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Xinal cringed when Ember lick his snout. Ooookay... He thought uneasily, that was awkward.. He felt Ember help him up to his paws. He could feel snow weighing down his usually light pelt. Before he could shake it Ember licked it off, to which Xinal cringed again. Dog-gone-it! He thought to himself, This is getting uncomfortable. He turned his ears to her as she asked him if he was better. He turned to reply, "Yeah. Thanks." Afterwards he glanced at Jack worried.

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Jack looked back at Jade, "But what about the kidnappers? Don't we need to keep moving?" He asked, trying to control the fear that was escaping through his voice. "And, um..." He thought trying to erase the fear by being his usual self, a tad-bit 'sabog' as he calls it. "It's Jack." He smiled back, grinning from ear to ear bringing up his head, however he lost balance and fell back into a pile of snow with a crunch. He paused for a moment before looking back up when suddenly another pile of snow fell on him from the taller adjacent pile of snow, putting snow atop his head which oddly kind of look like whip cream.

Ember instantly sensed his uneasyness and stoped, slightly coughing "oh um.. sorry.." EArs pinned back as she stood a ways off from him and she let her eyes fall upon the human pups. "..."

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"oh! sorry, Jack" Smiled sheepishly then gasped as the snow covered him. "hee.." lightly brought her hand over her lips as she chukled at him then gently shoved the snow off him and patted his back "you ok now?" Soft Smile.

Xinal sighed as he watched Jack get covered in snow. "This pup's gonna kill himself." He muttered lightheartedly.

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Jack shivered as he felt the cold of the snow seep through his body. He felt hands pat the snow off of him and he looked up. He grinned from ear to ear and stood up shakily. "I think I can walk now." He told himself before looking at the wolves. "When are we leaving?" Just as he finished speaking the sound of gunshot rang through the forest and echoes into the cave.

Ember chuckled at Xinal's words then looked back to the human pup. She growled under her maw as she heard the distant gunshot. Slowly she shook her pelt and looked outside again. Auds closed slowly as she walked around the den and layed down "dont worry, they wont find us" she retold her new small formed pack. Her eyes scanned over them before she closed, her vision went black.

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Jade looked over at Xinal and Ember then looked back to Jack "i dont know.." she whispered. She shut her eyes as she heard the shot but didnt let it bother her. She was realatin that if ember was calm then they had nothing to worry about. "dont worry... she's smart and wont let harm come to us" she smiled brightly towrads Jack.

Xinal nodded to Ember before stepping out to sit at the mouth of the cave. "I'll stand guard, just in case." He said as he scanned the forest expecting a man to suddenly jump out from behind a tree.

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Jack looked at the wolf furtively as if doubting wether to trust the wolf. After a few moments of deliberation he nodded, "I guess so. Of all the things to expect about a vacation this was the least expected event on my itinerary."

Slowly bringing himself down to sit against the wall, he pulled out something from his pocket producing the sound of crackling plastic. The moment he felt his rear touch the cold rock floor he opened his palm to reveal two menthol candies. Jack held up his hand offering one of the two to Jade, "Here. I have around ten to twenty more in my pocket anyway." He gave a sheepish smile and explained. "I saw this scenario on Discovery once, how to survive in the artic regions. Candy is a good source of energy."

"really?" she smiled then took the candy from his hand and stared at it then bit it with her molars before passing it between her teeth "mm.. taste good" she grinned then leaned against the wall, scooting closer to him as she rested her head on his shoulder, slowly letting her eyelids droop as she fell asleep on his shoulder.

((Next morning))

Ember walked slowly back to the cave. Her head lowered to the weight of a large snow hare between her jaws. She looked up to Xinal, asleep and slowly droped the pallet of meat before him and then looked to the two human cubs, snuggling close and smiled to herself.

After Jade took the candy from his hand, Jack unrapped his own candy creating the sound of crinkling plastic. He popped it into his mouth and left it there to slowly dissolve. After a few minutes his eyelids dropped. Just before he went off to sleep he wondered, I thought this was supposed to keep me awak...

((Early Morning))

Xinal felt the buffet of wind as something hit the ground in front of him, by the scent he sleepily figured it was a rabbit or something. Then he also felt the warmth of fur pressing close beside him. He slwoly blinked open his eyes then jumped up to a sitting position in shock as he realized what happened. I was supposed to be keeping guard! He glanced around every which way to account for everyone that should be there, the two human pups who were sound asleep in the far side of the cave, and Ember. He breathed a sigh of relief before turning to look at the Hare in front of him. He glanced at Ember and asked. "You went out hunting?"

Xinal nodded as he heard the replied. "I see. Thanks," Slowly setting himself back down to sit he glanced at the hare longingly... after a few moments he nudged it to Ember. "You take first bite, you did hunt for it after all." He glanced away feeling embarrased.

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Jack felt the cold suddenly seep back in as he returned to the world of the awakened. He just had a dream about his family back at home having a wonderful snack, or merienda as they call it, with sweets and pastries of all sorts. When he awoke he couldn't help but feel the ache in his heart as he wondered what was going to happen to him now. He slowly drew his legs nearer to him and held his arms around it to try and contain the heat that was fighting against this temperature. Shivering combined with occasional snuffles he tried to think of something else. Then he saw the two wolves at the entrance. "I wonder what wolves think like..." He muttered to himself with occasional sniffles.

Ember blinked and chuckled at Xinal, returning the nudged his shoulder back "naw dont fret yourself, im full, dont worry you can have it" she smiled coutiously and then looked back to the boy as he awoke. She stood up and walked twaords him, and gently ran her head against his shoulder, warming him a bit then she sat down besides them and looked back to Xinal.

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Jade yawned and rubbed her eyes slowly. She blinked, looking over at Jake snifiling and gently touched his cheek "hey you ok?" she whispered to him with a half sleepy voice then sat up as the black wolfess walked over to them. She smiled and patted the wolfess's chest and then looked back to Jake with a worried gaze in her pretty eyes.

Xinal stepped back, "Oh... ok. Thanks again!" He started to devour the hare in ravenous gulps.

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Jack smiled back at Jade, "It's nothing to worry about." He wiped away his tears with his left hand before he suddenly felt the black wolf approach him. When he felt the fur of the wolfess he jumped and slowly edged away from her. "I still can't get over this slight fear." He muttered trying his hardest to avoid edging away. Slowly he was able to accept the idea that this woolf was friendly, like the other one, before acutally setting his hand to brush against the dark pelt of the wolf.

Jade smiled fondly to jack and ran her fingers along Ember's other shoulder She enjoyed watcing the contrst between her fingers and her almost ebony black coat. her longish hair slid past her shoulders as she smiled, sitting down as she watched the male wolf eat and looked to Jack again, seeing him relaxed and smiled softly. She let her bangs slowly fall over her soft pink eyes and sighed in content.

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Ember smiled, licking the boys hand and wagged her tail. She released small grunts from the pit of her thoat to calm the younge boy, musing herself in her own pupish sounds. Her ears perked forward as she was amist the two children, being softly petted down. She smiled, glancing twoards Xinal as she heard his jaws gently crack the bones of younge meal and chuckled. She blinked as she felt her eyes gently light up in a soft orange flare, her cheeks abalze 'what? oo no no no stop it Ember' she scolded herself as she tryed to look away and avoid his eyes, as she felt her brush creep higher.

Jack smiled thankful for the company as he stood up once more to try and test his strength. After a wobbly attempt he was able to balance himself and slowly make his way to the cave entrance. He watcched with fascination as the snow started to fall once more and the trees sway in a slight breeze. "I wonder where those guys are." He asked to no one in particular as he tried surveying the area. "There's a lot of cover protecting this cave and he was probably a good number of miles away from the hotel. He pulled out his swiss knife to check where north was. Apparently north was to the left of the entrance of the cave. "So we must be facing east..." after a few moments of thought he sat down in frustration. "Not like that will help." he said despairingly.

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Xinal finished the hare with one last mouthful and sat up panting, refreshed, perhaps ready to move on. The sun is slowly making it's way up the sky and this might be really a good time to get on moving. He turned to Ember and asked, "When do you think we should get moving?" With that he turned to look at the human pups, "You know as well as I do that they won't survive long in this weather."

Ember glanced up at Xinal, listening to him "hmm" she watched the male pup walk to the entrance and she looked outside, her nose twitched gently before she spoke to Xinal. "yea... its best to move now, heading into the canopys' shadows to remain hidden from the hunters" she said cooly and stood u, shaking her dark pelt as small flecks of dark auburn sparks flew off her ruffled coat.

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Jade watched Jack quietly. She quietly listened to Xinal and Ember before standing up and walked closer to him and kneeled down besides him with a soft smile "they.. are moving us twoards that way" she said and extended her arm, her fore finger pointed to the south, were the overlayed trees stood. She looked down at jack "is that ok?" she asked, seeing as he was the one that knew of some direction.

Jack looked up at Jade who had approached. "Yeah, I'm fine with that." He stood up sstretching, "Besides what can I do? My survival skills suck." He grinned at her trying to lend her and himself some relief in the bleak scenario at the moment. He turned to look at Xinal who was already padding past him.

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Xinal stepped out of the cave into a blast of cold wind. After a few moments it weakens and dies and he was able to look around. When he turned to his left he saw two silhouttes approaching. One of them booms out, "Hey! That's the wolf!!" His eyes widen in surprise then barks at the pups and Ember, "We've got company!" He ran towards the two thugs and shouted back, "Ember, you lead them away. I'll catch up!" With those words he leapt unto one of the Thugs and shocked him.