Haunted Wood I see you in my dreams

Kept vague so you don’t need to reply until we move further into the Brecheliant one. Don’t quite know what to do with my hands without a one-on-one thread with these two. >w<;

The forest’s shade called, offering respite from the heat of the late afternoon sun. Crowfeather carried purpose in his steps, however. The dark shape was not seeking a rest from the heat or from the weight of the thoughts in his mind.

Looking to @Germanicus with intensity in his lantern eyes, the dark wolf faced the older man and placed himself in a more advantageous position.

Let us practice sparring again, Germanicus. Please.

<3!

the summer whirring of insects began around them. the eagle had not expected the offer, and it showed in the set of his jaw.

he wanted to ask if crowfeather meant to redeem himself, or truly wished to spar.

but he said nothing, only gave a nod and put space between their bodies, as much for this purpose as for himself, it felt.

Germanicus said nothing but nodded and stepped into a position for himself.

Crowfeather appeared different in the daylight. The dark wolf’s hackles bristled along his back. The glint of his dull lantern eyes darted to various points on the man’s body. Each touch of his gaze to that handsome frame was a fueling one.

The shadow moved with a swift aim for the man’s breast. The movement was quick, almost vicious. Crowfeather seemed to have abandoned his careful measures.

crowfeather was renewed. germanicus felt the intense touch of each appraisal. he himself was coiled this time, stance fluid.

the shadow lashed for him, and germanicus danced backward, though not so swiftly as to avoid the slash. the boy's teeth caught him there. 

the eagle blew air through his nostrils and sought to wrench away, muzzle slicing down toward whatever part of crowfeather remained close.

It was with surprise that the nimble wolf found purchase in the man’s breast. Crowfeather exhaled sharply at the satisfaction of it before Germanicus’ teeth were upon him for his defensive move.

Flashes of his past swept through him. Before he had a choice, instinct took over each of his actions.

Crowfeather shifted, quickly, sharply, as though his life depended on it. Fear coursed through him, it would have filled the air, the stench of cowardice. The dark wolf recoiled and then snapped wildly with his teeth toward Germanicus’ muzzle. A true growl forming in the back of his throat.

Within seconds of his retaliation, Crowfeather stopped and stepped back quickly.

I- I do not wish to disappoint you, he whimpered. But I will never be a fighter.

the white teeth flashed. crowfeather for a moment hovered between a blow and a beacon, and chose the latter. germanicus shook his head sharply, panting with the glory of their brief motion. "you could not disappoint me."

he stepped forward, nudged the boy's shoulder with a dip of his ashen muzzle. "if danger found us, you would fight. knowing this is enough."

and back again, into a more comfortable step and not to close to crowfeather, where he felt tautened with want. "a hunt with brecheliant," the eagle commented. "let us find the track of elk."

Crowfeather nearly laughed. Could not disappoint him? Did Germanicus even hear himself speak? The dark wolf did not feel so worthy of his words of confidence.

Would I really fight if it came to it? He could not help but wonder and think, mind filled with a thousand anxious images of what could become of them. The breath of the Saints desire for war chased at his tail and Crowfeather felt that they might not so easily avoid conflict. The seer had not made a positive impression on their leader.

Yes, Germanicus. Crowfeather nodded his head and began carving their path into the forest.

Germanicus- these were thoughts that had mulled about in his mind since his encounter with the Sovereign of Redhawk Caldera, you do not seek to lead, but we also do not wish to settle and serve someone else. What will we do when we reach the east?

the eagle wished to tell crowfeather that he was not bound by this cold and silent edict. at any moment, the boy might choose to join another's ranks. and he himself would not be moved to anger by it.

yet he felt more that the shadow would be insulted by his words. and so germanicus was silent, mulling as he searched the oddwood for signs of the elk requested by brecheliant.

"i suppose that must be decided once we have gone eastward."

germanicus knew only that he must look at the cloven boulder once more.

Crowfeather nodded his head sharply and smiled a swift smile at the silver eagle.

If Germanicus wished to make his journey east before settling on any decisions, the dark seer would not be opposed. There felt to be times that he merely wished to know what the older man was thinking about and whether he might share those thoughts.

Sniffing at the marks on the forest floor, Crowfeather searched for signs of herds having visited there. He was far worse at hunting large prey, having only ever experienced that feat when he had been in the Starsea.

Tracks but they seem old. Would Germanicus find something better?

germanicus came to peer over the boy's shoulder, then moved on. "they might grow more fresh as we follow this trail," he suggested. 

until the spoor was no longer able to be found, it was best to assume that this forest held the antlered beasts somewhere in this wood.

a hunt. a rest. this akashingo. and then they could be more free to make their way across the sunspire.

Germanicus reviewed the tracks and stated that it would be suitable to follow them in hopes that they became fresher. Crowfeather thought this perfectly reasonable and nodded his head in understanding.

The forest was pleasant, almost as much as the surrounding packs had been. The dark wolf thought of Redhawk Caldera and the Sovereign he had spoken to. He thought too of Teya and the way she had gazed upon Germanicus. This made his stomach flop, and he focused his mind on their task of hunting.

Further into the woods, the dark shadow did what he could to follow the tracks. Each time he found where they reappeared, he thought they looked just as stale.

germanicus followed as crowfeather dutifully kept their path along the elk ruts. they did not freshen. the guard paused to look at the latest set, and then curved crisply into the forest on the left side of their path.

crushed grass in a wide oval indicated where elk had lain. there were several of these such depressions. he crouched to inspect three hair-tufts, then looked to crowfeather to see what the young wolf made of it all.

the eagle's gaze held more than a hunter's interest.

The dark wolf watched Germanicus closely, following each investigative search of where the elk had been. When the eagle had found a depression and bits of hair, Crowfeather drew up to his side and sniffed carefully.

Perhaps they come here to sleep, he said thoughtfully. Would it be advantageous for them to wait until nightfall? They could call upon Teya in the evening hours, he supposed.

Crowfeather searched Germanicus, his stomach churning.

a nod. "it will be done." the ranger backed gently from the hollows. "they will not come if they catch our scent," he said brusquely. 

sungold gaze flicked beyond crowfeather for a moment, and he motioned that they should move deeper into the woodland.

the touch of their eyes riveted and worried germanicus, and he felt his heart speed along again.

Beckoned to follow into the wood, Crowfeather traipsed after the silver eagle’s form. The swirl of his stomach did not ease, no amount of effort to draw his gaze from the older man was successful. Still, the dark wolf took joy in their journey together.

As they moved away from the resting place, Crowfeather sniffed at the aromas the forest offered.

All of the woods we have visited have been pleasant. A sweet smile was offered to Germanicus before Crowfeather pulled his eyes away, forcing the stone in his throat back down.

he had been the object of the shadow's eye for some time during their tracking.

it was the honey of the boy's stare that arrested germanicus now.

"did i ever tell you of my sister julia?"

why she had ever come to mind was beyond the eagle; why he would even speak of her now was incomprehensible.

No, he answered with some surprise.

You only ever talked about Tiberius. And it was only for a moment, he thought to himself. There was an eagerness that he tried to keep from his voice. Crowfeather did not wish for Germanicus to think he was trying to pry secrets from him.

What was she like?

a sour bitch, germanicus commented crassly in his head.

"she was an unpleasant woman. but she was unpleasant because our father was a fool." easy now, to speak ill of the man who had sired him. but the eagle had been shoved into the arms of their military at walking-age. cato had been written out of the scrolls for being an artist, and unambitious in the way that father had wanted. this left strident tiberius and exhausted servanus.

but he did not want to speak of them now.

or livilla.

"she loved one man. he married her to another. she met the first in secret, and conceived his child. we all would not have known it had julia herself not thrown it in father's face one night. she never forgave him for ruining her happiness."

germanicus did not know why he was telling this story.

The dark wolf was intent, as he had grown to be when Germanicus blessed him with prolonged periods of speaking. The man talked of his sister in the way that only a sibling could. Crowfeather could not help but to smile.

This was the first that the soldier had spoken of love.

That is- that is sad in many ways. I admire her for following her heart, though.

The softness to his words was not without hesitation. Crowfeather did not know anything more than what the eagle had told him of her. It begged other thoughts from the young man’s mind.

Have you ever loved someone so deeply, Germanicus?

"indeed it was sad."

his face was unreadable.

"it so sickened my father, the spectacle julia made of herself. of all of us, in the royal family. so great a tragedy that he exiled julia to some far-forsaken island. not with her child. he was a son, after all. i do not know where he is now. only that he is hidden, lest we be shamed again."

"she loved forests," germanicus said by way of answer. "i loved that she had something at all which made her happy."

When Germanicus continued, the story managed to grow even sadder. Crowfeather listened still, curious to hear what it had been like for him living in a royal family. So different from the Starsea.

Maybe one day we will all have something that tender to us, the dark wolf remarked with a small smile.

It was not the answer that he had wanted, but he felt it so rightfully fit the man who had offered it that he could not complain. 

The dark wolf wondered if he would continue. Crowfeather could have listened to Germanicus go on for hours, speaking about anything that entered his mind. Each time the silver guard spoke it was like a quenching of his dry throat.

that was all germanicus carried with him. atrocities. anguish. he had spoken long and too long of julia and his father. of editum and its wickedness. 

he fell silent now. "tenderness." not a question, perhaps not even a statement. it was only the eagle musing to himself on how such a sentiment might feel.

abruptly he turned back to their mission, though not so quickly as to miss crowfeather's smile. despite the gravitas of his horrid story. germanicus returned it.

"where should we lie in wait?"

Just over there.

The slender figure trotted to the desired waiting point in a few moments and stepped beneath the long shadows cast by the trees. Crowfeather almost missed the rain in comparison to the heat that had plagued them.

How long before we should call to Teya? Should we see the elk first? Crowfeather inquired. Nervousness flared inside of him at the premise of hunting with yet another, and one so unfamiliar.

"when we hear them coming, we will drive them into the plains. call for her there." elk were ponderous beasts who could be trapped in a forest. 

but this made them dangerous. a massive hoof or well-stabbed tine could break a limb, or end a wolf's life in agony.

he had seen the make of teya. like crowfeather, she was built for an agile gait. 

"are you intrigued by the fact that we will hunt together?" germanicus asked, having never asked the shadow how he had felt about brecheliant's leader.

The dark wolf nodded at the response, realizing that this was a much better idea than summoning the Brecheliant leader before they had even confirmed prey.

Germanicus inquired about their hunt with Teya.

Crowfeather could not help but to appreciate that the silver guardian somehow knew what to ask. This time, he bit back his desire to look to the older man and glanced instead toward the western pack for which they hunted.

She was joyful. She seemed drawn to you.

Will we be enough to bring an elk down? he asked quietly, not wishing for his uncertainty to show.