climbing up her belly while another wiggled into the bottom half of her pant leg. Still another was nipping at her nose. She giggled and gave up on sleep, carefully sitting up and placing all five pups in front of her. Hm. They would need names. She pondered that, then decided to ask Isaac what he thought. It only seemed fair that they should agree on them, or at least discuss them.

"Come on, darlings," she cooed, standing up and walking to the kitchen as the puppies followed in a stumbling line. Little ducklings. She smiled and got out some cleaning supplies that had been left behind.

"Time to scrub!"
 
Isaac was confused when money was shoved at him so quickly, but thanked the wolf that gave it to him anyway and went politely on his way. Once out of the clearing, he stripped and packed his things carefully into his bag, then shifted and managed to wiggle his way into it so that it would sit well enough on his back for a while. It wouldn't be comfortable, but it would do, and once it was secure as it could be, he started to run.

It took an hour of flat out running to get to the town, and he knew it would take him much longer on foot when he returned, but he had to focus on the task at hand. Staying out of sight until he was dressed was easy enough, and he was careful to put the money in his pocket and keep a hand next to it so it wouldn't be stolen. After a while of asking around and a while longer walking, he found a pet store and ventured inside. With some help from the clerks he found what the appropriate foods would be for 'puppies', and how long it would be before he could move them on to more solid foods. He took some canned foods because they would keep until the pups would eat them, and would help transition them into raw meat like they should be eating. With those things, a few toys, the powder formula that could be mixed with water and so wouldn't spoil, and a blanket in his bag, he headed back out of town again.

He was walking down a street that would take him back out of the town and back towards the pack's land when he passed it. A candy store. He had more than enough money left over, thanks to the Alpha's son, and after a thought he went inside. When he left he had a bit more in his pack, and he even stopped at a small store and bought a book since Niari seemed to like reading, as well as a notebook and some pencils simply to take advantage of the opportunity of being in town. Finally, he headed back out into the trees and picked up the pace, careful not to bounce his pack as he went. It would likely be twilight, if not dark, by the time he got back. He just hoped Niari wouldn't be too bothered by being left with the pups all day.
 
Niari knew that another nap was not going to happen, so she spent her time with the pups wisely. First, she cleaned the house. It took a bit longer than expected. At first, she had thought that perhaps the pups could be taught how to scrub the floors if she tied sponges onto their bellies, but that just ended up a hysterical mess. They were running all around, falling over the sponges and scattering soap everywhere. In the process, they got drenched and matted, so Niari ended up giving them all baths. That was an experience. She thought putting them all in the sink at once would make things easier.

She was wrong.

In the end, she did get five clean pups. She also got a drenched floor, suds in tall piles all around the sink, and a very wet shirt. Even her jeans were soaked in the front. She used the mess to her advantage, washing the floors herself and scrubbing the countertop around the sink until it was all shiny. Once the rest of the house was clean and the windows open to air it out, she got a few pack members to help with getting all of her things from her mother's cabin to her new one.

It wasn't much. Her bed was covered with a quilt that had a grey and green design on it, with bits of yellow around the edges. She had a small bookcase with a dozen books in it that she cherished, because books were hard to come by. Trips into town were for necessary things, not literary frivolity. At least, that was what her mother said. She hung some white curtains and put down a small green rug next to the bed, then placed her nightstand and began putting clothes away in her dresser. This entire process took at least three times the amount of time it should have thanks to the pups, but she didn't mind.

Finally, she fed the pups again, balancing the bottles along her side as she laid on the floor to reach them all at once. It was as they were feeding that she realized she ought to eat as well, and make something for Isaac to come home to. The cupboards were mostly empty, though. She pondered for a moment, eyeing the pups. How was she supposed to hunt with them here? Hm..
 
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