Hidden Tree the barking dogs - Printable Version

Just like he had promised, the walk to the den wasn't long. When they arrived the area was empty. No creatures lurking and no Mae in the den. It seemed it was going to be Cottongrass and Kerberos, alone. Kerb was completely fine with that because it meant that if something happened he could hopefully resolve it before Mae heard and or came back home.

The Rigel male's eyes swung back to make sure Cotton was still in tow. Once the glance was taken care of Kerberos strutted into the den. He took a spot in the back and grunted softly. A gentle usher for Cottongrass to take his place within. "I'm sorry about all the questions I asked you earlier." He apologized in an unusually flat tone. He was almost positive that his questions might have grown annoying. "My friend doesn't take very kindly to strangers." A white lie, or was it? He wasn't sure if Mae greeted everyone the way she had greeted him. "You can ask me any questions back, though, I'll try to answer as truthfully as I can." His face held a halfway smile. Perhaps an uneasy look in his eyes. There was a stranger in his den, the place him and Mae had made safe. How safe would it be after Cottongrass left? Would the pale wolf bring those wolves (Victoria, Avery, and Neha) here to seek shelter for them too? Had Kerberos been a more aggressive wolf the idea would have raised a growl from him.

Watching his company carefully from the corner, the tawny male made sure to not take his eyes off of him. That uneasy feeling in his stomach was twisted with guilt. Yet he refused to show it.

He followed behind Rigel slowly, creeping into the den with discomfort in his every step. Because - well - he didn't like the idea of being in confined quarters with the male. It hurt his heart to think like that because he was supposed to like everyone he met, but he was just so damn weary. Like he had just finished running until his legs gave out and he was gasping for air, only for someone to frown at him and tell him to try again. It ached somewhere inside of him, and he wondered if it was something he would ever heal from.

Yet somehow he found himself sitting across the male all the same. His broad shoulders were drawn in tight, head held low and his back pressed against the wall as he tried his best to be unobtrusive. He liked to think it was working. Even if his thoughts kept on whispering otherwise, he ignored them. It was a nice den, after all. Warm, cozy, lived in with the scent of wolves that must've used it well. He was sure he wouldn't mess anything up as long as he kept on pretending that he was just another part of the wall.

Besides, it wasn't like he was going to throw a childish fit and tear it to pieces. It wasn't his home far in the north, where he was born and raised. This was different even if he couldn't help but draw the similarities. He tried to focus on Rigel even if it made him feel bad.

"It's okay." He murmured awkwardly, because it really wasn't. But like hell would he bring that up right then. Instead he drew his attention to the rest of the male's words. Acting as if he didn't feel big and cumbersome and annoying, tucked away in a corner of the den that wasn't his. Or that he was trying to have a normal conversation with a wolf that only pretended to like him. And, well, maybe that was just paranoia speaking. Except he couldn't shake the sensation that there was something wrong oozing between their every word.

He shifted his paws, sitting up straight to get the burn out of his back before returning to his slouched over position. His tail drew tighter around his sitting form. "Who's your friend?" The words were soft, his expression brightening with gentle curiosity in that moment. If only to fade back to awkwardness a moment later. "But only if your, uh, okay with telling me that..." He shifted his gaze back to a random spot on the wall, voice trailing off as he did so.

"It's okay."

The tawny male wanted to argue back a bit. Tell @Cottongrass that it wasn't okay, that it was rude, why did he think it was okay? But Kerberos accepted the simple acceptance. Despite how much he wanted to stir the pot.

Everything seemed uncomfortable and Kerberos knew the easy fix to the solution but was trying to hold off. He didn't want to become like the other males back home. Snapping their teeth and pushing others around. He had sworn to his mother he'd never become such. Cottongrass was stirring feelings that made that a hard feeling to deny, though. The pale male was weak, perhaps even mentally ill. It would be easy to chase him away. Without even knowing it, Kerberos's eyes had been gazing at his company's form.

"My friend is Maera." He paused to wonder just how much he should spill. Her name should have been enough information. To keep any questions at bay. Kerberos was used to dealing out questions but wasn't too keen on taking them. "She's always nearby." The words fell before he could even think about it. Was it a scare tactic? Was Kerberos suddenly becoming a bully to this kind of weaker male? Maybe picking at the fact that Kerb's friends stayed close while Cotton had lost his? "Simmer down, Kerb." He gently told himself in his mind. Sure, Cottongrass had some size on the Rigel male but in such a wobbly awkward condition, but Kerb was willing to bet he could take this challenge when and if the time became right.

"My friend is Maera. She's always nearby."

"Oh." He mumbled, breath drawing in soft and shaky somewhere inside of his lungs. Because it was probably supposed to be a comment. Just something that wolves said to keep idle conversations afloat, like asking about how the day went or thoughts on the weather. Except it sounded a whole lot like a threat to him. He nodded in quiet understanding.

Because he - he knew his place. And Rigel didn't have to remind him of that, but he supposed it was reassuring in a way. Every word spoken had felt like it was shrouded in an unsettling fog, the kind that left behind only a vague silhouette in the distance. But slowly, it seemed, the truth was spilling out. The fog was lifting and it revealed that Cottongrass was the enemy, the intruder, the one that was wrong.

It reminded him of a night spent in a distant forest, where there was nothing but blue mist that consumed everything in its cold embrace. That was the night he had been attacked, when a wolf had descended upon him and he had nothing to do but run. And he had met Reyes the morning after, but he knew that there was nothing positive about to come out of this situation. But at the very least, if Rigel decided to attack, he'd understand the reasons why. He wouldn't fight back because he knew he deserved this time around. His yellow eyes drew back to Rigel's, knowing.

"Should I - should I leave before she comes back?" He asked, feeling like he was some kind of horrible secret. The kind that people buried away in shame and pretended never happened. He tried to force himself to seem smaller, as small as he felt. It was an admittedly poor attempt in submission without actually rolling over and exposing weak undersides.

Kerberos had done it. The way @Cottongrass's "Oh." had fallen like leaves. Shaky and cold. The usually laid back male was trying to figure out if this was his shot. To make a chance and escape this awkward situation. It would free them both from the ungodly thick tension. So what was he waiting for?

"Should I - should I leave before she comes back?"

That was what he had waited for. The stutters to return and the practical dismissal of himself. Rising to his paws Kerberos walked towards the front of the den. He had turned his back on the pale wolf but he was certain he could count himself as safe. "You should." His words wisped out into the cold. Taking on a solid stance he waited to hear Cottongrass speak again. That was if the younger male would speak. Kerberos didn't mean to be so gruff but this whole situation was odd and he wanted it over with.

"I insist you take something to eat, though. A gift." Only to cool his own nerves about everything. "Please don't say no. It'll only make things awkward." He chuckled and moved over to where he had stashed a mostly eaten chunk of deer. It was cold and there wasn't more than perhaps three bites. Kerberos's knew it was better than nothing. Especially for a fellow lone wolf. Picking it up he dropped the cold meat by the front of the den. The ball was in Cottongrass's court now.

"Okay." He swallowed, head nodding as he rose to his paws. And carefully, carefully he made his way out of the den just behind Rigel. There was a moment where he paused, standing awkwardly in the mouth of the den with a sentence forming on his tongue. Because he wasn't going to say no, that he wasn't that difficult. But his moment of almost boldness faded away as quickly as it had came. "Okay." He repeated instead, the lone word stilted in the cold air.

His yellow eyes settled on the chunk of meat that Rigel had dropped in front of him, something sick swirling in his stomach. He couldn't imagine eating that, his appetite lost when it would usually spike. But free food was free food, and he bent over to pick it up. His jaws fell short, closing mere centimeters from where it rested in the snow. He drew himself straight, peering over to where Rigel stood. And he was wasting time, but he needed - he needed to try and leave whatever tension that clung to him.

He licked his lips, drawing in quiet breaths as he struggled to find some semblance of words. There weren't any right ones, he knew this now, but he had to try. He met Rigel's eyes, gaze serious - too serious and it pained him. But he wasn't sure he could muster up a smile right then that wouldn't look like a grimace. "Sorry for uh, bothering you." He quirked one last weak smile, tail giving the slightest twitch of a wag. "And thanks for, uh, everything."

His gaze flickered down to his paws, and this time he picked up the offering in his jaws. He started to shuffle off the way he'd come from. And he knew he wouldn't stop, he wouldn't look back. Not if he could help it.

The pale boy kept saying okay when clearly nothing was okay. Kerberos couldn't stop his hackles from lightly rising. Like little bristles on his body. He kept his mouth shut, though. Simply waited for Cottongrass to move to the opening of the den to take his leave. Time felt like it was being dragged down a mountain side. Slow and painful.

The apology and the thanks didn't fall upon deaf ears. The Rigel male woofed lightly before being bothered to speak. "Take care, Cottongrass. Good luck finding your friends too. If you need help, I'll be around." He wished he hadn't said that. No way did he want to run into this Cotton male again. Everything was too awkward and tense. Even as the younger male left Kerb couldn't find himself relaxing. He simply wanted to curl up in the den. Wallowing about to block any smell of another wolf out. This was his and Mae's place. Never again would he offer a strange so much.

It dawned on him he'd have to go hunting too. He had just given Cottongrass his meal. He couldn't hold back the grumble as he departed from the den back into the cold. Hopefully something would appear soon and he could find Mae. There was much to talk about.

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