Firefly Glen it's been a long dark dirty road

for @Leonore & @Kinusi set directly after the last Leonore/Katmai thread

With the raccoon skull clutched carefully in his jaws, Katmai led the way back to where he'd last seen Kinusi. He couldn't chatter at his new friend with his mouth full — which was likely a boon to them both, despite how frustrating he found it.

Finally, they came to a nice patch of grass with a large, flat rock to sun on — one that Katmai had remarked upon with favor when he and Kinusi had seen it the other day.

He set the skull down and lifted his head to call for Kinusi.

"She's around here somewhere," he assured Leonore, though part of him felt anxious for the brief time spent apart.

Kinusi heard the call for her. And she wasn't close enough yet to them. Today she was meeting the wolf Leonore that Katmai talked about. She briefly wondered if he was trying to start a harem. Was he gonna do a reverse Sialuk? She just wasnt sure. But she also knew they still had time they were all young. And he knew what the future held.

She lifted her voice up calling out to both of them with song. She'd be right there..

But you're so far away
Doesn't anybody stay in one place anymore?
It would be so fine to see your face at my door
Doesn't help to know you're so far away
Yeah, you're so far away

If they listened they'd hear her running through the forest toward them.

Leonore too could feel the nerves picking away at her, though not for the same reasons.

She had very little experience with wolves her age, leaving her socially awkward and stand-offish in most situations. It never made a very good first impression - she was surprised that Katmai was still speaking to her at all.

It was quiet, the land was flat, but Leonore didn't see anybody right away.

Katmai, who had settled on the rock, now surged to his paws at the sound of Kinusi's voice.

"I walk down the road and I'm alone again but
You're the dream and I never woke
I walk down the road and I'm alone again but
You will be the voice in my throat!"

Katmai sang back, just shortly, because she was already almost upon them. His heart soared at the sight of her, and he hopped down from the rock and fell immediately into a happy bow.

"It's been too long, my friend!" he proclaimed, though it had been less than a day. He spun in a tight little circle to work off some of his zoomies, and also to get a look at Leonore before his eyes were drawn almost magnetically back to Kinusi.

"This is Leonore, of Swiftcurrent Creek," he said to her, and to Leonore: "And this is Kinusi, of Moonspear — though we travel together, now."

Leonore knew this, of course. Katmai could not help saying it again, all too pleased by the fact.

She was small and delicate. Pretty in the face. Expressive eyes. Quiet and demure. Everything Kinusi was not. 

She was loud and abrasive and wild. Her daddy's feral energy had dug within her good. She was a scamp a rogue. And for the first time in her very short life. She felt lacking, for a second.

 But then she realized. The world needed a little bit of everyone and she was too awesome frankly to worry about someone else. She dipped her head with a cheeky smile, and expressive mirth filled eyes.

Heya Leonore. I'm Kinusi. But a lot of folks call me, Kini.

She threw her head back and laughed at Katmai. Boisterous, loud, lyrical. As always. Kinusi couldn't be contained.

Hi Katmai!

Watching the two, Leonore found that her kneejerk reaction in the heartwood may have been right. Katmai clearly liked Kinusi a lot, and Kinusi liked him.

She was loud, confident, charismatic, tall. It made Leonore want to shrink away into herself, and suddenly she wished she had never agreed to come along. ..Hi. The single word was all she managed, scanning the surrounding area to avoid meeting anyones eyes.

Maybe it would be better to walk back towards the coast, or sprint back home to the creek. She thought anything would be better than the painful stab of teenage insecurity she felt now.

Though Katmai was largely unaware of the byplay, it was hard to miss Leonore's discomfort. He ought to have guess she was a shy girl, but shyness was not something he could identify with very well. He stole a helpless glance at Kinusi, not quite sure what to do other than to give Leonore a moment to recover.

"I wondered if you'd ever met wolves of Swiftcurrent Creek," he said to Kinusi, a bit awkwardly. He'd not been to the great hunts himself, but he wondered if Alaric had told her stories.

He left the skull aside for now; perhaps adding yet another chemical to this reaction could make it truly volatile. Then again, perhaps it could neutralize it...

If anything could be said of Kinusi. She knew how to read a room. Her dad had taught her. She didnt know exactly what was up woth Leonore, but it sort of reminded her of when Pie would try and leave the spear and her dad would need to take care of it.

So she plopped down. Winked quickly at Katmai and sighed softly ruffling her shoulder. Running sure takes a lot out of ya. I think I need to take a breather. She took three long breaths in, blew them out. Hoping the two would copy her.

Then she poke remembering the things her father told her to focus on during panic attacks. Sight, Sound, smell, taste and touch.

The leaves are really pretty. I like the crunch they made when I was running. Fall is definitely coming you can smell the dirt.

She ran paws through the dirt methodically, hoping Leonore wouldn't grow wise that she was trying to help.

Oh I have snacks. ahe shifted pulling the pouch she wore from her throat. Really just a fur rolled and secured with a lnob of wood. Enrolled it to pull from it small hoof leaving and bones 

Want some Leonore? Katmai?

Leonore wasn't stupid, far from it. She knew exactly what they were trying to do and it didn't make her feel any better.

Pushing out a single breath ripe with frustration, her eyes moved southward. Sorry, I have to go. She didn't have any clever excuses, and she couldn't make one up in the moment. You two have fun. It was good to meet you Kinusi.

Despite her kind words, Leonore couldn't hide anything with her sour expression. She didn't have anything against either of them, not anything real, but none of this felt nice to her.

Standing tense for another beat, she then slipped away at a swift trot.

Leonore is out!

It seemed that Kinusi had a better idea of what ought to be done. Katmai was relieved by this for all of a moment before Leonore reached her breaking point. Swiftly, the other girl turned and — for lack of a better term — fled the scene.

"Leonore?" he asked, alarmed, but she was already speed-racing away. Katmai felt a little miffed, but still called out a, "Be well!" at her retreating figure.

He turned a wide-eyed look on Kinusi.

"That was... strange," he told her, still feeling quite confused.

Kini watched her go and it ruffled her feathers. She wasn't gonna lie. If the girl was uncomfortable well she should say something. Maybe Kini could fix it. But she hadn't so Kini couldn't.

I think she's is way more than just Shy Katmai.

A frown on he face as she watched her retreating figure. I'll have to go slow with her. Don't want her running away from me all the time. And maybe tone myself down a bit. I'm a lot. She said it with a laugh.

The further removed he was from the moment, the stranger it became to him. Bewilderment turned to mild offense — that had been quite rude, hadn't it?

"You are a wonderful abundance," he agreed, narrowing his eyes at her declaration. He liked "how much" she was, and the idea that Leonore might not made him just a little indignant. A flare of protectiveness prickled over him.

"If she wants to be friends, she will have to do some toning up," he thought aloud. "If you are going to tone down. There is nothing wrong with the way that you are."

Suddenly, he remembered: "I brought you a present!" and he whipped around to pluck the raccoon skull up off the rock where he'd left it. Turning back, he presented it to her, setting it gently at her paws. He still wasn't sure it made a proper gift, but he'd try again some other time, if not. Still, he watched eagerly for her reaction.

Kini laughed and almost chirred with delight. It was nice to be called an abundance. She liked that better than her term. A toss of her head. Laughter in those blue eyes. She wasn't even sure she knew how to tone herself down. She was just a lot, loud and cheerful. 

Kini smiled softly. I can tone down a little if it makes her uncomfy. Everyone deserves a little grace. And sometimes being super shy like that. It can be heart breaking for the person. We'll see with time.

A soft laugh. Then the present was there. She sniffed at the face of the creature. A coon skull. She could put poltices in this. She sniffed at it. 

I can put medicine in this. Thanks!

A soft chir and then she leaned forward to lick his snout and then back to the racoon skull, inspecting.

He was thrilled by her laughter, and by the way she tossed her head, and of course by the smile that she offered him, which seemed to curl up in his chest like a purring kitten.

"That is kind of you," he replied, his admiration of her growing even as he felt a little admonished, himself. Perhaps he was too quick to write Leonore off. It must be sad to be so shy — he certainly to be lonely. "I will keep that in mind, when I see her again."

He wanted to be someone that she could admire, too.

The gift evoked the desired reaction. His heart skipped just to know that she liked it, and then seemed to stop altogether when she touched her muzzle briefly to his. She was gone before he could react, her attention elsewhere — and he supposed that was a good thing, since he wasn't sure where his impulses might have led him. Somewhere embarrassing, probably.

"I'm glad you like it," he told her, feeling just a little dazed. He shook himself out of it, clearing the besotted look from his face. "Which way shall we go next?"

Kinusi wasn't sure how to be anyone but herself. Her core personality sometimes rubbed other's the wrong way. Perhaps Leonore was going to be one that it did. It was possible. 

Kinusi nodded her head. Good. But what she was, was unapologetically real.

I do thank you. I will have to put it with my treasures until i'm ready to use it. She placed a paw on it. Happily studying him now. She looked around. Well upwards and onwards I guess.

Katmai was fascinated by talk of treasures. Kinusi had mentioned them in passing a few times, now, and he was ever more curious about what these treasures might be. The idea that his own gift might be tucked among them was one that quickly went to his head. Honored, humbled, even! But also incredibly proud.

"You will have to show me these treasures, sometime," he told her, his tail whisking in happiness. He would not push her to do it until she wanted to, though. "Onwards and upwards," he repeated, turning toward the mountains to the east.

They had a little longer to look around before the season truly turned. For now, the chill in the air was a pleasant one, and it put him in the mood for a long jaunt on the open road.

"What is that song you were singing?" he asked her, making ready to go. "Will you teach it to me?"

Kinusi didn't have a lot. Some furs. The white one that the male chieftain Solharr had given her. A few others. Some pretty things she pulled from the forest. And now her skull. It was nice to have things that meant something. 

Sure. They aren't anything major. Things i liked or were given to me from those i care about. Pretty baubles.

She made a soft hum in her throat thinking. Called So far away. I forget where my dad said he heard it. But yea i can teach you.

She tilted an ear. So the first verse goes. One more song about moving along the highway. Can't say much of anything that's new. If I could only work this life out my way. I'd rather spend it being close with you.

She repeated the verse first. Giving him the words. THen lifted her voice the second time with the cadence and breadth of the song. 

Carole King. So Far Away

Pretty baubles. Katmai filed that away, along with snacks, as something she valued. He'd thought as much when he'd gone out looking, but Leonore had suggested something practical instead. He was glad that he'd given her the skull, but his desire to give her something pretty was renewed with a vengeance.

He put the idea away for another time and focused on learning the song. Soon enough, they were singing it together. And, though it was just a song, he was terribly flattered that she'd chosen to sing it to him.

Shall we fade here for this one?