The Halfling and the Exile

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Isaac was worn and weary by the time he got back to the pack and was only glad he'd spent so much time wandering in the last month or so. If he hadn't, his feet surely would have hurt more. The pack pulled heavily on his shoulders, though, after so long, and he would be glad to set it down inside the house. It occurred to him that he should have also bought something to eat in town, which would have given him more energy for the walk, but it was a belated sort of thought and there was nothing he could do about it.

"Niari?" He called softly as he opened the door, just to be sure he wouldn't scare her walking in from the mostly dark evening. "I'm back." He closed the door quietly and kicked off his shoes, knowing if he went back out it would be without them, and went to the kitchen to set his pack down on the counter, looking around at the house as he went. "You cleaned. . ." It was an understatement, but all he could manage. She'd practically scrubbed the entire house top to bottom, it seemed.

"The pups didn't give you trouble, did they?" He asked when she came out, the little ones stumbling around after her still and coming over to greet him with little yips. He knelt to greet them, petting them gently. "Have you eaten?" He glanced up at her, questioningly and curiously, and yawned softly behind a hand. "I'll go out and find something. I should probably grab my things from the shed on the way back." He was tired, but he wouldn't mind a hunt. It was late but there was always food somewhere, he just had to find it.
 
"No, they were fine," Niari assured him with a smile, though her appearance probably told a different tale since her shirt was still lightly damp and her hair was going in a thousand different directions thanks to being pawed at and chewed on. She shook her head a little when he mentioned eating. It was obvious that he was exhausted, plus he had already been out all day while she sat around here.

"No no. No hunting. You're tired. They cooked deer on the fire tonight, I've been smelling it for an hour. I'll go grab some. Stay here with the pups and relax," she suggested.

She went out and walked over to the bonfire, pleased to see that nobody was giving her odd looks anymore. Apparently the whole hunters and pups fiasco had turned the attention away from her questionable Halfling self. At least something good came of it. Well, a few somethings. She didn't regret taking those pups in. Smiling at a few of the gathered people, she managed to get her hands on a pair of lovely deer steaks. Just smelling them made her stomach growl, but she resisted the urge to chow down as she carried the platter back to the cabin.

"I got dinner! Also, do you think we should name them..? I think we should."
 
Isaac thought it was a little ridiculous, that she was telling him he looked tired when she looked like she'd been running around in a hurricane. But, unexpectedly, being ordered around by a woman made him think of his mother long enough that he didn't protest, and by the time he'd recovered from the surprise she was gone. Sighing, he only sat down where he'd been crouched, and after a minute or two laid down on the kitchen floor rather than trying to go anywhere else.

For a while the pups climbed around on top of him, licking at him and snuggling into him and biting at his hands when he gathered the energy to play with them a bit. Their bellies were full and they had slept a bit so they were energetic, but he thought they also smelled like soap. Was that why Niari was wet? She hadn't tried to bathe them all, had she?

"Name them?" He shooed the pups gently off so he could sit up, looking at her as she walked in and after a moment to mentally prepare himself working his way to his feet. ". . . I think you're right. . . What should we do? We could each name two, and the fifth we can agree on?" He'd never had pets, and obviously never named children before. "Thank you." He added softly when she set the food down, and settled in with her to eat. The smell of food reminded him so much of being hungry it almost hurt, and he started in on some of it even as he waited for her to respond.
 
"We could just write a bunch of names down and toss them into a bowl, then pull them out for each one."

Niari was only half serious. She didn't know how to go about naming things, especially breathing things. Using her fingers, she munched on the juicy steak. No point worrying about making a mess of herself at this point anyway. The grease on her fingers and lips would be a nice accessory to go with her nibbled hair and damp shirt. She took another bite, feeling much better about everything. They had a house, the pups were safe, and her secret was safe now as well. With walls to protect them from view, nobody would ever know.

... Except the pups. Hopefully they wouldn't see. Damn it.

"What did you get in town?"
 
Isaac wrinkled his nose a little at the idea, though after some thought he realized it might work better for her if she wasn't entirely comfortable with the idea. "What if you pull out a boy's name for a girl, or the other way around?" He questioned, then just shrugged and focused on eating for a few bites. "We can think of some later. It doesn't have to happen now. We're both tired." She'd been cleaning all day and he'd been traveling all day. They deserved as much rest as they could get.

"Hm?" He paused to chew a bite when she asked what he'd brought back, if only to be polite and to not give up any secrets. "Formula for the pups, and a few toys for them, a blanket for them to curl up on. A notebook and pencils, for keeping track of whatever we need to." He hesitated for a few beats, taking another bite and waiting to chew and swallow before continuing. "I brought you back a surprise. Eat first." He felt like an overbearing parent, but he wasn't going to have her 'spoiling dinner' by eating sweets first. She would need to go slowly eating candy for the first time, anyway, or she would get sick. A little part of him was almost excited to see what she thought of it.


((I gotta head off to bed, since I have to be awake in a little less than six hours lol On that note, I'm going to work early so I won't be on in the morning, but I'll be back in the afternoon :) Goodnight))
 
Niari pondered that. He was right, of course. She hadn't thought of that issue. It was unlikely they could think of enough gender-neutral names. Would they just keep redrawing if they chose the wrong one? That sounded frustrating. Maybe just giving them names was a better idea. If they made a list of ones they liked, they could agree on them. What did people normally do?

"A surprise?" she repeated, blinking at him. He brought her something? Why? What was it? She felt oddly excited at the idea. Surprises were so.. unexpected. Well, obviously. She rarely got to experience that sense of anticipation. It was strange that Isaac would bring her back something, wasn't it? She continued to eat, all the while wondering what it could possibly be. Her guesses ranged from silly things for the pups to wild things that she wasn't even sure existed, but they all seemed possible because she had never been to town. Anything could be there!

Once they were both done, she took the platter to the sink, then washed off her hands and face. Dang grease. She handed him a small towel so that she could do the same if he wished. The pups were still toddling all over the floor, so she scooped them up and carefully set them on the couch in an attempt to keep them all in one place.
 
Isaac only nodded a little when she looked surprised at him. "Yes. A surprise. After dinner." He would've have been lying if he said he wasn't fighting down a smile while they ate. It was like keeping a toy from a child, telling them they had to wait until after their supper to have what they wanted. It was amusing, but it was also a little bit adorable. Part of him was nervous, hoping she would like what he'd brought back.

When they were both done eating, he wiped his hands off a bit, then went to the sink to finish washing up and afterwards gave his head a little shake, flinging a bit of water off the ends of his hair where it had gotten wet while he washed his face. After drying his hands, he moved over to his pack and started taking things out, starting with the puppy blanket. Just under that were her presents, and he looked over them a bit before finally pulling out all three bags of candy and setting them on the counter. He'd bought her hard candies to suck on, some gummy bears, and a small bag of assorted chocolates.

"I saw a shop on the way out of town." He said in way of explanation, carefully beginning to open each bag. "You were wondering what it was like, right? So I grabbed a few different kinds." He pushed those a bit closer to her and turned back to the pack to pull out the book he'd bought. "This, too. You like reading, don't you? Thought you might want something new while I was there. I'd only take one piece at a time, to start with. I'm gonna go give the pups their toys and see if they take them." He wasn't really looking for thanks, wasn't trying to buy her affections. He'd just seen it, and thought that she would like it, so he'd brought it home.
 
Niari watched him closely as he opened up his pack. She was nearly bouncing, hovering nearby like a pup, anxious to see what was inside. First, a blanket. She smiled and ran her hand over it. Very soft. The pups would definitely approve, though she wondered if they would actually stay on it. She looked up at Isaac, stunned to see what he had brought back for her. Candy?! Oh! She smiled excitedly and peeked in each bag, completely overwhelmed. What to try first? They all smelled delicious! He had cautioned her to only eat one piece at a time, though. She plucked up a little red gummy bear and munched on it thoughtfully. It was very chewy, like fat tissue, but not as tough. Definitely sweeter.

"This is delici-" she began, then she paused as he offered her a book. During her candy exploration she hadn't even noticed he pulled it out. She took it carefully, being very gentle with it. Books were precious. There were so few around and she didn't want to damage a brand new one. She hesitated, then set it down on the counter and pulled Isaac into a tight hug before he could escape to the pups.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you," she said, thrilled. She looked up at him with a smile, then finally released him and took the blanket to go spread out while he showed the pups the new toys.
 
Isaac was glad, at least, to see the way Niari all but bounced out of her skin at the sight of the candy. She knew enough to recognize it, so he didn't have to explain, and if he could say nothing else for her she had obeyed his suggestion only to eat one at a time. He wasn't sure if he would try any for himself. He'd had candy before as a child and it was good, but he thought she would enjoy it more and wanted to leave it for her.

He 'oof'ed softly when she grabbed him, more out of surprise than anything, and did his best not to make any faces at her volume. He ended up a bit pink in the cheeks for it, with a faint little smile as she let him go. She was happy. That was all that mattered for now, that and keeping the pups in good health.

"Here, here, little ones." He called softly, kneeling down near them and setting down a soft toy with a squeaker, and a little tennis ball that was about the right size for them. They seemed confused and enthralled with the hidden bell inside that jingled each time they touched the ball, and once one of them accidentally flopped onto the squeaker of the other toy they all tried to make it make the noise again. It was fun to watch, and he found himself smiling a bit as he watched them, holding back the rope toy he'd brought because it would be better for when they had real teeth in their jaws. He wanted to make sure they grew up big and strong and had the tools they would need if they were ever to be released back into the wild.

((Aaand I'm off to work. See ya on lunch break lol))
 
"They're so adorable. The toys are great," Niari murmured with a smile, coming back in to the room and watching as the pups chased the ball around and played with the squeaky toy. They seemed so happy and relaxed. She was happy they could provide a safe home for the pups so soon after they had lost their mother. That loss would remain with them forever, but at least they would survive. Hopefully thrive. She sighed contentedly and scooted down on the floor, scratching one of the boys behind the ear as he gnawed on a toy. Sweet darlings.

"I put the blanket in the hall between our rooms. I didn't know which one they would prefer to be in, so I thought that having them be between us would be something they'd like," she explained to Isaac. Honestly she wasn't sure if it would work out. Natural born wolves may be different, but werewolf pups were all about the snuggling. They wanted a warm cuddle puddle to cozy up in at night, and that meant wedging against mama's belly.

"I cleaned out your room, too, but I didn't put any of your things in there. I thought you might not want them being touched by anybody."

[You work a ton o_o]
 
((Haha this week my schedule got shoved into five consecutive days, so yeah. Usually I work a couple days, have a day off, work a couple more, etc. etc. it's retail and were busy right now for father's day and upcoming Fourth of July stuff))

Isaac was happy enough just sitting and watching the pups play. One of the girls was trying to fight another for the squeaky toy, flopping onto it and wrestling as best she could even though she hardly had useful teeth and all of them were weak little things. They were so small. All he wanted was to curl up around them, cover them with his tail, and make sure they were safe and sound with his body heat to warm them. That was probably his instincts talking, but he wanted it nonetheless.

"Thank you." He said after a moment, glancing over at Niari and nodding a little. "I don't really like people touching my things." He paused, smiled faintly, and looked at her again. "Where is my jacket, by the way? It was your pillow when I left." His jacket was really the thing he didn't like people touching, and his knife, but he would rather move the rest on his own anyway. It would only take one trip.
 
"Oh, I hung that up on the back of your bedroom door," Niari said with a smile, nodding once. She looked down as a sleepy pup waddled his way into her lap and curled up. What a pudgy little boy. She smiled and scratched him behind the ears affectionately. He was a dark grey, with white paws. Little socks. She had to fight not to laugh at the thought. Perhaps that was a good name for him. Socks. Although, that sounded like a silly name. Myren meant 'socks' in the old tongue, didn't it? She didn't remember. Something to think about..

"I think-" she began, then she trailed off as somebody knocked. A visitor? She gently set Myren aside next to Isaac and stood, going over and opening the door. It was her mother.

"Niari. I came to see how you are settling in," she said, stepping inside and taking a look around. "I see that you cleaned. Good. The pups seem well fed."

"Yes, Mother," Niari agreed, nodding once and carefully guiding her mother around the yipping pups to see the rest of the cabin.

"Make me a list of anything that you two need. This arrangement is beneficial in more ways than one. I trust you can control yourself enough to not bite into the pups?"

Niari stared at her mother in surprise, and a bit of hurt. It was the first time her mother had ever openly addressed her Halfling nature with her, and in the same line she was questioning her self-control when it came to pups that were in her care. She swallowed and looked down, nodding slightly.

"Y-Yes ma'am," she murmured, getting a satisfied nod in return before the Alpha left the cabin, closing the door with a snap.
 
"Thank you." Isaac said quietly again, glad to know at least that was safe and mostly clean for now. It would likely get messy around the pups if he wasn't careful, so he thought he might just keep it off for the next few days and see what they were like. They hadn't started chewing on clothing but it was likely they would, given how different everything in this new home of theirs was. Pups explored by touching and rolling and biting, which was good enough when in the forest where nothing was truly sacred, but there were things here he didn't want them breaking.

When Niari's mother came in, he frowned a little and got to his feet, shooing the pups gently away from her feet. Four of them seemed extremely eager to see this new person and get to know her smell, but there was one of the three he'd started to think of as 'his' hiding behind one of his ankles, cowering close to him like she didn't want to meet anything new. She was shy, he thought, so he picked her up and stroked her gently, tracing the little white markings in her mottled fur and making sure she was calm.

"We'll take stock of things." He said when the Alpha told them to make a list, and only frowned again when she'd left, the door closing firmly behind her. "We should make the list together, perhaps before we sleep. There can't be much we need." The home came mostly furnished and even held the appropriate dishes inside if they needed them. Anything but extra blankets, Niari probably already had. Isaac was all right with living just within his means.
 
Niari nodded slightly when Isaac suggested making a list. To be honest, she wasn't focusing much on what he was saying. She looked over at the closed door with a frown, then forced herself to look away. It was understandable for her mother to worry about the lack of control a Halfling would have, but.. Well, it was her mother. For some reason she had expected a less.. practical? approach. She frowned at her own silliness, shaking her head as she scooped up her stockinged pup and nuzzled his face.

"Yeah, alright. Let's just get them settled in.. or try.." she suggested, glancing down at the pups. Would they sleep at all without a parent with them? Likely not. She could always shift and then speak to Isaac mentally while snuggling the pups, but there was one in particular that seemed quite attached to him. This may be harder than she thought. She didn't want to separate them to sleep on the same day they lost their mother. That would be heartbreaking.

"I think.. we might both have to shift to get them to sleep."
 
Isaac was just beginning to think the pups needed to go to bed now when Niari spoke. They were all stumbling a bit and yawning and snuggling into his and her ankles and feet. He sighed softly and rubbed the little girl pup's ears, holding her close in his arms and watching as she tried to burrow into his chest and curl up against him there. They weren't going to get anything done now.

"You're probably right." He said after a moment to think, looking around the room. "We can make the list in the morning. . . For now . . . we can lay blankets in the living room, and sleep next to them there?" They needed to feel safe and cared for. It would be best to keep the, together for a night or two, at the very least. If they didn't do that there was a chance the pups wouldn't sleep at all, or would be too scared to lay down.

". . . Don't look so upset." Isaac urged gently, giving Niari an understanding sort of look. "You won't hurt them. We have everything under control." The second she was hungry, he would be here. Little wolves were nothing but an appetizer to a vampire anyway. Her hunger would always aim for him first.

((Ack, sorry! I thought I was back but now I'm being dragged to Costco lol I'll be back in a little while, then I should probably be here for the rest of the day))
 
Niari nodded and carefully picked up the puppy blanket, nudging off the playful pups that were still standing on it like stubborn little furballs. Taking that and a couple other blankets, she went out into the living room and spread everything out. The new puppy blanket went on top, in the middle. Once that was done, she looked over at Isaac as he assured her that she wouldn't hurt the pups. At least somebody trusted her.. sort of. She gave him a half smile and nodded.

"Alright, let's settle in."

She stepped back and stripped off her clothes, relieved to get rid of the damp shirt. Once naked, she shifted easily and curled up on the blanket pile. It didn't take long for four of the pups to settle against her belly, with the last still dancing around Isaac and waiting for him. Niari laid in a half circle, leaving space for Isaac to complete it. The pups would be nice and snug in the middle. It would be easy to get them to go to sleep in a warm circle of love.

[It's okay!]
 
((Okay I'm back. The trip out is worth the pizza :3 ))

Isaac set the soothed pup down to go and make sure all of the things from his pack were set out or stored away and wouldn't be in the way of anything. He needed his pack empty to go and get the rest of his things, come morning, and it would be useful to be able to just grab it and leave at first light. With food in his stomach and a whole day's travel weighing down on him, he dragged his shirt tiredly off over his head and set it aside, then got the rest of his clothes off to shift.

The little pup backed off for a moment, startled by the change as they usually were, then came waddling back to him and rubbed up against him. He licked her gently and picked her up to carry her over to Niari and set her down with her siblings, then stretched a little and curled up to fill in the side of the circle Niari had left open for him. Everything was so strange now, having all these pups with them, going from near complete isolation to living with Niari, to lying so close to her to sleep. It was like he had a pack again. It was like he had family again, even though he knew that notion wouldn't be true, if not for a very long time yet.

Giving Niari a little nudge to say goodnight, he settled in and closed his eyes to get a good night's rest.
 
Niari yawned and gave Isaac a gentle nudge back, licking his cheek once before turning her head to nuzzle all of the pups. They were settling down with ease, thankfully. The circle was working. It was hard to tell where one pup ended and another began. The sight was beautiful. She growled softly in contentment and gave them all loving licks, then laid her head down and closed her eyes. This was bliss.

The next morning, she woke up to several sets of little teeth poking at her belly. She yawned and stretched, twisting around to find five little pups staring at her with wide eyes and pawing at her in confusion. No milk. Right. They were hungry. She huffed in dismay at having to get up out of the warm nest, but she made her way to her feet anyway. Once she had nudged the pups over to Isaac's side instead, she trotted off to the side and shifted.

Finding no reason to get dressed, she strolled naked to the kitchen and began making up bottles.
 
Come morning, Isaac was sleeping soundly, having been tired after the day as he was sure Niari had been, and didn't wake at first when the pups started to stir. He finally started to stir himself when Niari's warmth went away and all the pups cuddle into him as hard as they could, pawing at him and at each other. Flicking his tail over them and curling a bit tighter to make as much of a circle around them as he could, he cracked an eye open to see what Niari was doing and left her to it for now. She could obviously read, so the formula wouldn't be hard to figure out, and he'd left the package sitting on the counter.

Eventually, when he knew Niari was almost done, Isaac nudged the pups up a bit so he could pull away from them, stretching a little and then shifting back. He dragged on the pants he'd left behind just to avoid tiny claws where he didn't want them, and sat on the floor again so the pups could crawl into his lap. He would need hands to help feed them, obviously, so he would've had to shift back eventually.

"Almost done?" He asked softly as he listened to her assembling the bottles, petting the pups gently and yawning a little. "We should make that list before I go get my things. . ." God, he just wanted to lay down again. He wasn't used to waking up because there was someone else moving around anymore.
 
"Yep, almost."

Niari shook the bottles curiously, examining the liquid within. Well, it did resemble milk in color, at least. The powder had dissolved. According to the package, this was healthier for babies than regular milk. A lot of large words she did not understand. She eyed the bottles, then shrugged. If it was good enough for Human babies, then it was good enough for her furry babies. They needed to be big and strong more than some wailing Human infant did.

"Here," she said as she carried the warm bottles over. She handed two to him and kept the other three, settling back on to the blankets and smiling as three pups scampered over. Once they had all latched on, she looked over at him and nodded.

"Yes, we should make a list. Do you have anything in mind?"
 
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