He was still very much scared of the world beyond the Surge borders and the creatures that lurked in the surrounding forest but little Chip made him braver. Sort of. The bird did not do much aside from sitting between his shoulder blades and accompanying him on his excursions, but it felt better knowing he was not alone. He did not expect the little bird to stick around for much longer. His wing was practically healed and, eventually, he would fly away and do bird things. Make a nest. Migrate. Or whatever. Legolas would be devastated but he knew that Chip needed to live a normal bird life. They could still be buddies but couldn’t stick together forever. Chip would have to spread his wings soon… and so would Leggy.

But not today.

Today they were on another adventure. This time heading to the shores of the lake opposite their unwanted neighbours. He did not want to stir up any unnecessary drama. Nope—Legolas was minding his own and stomping around the edge of the smooth water, his oversized paws kicking absently at the sand. He was not sure what his plan was for the day. He liked being alone (with Chip) and staying out of the way of his packmates. He should be learning how to hunt and track but he did not want to bother them. Especially with things being so tense.

He had not been expecting to run into anyone during his excursion and was rather alarmed by the appearance of tawny fur. At first he feared he had encountered another pesky coyote and was about to become lunch but a flash of familiar blue irises told him that the blurred shape did not belong to any vermin. Makvala. He blinked as he stumbled backward, his expression tightening with confusion as he studied her perplexed expression. What was she doing out here? The ivory Stark instantly noticed the injury above her nose, which meant that the girl was likely up to no good, but he was sure it would not take long for her to dive into her story.

S-s’ok, he mumbled in response, his tail sweeping softly behind him. Her question did not come as a surprise—the little bird on his shoulder was hard to ignore. Especially since wolves and birds did not typically have a close relationship. Ch-ch-chip, he responded as though it was the most obvious thing in the world.

His expression grew more serious as his head cocked to the side, the corners of his mouth falling. W-wh-what’cha doin’ out h-here? What kind of mischief had his sister gotten herself into?

He blinked. D-duh! Of course the bird had a name! Not all birds were food—some of them could be friends too! Silly Makvala. She was always so focused on hunting. Ch-chip’s my f-friend. K-keeping me c-c-company. Duh. He couldn’t go out exploring on his own! He was not as brave as his brother and sister. Little Legolas would hover at the borders, teetering on the invisible line and leaning toward the trees of the Surge. He wished he had even an ounce of the bravery that both Makvala and Leith possessed—even if they weren’t always the brightest (and were super reckless).

He nodded softly to her response, his blue-green gaze narrowing with concern as he studied the injury on her nose. Wh-what’d it look like? He asked, his curiosity growing as his head tipped from side to side. Legolas could feel the little bird clinging tighter to his fur as he shifted and the ivory boy immediately regretted it. He straightened his posture and swallowed the urge to shrug at his sister’s question. G-got lost, he admitted with a sheepish grin. W-was sh-showin’ Ch-chip around.

His sister did not seem to approve of Chip. She kept pestering him with questions which only made his features tighten and a soft frown to tug at the corners of his mouth. She just did not understand and that was okay. Chip was his friend. As long as Makvala did not eat his feathered companion everything would be just fine. O’c-course! He retorted, the frown quickly turning into a proud smile. D-dad helped f-f-fix him. Jynx and Emrys, too. They had all helped patch little Chip together.

… small and furry but it had claws … He gulped. Whatever it was did not sound like food. Poor Mak. At least she had gotten away with a minor injury and minimal blood loss. It would make mom and dad happy. They already fretted over the Stark children enough. D-doesn’t s-s-sound very yummy, he scoffed, the small smile still present on his ivory features. Maybe it was a good thing her hunt was a failure. Maybe it wasn’t meant to be eaten.

His ears twitched as she mentioned a nearby creek and Chip. He cocked a single, skeptical brow in her direction before offering a slow wag of his tail in response. S-s-sure, he agreed as he motioned for her to lead the way with a flick of his nose. He was not familiar with the terrain beyond the Surge—not like his sister and brother. He was a good boy. Most of the time.