Two months. That's how long Phillip lasted within the band of thieves.
Turns out he "wasn't worth it". He was "a waste of resources" a "talentless fool". All that and more was whispered behind his back the day he and Rockhopper returned empty handed. It only got worse as the weeks went by. No matter how hard he tried, he could never please them. It was only a matter of time before the leader got tired of his constant screw ups and casted him out.
So, what now?
He’d wallow in despair beneath a tree.
mama had gone out to "look" today, and nüwu had begged to come with her, despite not knowing what the task was. she was more interested in seeing other places... beyond the borders. while mama hung back, sniffing at scents in the grasses, nüwu asked to go ahead a little, and mama reluctantly allowed. and so the little girl moved some reasonable distance ahead, leaving her mother as a little smudge back in the fields. among trees she moved, noticing the ground finally drying again, and- a boy. he lay pitifully beneath a tree, looking rather sorry for himself, and immediately the girl's heart was struck through with an arrow.
she moved cautiously toward him- remembering what mama had said, strangers could be dangerous- but this one didn't seem so. a little nudge of dark freckled muzzle to stranger's shoulder, are you okay?
He didn’t expect anyone to find him, or more accurately, he hoped no one would. Luck wasn’t on his side.
When Phillip rose his head to look at her, he tried his best to smile. He didn’t want to concern anyone with his woes, especially a child. Y-yes,
but he clearly wasn’t. His body language always betrayed his emotions, and he knew that by now. The smile could fall at any moment, and he shifted on the balls of his feet.
his head lifted and they made eye contact, and though he pushed a smile, she did not feel his glow. a little frown for herself, now, as he answered. it does not look like it.
she mumbled the observation in a small voice under her breath. nevermind that, then. she would not push him to tell the truth if he did not want to; still she felt his glum- if nüwu could find a way to make the conversation comfortable for him, she would try. little did the thinker know that he did not want her presence at all- but a curious child, she was bound to remain. um, what is your name?
she offered a shift in topic.
Despite being terrible at concealing his emotions, he tried his best. The girl could see through his act, and pointed out the facade under her breath. Phillip’s response was nervous laughter. Thankfully she didn’t pry further.
M’ name’s Phillip.
It felt strange giving out his real name to someone. He was always ordered not to do it when he was out on a mission. What’s yours?
fill-up
she liked the sound of it. phillip.
she repeated, testing the word that flowed so easily from her mouth. her dark tail beat the ground a couple times, a friendly motion, and then she stilled it. mine is nüwu. um. nüwu jiang,
she added awkwardly. a moment of quiet, she wasn't sure what to ask, but she didn't want to leave him by himself. i'm from the island.
she shared, as if everyone would know of it.
Nüwu Jianng.. from an island? Phillip’s ears perked up slightly. You live on an island?
he repeated. He’d seen a few back when he was staying with the thieves. They stood alone in the ocean, just out of reach. How would you even get there?
he seemed slightly more upbeat when she mentioned the island, and nüwu smiled. yeah! i was born there, so i did not know how i got there either, until we came over here. there's like, a um.
she paused, drawing a straight line in the dirt with a little claw from him towards herself. like this, and it helped us get over here.
her vocabulary was still far from complex- words like bridge and connection were things she was still learning.
He thought it was impossible, but someway she managed to travel across the ocean. She pulled it off by crossing.. a line? Phillip wasn’t sure what she what she was trying to convey, but he’d nod anyway.
There used to be islands by the beach I lived by too, but um,
he paused to point at the indent in the dirt. there weren’t any of those to help anyone get across. We never knew what was on those islands.
Curious wolves would nearly drown trying to get there.
already nüwu was happy to see he didn't seem so droopy anymore. at first sight phillip had reminded her of a lonely piece of washed up seaweed on the beach. he still wasn't glowing like the sun, but maybe he was a little caterpillar tentatively crawling across a branch. that was better than a sad little piece of seaweed, she thought. it was as simple as the conversation: a distraction from whatever he'd been thinking of before, but if she could make him into a little growing caterpillar for ten minutes, she certainly would.
nüwu listened with genuine interest as phillip told her about the place he used to live, the islands nearby it. an island with no bridge?! she had never seen such a thing; it sounded a bit like a death trap. she supposed that was why 'flooding' had forced them out- nüwu didn't think she could swim all the way from sea to shore. not yet.
when he told her they never knew what was there, her childlike imagination was struck. maybe it was treasures!! like lotsa fish, or um, um, uh- seashells!
her tail waggled at the thought.
the two went on to chat a while longer, but eventually nüwu knew mama would be missing her- and reluctantly dismissed herself, though prayed his mood had been lightened by their conversation.