Training Rein, Xerochi and Spike

“Alright little one.  Let’s go out for a little adventure, mm?” Collins said quietly to a small kukuri pup down at his feet.  The man was tall and of average stature, with shaggy brown hair framing his face.  He was angular, right down to the pointed goatee on his pointed chin.  
The little kukuri puppy was rather plain with a light brown coat and folded ears, and white on all points with a long black streak over his back.  Standing up he barely reached the middle of Collins’ shins.  He was an excited little creature.  As they wandered into the small forest bordering what seemed to be a park and a road.  And as he waddled to keep up to his handler, the little kukuri was happily looking up at him every few steps, stumbling here and there as he did.
The forest they were walking through was not especially lush, tolerating a mild dry spell.  The trees were twisted and pleasantly well covered in foliage.  What was not dry dirt on the ground were patches of ferns and a smattering of lichens on rocks and roots.  It grew in the center of a large nature park that stretched over a long distance of low mountains. The grassy activity park around it was designed for leisurely picnics and play for children, complete with play grounds and little ponds developed from the mountain river.  The river then lead into a tunnel that went straight through the town of mostly houses but a few small businesses as well.  All over it was a quiet and quaint place where people seemed to trust each other, and animals like kukuris were not a problem in or around it.  Collins took the pup around here often, as it was forgiving and not typically dangerous.  A good place for raising a little thing.  Their path was well worn, the path that most people took when going through this wood.  Although here and there evidence of disturbances off the trail would pop up, likely more from some kind of animal rooting through the dirt than a person. It was a path they were very familiar with.
Occasionally some little surprises do jump out at them.  The sun was bright as always it was when they came.  The air was warm but the wind lightly cool so it never got too hot on their trek.  The river could be heard in the distance from any direction, as could the light rustling of the leaves and branches in the trees.  After a while of hiking along their path they could hear a voice chattering off to the side in the slight distance.  It wasn’t aggressive, if anything it was just someone who had wandered off trail towards something interesting, though it sounded like they were talking to themselves or to someone else who was quiet.  Collins felt like he recognized the voice through the trees.  With a short glance to his confused little kukuri pup, he stepped off the trail and wandered over to the voice.  Eventually a tall dark figure could be seen in the break.
The man was dressed all in black, from his boots to his torn long coat, and his hair was long with a bright acid green coloration to the bangs that covered his face.  He was speaking to a young kukuri just a little bit older and larger than Spike was.  She was brown in color, with a dark hood, white face and okapi striped legs.  Little tined nubs were just poking out from her crown, the beginning of what would be a rack of moose-like horns.
“Dante… What are you doing out here?” Collins asked pleasantly.
The two paused what they were doing and acknowledged Collins and Spike as they came closer.  Rein, the little Okapi kukuri let out an excited peep at the sight of little Spike.  The two puppies hadn’t met before.  It was so exciting for her to see another young one that she bounded over to the smaller rook while their handlers began a conversation.
Spike at first was shy to see her, hiding behind Collins’ legs any time she tilted her head to see his face.  But after almost no time at all her squeaking and bounding coaxed him out into the open and the two began bounding and rolling in play.  Their chasing game never really went too far.  Collins and Dante eventually sat down to speak.  They were pleased to see how well their kukuri were getting along with each other.  They watched closely as the two explored, showing each other different things they were finding in the woods.
Little spike, having known this forest a little more familiarly, would find short saplings or bushes or low hanging branches with pine cones and juniper berries.  It was extra important that he showed her these things in his mind.  Rein, knowing how to find various other things from traveling with her handler, would dig up bugs and worms that she made extra sure Spike would touch.  Half the time they showed each other something, it would turn into a run and chase game.
Their energy lasted only until they got hungry, and their handlers were beginning to talk for too long.  Both pups got little snacks but now it seemed that they were both beginning to get tired and a tad bored being out in the forest waiting to keep moving.  But their handlers didn’t seem to notice much of their plea at the time.
Off further away from the trail, however, there was a slight rustling.  Spike, who had laid down by Collins’ feet, lifted his head to see what it may be.  At first he could spot nothing at all.  But then he saw the figure that was making the noise.  It was another Kukuri puppy.  This one seemed older than both of them, although still small.  He was a dark red color, with a darker, almost black marking on his pack and piercing yellow eyes.  From a good distance the other kukuri stared at Spike and Rein.  To Spike this seemed exciting.  There were so many new friends to make here!  Who did he belong to?
It was almost too exciting to not go.  Rein didn’t seem to feel the same appeal.  She stayed where she sat, but watched Spike get up and wander away towards this other pup.  After a moment, she looked up at the two handlers who didn’t even seem to notice that the little brown rook had slipped away. What were they talking about that was so important?  When she looked back in the direction of her new friend she couldn’t see either he nor the new puppy that had shown himself.  She stood up… suddenly concerned.

The second time meeting another kukuri Spike was much less shy.  The first time had gone so well, why shouldn’t it go that way every time?  He was excited and bounded around this other puppy.  The mysterious kukuri pup with the double horned nubs on his head at first seemed perfectly content with playing chase.  He was much more sure on his feet and zigged and zagged with the skill of any kukuri that ran terrain every day.  It became more and more clear that Spike could not keep up with him, and fell behind with each turn he took.
The chase became rather one sided then.  The red rook would zip back and give the smaller brown puppy a nip then run away again.  He didn’t like this game, and soon he didn’t even know where he was or how to get back to his friends.  Though the sun hadn’t changed and the trees hadn’t changed this part of the wood was feeling especially dark.  The atmosphere felt scary to him.  Progressive interaction with this strange red puppy was certainly not as comfortable as it was with Rein.
Almost as soon as Spike realized he didn’t know where he was, he stopped trying to follow the other rook and sat still on the ground.  A small whine came from his mouth as he looked about him.  Xerochi, the little red rook stopped and circled the sitting puppy once before getting into a low position, almost like a crouching predator.  He barked at Spike.  Why did he stop?  It must have been time to show him how to be strong.
The bark startled Spike.  His folded ears flattened out on his head and his eyes grew big at his current companion.  He’d never seen anyone get angry, aggressive, make such a noise at him before.  It was frightening.  He whined a little louder, hoping that this other kukuri might comfort him or help him find a way back.  Instead, Xerochi pounced on Spike, grabbing hold of him tightly with his teeth and claws.  The little brown puppy let out a fearful scream.  He had no idea how to wrestle him back.  He gave his assaulter a few small kicks in retaliation, which seemed all he was truly capable of doing.
The red rook did not take well to this weak display of a fight.  He backed off of Spike and began growling at him, circling him as he lay defensively on the forest floor crying for help.  After a moment Xerochi barked at him again and lunged once more.
But he never made contact with the small frightened pup.  There was snarling and thudding.  Spike had flinched when he saw the lunge coming, closing his eyes in the hopes that it would go away.  When he opened them again he saw the friend from earlier rolling on the ground with the mysterious aggressive puppy.  Rein had come to the rescue, colliding with the enemy in a flurry!  They hissed and growled.  What may have been intended as play fighting had turned into a true battle.
When finally the two young kukuri separated they circled each other as if posturing.  Rein was always sure to be in between Xerochi and Spike.  There would be no more time that he would harm her friend.  Even though her adversary was bigger than her, she certainly knew how to pick a fight.  Dante had taught her well how to defend herself regardless of her age.  She would need to use it any time and now was then.
When the red rook threatened to lunge at her again, hissing wildly, She stamped her food and barked loudly at him over and over again.  This was not so much to intimidate him.  That was clearly not going to work.  But she knew that he was likely not going to stop at all.  Their handlers were sure to hear them calling.
The wild kukuri puppy collided with her a second time and again they were tussling on the dirt.  But in only a few moments Collins and Dante could be heard hurrying through the wood toward them.  Spike whined at them, and the moment he saw them appear through the trees he was at his feet running towards them.  The two handlers approached the fighting pups who didn’t even break apart when they got close.  Collins held back as his shy little puppy ran up to him for comfort.  He knelt down for the puppy and held onto him, petting him comfortingly while he looked on to the fight.
Dante grabbed onto both of the kukuri, forcefully pulling them away from each other.  Rein knew he was there to stop it.  He could let go of her immediately and she would not rush back in.  She did, however, continue hissing as the little wild kukuri fiercely continued to growl and flail at them all.  Xerochi turned on Dante then.  And though his had the little devil by the scruff he sunk his teeth squarely into his arm.  He released the puppy only for a moment, not out of pain or surprise, but to better his vantage point.  The little thing even prepared himself to retaliate again, but the handler grabbed him just behind the ears and pinned the young kukuri to the ground.
“That’s enough, You.” He himself let out a hiss at the animal.
“Dante!” Collins called out at him.  The long haired man looked back at his more meek friend, spotting him point over into the woods.  He glanced over sharply in time to spy the creature Collins was pointing to.
In the short distance of trees was a somewhat small dove, ghostly looking from where she was, with her head down and staring harshly at them with her yellow eyes.  She was red in color, with a fluffed up ruffle, dark face and a spread of rosette and light leg and back markings that broke up her figure in the lighting.  Her head was low in a way that they could easily tell that they were not welcomed here.
The wild dove let out a low growl and then immediately charged at them.  She was fast!  Dante only just avoided a swooping head toss as he grabbed Rein and scrambled to his feet to get away, releasing Xerochi as he did.  Collins and Spike were already on their way quickly away from the wild kukuri with Dante towing himself behind them as quickly as he could go with his little Rein.  The angry wild kukuri rumbled after them only for a moment until she was sure she had chased them off for good.
When they were sure they had lost her far enough back at the trail of the park, the two handlers looked to each other and chuckled awkwardly. “I didn’t know there were any wild kukuri living in there.” Collins mumbled to himself, petting Spike worriedly.  The little kukuri’s eyes were so big with the shock of all the new violent things he’d just endured that it was very likely time for them to go somewhere safe. “Poor boy.”
They hurriedly began their way towards the town.  Dante held Rein in front of him. “You’re a good brave girl, Rein, good protector.” He praised her.

Xerochi was almost as shocked as the handlers had been when the dove had barreled through their scuffle.  When she was done chasing them off she returned to the young pup, who still hadn’t fully gotten up from the ground.  She seemed to look down at him.  What was probably one of very few times, even in his short life, Xerochi averted his eyes from hers.  This particular dove, Sylvia, was not a normal visitor in this small park wood.  And neither was the little red rook.  She was looking after him, teaching him means to fight.  And while he picked up on much of it he usually foregos her particular tactics for means of pure aggression.  He was without parents and without siblings.  He knew not how to interact with others without combat.  That was all very apparent at this point.
After a moment of staring down at him in what was very likely a disciplinary manor, the red dove let out a grumpy chuff and wandered away.  With a last glance in the direction that the two people and the two young kukuri had run away to Xerochi got up and followed Sylvia.  They wouldn’t leave, not yet.  There was much to learn in this simple little forest.  Whether or not he would was a different story.