Blackfoot Forest black skies only know how to bleed

Following his conversation with Nemesis, the boy had lingered for a short while before heading off. He wanted to stay there with them—his parents and even his siblings—but he also hadn't yet felt comfortable with doing so. Of course, he'd eventually return and try again, but after their conversation had ended, he'd drifted away. His legs had carried him towards Wolfskull out of habit, but the closer he got, the harder his heart seemed to beat within his chest. At the last second, he'd changed his course, veering off to the side and following the same path he'd once led Adonis down; the male that he'd sneaked into the woods in order to learn from, but had ended up being abandoned by. Just as was the case with everyone else, the other boy had left without having given a goodbye. Though he knew he should have grown accustomed to such departures, he'd been unable to not feel hurt by it. Had Adonis remained, perhaps he could have helped him, perhaps he could have fended off Cicero.

With a shake of his head, he'd pushed his legs to move faster until he'd crossed the borders. In the open, he'd kept his head low and ears back the entire time. Xan hadn't turned towards the lake like he usually would, having instead trailed along the creek until the mountains were reached. It wasn't normal for him to venture beyond that point, but he'd done so anyways, inspired by a want to keep a great distance between himself and Blackfeather until the time to return had arrived. The Inuit was but a ghost in the night as he'd scaled the ridges and various inclines, having slipped only a few times, but his tumbles had been without any major injury. Once he'd finally reached even ground, however, he'd found himself cast back into a land of darkness, and for a moment he'd frozen in place. The scent was not that of his home, yet caution was still executed as he'd ventured deeper into the forest.

Just when he'd started to move with the same sort of step as prior to his attack, a noise had sent him back into his skittish state. Legs spread to balance himself out whilst his head was lowered, ears pulling back as his tail went limp against his thighs. What he'd seen, however, was not Cicero, or any other wolf from the woods. It was a stranger, and she'd fallen on her face. Still had he remained still, observing her for a moment before having continued forward. Already had he surely been seen, yet he'd attempted to get passed her without a confrontation anyways.