Red Fern Forest I want to believe that the way I am is just the way it goes.

To sing their praises

Bérengère Dunn

to a god that gave them hope

Where did he begin? His head was full with rushing thoughts like the current of a river. Perhaps he should just be honest. It seemed like the boy could handle to truth. In fact Bear knew that if Darrah was to be a king someday he would have to handle the truth. "I've been thinking about my purpose in life. I think I had one when I was still with Rook, he's a nice fella, but I believe I lost that purpose when I got lost from him. It was like having everything ripped away from me within a matter of moments.." Stopping for a moment Bear had to force himself to look away. Look at something that would keep his heart from shattering. It was these moments that brought the worst of him out. The weakest of in him was being exposed; everything being bared to some child he had just met. For a moment Bear thought he was better off leaving yet he knew that would be rude. Just to leave poor Darrah behind confused about the mess Bear had just laid out in front of him. Bear had to pull it together. Be strong for him and the memories of Rook.

"I guess what this all leads down to is me needing something new - a new beginning. I know I can't wallow in the past or it will eat me alive before I know it. It's a dangerous thing Darrah, don't ever sulk in your past. Promise me." Bear's emotional orange eyes looked to Darrah with hope that this prince wouldn't ever have to go through a mess of loosing someone or loosing yourself to the past. The pain of those situations was too much for Bear, who believed himself to be a strong rock of a wolf, so the yearling couldn't imagine anyone else having to go through it too.

The topic change onto meeting Rook again only caused the Dunn to flinch slightly. "I appreciate that my friend but I don't think I'll ever see Rook again. I don't think he'll want to see me again." Who would? Bear had just got up one day and disappeared. If he had just stayed a little longer, stuck a little closer, loved a little harder this all would never have happened. Bear had the chance to be with Rook and he lost it. Things happened for a reason though. Didn't they?

A much needed deep breath was taken into shaky lungs. He thought he would loose it if he kept talking about him. Hearing the dark prince speak about his home brought about a lighter air. This was it. Darrah was the new change Bear needed. It all became clear. Things did happen for a reason and Bear meeting Darrah was what needed to happen. This was Bear's ticket to change. "Oak Tree Bend sounds beautiful Darrah. I'm already convinced I can stay there, with you." Smiling to the younger boy with ivory teeth showing Bear looked around. "Why don't you take me there now?"

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So What Do I Do When Every Day
Still Seems To Start And End With You

'Purpose huh?' The young Tainn didn't quite like to think about his purpose. He knew he'd eventually lead Oak Tree Bend if everything went accordingly, but that couldn't of been it.. Could it? "Sounds like you've had it rough.. " Darrah frowned, he could tell by Bear's body language something was wrong. 'He lost an important part of him.. I could relate to that, did I too appear this devastated?' Just looking at the man broke his heart, There had to be something he could do.

Darrah had been doing nothing but dwelling in the past, so Bear's promise was one that he couldn't quite keep. "I-i..." Struggling with his words, the yearling sputtered out the next thing that came to mind. "I'm afraid that's something I cannot do. I'm guilty of just that.. But I think.. Maybe if you can promise to try to move on from it, I could attempt to move on too.." He faked a smile, not sure if those words were quite the right ones.

It was truly a sad sight watching this man struggle with the nightmares of his past. 'But if they were really as close as I feel they were... Then meeting again.. It couldn't possibly be as bad as he thinks it would be. If Rook was a good friend, then he would understand right?' Choosing to remain silent, the yearling let the inky wolf continue on.

What Darrah currently needed most in his life was a friend, someone he could talk to when times got rough. Someone who would accept him no matter what. He saw just that in Bear, so when the older wolf agreed to join him and his family in Oak Tree Bend the boy could of cried. "Really? Right now?" His tail began to wag quite swiftly. "Alright let's go!!" Excited for the future, the Prince led his friend toward home.

At some point,

I started looking at the ground more than the sky

It’s hard even to breathe.