He could hear the call of rushing water, drawing him in like a moth towards the full moon. How long had it been since he left the river? Since he'd even encountered running water? The thirst that tore at his breast was much more than a simple need to drink, it was his heart beckoning, aching to be back where it belonged. This was not his river, he knew enough to be sure of that, but the captain still longed to be by water once more. So he followed his ears, tongue lolling out of his mouth in quiet gasps, his pulse racing as he hurried through the miniature pine woods. He was still continuously baffled by how tiny the trees were down here, so different from the towering redwoods he'd grown up amongst. He couldn't help but think that was where a dragon belonged, the kingswood, surely no place could be better suited; So why did you leave?

His ponderings were interrupted when he reached his destination, the subtle rumble of the water rising to a powerful roar as the river rushed by his feet. Golden eyes grew circle round, glittering with life in a way they hadn't for many months. Still panting excitedly, the boy looked up and down the waterway, nostrils flaring with the familiar scents. No, this wasn't Hearthwood, these banks were marked by large sheets of flat rock, extending out into the water, making a rugged, russet-brown floor beneath the clear liquid. And the difference begged to be explored! With a wide grin, the young wolf stepped out into the water, his heart soaring at the thrill of once more feeling it run across his paws. It was almost as good as being home again; Why did I ever leave?!

Word count: 295

The flat rock formed a solid floor under his paws, so different from the mud he was used to. But the rush of the water was as familiar as his breath, and he felt like he was finally breathing fully again. Eyes closed, he focused fully on taking it all in, feeling a growing tightness in his chest. Thoughts of home streamed through his mind as the river across his feet, worry and regret mixing with the still lingering hint of anger he held towards them all for chasing off the dragon; And by extension Karina and her daughter. Most of all, Kyrios wondered about Atropos and how she was faring without him, a stab of guilt shooting through his heart. Leaving her was the hardest thing he'd ever done -counting his many days of wandering hungry and alone on the mountain – but in the end, she was still with their father and the pack. Out here on her own, Bennet needed him more, and he was not gonna give up on her; I'll find you Bean, I WILL!

So consumed was the boy by the wonder of senses and his churning thoughts, that at first he didn't notice the stranger either, steps as silent as her tongue. Only when the loud splashing of her battle with the sturgeon reached his ears was he torn from his own self, golden eyes flicking open and sweeping the banks. There, a number of leaps downstream, he saw something. At first he wasn't sure what, half submerged in her struggle, the wolf looked like some strange beast, comprised only of a wet rear end and wildly waving tail. But as the lad looked closer, taking a few steps through the water in her direction, he soon recognized the half-wolf, eyes widening and ears pricking in alert. Now that he realized what she was, it was also clear that she was in trouble, the water frothy and wild with her thrashing. And Kyrios moved quickly to help.

Hurrying through the river, leaping high against the force of the water, Kyrios called out to the stranger as loud as he could: "Ey! Am comin' jus'… Hold on!" He had no idea what force trapped her under the surface, but he knew for sure that if she didn't come up soon, she would drown. So he went straight for the rapids at her head, ducking under himself without a moment's thought. His snout bumped hers as he veered around under water, trying to see through the mess of bubbles and grit. In the end he had to trust his sense of touch above his eyes, and all he could discern was that her teeth were locked around something down there, probably trying to pull it up, but it was pulling back. With no more time to plan, the boy snapped out, losing his teeth about the first and best thing he found, intending to help her drag it out, before she was dragged under.

Word count: 498

It was a strange feeling, his teeth sinking into the scaly creature , but he had little time to wonder as his pull joined the tawny wolf's, dragging the writhing creature free of the water. As the broke the surface, the resistance all but disappeared, sending Kyrios tottering backwards, his rump slamming against the rock under the low water with a splash. Stunned, the boy's grip loosened, fish and fisherwoman continuing on their own trajectory, landing back against the shore. The lad gasped, shaking his head and shoulders in a shower of tiny water droplets, golden eyes blinking at what he'd helped drag up.

The fish itself was a beast, unlike any he remembered seeing in Hearthwood River, and certainly bigger than any he had eaten as a pup. The woman, well, she was quite cumbersome herself. Her limbs and frame were short, head and tail small, but her middle bulged oddly, giving her a peculiar roundness. Kyrios couldn't help but stare, looking at wolf next to fish and trying to decide which was fatter. He'd never seen anything like it. As she got to her feet to pull their catch safely ashore, she waddled comically – had he not had better manners, the boy would have laughed at the sight – and then she turned to him, forcing his attention to shift to her eyes.

Their eyes met as she nudged the fish silently, clearly an invitation for him to eat, and he could feel his teeth starting to water instantly. Raising his tail from the water, he shook his fur out again before stepping to her side, over their prize. Next to his own, emaciated body, she looked even rounder, but the boy forced himself to look at her face, smiling warily. He wasn't about to turn down the offer of food, yet he hesitated. Seeing the lines under her eyes and sunken cheeks – paradoxically she appeared famished even with her swollen belly; Maybe she's sick? Lowering his nose to the fish, he cast another glance at her flank, ears flicking curiously. The rest of her was so lean, she appeared almost bloated, like a carcass that had lain out in the sun for too long.

Kyrios shook his head, lifting it back up to meet the woman's eyes again; She almost died to catch this thing..! That spoke clearly enough to the starving boy, regardless of her fat belly. "No," He declared, pushing the fish back towards her with one paw; "Y' fought for it, 'is yours." Hungry or not, Karina and Lachesis had raised a gentleman, and there was something in the dark orange eyes that spoke to the protective nature within him; "Y' must be famished."

Word count: 449

His stomach growled loudly. He was a fool and too cocky, and he was going to starve to death because of it. Really it was ridiculous, this fat woman hadn’t said a word to him, even after he saved her catch and quite possibly her life, yet he would let her take the whole prize simply for the look in her eyes; How have I survived this long? She was an adult too, small sure, but perfectly capable of taking care of herself, or so she should be. He had no business coddling her, a stranger to boot, she wasn’t like his little sister’s at all. Yet one look in those dark orange eyes and he was sold, doomed to forget his own needs like some refined idiot. It was lucky for him that she was too good to abuse his stupidity.

Her advance took the boy completely by surprise, his body frozen in place under her kiss. He couldn’t remember the last time someone touched him like that, so gentle and affectionate, her tongue leaving a tingling wet trail across his face. Since Karina and Bennet had left Hearthwood, Kyrios had been without a mother figure, and while his father was both present and loving, it could never quite fill out that hole. His sister might have been his main concern when he decided to leave home, but there was no doubt seeing his ‘mother’ again had been an attributing factor. All of these thoughts rushed through his head as the stranger pulled back, leaving him stunned while she took to dissecting the fish.

He only managed to regain his composure once she set down the meat at his feet, goldenrod eyes blinking down at the offering, and then back to her as she retreated to take her own part of the meal. His teeth watered, stomach growling again, demandingly. “Th-thanks,” He managed, smiling awkwardly down at her before he bowed to finally fill his achingly empty belly. Silence stretched as they ate, though it was a pretty comfortable one, like pack mates sharing a kill; Something the youth had only experienced sporadically. But it felt nice to have company. Once the pain in his gut changed to announce it was full, much sooner than his eyes would have liked, Kyrios stepped back, lowering his rear into a heavy seat as he licked his chops. He studied the stranger once more, again puzzling at the odd bulge of her middle. Even the stockiest wolves he’d ever seen hadn’t looked like that, and the rest of her was so delicate and petite. His mind burned with curiosity, but etiquette kept him from addressing the question. Instead he cleared his throat and said: “’Am Kyrios, it’s nice t’ meet ya.”

Word count: 459

She ate as hungrily as he did, but despite her size, not for much longer. And afterwards she was quick to lie down, seeming quite exhausted from the whole ordeal. The lad wondered if perhaps she was sick, and it was some strange illness that left her bloated, not unlike a carcass left out in the sun. With this in mind, he tactfully ignored her gaseous emission, raising one paw to cover up a small jawn, adeptly keeping him occupied while she regained her composure. Once she laid down, his attention was restored, gallant smile once more on his face as if nothing had happened.

There had to be something wrong with her, the way her stomach distended almost comically, bulged out next to her as an independent entity. But whatever it was, she didn’t seem overly bothered, looking up at him with kind eyes and making an odd, but happy sounding noise. Kyrios stared back, blinking a few times and flicking an ear, trying to make sense of the sound. If that was her name, he had no chance of recreating it, yet it felt rude to ask her to repeat it. So he just nodded, smiling back a little awkwardly.

The silence stretched heavily, and Kyrios glanced down at his paws, scraping at the gravel. Finally, he licked his lips, looking over at the ‘chirp’-woman with a sheepish smile; “Uhm… Well, thanks again fer sharin’ the fish. It was really good.” Then he didn’t know what else to add, glancing back down at the remains of their meal. His poor, starved belly was churning with the sudden influx of food, making him a little queasy. And yet he found himself wondering if he could sneak another bite.

Word count: 289