Kingsfall far and away

Though the group had quite possibly found a place to settle in officially, that did not mean one could forgo exploring entirely. If Kingsfall was to be their home, the dark one hoped to know and be familiar with as much of it as he could, even those areas further from the falls and the area in which they'd tentatively set up in. And with Ryder and Caspian maturing, Jet felt more comfortable wandering further away from them and for greater lengths of time. He trusted the others would and could take care of themselves.

As such, he’d set out norward, albeit somewhat slowly and indirectly, for he far too often found himself stopping to marvel at the forest. Now, with snow falling and starting to accumulate, there was a whole new level of beauty and serenity about it. Where there had once been a plethora of lush vegetation, was now mostly a blanket of pure white.

Walking through this forest now felt like something out of a dream. The kind he'd had as a younger wolf, the sort of home he'd envisioned but never thought would actually happen. Only this was far and away better, because it was real and it was going to be a part of their home.

for @Ryder when you've got time (:

Ryder enjoyed the falls and their shallow pool, but he wasn't so sure he thought it better than the lakeshore. He found himself missing his runs along the beach and the associated challenges he would create for himself. Here, running at full speed was a bit more difficult to achieve. There was so much to navigate around and be aware of every moment. At times, that was its own fun, but the feeling of it was different.

Maybe they'd just be here for the Winter, and he could go back before Summer returned.

To try and find something fun to do, he followed after Jethro's trail. He did his best to match the larger wolf's footsteps for fun, hopping and stretching to fit his paws within the prints left behind. It took him longer this way, but eventually he spotted the familiar dark silhouette and let out a few friendly barks.

"Watcha doin'?"

As well as things seemed to be going, there were still always doubts, worries. Would this place really be as safe as he’d hoped? Was it the smartest thing to pull everyone away from the lake, and the home they’d known there for the better part of the last year? They were not that far away from it, but even so. In his mind, it made sense to be away from it. The lake was a massive land feature, that would draw prey and predator alike.

It made sense to be near it, but not so close as to possibly risk more trouble from competitors. Not that there’d been much of that around, anyway. As with most things, he supposed they’d find out. It wasn’t as if they could never move again.

A friendly call interrupted any further musings on the matter though, prompting Jet to pause and glance back. He’d not anticipated having company, though he had thought about asking. Ryder’s inquiry earned a grin. And a subtle, but excited, tail wave.

”Explorin’. You wanna go?” Memories of the very first outing when the kid had still been a puny thing returned, which had been fun. Though the kids had grown fast, Jet had been anticipating an occasion, or occasions like this, too.

Ryder's head nodded enthusiastically. Of course he wanted to go adventuring with Jethro! He forsook his game of mimicking the older wolf's tracks to quickly close the remaining distance between them. The powdery snow flew up around him from each paw's impact, a wave-like burst beelining for the dark man's side.

For him, such an activity didn't have to any more of a goal than its own sake, but adults seemed to always be acting with a plan, and so the blonde boy thought to ask, "are ya lookin' for somethin'?"

Maybe it was the next place they'd move to. Ryder wouldn't mind helping pick that out, maybe like... the OTHER side of the big lake? That could be interesting... Or! Even an island within it! Talk about 'borders', no one would ever bother them there.

The kid nodded, and in a flash of movement that sent snow flying, Ryder was at his side then. He really was growing, Jet thought once more to himself. Then there was that teeny tiny little feeling again, a familiar and slightly troubling one. Whoever Ryder’s actual father was should’ve been the one here with him, doing this.

And then there was that part of him that wished Caspian and Ryder both could’ve somehow been his. Even though they were not, though.. it wouldn’t stop him from treating them as such.

Ryder thankfully distracted him with a question, to which Jethro initially gave his head a little shake. ”Nothin’ specifically. Just looking for anything interesting or useful. Studyin’ the land. Always good to know as much about it as ya can,” he offered. He’d seen a fair portion of the land around the lake, as well as Kingsfall, but not all of it.

Surely it still had secrets to uncover. ”Were you out here lookin’ for something?” Jet thought to ask, if only out of curiosity.

That was a perfectly good reason in his opinion, and so Ryder nodded his head along to Jethro's words approvingly. When the query was returned to him, his answer was a simple, confident "nope! Well..."

His squall-colored eyes jumped all around them as he talked, rather than focusing on the wolf he was addressing as his mother would have preferred. She had a lot of rules and he only understand maybe a fraction of why they needed to be followed. Jethro knew him, and Ryder trusted him for it. So, what offense was there to be taken?

"You, I guess."

He spotted a snow-covered log and leapt atop it, kicking off the fresh powder as he walked its length.

"Y'ever think lifes kind of boring?"

Ryder accepted his answer with a nod and then responded to the inquiry Jet had posed in return with a simple, confident nope. But it was then backtracked a little, with a slightly less confident sounding you, I guess.

Jethro hadn’t been completely visually focused on the other until then, his own gaze drawn across the landscape as he’d continued to walk. That, along with Ryder’s jump upon a fallen log earned the entirety of his focus again, a wry, bemused sort of smile crossing his countenance.

”Yeah? Any reason?” He couldn’t help but to pry again. Maybe there was something more to be had. Perhaps not. Or maybe it was just boredom.

Ryder’s question seemed to allude to that possibility, anyway. ”Haven’t felt bored for while. But.. I think I know what ya mean. Sometimes I do feel kinda.. restless, trapped, maybe?” Jethro inquired again, trying to choose his words carefully. If either of those were similar to what Ryder felt, it wouldn’t surprise him.

Any reason? Ryder was quiet, eyes still on the snow at his moving paws, but thinking of several. Jethro was usually doing something that he enjoyed anyways. Jethro didn't bother or restrict him with nitpicking and consistent corrections. Jethro had never made him feel like a 'weird kid' even when Ryder was most himself. Which of these was he looking for?

His ears perked, and his gaze found the older wolf when he offered feelings of his own.

"You feel trapped?"

Ryder asked the question in that way children could, without an ounce of speculation or judgment within his tone.

(This post was last modified: Apr 10, 2023, 03:57 AM by Auburn.)

Ryder didn’t answer his inquiry, so he wouldn’t press. The contemplative sort of expression upon the kid’s countenance, however, left Jet curious. He would’ve liked to know more, certainly, but he wasn’t the sort to pester anyone either. Ryder could share if he wanted to.

What did seem to attract his attention though, was Jet’s elaboration on his own feelings. He asked a question, a simple one, to which the dark one initially offered a small nod.

”Sometimes. Part of me still wishes I could be out there explorin’,” Jethro explained, casting a brief glance upward. ”Where I could see somethin’ new every day, never sleep in the same place twice.” It’d been a liberating existence. Exhilarating, at times. Especially as a younger man, fresh out of the hell that’d been his birthplace.

”But then I think of you all, and how much I love our home. Don’t think I’d ever be as happy doin’ that as I am, here.” After all, this provided a sense of purpose and fulfillment Jet had never known he’d wanted, but now didn’t think he could be truly happy without. There’d be bad days, bad times, but this was where he wanted to be.

”Doesn’t mean you’ve gotta stay forever, though,” he prompted again, gently, carefully. Hoping for some small bit of insight. What did Ryder want? Whatever it was, Jet wanted to help him get there.

Jethro spoke affirmatively, elaborating with words that Ryder soaked up even if he didn't yet know what to make of them all. As was typical for the young boy, he kept the majority of his thoughts to himself, satisfied to take his time with them and rarely pressed to seek validation for them.

'Doesn't mean you've gotta stay forever, though.'

He'd started watching his paws again, had finally found the end of that fallen tree and jumped down from it before regarding Jethro once more. Blinking a few times, then looking off into the forestry around them. Big thoughts were happening, his eyes carrying that peculiar look they took on like the calm at a storm's epicenter.

"... is there like... a normal thing to do when you're grown?"