Permafrost Hollows re: new beginnings

timelines? whatever. set sometime after this and this, but being vague about what he knows. attn: @Kratos, @Zephyr

the painted nightingale wandered aimlessly into evening, unaware of the lurking dangers. without his parents to either watch or worry, the home made at whitebark stream no longer felt welcome. and whether sister @Pele followed or not, alsek's conflicted thoughts would not allow him to linger.

he stopped beside the quick waters of a local stream. he hadn't been here before, but recognized it as something similar to retired dreams. curious, alsek dipped in one paw, but quickly pulled back after realizing how cold water could become.

Kratos had returned a few days ago—whether he’d been successful at his task or came about empty handed is yet to be determined bc what are timelines. Perching he does on the outposts his mate created, and when not looming, the dragon takes about lazy strolls along their borders.
It is one such stroll that he stumbles upon a particular sight that has the spiked fur along his spine standing on end. A child. The dragon prowls forward. Massive paws stomp through the stream without care to approach the foolish boy. What are you doing here?

startled by the behemoth's approach, alsek stumbled onto his hindquarters and began to sob. there wasn't enough time for him to escape, nor did he have the coordination to execute such a maneuver, so breaking down for a moment was his only viable option.

oh, no, alsek whined, oh, no! he'd gotten into trouble again, but the stranger this time didn't look quite as friendly. his vocabulary, though expanded, wasn't vast enough to explain the strange chain of events leading up to this, so he was left with, water makes flowers grow.

The boy is fortunate that it is he that stumbled upon him. Had it been the ice wraith, it is likely the water might’ve run red. Is it unwise to doubt Zephyr? To think the ill of him, for what he has overcome? Kratos sees the world different, in which the parent is to blame, and the child a victim that ought to be spared—maybe saved.
Nightingale pales, panics—his ass suddenly touches the ground and pathetic whines follow in the only defense a child has save for the sharp needle teeth. Kratos would change that.
A snort flees from the beast, he coils around the startled babe. Not close enough but in an act that blocks the viable exit with the stream looming on the other side.
Then, a bark of laughter surges from him—chest expanding and the gruesome twist of lips all too ugly and all too Kratos. Hm. He hums in agreement, settling his outburst. Your home?

the toddler stopped crying long enough to watch kratos circle around. yeah, he responded, and flowers everywhere. the question was too vague for an accurate answer, but alsek knew more about sprouts and blossoms than whitebark stream anyway.

silence brewed between them while he awaited a response. fire makes flowers grow, he continued, though with a lowered voice more timid than before. the shock of being greeted had since worn off, allowing him to compose some parts of his being. big and big, super big.

There is a charm in the struggling words as the lost boy spews knowledge. Kratos plays along, a nod of his head taken with each statement.
You a flower? The dragon asks with an arch of his brow. You ought to go back home. Run along to mommy and daddy who are certainly a mess looking for their gremlin—not that either parent deserves to cater to a child they lost so easily.

to answer his question: no; al-thek. but the stranger still hadn't given his name, so alsek wondered, you a flower? he sniffled, collecting some of the dripping snot that had fallen during his outburst. another exasperated sigh, then he was finished.

he couldn't return home. his parents were still asleep, and he didn't want to upset them anymore. maybe, after some confirmation that they'd awoken, he would go back to see them again. mama n' papa sleeping, alsek explained, you know mama?