Fairspell Meadow no wonder you're losing your mind, the way it wanders;;

@Lennon
for reference, they're meant to be pretty close to Otter Creek

 

It was midday when Alarian and Lennon decided to hunt-- they left Korei in a place they knew she'd be safe and ventured not too far out into the meadow beyond.
The grass was taller than him, he realized as he walked. With sudden glee, he began to nip at the long stalks of grass as he passed them, sometimes taking one between his teeth and shaking his head around ferociously as if it were prey. After a few moments of this he paused to grin at his companion, a blade of grass hanging from his mouth. This reminds me of bein' a kid.

Leaving Korei for anything besides hunting was a big taboo, even now he had the lingering though in the back of his mind to check on her (despite just leaving).

Unlike his friend, Lennon stood well above the lengthy grass with his tall legs. His dark honey eyes watching in amusement as Alarian played amongst the vegetation. Without warning, the male sprinted forward, lowering himself in the grass before hopping into the air - similar to a fox when burrowing to find a meal. He did this several times before bouncing right next to his companion and shaking out his fur, tongue lolling from his mouth. ”When I was a kid,” He took a quick inhale of breath to slower his breathing, I did that a lot,” Lennon chuckled in a cheery laugh, “I never had a reason to - forgot how much fun it’d been.”

Whatever the wolf-version of heart eyes might have been, that was exactly what Alarian's gaze was like as he watched Lennon. He couldn't deny that the other wolf's energy and playfulness made him happy-- he also couldn't deny that it was incredibly attractive.
But, he reminded himself he wasn't here to swoon over his companion, and turned his attention back just in time to catch what he was saying. The boy's smile grew a little in response, tail wagging. I miss being a pup. He admitted, suddenly full of nostalgia. I had a lot of siblings, and we always got into trouble.

Memories of being a child flooded Lennon’s mind, and in contrast to Alarian’s opinion he absolutely loved being a young adult far more. His life as a pup was restricted, and in fairness he didn’t enjoy his family nearly as much as he has with the wolves met on his travels. ”I didn’t have any,” He admitted, lowering his haunches onto the ground, ears perked in the air ready to listen to Alarian’s words. ”Got in most trouble by myself.”

A short silence came over the two, the calming sound of wind blowing over the tall grasses replaced the lack of words. ”What was it like? You and your siblings?”

Alarian's family had been large, so he could hardly imagine having no siblings at all. He blinked sympathetically, wondering briefly what his own life would have been like without his brother, his anchor.
The silence allowed him a moment to contemplate the idea, but then Lennon started speaking and once again had Ali's full attention. He drew in a soft breath, thinking about how best to answer that question.
It was... crazy. Fun, a lot of the time. Sometimes trouble found us instead of the other way around. He grinned, suddenly thinking fondly on a particular memory. One time my brother and I accidentally brought a live raccoon back to camp. We didn't even know til my dad grabbed it to eat it-- and then it started flipping out, ran around the camp like it was on fire! It was hilarious.
Alarian paused for a moment, basking in the memory. No one got hurt, but dad was so mad; we had to go hide, we were still bloody and sore from last time we pissed him off--
The boy stopped suddenly, realizing he had spoken too much. His tone had not been anything but jovial while he spoke, but as he realized what he was revealing he suddenly put the brakes on. An overwhelming feeling of dread took him then, and he shifted uncomfortably, trying to slow his now-racing heart.

As Alarian spoke, his gaiety in reflecting on the past rubbed off on Lennon, enjoying every word that escaped the mouth of the petite wolf. He tried to imagine young Alarian running about with his brother, although all contentment ceased at the sudden mention of blood. The hickory male’s eyes widened in fear, moving his shoulders in uncomfortable awkwardness. A break of silence fell upon then again, but not the serene calming one that had fallen before. Now it was stiff and unpleasant, in the quiet he hesitated to question him.

He decided there was no other way to follow besides asking. ”What... do you mean, kid?” His eyes were filled with worry.

Alarian had been fighting to keep his composure, an inexplicable terror growing in his chest, shining through in his gaze and rapidly-changing demeanor. The boy tucked his tail between his legs as he caught sight of the worry in Lennon's eyes, and he felt something break in him.
Not a snap, no-- this break was a quiet crumble, succumbing to the weakness that had so rapidly come back to him with the mention of his father. He swallowed hard and tried to say something. The first attempt was lost to overwhelming emotion, coming out as a low, heart-wrenching whine.
I-- I can't. I can't tell you. Alarian gasped out after a moment, as if the act of speaking was painful now. I--
His slender form was shaking, legs threatening to collapse from under him, and his panic was only increased by the fact that he didn't know what was going on. The intense fear had come so suddenly, was so all-consuming, that it fed itself in a viciously escalating cycle.
I shouldn't have said-- I'm sorry, I just-- He was stammering now, hyperventilating and unable to finish his thoughts.

The sudden panic had set in, and Lennon wasn't sure how to react instantly. He worried he was at fault for starting this, having pried when instead he should've changed the subject. This wasn't the time to dwell, though. It wasn't often the wolf was face-to-face with someone having some sort of panic attack, but his instinct was to comfort him in any way possible. A part of him felt like he'd just been hit with a bat.

"Hey- hey," The brunette stepped next to the panicking boy, pressing his side against his friends and gave him a reassuring nudge with his muzzle. Only with their body heat mixing together did he realize how cold it had been. This overwhelming sense of concern was unfamiliar, he wanted to do anything in his power to fix the situation. "Breath - in... and out," His voice was quiet and calm, following his own command hoping Alarian would do the same, before resting his head on the smaller wolf's and began to do what always brought him to a better place: sing. 

"Dear Prudence,
Let me see you smile,
Dear Prudence,
Like a little child,
The clouds will be a daisy chain,
So let me see you smile again,"

His song was an even and relaxed beat, swaying slowly with it. His voice laid low and quiet, the last line becoming a whisper in his companion's ear.

"Won't you let me see you smile?"

Alarian felt as if he would shatter into a million pieces, shuddering like glass, but then Lennon pressed against him and the warmth grounded him. For a moment he was stiff and still, but after that brief pause he leaned into the larger wolf, accepting the touch and allowing it to calm him. He closed his eyes, following the directions he had been given.
Even through the panic and resulting exhaustion, the boy was all too aware of a strange spark jumping in his chest when Lennon rested his head on top of his. Too weary to fight the feeling, he pressed closer to Lennon and allowed it to grow into a mass of warm fluttering. It gave him strange comfort; one he had never known, but he welcomed it nonetheless.
As his companion began to sing, Ali felt himself relax. He was mostly leaning on the other wolf now, finding himself weak and vulnerable after such an experience. Later, he would be embarrassed.
But right now, he found solace with Lennon.

Thank you. The boy murmured after a short period of silence, lifting his head to gently lick the other's cheek before he pressed back into him.

When Alarian stopped shaking, he instantly felt more relieved. He made a mental note not to bring up fathers or raccoons anytime soon, in fear of his companion having another overwhelming panic attack. Finally hearing him speak allowed Lennon to completely relax and, for the most part, have a fretless mind. The lick warmed his cheek, along with his chest and a tingle shot down his spine. 

He returned the favor by licking the side of his muzzle before burying his face in the fur of his friend. Finding a sense of comfort himself, he wasn't sure from what but it was, in a sense, intoxicating. "Anytime, kid."  He murmured under his breath, his eyes closed and still continued to faintly sway methodically.