The boy tentatively moved closer, giving Drestig a better view of his unusual, bony frame, and the stiffness with which he carried it. The elder man couldn't help but think the lad might be sickly in some way; Could a sickness have stolen all the color from his body? The Avalon was no healer, but even he thought that sounded unlikely, more like superstition than fact. He'd certainly never heard of such an illness, but then again, he was no medic. It seemed apparent that something was amiss, other than just the strange coloring, this whole sense of young and old mixed together, extending all the way to the peculiar scent that wasn't quite like any other male's, young or old, that he had met before.

The silence stretched for a while, and Drestig was beginning to think he wouldn't get an answer, when Icicle finally replied. His voice was as carefully polite as before, words few, yet enough to spike more interest in the ebony chap. "You too?" He asked with a grin, flicking an ear good-humoredly. Then he couldn't help but run his eyes over the pristine fur, cocking a brow questioningly; "Though you don't look like one who would have much trouble with the sun, if you don't mind me saying." His voice was still casual, friendly, expression only showing cheerful curiosity. He lifted on ebony coated leg, glancing down at it to illustrate his point. Unlike his dark hairs, he would think a white pelt was excellent at repelling the heat; But perhaps it's not the sun he's hiding from..? Or maybe there was something else about his condition, whatever it might be, that made him vulnerable. If that was so, Drestig expected a reflecting answer, like he'd gotten previously when asking about the boy's peculiarity. Curiosity was slowly eating at him, but it was obvious, this needed to be handled with gentleness.

He was quiet for so long, Drestig had given up on his question, starting to think of what else to say, when the low voice sounded again, making midnight ears twitch; Hm..? There was a touch of attitude in the statement, different from the pale boy's previous, polite speech. Perhaps it was a defense mechanism, a way of putting distance between them when it otherwise seemed like he was gaining a bit of ground. The elder man mentally shook his head, choosing to focus on the words themselves, rather than wonder how many previous, bad encounters might have led the young wolf to react like this. His admittance of weakness was not nothing, he had to have build some rapport with the kid for him to divulge this bit of information, potentially exposing himself. Drestig wasn't gonna take that lightly.

Slowly he nodded his head, face folded in thought. He carefully regarded this new knowledge, considering what life might be like for someone with that kind of disability. How long has he been like this? The shadowy man mused, wondering whether some illness might have caused this deterioration. It took some willpower for him not to step back, fear of an unknown contagion naturally jumping to the forefront of his mind. But he held his ground, there was some space between them yet, and he didn't want to ruin what progress he had managed to make with this weary youngster. It was apparent to Drestig that the ghostly lad been through a rough deal, his manner clearly showing that he'd been burned before, and considering his odd appearance it wasn't hard to imagine why; Most wolves are less than kind to the unusual… A sad truth. He'd seen it in action before, been part of it even; Yet another part of his past he'd chosen to suppress.

But Drestig would like to think he wasn't that same wolf anymore. He trusted his senses, and they told him this boy was not carrying some horrific plague, he was just alone and to used to bad treatment. Perhaps he was biased, sympathetic to the peril he imagined Icicle might have gone through, but he wanted to believe that the young man wouldn't knowingly be exposing another to potential infection. So he smiled palely, sympathy in his eyes as he shook his head lightly, offering a hesitant: "I can't imagine… That, must be hard."

It was clear that the ghostly boy was expecting something, and not something positive. His entire form stood poised, ready to rush off at the first sign of trouble, like a rabbit at a sudden noise. Obviously, he had gone through all of this before, and he was used to an unfavorable outcome. The longer Drestig spend with the unusual lad, the more sympathy he felt for his predicament; What he must have gone through..! Yet he had allowed just a touch of trust, a small offer of information to the graying stranger, still fearing what the reaction might be. More than pity, Drestig felt respect for the young wolf, for the courage it took to allow this bit of hope, after who knew how many bad encounters. He wouldn't let that go to waste and become just another in that string of failures. So he carefully stood still, holding his ground while he let his words and actions sink in, allowing Icicle to gauge his smile and wagging tail, to hopefully find no hint of ill intend.

And he was rewarded by, what seemed to be, a faint relaxation in the yearling's posture, a sigh falling from his pink lips along with a meek response. Drestig nodded his head understandingly, but otherwise remained still, keeping his own shoulders and ears relaxed, while continuing to wave his tail slowly back and forth. After a small hesitancy, Icicle continued to speak, offering a little more insight into the condition, that he'd otherwise seemed so guarded about at the start of their meeting. His dark opposer continued to smile encouragingly, grateful for every word, as he sensed how hard they were to speak. When the boy finished, he took his time to think, nodding slowly, before finally answering back, voice thoughtful; "I see… And is it… Were you always this way?" It was a personal question yes, a result of his curiosity, though, if he was gonna offer this boy what he was considering, he would need to know more.

About a few things, not just his unusual appearance and its possible repercussions. He cleared his throat, head tilting lightly as a silvered brow cocked once more, lips still twisted in a crooked smile. "You must be a capable hunter though, despite your… troubles? Otherwise you wouldn't have made it this far, on your own…" He spoke smoothly, eyes again drifting rather than focusing directly on the youth; Though he left the last words hanging in the air, not a direct question, and yet obviously requiring confirmation. It was an assumption, based on Icicle's loneliness in the moment, his general bony look – though that could of course be attributed to his condition – and most importantly on his demeanor towards the other wolf. Yes, Drestig felt quite sure in this theory, but it couldn't hurt to be sure. Jessie and he had yet to find a suitable place to build their new home, but that didn't stop him from being protective, and considering carefully before letting anyone into it.

The boy seemed to be relaxing more and more, apparently, finally, starting to believe that Drestig wasn't gonna attack him. Who knew how long it had been since he'd last experienced that anyway? But he was no longer watching with as much suspicion, still some apprehension, but less fear; Good. He even divulged more information than simply answering the question, which was a first. The dark man nodded, smiling gratefully, truly happy to see the change; Who am I kidding?! The answer didn't matter, he'd already made up his mind. Still he listened carefully, a small crease forming between his brows at the new knowledge; So it wasn't just looks, but pain too, quite a lot judging by his facial expression. Once more, the older wolf had to hold back on his sympathy, opting instead for a thoughtful expression, eyes serious as he nodded in understanding. "You seem to be doing well, considering…" He mused, tone sincere. The lad might not be the epitome of beauty or strength, but he was alive and standing, which showed a lot of gumption with so many thing rooting against him.

The smile returned on the silver-dusted muzzle, a glint in bright ember eyes as he looked into the peculiar pinks across from him, for the first time since they met. Had he been colder of heart, he might have thought twice about inviting this lad into his family, but as it was he'd always been a softy. He didn't see it as a charity case though, Icicle was clearly capable, despite his listed deficiencies he was standing there, working with others would only better the chances of both; Now don't get ahead of yourself..! A stern voice reminded in the back of his mind (Jessie's?) His future pack was still just a dream, and besides, he could only make an offer, it was up to the pale boy to make a decision for himself. So he asked: "If you want, you could come with me? Me and my… Partner recently left our old home to build one of our own, we could use some more like minds. You'd be welcome!" There it was, as neatly as he could put it. He knew it wasn't much, all he could offer was a, hopeful, future home. But it could be more than anyone else would, a lot of wolves would cast one look at the unusual boy and chase him off; Had his situation been different, Drestig might have done so himself. He was happy he didn't though, he liked the kid, even if he was a bit formal, there were guts in there better than most wolves' he knew.

He didn't want to pressure the lad though, he'd already forced him far out of his comfort zone today. Besides, everything was so uncertain at the moment, there was still no territory, no more members… Even if Ici did say yes, they were far from stable ground to build a pack. Rolling his shoulders, Drestig blinked and looked away again, jaws parting in a light yawn. Taking on the same casual manner as he had before, he gazed into the gnarly woods, speaking in a light tone; "Think about it, hm? We'll be heading north in another few days, come join us if you want to, out in the Fields." He looked back briefly, smiling as he bobbed his head, intent on leaving the boy to debate the offer alone; "It was nice meeting you Icicle, thank you, for trusting me." Then he turned his nose towards the west, sighing at the prospect of struggling back through the bramble.