Haunted Wood Laying in the churchyard looking for signs

Birdsong played overhead, accompanied by the occasional flutter of wings and a few twirling leaves that cascaded down to the forest floor.

Thisbe sniffed beneath the trees, scouring the undergrowth for signs of prey. Pyramus had ventured out beyond the woodland in hopes that he might find something more. She had not wanted to travel with him. Thisbe had grown used to the security of the wood, the seclusion of its dark trunks and towering boughs.

The dark shape watched as a squirrel raced along a branch, nearly tumbling but adjusting itself at the last moment. It disappeared into the leafy foliage of the tree and Thisbe frowned.

Maybe her "curse" was to always be dissatisfied. Funny that now, happily mated, she almost felt more alone. There was something wrong and, as the weeks passed, she began to sort out what it was.

When she'd fallen in love with Bronco, it hadn't only been him. Well, it had, but a big part of it had been the casual touches he'd given almost constantly. His warmth, his constant presence, and she'd never had to see him to know where he was. Now there was always space between them, and the few times she'd initially bridged it, she'd learned how it upset him. She hadn't since. And it was hard.

Maybe I made a mistake.. Fuck, the fact that she could even think that. But she'd wanted this so badly, and now... now it felt like she was mates with a stranger. A roommate. Maybe I should talk to him.. Right, like that ever went well.

Fennec sighed, then cocked her head as she heard paw steps nearby. They'd broken her out of her train of thought and she realized she'd made it into the midst of the Haunted Wood. She'd always loved this forest, mostly for the name, but it also reminded her of Penn. Fuck, that felt like a lifetime ago.

Hmm. It didn't sound like Penn, but either way, this'd be pretty funny. Hey, Twigbrain. You lost? She asked, smirking. Talk about a quick way to find out if a wolf had a sense of humor, right? Honestly, she just needed a laugh. Real, real bad.

The wolfdog had not seen the soft sand colors of the stranger. It had not been until the wolf had spoken that Thisbe turned her dark ears and locked eyes on the figure who had called out, said that she was a twigbrain. The wolfdog scoffed softly at this, frowning toward the figure. Thisbe’s frame was stiff with distrust and fear, but the wolfdog did not immediately turn to run.

When asked if she was lost, Thisbe nodded her head.

The dark figure had not realized that without the guiding shape of Pyramus, she would not easily find her way back to the den in the woods where he had left her. She had not worried about it, not at first. It had not been until the wolfdog had lost all sense of direction that she faltered.

There was a modicum of hope in Thisbe’s heart. Perhaps this harsh-tongued wolf would be kinder up close. Tentative paws reduced the space between them as Thisbe issued a quiet whimper.

Well, it definitely wasn't Penn. All they did was whimper, which immediately cut the wind out of Fennec's playful bantering. It was only fun if they either threw that shit back or got mad about it. This wolf sounded.... okay, not pathetic, but something close to it. Grateful? Weirdly.

Fuck, she was lost. And lost enough that she was fine being called whatever by someone random stranger.

Oh. Look, she wouldn't apologize, but she did drop the teasing for a slightly more serious tone. Are you from someplace nearby? She hoped so, otherwise she was going to be pretty damn useless to her. The only other place she knew of was the coast, and she was pretty sure "go west, you can't miss it" was brain-meltingly simple enough even for this wolf not to forget it.