The Heartwood Secret destroyers hold you up to the flames

for @Tuvaq
forward dated 2 days to the early morning of 5/6

He hadn't been ready to return home after his visit to the mountains, and so instead of heading back to the river, he had continued east past home and farther than he had ever really traveled before. 

The place he found was strange but kind of pretty in a dark way. The colors were all muted and from what he could tell there was no green in sight. The ground was a mixture of dark soil and a weird, soft grey substance that stained his white feet. Not that he really cared; he was more concerned with exploring his new find, and walked slowly through the scorched, rotting tree trunks. He stopped often, nose busy as he inspected everything in his path that was different. It would take him most of the day to explore this way, but he wasn't much concerned with time at the moment. 

Wings flapping in the distance made him pause and lift his head to scan the area. A large black bird moved from somewhere in the distance to settle on the barren branches of a tree just ahead. They made eye contact for a few seconds, and then Acheron continued forward, unperturbed by his audience.

// thanks for getting this up <3

In the days after meeting the vampire, Tuvaq had been... sticking rather close by. Perhaps it was strange, but deep down he didn't want to be too far away from the man. It was a form of connection that Tuvaq certainly did not want, but here he was, lingering in one place over a man who'd drunk his blood. It was strange.

This place was charred, barren, ashen. Tuvaq enjoyed it, watching the gray stick to the blond fur at his paws. Hazel eyes flicked upward as he scanned the surroundings, stopping only when they landed on the freckled being weaving among the scorched tree trunks. Both boys would pause at the crow's call, but Tuvaq was not interested in the bird. This boy was... striking. He'd never really seen spots on a wolf before. 

"Hey there," he called with a wag of his tail, deftly jumping atop a trunk to look over at the boy. His posture was friendly, amiable, even if there was a patch of dried blood still on his neck. "Cool place, huh?" Creepy as hell, probably, but that just made it more interesting.

He had only taken a few steps when he heard the stranger's greeting. He paused and looked over to where the white man stood. He stared at him for a few moments, trying to gauge his level of danger. When he realized he couldn't really tell nor did he really care that much, he raised an eyebrow. Yeah. I like it here. It was different and he liked that. He was out searching for something to break up the routines and monotony of his life, and this forest was a good start. Even better was the prospect of meeting someone new. I'm Acheron, he offered, turning more towards the stranger. A quick inspection of his scent told the freckled boy that he most likely didn't belong to a pack, but he still kept certain details to himself, his mother's words ringing a warning in the back of his head. 

Assuming the stranger offered his own name in return, Acheron would give a lift of his head to invite him to explore the forest with him.

Oh, an adventuring partner! How wonderful. Tuvaq hopped down off of the trunk he was perched on and trotted up to the spotted boy, tail waving behind him. "My name's Tuvaq," he responded, dipping his head respectfully and taking in the sight of the boy. Both of them were mostly white, but those spots on this wolf were so interesting. Where had those come from?

Perhaps he was staring a bit too long, but the boy offered Acheron a bright smile and padded alongside him. "I like your spots! I've never seen a wolf with spots before," he admitted, attention grabbed by an oddly-shaped branch to his left. Still, though he turned to inspect the charred item, his ears swiveled back to Acheron. "A big fire must have happened here," he murmured idly.

He was staring, but Acheron didn't really mind. And to the compliment on his spots, a small smile lifted one corner of his mouth. Thanks, he said. I can't say that I've seen many wolves with spots either, he added after a second. His cobalt gaze followed Tuvaq's, and he too inspected the scorched branch with interest. A fire made sense, he guessed. Well, he had never actually seen a fire or anything touched by one; he had only ever heard of fire and what it could do. Seems like it. he offered with a shrug. I've never really seen a fire. His gaze lifted to the black bird as it flew to settle again on a tree just above. They made eye contact again, but only briefly before Acheron looked back to his company. Do you like to explore too? he asked, curious about this energetic stranger.

Ah, so it wasn't a common thing for a wolf to have spots around here. That was good to know, and made his new friend all the more interesting. Chartreuse eyes crinkled in a smile as they continued on their trek. 

"I've never seen a fire, either," he acknowledged, touching his nose to the ash at his paws. "I've only seen the aftermath. But I want to see one, one day." That would be an excellent adventure - dangerous and frightening, but so cool! 

Do you like to explore too?

Tuvaq smiled at his newfound companion and nodded. "Yes, I do. I want to learn as much as I can about as many things as I can." And that included this burned forest with this stranger and his enchanting spots. Wings flapped overhead and Tuvaq tipped his muzzle back to watch the black bird as it alighted upon a branch above them. 

"Seems we've got an adventuring companion," he said with a small laugh, tail setting at a light sway around his hocks. "Do birds often follow you around or is this new?"

Acheron considered Tuvaq's comment. He supposed fire would be kind of interesting to see, but he worried about how out of control it might be. What if it meant he had to run into the flames and rescue a member of his family? It sounds kind of dangerous to me, Acheron pointed out. Interesting as it might be to see, he wasn't really keen on dealing with things he had no chance of controlling. 

Learning about things, he could definitely understand, though. Yeah, I'd like to do that too. He had no intention of returning home any time soon. Seen anything interesting so far? he asked. He was curious about where Tuvaq had been before now. 

His gaze traveled back up to the bird when his companion asked about it and gave a shrug of his pale shoulders. This is new, he answered, looking back to Tuvaq. But I can't say that I would mind if it wanted to keep hanging around. The bird was kind of cool, and he wondered if he could come to learn more about it or if it would even stick around after this.

"Well, it would be, but that's part of what makes it so much fun," he told him, angling his ears toward the boy with a bright smile. "Besides, it's not like you'll probably ever see one. Not a big one anyway, that can kill a whole forest. Maybe a tree after lightning strikes it or something." The blond nudged his companion's shoulder amiably. "Don't worry too much about it."

Acheron asked about Tuvaq's discoveries so far, and the Anneriwok lit up. "I've seen so many interesting things," he gushed, tail wagging with a bit more ferocity. "Just the other day, I found these strange mushrooms beneath a log, and a wolf that liked to drink blood." That was a bit odd to most, he would assume, but not to Tuvaq. "And now I've found a spotted boy who is followed by a raven in an ash forest. It seems like there's so many adventures to be had in this place." His gaze turned up to the bird again and he studied it for a moment. "That seems like good luck."

Hazel eyes traveled back to meet navy and he tipped his head. "Are you from around here?" he questioned, attention now fully focused back on his pretty companion.

He wasn't so sure about dangerous being fun, and it showed in the skeptic raise of his eyebrow. But the logical assumption that he would probably never see a big fire like the one that had devastated this forest and left them with something intriguing to explore quieted whatever worry had formed. He looked at the place where Tuvaq's shoulder had brushed his own and then glanced up to meet his gaze. Yeah, you're probably right, he agreed. It was not something he needed to waste much time fretting about. 

It seemed like Tuvaq had seen quite a lot, but Acheron couldn't help the look of stunned surprise that crossed his face a the mention of a wolf that liked to drink blood. Drink blood? he asked. From what? From his prey or something? Obviously the taste of blood was not something that bothered him, but he couldn't say he had actually ever drank it from anything. He glanced up at the bird, who was still following, soaring and landing on a tree nearby anytime they got too far ahead. A raven. Is that what is was called? As for the good luck: I hope so, he answered, still watching the bird. Not that his life had been filled with much hardship, but who wouldn't want good luck?

He met his companion's gaze once more when he asked if he was from around here. Acheron nodded. Yeah, my pack lives along the river east of here near the mountains. We're called Kaistleoki. He paused a few beats before asking: What about you?

They did not agree on the coolness of fire, which was alright. If everyone thought the same thing all the time, life would be boring. And, like Acheron, he had decided that it was something that probably wasn't worth worrying about anyway. 

"I'm assuming he'd drink blood from just about anything," Tuvaq reasoned in regards to the vampire he'd met in the woods. He wasn't a fan of plants, for sure, but Tuvaq assumed the spectre would've drank blood from normal animals too. That's what vampires did, right? 

I hope so. That was a glum statement. "Think about it this way. If it doesn't bring good luck, you can always make your own," he reasoned with a small smile, hoping to encourage. "There's so much out in the world to explore and so much to do. You can choose."

Oh, this boy was from a pack. Tuvaq hadn't paused to smell him or anything. But a river pack? That was interesting, too. "I don't have a pack," he responded breezily, offering the boy a smile. "Haven't been for a while now. But I prefer to travel a little; maybe later I'll settle down." He tilted his head to the side. "What's Kaistleoki like?" It was a fun word to say, he had to admit.

Again, his eyebrows lifted in surprise. Anything? That was an odd thing to do. Why? And by anything...do you mean any kind of prey? He had to ask because just saying he would drink blood from anything implied, well, anything, and he wasn't sure he liked the idea of running into a wolf that wanted to drink his blood. 

But doesn't that kind of go against the whole premise of luck? he asked. It's not supposed to be something you can just control. It's supposed to be a force that works on its own, Acheron countered, his tone calm and curious. That was at least how he always understood it. He did agree with the rest of his statement, though. Yeah, that's my plan. I want to explore and see as much as I can. Leaving the pack was something he had also considered, but he needed more time to make that decision. It seems like that's what you've been doing too. A small smile curved his lips again. 


Acheron had never been without a pack, but he couldn't deny the appeal being on his own had. Now, that sounds like something I might want to try—being a lone wolf, he replied. It sounds free and interesting, he added. But he shrugged again at Tuvaq's question. It's okay, I guess. Pretty safe but kind of boring. Now he sounded like his sister but he would never tell her that.

"Anything living, I think," Tuvaq mused, looking up at the sky for just a moment in thought. "Though he didn't seem to be a cruel man. I don't think he'd just up and drink your blood without asking," he assured upon sensing the freckled boy's unease. 

Huh. That was something Tuvaq hadn't considered before speaking - but that was pretty common for him. "You're right," he responded with a light chuckle. "Maybe it's less about changing it and more about how you react to whatever happens." Or something. Philosophy was weird, and not often a subject Tuvaq delved much into with more thought than just surface level. But this boy wanted to explore, and exploring was what Tuvaq did best, after all. "Yes, you can't do that much if you're stuck in a pack for your whole life," he said thoughtfully, tail stilling in its swing for just a moment before continuing. 

"No good life has ever come from being safe," Tuvaq announced then, hazel eyes scanning the boy over before looking back up at the raven. "You could always leave. You're young and strong and brave. Maybe you could go back eventually, but you might find that you like it better out here." He turned his attention back to Acheron. "You could go with me, if you like."

It was comforting to know that this guy wouldn't just come up and drink his blood if they ever ran into each other. I see, he said first. I don't know that I could ever just drink someone's blood, Acheron commented. Although, as long as he wasn't forced to do something he wasn't into, then he didn't much care what others did in their free time. 

Acheron nodded. Yeah that's pretty much what it all comes down to. At least, that's the conclusion he had come to in his short life. It seemed bad things and good things happened, and how the things affected really depended on how you handled what life gave you. 

I mean, being safe does offer a sense of security, he pointed out. But it definitely needs to be balanced with adventure. Acheron was all about balance. It helped him feel like he had some semblance of control over his life. And he had been considering leaving for a bit now. Yeah, I've been wanting to leave and see what else is out there. He wanted to know who he was outside of the roles he held within Kaistleoki. The offer was intriguing. Tuvaq seemed like just the right kind of wolf to pull him out of his comfort zone. He smiled, raising a playful eyebrow. I would like that, he offered. I need to return home and inform my family and pack first, though. He rarely made impulsive decisions. Plus, he didn't want his mom worrying about him, which he would if he just never returned home. He couldn't do that to her. She would be worried enough with him leaving and going out on his own. He also wouldn't just desert the pack; he wanted to tell Ira and Evergreen as well.

To be honest, Tuvaq didn't really think he could drink someone else's blood either, but he was suddenly aware that he did not mind at all if someone drank his. "Me neither," he agreed with a small smile on his maw. "Too metallic for my tastes." 

Ah, so it seemed that his companion agreed with him there. That was good - they saw eye-to-eye on a lot of things, he thought. Going with the flow was pretty much what Tuvaq did best. Things happened, and there wasn't much he could do about it. There was no point in dwelling on the past or worrying about what you could have done differently. 

Being balanced? That was an unfamiliar concept to the Anneriwok. But Tuvaq liked to not be in control, so perhaps that was why. "Maybe you could teach me a little about that balance stuff," he offered, because if there was one thing Tuvaq enjoyed more than complete freedom, it was learning. To his surprise, however, the spotted boy agreed to come with him on this grand adventure, which was... unexpected. Tuvaq hadn't thought he'd gain a traveling companion, except for maybe a loose one in Abaddon, but to have one that intentionally wanted to go with him and enjoy discovering and learning new things together? That was... interesting. Far more so than he thought it would be. "Maybe I could go with you?" he requested, tipping his head to the side. "It might help them to see that you're going with someone else. Besides, I want to see the river."

Metallic was a good way to describe it. The taste never bothered him too much when eating, but if he were to consume large amounts of blood at once, he was pretty sure it would bother him. Yeah, too metallic, he agreed. It would be like eating rocks or something. 

Yeah, sure, he agreed. I'm not always the best at it, but I can try and show you. It was only recently that he even realized the draw to having some kind of balance in his life. He spent quite a lot of time with his own thoughts trying to figure out who he was and what he wanted to do with his life. Acheron was surprised by his question, but only paused a few seconds before nodding. Yeah, sure, he replied. I had planned on returning for a couple days before leaving, so as long as you're fine staying there for that long too... He needed to talk to his family and talk to the leaders. Plus this was kind of big decision; he wanted to make sure he took his time making it. Of course, I'll have to make sure it's okay with the leaders once we get there. He didn't think they would mind, but it was only proper to check first before allowing a stranger into the territory.

Tuvaq nodded then, stretching and turning his attention back to the spotted boy. Staying for a few days wasn't ideal, but he didn't mind it much. After all, perhaps it could be fun. A little side quest to this adventure he'd decided to go on. 

"If you're sure they won't eat me, then I wouldn't mind," he jested, but... well, he did just have a wolf drink his blood. Perhaps this place was full of vampires and cannibals. "But you're kind enough to go with me on this adventure, so a few days spent in a pack is the least I could do." It was surprisingly endearing to have someone so willing to accompany him. Maybe even gave him an inkling of an emotion in his chest, deep down. "When are you planning on going back?"

Acheron completely missed the joke, even it would have been obvious to most. Instead, he answered as if it was a real concern of Tuvaq's. Nah, they're pretty reasonable, he assured his new friend. They'll probably just want you to stay close to me, he added. Which wouldn't be a problem for Acheron. 

I was going to spend the rest of the day and night here and then head home in the morining. His attention was temporarily stolen as the raven squawked and flew off into the distance. He watched it for a few more seconds and then turned back to Tuvaq. I kind of wanted to explore a little more before going home, Acheron added with a shrug, hoping he wouldn't mind. And maybe the he would find the bird again; he kind of liked it.

Tuvaq smiled when the boy didn't get his joke, but didn't correct him. "That'll work for me," he assured, tail swishing back and forth. This could be an entertaining little venture - seeing what would come from this. "I won't cause any trouble." Well.. that wasn't necessarily something he could promise, but Acheron didn't need to know that.

"Well, then I won't go too far off," he assured, eyes crinkled in a smile. "I understand the exploring thing. Itchy paws and all that." Gotta go while he still had the opportunity to. Before he'd get stuck in one place forever, either by age or pack status or sickness. Any number of things could happen. The bird flew off, and Tuvaq watched, mildly interested in the thing. It might be fun to chase. "Just call me when you're ready, okay?" he asked, turning attention back to the spotted boy. He'd sniff around in a few other places, but stay close enough that he'd be able to hear if Acheron called.

Okay, thanks, he offered in return. He didn't know Tuvaq very well yet, but he seemed like a nice enough guy that he wouldn't cause problems while they were at the river. 

He had kind of thought Tuvaq would want to explore a little more with him, but he understood if he wanted to do things on his own. Acheron spent plenty of time on his own, so he guessed he really didn't mind. Oh okay, yeah sure, the freckled youth answered. I'll call for you when I'm ready to head out, Acheron assured his friend. He offered a dip of his head and waited for Tuvaq to go on his way before doing the same; it was a habit, watching the backs of others.

This kid was weird, but in a good way, Tuvaq - the king of weird - had decided. Emotional ties were a no-go for the blond boy, but this wasn't so bad. An adventuring buddy; someone who he could explore with who wasn't a psychotic vampire who Tuvaq was just using for pleasure. 

And the exploring on his own thing wasn't necessarily just that he wanted to get away from Acheron, or even to be alone, really. Tuvaq had just thought that perhaps everyone was like him in that way, or at least most people, where they didn't want you to stick around too long. Maybe he would learn later that that was not the case.

Acheron bowed his head, which was strange and funny, but Tuvaq mirrored him nonetheless before turning to head off. "Keep an eye on that bird of yours!" he called over his shoulder, tail waving like a banner over his back as he went to explore somewhere else. Nearby, of course, because he didn't want to lose the chance for a real adventure with the speckled boy.

Fade