Redsand Canyon once upon a younger year

Hide let out a soft huff of laughter, though it was humorless. Optimistic? Yes, but he had to be right now. There weren't a lot of options for him. "Yeah, well, I try to be." How else was he going to get home if he wasn't optimistic? "I don't want to give up." Orochi would probably beat him if he did, and he'd much rather make him proud. 

Oh, so this was the leader. There came that nickname again, and Hide frowned, brows knitting together. 

He felt the push against his shoulder, and his off-kilter balance did nothing to prevent him from stumbling onto his side. Donovan laughed, but Hide really couldn't care less about that right now. The boy sat back up, but didn't get to his feet again - his equilibrium was off, and he didn't feel good. It was for the best if he just sat. 

"Is your leg alright?" he inquired, surprising himself a bit. He'd never fought another wolf, for real, and hadn't wanted to hurt him. The thought of causing irreparable damage to someone else left a bad taste on his tongue. "You're still limping." He had no idea how long it'd been since the fight, so he didn't know how long he'd had to heal. "I didn't want to hurt anyone, but I... didn't have much of a choice." His ears lowered - he was supposed to be a protector, not a warrior. But it was also important to defend himself.