Wildflower Glade before the day is done

Duckweed wasn't entirely sure what he'd expected as an answer, but somehow, it wasn't that. He'd been prepared for Nios to accept the escape route and let the runt continue on his way, but he'd also been prepared for the man to assert that he was coming, maybe just to prove a point or try to form a bond or be his idea of sociable, or whatever. But instead, there was just another volley of 'if-you-don't-mind', the ball of tentative permission-seeking they had been hitting back and forth.

Duck looked straight at the man then, one ear edging up from its submissive, anxious position flat against his skull, just a small gesture of curiosity... and a careful opening of a usually firmly-closed door. He'd picked the fish up not having anticipated another question, having been ready to stop talking, but he couldn't just not answer. Slowly, he placed the fish back on the ground, tasting the blood it had left behind, swallowing it, clearing his mouth. Looking back at those bright gold eyes, he tried to see malice and cruelty in them and failed. "D-d... do you?"

The conversation was entirely tedious only in the sense that the pale youth held so little confidence in himself that he could not quite grasp that anyone desired to spend any time with him. His amber eyes studied him, the question posed still one of complete uncertainty, and without skipping a beat, Nios gave a gentle bob of his head in agreement. “Yes,” he responded simply, waiting simply upon the agreeance of Belladonna’s son.

He spoke no more for the time being, allowing Duckweed to process this information and determine an answer, lest he confuse the boy. He had never been a shy thing himself – introverted at times, certainly, and not nearly as outgoing as his brother.. but never shy. He mirrored Ruiko in many ways – but no one could be as stoical as the man that had raised him. And thankfully, Aeylen had not been so closed with her emotions.

He wondered quietly how they both were now – what they would have thought that the determined Tainn boys that had sought out the world with one another had become completely disconnected from each other.. and Nios had now finally given up on hunting Mirren down and expecting him to stay in one place or include him in any of his decisions.

'cause its home, but it's gone

@Aideen tag for mention because Duck can't say her name in one piece

He wasn't really sure how to deal with such a... straightforwardness. His mother was so coddling and soft, so accommodating, and while he hated the implicit patronisation it was comfortable; he had never really learned how to deal with someone who was both friendly and blunt. Bluntness, to his younger self, had always come hand in hand with callous dismissal, but that was a long time ago, now, and he had matured enough to not slip into false assumptions too easily. His ears did initially flick back, a sign of his hesitation, but then Duck just swallowed and lifted his head a little, ears creeping up, because that's what confident wolves did, and if he made an effort to imitate them then maybe, one day, he could be as effortlessly self-assured as someone like Nios.

"O-okay," he said, trying to force a decisive edge to his voice, because who was he to tell Nios no? It was all mad and weird but the dark man had said he wanted to come, he wanted the company, and the light feeling in Duck's stomach was something akin to a fan being told he could hang out with his favourite celebrity, because he was just that easy to flatter.

"Luh-l-let's f-f, f-find Aid-duh-d-d-deen," he said, with that same effortful decisiveness, and scooped up the fish yet again. He lingered for just a moment, balancing on what felt like a cloud, before turning and heading back towards the pack territory, because decisive wolves acted decisively, too, and Nios had made it perfectly clear that he wasn't a lollygagger. For some reason Duck felt an immense urge to make a good impression... or, more rightly, salvage the awful impression he had already made. Decisive.

Fade here? Up to you!

The boy decided they would seek out Aideen rather than his mother -- an honorable choice, given the she-wolf would likely be birthing the next generation for the Woodlands, yet Nios could not help but feel a pang of disappointment that his path would not come upon Belladonna that day. Without losing a beat, though, the swarthy man gave a nod of pure agreement, and a casual smile in to the direction of the pale youth.

The boy scooped up the fish, hesitated for only a moment, and then began to lead them to their destination -- the new regal female of the pack. Nios was quick behind him, offering the boy space so as to not crowd him, but sidling up closer to his flank. Nios would try to make small talk along the way -- his eyes drifting between the Woodlands and his companion, searching for signs of discomfort from the boy before steering the amicable chatter elsewhere. He kept it light -- it was hard to talk with a fish in your mouth, no doubt, but he was pleased that despite his outward stoicism, Duckweed had managed to look past that and accept the dark wolf's company.

'cause its home, but it's gone