Greatwater Lake on love, on life

The scent of petrichor was abundant, and Rannoch watched as rain poured. He had just begun his scouting when the sky had suddenly opened up and quickly found himself searching for something entirely different than what he had initially intended: shelter. The refuge was sought underneath the lush canopy of a nearby oak. He shook himself once he was protected, attempting the rid his thick pelt of the rain it had gathered in his brief jaunt in the downpour. 

Once Rannoch was satisfied he sat, unsure of how long he'd be stranded due to the downpour. Spring had allowed the large wolf to grow accustomed to traveling when it was drizzling, but, the current conditions were far from the gentle droplets that occasionally accompanied him on his excursions. 

He reclined against the trunk of the tree as he embraced the simplicity of the moment. Since returning from beyond the Teekons Rannoch's life had been filled by the liveliness that his life had lacked. He appreciated and loved the company he had gained since returning, but he didn't get much time to himself anymore. Keeping to the laws that he and his brothers had implemented, he traveled in numbers with the members of the makeshift pack. Being constantly surrounded often left Rannoch with the yearning to break away for the moment and breathe. The spontaneous storm seemed to be the perfect opportunity to do just that. 

Focusing on nothing, in particular, Rannoch watched the surface of the lake as the rain fell, indulging in the bliss that this quiet moment brought him.

*gasp* NOT PART OF THE BRAT PACK BUT, can Rannoch tell him about other places for Scout Trade?

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Vaati travels the river again, despite the torrential downpour. If it is one thing the child is not, it is that he is not lazy. The opposite, his determination far exceeds the expectation of a child his age. Even the mere fragment of a plan or idea is enough to have the boy hooked to the point of obsession on that single thing. In that moment, it is the idea of expanding his horizons; the concept of being chained to one specific woods his torture in the least. He needs to know more, and so, he walks. It is only a small bump that the skies seem to be in heartbreak, crying its tears like to end. It does not slow the child.

He reaches Greatwater Lake, but is not alone; accompanied by a boy big enough to be his father. Rannoch, of course, does not sport the sand socks and therefore could not possibly be his father, but in size alone does he engulf the boy Vaati. It is a curiosity, one of many that plauge the child's mind, and the feeling of overcoming intriugue chains him once more. Silently, he pads up to the much larger yet youthful boy, and doing something he does not normally do; he sits. Vaati plants his behind beside the grayscale other, eyes trained on the downpour being absorbed by the greater mass of water and he waits. He waits for the the other to speak.

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Of course!

From the storm comes a figure and Rannoch finds himself transfixed from the moment that the youth appeared in his line of sight. He does not speak as the sand-socked kid approaches and instead worries for the boy. He seems to be no older than Titmouse or Redshank, yet, somehow, he is alone. A gentle survey of their surroundings tells Rannoch that there is no supervisor for the child and he feels concern for the other blossom in his breast. 

Vaati is silent as he moves, navigating unaffectedly through the downpour to finally take a seat beside Rannoch. Turning instinctively towards the boy, who oddly has yet to regard him, Rannoch chuffed to grab his attention. "You alone, kid?" asked Rannoch, perturbed by the situation that has landed so effortlessly at his paws. With the silence that follows Rannoch's question, the older male's thoughts polluted with plans for how he would handle this and ensure the cub's safety.

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He is correct in his assumptions, and the other speaks first, but what comes out of the other's mouth causes his eyes to narrow in the slightest. "No," Vaati has no sense of humor, at least, not when it is not in his best interest to entertain. Instead, he opts to speak plainly but not insulting, the other still has something he needs. "You are sitting right here," He points out, but decided against the mocking tone he could have taken. But as he sees no other way such a conversation could go, he embarks on his verbal quest to find exactly what he needs from the other. "You have travelled, yes?" The boy does not hesitate to prose his inquiry, he does not have enough interest in making small talk as the need for information he seeks. Perhaps in more casual interest, Vaati would not be so abrupt, but he has a need to be sated. The price of information is one that sacrifices his social skills, and he has little problem with that. The other holds a rugged stance that he has seen only in those who simply roam, and it goes without saying that no permanent resident would wander so close to the dark woods with the knowledge of its existence. Either that, or the other was far too lost for his own good.

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Though Vaati's response amused Rannoch, yet, such humor did not resolve the concern he felt towards the wayward child. Wanting to voice his concern further, Rannoch found the subject matter being tossed aside as Vaati was the first the continue the back and forth and Rannoch hesitated for a moment, working out just how he use this information to his advantage. 

"Yes," replied Rannoch steadily, his plan coming to light as he spoke. "And you? Are you traveling away from your home?"

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The other wants something of him, almost the same thing Vaati wants from him. Information. The much larger male is a protector, and when he sees Vaati, he sees a need. A young boy, lost, alone, but the truth is far from that. Vaati travels with intent, he approaches who he approaches with intent, and he says what he must to get what he wants with more than intent, a need. Vaati can understand why this man should choose to worry for him, to need to want to help, but the boy is not interested at the moment. Instead, he shrouds his following words in an almost theatric mystery, for even if he was in the mood to give up such information, his teaching has told him not to. "Not away, to," It is mostly the truth, Blackfeather Woods is not truly his home. It is the place of his birth and the woods he (on most days) resides in, but he does not feel attached to it in the way he should. His home is what lay beyond the bloodied borders, and so, he speaks the white-lie well, and with ease. 

But his inquiry for information does not halt there. "Where have you travelled?" He looks up to the stranger with a look that says he will not drop the subject. If anything, the longer it takes for him to get his data, the more he will likely push it to be answered. The boy is not accustomed to harassing strangers for information, but it was bound to happen sometime.

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With Vaati's information disclosed, Rannoch was able to breathe a little easier. Even though he had no idea of the child's home life, nor any information of his family structure, it seemed as though he was heading in the right direction. But, just to be safe, Rannoch decided to press on the matter of family, just to see if there was anything he could do to help Vaati return home. "Do you live with your family back at home?" He asked, attempting to phrase it as delicately as he could. After all, he had once been a sensitive vagabond and had known of the annoyance of unsolicited help, especially when he had been so hellbent on being alone. Keeping this in the forefront of his mind, Rannoch would take care with this interaction and be as helpful as he could be without being too overbearing. 

"I've traveled far beyond these wilds and lived near the sea," he answered to the child's question, studying the other. He was unsure of how old this blue-eyed kid was, but, for curiosity's sake, he added, "You've learned about the sea, correct?" 

Yet again does the other inquire into the depths of his life, picking at anything that would sate his natural paternal instinct; or so Vaati believes. It is at this point that he realises he will not get far without giving something in return, and so he sighs, entertaining the other once more with a simple answer. "Occasionally," He shrugs, for as of late his travels away from the dark woods seemed in total, long enough to surpass the time he had spent within the wood. One worded answers are suffice to say, the only thing the other will be getting out of him for as long as he is able; Vaati is not inclined if at all interested in sharing the personal details of his life with a complete stranger. But he will entertain the other as long as he keeps getting what he wants, and nothing more.

At the mention of the sea, his ears perk, signalling the interest he holds in the subject. "No," The boy is candid, unable to spout any knowledge he may have on a topic he has never been introduced to. Perhaps if he spent any time around his mother's family, he would, but alas he does not. He has very little interest in them, if he is at all truthfull. Vaati simply feels very little connection to them; they have never sought him out, and he will return the favor as long as both parties remain silent. It does not bother him, he knows very well he has a destiny outside the relms of his mother's land, and is not missing anything of sentimental value. And so he demands, "Tell me."

With Vaati's reply, Rannoch was at a crossroads of understanding and concern, and for a moment he dwelled on his next remark. As much as he wanted to reach out and help the child, he knew all too well of the annoyances of prying adults brought and figured that pressing further might urge Vaati to meander elsewhere. When their interaction was said and done Rannoch would take more care in ensuring the other's safety, but, for now, he pushed his concerns aside in favor of their conversation. 

Rannoch's relationship with the ocean was an odd one, and with these mixed feelings, he attempted to take his point of view out of the picture so that the child could form an opinion of his own. "The ocean is like a large lake that never ends. You cannot drink its waters or find the end of it." In his isolation, Rannoch had attempted to locate the end of it with very little success. "It moves unlike any other body of water I've seen, rolling into itself as it gets taller." He paused then, tracing the other's face carefully, as he attempted to gauge how Vaati was taking it all in.

Vaati ilstens, nodding ever so often as he soaks in the understanding of the sea. As the other describes, he envisions the never-ending mass of water, rolling itself large and larger with each wave. He wants to see it, to taste it, but such a journey to the edges of his world must be planned. For now he is sated with this knowledge of what it is, he must know where it lies. "Where do I find it?" His inquiry will be his last, but crutial indeed before he brings such information before his mother.

The downpour that had brought them together was slowly dwindling. The steady beat of the falling rain was subsiding, withdrawing the gentle rhythm of background noise that had so comfortably encompassed their conversation. Rannoch noticed this change in the brief pause in their exchange, perking at the realization before the sand-toed child quickly stole his attention. 

"It's Northwest from here," replied Rannoch as he lowered his head to get a better look at the seated child. "Depending on where you meet it, you will be welcomed with either sandy shores or treacherous cliffs." The territories surrounding the ocean were diverse and depended on hoe North Vaati traveled would depend on where he would meet the sea. "The further North, the more dangerous the cliffs will be." For Vaati's safety, Rannoch hoped that the child would venture to the Southern shores.

He takes this information with great effect on his attention span. Pushing forth a quick 'thank you' among verbal concerns from the other with a warning to ask his mother first, Vaati retreats into the dark woods once more, as the rain ceases its downpour. Northwest, he will go.