Blackfeather Woods blood ran cold

It’s all good. c:

 
The journey home had definitely taken longer than what it had to reach the prairie in the first place. Xan hadn’t allowed for himself to just run ahead, since he’d needed to ensure his companion didn’t get tripped up or fall behind. So despite his nagging want to just sprint the rest of the length to the dark woods, he restrained himself from doing so. The Inuit kept close to Leo’s side, letting him lean against him whenever it was necessary. It was a strange sensation that came with helping another out—neither positive nor negative, but solely neutral. He wasn’t sure if he liked it, so he tried to subdue it as often as he could. Over and over, he’d inwardly repeat that he was doing it for himself, and that was all. Admitting to assisting the other child for any reason other than a selfish one was impossible for him to do, even to himself. Prideful, he was, though often at times overly so.
 
When the silhouette of the shadow-filled forest was well within view, the Apaata boy’s paws tingled with the sudden urge to bolt. He liked the forest, and would share that detail with anyone who bothered to ask. It put him at ease, usually, and the lack of light always felt wonderful when it came to his eyes. Still, in spite of that, he kept himself moving at a pace slow enough to keep him by the younger boy’s side. It seemed as if they were going slower, then, with the woods so close yet not quite there. He was relieved when they finally touched base with the borders, happy to be home. For a moment, he let Leo just lay there and rest, knowing well that his paw had to be bugging him. Making such a journey would be difficult for an adult, and since he was merely a child, that difficulty was surely increased tenfold.
 
After his own breathing had returned to normal, he moved towards the lion and nudged his back slightly. “Sit up,” he encouraged, knowing that the first impression made was always important. He had to show his interest in the woods, despite how tired he may be. “Hold your paw up a bit to keep your weight off of it.” For a second or two longer, he watched him to ensure he did as he was told. Then, wanting to reenter his home as soon as possible, he faced the shadows and let out a howl. It was short and high pitched, letting it be known to all who heard that he was far from being an adult. Nevertheless, he was sure his call would be answered, as it was one meant to summon a leading force. With that out of the way, he moved back and stood beside Leo, awaiting the arrival of whoever was made to answer.