Whitefish River Make like a baby and have little to no control over any aspect of your life or body

Looking for packmates he hasn't met! :D

Dusk was settling over Whitefish River, and with it, a blanket of calm descended on the pack. The chirping of frogs along the river bank was easily audible from the thicket, where Dragomir lay awake, listening. He couldn't remember ever hearing anything like this in the mountains or down by the sea. It was beautiful, not that he was in much of a state to appreciate it like he might have before. Still, he listened to it for what it was: a welcome reprieve from his perpetual boredom.

A gentle breeze rustled the trees and swept over his cheeks, and that was all it took. The boy's hazel eyes darted down to the shadows in the undergrowth, where he almost swore he saw a wolf-shaped shadow. There was no one there, but his imagination was already running away with him. His belly clenched with acute fear. She'd found him. They'd found him.

Despite being unable to really move anywhere anyway, Dragomir felt like he was paralyzed. His eyes swept the thicket wildly but he couldn't seem to turn his head or move a muscle; nothing but his chest, which rose and fell with rapid breaths as he began to panic.

she almost missed him as she moved parallel to the thicket; already stuck deep within her thoughts. it was the breathing that grounded her; almost indiscernible among the soft winds, but fast and near enough to be noticed by chance. she paused, zeroing in on the source after a moment and pushing her way into the thicket, emerging by the pup's left side. an unavoidable pang, and she paused, having known panic enough times to recognize it easily.

"hey," she called, adding, "I'm Dawn." where he her own, she would have gone to him immediately. but he wasn't, and she had no family of her own, not anymore. "can I come closer?" at this distance, she could already make out the pungent scent of herbs and poultices, see the wounds, disfiguration. rage and shock and empathy bloomed, but none expressed themselves; her features remained calm.

The quick rise and fall of his chest did nothing to quell the tightness that was beginning to blossom there behind his sternum. The boy canted back his ears, scanning the trees, feeling his hackles prickle at the sight of a moving shadow in the trees ... Astara? Or Sanguinus?

I'm Dawn, said the shadow, and Dragomir was inclined to not believe her. It seemed like something those monsters would do, pretending to be someone they weren't to lull him into another false sense of security. But the shadow he was staring at was just the shadow of the canopy shifting across the trunks of the trees; the wolf who spoke stood to his side, and he noticed her with a visible start and a hoarse shout.

But at least her presence, and the fact she was definitely not one of his tormenters come to find him, was a soothing balm on his panic. His breathing remained rapid but the coil in his chest loosened just a little. She was lovely, a soft and pale shade of grey that didn't remind him of anything else he had ever met. Perhaps Praimfaya, but he didn't really remember her. Dragomir's eyes searched her for any sign of ill intent, but he would have a hard time believing that such a pretty woman was associated with Sanguinus and Astara in any way.

Swallowing and doing his best to slow his breathing, Dragomir squeaked a woefully frightened, he-hello! D-Dragomir. Er, and he flattened his ears, ashamed, and said, I m-mean I'm Dragomir.

she approaches a little nearer, sinking to her stomach when she's within range. soft smile settles on her muzzle as he speaks, and that maternal part of her that was so recently shunted off into some dark corner of her mind reawakes. "that's a cool name," she offers, glancing over him briefly before settling her gaze on a leaf by her forepaws. 

"you know, this is my favourite season." she glances back over to him, continuing, "my da, he used to call this time 'breath deep'. its a time for drawing closer to your pack; fattening up and slowing down." the exact circumstances of the conversation came back to her slowly. her scent just went on and on - I never figured that one out. it's eerily similar to events of the month past, but she can't think of that, now, and returns her full attention to dragomir.

Thanks, he wanted to say, but his tongue felt too thick in his mouth. It wasn't like he'd named himself that. If he had nameed himself, what would it be? Probably something cool like … Bonesnapper or Rabbitstalker or Mousekiller. Something that embodied the spirit of the hunter within him, while impressing everyone around him. That sounded like a worthy name.

Who was he kidding, he'd never done anything worthy of those titles.

ThanksmymompickeditIthink, he squeaked at last between shallow breaths, eyes pinned somewhat fearfully to her lovely chest. Good thing she wasn't a human or that would be pretty creepy. Vercingetorix would be proud of him … or maybe embarrassed by him, who could really say. Thanks my mom picked it wasn't really a stellar pick up line, now was it? 'Course Dragomir didn't know the first thing about anything regarding picking women up, he hardly understood the brief sparks of adolescent attraction he was beginning to develop to pretty wolves like Speedy and Ms. Dawn here.

I-is fattening up a s-s-smart thing to do? he asked, cursing the way his teeth chattered nervously. Calm down, kid. It wasn't Sanguinus or his accomplice. That feeling of dread remained, however, squeezing at his heart and making him abruptly ask, didyouseethat? when a branch moved in the wind.

She didn't see the shadows the way he did, but kept him talking long enough that eventually he did begin to calm down.

Oct 11: Editing on a conclusion.