Broken Antler Fen Shy-Guy

Prefer someone he hasn't met yet, please

Aduin set out from the meeting place to find his private space, if he needed one at all. So far, no such luck. Everywhere was so damp, and he wanted a place that was dry. A place that was covered. And if he had to dig through some dirt, then he would to just make a simple den. 

He had many reasons to seek out such a little space for him. To get some quiet, think about things alone and some other things. But the main reason was to get a place away from those that made him nervous every time he even looked at them. Females. They made him feel weird, almost impossible to speak around them.

Brandy was out on another one of her adventures. This one brought her to the base of a thick, massive tree, scored down the bark with the memory of Brandy's angry claws. In the branches just above, a grey squirrel seemed to be taunting the yearling. Yipping and barking madly, Brandy was flinging herself up the tree to snap just hairs away from the fuzzy creature before falling back to her paws. The bronze and red she wolf paced circles around the tree, hoping to find any sort of way up the tree. Unfortunately, she wasn't finding such a thing, only making a lot of noise and attracting attention to her. Not the best idea, seeing as she was in her first heat. She didn't know the ruthlessness of some, the weakness of others. A male could have many reasons to take advantage of her, but Brandy didn't seem to worry. Though she was growing well, she would have no chance fighting off a fully grown male, not for another four plus months of living well and training her body further.

Aduin's ears swivelled at the sound of yips and barks. Interest took over his movement and directory functions, guiding him over to the source. Once he found it, he took a couple of steps back. The one thing he wanted to get away from. With his sexual maturity on the way, they didn't only drive Seb mad. But the madness was more out of confusion. Yet this one did not have that odd smell. In fact, she looked very, very young with a bronze-like pelt and some white fur in some areas. He cocked his head a little in interest, then moved his eyes up. A small grin appeared when he saw the frightened squirrel up the tree, his tail wagging in amusement.

Brandy snarled and growled at the squirrel, stalking around the tree but fuming in defeat. The yearling didn't realize the male was even there until coming around and facing him. Again, not a very good idea for the female's first ever heat, but she would learn one way or another.... She merely paused mid-step, her front paw still held up, and perked her ears. A moment and a smile later, her tail was wagging and all four paws were on the ground. She remembered seeing him by Sebastian's side at the meeting, but didn't know his name or anything. Obviously though, the multi-colored female seemed intent on changing such things.
       "Hello! I'm Brandy."
Her yellow eyes shone as she gazed at him kindly, awaiting an answer. She didn't close the distance between them though, perhaps the first wise thing she'd done in terms of thinking of her heat. The farther she was from him, the longer it would take for him to scent her.

When she noticed his presence, he shrunk back. Aduin could smell it on her. The same thing he smelt on Fallen. And now that he knew what that was, he knew why he started to feel odd again. He shook his head, trying to clear his head. And to some measure, he did. Just barely.

"Uh..hi. I'm A-Aduin" he shyly said, introducing himself. Aduin remained where he was, not daring to go closer. He looked up the tree, finding something to keep his mind off of the scent. "You were ch-chasing that squirrel. That was pretty funny." 

Immediately as he reacted to her heat, Brandy caught on. Her body lost some of its pep as she took an embarrassed step back. Her mother had taught her about how her heat made males feel, and what they sometimes did as a result.
           "S-Sorry...."
She mumbled, staring down at her red paws. She was grateful when he changed the subject, turning her lemon gaze on him with a small smile. 
                "Little bastard just slipped out of my paws. I swear, I pet his back!"
The little yearling laughed, genuinely glad of his company but sliding back a mouse length every little bit.

For moment, Aduin felt awkward after her apology. He didn't feel that she had to do that, for it was a natural occurrence. But then it seemed he lightened the mood, and he shared her laugh. "You'd swear they were related to fish by how much they slip out of your grasp!" he joked. He didn't even realise how bad of a joke it was, and laughed at it. His tail wagged in joy at his little laugh, slowing down as his chuckles slowed. And then things went back to an awkward silence for him.

Brandy laughed at Aduin's joke, obviously not finding it as bad as it was. She'd stopped scooting backwards, but stayed a distance away. She didn't want to make him uncomfortable, or get herself in a situation she didn't want to be in. But the bronze female seemed happy to be having contact with someone, speaking as happy as ever.
      "I think it's EASIER to catch fish. At least my claws catch on their scales, I can barely hold onto those furry things." 
Brandy laughed again, thinking fondly of the swift, smooth creatures in the lake she could be hooking out right now instead of chasing this stupid squirrel.

She seemed to go along with the joke. It made Aduin feel a little more confident at things. During the little awkward silence he had after, he noticed she had distanced herself. Why had she done that? It made him curious. Was she afraid of him for some reason, or was it to make him feel less nervous? He decided not to ask. Instead, he remained silent, unsure of what to say. His expression said that clearly.

Brandy's eyes flashed nervously, obviously unsure of what to say as well. She glanced around, yellow orbs searching desprately for something to talk about. Seeing her claw gouges in the brown bark of the tree, she tipped her head and smiled anxiously.
      "Can you climb trees?"
It was clear she was making a big effort to keep the conversation, but not out of pity. She really wanted to make friends with everyone in her pack, and Aduin seemed like someone who needed a confident friend like her.

Aduin remained silent until a question was thrown his way. His look in reply was a face of confusion, then went to embarrassment. He had tried, once in his puphood. It did not end well. He was about to shake his head when he felt the urge to impress. Maybe, just maybe, with his muscles being stronger than when he was a pup, he could. So, ignoring the risk of doing so, he went over to the tree, looking it up and down. Then, he sprung his forelegs up and latched on best he could. Then slowly moved one rear leg up, grunting as if it was one of the hardest things he had ever done.

Once more, it did not end well. Aduin fell back with a startled yelp, landing on his back on the mossy ground. He turned his head away, ears flattening in hopes of not hearing any remarks about how he just failed and a soft whine escaping his muzzle.

Brandy giggled, watching him with tail wagging. She hoped he could do it, even if it meant challenging herself further to learn how. Her happy face morphed in fear as he fell, and she bolted forward in hopes of softening his fall; though she missed by far anyway and ended up falling on her face and doing a somersault. After stumbling to her paws and staggering drunkenly for a few moments, having earned a sharp and wet pain above her right eyebrow. Blood dripped into her eye, but the scratch wasn't all that bad. She was more worried about Aduin, and as soon as she could focus she padded carefully towards him, lemon eyes searching the male for any wounds.
     "Are you alright Aduin?"
Though her heat scent was there, it seems it was fainter when the wind wasnt blowing it into peoples faces. She was in her last little bit of it, and would soon be free of the scent altogether. Brandy just hoped it didnt bother him as much now she was downwind.

Pain shot up his back. And not the kind that one could laugh it off. It ached like a heavy wolf had decided to land on him from a higher elevation. Aduin let off a pained cough, followed by a groan. He would have laid there, mostly in shame of getting back up and facing any criticizing remarks. Through his flat ears, he instead heard a worried voice. That got him to turn back curiously. Only Seb seemed to ask things like that. That's when he noticed the scratch she had. Brandy definitely didn't have that before, and now he was worrying. Did he fall on her somehow? Or did he make something fall from the tree? He hadn't seen her trip, so twas all he could think. 

"I-I'm fine" he said confidently, even though his voice was obviously pained. But he was never one to put himself before others who were injured. "What about you? You g-got a little..." he reached to his own face with a paw, as if pointing out where the scratch was.

Brandy didnt even pay attention to her own wound, barely noticing it was there until he pointed it out. She was more worried of him, feeling even worse knowing she'd asked him to climb. A strangled whimper escaped her throat as she crouched closer to him. 
                  "I could care less about some little scratch, are you alright? I just couldn't forgive myself if I'm the reason you hurt your back!" 
The bronze and cream female sniffled at his spine, resisting the urge to touch it and see if it was okay: not that she was a medic and could tell the difference between normal and not, but still. It was the thought that mattered, right? Her lemon eyes raked over him desperately, looking for anything.... Off.
                        "I'm so sorry I asked if you could climb. I didn't mean to get you hurt!"
Panic started to envelop the yearling, and her pelt spiked out in anxiety. What if he couldn't walk after this!? Not only would she not forgive herself, she assumed Sebastian would throw her from the pack for harming Aduin, even if it had been an accident.  
                                    "I tried to break your fall, but I guess I was to early. Aduin I'm so so sorry."

Aduin certainly was touched by how much she was caring for him. Only his family had shown that much care for him. Then he remembered how his family was. This was his new family, so of course they would be like this towards him. He couldn't help but smile at that thought. Only to remember the situation, and make a reply after she finished.

"I'm fine, really. Thank you" he said, arching his back up to stretch it. Then his face scrunched up in pain. Maybe not all was well. He would most likely need a long rest to rid himself of this ache. "Um, m-maybe not so good...C-c-could you h-help me? I just need to get up and get to the Cove" he asked nervously, not wanting to pressure her into helping him. But by the pain he felt on his back, he most likely couldn't make it alone. And he could only blame himself for being so ignorant in trying to show off.

Wanna tag Seb in this? :-3

Brandy didn't hesitate in stepping forward and pressing up against his side gently, worry and guilt still shining from her lemon eyes. She was a good size to support him if he leaned on her, and more than strong enough to get him from here to The Cove. She just worried Sebastian would be mad, or that Aduin wouldn't feel better. 
         "I'm so sorry Aduin...."
She whined, looking down at her fiery paws. Despite her wishes to one day be a Counselor, she couldn't find the words to say anymore. Was Aduin mad at her? Would she be rejected from the pack? Many worries rushed through her head, and she tried pushing them away as fast as they came but she couldn't help it. Eventually she was distracted by the slight but nagging itch above her eye, the blood from her scratch having matted a patch of fur and crusting to her skin as it began to clot itself. Her ear flicked every few moments in annoyance, but she had set her mind on cleaning it when they got back.

Hm...why not? @Sebastian

Aduin was indeed grateful to her help, and showed that thankfulness in his eyes and expression. Her touch was soft, unlike Seb's which was fluffy yet heavy, considering his size. His back ached around the middle where he must have taken the hit the hardest. And her whining, it made him feel some kind of pity for her. He suddenly understood why she acted this way, and gave a gentle smile. "It's okay. Seb will see this as an accident, nothing more" he promised, sounding oddly confident. He even surprised himself, but he didn't show it. "You're a great friend. Only my family have shown me the same care you are..Th-thank you."

Brandy's whine cut off as he spoke, focusing on his voice though she still felt insanely bad. When he guessed her thoughts, her ears drooped down a little bit. But there was no point hiding the truth, and it made her feel better to know Aduin didn't seem upset with her. 
      "You're sure? I-It really was an accident. I didn't know you'd fall.... But I'm glad you think I'm a good friend. Truth be told, I've never had a real friend."
She had met strangers along the way that, had she and Ambrosia settled somewhere, would have become friends. Such was the way of the loners, never staying long. Even when they tried, one thing or another sent them off again. Brandy was thankful though, because now she was a part of Broken Antler Fen, and had a very good feeling about being here.

Sebastian happened to be close by when he caught their scents. The young alpha trotted through the territory, checking up on a few of their deer herds to see if they were doing alright and if there were ones with weaknesses. Yet when he smelled Aduin and a whiff of Brady Sebastian was curious and changed his path.

He turned to the two and was quick to spot them but something didn't look alright. He made some more haste when seeing Aduin. "What is wrong? What happened?," he instantly questioned. Not knowing what went down, Brandy looked worried and upset. Had she done something or had Aduin just tripped?

In a sense, I kind of find it funny how Aduin hurt himself

Aduin's ears wilted in sympathy. Never had a real friend. He knew what that felt like all too much. His ears then perked up, feeling that he found someone who wasn't family to talk to about things. They shared similarities he didn't have with others. "I know all about that...too well, actually."

Aduin's ears wilted once more when Seb came their way. Now that he thought about it, the alpha would probably be more upset at the boy's stupidity rather than Brandy. Sebastian questioned what had happened, and the boy's head lowered in shame. "I..I fell. T-trying to climb a t-tree." He dared not look at Sebastian, who he was sure would ridicule him for such stupidity.

Brandy had smiled at Aduin, nuzzling his shoulder thankfully at his words as Seb appeared. Instantly, her heart dropped, sure she was about to get in trouble. She lowered her head and ears, only keeping herself upright to keep Aduin stable. However, listening to Aduin speak, she knew she couldn't let him take the blame. 
           "It's my fault Sebastian. I-I asked if he could climb, I'd been trying to get at a squirrel...."
She lowered her lemon eyes to the ground, trembling slightly. She knew half the reason she stayed by Aduin was to have support for herself, though not in the way he needed it. 
                  "I-I'm sorry, it was an accident! Please don't throw me out of Broken Antler Fen...."
She didn't realize how puppish and silly she sounded, her voice but a squeak as she worried of being kicked from her home. She was sure Sebastian was about to chase her from the fen, maybe worse, and prepared herself mentally to take off running if she needed to. 

Not funny he got hurt, but funny in how xD

Poor things xD

Sebastian watched the two. He had to admit they were pretty cute together all flustered and upset. The alpha male wanted to respond to Aduin that wanted to climb a tree. A tree. Yet, then Brandy spoke before him and explained that it had been her fault. Sebastian sat down as she was starting to panic that she was going to get kicked out. "I wouldn't be much of a leader if I would kick you out, would I? Don't worry Brandy, you are here to learn and I am not mad," he assured on a calm and gentle tone.

"But to climb a tree, well, yeah, that doesn't work out for us. We are animals that run not climb. Are you okay, Aduin? Do I need to look at anything?," he asked, after all he wanted to be a medic and he already was the caretaker of the pack. "Are you okay too Brandy? Did you get hurt?," he asked, nosing over Aduin while he asked in a big brotherly way to check if he was okay.

My first post from my new laptop!

Aduin couldn't help but smile gently at Brandy. Even though he had taken the blame, she still stepped in. And for a second, he believed she would get kicked, and was about to stand up for her. But he knew better than that after that one second. Seb forgave and let bygones be bygones. Sebastian was so forgiving that it was no wonder Haven fell for him. At least, Aduin assumed that was one of the reasons behind it. Then again, maybe he wasn't that forgiving, since he did let her go.

The boy nodded his head, although then after a moment's hesitation shook his head. "My back hurts a bit. Just a bit!" he quickly added, not wanting the alpha to get all worked up over things. Around Seb, he always felt confident and rarely stuttered. Rarely. "And B-Brandy's fine...Right, Brandy?" he asked, some concern entering his voice at the end.

Brandy's relief was obvious in the unwinding of her muscles, if not the exhalation of air in a sigh. She hadn't realized she'd been holding her breath, but there it was! Sebastian was far from mad, and Aduin obviously wasn't mad at her either. She kept pressed to Aduin's side, even as Sebastian looked him over. She wasn't sure if she could, but didn't really want to. The bronze and cream she-wolf was enjoying the contact and the smiles she was getting, tail wagging behind her.
            "Thank you Sebastian, I promise it won't happen again."
Of course, she meant no more asking others to climb. The stubborn she-wolf would, naturally, keep trying. She'd seen her mother do it before, though it'd looked like the hardest thing she'd ever had to do to get to the lowest branch. She hadn't went higher, and getting down was rough seeing as she had to jump. Not that any of that stopped the hyper young girl. As she was spoken to, she looked up at the black and white male. Hurt? No, she wasn't hurt?
                    "I'm fine, of course. I'm not the one that fell from a tree."
She'd completely forgotten about the cut above her eye, though it did sting. The crimson blood had soaked into her fur and crusted up by now, stopping the bleeding but clumping and dyeing the fur around her eyebrow. It looked worse than it really was, even if it was rather deep. So she gave Aduin a confused look, like she didn't understand why he'd asked. HE was the one who'd fallen from a tree! Her somersault attempt at a rescue was long forgotten, though it'd dazed her for a moment and stung like fury at first.

Sorry for the hold up! Internship was tough this week!

Sebastian looked at Aduin, the fact that his back was hurting was something he needed to check. Sebastian did know that the back held the body together so if Aduin always had pain there it would not be good at all. Sebastian turned to Brandy when she said she was fine. He could see a clear wound above her eye and the didn't want that to get infected. "You have a cut above your eye," he pointed out. Though, that the wound already crusted up was a good sign yet Sebastian didn't want to take any chances if there might be an infection under that. "Both of you please come with me," he spoke and turned.

He would guide them to a small den where he stashed some herbs, not many but the ones he knew. Bits of marigold and lavender. He also wanted to see if Aduin had trouble with walking with his back, and then see what he could do about it. Sebastian had been a loner for a long time, and in that time he had not worked on his medial trade, but now he could. He reached the den site and grabbed the marigold for Brandy. "I'm going to lick that wound clean," he explained before stepping closer and starting to lick the crusted up blood away from her fur and reveal the cut.