Bearclaw Valley One year later...

The boy twisted his head, lapping at his shoulder fur as he attempted to process his thoughts. The dark girl told him that she had loved her mother but she died half a year ago and seeing him provoked memories of her mother in her. For that, Icarus smiled tentatively, still unsure of how to react. "What is it like to have a mother?" he blurted out suddenly, before shutting his maw immediately and looking away, a pink tint colouring his pale cheeks. "Forgive me," the man said a moment later, straightening himself and glancing at her apologetically, unknowingly giving her the puppy dog eyes. "I did not mean to be rude," Icarus said, almost automatically which in a way, he was. Manners had only been taught to him for the sake of manipulating others, using it in a genuine situation was strange to him and he was doing his best to grasp the idea of it.

The stranger spoke again, and Icarus, almost startled by the amount of words she was saying, almost took a step back but resisted the urge to. His face remained blank as a slate as he gazed at her, confused. "Um..." Icarus lifted a shoulder in a shrug, unsure of how to explain his predicament. "I've never known my blood family. I was taken away, kidnapped, as a young pup and trained by another to become an assassin. I remember nothing of who they are except for my brother, who is my twin." The ghost's tone was almost apologetic, as if it was his fault that he could not say for sure that he was family to this female. "I'm sorry," he breathed out abruptly after a moment and shook his head, trying to clear his head of troubling thoughts. "My master gave me the name of Icarus Asphodel," the wraith introduced himself after a moment, then offered her a smile, red eyes lightening, "But you can call me Icarus, or Ica, whichever you prefer. Pleasure to meet you, Valette." Those words had been taught to him to be used in situations where he had to charm his way out of it, but for once, Icarus was using it sincerely and his shy smile morphed into one with significantly more charm.