@Gent

The boy had been turned southward by a number of means. Mostly by the wolf scents he had found. However the child was still as lost as ever. He was quickly learning about the places he'd seen, but was no closer to learning about the route back home than when he'd first became lost in Whisper Marsh. Unbeknownst to the youngster he was actually on the correct route homeward. Or at least he was a lot closer than he used to be.

The trees had given away to open ground and stiff dried grasses poking through the now four inch cover of snow over the earth. The pup, having had a meal not too long ago with a nice male wolf, was not overly hungry like he had been before. Only tiny pangs of hunger prodded his belly, but they were pains that could easily be ignored while traveling. Titan had a spring in his step today as he roamed westward from the marsh towards the Iridescent Lagoon. He had noticed that the few trees he could see had turned from only cedars to a mix of cedar and willow. The willow trees made the boy feel all warm and bubbly inside. They reminded him of his home. Which means I'm getting closer. Titan thought happily to himself.

Spying the glitter of ice and water from his vantage point, the dark wolf pup bounded forward suddenly reminded of his thirst. Once he sped over the snow to the bank the child slowed to gaze at the beautiful scene. Wilows ringed the outside edges of the shoreline. Cattails mostly dead from the cold stood stubbornly against the wind lodged in thin ice. A thin film of ice had formed over the shoreline of the lagoon. Deeper into the center of the lagoon fresh tempting unfrozen water lay. An experienced wolf might have broken the ice at the edge of the shore to get water by rearing up on its powerful hind legs and crashing down with stiff forelegs. However Titan did not know how to do this act yet. Nor did he know how dangerous it was to walk out on this ice.

Slowly the boy edged out onto the freezing cold stiff water, (his words for what he saw as ice) and reached for the liquid water. His paws slipped forward and a loud "CRACK!" sounded startling the boy backwards. The cracking continued almost sounding like thunder. Titan, being gravely frightened of thunderstorms, bolted backwards back onto shore and towards the only cover he could see; a dead row of bushes near a large willow.

Only too late did the boy realize that the bushes were wild rose plants with thorns. The young Thorben crashed into the bushes and immediately began flailing around crying as the winding plants entangled him with long sharp branches.

"GAAAAA!! SOMEONE HELP!! WAAAAAAHAAAAAHAHAAAA!" His snarling cries echoed over the landscape while the pup struggled blindly to free himself.

His calls not surprisingly were answered. Luckily for the boy it was not a coyote or a bear who came to his demise, but a dark male yearling. The black as night wolf hurried closer as Titan thrashed making more of the thorns sink deeply into his skin.

Titan spotted the dark shape just as Gent came to a stop and barked an order to stop moving. Reluctantly Titan froze up; though his legs and tail were still shaking from the shock of being poked bloody by thorns all across his body.

"It hurts.. " Titan moaned as the darker lone male began extracting his sensitive young body from the thorny tentacles of plant. One leg came free, his right paw planted itself firmly upon the ground while Titan tried twisting his head to help.

"Ouch! " Four thorns prodded his neck while the boy turned his head. "This stuff stinks! " His nose wrinkled into a snarl while the dark lad stiffened himself making it easier for the other older guy help out. Though the childs dark blue gaze turned to the tufts of his fur sticking on the branches Gent had already taken off his riddled body.

"Please don't pull out all my fur buddy! " The last word turned into a yelp as a tugged thorn scraped across his skin. Titans eyes looked at another thonry brach falling to the ground and felt his back leg free up from the plants grip. "Thanks though.. I mean.. At least your helping me.. " Titan couldn't help but be reminded of how the first yearling he had met on his ridiculous journey had been a troublesome bitch with no ounce of pity.

He was finally free. Though Titan eyed the incredulous look on the other male when he asked "why wouldn't I help?" then licked one of his banged up legs.

"I don't know it's just... Well I met another younger loner like us, and she was quite frankly a bitch with no heart." He had hesitated before saying the swear word. Titan had heard Tokino spout the angry word from his muzzle before and felt that it was just right to describe the loner Avaline. She had been the first wolf Titan had ever truly met with a bad nature about her. Knowing and growing up with all good wolves around him made Titan unsure around the troubling loner. If anything he'd been shocked by her nastiness. Perhaps it had been a good thing for the boy to see that not everyone in this world wanted to help him survive or become "friends".

"She bullied me after I was hurt by a giant bird that mostly ran along the ground then left me for dead laughing about it as she left." He answered the other wolf wondering if his good nature really was true and not something fabricated for the occasion. " I'm sorry if I don't trust other loners immediately after meeting her." He tried to give a reason for that earlier prickly attitude Titan had sported.

Titan was amazed that Gent was helping so much. Being a soul who couldn't take something without giving another thing in return made Titan reluctant to allow this stranger to help him any further. "You don't have to..." He tried intercepting the black wolf's words at the mention of finding shelter. However the younger boy gave up and let the male fuss over him. He was used to letting his mother and the other adults fuss over him then later trying to help them out in any way he could. "Not hurt bad just...prickly feeling all over.." Titan moved to try and lick the area's that were beginning to feel itchy even as the healthy boys body began the slow healing process.

"I'm Titan Thorben of Whisper Caverns pack. Who're you if I might ask?" He kept his words respectful especially since this older male was helping him out. It was only right to do so and act respectfully for him.

"Loners who are malicious remain alone, and therefore die. She'll have her's."

That comment helped Titan somehow. He felt better thinking that somehow fate would pay her back in time. Curling up comfortably behind Gent and next to the wall of snow Titan continued licking each prickly yet itchy injury. It took a few licks to each scratched up place before the wounds would stop bleeding or leaking clear fluid. Then he would move on to another area. There was only one place he could not reach and that was a row of pin pricked scratches form the thorns that were set at the top of his head. For this itchy place Titan simply swept a paw over his head to try and quell the itching.

"Hey, I'm happy for the company,"

This guy was cool. At least so far Titan had a healthy respect for the young loner. He wondered what living alone felt like. With no overprotective adults around or annoying siblings to talk to. Titan wasn't so sure he would like to live alone for too long.

"I'm glad to be your company." He answered the older male while itching his head again.

"I am Gent Lieris. It's nice meeting you, Titan. Though, if you have a pack, what are you doing out here alone?" Titan tilted his head nodding in greeting then listened to the question.

"Aww.. well. My mother went out on a mission to some faraway pack. She's been gone for a lot longer than she should have been. Everyone's been worried and I think she got hurt someplace. So I went out to find her, though now I kinda realize that I'm never going to be able to find her when I can't even find the way home myself. " He pursed his black lips annoyed at himself for being so stupid. Unlike his brother Yuka, Titan usually did things before thinking about it first. This usually got him into trouble just like he was now.