{ the learning of KR'AL }--&

[Rai;;+]

Perfect. Everything had to be perfect. The day only came once a year, and by nature, Alexei was quite the perfectionist. Not one piece of prey could be out of place, not one streamer could be out of line.

A long time ago, before Alexei was leader of the Straumura, this tradition had been established. It came as a chance for the dogs of the Straumura pack to bond, to really get to know each other, and to 'make new friends and keep the old', as the saying went. The Learning of Kr'al was a fantastic event, hosted only once a year - a chance for the pack to unwind and relax during a hard year of work.

A dry cough escaping her maw ( a chronic symptom of her faulty gene passed down the line ), the small Shiba Inu tilted her head up at the night sky. The moon had risen not too long ago. Not a single cloud to be seen tonight. The stars are clear. Feina and Verdn watch over us tonight. And it was quite true - the gods always attended the Learning of Kr'al. Always.

The center of camp was quite ready for the festivities to begin. Old streamers had been stolen from the human cities and hung, flapping in the wind, from trees, strung about their branches. They weren't exactly delightfully color anymore with the dust and neglect that covered them, but they suited the atmosphere. A few lanterns were lit with the help of their Seer, and also dangled from the branches, the small flames safely out of reach of the leaves. A large pile of freshly caught prey was assembled in the middle of the meadow, piled high with the hard hunting work done by the Straumura dogs in days prior to this to prepare for it.

Wonderful. Everything was in place. Soon dogs would be arriving. As tradition dictated, a large feast would begin, and then all dogs would head to another part of camp to play games late into the night and enjoy casual chatter and lots of peaceful company.

The small but imposing Shiba Inu allowed a rare smile to melt away the tension and icyness of her features. This is going to be simply marvelous.

----

Dreizehn looked forward to this time of year. Not because of the prey ( though that was stunning as well ) and not really because of the games ( he hardly played those unless dragged into it by either Yura or Reiner ), but because of what the festival symbolized.

Harmory. Company. Friendship.

The pack was most at ease this night, reveling in each others' company, playing games and laughing. Old friends who never had time to see each other could catch up, new friends would be made.

The large Doberman trotted into the center clearing where several dogs were already beginning to enjoy the prey, lounging about in groups with juicy pieces of rabbit, bird, and other various animals, chatting idly. Not far ahead was their leader Alexei Ivanovna, making careful rounds ( of course ) to ensure everything was going smoothly.

Dreizehn was glad he was off for the day. Finally, he could spend some time with Reiner, his closest friend, or perhaps find Yura. He hadn't seen his sister in some time and was quite curious as to how things were going with her.

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[&&!; SONiDY - - x]

The night was illuminated with bright lanterns and streamers, shining brilliance into the darkened sky. Stars blinked in the inky canvas above, glowing with a warm radiance that calmed the hearts of any canine 'neath them. The assortment of items taken from the human city may have made this look like some celebration for a human reason, but in fact, humans were long gone. They had died many, many years ago. Not even dogs really knew what they looked like, how they behaved, or what they were.

However, these thoughts did not speed through the mind of Yura as she pranced about gracefully in the midst of the party. Her pure ivory fur stood out easily, but she liked to be different. Her pointed ears stood straight up and her tail, which was curled over, wagged, sending its long strands of fur flying about.

"Dreizehn!" Yura barked happily, leaping toward him. "Isn't it just wonderful tonight? I wish we could have this every day!" She smiled, her white fur the complete opposite of her brother's, which was a mixture of black and white. It would seem odd for her, who appeared a completely different breed than her brother, a Doberman, to be Dreizehn's sister. But they had always figured that their mum had been a different breed, therefore mixing Yura's genes and making her look much different than her family. They had never known their mother, however.

Yura didn't mind being different. As said before, she loved being different. She could hardly stand still as she stared at her brother. She was just so excited! Oh, everything would be just excellent. She would have so much fun participating in the games - especially Butterfly-hunt! Bouncing around and trying to catch the butterflies was always so fun.

True, the games of the Learning of Kr'al were mainly for pups, but adults often participated in them, too. Yura was still a bit immature, but she was a great friend and excellent company. Oftentimes she would not be able to shut her mouth while talking. She resisted the temptation to just keep talking to her brother, streaming on about the lights and the grass and the stars. Well, she couldn't help it; she loved to talk!

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[Rai;;+]

The entire atmosphere tonight was an ethereal and festive one, and Dreizehn couldn't help but feel all his worries vanish beneath the glimmering lights and the rowdy company. Not far away, the sound of barking laughter sounded from a group of young dogs gathered together, most likely exchanging gossip and tales, and howling with mirth from their own jokes.

A rare smile curved his maw, and he let out a sigh. Tonight, a night of peace. Everything was going to be alright, if only until tomorrow morning, when the magic would be over.

"Dreizehn!"

The high-pitched yip caught his attention, and the Doberman knew who it was without even turning around. When he turned to look over his shoulder, sure enough, the sprightly bundle of ivory fur was bounding towards him eagerly, spitz-tail swishing back and forth with excitement. And he couldn't help but smile - he knew the Learning of Kr'al was Yura's favorite day of the year.

It was almost a comical sight, the large Doberman looking down gently at the small spitz dog, and no one would have guessed they were half-siblings. "You and me both, Yura," he responded to her statement about wishing they could have this every day. "Look at everyone today - they're all so calm."

She was practically bursting with energy, and he chuckled to himself. It was completely fine with him that Yura was the talkative type, because he was definitely the listening type. A dog of few words, Dreizehn was nevertheless always willing to lend an ear. "Might want to get something to eat, so you'll have energy for the games, Yura."

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[&&!; SONiDY - - x]

Yura smiled. "Ooh, but I can't eat! My stomach won't allow it. It's all fuzzy tonight." She blinked. "Oh my, I'm just so excited! The arrangements are so beautiful here. Whoever decorated did a great job. I bet the games will be fun! I can't wait 'till they start. And then the feast . . . and the final celebrations! I've always been too busy, y'know, to find a costume, but this year I'mma try real hard!"

Yura stopped talking, breathless. Wow. Had she just said all that? She giggled and wagged her tail. "You know what, I think you're right. I'll go get some food." She turned around and prepared to charge off, but then she remembered Dreizhn. "Oh, and do you want some food, Bro?" She smiled happily at him, her tail wagging so hard it occasionally hit her brother's chest. She was small compared to him - her head only reaching up to his shoulder - but although opposites, they got along extremely well.

Yura couldn't help but lose her focus and catch a few bits of a conversation beside her. A group of young dogs were whispering jokes to each other. She emitted a giggle at one of them. Suddenly the group blinked and stared at her, realizing that she had been listening. She was sure she felt her face turn red, but the dogs just laughed it off and returned to their jokes. With a blink and a sigh of relief, she turned back to her brother, wondering if he had caught that exchange.

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[Rai;;+]

"And then he said, 'I would have finished, but then I saw the third dog coming back with pineapples!"

It wasn't so much the joke, but the raucous laughter following that caught Dreizehn's attention, and he blinked, turning to face the group just as Yura burst out with her high-pitched laugh as well. The large Doberman simply shook his head and smiled amusedly. He had heard that joke before, knew that punch line, but it never got old. And he recognized the Schnauzer telling the joke - he was quite a prankster amongst the pack. But then, he only knew him because Alexei often complained about his tricks when he went to receive his morning orders.

He means well, though. And he has gathered quite the crowd.

"Hm?" Dreizehn lifted his head again and his ears perked up at the sound of Yura's voice again, asking him if he would like some prey. He smiled and nodded. "Sure, let's go." Together they trotted over to the heaping pile, and his mouth began to water. He knew that much of the pack had been out hunting lately to provide for this feast, and he couldn't thank them enough mentally. Thank the Gods... Selecting a juicy ground squirrel, he licked his lips before trotting away with it to find a place to lie down.

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[&&!; SONiDY - - x]

Yura nodded and sped off, her legs moving at an extreme pace. She halted by the prey-pile, which was in the center of Eirn, and carefully observed it. Finally she picked out a plump rabbit that had been caught just the day before. The prey bounced in her jaws as she pranced off a few feet away from the pile and tore into it.

"Hurry up, Dreizhn, you slow-poke!" She called, giggling between a mouthful of hare. Suddenly pawsteps reached her ears, and an unfamiliar scent wreathed the air. It smelled like a strange dog . . . and plants. She looked up, ears pricked, and almost burst out laughing. There, right in front of her, was the tiniest dog she had ever seen. She choked on a piece of hare, but finally managed to swallow it.

"Umm . . . hi. Excuse me but, what are you?" Yura asked in a hoarse voice. This dog, although small, was very pretty. Her fur was brown, and her back was dashed with black. Her tail was black with a white underside, and it had a small kink in the end. She had a white chest and ivory socks on each paw. A white mark was set upon her forehead like a jewel. Light brown eyebrows were strewn over her dark brown eyes. Strangely enough, there was a gray satchel-like thing hanging over the dog's shoulder; it was from the bag, which was actually a camera bag, that the plant smell came from.

--

Akiria blinked. It had been awhile since she'd seen a dog so big - and wow, look at that dog next to her! Dreizhn, she had heard the ivory dog call him. He was a giant! She smiled timidly, feeling her legs begin to tremble. Are they gonna hurt me? Oh, I hope not! "My name i-is Akiria, ma'am. I'm a Chihuahua. I'm just here for the feast."

Yura smiled, a hint of sympathy in her black eyes. She felt so sorry for the little thing. Actually, this Akiria dog was . . . cute. She was so small and scared, like a pup. She almost felt like hugging the tiny dog, as if she were a plush toy. "Oh, then I'm Yura. This is my brother, Dreizhn. Ha, I know, we don't look alike at all. But we suppose that our mother was a different breed than my father. We never knew our mother, you know. Oh, by the way, welcome to the Straumura pack!"

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[Rai;;+]

"I'm coming, Yura," he barked gruffly through fangs that were clenched around his piece of prey, and turned to trot towards her. He was surprised though, when he heard her voice again, this time speaking to someone else. Had she met a new friend? Dreizehn wouldn't put it past her to start chatting up the nearest stranger - she liked to get to know people. But when the voice responded, this caught the Doberman's attention. This was not a voice he knew, and that pungent scent of herbs... it was not one he knew either.

Instantly his guard-dog instincts kicked in and he bounded over to Yura, his ears perked up in alert again. He was not hostile - Dreizehn didn't jump to conclusions, but it was clear his senses were on alert again and he assumed a protective posture as he stood beside his sister, regarding the tiny little dog with a calm sort of appraise. Who was this dog? Akiria, she calls herself... Dreizehn knew every dog in the pack, and it troubled him that someone he didn't know was here.

Of course, he was well aware that anyone was allowed into the Straumura ground on the night of the Learning of Kr'al - the pack borders were open then - but still, his nature made him tense. Nevertheless, he said nothing, but simply nodded in greeting to the small dog.

"Dreizehn! There you are!"

The new voice startled him slightly, but he would recognize that icy, queenly, and authoritative tone anywhere. "Ma'am!" he barked sharply, turning around and standing straight at attention, looking like he would give a military salute had he been capable of doing so.

The small Shiba Inu approaching with such a regal air about her was almost comical for anyone who did not know her. Though smaller than Dreizehn by a very good deal and smaller even than Yura, Alexei held a commanding presence that established her very quickly as the leader of the pack. "No need to be tense tonight, Dreizehn - oh, who is this?"

By now she had noticed the newcomer, a dog smaller than she, even. She regarded Akiria carefully with royal eyes, and finally swished her tail, her icy gaze finally melting into a rare welcoming smile. "Straumura doors are open tonight, stranger. Welcome to the Learning of Kr'al. Please help yourself to our hospitality."

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[®yan~]

Taking each step carefully and cautiously, Kiros attempted not to disrupt the enjoyment of tonight's festivities by his obnoxious, booming footsteps. He wandered about the area, carefully observing as all those around him worked on the final touches of the decorations, and putting each piece of prey into place, making a magnificent mountain in the center of the territory.

He especially loved the Learning of Kr'al, not only for the entertainment and the peace which it held, but it gave his pack the chance to show how much they flourished, as of late. The ability to hold this festival safely and boldly showed all the other packs and loners who attended, that the Straumura pack was a strong and proud one, not to be bothered or trifled with.

A low growling could be heard, and he almost jumped, only to realize that it was his stomach making the antagonistic noises.
Sigh.
He decided he might as well get something to satisfy this hunger, before other dogs too thought some creature from beyond his gut was preparing to attack. It was a bit early for the feast, seeing as not everyone had arrived, but he was sure one piece of prey wouldn't be too dearly missed.

He moved quickly toward the center of the territory, approaching the mountain of food as stealthily as he could, hoping not to be pestered by a member of his pack. Seeing a raccoon in the pile, he smiled brightly, his hopes now a reality. He happily lifted it from the pile and padded away, in search of a quiet place to eat his delicious meal in peace.

As he walked, another scent drifted his way, overpowering the one of the raccoon dangling from his jowls. It was obviously a stranger, not too uncommon being that it was the Learning of Kr'al, and there was something else as well. Unfamiliar plants, perhaps herbs, were intermixed with this dog's scent, prying at Kiros' curiosity. He examined the area around him, and noticed a small group with the stranger, most likely in greeting. He carried his snack over toward them, and sat before his fellow packmates with a loud thud.

"Good evening." He smirked at their vast difference in size, but made no comment about it, and simply set his raccoon before him, examining the newcomer carefully. "I should hope you are feeling welcomed?" He laughed for a moment, a low, booming laugh, trying to make the guest feel more at ease. Though, he wasn't too sure it would work like that.

[ɱienɀhyrȩ]

The last day of spring! It was finally here!

The little black and tan Dachshund galloped around, passing through every part of the Straumura pack territory before the festivities even started. The Learning of Kr'al wasn't the female's favorite day, she didn't favor any day over another in any case, but it was a very fun day indeed nonetheless. She slowed to an enthusiastic trot as the excitement started to wear down --it wasn't too thrilling when the games hadn't started yet-- and eventually made it back to Eirn. A faint jolt in her chest stopped her in midstep as she remembered her little failure in hunting some time ago. She continued on, however, brown-spotted black legs almost stomping on the grassy land. At least she had fun afterward.

Thinking of this, and hunting in general, Rena found herself in front of the pile of food for the feast. Some other dogs had taken their share, or a small part of it most likely, and so the small dog followed suit. A rather plump mouse fitted her fancy at the moment and she snacked on it happily. She was still a bit new to the pack and although she had attended the Kr'al for a fair amount of times now, she still wasn't quite sure if it was proper to eat before everyone else. Year after year she had noted others taking a light, or in some cases heavy, snack before the actual feast, so perhaps it was simply an unwritten rule. Or the attendees were simply hungry and couldn't wait. She giggled softly at the thought.

The 13-year-old finished eating and reluctantly left the rest of the food to find the other pack members to chat with. There was a chance of some random loners coming, as always, so that would be fun too. As though Feina and Verdn had considered this thought as a prayer and answered it, Rena saw a new face among the small crowd that had gathered a little ways before her. She trotted up to the other dogs, noticing her leaders and the 'guardian' along with his unlikely sister. The sight of the big Doberman made the small pup wag her feathery tail, though she gave a courteous bow to Alexei and Kiros before that. She gave a light bark in greeting to the stranger, and to everyone else besides.

"Hi!"

---

OOC: Kiros is the Alpha too, right?

[ajessybear]

Reiner could feel the warm night air rushing past his snout as he glided through the trees. His heart was pounding, not because of the long run, but because of his tardiness. He was not one to show up fashionably late, let alone to the Learning of Kr'al. He could hear the festivities not far ahead of him, the other dogs barking happily. His stomach growled loudly as he took in the scent of the feast. Ah, the feast, quite possibly his favorite part of the night.

Twigs snapped beneath his large paws as he made his way through the maze of fallen branches and overgrown grass. He suddenly found himself regretting the afternoon nap he'd opted to take almost two hours before. It was a long night he thought to himself, shaking his head and continuing on towards the celebration. Slowing once he could see an opening in the trees, Reiner stopped and closed his eyes. He listened to the laughter, the low mummer of the Straumura pack finally coming together as a whole.

Opening his eyes, Reiner walked over to the circle of wolves by the large pile of prey. Spotting Dreizehn, he sighed, happy to know his most trusted friend was there. He walked right up to him, sat down, and smiled. " Sorry, I'm a little late. It's good to see you here." He laughed a little, slightly embarrassed by his lack of punctuality.

[Fayolinn]~]

Ooc// I hope it's alright that I join. x3

Bic// Shaking her fur, a paprika-furred dog stood, stretching her legs. Digging a small hole in the soft earth by a bush, she pushed the bones of her latest meal into it before burying them from sight. Patting the loose earth back into place, Kyushina flicked her ears, letting out a contented, yet satsified sigh. Her bright, emerald eyes surveyed the camp around her, liking what she saw.

The Learning of the Kr'al was really all that special to her. Sure, the 19-year-old had liked the games as a pup and meeting new people wasn't all that bad, but unlike some, she wasn't separated from her friends all that long. Shrugging off the feeling to curl up and take a nap, Kyushina leaped forward and walked to the center of camp, looking for another familiar face to talk to. Seeing a bunch of dogs clustered around a newcomer, Kyushina's interest was piqued and she began to head that way. But once her eyes settled on the pack's leader, Alexei, the female's bi-colored ears lifted and she bounded towards her friend.

"Hey, Alexei," she greeted, tail wagging a bit. "So, who's this newcomer?"

[&&!; SONiDY - - x]

Yura's eyes widened as more dogs began to join them. She burst out giggling. "Wow, looks like the whole party has moved over here!" She smiled and wagged her tail. "Ooh, lookee! The elders are gathering. The games are gonna start soon!"

Yura flicked her tail. "This is Akiria, everyone. She's my new buddy!" She watched as the little Chihuahua's legs stopped trembling. "Have you ever been to the Learning of Kr'al before, Akiria? We always eat a little first, then the pups, and a few adults, go to play games in the meadow. They're really fun, you should try! And after that, we eat a bit more, and then everyone walks along the pack borders and sings and dances. Some of us, like me, are going to wear costumes!"

--

Akiria attempted a smile without a hint of fear in it as everyone gathered around her. "Hi, everybody," she said in a squeaky voice, glad that Yura had introduced her. She looked up as Yura began one of her endless happy rants. "Really? Well, I've heard rumors, so I decided to visit. Looks like I came at the right time." She chuckled lightly.

As Yura mentioned a costume, Akiria's ears pricked. "You know, I have some berries that I could dye your fur with, if you need it for your costume." The other female looked excited. "Oh, that'd help a lot! Thank you!" The little Chihuahua only smiled and began to observe the setting.

"The arrangements are really beautiful," Akiria said to Alexei, wagging her tail. "They remind me so much of the others. How'd you light up those lanterns, though - do you know of electricity? Surely fire wouldn't work." Her eyes glittered keenly. Had these dogs mastered the techniques of the humans? Well, I hear they have Lren, or something like that.

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[Rai;;+]

In about the span of fifteen seconds, the greeting party grew from three to four, and then to seven. Crazy how news spread around, even if no one was talking about it. As a few other dogs came by to join in on the small crowd saying hello to the newcomer, Dreizehn waved hello to the ones he recognized well.

First came Kiros, the alpha, and the Doberman stood tall at attention as he approached, massive pawsteps signaling his arrival. Though his morning orders usually came from Alexei, Dreizehn held nothing but respect for the male leader and his calm, collected ways. He was, in some ways, quite the opposite of his mate, but healthily so, and was quite often the force of reason to her something tyrannical ways. His bow to his leader was interrupted though, but the approach of Rena.

The small Dachshund was making an entrance with a jovial sweep of her tail, as ever, before, and Dreizehn responded with a smile and a nod of greeting. He would have gone to greet her personally, but he was still watching to make sure this loner - as harmless as she currently seemed - didn't try anything funny.

Finally though, when Reiner joined the party, Dreizehn's will told him to move out of the way, that by this time, there was enough to protect Yura if she needed anything. And it looked like she was perfectly happy with her new friend, this small chihuahua. The Doberman was pleased with his sister's impeccable social abilities - it was amazing, sometimes, the way she readily trusted others. "Hey," he greeted gruffly but amicably as he wove his way through the small crowd towards Rena and Reiner.
"Glad to see you guys made it."

--

Hearing more than seeing her mate approach, Alexei turned over her shoulder to greet the male leader with a nod and a small, but regal, smile. When Yura began to yip happily again to the newcomer about their festivities, Alexei turned back around with a smile. "Yes, you came just in time. These are some of our pack members. I'm Alexei, the leader of this pack, along with my mate, Kiros." She flicked her ears and indicated the dog who stood next to her, a good foot or so taller than her small, compact being.

"We hope you enjoy your stay tonight, Akiria. Please help yourself to some prey over there," she indicated the large pile in the middle of the meadow, "and join in on our fun later tonight."

Yes, this is turning out to be a great Learning of Kr'al. She smiled, and then turned her head to face her mate. "Kiros, do you mind if you and Yura show our new guest around? Unless you have better things to do, of course, dear." She pressed her muzzle briefly into his side before turning around again, head lifted high in the air like a queen as she walked away.

She didn't move ten steps, however, before the telltale glow of red fur came her way, and the leader smiled slightly - there was Kyushina, doubtlessly, her close friend. "Ah, good evening," she barked, swishing her curled tail back and forth. "Oh, her? A loner - she's come to enjoy the night with us."

As they continued on towards the prey pile, Alexei resisted the urge to yawn. What was this... the night had only begun and she was already weary? That would not do. "And what has been the news with you? I haven't seen you in so long - forgive me. I've been busy, you understand."

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[Fayolinn]~]

One would've never have guessed that Kyushina had befriended the alpha female, Alexei, just from sheer looks and personality. There was over a 30-year age difference between the two entirely different breeds, one a responsible leader, the other a fiery, bright teen. However, a bit to Kyushina's chagrin, she had somehow managed to befriend Alexei and the two were closer than ever.

"Ohhhh," the paprika-pelted canine responded, craning her neck to get a view of the small stranger. Within another few seconds, Kyushina recognized the breed as a chihuahua. Lashing her tail, she shrugged, opening her maw to speak with Alexei, only to find her already heading to the prey pile (where she had just came from). Rolling her eyes, but knowing better than to give the Straumura leader a complaint, Kyushina obediently followed.

"Nothing much," she answered, noting the slight fatigue in Alexei's movements. "It's been a bummer not being able to talk to you for awhile. Sometimes I think all that work you do is a bit unhealthy," Kyushina added, a slight smirk playing on her maw.

[Rai;;+]

Upon reaching the large pile of prey, Alexei's mouth began to water again, and she eyed the delicious food hungrily before snatching up a pigeon with a quick movement of her head, and then moved a little bit to the right of the pile to sit in a nice, grassy open area, the way she liked it best. Alexei was fond of having a view of the sky while she was eating, which was part of the time she rarely spent her time in her den, but rather enjoyed the outdoors.

As Kyushina moved to join her, she nodded toward the flame-colored dog. "What other choice do I have? Leaders have responsibilities - we cannot always be chatting, much as we'd like." Of course, this was not entirely true, since she knew if she had wanted to, she could have made plenty of free-time for herself. But, being somewhat of a perfectionist as she was, Alexei liked to create work for herself, even where there was nothing to be done. Better to be overworked than underworked.

She dug into her prey with the grace of a queen, and licked her jaws clean of blood after every bite. "That's good to hear. How have the borders been looking?"

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