Northstar Vale Lemon children! Go forth!

Rian was ignorant of the scene playing out in the stream bed. He wasn't predisposed to personify rocks, or other inanimate objects, because his imagination was quite happy to play out the horrible scenes in his head all on their own.  But he did note that Titmouse didn't bother looking up when he began talking, and that made him even more uncomfortable. The doubt he felt about leading the boy out here to talk was growing by the second, and now he began to worry—what if they were ambushed? What if Titmouse decided to run away? Rian wasn't fast, by any stretch, and it was highly unlikely he'd be able to stop the boy should he put his mind to it. 

But the child in question spoke, then, interjecting and then explaining. His own ears splayed at the sight of the despondent youth, then settled flush against his scruffy chocolate mane. A decidedly forceful beat of his heart reminded him that it was now his turn, no, his job to console the boy. There was no parents around to call upon when things got too difficult to handle. Rian had to learn now, no matter how hard it might be, to swallow his worries and put his best foot forward no matter the circumstances.

He frowned, but the look was not near as severe as it had been in the past. "Who told you all that?" He replied with a slight twitch of his left eye. Who had the gall to bring this boy so low under his watch? Or was this a sadness formed from a time before Rian knew him? Regardless, he wasn't sure how to comfort him; he didn't know how to handle his own self-loathing. "I don't really know what I'm doing myself, honestly, so don't be so hard on yourself." The Beta revealed as he gingerly lowered himself into a sphinx-like position. "Besides, I thought we were all friends, one way or another. Rannoch likes you, and he's our leader, which means you're one of us."