I thought this had died and didn't recognize it as mine, sorry XD *gets back into Winter mode... ugh*. Also I hope life cuts you some slack <3
Word Count: 823
As soon as snow was mentioned, the pup seemed to brighten as if it was the best thing in the world. Then again, judging by his age, he couldn't have seen much else. He seemed to have been born in winter, so the whole idea of leaves and grass and non-frozen water must be as foreign to him as the idea of not knowing them was to Yumiko. As he ducked down to hide, she grinned. He was adorable, and she loved all sorts of pups. Well, except for those brats that are little snobs from birth. But they don't count. She could see the black stripe along his spine clearly despite the light dusting of snow upon it, but other than that he blended right into the ground. She decided to play along, just for the heck of it.
Looking around blindly, she called out, "Hey! Where'd you go? I can't see you anywhere!" An honest grin was on her face and her tail wagged slightly behind her as the little one popped out of the ground with a laugh. She clutched her chest and took a step back in mock surprise. "Woah, I couldn't find you anywhere!" The grin on her face proved that she wasn't mad or upset with the stranger, and as he laughed she joined along while the crisp air invaded her lungs. She coughed a little, bothered by the cold, but turned back to the white pup who seemed to be born for this sort of weather.
Snow and fur. He reaaaally liked snow, it seemed. Fur... that was actually rather helpful. "Fur, eh? I should find some fur, thank you." It would take more effort than he probably realised, but it was still actually a good idea. She'd been meaning to do it eventually but just hadn't gotten around to it yet. Why not start collecting furs now?
At the mention of 'leader things,' Yumiko blinked, surprised. Was his father Dawali? She had no memory of seeing the two together. But then again, stranger things had happened. Maybe the kid was adopted, or he was always with his mother, or... or who knows. But if Dawali was his father, then she knew he wouldn't mind her being around his child as long as she didn't hurt or scare him or anything. He was a wise man after all. She had yet to meet Ember, and even if she had her mind always thought of a pack as having only one leader unless they were mated. She wasn't against a female being the Alpha or anything, but she had never come across it in her life and the idea was just... strange to her. So the idea never even crossed Yumiko's mind.
Lotus. Sounded like the name of a pond flower her mother had shown her once, when she was being taught plants and their medicinal uses. They were beautiful in spring. "I'm Yumiko," she said with a soft smile upon her lips, when she, too, was distracted by a noise in the bushes. A grey-ish wolf appeared and headed their way, much to the blonde female's surprise. What were the odds of meeting so many new people all at once? The new female seemed to know Lotus. Yet another coincidence? Yumiko decided not to comment on the woman's first comment, but simply raised a hand in greeting with a sheepish expression upon her face. She didn't know why she was embaressed, but she felt rather like she had been caught in some sort of terrible act just for talking to the boy in front of her. She got to her feet and stretched, muscles sore after crouching at Lotus' level for so long.
She couldn't sense any particular dominance in the female, so she knew they were close enough in rank. That was all she could discern, and since the newcomer must have overheard her name being mentioned she left her greeting at the raised hand and smile. "You're not inturrupting, really. I'm surprised I didn't smell you before," Yumiko stated honestly. She had always had a strong sense of smell, so it was uncommon for her not to notice a stranger nearby. Then again, she had been distracted by the other newcomer in her midst.
"He's been here maybe fifteen minutes. Not long. He just kind of... appeared." A shrug of one slim shoulder accentuated her point. Yet, as they talked, the person in question spun around in circles sputtering nonsense about a 'he'. Only one of the three wolves there was male; who else could they be talking about?
As Lotus searched in vain behind a tree, Yumiko glanced at the other female, restraining a giggle, for she mererly thought the boy was either unsure of his speech because of his young age, or if he honestly thought there was another little man around. "He? We're talking about you, silly!" she called in clarification.