Haunted Wood gypsies, tramps, and thieves

@Valour - set a few days after the lynx fight.

Rogues and monsters. Rogues and monsters. Rogues and monsters.

Clarence had been running those three words over and over again in his head since his discussion with Memory, and... it was concerning. The piebald boy had been healing since the fight with the lynxes - not fully, of course, but he was at least not bleeding everywhere at the moment. There would be several new scars from the ordeal, but he was mostly intact, so it was successful nonetheless. 

Still, he needed to talk to their Warlord. 

"Valour?" he asked, steps short and hitched as he approached the other boy's den.

He was so tired.

He was also depressed. His den felt wrong without the silver male to greet him. His chest and shoulder were wrecked but thus far scabbed nicely, staying shut if he didn't move too much. The journey to Easthollow and back had pushed his ankle and shoulder too far though and every moment was like fire burning through his leg. Poppies helped. 

Poppies had begun to help everything, the world seemed brighter and much more tolerable with the fluttery haze it gave him. Having chewed a couple he greeted Clarence with a thump of his tail and a slow lift of his head, feeling only friendly warmth and pleasure to see him up and walking "Yeah Clarence?" he asked as he began to push himself into a sitting position though he struggled because his leg.

Clarence stepped inside and sat down with a wince as the healing wounds along his belly and left side tugged. Red eyes traveled over the young leader and lingered on his legs. "How are you?" he asked, attention drawing back up to the agouti's face once more. 

He didn't want to bring up Memory yet. After all, he was worried about his friend - the lynxes had been difficult to manage.

Seeing the black and white wolf cringe he felt a wave of shame. Memory, Clarence and even poor little Famine had gotten sliced apart during the lynx fight and his own wounds felt incomparable. Even though he was in pain and taking lots of medicine to function he shrugged on his good side trying to play it off cool nonchalantly   "Healing. Brought Clay home just after the Lynx so I'm a little rough." Not wanting to be pushed on it he gave a nod to Clarence's wounds "How about you?" 

Ah, Clay. That was the rude boy's name, Clarence assumed. He was a little glad he was gone - he was a little scary. "It was nice of you to walk him home," he responded with a small smile, brows raising when his own wellbeing was called into question. "I'm okay. It's not the worst I've ever had. As long as it doesn't get infected, but I'm being careful."

He paused, shifting his paws slowly. "Have you talked to Memory lately?"

Valour had begun to hold Clarence to high esteem as of late, the man was truly kind and reminded him of how Clay had been before...the new attitude. Hearing that the multiple wounds taken was apparently nothing for the other that respect grew while also making him feel somewhat pathetic despite his strenuous trek and repeated reopenings that explained his health "that's good to hear. Hopefully we'll all be back to normal soon" it was said in a positive tone but it didn't quite reach his eyes which stared blankly as he remembered Famine covered in blood. It was him who had encouraged learning to be more offensive wasn't it? Dragged out of his head by the inquiry he shook his head "Other than that spar and hearing he was going somewhere to be with his new love no" he gave Clarence a curious look "Why?" 

"Yeah, I'm sure we will. No one died, so it's okay," he assured, dipping his head. "Nothing that we can't recover from." And in his head, it was true. Perhaps it would take longer for some to heal from, but it was still not the end of the world.

And now was the thing he needed to discuss, but did not want to. "Well, he said something that's been bothering me." He swallowed hard, hesitated, before continuing. "He said he couldn't stand to be with rogues and monsters anymore. That's why he was leaving, apart from the girl." Red eyes flicked back up to Valour. "I was worried that, y'know, we might be... doing things, that I wasn't... I'm not the most observant, so I wanted to make sure we weren't... killing anyone."

The logic in it made sense and he nodded showing he agreed though it didn't make him feel any better. As the subject went on to Memory his features shifted going from shock and then quickly hardening, the muscles of his jaws flexing as he struggled not to snap. "Do you think that Me or Seagull are killing people? Seriously, who here has time for that?" his tone was rather harsh anyway but it stung, that Clarence even needed to ask and that Memory of all wolves was the one to put the idea in the wolfdog's head. "Ghidorah kidnapped some lady and left her in the pit" he shot Clarence a stern look, knowing he'd been there and seen her. Cordelia had explained her situation clearly "I took her out and I'm healing her. Fixing it. Like I'm fixing everything else in this shithole!" nostrils flaring he finished his little outburst of anger as he dropped his gaze feeling poorly about having shouted at Clarence. "Nightwalkers used to be like that. Vengeance wanted it that way. Took pups in. Tried to make us unfeeling monsters. I'm not..Memory said he knew..." his voice was softer and he shivered feeling the high off the poppy fade away "He's a traitor" there was a cracking in his voice, betraying the anger for what it really was. It hurt to be stabbed so deeply in the back.

Clarence flinched a little at the tone, but he probably deserved it. His stomach sank a little and he looked away, head lowering. "I know about the lady in the pit," he murmured, ears pressing back. "I didn't know what to do, so I just... brought her food." His own eyes flashed when Valour continued. "I've been trying, too!" he cried out, surprising himself by his own sudden flash of anger. "To show that we're not bad. To do good things. To make this place feel like a home." And he had been trying, hard, ever since he first got here. 

The spotted boy lowered his gaze again, bristling fur beginning to lie flat at the sorrow in Valour's tone. "We're not monsters. We're trying to be good. We are good. Memory was wrong."

Of course Clarence had tended to the woman, he was too kind to do otherwise but logic was currently swayed by emotion and he hadn't thought of that. There wasn't much of a response to Clarence's shouting, for once managing to stifle the flinch though there was a twitching of his lips as he also battled the impulse to bite at the man. Then guiltily he hung his head feeling the anger fizzle out just as fast as it had came as Clarence mentioned his efforts.  The gentle wolf's faith was the biggest reason he had become focused on making sure the pack grew stronger while focusing less on violence. Shaking with the exhaustion the outburst left him with he forced air deep into his lungs and exhaled long and hard focusing serious silver eyes on the man he'd come to think of as a friend "You're right, I'm sorry. With our shitty past I'm sensitive about what accusations and names that are tossed around" eyes shifted up as he gave a slow sway of his tail trying to make up for the yelling so it could stop quick, he didn't have the energy to fight. "Memory has done things that go far past anything we've ever done if anyone's a monster it's him" oh how he yearned to spill the snake's secret, of what Nix had made him do to children.

Clarence frowned at the change in Valour's posture. The spotted boy stepped forward and pressed against the other wolf's side, hoping to steady and comfort his friend. "You don't have to apologize," he assured, letting his eyes fall to half mast. It was hitting him just how tired he was, too. The events of the last several months - or his entire life, his mind supplied - had been so draining. Perhaps they all deserved a happier place. "You know... you don't have to do this alone." He pulled back a bit, offering their leader a warm smile. "You've got Serem and Santiago helping, and you have my support. For what it's worth." His curled tail wagged slowly. "I'll stay and help for as long as I can. We don't need Memory."

Seeing how tired Clarence looked reminded him of his own exhaustion and he yawned quietly, looking at the warm expression of the spotted wolfdog and feeling it resonate. Returning the smile with a tired one of his own Valour nodded slowly though he wondered how long that would last. Already Serem seemed to be keeping more to herself and the children since appointing him Warlord and accompanying him to Moonspear. Part of him was proud to have gotten this far by himself but it would have been nice for her to give him some guidance or show  interest in the sudden activity the pack was showing. Still....Clarence had been supportive of him since the start and stayed so till this moment, it was enough for him to have that faith for now. "I'm used to being alone" he said openly, focusing unwillingly on the fact that the spot beside him was not warmed by Clay's body "I...do you want to maybe stay in here tonight?" he blurted suddenly and then feeling himself flush added on "I get cold. I'm cold" it was embarrassing but less so than asking someone to sleep next to him because he was too lonely to sleep most nights and missing his first love.

The request was strange - unexpected. Clarence felt himself flush as well, but chased that away immediately. Valour was asking him as a friend, of course - they both had respective wolves that they cared about, and this was platonic. So it didn't take more than a second for the wolfdog to smile and nod his head. "Yeah, sure I can." His tail swished a few times, reassuring and positive. "I get cold, too. And... it is hard to sleep, sometimes." Sometimes he didn't really have Santiago to be with, sometimes his head hurt, sometimes he just needed a friend.

It was touching how fast Clarence accepted and Valour didn't know how to deal with it, so his tail swayed slowly over the dirt floor of his den as he pat the ground inviting the red eyed wolfdog to take a load off. "I think the tiny amount of sleep I get every night will prove more deadly than a fight one day"  dark but meant to be joking, he gave a small smirk moving over so that there would be more room on the pelts he'd laid out on the floor. 

omg please forgive me it's so bad

Clarence hummed and rolled over onto the pelts, tail swishing behind him as he splayed out on his side. "Mm. Sleep's really important," he chided, as though he got enough sleep to be healthy, too. Red eyes scanned Valour's face for a moment and he offered the other boy a smile. "I wouldn't mind staying here, if you needed. Every now and then." His face softened a bit. "It's okay to ask for help."

Clarence's friendship was one of warmth and compassion. His presence was soothing and Valour wagged his tail slowly, offering a slight smile "I try but I have nightmares" he said  "If you want to...just come in any time" he said. Nobody else better try it but...he didn't see what the issue was with friends sharing body heat and companionship once in a while on a lonely night. "It's hard...to ask" he admitted as he shifted into a more comfortable position laying his head on his paws after releasing a long yawn feeling content enough to try to fall asleep. "Goodnight. You're a good friend Clarence" he gave the other a warm look and then closed his eyes settling in to sleep.

I'm sorry this was kind of short but i'll hopefully be up for more soon!

Clarence smiled and nodded his head, settling in beside the leader and closing his eyes. "I'll come by more often," he assured, tail thumping on the ground as his eyes fell shut. "You're a good friend too, Valour." He'd fall asleep quickly that night, warm and comfortable beside the Warlord.