Cheveyo walked beside Nathan. He had to walk carefully over the gravel, because when it shifted it hurt his ankle. He was limping again by the time they got closer to Nathan's home.

Dala sniffed the air, eyeing the berries but not getting up. He flicked an ear and grunted, looking past the girl at where Cheveyo and Nathan were appearing from the trees. Then he looked back at the berries, still unsure. Nathan leaned the bike against a tree, slowing and gently stroking Cheveyo's neck, encouraging him towards the open stall door, patiently.

Onyx spun around when she caught Nathan and Cheveyo's scent and raced up to the stallion when they came out of the trees. She nickered and rubbed her head against his golden neck. Cheveyo jerked his head up, sending his black mane out of his eyes and whinnied happily. He looked over and spotted the girl trying to feed the bear berries. He tossed his head and nudged Onyx. The mare and stallion both moved over to the open stall. Cheveyo went inside and instantly laid down, letting out a deep sigh. Onyx stood outside the stall, glancing at Nathan before watching Catori with the bear. Catori was so focused on watching the bear that she didn't pay any attention to the sounds of the boy and stallion arriving. She sat down with her legs under her and laid the berries down in front of her.

Dala looked to Nathan, who was heading to the stall too. He nodded, and disppeared into the door, stroking Onyx's neck before disappearing into the barn to fill a bucket of hot water. Dala happily stood and lumbered towards the berried, reaching and snatching a few up.
Nathan came back into the stall with a bucket of hot water, and a first aid box. He knelt, unwrapping his ankle and sponging it with the hot water, gently.

Catori smiled when the bear ate the berries. She looked over and saw the boy carrying a bucket and a box into the stall. She stood up and disappeared into the trees. It was dark but she was able to find what she was looking for. She came back and stood in the open door of the stall. She took the moss she had and smashed some berries and other herbs on it. She set it down beside the boy. "Wrap." she told him, pointing at Cheveyo's ankle. She looked at the box and shook her head. She turned around and walked away from the stall, patting Onyx's neck on the way. She walked back toward the bear and sat down, holding out a hand with more berries.

The moss smelled like what his ma used to make when he sprained his wrist, or when their old donkey's arthritis was acting up. Before she got sick herself. His brother taught him modern medicine, but his mother hadn't lived long enough to teach him herbal remedies. He used the rest of the warm water, sponging his ankle until the bucket was empty. He wrapped the moss around the swollen ankle, and then wrapped thin, clean bandages around the moss.

Cheveyo flinched when his ankle was bandaged again, but relaxed when it was wrapped. He nudged Nathan's hand and nickered, thanking the boy. He streched his neck and laid his head down, closing his eyes and drifting to sleep. Onyx looked into the stall and dipped her head when she saw that the stallion was asleep. She turned and trotted over to stand under a tall tree. She listened for any noises before laying down in the tall grass, quickly drifting to sleep.

Catori watched the mare and smiled as she fell asleep. She looked back to the bear and was about to move her hand with the berries closer when a distant yip caused her to jerk her head up. She dropped the berries and scrambled to her feet. She raced to the edge of the river and jumped up onto a large boulder. She tilted her head back, lifted her hands up to her mouth as if she was going to yell, and let out a loud howl. When her howl died down she listened intently. An eerie howl rose up from the trees. She let out several yips, sounding like an excited wolf pup and jumped down from the boulder. She raced up and down the river, let out yips and barks and an occasional short howl.

Nathan put the bucket and box away, and leant on the door, watching her, totally lost as to what she was doing.

A sound on the opposite side of the river stopped Catori in her tracks. She stared expectantly at the trees, as still as a statue. Suddenly a large black wolf padded out of the trees. It stood as still as the girl. Catori let out a sharp yip and the wolf growled. Without warning it raced towards the river and used stones sticking up out of the water to cross it. As soon as it reached the side where Catori was, it spun and raced towards her. It leaped up and jumped onto the thin girl, making her fall hard on her back. They wrestled on the ground both of them growling and snarling as if they were fighting.

Nathan took a few steps forward, not sure whst to make of this. Dala lumbered up to them, knocking the wolf over gently and looking down at the girl.

(No muussee)

Catori looked up when the wolf was knocked off of her and saw the bear. She heard a growl behind her and looked around to see the wolf crouching down, its eyes watching the bear. "Kitchi!" she snapped, baring her teeth at the wolf in warning. The wolf flinched as if he had been hit and looked up at the girl as she stood up. He glanced back at the bear before moving forward to stand beside Catori, his hackles still slightly raised. Catori patted his head and looked over at Nathan. "Kitchi." she said pointing down at the black wolf at her side.

The bear grunted in stisfaction, and lumbered towards Nathan. Nathan smiled and pointed at him, as he snuffled around Nathans pockets. "Dala."

Catori smiled at the boy then at the bear. "Dala." she repeated softly. She looked at the boy, wondering who he was.

He pointed to himself. "Nathan" he said as Dala pulled a croot from his pocket, munching on it.

"Nathan." Catori repeated. She hadn't talked to another human in so long that she couldn't remember some words. She looked over at the barn where the stallion was then over at the mare lying under the tree, wondering what the boy called them.

He saw Catori's looks, and so pointed towards the stall. "Cheveyo." He said, slightly startled, but sure. He knew that was what the stallion was called. He pointed to the mare. "Onyx."

Catori looked the boy in the eye, studying him. She could tell the boy had a connection to the stallion just like she had a connection to the wolf. She smiled and looked down at Kitchi. She crouched down beside him and scratched his ears. Kitchi lifted his head up and licked the girl's cheek in thanks. Catori stood up and walked over to the bush that had the berries and picked another handful. She turned around and walked silently back towards the bear. Kitchi suddenly darted forward and leaped in front of the girl, growling protectively and glancing between the boy and the bear. A low warning growl started in the girl's throat and when the wolf wouldn't back off she reached out and grabbed his scruff, shaking it slightly. Kitchi looked up and met Catori's eyes. After a few moments he lowered his gaze and took a few steps back, but stayed close enough just in case anyone decided to harm the girl. He had become a kind of guardian to the girl ever since he found her as a toddler stumbling through the snow. He had taken her back to a cave he was living in at the time and had raised her and protected her. He had always been wary of humans, and one time when he was out hunting a young boy had found the cave. When the boy discovered the young girl they became instant friends. He had brought out human clothes for her and had even taught Catori how to talk like a human. When the wolf discovered the boy he had been about to attack but Catori stopped him from harming the boy. The wolf got used to the other human being around and allowed the boy and Catori to play with eachother. After a while the boy's parents decided to move and the boy came to the cave to say goodbye. He gave Catori some silver fabric that she eventually made the dress she wore now out off as a farewell gift. In return Catori had given the boy a necklace that she had made out of some thin rope that held a small wood carving of a wolf. They had gone their seperate ways and not long after the boy left, Catori and Kitchi decided to leave the cave to find a place with more food. They had never seen the boy during their travels and they never expected to see him again. Kitchi guessed that the only reason they were here was because the boy with the bear and horses reminded Catori of her old friend.

Dala finished the carrot and stepped forward to lap up the berries, grunting happily. Nathan smiled, patting the bears side. He crouched and put a hand out, palm up, towards the wolf. "Hey, Kitchi."

Catori smiled happily and crouched down in front of the bear. She reached out and scratched the bear behind the ears. Kitchi growled quietly when Catori touched the bear. He didn't like seeing her anywhere near the bear. He considered the human girl to be his pup, because not long before he found her his mate and pups had been killed by a large male grizzly bear. His attention snapped over to the boy when he put a hand out. He couldn't help but follow his instincts and bare his fangs at the human and be wary of him. The only humans he had ever been around was Catori and her old friend. He stepped cautiously towards the boy and sniffed his hand. He recoiled slightly due to the bear's scent on the boy's hand and glanced over at Catori. She was watching him silently as she scratched the bear's ears. He suddenly turned around and stalked away a couple of feet before turning back around and laying down. He laid his head on his paws and watched the boy, bear, and girl, a warning growl rumbling low in his throat.

He shrugged and stood, running his fingers through Dala's thick fur.

(Sorry... No museeehhh :/)

Catori shook her head and patted Dala on the head. She stood up and walked toward the tree where Onyx was sleeping. She snapped her fingers when she passed Kitchi and with one quick glance at the boy and bear he followed the girl. Onyx woke up and blinked sleepily up at the girl then over at the wolf. She had already seen the wolf so she wasn't afraid of it. The girl patted the mare's shoulder before turning to the tree. She easily climbed it and sat down on a wide branch. She leaned against the trunk and almost instantly fell asleep. Kitchi circled the tree letting out occasional growls to warn anything close by to stay away. He padded over and laid down beside the black mare. His blue eyes scaned the area barely even blinking as the horse beside him went back to sleep.

Cheveyo nickered from his stall. He had heard a lot of commotion going on outside and wanted to know what was going on. The growling and howling had him on edge and with his ankle wrapped up it was difficult to stand up. He tossed his head and nickered louder, trying to see if everything was alright.

Nathan turned and went into the stall, kneeling beside Cheveyo and stroking his neck. "Its alright boy. Its alright." He brought in a bucket of water and a flake of hay, putting them by Cheveyo's head. "Sleep. Tomorrow you'll get some exercise, I'll take you for a swim. But for now, rest." He leant against the stone wall and dozed off, hand on the stallions withers.

Cheveyo relaxed when Nathan came into the stall. He took a drink of water and began to nibble at the hay before slowly drifting off.


Kitchi yawned and streched the rising sun already warming his fur. He had barely slept all night, keeping an eye out for any danger. He looked up at the tree and saw that Catori was still asleep. He looked at the black mare and watched as she stood up and shook the grass off of her coat. He streched one more time before both him and Onyx walked down to the river to get a drink. He was getting a drink when suddenly he was pushed into the water, completely soaking him. He jumped out growling and looked up at Onyx, who was nickering, oviously laughing at him. The mare turned around and took off at a gallop. Kitchi growled and took off chasing her, growling and barking.
Catori woke up suddenly when she heard Kitchi barking and looked around from her seat on the branch. She stared as Onyx raced past the tree with a drenched wolf chasing her. She burst out laughing and fell over backwards out of the tree, landing heavily on her back. The fall hurt but she couldn't stop laughing. Kitchi stopped chasing Onyx when he heard laughing and turned to face Catori. He started barking and growling at the girl, angry that he was soaking wet and she was laughing at him. Onyx stopped and turned around whinying in amusement as she watched the angry wolf.

Dala stood, grunting, and sleepily blinking at the three. He trotted(if bears can trot, lawl) to his little den and curled up, watching from safely inside. Nathan slowly woke up and looked outside at all of the laughing. "Oh, Onyx, you've gone and upset the big bad wolf." He yawned, before going into the barn and coming out with a flake of hay. He pulled it apart into a pile and left it by the tree, for the horses to nibble on. A few geese came running up, digging through the pile and honking.

Onyx snorted in amusement at Nathan's words. She trotted over to the hay and snorted at the geese, making a few of them move. She lowered her head and nibbled at the hay.

Kitchi growled and spun around. He raced into the trees and decided to go hunting until his fur dried.

Cheveyo opened his eyes sleepily and nickered, wondering where Nathan was.

Catori sat up, still giggling. She watched as Kitchi ran off and knew he would be back once he calmed down. She stood up and streched, watching Nathan put hay out for the horses. She walked over to the stall where Cheveyo was and tried to think of the human word. "Better?" she asked Nathan, pointing at the stallion's ankle.