Firefly Glen And a Song Well-Sung is a Sung-Well Song So Sing

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It wasn't Gawain's fantasy, this.
   It was far from it. So far from it, in fact, that Gawain thought perhaps he'd never felt more grounded in reality. He had had dreams when he'd realized they weren't going to accomplish the mission. He had thought, perhaps, that it was finally his time to rise anew, start clean- with Mauri of course. He could get her to let go of whatever sick, brainwashed idea of fulfillment they had planted in her head. They could find a territory and settle down, he could work on training @Mauri in self-defense, learn about the herbs growing in these lands and start growing his knowledge on medicinal plants. Life could be good. 

This was not that. This was quite the opposite, in fact. Instead of settling down like he had hoped desperately to do, Gawain was as far off from Mauri as he'd ever been, and actively on the move. When Mauri had first suggested that he scout ahead and fucking leave her behind, he had immediately protested. However, it became more clear as time had gone on that Mauri had had some good points; it would allow him to get a better idea of where they were, to find good rest spots for their journey, and to figure out which places (or packs) they should avoid- along with the fact that there was no way the girl would've budged. So, as much as Gawain hated to validate his sister's stubborness, he had agreed to leave her behind on the agreement that she would not stray an inch from where he had left her at a hidden spot beside the lake- he could only pray that she'd keep her word. 

At the moment, Gawain had never regretted something more. He had burrs in his fucking tail, he had no clue where the fuck he was still, and at the moment the young wolf found himself completely lost in his thoughts- he was hardly being helpful scouting. Get it fucking together Gawain just,the white-headed yearling loosed a rumbling snarl, stopping in his tracks and whipping around to tug at the fur in his tail. Ugh fucking- Burrs! He spit out the tack-like plant, teeth bared and eyes slightly wild. He fucking hated plants. Fuck studying botany. Fuck it all.

Toad hadn't strayed far from the old Redhawks territory in the Wilderness. She was, after all, a creature of habit. Though this was a newer habit, she was quite enjoying walking the trails of her siblings in lives long past. She wondered, had Fox still been alive, if she would be walking familiar pathways with the red-dappled creature. The brown wolf imagined they would talk about Fox's worries of her children and grandchildren. They would discuss parenting strategies for any new litters, or perhaps advice on how to let go of older children and let them live their own lives.

The sister smiled at this thought, though she and Fox were far enough away in age that it was unlikely they'd have had much in common. As she smiled and strolled back through the Glen, she nearly ran into an odd-looking creature. She stopped in her tracks several yards away, listening to curses and the altogether foulness that came with "young people these days." The masked wolf was flailing about, trying to pull out hairs on his tail. Whoa, whoa, she called out to him, her voice almost mothering, like she knew him.

What are you trying to do? Her tone was very honest, calm as the clear skies they stood under. She moved closer to him, though far enough that she could get away from him were he not a wolf of sound mind.

Fucking...Burrs. Stupid disgusting awful horrendous- "Woah woah".
Just as quickly as Gawain had worked himself up, he was jerked out of his haze, jolting up to his full height with his large head swiveling on his shoulders towards the source of the voice. An oak-toned female stood a not-too-large distance from him, her gentle voice carrying to where the young wolf had been having his fit. His shoulders bristled with surprise in a defensive manner, carmine eyes focused sharply on the woman. He watched her warily, moving his muscled frame back a pace or two as she stepped forward, his hackles bristling further. The stranger seemed not to pose a threat at the moment, but Gawain couldn't be sure, and he wasn't interested in taking any risks at the moment. 

The yearling breathed out steadily, his eyes flicking quickly between the woman's face and figure, further assessing her level of threat before clearing his throat. I'm...there are burrs. I'm trying to remove burrs from my tail, he offered not a word more than he needed to, his earls flicking slightly as he continued to observe her movements, making certain she was no longer advancing towards him. he had thought of warning her off, but couldn't bring himself to spit unkindness when the stranger had remained peaceful so far. He only hoped his body language would leave no room for questions.

The strangely-coloured male flew upright, staring Toad down with fiery eyes like a fury. He puffed himself up at the shoulders and backside, aggressively showing his brawn and impressive bulk at her. Toad almost laughed, but kept on mild alert instead, watching him move about like a rooster bouncing his comb and feathers all about. He could be dangerous, she knew, but his behaviour told more of a "don't $%*# with me" attitude. He didn't seem like he wanted to tear her to pieces, though he probably could have.

Burrs, he spoke of. As the boy told her of his woes, she made a scrunched face, now trying desperately to maintain compsure. Here I thought you were tired of your tail hairs, Toad chuckled, taking a gentle step toward him. Let me help you, I can probably see them better, and I've done this before. She hazarded taking one more step, even slower this time, waiting for him to allow her close. Of course, she told the truth. There was no reason for her not to. In her home pack, she had assisted on several occasions with the removal of thorns, burrs, and stickers in both fur and flesh. Romping about in thicketed areas appeared a fun pasttime among puppies and the coming-of-age. Toad was often there to pick out the nonsense, as in the rest of life.

Where he'd come from, Gawain hadn't known kindness to be given without something expected in return, without ulterior motivation. It sufficed to say he was suspicious of the actions of this stranger- generous with her own time and knowledge in her offerings. However, Gawain couldn't help but believe that she was actually...being genuine? Perhaps it was the way she had regarded him with an attitude that was almost familiar. Stern but fond, familial even. 
 
The yearling hesitated in his response, shoulders twitching as if he wanted to move forward but was held by invisible force. Gawain's eyes searched the woman's face once more, assessing openly. Finally, his ears flicked back slightly, and he budged just the slightest bit, right paw tentatively moving forward and shoulders shifting. Although he gave no verbal response, and his eyes were locked on something distant and he refused to meet the woman's gaze, his defensive posture eased slightly. Gawain huffed a quiet sigh, and allowed her to continue to move towards him if she pleased.

It had been a while since Toad had tended to young ones. She had long had a soft spot for pups and yearlings, but particularly those who were coming of age and needed true guidance from an elder. Though Toad did not consider herself a wise creature, she was a fair listener, and had many times recounted a relevant story.

As the young male relaxed some, Toad slowly moved toward him, careful to keep her ears a bit low and her posture relaxed. She moved to his side and took a look at his tail. Tsk, tsk, you've really knotted this up haven't you? She gave a whispering laugh through her nose, and began nipping at a burr with just her front teeth. She grated them against the fur in such a way to separate the hairs.

I'm Toad, by the way, she said between her work. Oh, can you sit down? I can make it less painful when I pull them that way.

Gawain's neck bristled softly as the woman made her way nearer to him, an involuntary reaction to being approached by such an unfamilar wolf, but he managed to keep mostly calm. He kept careful control of his breaths, remaining quiet and centered, though he spooked a bit at the first touch to his tail. His ears flicked back, pinning against his head with annoyance as the burrs tugged at his fur. 

Toad. What an odd name. Though he supposed it was fittingly odd as the woman herself was to Gawain. His shoulders shuffled slightly at her request, and he lowered himself to his haunches, giving in momentarily to glance back at her working before he turned to face forward again. The young wolf nodded only after having sat, his bobbing lightly. He was much too distracted by his own dilemma of whether or not to share his name with the stranger- with Toad, to give any more of a response. 

Gawain, the yearling began, his voice soft and rough with disuse. He felt only slightly self-conscious of it, his ears flicking again as they usually did when he found himself annoyed with his own actions. His eyes blinked quickly as he took the whole situation in again. Here he was, with a total stranger. Letting her touch him. An idiot. Gawain was an idiot. His eyes pressed shut tightly as Toad worked, trying not to think too hard about the past five minutes. 

The young lad seemed a bit pensive, but Toad supposed that was to be expected given she was a stranger. Toad herself used to be more wary of strangers, but pack life had solidified her largely trusting personality. She was not, however, naive, and knew that sitting for a person she didn't know would make her uncomfortable as well.

When he did sit, she laid down to get a better angle and to prevent straining her neck. Gawain, he introduced, and she smiled. Toad put one of her paws firmly on the base of the hairs of his tail, being careful not to step on the actual flesh. That's a nice name, she said honestly, partially do distract him while she applied pressure to the roots of his fur and pulled out a few burrs. By applying this pressure, it would reduce the pain by breaking the hairs instead of pulling the entire hairs out.

So, you live close by? She hadn't met many in the area. Toad was still unsure of what she planned to do with herself now that she had visited the famed Caldera. Finding a reasonable pack seemed like the next logical step, but she had no idea how to guide herself on choosing what wolves she would call family. Her work continued, separating the burrs carefully with her incisors, then periodically applying pressure and pulling them out.

Gawain, though startled by how forward and open the woman was with her touch, comfortable even with a stranger, would be lying if he'd said the physical contact wasn't nice. It was a damned weakness of his, tactile nature. Try as he might to suppress it, Gawain still found himself enjoying the momentary closeness. 

The young wolf missed her compliment of his name, still lost in his thoughts, but was brought back to the surface by the change in her tone, a question in her voice. He had to pause several seconds to recall her words before he was able to truly process the question. His stomach curled at the thought. Home- or, not-home, rather- was not close. Or maybe it was. Gawain was so god damn useless that he didn't have a clue. And it was his own fault. It was his fucking fault that he'd gotten himself and Mauri into this fucking mess what an-

Focus, Gawain. Be a fucking person. "No," he mumbled softly, ears pinning back against his skull. He tried to draw his mind away from the spiral it was so desperate to continue down, instead focusing on the soothing repetition of the woman tugging burrs steadily from his tail. "Are you...where are we? I mean, are," he exhaled heavily pausing several seconds before continuing. "Do you know this place?

The question hung in the air for a very long while. Toad assumed for a few seconds that he hadn't heard her. Being a question unworthy of repeating, she pressed her lips together for a moment in slight disappointment and decided this would be a silent grooming session.

At last, he answered that no, he was not from around here. Though Toad could feel the tension around his body, she did not see his face, being too far into his tail work. She pulled another set of nasty burrs all collected together before answering his rather botched question. This? This is called Firefly Glen. She'd learned a good deal about the territories that immediately surrounded the Caldera because of her youthful fascination with it. Older adults from her pack whom had visited the Wilds would recall her incessant and unrelenting questions about it. It helped that Kukutux had recently given her extra information.

Toad pulled out two more burrs before continuing. I can't remember if Big Salmon Lake was west or north of the Caldera. But I believe that body of water just past us there is it, she added. I recently came here looking for old family territory, but my home pack is a ways off.

Toad was not enjoying the lonely nature of her search for family. Almost done.. she said, nipping at a couple of nasty stickers that had also found their way into his lovely fur.

Gawain became visibly relieved as the woman responded to his question with a real answer, his head tipping  forwards slightly. Though in reality the name meant virtually nothing to him, the young wolf was grateful for anything, even just a title to give this place. It helped, he supposed, for Gawain to have names for things. If he had names, he could have some sort of organization, as rudimentary and poor is it may be, and that was enough. Enough for now, at least. His ears perked a bit when the woman mentioned a lake; He and Mauri had recently come across a lake in their travels, and now the yearling had a better understanding of how much territory was between him and his sister. He nodded slightly, mulling over the distance silently in his head. 

Thank you, his rough voice murmured softly, though it was unclear to what exactly he was thanking her for. All of it, he supposed. The help with direction, and her kindness, and the help with the fucking burrs...the conversation (if it could even be called such), even, he reluctantly admitted to himself. Gawain tipped his head back to observe her ministrations once more, trying to be subtle about his curiousity, he really hsould have better self control. Showing interest in such a mundane task was not something Gawain should be allowing his mind to fill up space with. He needed to focus all of his attention on getting himself somewhere, getting Mauri somewhere, safe. Reluctantly, the yearling tore his eyes away and attempted to gather his thought enough to start working on a plan for what direction he should start moving in next. 

Gawain thanked him. It made her smile while she worked. He seemed like a person who, perhaps, was not used to kindness from strangers. This was something she had always been willing to give to even the most judged and hated characters. There was once a time she had even made friends with a bobcat, much to the surprise and distaste of most of her friends and family. 

You're quite welcome, said Toad, rather old-timey. She pulled one last burr, then licked the fur of the tail in its natural direction calmly. Finally, she smiled, standing. Alrighty. You’re all done! Try giving it a wave to see if I missed any, she said, pleased with the result. She stepped back, watching the young male carefully to see how the fur fell once it was clean. Looking at his face, he seemed worried about something, but it was unclear what.

So sorry for the wait! Been busy lately and haven't been able to give Gawain's threads much love. Also, this is on mobile, my apologies for any mistakes.

 

Gawain's mind had slipped back into its tumultuous place by the time Toad spoke again, and he blinked quickly, shoulders tensing up as he startled. He stood and wagged as she told him to, and a small smile graced his maw when he found it was perfectly clear of burrs. 

Yes um...Thanks. You are kind, and I appreciate that. I do- I really must be on my way, a twinge of guilt smarted in the young wolf as he observed the friendly face once more, his tail wagging in appreciation this time. I hope...I hope your travels are blessed, that you...you may find your family, he continued, eyes flicking from the ground back to the woman's face several times before it settled to fix on her shoulder. 

She had been gracious to Gawain despite his reservations, and he wasn't quite sure how he could express his thanks to her when he would flee the moment after- he didn't want to seem disingenuous, after all. In a spur of the moment decision, the yearling stepped forward briefly to touch his nose to the other's neck momentarily, a means of greeting where he'd come from- though he supposed it could very well serve as a goodbye in this situation. He pulled away from the touch with a fleeting glance to the woman before turning on his heel and beginning to pad off- slowly enough that he might hear any last words of goodbye the woman might spare him.

Puttin' a pretty little ribbon on this thing

His grey tail really was quite lovely when it was all cleaned up and well-groomed. Part of her wished the young man might stay just to let her groom the rest of him. His colours really were lovely, and he seemed like he could use a spa day. But it was not to be. He needed to be off; where, she didn't know. Toad realized then that although they had spent a fair bit of time together, she knew as little about the other as when they had started, save for his name.

Still, she nodded, smiling at his well wishes. He seemed almost bashful saying it. She wondered what madness he must have been dealing with as a teenager. Quickly, he touched his nose to her fur, at which she very lightly nuzzled the fur on his neck in return. This was a very pleasant gesture. With that, he stepped away. You as well — I hope we meet again soon, she said genuinely.

Watching the oddity leave, Toad smiled fondly to herself, happy that she had taken the time to inject some joy into someone's life. For that alone, it was worth it. She realized that this act was something she'd done often while in a pack, and she missed such companionship terribly. She breathed a soft sigh, and moved off in the opposite direction, ready for what the world had next lined up for her.