Ankyra Sound time's the thief of memory

before they had been uprooted, illidan could remember a few fond moments along the shore and near the trees. there was something perfectly safe about the sound; the towering cliffs provided them with an ideal gate to keep unwanted people out. he wasn't sure how he had ever felt as comfortable as he did on the plateau. with enough insight, he imagined that it might have been due to the company that had found him. kavik and liri had made the territory their very own, and even though the bear had threatened their group... illidan had never truly imagined that he would have faced as much danger as he had when he'd been younger.

the hooded wildling did not mind taking a slower pace with the scarred wolf. the limping pace allowed them to move at a leisurely stroll without having to worry about touching on every square inch of the terrain. when they had slowed near the mouth of the cave system, the sun-touched wolf mentioned that he was a good hunter and he had learned several things about medicinal remedies from those who had taken care of him. illidan didn't see how he hadn't already found himself a place to settle. there was just the matter of what was required of him.

the wildling had never been placed in a position in which he had to act much like a leader. he had selfishly found his place as the middle man of the plateau pack, and even then he had not contributed enough. still, he liked to think that his mother would be proud of him for having found this solar wolf. everyone had their issues, he realized as his eyes roamed the scars of the stranger once more – it was how he had coped with that. “just that you would protect this territory and your fellow members the same way you would yourself,” illidan finally returned with a slight nod. “you'll be treated as family, so you will have the support you need from us no matter the situation.”

that seemed like a good way to end his explanation. then, the boy's hawkish gaze roamed to the long muzzle of his companion and he waited to see what the sun-touched man would have to say next.