Laurel Thicket She doesn't even go here

Snow 24.71 ° F, -4.05 ° C
For @Asmund, Blind Date RE

The day had seen the young Archer venture further from home than usual, searching for a source of water or food that could aid them through the winter. The mixed forest was thin here, dotted with thickets and clearings that teased the promise of opportunity despite its silence and the slow and steady snowfall throughout the day.

As he entered the next clearing, Iseldir's eyes widened as he spotted a copse of trees still wearing their leaves, green and vibrant against the backdrop of snowy grey and white. A place like that might attract and conceal birds, rabbits, even deer he thought as he stepped toward it.

However, it was a wolf's den he discovered at its heart, long disused by the look of things. The boy lowered himself onto his belly and inspected the deserted space before emerging with a sneeze. A good landmark to know about, he supposed. Other signs of life were less obvious, if in fact there were any to be found. Flicking his tail, Iseldir began to investigate the area surrounding the den, less than easily dissuaded - if someone had made a home here once, maybe there was still something about the place worth finding out.

Asmund was running. His chest heaved, lungs burned and muscles cramped but he couldn't stop. Even though he didn't hear it behind him anymore, or smell its rancid breath, it still wasn't safe to stop. Because he wasn't in the Backwater anymore; the damned coyote had managed to chase him clear out of the territory and into his realm.

Would hiding be effective out here? Would any of the pack come looking for him? @Llinnea's voice rang in his head, telling him they wouldn't, and he knew that even if he wanted to keep faith in @Clover and @Viorel that didn't mean they could get to him in time. They hadn't gotten to his mother fast enough after all, and she'd managed to get back home with that monster at her heels...

There was a thicket of trees and he plunged between the trunks and into the snow betwixt them and rammed directly into the other child before Asmund could even perceive his existence. He yelped in shock and fear, tumbling to the ground in a twist of gangly limbs.

Hearing whatever hit him moments before did little to prevent disaster - an ear flicked, and the boy turned his head to the side moments before the other form collided with him at full speed.  Perhaps if he had braced himself, he could have avoided being knocked tail over nose over tail again.

Perception seemed to slow for a moment. Or maybe his mind was racing. Was it another wolf? He heard a yelp, was hit with a blur of color and scent even as he extracted himself from the other form and scrambled to his feet, turning to size up the other. He tried to gain his breath, his thoughts. What was he supposed to do? Not be so far from home, for a start. Some help that was now, though.

Brown fur and green eyes stared back at him, a familiar enough picture that Iseldir had to blink. But it was no Archer he was faced with, none that he knew of anyway.

Never one for words, the boy stood braced on his toes with tail bristled, jaw clamped shut as he sucked in air through his nose. If Nineve were here, she'd know what to say, he couldn't help thinking. She always did.

"Cor!" he managed at last, which was more of a sound and less words but it was true all the same.

The other child was far quicker to get back onto their feet, leaving Asmund even more panicked as he continued to slip and blunder amongst the slick snow. If it had been @Isla, he would already be a goner. Thankfully, while he couldn't know it, the young orphan had happened into one of the most mild-mannered pups in the Lore. That didn't stop him from standing his ground, of course. Once finally up on his paws again, his green eyes met a softer hue of beryl and witnessed a firm stance that communicated bravery.

Asmund shrunk back, but more like a cornered prey animal than with any kind of apologetic submissiveness. His ears were firmly twisted back and he was crouched low, but his fangs were bared and his tail stuck out straight and stiff. He hoped to make it clear that if the other child tried to retaliate or otherwise come too close, he would bite.

'Cor!'

The Backwater youth blinked. He didn't know that word, whatever language it belonged to.

"... what?"

Iseldir's stance shifted from foot to foot, relaxing just a fraction as the other youth slipped and got back on his feet. He could see panic on his features and catch the scent of fear in the air.

The other shrank from him in apparent terror, flashing his fangs and causing confusion to color the Archer boy's gaze. He'd never seen that expression in someone looking back at him, before. He craned his head to glance behind the stiff-tailed boy, wondering what he'd been running from, or toward at such a speed.

At least his speech had managed to produce a moment of pause, even if it seemed stemmed from confusion, that was better than aggression or panic. The other boy responded with a single questioning word, Izzy's ears tilting to catch it even as his tail fell. He wasn't good at speaking or answering questions, especially with those who weren't a part of his small tightly-knit family unit. He blinked back and the moments slid by as he averted his gaze, trying to work the words from his jaws.

"So-" he took a breath "-sorry." He wanted to assure the other he need not to be afraid of him, or ask him what had caused him to run like that in the first place, but it was not nearly so easy to voice such questions as to think of them.

Asmund could read the befuddlement on the other's face, and found his own confusion mounting in turn. The kid was acting strange, more like @Matos than any other pup this orphan was accustomed to. The boy spoke again, translating he could only assume. 'Sorry'? His tail lowered, and his shaking ebbed ever so slightly. Why on earth was this stranger apologizing to him? Especially when he'd been the one to cause the accident!

He wanted to be mean, and angry, and push the boy away before worse things came for them. The other child was too disarming, however. In his experience, the bad guys had acted like bad guys.

"Y-y-you shouldn't b-be out here," he settled on, green eyes darting to scan their surroundings every few moments. They weren't safe.

Dark brown ears tilted to catch the other's words, Izzy's eyes widening in surprise as he heard them. Now it was the Archer boy's turn to echo the questioning tone. "What?"

The other boy was still glancing about them, still nervous. It put Iseldir on edge, seeing the tension in the other boy. Another question was due, and Izzy worked it out with care, a keen edge on the word as he delivered it with questioning gaze. "Why?" If Izzy had any word in his arsenal that was his favorite, that would have been it. He leaned forward, a bit overly intent.

This thicket wasn't exactly next door to his family's claim, but he had every right to be here, didn't he? Unless there was something dangerous, then of course, they should know. It was still too close for comfort. Besides, he was curious about this other boy near his own age, quite alike himself but quite different too it seemed.

The other boy questioned him, and it was very clear in his body language and expressive mint eyes that he really didn't know. For a moment Asmund was at a loss for words, looking Iseldir up and down. Then, with a swallow, he whispered loudly,

"Because it's dangerous!"

How could this kid not know that? Somewhere else, a bird took to flight and the sound of it made Az visibly jump and spin round. He backed up swiftly into the strange pup, instinctively as though he were Llinnea, and listened for any closer noises. Hints that it was a fellow predator stalking after them...

"H-h-h-he's going to k-kill m-me," he moaned, tears brimming. Why hadn't he run in any other direction? Why did that frightening half-wolf have to come when @Viorel wasn't in the territory? Why couldn't he just close his eyes and wish himself back home?

He seemed so scared. It reminded Iseldir of his brother @Daegal , the way he had seemed haunted by the experience after Hagar and he had encountered the bear. Izzy remembered how they'd promised to stay together, he and Daeg and @Nineve, and yet here he was off by himself in a seemingly dangerous place. A pang of guilt and dread, a new emotion, ran through the young boy and settled into his stomach.

Only, that fear had been different somehow, this pup seemed urgent and desperate. For a moment Izzy's tail swept between his legs before he straightened back up, glancing around.

He did not expect the other boy to seek shelter at his side, but he'd not turn him away. The enemy of the scary monster in the woods was a friend, or something like that, right? He leaned his shoulder into the other's for a moment, reassuring him as if he was one of his own siblings.

"...kill!? Who?" He was half disbelieving, but it was not the half that won out. The Archer boy didn't smell or see anything at the moment except a bird taking flight, but that wasn't really making him feel any better. Maybe they should seek refuge of some kind before the strange things the other boy was saying became real.

Were he thinking a little straighter, Asmund would have been grateful that the other hadn't pushed him away. The other Backwater pups certainly would have, and they knew exactly what Az had to be so fearful of. As frightened as he was however, all he could do was continue to brace for a monster he couldn't know wasn't coming.

'Who?'

His own beryl eyes continued to dart around their surroundings, watching for movement, or glowing, poison-green sights staring back at him...

"... I... I don't know," he whimpered, hating to admit it. Made everything worse, didn't it, having so little answers about the thing that haunted you?

"Wh-... Where's your m-mom? D-do you have a, a dad?"

Mothers couldn't keep you safe, but if the other kid had a father, and they could get to him, then maybe they had a shot at surviving.