+3. Forward-dated to the 11th. This should be a fairly fast thread! He's looking to see what had happened to AniWaya. Preferably someone who knows Bangle, but anyone is open to this. Only one person please ^^ (Unless a guardian must be present for any reason here, then two is fine).

The wandering craftsman had awoken his children early, with a surprise they were sure to love. They were just around the 3-month mark of age, and Bangle wanted to visit familiar faces in the southernmost pack. There was no better a chance than to surprise his son and daughter by taking them on a trip there. Ralla was sure to have pups now, albeit younger, but the craftsman was almost positive the children would get along if they met.

He had spent the later parts of the evening before getting things ready to hitch onto Jack, as the pair of children would not be much of an added weight on the creature. The coywolf was prepared for his rambunctious little clones to be jumping around that morning when they'd depart - when he'd tell them the surprise. Mirthful orange eyes beamed when he finally got the word out, to which the young white girl and the boy with the violet eyes jumped on their father and licked his face joyously.

Never had the multicolored male thought to be a father, or if he was he certainly didn't want to be held responsible. But for all the noise and the messes they made, Bangle loved his two children. A part of him was taking this trip to be out in the open, but it was also to make up for the third son they lost all those days ago. When the trio were prepared, Jack was led towards the front of the house as the craftsman hoisted blankets and other provisions upon the beast's rump. With his two children seated in front of him, harnessed to their father, they bid farewell to Cercatori and headed south.

What Bangle hadn't expected, however, was to arrive close to sunset, for his eager-to-move pups often wanted to see and smell the new sights presented before them. Although reluctantly, the decorated craftsman allowed them that freedom; they hadn't been allowed to leave the caravan when they left for Cour des Miracles, only when they paused to let the horses feed. The sun had turned to its shades of beautiful pinks, yellows, and violets, by the time that Bangle approached the familiar fencing, having followed the familiar course of the river towards the pack. Encouraging his children, the three coywolves lifted their noses into the air and let the chorus of howls ring out.

+3. Yay! <3 Feel free to pp them where they're goin'.

He had quieted down before his pups did, who seemed to be having fun letting loose their squeaky howls for as long as they could. Skye would have never let them make such noise in the house, and Bangle chuckled lightly. "Alrigh, that's enough." He clicked his tongue, keeping a steady hand around both of them. It was Erzulie who had spotted the white wolf approaching, at an alarmingly fast rate. "Daddy, lookit! I sees 'em!" The white pup wriggled with excitement, and Robert's ears flew back timidly. Bangle's own wide ones were high at attention, until the face became familiar to his own orange-yellow eyes.

"Ralla! What a--" But the pleasantries were cut short, as the white woman spoke with urgency. It was the first they had laid eyes on either of their children, and though he wanted to be happy for her, and had several questions before she began walking away. He raised an eyebrow curiously, which stirred even more questions in his mind, but he figured it was best to listen to her. Lightly nudging Jack's side, he began at a trot next to the family, keeping an eye on the pups that were at the white female's feet.

"What's goin' on, Ralla?" He couldn't help but ask as they walked away from the fence and back into the forest. As much as the coywolf had a had time trying to piece things together, he also had a hard time keeping his pups under control on top of the horse. "But I wa'nna play wit 'em!" Erzulie would say, while Robert kept his body pressed to his father, observing. Now did not seem to be the time for that, his excitement from moments ago now turned into concern. "Shh, not now minions," He whispered to him, as if there were something, or someone, around that was overhearing them.

WC: 800. The vorpal blade went snicker-snack! XD Also, I forgot that the AW raid takes place later that night o_o; If that complicates things for you I can set it back a day or two before.

Concern wrought the sly man's face, as the AniWayan woman led them all to the safety of a grove. He was quiet, but his pups writhed and looked on with interest at the unfamiliar pups that they wanted to play with. Something was terribly wrong, but the coywolf couldn't figure out why. She was a mother, now, and a leader alongside Dawali - what was there to fear? Jack trotted alongside the mother and the pups that beamed back anxiously at the coywolves, and the defeaning silence was all but comfortable for the bat-eared merchant.

Orange-hued eyes looked up when the shade enclosed around them, as the spotted horse seemed to know the general direction that they were heading in. He nickered when they slowed to a stop, and Bangle dismounted as the white female began to speak. There seemed to be a sort of excitement in her eyes, but it was fleeting. He grinned, despite the worry that ate at him, clutching his two children to his chest as he patted the horse's rump, indicating that he could freely graze. "What, these?" He indicated to the pups that struggled in his arm, wanting to be let down now that the two adults were just standing around. "They're jus' som'n I found, though' I'd come n' trade 'em. Yeh in'trested?" Bangle chortled, using his free hand to muss up the hair on each of his pups' heads. At one point, the statement might have been true, but now the gypsy had living obligations.

But Bangle's glance was right back on the white furred female, when she mentioned something about Guardians. Large ears flicked forward atop his head, furrowing his brows curiously. He looked at each of Ralla's pups in turn as she introduced them, and gave a small smile to each. The multicolored male, in turn, gave the names for the pair he was responsible for - and nearly mentioned the lost coywolf pup. Clearing his throat, Bangle finally set his pups down, and they nearly bounded off the ground and towards the other three.

He followed Ralla's gaze towards the five pups, which now became bundles of fur rolling about and tussling with one another. Even Robert, the timid one, had found some comfort in play. They were careless, innocent, and reckless as pups had the tendency to be. Bangle's only wish was that they did not grow up to be the same as they were now. Beads clinked in his hair as he turned to look at Ralla, taking a seat upon a dark, mossy rock. "So what's happenin'?" He said, audible for only the woman to hear. It was then that she began to explain, and Bangle's expression changed with each piece of information that he was receiving. There were times that he wanted to interject, but thought it best to let the former co-leader continue on with the story.

When all was said and done, Ralla had attempted to change the subject, but the problem presented to the craftsman set his ears back upon his decorated head. "So they jus' came n' took over? What's so great 'bout this Great Tribe, anyways?" He asked, trying to put the pieces together. He did not quite understand it all, but an overthrow of power was clear to the male. "Is there anythin' Cercatori can do?" He asked, knowing the neighboring packs were in a decent disposition with one another - at least for now. Bangle himself felt powerless, dropping his hands sorrowfully on his lap. The bangles on his wrists jingled into the air of the early evening.

The Guffawri male looked back at the pups playing not far away from where the pair sat, watching them yip and nip at one another. It was a good thing that the quiet of the grove would cover the noises of them all. Bright eyes looked disappointingly at the scene - this trip was not something he expected. The coywolf could not enter the safety of AniWaya as he had a few times before, and the surprise for his pups to see the new pack would not go as planned. He finally looked back at Ralla, after a silence, and finally answered her question of the happenings in the trader's pack. "Nothin' as eventful as here," he began, a hand gesturing into the air. The coywolf explained of the caravan adventure and a few familiar faces returning, unsure if Ralla recognized the names or not. All the while there was concern in his voice, still awaiting an answer to the question he asked of the white woman before. Bangle was sure he could speak for Skye in the matter, to offer a helping hand where it was needed, but the events that would take place were uncertain to the merchant.

WC: 721. XD Cmon, look at that suspicious face! Also, I've come to the conclusion that you make me write insane amounts for such a short thread x_x;

A hearty laugh came from the male, one that nearly made his pups stop to listen to. 'Zulie could nearly imitate it, but was still nowhere near close to Nathaniel's. The fleeting thought made him frown for a moment, but he physically shook his head to free himself of the thought as if it were a buzzing fly. "Knew yeh weren't one t'pass up a trade'a mine," He pointed out, grinning as he leaned forward and placed his hands on his thighs, his bracelets ting-a-ling-ing. Bangle remembered when Ralla and her brother were visitors in Cercatori, and despite the personal trouble the coywolf was going through that day, he managed to sell her (with words) an 'Onyx stone', whatever that was. He briefly wondered if she still kept the stone which he pawned off to her, though she paid with nothing but naivety that winter day.

Golden eyes rested on the painted woman as she spoke about the Great Tribe. His ears flicked in recognition, focusing on the situation. When she finished, the male blinked with mild understanding, but his shoulders slumped when he realized there was nothing she, or even he, could do. Sitting there in silence, he looked over to the tumbling ball that were the five pups, and wondered how anyone could deal with AniWaya's current situation. The clan used to be a very friendly and festive place, and Bangle had settled in well with the wolves and their ways. Now the woman before him, a friend he found he could trust not only in trade but in words, the clan was not as safe anymore.

The Guffawri male chewed his lip briefly in thought, almost feeling bad now that he sold a cheap black stone to the former leader when he told her it fell from the sky. "Well, hrm," he pondered, narrowing his eyes as if he could see his thoughts play out before him. "If'n yeh need a place t'stay.. you n' yer pups, Ayasha too, yer welcome ter Cercatori." The multicolored male could do nothing but offer, if they could not help, without really knowing of the implications that could befall the trader back should they house AniWayans. They'd go from traders to traitors, at least in the new Chief's eyes, but Bangle did not think that far beyond the hospitality.

But the heavy air lightened when they spoke of the goings-on within the trader pack that the craftsman belonged to, and so Bangle painted a wide grin on his face. Ralla began to speak about how she came to the lands, in a completely different direction than he, and mentioned ships and the wide open ocean. The coywolf could almost smell the salty sea, and wondered what it was like to be on a ship. A boat on a lake was one thing, but a grand ship sailing the vast seas was another adventure entirely. Bangle smiled at the idea, but the expression soon dimmed when the woman next to him asked about Skye.

His body shifted a bit, as a hand went to rub the back of his neck, looking uncomfortable. "She, eh.. well, she's busy. As yeh can see, I've been promoted to'a full-time pupsitter!" A chuckle made his light colored chest move up and down lightly, but did not last as long as his previous one. He watched as a couple of Ralla's pups tried to get Robert to play by nipping at his ears and legs, and Erzulie had stumbled into a bush and came back with a bone in her mouth, finding it fascinating in that moment. The thick-haired male cleared his throat.

"It's.. she's been dif'rent," he began, noticing how Skye had changed over the past moon. At first she was weak, but the red-headed female was then forced to grow up fast in such a cruel world. The world that took her son away. "Since we lost 'Thaniel, that is." The memory of his look-alike came swimming back into view, but it blurred his vision slightly. It was the first time Bangle had mentioned the loss of his pup to anyone outside his painterly pack. Bangle took a deep breath, knowing he had to be strong for the leader of his pack, knowing that her strong outer shell was only temporary to her bubbling inner turmoil.

WC: 541. Written from work!

He presented to the female of AniWaya the broadest of smiles at her words of his offers - it was true, he knew he had her lured to his side of the marketplace when he first gave her a stone at no charge. But after that, it was safe to say that the craftsman's closest link to the southernmost clan was through her, and the last few encounters had been from mostly trade. At present, the visit had taken quite a turn, but it comforted the sly coywolf that Ralla, nor her pups, were physically harmed.

The grin plastered on his colorful face soon subsided, though, a part of him knowing she would decline the offer of the safe walls of Cercatori d'Arte. His ears flicked in mild understanding of this new chief, who seemed bound and determined to restrict its members and keep them in line.. by any means necessary. There was a painful expression on his face just then, and Bangle could only begin to imagine that horrors had befallen the clan. Orange eyes bore directly into her own cool forest ones when she mentioned of a family who ran away. "They ran? Where?" It may not have been his place to ask, but his curiosity wandered freely.

Ralla's next, questioning word was almost lost upon his over-sized ears, as Erzulie came bounding up to him carrying a set of small bones, possibly from a vole or other small creature. "Daffy, 'ook!" Her words were muffled with the little treasures in between her teeth, tail erect and wagging proudly. "Wirr ya maike me'a necklafe out'f 'em?" Bangle did nothing but chuckle, and leaned forward to muss up the white fur on her head. "Of course lil' one, when we get 'ome." His words were convincing enough, and so she spat out the tiny leg bones at his feet and bounded back to the other pups.

Bangle fell silent for a long while, as if he had forgotten what Ralla had asked. He stared with a small smile on his face as he watched he and Ralla's pups play, and the coywolf shifted his weight where he sat. His face then turned to the woman's, making sure his own minions were out of earshot, and he leaned towards her and began to speak in the smallest of voices. "'..'E was our other son." The glitter in his eyes seemed to vanish, and he looked away from her face. "But we lost 'em ter th' wild... couple'a moons ago." Bangle's voice cracked, and he sucked in air through his nostrils deeply. Ralla was the first out of the trader pack to know of the disappearance of Nathaniel.

The coywolf desperately wanted to go back out and look for him, but a part of him believed his young son could not brave the wilds on his own, and was gone from this world. He cleared his throat and sat up straight again, his ears laid flat against his head as his eyes took to looking at the animal bones strewn at his feet. "But.. ah. We're gettin' by." The male wanted to sound reassuring, and anything but weak. Now his concern lay for the well-being of his mate and their remaining pups.