Jade Fern Grove he's got looks that books take pages to tell

Though his mind could often be found wandering elsewhere as of late, he'd done his best to focus on searching through the territory. Winter was fast approaching, and so proper shelters would be necessary if any of them wished to survive it. Thankfully, he'd inherited an exceptionally thick coat from his northern lineage, but that didn't prevent him from feeling the nip in the air whenever it came around. He'd paused to inspect something when he'd heard the other male's response, head having turned shortly after to look towards him. It could be described as pretty, though he definitely preferred the correction over the initial statement. There was a nod offered, but he'd not ensured that it'd been seen before he'd gone back to moving forward, attentive towards the land that surrounded them.

Sriracha had agreed to teach him a few things, and even threw a simple word into the mix whilst doing so. Si. A single syllable, easy to pronounce. He'd not spoken it aloud just yet, however, the word having been stored away within his mind instead. It would be remembered, the simplicity of it making it hard to forget. "Thanks," the boy had come to say, appreciating that his request hadn't been turned down. It'd been some time since he'd learned a language, but he hoped to make progress with it in the weeks to come nevertheless.

There came then the question he'd been dreading the arrival of. Why he wasn't back at home; why he'd chosen to follow a group of loners rather than take shelter within the safety of a pack? It was simple, really, but the entire truth wasn't something that he'd tell of. "I had to leave," he'd said, pausing for a second, and then continued with the intent to elaborate what he'd meant. "Something happened, so I don't think I should be there anymore." For every day that he lived within Blackfeather, he'd been at risk of running into Cicero. For every day he'd remained there, he'd been at risk of seeing the beast again. "I have to go back and tell them that I'm leaving," Xan had added, albeit absentmindedly. He didn't want for them to believe that he'd just abandoned everyone—his pack, his life, his family. He wanted them to know that he still cared, but he just couldn't stay there any longer.