Jasper Rocks you don't know my heart

Despite her Alpha's reassurances that she need not submit, Pip's eyes wheeled quite a bit to expose white sclera. Oula had shown no signs of aggression towards her, but the small one had caught the flash of teeth she'd shown at the retreating male. With the gray wolf's low wagging tail, Pip relaxed minutely and slowly rolled until she was laying sternally.

'I didn't like how he was looking at you.'

Burnt orange eyes blinked with surprise before the smallest hint of tears pricked at her eyes. Silly, she knew, to feel so emotional. Embarrassed, Pip lifted a paw to cover her eyes and muzzle from Oula's gaze. She had lucked out. Since the moment @Yvly had found her and presented her as a prospective packmate to @Veho and @Jynx, Pip knew she'd found the pack for her. There was a closeness within Grizzly Hollow's borders that didn't exist even among the sea wolves. At least not all of them. But each packmate here treated her with gentleness she'd only experienced before from her siblings and a few select members of her old pack.

Swiping her telltale tears away, Pip sat up taller to reach forward and lick @Oula's chin with grateful affection. She really didn't have to defend her. But it resounded within the yearling that she had defended her despite her interference the day prior. The agouti wolf wondered if Oula saw herself as kind. As a fearless leader, defender of helpless. At times like these, Pip regretted most her inability to speak, as more than ever, she wished to tell her of the image she had of the bravest wolf she'd ever met. Her brother's reckless bravery paled in comparison, though she loved him no less for it.

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Oula watched as the little wolf gradually rolled to her belly, a slightly more befitting pose in her opinion, which Oula urged on with a quicker tempo of her swaying tail. But then orange eyes disappeared beneath a draped paw, Oula's head tilting slightly as her tail slowed, wondering what was the matter now. Was her injury bothering her? Oula had stepped in closer to investigate when Pip's snout suddenly appeared beneath her chin delivering little licks.

 

Oula wasn't entirely sure what it was all about, but she returned the gesture with a gentle nudge of her muzzle to the yearling's crown punctuated by a lick. Pip was so little, it was almost easy to pretend she was a cub of one of the gargantuan warriors back home. Oula had thought she'd drawn the short straw herself with regards to genetics, being the smallest of the battalion, but the straw Pip ended up with seemed to be much shorter. Having seen the girl's siblings it was now clear that her family wasn't necessarily small by nature, and speech wasn't beyond their capabilities. Though she'd never really been sure whether the russet female's quiet nature was by choice or by anatomy.

"So you can speak not a word?" She asked with blameless curiosity as she drew back slightly, putting the yearling within her sage gaze, "How frustrating that must be for you." She said with a tight pull of her lips. Oula had to admit it scared her a little, imagining the tiny wolf in trouble but unable to call for her packmates, the thought of the diseased looking stranger she'd sent off just moments prior sending a chill up her spine. It could have been a close call.

 

The surprise was clear in her widened orange eyes. It was so rare for her physical affection to be returned so easily. Well, before, it had been. Since coming to Grizzly Hollow, however, since walking as one of their own, Pip had found all manner of affection from her packmates. Was this what it was meant to be like? Constant harassment in her birth pack had led the young one to be quite fearful of most wolves save for the trusted few - namely her siblings - and those she didn't fear, she was often quite shy around. But here, none had given her reason to fear. In fact, many had gone out of their way to make her feel safe.

Closing her eyes, a hint of a smile pulled at Pip's lips as @Oula licked her forehead. At the softly worded question, the yearling opened her eyes and shook her head, averting her gaze guiltily. Though by no fault of her own, she knew it was a burden to those around her. It made them work all the harder to communicate with her. Instead of saying how hard it was for herself and the rest of the pack, Oula mentioned how hard it must be for her. She wouldn't let them come forward again, but Pip felt the tears lingering.

Kind and perceptive.

Slowly, the little female nodded, lowering her head back to her paws as her ears fell against her head. It wasn't only frustrating. But lonely. And scary at times, too. Pip did not think herself a brave wolf. As was the case with the beaver that attacked her, she'd wanted to yip and yowl for help but was unable to make such a call. If Kjell hadn't shown up, things would have been much different that day, she imagined. Even just now, with that strange wolf... The yearling could easily imagine that meeting going poorly. And if Oula had not shown up? She would have been in just as dire straits as she had been when faced with an angry beaver. By no means was Pip a fighter and she had little will to change that about herself. The world around her could be just a little too overbearing at times. And thinking so, the sea wolf found herself even more grateful that Oula had found her and she was no longer facing its harshness alone.

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Following her observation, Oula noted as little Pip nodded in confirmation that she physically could not speak. Oula's ears flicked downward, a brief mirror of the tawny girl's own. She could hardly imagine being trapped inside ones own head like that. The ability to express herself with sound was a gift she had taken for granted.

"To be honest, I worry for you." Oula said, not meaning to patronize the girl but wanting to give some explanation for her thoughts as she continued. "If I am near enough to help you, know that I always will." The leader promised as she leaned down to ruffle the girl's black-flecked nape. It was a pledge that went for each and every wolf in the Hollow, part of her duty to serve those beneath her.

"But as you know, there is only one of me." She continued with a sigh. She could not be everywhere at once, and despite her constant vigilance it was impossible to keep every single wolf out of harms way. But she did not say this to scare the little wolf into confinement. "But it is no life to be trapped within the boundaries in fear."

Oula rounded about to face the same direction as Pip, nudging the girl's shoulder in a bid for her to rise. "Pip, how would you like me to teach you to defend yourself? I don't think it is something that is past you. After all, you had no trouble stopping me and your brother from tearing each other in two," She said with a lopsided smile.

 

The young wolf thumped her black tipped tail against the stone beneath her, appreciative of her Alpha's concern, though sad that she had to feel that way at all. Pip hoped that if Oula ever needed help, she would be brave enough to provide it. But Oula was her Alpha. She wouldn't need the help of such a scaredy wolf with no skills to speak of besides fishing. And really, what good did that do anyone who was in trouble. She was no healer. Certainly no fighter. Not even a proper hunter! She was just a fisher. It was all she really knew.

As the gray female sidled next to her and gave a gentle nudge, Pip was quick to stand to her paws, even if it did take some doing with how uncooperative her wounded leg was today. She stood hunched, head down, and tail tucked between her legs, far too uncomfortable to stand to her full height next to her superior. Submission was what she knew as well. Good at inviting attention onto herself despite how fearful attention made her. It was a noxious cycle that seemed to viciously repeat until something gave.

Orange eyes darted over to Oula's for a heartbeat as she mentioned teaching her to defend herself before her gaze fell away again. Pip's legs began to tremble. Did that mean she would have to defend herself from Oula? She...she wouldn't! It was unnatural and...and terrifying! The little wolf didn't want to face her Alpha's anger by flat out refusing, but she was just as afraid of facing her head on in any kind of sparring.

She stood there a bit miserable, at a loss for what to do as rising anxiety ate at her. It was different with her brother! It was...giving her another target. Another neck to chew on instead. It wasn't bravery at all. It was love in all its desperation. But Pip knew in the end, whatever her Alpha asked of her, she would do her best to comply. She owned Oula that and more, after all.

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Oula hadn't meant to frighten her subordinate, though what aspect of training had the girl so shaken Oula couldn't be sure. She was such a meek thing, perhaps just the thought of being the aggressor was too much, or it would be too overwhelming to start from ground zero. Just learning the essentials, dodging and breaking from holds, would put Pip miles ahead of where she was now, just another line of defense that would put Oula's mind at ease that she'd done all she could to keep her pack safe.

"It's quite alright, we wouldn't start immediately." Oula assured her, ducking slightly in case the wobbling girl needed something to lean against. Pip's wounded leg was the primary concern, and while Oula would not mind a bit of activity whilst pregnant, she figured the tentative yearling would rather not practice defense with someone who was. And at that point, Pip would not be the only one needing instruction. Oula fully planned on teaching her children how to stand up for themselves and all that that entailed.

"Once your leg is healed and the days are long, we can start with the basics. You can learn along with the cubs," She said matter of factly, not even knowing herself if she was indeed carrying yet, but confident enough that everything had worked.

 

Pip relaxed visibly at @Oula's reassurance that her training would not start today. Her ears fell sideways along her head and the tip of her tail wagged with embarrassment. Of course her Alpha wouldn't have her doing strenuous activities when she was still healing. The little wolf's anxiety had a way of making her come up with all kinds of scary scenarios, even if the likelihood of them coming to pass were low. Learning along cubs? That...didn't sound...too scary.

Wait.

Wait.

Cubs? Did that mean...?

The yearling realized now how effectively she had been hiding herself away from the pack in Veho's medical den. Thinking back, Pip recalled Veho returning to the den with Oula's scent, and something else she couldn't recognize nor was ever taught to know. But at the time, it didn't seem all that strange. Alphas were meant to spend time together, weren't they? They made decisions and led and... Well, she supposed they had pups together, too.

Angling her head, Pip licked Oula in silent congratulations, her tail wagging fully now. She would make a wonderful mother. As lovely a mother as she was a leader. Her excitement for the gray lady had Pip unknowingly stretching her injured leg to touch upon the ground and bear weight.

She paused in her kisses immediately, turning to stare at the leg as it sent a quick sting from her toes all the way to her back. Her wounds oozed serum and blood at a trickle now and Pip ducked her head guiltily. She was supposed to be resting it. The events from yesterday and her journey for solitude out here were as far from resting as she could get. Perhaps it was time to head back home. The little female looked up at Oula for direction, resigned to not getting that quiet time alone. But as Oula had demonstrated, perhaps that wasn't what she'd needed in the first place.

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Oula was pleased that some aspect of her offer proved to be acceptable to Pip, the little appreciative licks to her chin met with a happy swish of her tail. Either simply waiting or getting to practice with the pups had apparently been enough of an incentive. Starting Pip out from ground zero as she was would still be a challenge for the little wolf, but one that Oula thought was worth pushing her a little out of her comfort zone for.

Oula's gaze followed as Pip suddenly stopped and ducked to inspect the wound on her leg. Her ears pricked forward, whiskers twitching as she noticed the wound oozing a little more than it had been earlier. "I'll escort you back to the territory," Oula decided, leaving no room for argument. She wanted to make sure the injured girl made it home safely, and figured Pip probably wanted her wound tended to sooner rather than later anyways.

Oula stood close, giving Pip the choice to lean against her flank or at least have something to catch against if she stumbled. "We'll have to see if Veho is in at his infirmary," She said as she started off for home.

 

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