Life with Koda

[Chasca]

I frown when Nikiski asks me to tell him about myself. I can't blame him for wanting to know...that's normal. But I feel kind of awkward about it.

I feel a little relieved when he offers to tell me about himself first. That'd give me some time. "Well uhm...it's up to you," I reply, noticing he looks like he's thinking. "Is something wrong?" I ask, partly to evade my story, but mostly because I'm...con--curious.

[Nikiski]

"Well, my story..."

I stare at the sky.

"You remember that I told you about my brother who's a spirit?"

Sila nods.

"Well... h--he was killed... by a pack of humans..."

Sila looks at me with wide open eyes.

"...when he tried to save me..."

I look away.

"Anyways, I have pretty much been alone since then..."

Wait, is this supposed to be a sad story?

"... until I find friends at this salmon run..."

[TigerTails2]

OCC:Ya theres like a new post all the time

BIC: "Oh yes im am new around here me and my well dad are new around these parts."

[Chasca]

I can't help but to look at Nikiski sadly. I've never had such a loss...and I can't really imagine what it would be like. But I don't sympathize or pity...because I don't like it when others do it. All I can try to do is try my best to understand.

I blink in surprise at his last sentence. Hm. He must be one of those optimists or something. Well...I suppose that's good then. I nod solemnly, trying to think of what to say. I don't want to rub it in, saying, 'I'm sorry'. "Well...at least you'll never be alone again..." I say, trying to...look on the bright side or whatever he's doing too. A hard task indeed.

I nod at Riki.

[Nikiski]

"Well yeah I guess so, and I have such a great friend like you!"

I smile at Sila, waiting for her to tell HER story.

OOC~ where are you at actually, TT2? I'm confused @@

[Chasca]

I blink in shock. "Uhm...thanks..." giving a quick smile, I add, "Same to you..."

Then I notice Nikiski's smiling. About what? "Oh." He's waiting for me to tell him MY story. Ah, great. I roll over to not face him, taking a few deep breaths to calm my nerves. Just thinking about it makes me angry. But, he deserves to hear it. Since he told me his.

Turning back to face him, eyes looking down, I start. "Well..." I can already feel my muscles and claws tense. I feel as if every word is its own challenge. "I guess...I guess I lead a pretty normal life..." I sigh, looking bitter. But, it's not like I can go back now. "Until I was thirteen..." I feel as if I'm choking.

"There...there was this other wolf...Akhlut. And he...well he had always shone interest in me..." I shrug. "But I always laughed it off, ya know?" I pause, looking up at the sky; already the forlorn feeling was coming back. Stammering, I manage to get out, shakily, "Well...he became the Alpha Male of our pack...and he still wanted me..." I feel the anger mixed with sadness seeth through every vein in my body. "He'd threaten me...embarrass me...but I still wouldn't give in..."

By then, the end had come. I sighed, remembering the day clearly, despite my attempts to bury it. I wish I could forget it all. Just have all of my memories gone from that time...instead of the nightmares that came with them. "And well...one day he banished me from the pack. Ever since then, I've been alone..." I finished bitterly, looking at the ground hatefully, as if it were Akhlut's face. The worst disgrace had fallen upon me.

"But, it doesn't matter. I'm over it," I say, turning away again to hide the truth.

[Nikiski]

I am actually quite supprised to hear what Sila has been through. An alpha male who has shown interest in her banished her from the pack? I can't imagine how bad that feeling must be.

Until she says the last sentence. I can still see anger in her eyes.

"You're not alone, you have us! Friends!"

I give Sila a hug, just to make her feel better.

[Ken'ichi]

As I continued my walk back to the salmon run river, I couldn't help but think about what happened back there. First I'm fatally wounded and losing a lot of blood, next thing I know this...thing around Niki's neck touches my wound and it heals instantly. I turn around and look back, I keep getting his eerie feeling someone is following me. The wind picks up speed and my fur brushes agains the wind as I turn around to continue my way back to the river. I stop and turn around again when I heard some rusttle in the bushes. Nothing.

"Weird" I mutter.

I continue my way to the river, I could see Niki and Sila sitting by each other, chatting. I stop walking again when I hear a twig snap right behind me. I quickly turn around and flex my claws, ready if something jumps at me, but again, nothing. I look next to me to see some bushes rusttling about, like if something was behind it. I slowly crept at the bush...

"BOO!" A figure cry as it jumped out the bush.

I shout in surprise and fall backward. I look at the figure to see Koda, rolling on the floor laughing his fur off. I guess after dumping him into the water twice a few days ago, this is his revenge.

"Scared ya huh?" Koda asks me.

"yea yea, ha-ha." I say as I get back up. "What are you doing here anyway?"

"I was following you." Koda chuckled again, admiring his prank of scaring me, "You wouldn't think I would stay back there all by myself, would ya?"

I blinked, he could've been in serious danger if he would've followed me to where I was fighting the hunters, I figure he must've given up on following me.

"Well...let's go back to the others, ok?" I say as I turned around.

"I saw what happened back there..."

I turned to Koda to see a concerned look on his face.

"What?" I asked.

"I saw what happened to you!" Koda's voice sounded broken, "I saw you wounded, a knife on your shoulder, you were bleeding pretty badly!" Koda just looked at me with big eyes and a concerned face, as if he was going to cry, "I thought I was going to lose you."

Aw man, now I feel bad. "Sorry Koda...I took my eyes off the hunter and didn't see him throw the knife." I look at the salmon run river, which is just a few steps away. "I'm sorry I scared you, it won't happen again, I promise."

Koda tackles me from behind and he stands over me, I look at him to see a smile on his face, I couldn't help but to smile back.

"I'm just glad you're ok." Koda says with relief, then he gives me another big hug.

"Gah...alright Koda...I get it..." I say between breaths.

He lets me go and pads away laughing, "C'mon Ken'ichi, let's go catch some fish!" He runs off to the river.

I stood up and shrugged, for a cub who may disobey at times, he's not so bad. I laugh a little run off after my friend.

[Kanoa]

~OOC~ TT2's back in the forest, lemme go get him..
~BIC~
I went back to the forest to get the new bear.

"Hey, come on to the Salmon Run! Everyone's there"

[Nikiski]

After hearing what Sila has to say, I lie down, watching the cubs play.

Sila closes her eyes, just to take a nap I guess. I place my head on my arms, trying to find someway to be comfortable...

I stare at the sky, thinking, only my thought is interrupted by Koda, who's playing near by.

[Kanoa]

~OOC~ Darn, I think I should drag her there..(what's TT2's character name again?)

~BIC~
As I walked back to the Salmon Run, the new bear followed (~OOC~ I hope TT2 wont mind). When we reached the Salmon Run, I run towards the river and jumped in.

*SPLASH*

"Aahhh, thats refreshing"

~OOC~ I hope I didnt wet anyone

[Ken'ichi]

OOC: I'll try to play as Koda till the real Koda comes back from vacation, ok?

BIC:
(As Koda)
I run into the water, splashing water everywhere as I trot through it. As I reach the deep end where I could go completely underwater, I grin as an idea comes into mind. Ken'ichi pushed me into the water twice a few days ago, and I scared him earlier to ensure one revenge, but he's one more overdue.

I dive underwater and look up to see Ken'ichi looking for me, unaware of my stealth underwater. I sink to the bottom of the river, which isn't very deep but enough to hide me under it. I push myself up and I rise up right in front of Ken'ichi, grabbed him and pulled him underwater with me.

I rise up and couldn't help but laugh, I got him good this time. Ken'ichi rises up from behind me, I look at him with a grin and so how he takes my prank.

[Nikiski]

Watching them having fun, but I am afraid that they might wake Sila who's now asleep...

"Hey Koda, nice one! Just make sure the next time when you dive down try to make it smoother and quieter... that would have worked better!"

Koda looks at me, I wait for what he's going to say.

"What? What's wrong?"

I sit up, and Koda still has his eyes fixed on me.

[Ken'ichi]

(As Ken'ichi)
Once again I lose track of Koda, he seems to have dissapeared right in front of me. He's a fast cub, but I never thought this fast. I stood at the edge of the deep end of the river, looking around, trying to find him. Suddenly, this thing rises up from behind me and before I could think, it grabs me and drags me underwater. There's only one kid capable of doing two tricks almost constantly...Koda. I slowly raise my head out of the water, Koda turns at me with a grin, I spit water out of my mouth. I was about to get back at Koda till Niki called out to Koda. I then noticed Koda setting his eyes on Niki and gestured me to go along with it, I smiled at the devil's playful mind.

[Ken'ichi]

(As Koda)
I could tell Ken'ichi was surprised, even thought he's trying to hide it. I turn to Niki as he tells me to keep it down as to not wake Sila. But I decide different. I fixed my eyes at Niki, but I then noticed something odd about Niki, other than a thing around his neck like Kenai's totem, he had what looked like a scar on his chest. I glanced at Ken'ichi and gesture him to go along with my plan.

"Hey Niki, what happened to your chest? Did you fell or something?"

I decided he first tell me how he got that scar, then have a little fun with him.