A Friend? Sort Of.

[jay]

Jay tripped over tree roots, his clumsy still-not-comfortable paws dragging through the snow as he wandered through the trees. Although he had originally believed this place to be beautiful as a pup, now the trees just seemed scary and ominous. He was quietly wondering if this was somewhere near where Xinelil's body still lay, though he did not have the heart to search for it. In one sense, Kadhi was right. They did not know the horrors the alpha brute had gone through, the mutilation of his body and the terrible fate that had taken him from this world. What sort of horrible wolf would take our alpha from us? he wondered, frustrated with himself because he lacked even the slightest way to avenge his fallen friend, almost fatherly figure.

Suddenly, the brute stumbled face first into a snow bank. "Shit," he growled under his breath, finally fed up with the stupid weather. And as soon as the word had slipped through his maw, he heard a swoosh and a sting of pain behind his right ear. The rustling of feathers was enough to roll the brute over, swiping his paw at whatever had just scratched his ear. He watched in awe as a young snowy owl settled itself on a branch no more than five feet off the ground.

"It is not very appealing for one to mutter curses in such a way," the owl suddenly snapped. Jay cocked his head to the side. "What, you think it's your job to tell me what to do?" he inquired in amusement. Here was a small bird, trying to tell a full-grown wolf what he could or could not do! The very thought brought a chuckle to Jay. He needed a good laugh every once in a while.

"Don't be foolish. Of course it is, you ungrateful little twit. Did your mother never teach you any matters? You should respect a majestic creature such as myself!" The bird griped again, preening her feathers pridefully. "After all, I am what you would call the King of the Forest. Though, in my case, I would accept the title of Queen. That's Queen Alearia to you," she preached, puffing her chest out and rustling her feathers with a stretch of her wings. Jay was awe-struck. His jaw nearly hit the ground; what was going on here?

"Alearia, if you don't mind me asking... What are you doing here? I mean, I should eat you. I am the predator, you are the prey. That is how these things work," Jay explained to the bird with a smile. She did not seem amused by his insinuations.

"Did I not tell you to address me as Queen Alearia?" the bird snapped once more. "Sorry, Queen Alearia," he mumbled between his canines. This was simply humiliating. A wolf that was being pushed around by a little snowy owl. "As for why I'm here... I simply have nothing better to do. And you were doing a good enough job making a fool out of yourself that I thought you might appreciate a little help. Perhaps...?" She drew out the words much longer than they needed to be.

"What help could you possibly be to me?" Jay wondered outloud. "Don't you take that tone with me!" Alearia squawked once again. "You should treat me with respect. After all, I do not approach just anyone in this forest. The trees are crawling with the most appalling of creatures." She shuddered, sending a shiver down Jay's spine. What sort of creatures could she be talking about? The wolf that killed Xinelil is not still around her, is he? he thought frantically, his eyes shooting wildly around in search for any unwanted company.

"Relax, there is no one here now. That stupid little wolf scurried off with the alpha's head a while back. She seemed in quite a hurry to leave," Alearia mumbled the last sentence to herself. However, Jay was interested by her words. Could this bird possibly be the companionship that he was searching for? Although he had never been much for birds, since the meat was stringy and unappealing, he had never tried being friends with one. "So, what did you have in mind, miss?" he asked. "Well, you could catch me a nice meal," she offered, a gargling chuckle slipping through her beak.

Jay's ears fell back. "I... I can't really hunt," he admitted. The owl stared at him with her piercing yellow eyes. "What sort of wolf does not know how to hunt?" Alearia hissed, outraged by the lack of a free meal. She shook her head. "I guess I'll just have to teach you to do it myself."

[jay]

The grey wolf was perplexed. What could a snowy owl possibly know about the way wolves hunt? I guess she is a predator... But that doesn't mean she knows the way of the wolves any better than I do. His mental indecision was quite obvious on his face. He had never been the best at hiding emotions, and his current dilemma, whether to accept the help of the owl or simply walk away and pretend that the conversation had never happened, was not an easy one to deal with. He had always been quite juvenile; perhaps some stages were never meant to be grown out of.

"I'm not going to sit around here all day, pup. If you must truly know, I am a woodland creature. I see other animals fall prey to wild dogs, bears, and all manners of wildlife every day. Do you really believe I do not know what I am talking about?" Alearia screeched, disbelief flooding into her eyes. It was hard to please the owl, Jay was learning relatively quickly. "It's not that... It is just that my last teacher walked out on me. How do I know you won't just leave me hanging, fly away like the rest of the creatures around here?" Alearia huffed.

"If you truly believe I am that stupid of a bird, then I don't know why we are speaking right now. I am the best of the best. The most beautiful, the most poised, and certainly the best teacher you could ever find. If you do not wish to accept my help, then I am sure there is another critter around here somewhere just dying to be eaten up all by myself," she snapped with a piercing stare. Whoah, don't mess with the snowy owl, Jay made a mental note. "I guess that all makes sense... I really do need to learn this stuff and everyone else always seems too busy to help."

Alearia fluttered out of the tree, perching on the brute's shoulder. Although he could tell she was trying hard not to dig in her talons, he could still feel the pressure of the pointed daggers and the weight of her body on his back. He winced slightly; it would not be fun to be on the other side of those talons if she were angry. "Now, walk," she demanded. Jay cocked his head back to look at Alearia for a moment before he embarked on a gentle trot, careful to avoid low resting branches that would smack her in the face. He knew well enough that if she were upsetted, she would not return.

"Quiet now... I'm going to fly up and check for some middle sized animals. They will not be startled by me, for I am simply the pretty little snowy owl," Alearia chirped with amusement written all over her face. There was not a sentence that came from her beak that was not either arrogant or condescending. It would be enough to drive any other wolf crazy, but Jay was such a pushover that having someone to order him around was a relief from having to think for himself. "Alright, I will wait here," he agreed. "Well what else would I have you do, fly up here with me?" she remarked with a scoff, drifting into the sky, though careful to remain within the sight of the grey wolf.

As Jay watched the female owl float above in the air currents, he was baffled. Why did she decide to keep Jay company? And why was she always so bitter about everything he had to say? Maybe I just need to think more before I speak, and then she won't be so critical of everything, he thought inwardly. There was the option of asking her, but Jay did not feel like considering the option of getting on Alearia's bad side. She already would not let him address her as anything other than Queen Alearia or Miss, or Ma'am; something formal.

[jay]

After a short period of time, Alearia swooped back through the trees, this time resting on a branch not far from the grey brute's head. "There is a family of common rabbits about a minute's walk from here. We are going to find them, and you are going to catch at least one of them," she instructed strictly. There was no room for argument in her voice. "What if they all get away?" the brute's voice faltered momentarily.

Alearia dropped another branch, pecking at the brute's head. "Ouch... Ouch... OUCH STOP IT DAMNIT!" he yelped, earning himself another smack in the head. "What did I tell you about the swearing?!" she scolded him with a hiss from her beak. "You will be broken of that habit sooner than later, or you are not going to have much of that brain of yours left!" He glared at her briefly, though not long enough for her to catch it. He would put up with this for now, but the pestering shortcomings were starting to get to him. Would he never be good enough for anyone?

"When you catch the rabbit... When, not if. When you catch it, you are to bring it back here for me. It will be my lunch," Alearia screeched, her beak flaring wide and her wings jerking out intimidatingly. "Are we clear?" Jay could only shake his head in agreement. He could not fight with the bird. Glancing back once more, Alearia shooed him onward with one wing.

"I'm going," he muttered under his breath, the female snowy owl finally disappearing from his view. Jay released a sigh when he felt it was safe. The last thing he needed was another scolding from the smaller critter; it was humiliating enough that he could not hunt. And now a little owl was trying to teach him. She sent him off without even a remote idea of what to do!

"The key to a successful hunt is patience little one. Unless your lunch is a sitting duck tangled in the bushes, chances are it's got a pretty strong flight instinct." Denali's voice flooded the brute's ears. It had been so long ago that he had received his first hunting lesson from the white female and Xinelil while they spoke. He had not even been taken into the pack then; it was when he had been traveling with Tain and Lan. There was something about the conversation that had stuck with him, though. Patience was the key.

Keep a close eye on the prey... There's the scent trail! The brute's ears perked slightly; he could hear the small thuds of rabbit feet pounding against the earth. The crinkling of the winter snow was louder than he had ever thought possible. Luckily, the falling snow helped disguise his scent as well as it had hidden ther rabbits' until then. There were four, all full-grown, out looking for what little greenery was left until spring. Peeking through the brush, he spied the one closest to him, no more than four feet away. He was careful to make no sudden movements; patience was the key.

Patience is the key. Wait, now, wait. He repeated this over and over in his mind. Jay watched incredulously as the rabbit hopped towards him, not away. When it was no more than a jump away, the brute lashed out from the bushes, his strong jowls snapping around the rabbit as it emitted a deathly screech. He winced slightly; it had been so long since he had actually caught a rabbit that he forgot the screams.

Jay halted. I actually did it. How did I do it without any help? He shook his head. Alearia had done nothing to help him, and here he was delivering her a free meal? How did he know that this was not all a ruse so she could use him? He growled lowly, trotting back the way he had come to find the bird. A deal was a deal. He caught glimpse of a white fuzzy mass resting on the limb of a tree and strode up to it. "Here's your rabb-"

The huge lump of snow came tumbling down on the brute's head, and the sound of Alearia's laughter echoed off the trees. There, behind where the chunk of snow had originally rested, sat the young snowy owl, quite amused and pleased with herself. "You really should be more observant. If you had been paying any less attention, you might have run smack into the tree," she lectured the brute with a giggle. She stretched her wings, careful to preen the feathers near her body carefully before hopping from the branches. "So, where's my food?" she demanded.

It took a minute for Jay to realize what had hit him. He was not used to being taken advantage of, then embarassed even further when he attempted to keep his end of the deal! Why did he not just walk away and leave the little owl behind? Because he was a push over. He needed a firm voice in his life, and he had finally found it in the form of an arrogant, strong-willed snowy owl named Alearia. "Here," he mumbled through the rabbit's fur, tossing it lightly on the snow in front of her.

[jay]

Alearia squawked with delight, pouncing upon the rabbit with little wasted time. Her beak tore the fur back, and she swallowed the meat and fur as one. The gurgling sounds of her throat continued as she tore chunks from the bones, sometimes even ignoring the smaller ones. Jay nearly gagged at the speed with which she devoured the rabbit. It was nearly as large as she, yet she ripped it to bits in no time at all. Like I said before, I would not want to be on the other side of that, even if I am larger than her. After allowing her time to eat, the brute cleared his throat.

"Did you need something?" Alearia stared at him with a confused look. "You could say thank you," he stated with a dull look in his eyes. "After all, I just handed you a free meal." She laughed her throaty chortle once again. "Indeed you did. I should probably thank you for that," she agreed, but the gratitude never came. Jay huffed in defeat; this bird was getting on his nerves fairly quickly. However, he was happy to have some company, even if said company was merely chewing him out and manipulating him to her will. "I thought you said you would teach me to hunt. Sending me out after a rabbit for you to munch on without even a mention of technique or anything did nothing for me," he accused with a strange look.

To his surprise, she laughed. "Did it not? You got the little bugger. I am a much better teacher than you could ever imagine, Jay. I can work in ways that you did not think were possible. What was the first thing you thought of when you left, other than how annoying I can be?" she shot with an accusing tone. "Umm... A long time ago, when Xinelil and Denali tried to help me hunt. But that was more than a year ago, I was only a pup. You had nothing to do with that!" he complained. "How do you know?"

He hated this. Jay could not prove a point with this bird without her turning it back around on him. "Listen, you have to learn the basics before you can work on anything more challenging. I don't see you out there trying to pounce on a caribou or chasing after a herd of deer." Alearia rambled, puffing her chest out proudly. "I am a bird of prey. I live to watch other creatures die. And yet, here you sit, ungrateful as can be as I attempt to lecture you in the only skill that can maintain you for any stretch of time, other than fighting." Her yellow eyes fell on the brute once more, seemingly staring straight to his soul. "Do you really want to have this argument with me?!"

The brute sighed. No, I don't. She does have a point there. Why was she trying to help him anyways? What would she gain from this? If there was one thing he was learning about Alearia, it was that nothing was solely for his benefit. He could not learn anything without a bit of fun for her. "What, do I have to keep feeding you for you to help me?" he asked suddenly. Alearia laughed. "You sure are a bright little wolf. Maybe some day you'll grow up to be the big bad alpha and get to boss other little wolves around!" Her mocking tone was heavy and hurtful. "Yes, you do. I am not here solely to benefit you. I want something out of this too, and that just so happens to be food and someone to keep me company." She could be so tempermental; it was irritating to Jay. What did he do to deserve a little companion such as the erratic snowy owl before him?

"So, where are your parents?" Jay asked suddenly. His curiosity was overwhelming him as to why she was so bitter about everying. Alearia's eyes seemed probing as she prattled off her response. "You ask far too many questions. If you were my chick, I would have done my best to keep that tongue in your mouth long enough to build up a little pressure. I do not have any parents anymore. I am a creature of my own devices, and I have been quite self-sufficient for some time. You must learn not to meddle where you do not belong." And that was the end of that conversation.

[jay]

Jay sat in silence for a few moments, anticipating that Alearia would have more to say. After she remained quiet, he cocked his head sideways in confusion. I thought she was quite the loud mouth... Never thought she would be quiet this long, he remarked in his head, stiffling a chuckle in the process. The action did not go un-noticed by the pissed snowy owl.

"What is so funny, brute? Your manners are quite appalling... I cannot believe this. Why could you not model yourself after someone brave, strong, valiant, kind... Someone like me?" she squawked in protest to his chuckle. At this, Jay could not help but laugh. "Alearia, I already had a role model. Did you ever meet the old alpha of Aldgar?" The owl nodded her head slowly, turning it backwards to look behind her, lifting up a claw to scratch at her wing... And then she took the liberty to speak.

"Of course. A right good wolf. Why are you not more like him? Why in the world would you spend time with me if you have a role model like ole Xinelil?" Alearia rambled. "And I guess you can just call me Alearia... I don't like it. Too informal. After all, I am still a queen." She hooted softly, swaying back and forth in an interesting display. Jay watched in amusement, shuffling his paws in the snow briefly to kill some time. He did not really want to talk about Xinelil right now. "So, are you going to teach me anything else?" The owl shook her head frantically.

"Of course not! What do you think I am, a miracle worker? Foolish wolf." She snorted. Jay yawned, then glanced back in the direction from which he had come. "Well, my alphess is kind of waiting for me... I should probably go back to meet her and then mayb-" He was cut off by a sharp rap on his head. "OUCH! What was that for?" he growled.

Alearia snorted, her eyes conveying her emotion. She was not amused. "You are not leaving me behind. Either you stay with me, or I will accompany you to meet your alphess," she ordered with a firm glare. Jay was a bit unnerved by her eyes. It was as if they followed him everywhere, and he did not like being watched constantly. The ultimatum that he had been issued was a problem, too. He did not know how well Meikou would take to him returning with a large owl perched on his shoulder, but he also knew she would be even more hurt if he never returned at all. "Fine, you can come back with me."

The hoot that Alearia emitted seemed to be a happy one, one of the first pleased noises the bird had made since they had come into company with each other. "But I have to warn you, the last wolf that had a bird with her did not get along with the others so well. You'll have to learn to be nice," he warned. "I will do as I please," Alearia snapped back. Jay shrugged, then watched as the young owl fluttered down to him and perched back on his shoulder as she had before.

And with this arrangement made, Jay trotted back off through the trees, headed back to Meikou, Vee, and Auden. Whether they would be pleased to see his new friend, or friend-like companion, that would be the question. Would he be shunned because of this creature who had decided to cling to him?