Traveling home was simple enough; they'd separated long enough to thoroughly confuse anyone that would think to follow them, and these mountains where treacherous enough when you knew them, let alone if you where an outsider. He and Lamb where totally safe, this was their home and they knew it like no other could; but he held the faintest bit of worry for the kitten child upon his back. He posed no threat to her, she was innocent and pure and he would keep her if he was allowed, but there was still the slightest possibility that she could fall from him and be injured, so he while he moved confidently and swift, he was taking a slightly longer, marginally safer route home.

Lamb did not contest, so he did not worry.

Making it up the mountains took hours, but it was worth the effort. The moment they reached the entrance to the temple was a joyous one; there always seemed to be a monk waiting for them when they returned, to greet them and render any assistance they needed. As the trio approached, the monk stood frozen in confusion; Wolf was well known for bringing trophies, but never living people, not without Fate's direct order. That he was carrying a small child was unnerving at best, outright terrifying at worse. What did the massive brute had planned?

"Master Wolf, Mistress Lamb, you are successful?"

"As always, monk. Does Lord Fate grace us with his presence."

"His chambers are empty, for the moment. Is there a problem?"

"None. I merely wish to speak with him, if he is willing. Send the message, monk. Lamb and I will be in our room. The child stays with us, until Lord Fate has spoken. We are not to be disturbed, unless by Lord Fate. Understood."

"Yes, Master Wolf. Of course, Master. I shall personally relay your request."

"Good. Go, we wish to be alone now."

"As you command, Master."

"Sicarius, can you walk, or shall I carry you more?" No, wait... he did not like to speak her name as such. True names where a scared thing to Kindred, they did not use them unless it was a proper time. "Child, we must hide your name. It is the way of Kindred, of all of the tools of Fate, to be given two names; our true names, hidden and secret, and our given names, which are known to those that we interact with. You know our given names; she is Lamb, I am Wolf; together we are Kindred. You will know our true names, when the time is right. For now though, we must give you a new name. Something appropriate. Although, I may well end up just calling you Kitten, or some variation. You are, for all intents and purposes, my pet, now. I have claimed you as my trophy of the hunt, so you belong to me; however I have no intention of mistreating you."

He glanced over to his Lamb, fighting the urge to move closer to here purely because that would end in things that a young child did not need to see; he didn't want to corrupt and damage her any more than she already had been. "My Lamb, do you protest this?"

WC: 550

The journey through the mountains was long, but not difficult for her. Lamb was used to making this trip as she and her darling Wolf frequently came and went from the hidden temple in the mountains in their travels to carry out Fate's orders. They knew multiple routes to the temple like the back of their hands; what made this journey harder was the fact that Wolf was carrying his 'trophy' from the hunt on his back, the young cat child by the name of Sicarius. As they climbed the mountainside, they were required to move slower, with Lamb following behind Wolf as he carried the child as a precaution in case she fell from his back. Not that Lamb doubted Wolf and his ability to ensure the child's safety: it was just logical to do so. Besides, Lamb was capable creating chains made of her chakra; could easily leap to catch the child and force her chains to dig into the rocks of the mountainside to keep them from falling.

 As the trio approached, the monk stood frozen in confusion; Wolf was well known for bringing trophies, but never living people, not without Fate's direct order. That he was carrying a small child was unnerving at best, outright terrifying at worse. Lamb could not help but cover her face with a hand to suppress a giggle beneath the mask she wore.

"Master Wolf, Mistress Lamb, you are successful?"

"As always, monk. Does Lord Fate grace us with his presence?" 

"His chambers are empty, for the moment. Is there a problem?"

"None. I merely wish to speak with him, if he is willing. Send the message, monk. Lamb and I will be in our room. The child stays with us, until Lord Fate has spoken. We are not to be disturbed, unless by Lord Fate. Understood."

"Yes, Master Wolf. Of course, Master. I shall personally relay your request."

"Good. Go, we wish to be alone now."

"As you command, Master."

As the monk walked away, Lamb would reach up and remove her mask, allowing her white hair to spill down unbound to her her waist. With a small sigh and deep breath of the air, she relished in the familiar and clean scent of home. While they were there, there was no need for her to wear the Mask; the caretakers all knew who she and Wolf were; their quarters were hidden away from the 'public' portion of the temple on the lower floors. There was no reason to fear someone stumbling or sneaking into their rooms; there were guards posted at points every so often within the restricted area.

 "Child, we must hide your name. It is the way of Kindred, of all of the tools of Fate, to be given two names; our true names, hidden and secret, and our given names, which are known to those that we interact with. You know our given names; she is Lamb, I am Wolf; together we are Kindred. You will know our true names, when the time is right. For now though, we must give you a new name. Something appropriate. Although, I may well end up just calling you Kitten, or some variation. You are, for all intents and purposes, my pet, now. I have claimed you as my trophy of the hunt, so you belong to me; however I have no intention of mistreating you."

As her darling Wolf spoke, Lamb would nod her head to give the impression of agreeing with him. It was decreed by Fate long ago that no one would know the true names of his weapons. Something like their true names would bring unintended consequences to their world. There was also no fear of the caretakers revealing their true names to someone on the outside; each was a former Lamb or Wolf, and knew very well the price of betrayal. It would be the end of them all, and their peaceful lives.

"My Lamb, do you protest this?"

Once more, Lamb shook her head. She had no objections to what her dear Wolf said; she was sure he would love and treat the child as well as he did Lamb herself. For the moment, she would step ahead, and lead the others to her and Wolf's private quarters. They would take a hidden staircase simply to avoid having to go through the main temple. Upon arriving in the room, Lamb would make her way to the open balcony, and settle herself on one of the cushions. "Come, Child. Join me, and tell us about yourself."

[762 WC]

'Oh, what's that?' 'That's pretty!~' 'I've never seen something like that before..' These were the thoughts that had been running rampent through Sicarius' mind during the entire journey. It had been a long one, but thankfully her arms had not tired from holding on to Wolf: not that he would have allowed her to fall, nor Lamb who followed behind them. The voices she heard were telling her to trust both of them, and she was perfectly fine to do so. In her mind they had rescued her, even if that had not been their original intentions and purpose for being at that camp site with those horrible men. They also could have left her behind to fend for herself, and likely face the man eating wolves that had been quickly approaching, but again that wasn't not the case. Wolf had taken her with him, saved her from what would have been a very nasty and painful death. So, she was #TeamKindred all the way.

When they arrived finally at the Temple Sicarius was in awe; she had never seen a place such as that. Even when she had been living with her family given the lawlessness of their village she had spent the majority of her life locked inside of the house for her own safety. So a Temple? It was something completely new to her and her brain was momentarily in overload. She barely registered the conversation going on between Wolf and the other individual; paying attention enough to catch it without really focusing on it.

However, when Wolf spoke her name her attention shifted from looking all around - which is precisely what she had been doing in a very child-like curious kitten manner - to focused completely onto him. "I like to be carried. But, I can walk if you want me to.", she would respond to his question; leaving it ultimately up to him on whether or not he wanted to put her down.

However, at Wolf's next words her head would cock to the side and all thought of being held or not wiped from her mind. Another name? She had never thought to call herself something different. Or, perhaps she had as she sometimes talked about herself as 'Kitty'. However, 'Kitten' worked just as well, and was appropriate given he was claiming her as his pet. She had no fear of them treating her badly, given the way they had treated her thus far, so she had no reasons to fear anything negative coming from this decision of Wolf's. So, as often was her response when she was happy with something she began to purr very loudly.

When Wolf asked Lamb if she protested any of this Sicarius looked over to find that the female had removed her mask, and had in fact rather long beautiful hair. "Pretty!~", she exclaimed happily before shifting her attention back onto Wolf. "If I am to be your pet, then it'd be fitting you name me, yes?", Or, at least that's how she thought having pets worked. Given all of her cat-like traits she often considered herself one - more feline than human at least.

If Wolf would follow Lamb while still holding her, she would simply look around, curiously, until they once more came to a stop. At Lamb's words she would smile brightly, moving to the floor and going to sit nearby Lamb: curling herself into a ball by bringing her knees up to her chest as was her usual method of sitting. "Well, what do you want to know? I think you might have heard part of my story; my father doesn't like me anymore. I grew up in a village that wasn't exactly safe; very lawless, and very dangerous. We lived all of the time with our doors locked up tight. My father used to be a shinobi, but he hadn't been for a while at that point. Still, he would hire himself out for sometimes days and weeks at a time to ensure we had enough money to keep food in our bellies. The last time he left he told me I was in charge; my mom was pregnant, and my brother and sister were younger than me. So, I was to protect everyone while he was gone even though I was only nine years old. It was okay at first. Then after a few days I heard a knock on the door and looked through the little peak hole; I knew better than to just open the door. But, what I saw was a man covered in blood; I thought he was injured. He was asking for help, and I couldn't just leave him outside like that, so I opened the door. It... wasn't his blood he was covered in, but someone elses. Him and his friends rushed the door before I could close it, and got inside. I think they intended to rob us, but there really wasn't much worth anything. When my mother resisted they attacked her, and I knew I had to do something to protect her. I ended up killing all but one of them, and he slit my mother's throat before I could stop him. I... I didn't know what to do. I didn't know how to save my baby sibling in her tummy, no one did. They just died... When my father came home three days later he was angry, and yet he wouldn't say anything to me. That's just how things were for a while; it was like I didn't even exist even though he gave my brother and sister all of the attention in the world. After a few months he told me I had to leave..."

It was here that the kitten child stopped, realizing suddenly that while she had been speaking tears had begun to trickle down her cheeks: she hadn't allowed herself to think about this in quite some time, and yet it felt good to have someone listening for once instead of just the voices. "The madame of a brothel found me after that. She let me stay with her for a while, but not for free. She said I had two choices; I could stay with her and become one of her girls, her use what little my father taught me and use my skills to protect them inside. So I decided to keep them safe; I didn't want to do those other things... But, eventually some one came along stronger than me and I had to leave... That was a few days ago. Last night those men found me... and then you found me."

Word Count: 1,110

He didn't mind carrying her, he actually rather enjoyed it, so he continued carrying her toward their room. It would be hours, likely, before they where summoned; Fate moved at his own pace, and Wolf accepted this completely. It was rare that anyone summoned Lord Fate, even less so an active Lamb or Wolf, so he almost expected to be denied audience until the next time for an assignment came about. Either way, they had time; they could get the kitten child cleaned up and confirm that she was uninjured. Lamb was removing her mask, but he did not; there was little point in his mind, he rarely took it off, and it almost pained him to do so. At most, he lifted it so that it was sitting on his hair, revealing his face but not removing the contact between mask and flesh. There was a ghost of a smile on his face; that sort of smile that you saw on canines that was and wasn't there at the same time.

He remained silent when they reached their room, allowing her down so that she could settle where she wished, and moving across the space to fetch some water for her to drink, or clean up with; either was fine. They kept a pitcher of water in the room, with a large bowl that was meant to be a basin. It was a very old style, ancient and out of place in this modern world; but he prefered it, and Lamb had never protested. He brought them over and set them down within reach, but without forcing her to use them; before moving to sit down on the floor himself. He would normally sprawl out with his head pillowed on Lamb's lap, but that seemed... inappropriate for the moment. The focus was on her, for the moment, not on relaxing. Better to listen and learn.

Listen he did, and he was... extremely unhappy. Through most of the latter half of the her story, he was softly growling; a tic of his whenever he listened to something that upset him. "I would rip his throat out if I ever meet him. No child deserves to be treated as such. A waste of a man." He shifted closer to the child, his protective instincts flaring heavily now. "I will not allow anyone to treat you in such a manner. You are my pet now, and I will treat you as family. I protect my family, to my last breath. You and Lamb are my family. I protect you both." Simple words, powerful from him. He was far beyond the point of devotion to the child; but it was devotion in a different manner from what he felt toward Lamb. Sicarius was a child, she was a child and not Lamb; he could never love her the same way he did Lamb, but he did love her already. She would have a good life with him, so long as he was alive he could keep her happy and healthy, and he would make sure that if he was to pass from this world that she would be extremely well cared for.

"I will name you Keiko. This will be your name to the handlers and everyone you meet. Only we will know your true name; we and Lord Fate, as he knows all and everything. You are Keiko now, and will respond to such, yes? You are my Pet, and I will treat you as such. You will wear a special tag, I will make this for you. It will mark you as mine, and it will grant you free reign of the temple. You will be protected so long as you wear it. I will give you all you desire, and you will do as I tell you. We shall teach you to protect yourself, and educate you properly. Do you understand, Kitten-Child?"

WC: 656

656 + 550 = 1206

As Sicarius came closer, Lamb would wiggle in her seat somewhat, attempting to get a bit more comfortable. Wolf would sit nearby, possibly attempting some form of modesty for the child's sake. Normally, he and Lamb would end up curled around each other, resting after their hunt if they retired to their room; but this was a special case. They had a guest at the moment. As Sicarius sat down, the elder female would lean in, interested in the child's tale of her life.

"Well, what do you want to know? I think you might have heard part of my story; my father doesn't like me anymore. I grew up in a village that wasn't exactly safe; very lawless, and very dangerous. We lived all of the time with our doors locked up tight. My father used to be a shinobi, but he hadn't been for a while at that point. Still, he would hire himself out for sometimes days and weeks at a time to ensure we had enough money to keep food in our bellies. The last time he left he told me I was in charge; my mom was pregnant, and my brother and sister were younger than me. So, I was to protect everyone while he was gone even though I was only nine years old. It was okay at first. Then after a few days I heard a knock on the door and looked through the little peak hole; I knew better than to just open the door. But, what I saw was a man covered in blood; I thought he was injured. He was asking for help, and I couldn't just leave him outside like that, so I opened the door. It... wasn't his blood he was covered in, but someone elses. Him and his friends rushed the door before I could close it, and got inside. I think they intended to rob us, but there really wasn't much worth anything. When my mother resisted they attacked her, and I knew I had to do something to protect her. I ended up killing all but one of them, and he slit my mother's throat before I could stop him. I... I didn't know what to do. I didn't know how to save my baby sibling in her tummy, no one did. They just died... When my father came home three days later he was angry, and yet he wouldn't say anything to me. That's just how things were for a while; it was like I didn't even exist even though he gave my brother and sister all of the attention in the world. After a few months he told me I had to leave..."

As the child stopped, Lamb's head tipped to the right, curiously watching the change in her expression. There were tiny beads of water forming in her eyes, and creating tiny rivers down her cheeks. Lamb had not seen anything like this in quite a while; the people surrounding those whom she struck down with her bow often produced them. There were even times where those whom her darling Wolf hunted produced them as he stalked them. Master Fate had once said that they were the by product of fear. But what were they called again – Tears! Thats what they were called! They were tears. But why was this child crying? Did the memories of her life hurt? Was she sad because of what happened to her in life? Lamb's head would cock further, a hand reaching out boldly to brush the tears away from Sicarius' face. Lamb had no clue as to why she did it, but she felt... compelled to do so. As she did so, she could hear her darling Wolf growl; she could feel the anger within him welling. She could understand his anger; she was not pleased with what she heard of this child's life. A terrible upbringing, and a heartless father...

"The madame of a brothel found me after that. She let me stay with her for a while, but not for free. She said I had two choices; I could stay with her and become one of her girls, her use what little my father taught me and use my skills to protect them inside. So I decided to keep them safe; I didn't want to do those other things... But, eventually some one came along stronger than me and I had to leave... That was a few days ago. Last night those men found me... and then you found me."

Lamb remained quiet for moment, thinking. This child had a hard life; and hers was only beginning. For the moment, she had nothing to say, but it would seem that her darling Ani did, the growling growing as he shifted closer to the child.

"I would rip his throat out if I ever meet him. No child deserves to be treated as such. A waste of a man. I will not allow anyone to treat you in such a manner. You are my pet now, and I will treat you as family. I protect my family, to my last breath. You and Lamb are my family. I protect you both."

Simple words, powerful from him. Lamb would smile; it would seem that her darling Wolf had found a new fixation. Gods help anyone who attempted to harm anyone whom Wolf fixated upon with a look of love. Lamb was the first; her darling Wolf had ripped the throat from many a person who attemed to harm her while they hunted. And now this child Sicarius was his fixation. He loved her, a bond formed in those few hours that would never break. Perhaps it was good that Lamb was not the jealous type; Wolf loved this child as much as he loved Lamb, but not in  the same manner. His love for Sicarius was protective, same as his love for Lamb. But in the matter concerning Sicarius, it seemed more … paternal? His love for Lamb... that was something far from paternal.

Lamb would lean back, lifting her hand to her mouth to cover and hide a yawn. She was happy, even if she did not seem to show it. She was happy that she and her darling Wolf were able to save this child. But for the moment, something nagged at her. She was about to get up and see to it, when Wolf began to speak again.

"I will name you Keiko. This will be your name to the handlers and everyone you meet. Only we will know your true name; we and Lord Fate, as he knows all and everything. You are Keiko now, and will respond to such, yes? You are my Pet, and I will treat you as such. You will wear a special tag, I will make this for you. It will mark you as mine, and it will grant you free reign of the temple. You will be protected so long as you wear it. I will give you all you desire, and you will do as I tell you. We shall teach you to protect yourself, and educate you properly. Do you understand, Kitten-Child?"

Oh my. It was startling to seem like her darling Wolf was really attached to Sicarius, or rather Keiko. Lamb would grin wider, at this thought. If he was going to go through all the trouble of making her a tag and such to mark the child as his, then they would need to head into the nearby village at some point soon. As it was, Lamb was also in need of a few things, the most important being a new quiver.

“Well then, darlings. It would seem th we need to head to the Village for materials, yes? We can depart tomorrow at first light, so that we may arrive when the markets are opening. We can make a day trip of it. That is, unless you'd rather wait until Master Fate has returned, dear Wolf?” A mischievious glint entered her eyes; if this child was indeed from Kumogakure, then it would be easy to 'have a word' with her father about the treatment of this child.

762 + 1366 = 2128/1950
STR E-0 to D-3 Completed

178 WC remaining

Throughout the story she told she became aware of a soft growling noise coming from Wolf; something she figured meant he was unhappy with what it was he was hearing. Still, she told her story to the end simply because she felt that if she was to be his pet, then he had a right to know where it was she came from and what all she had gone through: even if it wasn't a happy tale to tell at all. She became aware then of Lamb reaching forward and wiping the tears away that had begun to roll down her now rosey red cheeks. The child sniffled a bit, as she pushed the sad feeling away; she didn't want to feel hurt or upset, she should be happy now since she had people willing to take proper care of her.

Wolf said that he would rip out her father's throat if he ever met him, and she had a feeling that that might end up happening sooner rather than later: her father was from a tiny village outside of Kumogakure after all, so the chances were definitely high. He went on to say that he would protect her, that she was his pet now and he would treat her as family. He would protect her just as he protected Lamb. They were words that made her feel special, that made her feel wanted: two feelings she had not felt in quite a very long time. It was enough to have her wiping away the last few tears that attempted to trickle down her cheeks and smiling again. A purring began deep in her throat once more, a happy sound, one that was as loud as it could possibly get.

She listened as Wolf went on to explain then that her new name would be Keiko. That only he, Lamb, and Fate would know her true name. He mentioned again that she was his pet, and he would treat her as such. He would get a special tag for her to wear that would mark her as his own. It would grant her free reign of the temple, and she would be protected so long as she wore it. He would give her all that she desired, and in return she would do what he said. They would teach her how to defend herself, and ensure she was given a proper education. It was... far more than she could have ever hoped for. It was as if her life had been driving on the wrong side of the road for a very long time only for suddenly a hand to come reaching down out of the sky, pick her up, and turn her around on the right path. Had she been able to purr any louder, or any harder, she would have, but as it was she might likely explode for joy if she even tried.

At Wolf's question she nodded; understanding completely and fine with all of it. She grinned happily as her ears perked up and her tail began to twitch from side to side. "Yes yes! I like my new name, it's pretty." And then, feeling so overwhelmed with joy that she didn't bother to stop herself, she turned and hugged Wolf; at least as much as she could get her little arms around him. "Thank you... Thank both of you.~" Happy kitten was incredibly happy now~

Word Count: 572 + 1,110 = 1,682

"There is little reason to wait. Lord Fate will summon us when he pleases; if he pleases. If he has not by sundown, I do not believe we will be until the next Mark is assigned." The Voice in his head said as much, really; if they where not summoned by duskfall, then they would not be at all. He was content with either scenario, he trusted his instincts, and the Voice had never lied; it told him his choice to bring the child was correct, and that Lord Fate would be pleased. He would continue to place his trust in what he knew, and he knew the Voice never lied.

"I agree, My Lamb. A day trip would be pleasant. I will need new ink to make the tag, and I do not think it would be appreciated if I was to... borrow, some flesh from a monk to make some." Not that he would normally care, but he felt this strong urge to not be as violent around his pet. Oh, she was not in need of coddling, but for the moment... he felt it best to give her time without gratuitous violence for the sake of violence. "I will have the handler bring a new bed for us, as well. Pet or not, you will have a real bed to sleep in; if you do not wish to sleep with us." The option was given, she could take it or leave it, he would not be disappointing either way. With how he worked, there was no adjustment periods and what not; he just instantly adapted to what was needed. At the current time, his and Lamb relationship was... well, not platonic per say, but it wasn't physical, not in /that/ sense. For the moment, it was safe for her to sleep in the same room, without being.. scarred by the things they did.

"We shall get you everything you need, and everything you want; within reason, of course. We will need to get you books and such as well; I plan to start your training and schooling as soon as possible. Tell me, Kitten-pet; did you ever receive any schooling before? Are you able to read and write? Did anyone ever teach you how to hold a weapon, or the basics of chakra controls? You are obviously able to survive on your own, but we will need to teach you more, so you can survive anywhere, and with absolutely nothing. You will never need to fear the world again, when we have finished."

WC: 428

428 + 1206 = 1634

1634/1950 STR E0 - D3

"Yes yes! I like my new name, it's pretty."

Lamb would smile yet again, watching the child jump up and hugs her darling Wolf. She was pleased that they could make the child feel grateful and happy.  "Thank you... Thank both of you.~" 

Lamb nodded to her. It was settled then; Sicarius was now Keiko.  It would serve her well in the coming days. Lamb almost said something, but Wolf spoke before she could.

"There is little reason to wait. Lord Fate will summon us when he pleases; if he pleases. If he has not by sundown, I do not believe we will be until the next Mark is assigned. agree, My Lamb. A day trip would be pleasant. I will need new ink to make the tag, and I do not think it would be appreciated if I was to... borrow, some flesh from a monk to make some.

Hmm. Fair enough; if Master Fate was home, he would summon them by sundown to respond to them. If not, then he was not home and they would see him next when their newest Mark was assigned. Oh well, it was not like Fate didn't know where they were. There were tracking seals placed on the body of both Lamb and Wolf; he knew where they were, no matter where they went. If they went to Kumogakure for supplies, he would know and simply await their return. It wasn't like their Marks were going anywhere; if the death was time sensitive, the tracking seal would ache, informing them to return home immediately to prepare.

 "I will have the handler bring a new bed for us, as well. Pet or not, you will have a real bed to sleep in; if you do not wish to sleep with us."

That... that would need to be tended to as well. Lamb herself had no issues with the child sleeping with them; especially if he made her feel safer. It was her choice; if she wanted a bed for herself, she more than welcome to it. The same would go for if she wanted her own room. There was more than enough space in the temple for her to have a private space to her self. And that raised another question, and it would seem that her dear Wolf was ahead of her thinking.

"We shall get you everything you need, and everything you want; within reason, of course. We will need to get you books and such as well; I plan to start your training and schooling as soon as possible. Tell me, Kitten-pet; did you ever receive any schooling before? Are you able to read and write? Did anyone ever teach you how to hold a weapon, or the basics of chakra controls? You are obviously able to survive on your own, but we will need to teach you more, so you can survive anywhere, and with absolutely nothing. You will never need to fear the world again, when we have finished."

This.. this needed to be answered. If she was going to stay and live with them, she would need to be trained in how to fight and defend herself. All of the monks were more than able to fight; they were the former Lambs and Wolfs. Fate himself was rumored to be unbeatable. While there was no danger of someone ever invading them, every time they went out into the world to hunt a Mark, or even just shop in a village, there was always the danger that one of them might now make it back alive. Lamb and Wolf training Keiko would teach her that there was nothing to fear in the world but fear itself; once one conqured their fears, the world was just a matter of determination.

“Think of it this way, dear child: you learning how to to fight would enable you feel empowered, as if you have control over your life. It will make you a stronger person, and with that strength will come confidence to do better things in your life. You will flourish in everything you set out to accomplish, nothing will be able to stop you. In time, you will gain enough strength to save and nurture others, the same as we will do to you.” A simple speech, but true none the less. As the child would grow up, if she chose, the love that Lamb and Wolf would provide to her would enable to do all this, and then some.

178 + 751 = 929

Sicarius thought about the option: she could share Lamb and Wolf's bed or have her own. While the idea of having her own bed, something she hadn't had in quite a long time, was nice she spent most nights lying awake terrified that something bad was going to happen. So, the idea of sharing a bed with them, of truly being able to feel safe while she slept, it was... more than she had expected. "I don't want to sleep by myself.", she settled on saying.

"We shall get you everything you need, and everything you want; within reason, of course. We will need to get you books and such as well; I plan to start your training and schooling as soon as possible. Tell me, Kitten-pet; did you ever receive any schooling before? Are you able to read and write? Did anyone ever teach you how to hold a weapon, or the basics of chakra controls? You are obviously able to survive on your own, but we will need to teach you more, so you can survive anywhere, and with absolutely nothing. You will never need to fear the world again, when we have finished."

Sicarius would nod to the first question, smiling. "Yes, my mom taught me; she taught my brother and sister too. She taught us how to write, and read, and do math. She also had us read and learn about everywhere she could get books for, including the other villages." Thinking about her mom caused her to frown a bit: while her father had turned into a rather evil man her mother had never done anything wrong by her; she had spent her life trying to take care of her children as best she could. "My father taught me how to use basic weapons; mostly Onojutsu weapons. I also can use some basic ninjutsu; raiton and fuuton as well. Before everything bad started to happen he said that I had gotten as strong as Genin would have been in his old village."

“Think of it this way, dear child: you learning how to to fight would enable you feel empowered, as if you have control over your life. It will make you a stronger person, and with that strength will come confidence to do better things in your life. You will flourish in everything you set out to accomplish, nothing will be able to stop you. In time, you will gain enough strength to save and nurture others, the same as we will do to you.” This gave her a great deal to think about: she had loved schooling as much as the training her father provided, and it was true that it had all made her feel stronger, better able to protect herself: they were feelings she hadn't had in quite a while though, but ones she wanted to have again. "I liked learning things; both the stuff in books my mom would teach me, and the training my dad used to give us. It made me feel... good inside.", she said with a smile.

Word Count: 519 + 1,682 = 2,201

"Yes, my mom taught me; she taught my brother and sister too. She taught us how to write, and read, and do math. She also had us read and learn about everywhere she could get books for, including the other villages."

Oh, good. Very good. That would mean that she would not need to be taken away to be educated. Anyone that lived within the temple was required to have a basic level of education; and while she would still be his, she would have to spend long hours of the day out of his sight while being taught the 'approved' lessons by the monks. He'd gone through the teaching by the higher monks many times over many lives and he never enjoyed it; it caused... issues, within those that became Wolf. To be told that at any time you could be taken from yourself and become someone else, that you wouldn't even be able to know the difference...

Wait. What was he thinking? He was Wolf. He was Ani. He had always been this. Why would he ever think he was something else?

Maybe, deep down in the darkest parts of his subconscious a tiny sliver of the monk he had been before he was given over to be Wolf was still alive; it wasn't unheard of for bits of who they where before to survive for a few months and early years after becoming Wolf; and certain triggers could bring that out.

Still; he was Ani and Wolf and Kindred and he didn't want to be anything else. To be anything else would ruin his reason for existing; he would lose his Ina and he couldn't lose his Lamb, without Lamb he was sad and sad wasn't what he wanted to be. If he wasn't Wolf, then Keiko, his Sicarius and Kitten-pet and new little friend wouldn't be his anymore. This could not be allowed to be.

He was Wolf. He is Wolf. Ani. Wolf. Kindred.

He is Wolf.

He is forever and always and always was Wolf.

"We shall train together, my Pet. I will teach you my weapons, you will teach me yours, and we will teach Lovely Lamb, and we will be happy. We will show those that attempt to defy Fate that Fate will not be denied. We will live happy lives of plenty and all; and we will be happy." The massive male rolled around a bit, like a happy dog playing with air and inviting others to join him. He really was rather canine, at times.

WC: 435

435 + 1634 = 2069

1950/1950 STR E0 - D3
119/2000 Taijutsu C-B

-EXIT-