Blackfeather Woods broken shards

He understood why she would stay slightly behind him, for it was easier to be stabbed in the back when you walked beside someone than behind them. Cicero did not blame her for her mistrust, for it was completely to be expected. He was happy to have her walk not directly beside him, for if they were to run into others of the Woods it would be easier to mask her scent and her appearance that way and she would have more time to seek shelter and hide were it necessary; though he figured if it came to that, she'd likely just bolt away when things got dangerous. Hopefully it would not be necessary so that she would actually get out of the tangled woods alive.

His guiding was mostly in silence as he rounded each corner and slowly guided her from the web he had also dragged her into — or some part of him, anyway — some time ago, he did not know how long it had been. Time would tell if she would survive once she was outside, but he did not doubt that once she would see the sweet sunlight once more, the fiery-hued wolf would once more take her place in the world and would wish for none of the shades to follow her; would shed off his guiding. He asked, "What is your name?" after a good while of silent guiding, though did not fully expect an answer.