Malia regarded this new stranger indignantly. "My name is Malia! Not pup!" she growled, trying to sound menacing. The rusty-colored wolf walked up to him and sniffed him, wrinkling her nose, then stepping back and looked at Jessie. Swiftpaw? That's a silly last name, the girl thought to herself. She then moved her body position so she was again pointed towards this male. "Hello Hokasai," Malia greeted, deciding that this wolf had an extremely strange name as well. He definitely was not part of her family, either!


The pup's ears perked up in interest as she heard Jessie say something about games. "I would beat both of you easy!" she declared proudly, trying to make herself look bigger than she really was. "But Mommy is busy and she would get mad." Malia sat her rump on the ground and looked at Jessie curiously. "Do you know of any other fun games?

Kasai rolled his eyes when Jessie addressed him by his new name. Her presence since he'd come to Lore had helped the male through many hardships and honestly he didn't care what she called him. In fact he rather liked the idea of being called Hotei by her and only her. Only those he felt closest to would know of his birth name and may call him by it. Then the pup addressed him with an indignant sniff and mistook his name.

"My name is Kasai Kage. It is not Hokasai. " He told the pup sternly keeping his head held high in a dominant manner. It was never too early to teach a pup manners. "and Jessie. I don't think I want to be around when this pups parents come looking for her. Maybe we should keep watch for danger over there and wait for her parents to show?" He disliked the idea of playing with the pup just to get her to head back towards her own territory. For all they knew the pup wasn't even sure where her territory was!

Looking down at the rust hued pup named Malia, Kasai wondered how she'd even gotten away from her pup sitters and parents in the first place. By the scent of the border there was a fair number of wolves in the pack. Certainly enough to watch the pups and keep them within the borders. So why was this little one alone?

Kasai thought of her parents. That Sloane Thorben male and young Narimé. Perhaps she really was too young and inexperienced to raise pups, let alone rule a pack. There was simply too much responsibility for such young alpha's to share. "We could also howl for someone. I'm sure a guardian would come running to a pair of wolves howling at the border.." He suggested to Jessie then looked towards the forest dotting the edge of the meadow.

She dearly wished the young pup would have complied with her wishes the first time instead of letting the stressed woman know that Narimé was too busy. She had never heard of such a thing as a mother being too busy to look after her own daughter, she even voiced her thoughts, "I call bullsh- I mean bogus on that, little girl." The salt-and-pepper colored woman looked down upon Malia, not believing what she was saying, though a light flush did cover her body, causing her to burn in embarrassment at how she had almost used inappropriate language in front of her friend’s child. Wincing slightly, and trying to cover it up, knowing that Hotei was standing right next to her, she felt her body burn in embarrassment as her love corrected her. She had almost slipped up twice and in the process had ended up mixing up the child’s brain. Hotei’s low hums in her ear made it hard for her to concentrate on what he was actually saying to her, but when his meaning became clear. Nodding her head, she approached the borders, only hoping that no one would tear her throat out.

Lifting her head up slightly, she let her throaty, powerful howl resonate from the borders, calling for @Narimé or @Sloane’s presence at the borders for their children. Taking a step back, she leaned into the comfort of the scarred male next to her, silently hoping he would not flinch back from her touch as she feared he would do. Turning back towards the pup, she tried to make conversation with the daughter of her close friend, "So Malia, do you have any siblings?" She tilted her head slightly, trying to distract the pup from what she had just done. At her age it shouldn’t have been crossed her mind and made sense as to what she had just done. Hopefully someone within the pack would heed her call and come to her. Then she would not have to dwell on anything any longer.

Malia looked up at this "Kasai" with an angry expression on her face. He was being a grump, and not any fun! Plus he was talking about her in front of her like she was not there! "I can take care of myself," she said, trying to act as intimidating as possible with as loud and deep a growl/squeak she could muster. "If you don't like it maybe you should go," she then added haughtily, trying to sit up straight. There was no way she would take any orders from strangers, especially one that tried to act like he was better!

She then shot a glance at Jessie, who seemed to be making a lot of mistakes talking today. The girl was not sure how she had been planning to finish that sentence in the first place, but it was embarrassing enough to cause Jessie to look a little uncomfortable. "Why do you two care so much about what I do! It is my business!" The Thorben cub was quickly becoming irritated with these two new wolves. They were ordering her around and saying she was lying, when she was not! She was a part of this pack, not them! Then the gray wolf howled for someone and it sounded like she was calling for mommy! What was she even doing!? Malia bared her teeth.

As Jessie began asking her questions the girl managed to calm down a little. The fur that had been standing up straight in an attempt to make herself look bigger laid down on her back, and she sat back down on the grass. "I have two brothers, Yuka and Titan," she said, happy to talk about herself. "They're boring scaredy-cats," she announced to the two wolves.

Kasai remained rigid while Malia began trying to argue with them. He turned his gaze away from the pair of females and searched the area for any sign of other wolves or other dangers. His yellow orbs disappeared under a series of blinks as the male sighed tired of the young pups increasingly loud growling. He was about to snap at her to stop when Jessie piped in asking the little runt about her siblings. So while holding his tongue Kasai turned his measuring gaze upon the pup who seemed to have calmed down while talking to his Jessie.

"I see... Boring scaredy-cats eh..." He flicked his gaze back to the packs borders hoping to see or hear other wolves beyond the meadows whispering grasses. "Titan Malia and Yuka Thorben then.. " Elettra might be glad to know of the three pups in Whisper Caverns. It gives her a clue on how large this bordering pack is growing. He didn't finish the sentence instead thinking the last portion softly in his head. Kasai only thought of the pack bordering his own as a hindrance. Competition for food and resources that El and her pups needed. He still did not know of the alliance set into place by Elettra and WC alpha's.

"So you are the top dog among your brothers?" The burnt man asked the pup feigning amusement. "Do you beat them up?." He looked over to Jessie wondering what her reaction to his question would be even though he'd asked it to Malia. His yellow gaze caught her green one's and for once it was Kasai who looked away unnerved by that beautiful gaze.