Cedar Sweep whatever it is you're seeking won't come in the form you're expecting

After having attempted to join the Firebirds and stay with Wraen, Deku had been filled with an immeasurable loneliness. He had spent night after night thinking of his family – what was left of it – and where they might have ventured. Since then, he had set out in search of Minori and Orochi on his own. It only took him a few months to determine that he did not have the skills required to catch up to them, or to continue tracking them across the great expanse of earth that they had travelled.
 
The starchaser was alone.
 
So, he had made his way back to his home. Originally it had been a means of finding a place that was familiar to him and nothing more. When he had caught the scent of the teekon wilds, he had almost wept with joy. The young man’s legs had not ceased their desperate sprint until he had found himself amid a wood that he remembered. It was there that he paused to catch his breath and turned his nose toward the Firebirds pack, wondering if there was a chance he could find a home there or if he had squandered his only shot.

She had headed further, beyond the Falls of the Hinterlands, further into Cedar Sweep. It was there, a scent caught her nose, accompanied by the noise of breath. The scent pulled her feet like an invisible magnet, pacing towards the direction in which it lead her. It was the scent of a boy, a child, she believed. It was not far before she found him there. 

A little boy, pale with darker spots here and there, uniquely colored. Here is where the noise of breath came from; he seemed worn, as if having ran a marathon only moments prior. Why would a child be this tired out? She did not know him, and yet, her heart wrenched at the sight of this child, alone and seemingly exhausted. 

Chanel treaded closer- (and although with some she would keep a further distance,) because he was only a child, she came very near to him, unafraid. Her light and pleasant voice interrupted the quiet of nature. "Dear, oh, are you alright? Where are your parents?" Concern and kindness, flowing from each word that passed her lips.

There was desperation to the boy, but he tried his best to hide the overwhelming flood of emotions. As sad as it was, he had been on his own for long enough that he shouldn’t have been filled with nervousness or fear at the premise of having to venture the wilds alone. Minori had found something that was occupying her time – something important, he was sure – and Orochi had likely discovered another group that he could harass with his fiery personality. Deku had not found anyone, though. The longer he had spent out there in the unknown of the world, the more he had realized that he knew very little about what it meant to survive.
 
A voice shattered his thoughts, and the starchaser whirled around with wild silver eyes and hackles that had sparked to life. His tail swiftly tucked to his rear, but he held his head up and kept himself as stiff as he could manage. It wasn’t until he had registered the words of the unfamiliar woman that he realized she wasn’t likely to be a threat to him. She simply seemed concerned that someone his age was out there alone. “My father died. My mother is away, and I do not know when or if she will return… I’ve been alone long enough. You don’t need to worry,” the storyteller spoke in a quaking voice.

Her words breathed life into the little thing, as he spun and fur spiked up along his spine. A little gasp of surprise escaped Chanel's dark lips as she made the slightest shift backward, but the boy's awakening was over within a moment. He became still as he faced her, and seemed to calm as he understood her intentions. 

His words only served to pierce her heart. A boy with no father, a missing mother, only having himself and himself alone in this world. No one to stand behind him as he grew up. Oh, how her heart ached. "I can't help it darling, I can't help but worry... you're all alone, at this age? God, haven't you a home?" Her tone was not eased, no, she only seemed further distressed, despite his suggestion that she refrain from worry. Nothing like hysterical, but she was sorry for the lone boy nonetheless. Of course, there were many who grew up just like him, and it wasn't as uncommon as Chanel believed. But she had grown up with a very much alive and present family, and the privilege of having a generally happy childhood besides all the sexist limitations that had been placed on her.

In many ways, Deku did not like how this woman spoke to him. True, he was a young boy still, but he had spent enough time on his own to know the difference between youth and experience. The starchaser had learned to hunt after more than stories and shooting stars in the heavens. He had learned to catch his own small meals – voles and mice, squirrels if he was fast enough – to keep himself from starving on his own. Deku was lean, but he was not starved, and he had endured worse if he thought hard enough about it. Having a home, though…
 
That question seemed to hang in the air like an ominous fog. Deku’s brow furrowed slightly and he turned his gaze away from her with a thoughtful frown. He had not had a home for some time. The last place that he could recall had been the forest where he had been born. The woods were empty, though. He had checked them several times before moving on. “No,” he answered in a quiet tone and shook his head. “I have not had a home for some time.”

The boy's expression changed at her question, before he reveals that he doesn't even have a home. Oh, that poor boy! Chanel wondered if she had the right to recruit wolves into Firebirds. Could she offer him a home? Or could only the leader do that? Whatever. Wraen would understand, wouldn't she? He was just a boy, after all. 

"Would you like one?" She offered, somewhat hesitantly. "I live just near here. It's a big pack called Firebirds. I'm sure we have room for another," She tells him, though moreso tells herself- hoping it was true. Honestly, Chanel was not really sure how many wolves they could support. But if the boy could help them, then he'd be useful, right? She couldn't just leave a kid alone in the cold.