Draven could feel it like a stone settled in the pit of his stomach, the memories of the year before. He could feel in each and every breath how close it was getting to the time that his mother died, as if he were stealing the air she should have been breathing. While the dark yearling was typically working in solitude at the Cove anyways he had become even more reserved. He still completed his duties as necessary but made excuses to be away from the territory, scouting for plants mainly and slept in the infirmary claiming he was up working late when he was back. He hadn't visited @Neha in the last couple of weeks despite usually going down as frequently as possible.

Truthfully he wished to keep her memory to himself, unblemished by the thoughts and voices of the others.  When he had been in the Crest all he had wanted was to speak of her and was met with silence and now that's all he wanted. Nobody in his new pack knew of her and the yearling knew he couldn't bring her justice with his own words so he made excuses.

It was working quite well for the Cove's benefit anyhow, the infirmary was becoming well stocked for the winter. Now Draven just needed to learn how to dry the plants in the sun so they would keep better for the colder months. Making a mental note to ask @Namid about it when he returned he didn't notice when the typical forest gave way into red until he was deep within the boughs. Glancing about him he hardly even took note of it now, other than to wonder if he should bring some of the bark back to the pack. Maybe another month he would have marvelled at the sight, but right now he felt nothing but absence.

Absentmindedly Draven took note of the scent of another in the area but other than a brief glance to the side didn't take much action about it. Whoever was around obviously didn't want to be seen and that was fine by him, he would rather keep moving anyways. As long as he was moving he didn't have to think, didn't have to dwell on the ache in his chest. He just had to keep moving.

Once again the movement in the nearby ferns were met with a brief glance and even after spotting the stranger Draven kept walking. The look had been enough to tell him that the stranger was a she and she was around his age, her scent spoke of a pack he was unfamiliar with but the lands around them didn't carry the same. He wasn't trespassing so he had no real reason to fear, especially given she seemed to be alone. He supposed her sudden appearance was meant to spook him away from her hiding spot and so the large form kept moving.

He had assumed wrong. It was the girl's words that finally slowed Draven's paws until he stopped, turning to look at her with questions written across his maw. Her scarlet markings were vibrant against the russet trees and the green eyes lingered on the way they spread across her face and ears. The teen tilted his head slightly to the right as he replied, "uh, no?" It hadn't been meant to be a question but the surprise that she had actually spoken was enough to pull his voice up at the ending of his words. Maybe if this had been Neha he would have been embarrassed to seem foolish but this wasn't Neha, this was just a girl.

The laugh that passed the air between them seemed insincere in a way that Draven couldn't quite place. The confused look in his eyes quickly shifted to a more guarded expression, not threatening in anyway but what he hoped would be unreadable, emotionless. She ducked her head away and shifted awkwardly, something that the yearling himself could sympathize for but he held his mask closely. After all he had learned the hard way what happened when you trusted someone blindly. He had trusted them all, Gent, Raela, Calanthe and every single one of them had left him or abandoned him or mistreated him.

Pursuing his lips for a moment and letting the silence drag out between them the teen watched to see how she would respond. Glancing around he turned back to her quizzically, "If there's nothing much around here why are you here?" Draven avoided the questions that had been presented to him, shrugging them off with ease and indifference. Maybe a month ago, maybe a month from now he would have been more welcoming and accommodating to the girl who was frankly, beautiful. Maybe then he would have been tongue tied and tripping over his words, maybe he would have blushed and muttered and cursed himself for being rude or stupid.

Today none of that mattered, the reminder beat in his head like a drum over and over again. None of this matters.

The green eyes remained focused on the girl from behind his cold mask, taking in every shift and change in expression. Every mannerism, the tip of her ears and the way her mouth popped open and the shy biting of her lip, all of it was watched and stored in his memory, burned in there. The way she described herself as little, not much of anything seemed so sincere. None of it added up with her false laugh before and the thin smile that followed it.

For maybe the first time in a month Draven was interested in something, he was interested in her. Not the same way he thought about Neha, but as if he could figure out this puzzle then maybe everything would be okay. If he could fit together the pieces of this stranger to make a whole picture than maybe he could fit together the pieces of his life again.

With that passing thought everything changed. The mask dropped away from his face and instead a warmth returned to it that mostly reached his eyes, mostly. Moving forward cautiously so as to not startle her he mumbled, "Oh you are not nothing and you do not blend in, you are beautiful." The last word was said carefully, as if it was a fragile tragedy that he had to hold dearly in his mouth lest he break it. Louder and clearer this time he repeated, "Beautiful," let me fix you, let me fix me.