Shadewood You're just like your father

He slunk from the gloom between the trees, head slung low, heavy with the rain that cut through the shadows; the water chilled him, made the boy feel numbed within his own body. It wasn't an entirely bad feeling. When he was nearer to the shadow he lifted his head as if to reach with his nose, to try and find the scent of Saghaani, who he had left so far behind. But the stranger spoke and the voice caught in Tryphon's ears before he could make sense of the scent; and he knew hastily enough that this was someone else.

The boy huffed a small defeated sigh from his nose, and a tiny puff of warm breath dissipated through the air. Tryphon sagged back. His ears remained slicked across his head as dark vees to highlight his submission, although the general diminutive nature of his posture should've pointed that out like a dilapidated motel sign - no vacancy style, except, dont hurt me was the message.

Tryphon, he murmured, voice crackling as if he had not surpassed puberty, when really it was from lack of use. He took a deep breath then, gasped it, as he remembered he actually required oxygen to function and forgetting to breathe was a dumb thing to do. And... you? He retorted after a few too many empty moments, staring with his hollow, tired eyes at the stranger; he wasn't really interested, but it felt like the correct thing to do, the proper next step in whatever exchange they were currently participating in.