Sleepy Fox Hollow Feet upon the ground

Etienne had moved through the wilds like a wraith. He hadn't eaten, his weigh had fallen away, in only a short week. But that was what happened when you didn't eat, you didn't sleep. You just moved as if you were a robot on borrowed time and your batteries would run out soon enough. He lost his way. He had no way of getting home, no way of finding out where his family resided. Honestly, he wasn't even sure if he wanted to go home. They'd be so disappointed and he wasn't sure if he could handle it and he had broken promises. Promises that had bound him and his siblings tightly.

He doddered on pained paws, skin stretched tight over thinning body. Fur matted and clumped where he had not bothered to clean. His eyes and the mask about it was full of tear tracks and dirt and debris, matted and yucky gunk at the corners of his eyes. Finally, he hit a scent marker and he tried to lean the other way. To go around, but his body gave out and he hit the dirt, knees first then belly and he just lay there, breathing, but the blood encrusted head wound and the other sores. They forced him into a sleep, finally rest.

@Mahler

it was not the first time that an injured young one had been discovered on the borders. or over them. in tierra's case. and look how she had become one of them. thus the patriarch was careful, having caught the scent of an unfamiliar wolf in the territory, but assured of himself.
broad paws soon carried him to the crumpled boy, streaked with dirt and blood, exhausted, sleeping the slumber of a child hungry for relief.
mahler chuffed, noting that the young one was hardly a year old if that, and his paternal heart was woken.

Sucking, tearing sound at his soul. The noise of the sea loud and thunderous. She told him of her displeasure him leaving her shores. Of his betrayal to manman and Suzu and granme. Broken promises.

He was pulled from the darkness by a chuff. A voice he didn't recognize. Golden eyes opened wide and he scrambled or tried to get to his feet.

Hia voice hurried, foreign using his mothers tongue. Mwen dezole. Mwen pa t vle travèse.

the young one woke, jerked; he spoke in words that mahler did not understand. "that is all right," mahler grunted. "you are safe." he spread his broad paws wide to show he meant no harm, and backed some feet.
a large limb gesticulated to the hollow. "this is paleo."
now, touching his chest. "i am mahler."

Etienne realized his error too late. The man would think he couldn't speak common. For a brief moment he wondered if it would be harmful to just act like he couldn't, but. His mama had taught him not to lie.

'Ello Ma'ler. I'm Etienne, but most all call me Eti.

Eti shifted and dipped his head eyes narrowed as he tried to see through the yuck that caked them.

the young traveller spoke with a heavy accent. mahler grunted. "and vhere do you come from, etienne?"
he had roamed far, that was certain. but the debris and dirt clinging to etienne's coat suggested he had run. mahler wished to know from where.

Eti frowned his mind going for a minute. De sea cliffs. Sapp'ique was w'ere my manman hail from. W'ere I be born

He looked away. I been good Mr. Ma'ler. I did w'at was asked. Always took care of my siblings. Knew my place i being a boy. And i never wanted to 'urt dem. But granme erzulie killed by bear, ray and quennel tore apart and Unc Sobo i couldn't put 'im back toget'er. And den granme Roz she die too and i just run. Auntie say i can understan' sea better that i listen good. But i just feel it.he lifted his paws to show what he meant. The ground the esrth he was sensitive.

He snuffled the words just tumblin out of his maw.

Dis makin' me bad brot'er and son. I broken promises.

eti let loose with a stream of traumatized words, and mahler did his level best to parse the accent. the boy was a sibling, a child. he had experienced multiple familial losses until the last, his grandmother, mahler took to mean.
a heavy arm was extended to the young one.
"you may rest here. but do they know vhere you are, etienne?" mahler asked softly. "you are not bad to leave. but ve must not leave them vorried for long."
he paused. "do you mean to go back? or are you done vith the sea?"

Etienne looked down and shook his head. No de don't know w'ere I be. I don't want go back yet. Dey be wantin' me to fix it and I look like granme. Manman and matant can't look at me wit'out cryin'. So I be stayin' away. Too muc' like Granme Erz.

Eti loved his family and he loved his home, but he had felt grief bound ever since Erzulie and anytime any of his family looked at him. he couldn't help but wonder did they even see him? His auntie wanting him to be able to talk the sea and the gods and be like Sobo. His manman wantin' him to take care of his siblings and he loved too. His sister wanting him to always be near. Theo always wanting him to hunt and fish and do things he liked. Etienne always felt at odds and he knew this was selfish. He knew he should do what was asked, for the better of the pack. But now Granme was gone and that was a pain he couldn't quite understand or get over yet.

I guess i jus bein selfis' dough. I must be wantin to take care of dem, yea? Do the 'ealin' and let dem love me cause i look like Granme?

There was a sense of ease to tell a stranger your deepest. However it was this moment Etienne's stomach gave a loud gurgle and he realized he was still quite tired and his head hurt. And he was hungry.

Can i go back sleep now mr. Ma'ler

he looked like this grandmother, no another. mahler who had once been a boy so young saw the pain in etienne and knew that the child carried a heavy weight upon him, and within him. "to bear the face of vone who has passed on can be a heavy birthright," the gargoyle said.
but he shook his head, and straightened. "not here. come vith me, stay in paleo. i vill treat your vounds and teach you more healing, ja? then you decide if and vhen you vill go back."

Eti didn't fully understand the dynamics of other packs. In his it was women were the bosses. Women married women. So to be thrust where a man was clearly a leader he marveled at it. Uncle Sobo had been a leader, but he deferred to manman and matant so much it was almost as if he weren't.

Eti looked down. Yea i be wantin a different face. I don't like makin' Manman sad w'en 'er be lookin' at me, but you can't 'ave different face.

Do you know 'ow to 'elp manman's wit' der babies? Dere be lot women in 'ome not many men and if i go bqck i be wantin' to keep em safe. It look to be painful bringin' de babies in de world.

"i do. the name for that is midvife," mahler explained to etienne, gesturing him over paleo's borders. "are you related to all those at sapphique, then?" he asked, assuming so but wanting to make lighter talk for now.
an osprey flew overhead; mahler did not stop his walking but lifted his head in quiet pleasure to watch the sun upon its wings.

Midwife a Fanmsaj. Etienne stopped for a minute and studied the invisible line between this pack and the wilds. He would step over this and his past was then behind him. He sniffled, but then stepped boldly across.

A soft nod. Mostly. It was granme Erzulie and Granme Rosalyn's 'ome and dey be birthin' many babies, who were still dere. Now it is run by Manman Chacal, er my mom and my matant, uh auntie Mireille.

Etienne followed the older males eyes and he sighed. I not a fan of birds. Big golden eagle took my brot'er w'en we was very little, but dat one don't seem to bad.

grandmothers, mothers, aunts. 
a place of women, which perhaps explained why the boy was not guarded like others of his age. with few males to enforce the roles of dominance employed by their gender.
etienne was a mystery, but not one mahler wished to force open.
"eagles are majestic, but still enemies to the young," mahler agreed. "that vone is an osprey. they prefer fish, though i do not like them near my densite all the same." he set off in a meandering walk after the bird.

Etienne had never been on the end display of dominance at least from another male. He'd seen his auntie and mama do it to the borders on occasion, but he had usually stayed away. And he had done so to the few wolves that joined, because he was less inclined to trust.

Eti watched the bird alittle longer but followed behind the older male. Taking in the area and the pack lands as they did so.

Your 'ome is beautiful.

"i think so too," mahler told etienne. "it is small here but there is much to do and to see." 
the nest would be in the single oak overlooking the waterfall. the gargoyle inspected it a long moment, then chuffed to the boy. "ve vill keep an eye on him, yes?"

Eti smiled at the older male, and continued with him. Though with each step, he became more aware of his outer look. And felt anxious and unkept. He probably looked a fright. What would his beautiful mother say. She'd probably be very disappointed in all of this. He sniffled, but kept walking.

Okay I can do dat. I tend to keep an ear an eye on birds anyway.

He hated the feathered buzz brains.

mahler nodded and reached to scent the other, chuffing in his direction. "rest. settle. ve vill begin our lessons vhen you have been in paleo a time."
a smile, and then the gargoyle would turn away, unless etienne indicated he wished the other to stay.
paleo's peace would work its magick upon the boy, he was sure.