Willow Ridge Just Dumb Enough to Try

Right, Laurel thought, wolves to see. He liked the way she spoke of him, like he was something more. In reality, the yearling was meandering around hopelessly, picking fights when he didn't need to be picking them, and trying to figure out what he wanted out of life. Even sitting here, Laurel felt like there was more out there for him. Was it normal to be that way, or was he an anomaly? Adeltra seemed content to be in her pack, comfortable in her role. Laurel, who often had a habit of thinking these things instead of asking, said nothing.

Adeltra made herself comfortable on her back and Laurel finally began to start on the meal that she'd caught for him. He tried to eat as much as he could, and would try again. The second he was away from Willow Ridge's borders, coyotes would be on him again. The thought of them made him feel uneasy. There was no way he could continue fighting them on his own.

"Wait," he ignored her question completely, "You were on your own? When?"

The question burst from his lips with such surprise that her brows raised. Of course, how was he to know that she hadn’t been completely raised within the Willows all comfy cozy? Lady luck had been on her side during her foray away from the Ridge and she didn’t have many scars to show for it other than the ones on her muzzle. For all he knew, she was some spoiled brat. After all, she had been leading him around like some princess. Wow, she really was a piece of work wasn’t she?

“Yeah. There was a giant storm that came across the southern portion of Lore when I was about three months old. It was crazy, I haven’t seen anything like it since. Took down trees and big limbs, darn near took me out with it. I ran and hid in a tree hollow until the storm had passed, but when I came out I had pretty much no idea where I was. Nothing looked familiar, so I made a stupid decision and thought I could find my way home. Ended up going north instead of south if you’d believe it. I think I spent maybe…” she paused, tilting her head as she thought. “Four months or a little less out on my own until I came back down and a pack found me and knew where the Ridge was. Lucky they did, I probably wouldn’t have made it another week. I had to stay with them for a month or so until I was strong enough to make the week long trip back home,” she relayed. She was still a little embarrassed of herself for the idiot she had been then, but she’d grown from the experience. She’d matured and learned more control and independence than she ever would have spending all that time in the Willows.

He tried to think of what it would have been like if he'd have been separated from his family at such a young age. Would he have wanted to come back? Laurel couldn't be certain. He barely remembered when he was so young and happy to bother anyone in Quaking Vale. He offered a chuckle when she said she mixed up her north and south. It was a short story, but with a happy ending. Adeltra back home and safe. And now she had a good story to tell.

Lauraceae considered his own story, he tried to piece it into words in his head. But his story wasn't short, nor sweet, nor had it ended. He could feel his heart giving an uncomfortable squeeze at the thought of it. Even recently, he had fallen on hard times: the guilt of that injured girl, his frustrating encounter with a pack wolf, and a dead puppy. Laurel finished what little of the rabbit he could, but began to feel ill. He'd finish it later. Maybe he'd gobble down as much as he could and pray he didn't throw it back up.

He nudged the rabbit aside and decided to make himself comfortable next to Adeltra. "But your family, they were glad to have you home, yeah?" He licked at the blood on his maw, "You seem to be in pretty good standing with @Ravenna, too. I think you've got everything you need here. I'm glad you got back home safe."

She watched as he set aside some of the rabbit, not offended in the least. He was still super skinny and eating anything more would probably make him throw up. She’d made that mistake once after Piety and Cyril had taken her in. After that, she’d learned to take her meals in portions until she was back up to strength. It was a long road to recovery after you reached that state, which was why she was so worried for her new friend. She wished he would stay longer, let someone take care of him until he was at least a few pounds heavier, but she knew she couldn’t make him stay. She could only offer advice, and it would only be given if asked for.

Adeltra gave a hesitant nod when he asked if her family was happy to see her back. “Well...my cousins and my dad were. My mom had been gone for awhile, apparently out looking for me. My brother, Romanov, blamed me for it. I mean, he had a right to ya know?” she replied with a small shrug of her shoulders. She’d learned to forgive herself for the things she’d done. At least, a little bit. The other bit kept her up at night, whispering in her ears that she was reason that her father was dead. That she was the reason her brother was gone. She’d ruined her family.

“As for Ravenna...once I came back she basically became my mom. Dad was always out looking for mom. Eventually he got sick cause he was old and couldn’t physically take it. Sven took over then. They were like mom and dad 2.0 except, ya know, not the same. Rom left a few months ago out of the blue, then dad died, and that wasn’t...great,” she said, her voice trailing off. With a start, she realized she’d just basically made herself sound like she’d had some horrible life. Quickly she rolled to her stomach, plastering a small smile to her lips. “But I shouldn’t really be complaining, sorry. I don’t mean to be a debby downer or anything. I have lots to be thankful for, like a big pack, food, cousins and littler cousins, and safety. And...and I’m gonna shut up now,” she said, auds folding back as her head dipped in embarrassment and her gaze averted. When would she learn to stop yapping? She'd probably just made him really uncomfortable.

Laurel didn't care that she went on, and liked how she filled what was otherwise going to be silence. She was already an open book and he felt ill even thinking about offering up a tidbit of his past. He watched her speak, tried to see what emotions crossed her dark features as she spoke. Did her brother have a right to blame her? He didn't know. Laurel shrugged, indifferent. Adeltra went on. Ravenna was like her adopted mother, and her dad eventually died, her brother out of the picture. It wasn't a picture perfect family, but the dark yearling seemed to be taking it all in well.

"I'm sorry your dad died," he spoke when she began to trail off. Then she gave him a fake smile and apologized. Lauraceae laughed, flopping onto his back and paws stretching to the sky. "You're not complaining," he closed an eye, touching a cloud with his paw. "And I like hearing about your story," his favorite part was that she was there, laying down beside some nobody and happily chatting away at him. "You've been through a lot and you're stronger for that. I think it's..." Laurel paused, closing the opposite eye while he touched a different cloud. "Admirable."

The girl halfway expected him to thank her for the meal then skedaddle. Yet, he didn’t and she peeked up at him from beneath her brows. Or rather, down as he rolled onto his back as well. He insisted that she wasn’t complaining, though she wasn’t quite convinced of that. He also said that he liked her story, which also confused her a bit because, well, it was kind of a tragic one. But who was she to say that she understood the mind of another. And, when he called her admirable. Wowee. The felt a strange warmth in her cheeks that prickled along her back, something she’d never felt before. For the first time in her life, Adeltra Archer was blushing. Thank the lord for dark coats.

“Well...thank you. That’s really nice of you to say,” she replied with a genuine smile this time. Once again she rolled over onto her back, wriggling herself closer to her new friend. “Ya know, I’m glad you came with us. Even if it wasn’t for a long time, it’s been nice hanging out. You’re different from anyone I’ve met before,” she said, staring up at the sky and watching as he poked at the different clouds. “In a good way,” she was quick to add, realizing how it might have sounded.

Suddenly, a yawn gaped her maw. Her tongue stuck out, long and pink before retracting with a click of her teeth. She hummed, rolling onto her side. Her back pressed against the scarred side of the boy. “Well, now that you’ve got me all sidetracked, you feeling a nap?” she asked, though she was already starting to fade. Later, perhaps, they would go for a walk around the borders and get him prepared to go, but for the moment she simply wanted to spend some time with him.

Different? She had backtracked, and he did believe that the young Archer had not meant it in a mean way. But it stuck with him. He offered her a smile when she asked about a nap, "Yeah, all that sunrise watching's got me beat," she made herself comfortable, back pressed against his side. Laurel turned to lie on his side, but away from her. Adeltra was long asleep before he was. The word echoed in his mind, over and over, until he began to feel the pull of sleep. Different.

He did not want to be different.

— End Thread!