The Bracken Woods Weep for yourself, my man

set a couple hours after this thread

The boy had retreated to the Bracken Woods once again after his talk with Lennon. He was trembling, mouth dry, as he slipped between sharp-toothed bushes and past massive trees. Many were dormant, and it was one of these that he choose. Ali put a single paw on the trunk, hesitating.
It didn't last long. The boy found purchase and hauled himself up into the tree with little effort, nails tapping lightly against the wood. He didn't want to think about what the earlier conversation meant. Truthfully, Ali had no desire to lead alone-- he wasn't even sure he had the ability. But he could not let Lennon down-- or the others. If they were going to be a pack, someone would need to lead them. And Alarian could not imagine where everyone would go, if the group disbanded.
He didn't want to think about that, either.
Climbing quickly turned to delicate, calculated leaps between trees. Each time, the boy became more daring, chancing a higher branch or a longer distance here and there. The thoughts cleared from his mind with each jump. He would have been content to continue this way until he fell or got tired; one was as likely as the other.
It seemed he wasn't meant to be in solitude now, though. The boy scented a stranger faintly, and his gaze turned to the ground below, searching. He saw nothing at first. Suddenly curious, Alarian dipped his head further down and inhaled, trying to pinpoint the direction of the scent.
Ali wasted little time when he thought he had it. He opted to stay where he had the advantage for now-- in the trees-- but turned to follow the scent. The boy was too focused, maybe, on finding the other to be as careful as he normally was. Several times he almost slipped, but ultimately his efforts were rewarded. His paws hit the branch and he found balance just in time to catch sight of the stranger. Ali stilled, ears pricked, and studied the other from afar. The breeze brought to him the knowledge that this other wolf was male-- and, from the looks of it, he wasn't having a very fun time.
For a moment he lost sight of the pale man, but then he came into view again-- closer, this time, and Alarian's curiosity got the better of him.
The slim boy made his way down to the lowest branch and hopped to the ground, trying to ignore the ache in his feet upon the slightly rough impact. He had landed a couple yards from the other, and found himself a bit grateful for that; it might have been bad to land directly on top of him. Alarian turned his gaze on the other with a dip of his head, tail swishing gently behind him. He said nothing for now. The boy lacked in energy and words, and for once had little inclination to waste them on someone who might not care for them anyway.