Duck Lake so i made for the creek, where she and i did meet

thorn needn't wait long, though while he did he stood fastiduously over the felled doe, his ears turning nervously atop his skull. his posture softed as aria came from the wintery forest, rushing towards him with concern writ across her delicate features. it might have done thorn some good to see such care in her regal eyes, but before he could remark upon it he was received with kind licks that set his skin alight and heart racing.

he stepped back to inform her he was not that hurt, its fine, just a flesh-wound, nbd -- yet soon as he stirred to speak,  a slim shadow split across the snow followed by the fiery form of a youngster he did not recognize. his ears pulled back as the youth spoke, addressing him with the caustic annoyance only teenagers managed to muster. lifting his muzzle carefully, he looked first to aria for guidance, and then back to akatosh -- presumably, this was a youngling of the creek -- for a minute he worried if the child was aria's, but he saw little maternal motions in aria to suggest this to be the truth.

perplexed by akatosh's question, thorn frowned -- but he spoke nonetheless, addressing akatosh with the same polite subservience he would spare an adult. "i could never be bored of aria." he answered honestly, a sway in his tail suggesting the genuity of his statement. stepping back from the felled doe, thorn looked to aria once more and then, with a nudge towards the hind, asked: "are the two of you hungry?"