Blackfeather Woods To Be Alone

Alexander kept quiet, even when the other mentioned it being good that they were there. He’d been told the tale of his father’s leaving, and had slightly understood what it meant for him to have returned. He couldn’t quite grasp why the elder had ever even considered leaving Blackfeather, since it seemed far greater a place to live than the valley ever was. The idea of caring for someone so much that you’d drop everything and follow them was, to the albino, utterly stupid. He could understand doing something similar if family was involved, as he possessed the same strong instinct of familial honour and protection everyone on his father’s side seemed to have, but for someone else? He just couldn’t understand it, especially when he’d look back on the memories he had of his mother. She just didn’t seem to fit what he felt his dad deserved, and hadn’t exactly found a place on the boy’s good side—the constant “corrections” had prevented that from ever happening. Still, he never outwardly expressed his thoughts on it all, not wanting to risk what rifts might arise between them due to it.

The conversation was eventually directed towards him, giving him no choice but to speak. Abandoning his previous thoughts, he focused on what was being said to him, though his expression lacked the amusement Kove and Damien’s faces seemed to hold. “Being a Warden has never interested me,” he answered, tossing a quick glance at the other pale being to try and gauge his reaction. Surprisingly—or at least to Xan it was—Kove didn’t appear to be shocked by his choice of words. Shrugging it off, he returned his focus to the darker wolf, set on explaining himself further just in case he was misunderstood. “What they do is good for the pack and all, but it’s not something I’ve ever seen myself doing. It seems boring and dull, and I want no part in it. Ever.” Just walking around some invisible, scented lines all day long? No thanks.

“I only tagged along because I was asked to, since my dad wanted to spend time together. I tried finding a way to escape, but every time I went to turn my head, he’d look back at me.” It was weird to Xan, and made him seriously question what type of creature his dad was. “It was like he could hear even the smallest of shifts in my movements.” At that, his eyes narrowed slightly, though it wasn’t directed at anyone in particular. He expected to be chastised for his choice of wording, but when he threw another glance at Kove, the elder was chuckling. It confused Alexander, but he refrained from questioning him directly. Despite how much he valued and looked up to his father, there were times in which he found himself questioning the Northerner’s mental state.