Broken Boulder if i should die tonight,

It had been a few days since he had found @Ulf wandering through their territory. Now that he was with the pack, Alarian could scarcely imagine allowing him to go back into the Wilds by himself. The thought made his chest tighten uncomfortably. His new friend was certainly not capable of defending himself— and where that trait annoyed him in Korei, it did other things to his head in the newcomer.
A freshly-killed fish dangled from his jaws as he set off to find the dog, inexplicably itching to check up on him. He had gotten a little better at fishing, too, and had ultimately decided to share the fruits of this new skill with Ulf. The gentle creature stirred an undeniable desire to nurture within him, and the Governor was in no position to fight such whims.

He had been sprawled out on the earth, trying to soak up the sun when the clouds weren't blocking it. Things were different here than they had been back at Farthest Sea. While he hadn't exactly figured out the patterns of the creatures that lived here, he knew (so far) that they were nothing like his family. They didn't yell a lot and there was no rough shoving or swift bites.

Ulf had been drifting in and out of sleep when a strange scent tickled his sense. It smelt fishy and overpowered ever so slightly the scent of Alarian. He lifted his head as curiosity swept over him for what a fishy smell was doing on land. It was then he caught sight of the familiar form with a fish between his jaws. Eagerly his tail began to thump against the earth.

As he approached, he watched Ulf's head lift, and it was the beat of his tail against the earth that drove Alarian nearer to him. He dropped the fish in front of the prone wolfdog, his own tail wagging. Hey, The words were soft, accompanied by a faint smile. How are you feeling?
He lowered himself so he was level with his friend, stretching out his front limbs and gently booping Ulf's shoulder with one inky paw. The boy rolled onto his back not quickly but playfully nonetheless, eyes still locked on the other male. Alarian was in the strangest mood— and it must have been because of Ulf, he knew, but everything else about it confused him. He possessed no more energy than usual, and the hollowness of the past weeks had not left him, but he could almost ignore it; he could almost forget it.

Ulf did not hide his eagerness for the fish, teeth nibbling gently on the tail of the creature so as to get a small taste for it. Although he quickly ceased this motion at the words that were spoken to him. Ears standing tall. "Good. Better." His head gave a few soft nods. The canine was doing much better in the Sanctuary's care. He didn't wander from the borders he had only stumbled into days ago. "You?" He asked tentatively as if it was some secret business.

With Alarian on his back, Ulf lifted a paw to gently prod at the male's side as if trying to roll him although with not nearly enough force to actually move the larger male.

He watched fondly as Ulf nibbled at the fish, slightly disappointed to see him stop, though the answer to his question was worth it. I'm glad, Alarian told him; he meant it. The follow-up question was admittedly unexpected, and for several beats he considered lying. He recalled Ulf's honesty the day they had met, and took a breath.
Tired, He admitted— then, a step further. Stressed. There's a lot going on lately. The boy twisted his neck lazily to meet Ulf's invading paw with his nose, taking it gently between his teeth if allowed; either way, he pulled away a beat later and fixed Ulf with a curious (and still quite upside down) look. The male spoke with the same accent as Mahler— truthfully, kind of a turn on, though Alarian couldn't decipher whether it was because of Mahler or not. Where are you from, Ulf?

Sadly, Ulf could not reciprocate the gladness at Alarian's answers. The fish was forgotten for now as he instead focused on the Governor. His ears pushed forward with interest. Thoughts of what to say — how to say it — tumbled through his mind as he felt teeth gently touch his paw. He did not shy away from the touch because before he could have reacted, Alarian's presence on his paw disappeared. "Take break? Sleep?" The canine suggested softly for he didn't realize that perhaps it was a tiredness that sleep couldn't cure.

His head settled down on the earth again although his gaze stayed fixed on the wolf. The question caused his features to fall a bit flat, recalling the memories of just where he had come from. "North. The sea." His voice had dropped to a whisper for only Alarian to hear.

Why did he ask? Did he plan to take him back? Ulf was not ready to go back home, not so soon. Even if he had felt lost and confused upon his arrival.

Alarian could have melted right there; part of him wanted to believe Ulf's sweet demeanor was something special, reserved only for a few, but he found the more likely idea of it simply being in the male's nature equally endearing. If considerably less encouraging. Though, he knew from experience that getting attached was a terrible idea in the first place. Wolves and dogs were not meant to mix, and such attachments could only end in tragedy.
He rolled back onto his stomach, finding himself a little closer to the wolfdog than before, now. I am taking a break, Alarian explained with a slightly shy smile. This was his break. The smile faded when he noticed the reaction his question had inspired, and the boy immediately decided he would not pry further. Emboldened partially by guilt, he crept closer to press his muzzle briefly to the snowy fur of Ulf's cheek. For several beats after he pulled away, he was not sure how to continue. Finally, he said: I'm... glad you made it here. I promise I'll take care of you— we will, I mean.

Ulf's eyes closed at the close contact but he didn't pull away. He wasn't sure if he should lean into it either, though. So he stayed perfectly still. That was until the contact to his cheek faded away. His eyes stayed closed for a bit longer, soaking in the scents that filled his nose and thinking on the place where a muzzle once had been.

His thoughts were jumbled and disrupted by Alarian's voice. Instead of speaking, Ulf grabbed the tail of the fish and carefully dragged it closer to them. "I want to share." The gesture was not nearly enough to repay the kindness the wolfdog had been shown but he hoped it was a good place to start.

His stomach turned at the thought of eating, but tightened far more uncomfortably at the thought of saying no. Alarian nodded slowly, but waited for Ulf to take the first bites. He would not eat much; a scant amount, hardly enough to count as a snack.
As soon as he had, his stomach began to tighten, then cramp violently. It was sharp, almost agonizing; he gasped slightly, turned his face away, and waited for it to subside. Nausea rose up in him. Embarrassed, Alarian could only glance briefly at Ulf, hoping he had not noticed. He had become thinner, straddling the line between slim and underweight, and food seemed to dislike him as much as he disliked it lately. With no explanation for it beyond his addled mental state, the Governor had opted to keep it hidden as much as possible.

He ate some of the fish, being careful to not gobble it all down like some savage. What good would that do him if he had offered to share just moments ago? When he was done he had kindly waited for the wolf to take his fill. Which didn't seem to be much but Ulf did not speak about it. Surely the other just wasn't as hungry as Ulf had been. He couldn't think of anything being wrong.

"Thank." A small grin sweeping over his masked features. "Save rest of fish." Either for one of them or someone else. He nosed it gently away from them, not very far, he just didn't want his nose to be filled with the fish scent the rest of the day.

"Fish often?" He asked as a pale brow raised softly.

The pain faded. Alarian turned his full attention back on his friend, offering his own smile as Ulf thanked him. You're welcome, He murmured, watching the wolfdog nose the fish away. At his question, he paused only a moment before admitting with a laugh, Not really. I started recently, and— well, I'm not much good at it yet. I'm better with herbs. And with most everything else, really; fishing was hard.

He listened intently even if he didn't grasp all the words, but the message was clear enough. Fishing, not so good. Herbs, better. Ulf wasn't familiar with the use of plants as a skill but he didn't judge. He was actually a bit mesmerized by the idea that someone could use the earth to do a job. Although he wasn't sure just how to convey that from his thoughts to his words. Hopefully, the glimmer of wonder in his gaze would be enough.

I help if needed. He offered with a small smile. It was the least he could do.

Ulf was ridiculously, painfully sweet; even Korei couldn't really compare, he decided, leaning in to nudge his friend's cheek gently. Thanks, He murmured, drawing his tongue once through the soft white fur there. Then, noticing his expression: Maybe I'll teach you some things.
It was useful knowledge to have, after all. Alarian rather doubted his friend would take up hunting or fighting as a pursuit, and even if no one would necessarily say anything, it was expected to take up some kind of role in the Sanctuary. Wolf or not. And if his friend took him up on his offer, well— win-win, as far as he was concerned.

fade with your next post?<3

Please. The word left him in an airy breath. Ulf didn't know much about this place or what they did having still been so fresh to the lands. He would like to learn. It would also give him a bit of help in paying back the kindness he had been shown.

He shifted to lay on his side, eyes slowly closing. Relax? He asked with a lazy grin on his face. If Alarian was taking a break, Ulf had no shame in asking the Governor to relax with him.

Please. He couldn't help but smile, hearing the single word. Ulf spoke so little, but somehow— somehow, the wolfdog was more expressive than most others he knew. Alarian nodded, making mental note of it and hoping he didn't forget. Honestly, he probably would.
Alright, He agreed easily to Ulf's proposal, shifting to press against him slightly. It was peaceful; comfortable. Alarian stayed that way for as long as he could, but eventually he found himself in a hurry to get away. Carefully, so as not to hurt his friend's feelings, he excused himself and rose to his feet. When he was out of sight, he finally vomited the scant contents of his stomach, and knew it would be some time before he tried to eat again.