Mount Apikuni the man in black travels with your soul in his pocket

@Kavik

It could be said that the Trickster that lured his father into a watery grave was merely a figment of the old man's imagination. After all, he had been weary and ragged from his searching, and his body had not been as young as it had once been. Others would have said that the Trickster was very much a real entity. Illidan had not been there until the very end; he did not know what foul things had lured his father to his death. And still, the child felt as though there was a dark shadow that had been cast over him. The Trickster had found him and was holding fast to the young man's spirit.

Searching the mountain for a place where he could slump, Illidan prowled with an intense expression and a chilling rise of his hackles. The boy had changed drastically since Liri and Kavik had picked him up; he had been shattered into a fraction of what he was intended to be. Still, he hung with them. Even when his tongue felt a sharp lashing for the others – those he did not respect nearly as much – he remained with the white female and her mate.

Kavik returned to where the group was gathered with the rabbit he had caught for Illidan dangling in his mouth. He hadn't gone out looking for a hunt, but when he came across the rabbit on his patrol, he couldn't pass up the opportunity. 

He didn't immediately see the boy anywhere, which wasn't all that surprising. Kavik had noticed Illidan's apathy towards most of the group members--some of it well deserved, especially in the case of a certain male. He hadn't wanted to push him too much; he had gone through so much, and Kavik didn't want to make things harder for him by demanding he show more interest in things. So, that was why he had decided the rabbit was for Illidan; maybe it would bring him some comfort. 

When he finally found the pup, he was a heap on the ground somewhat away from the camp. Kavik walked up to him and placed the rabbit in front of his face, gently nudging his cheek to say the food was for him. He sat down then, and waited to see if his gift would be accepted. If not, that was fine; he would still stay for a bit to offer Illidan some hopefully peaceful company.

Kavik arrived with food. The smell of it was just as tantalizing as it was sickening to the child. The ribs that jutted from his sides seemed to heave at the thought of filling himself with a fresh kill. The dark male plopped his prey in front of the boy, forcing a clench in the child's gut. A soft nudge to his cheek was the only thing that was offered to suggest that the food was intended for him. Were he older and far more capable of holding out with stubborn pride, Illidan might have turned it away. Instead, he glanced toward Kavik with sharp yellow eyes before nosing the dead hare and then taking a few bites from the most tender portions of the body.

After having eaten a small amount, the child drew his tongue along his muzzle and breathed a deep sigh. His stomach was no longer rioting against him; his detrimental hunger had been sated for a short time. Knowing that the dark male did not have to do something like that, Illidan cast him a sidelong glance and stiffened some. “Thanks,” he muttered quietly.

Kavik was filled with relief as he watched Illidan eat, even if it was less than he thought he should eat. He was, honestly, grateful the boy ate at all; he seemed so skinny these days, and Kavik felt guilty he had not been more insistent that he eat. He had a lot on his plate, but making sure Illidan was eating was going to be one of his top priorities, now. He considered the pup as his own now, and he couldn't watch him waste away to nothing. 

He gave a nod in response to Illidan's expression of gratitude, although he didn't think it necessary. Kavik considered him to be his, and took care of those who were his; he would do the same for Liri, and frequently did. 

He lied down next to Illidan and didn't say anything for a while, just quietly scanned their surroundings as was habit for him. Finally, he turned to the shadow-faced boy. We'll have a permanent home soon and things won't be so hard, Kavik offered, his tone apologetic. His hope was that when they had a fortified territory, Illidan would feel more secure and maybe come out of his shell a little. Traveling was so uncertain, and Kavik was in a constant state of anxiety, which he felt probably didn't help the state of dejection the boy seemed to be in always.

The dark man was trying to be helpful, Illidan knew this much. He wasn't simple, but he was deeply rooted in a pessimism that would not release its hold on him. The more he thought about the words of hope that Kavik had tried to instill in him, the more it made him bitter. He was wrong, of course. Illidan knew that he was wrong, but he wasn't certain if he was willing to fight the caretaker on the matter or if it would have been better to simply nod his head and remain silent. The burning of anger was within him, and the child frowned before looking to the older man with sharp yellow eyes filled with hurt.

“Won't it though? I think that's just life... it's hard all the time, and then you -” his words caught in his throat. He couldn't force it out because it was still too fresh – too painful – and he wasn't capable of coping with the difficulty of it all. Life is hard, and then you die. For the first time in his young life, Illidan felt a pang of resentment toward his parents. They had made an active choice to bring him into the world and they were to blame for the misery that had followed. He expected nothing from the earth anymore.

Kavik's brows creased in concern at Illidan's response. It was an awfully morbid statement for such a young wolf to make. But, it seemed that all he had really known in his short amount of time on this earth was hardship. Kavik wasn't certain of all the details surrounding his life before he and his mate found the pup, but it was clear it was not something a child should have to endure. He wasn't sure how to help him or make him see that his statement wasn't true. The only thing he knew how to do was be there no matter what, but he worried that wouldn't be enough.

I know it seems that way, Kavik started tentatively, and I'm sure nothing I say will change how you feel right now, but Liri and I will keep you safe. His voice was soft but earnest as he spoke, and he hoped his words would relay his conviction. He didn't know if that would make the boy feel better or not, but he didn't know what else to say. At this point, he had grown attached to Illidan and just wanted him to feel happy and safe, but he felt like he was fighting a losing battle; it seemed no matter what he did, depression continued to plague the pup. But, losing battle or not, Kavik would fight it, and Illidan would soon see that neither he nor his mate were going anywhere.

Kavik was right about one thing; there was nothing that could be said to make him feel any better about the circumstances he had found himself in. All of the support and care that he had received from the two leaders had done nothing more than make him feel a sense of worthlessness that had burned a hole deep in the pit of his stomach. He had nothing to do with them; he had no place among their kind. Illidan was far worse than any of them would ever be, but he had no means of communicating this to the dark male who watched over him with a careful stare.

“You're too nice,” the boy finally uttered with a furrowed brow and a glance toward the dark-furred brute. It wasn't really an opinion, but something that he had felt in his marrow since he happened across Liri and Kavik. “People take advantage of that,” Illidan then added, pulling his attention away from the green gaze of the other man.

Kavik offered a slight, one-sided smile at the dark-faced boy's remark. He was amused that Illidan felt the need to tell him that as if he wasn't already aware of the evil present some wolves. You're right. People do try to take advantage, but that doesn't mean I should stoop to their level, Kavik replied, his voice calm but stern. There had been others throughout his life that had seen his kindness as weakness--as an opportunity to manipulate him, but that hadn't jaded him. He chose to be kind anyway, and he knew that required the real strength. It was easy to be cruel to others, but remaining compassionate even when it wasn't necessarily deserved required resilience.

And, being kind doesn't mean you can't fiercely protect those you care about, Kavik added, attempting to meet the boy's golden gaze. Danger to his loved ones was one of the few things he had absolutely no tolerance for. He wouldn't hesitate to rip the throats out of anyone who threatened his family. It was his only darkness, and he could feel it creep into his heart any time he was faced with the need to protect those he loved from danger. 

The more that Illidan listened to Kavik, the more he felt like he didn’t belong. It would have been surprising to him to know that his father had felt the same way at a similar age. Of course, he hadn’t gotten to listen to his father’s stories of childhood, and he hadn’t known very many good things to find him in his time on earth. The hooded boy did not know how many people would want to continue when life was so cruel and so harsh. If it weren’t for the natural need to survive, Illidan likely would have washed himself down the river after finding his father’s body.

Regarding the adult with a sad expression, the child released a sigh that carried the weight of the world. “I don’t think I’ll ever be like you,” he guessed in a quiet voice. While it might have seemed like a growing child who was reaching the point of defiance, it was more of an educated hypothesis. Illidan was nothing like Kavik and his brood; he wasn’t made of the same things.

Kavik's brows creased in concern. I disagree, he replied resolutely. You can be anything you want to be, and we'll help you with whatever we can along the way, he added, lowering his head to Illidan's level in an attempt to catch his gaze. He wasn't completely sure how to deal with such despondency from a child, but he hoped that by being a steady fixture in the boy's life, he could begin to have some hope. Or, Kavik was saying and doing all the wrong things, and Illidan would grown up to be just as angry as he was now. He certainly hoped that wasn't the case; he already considered the lost boy to be his, and he would never forgive himself if he didn't grow up happy and well-adjusted.

They were all so full of hope, so ready to prove that he could be anything but what he was. He didn't understand where their words came from. He had not known the support of others before. As each day passed, the family that he had known before had grown fuzzy and difficult to see. As much as he wanted for it all to vanish, the memory of his father was still as clear as day.

“Thanks,” Illidan provided in a tone that lacked any form of gratitude. It was a poor reflex, and one that would easily be seen through. It didn't matter, though; nothing really mattered. With a silent nod to the dark male, Illidan moved away and sought the darkness.

His brows creased in concern at Illidan's response. He could tell that nothing he was saying was doing anything to comfort the boy or fill him with hope instead of the dark emotions he usually toted around. As much as he tried to push the negativity away, he was still left feeling somewhat helpless against the child's despondency. He returned Illidan's nod, unsure what else to do here except accept him for who he was and try to make things comfortable and stable for him. Kavik watched the dark-faced boy walk away and disappear from sight, and with a resigned sigh, he got to his feet and walked back to check on the group.