Herbalists' Cache faithful john

Approaching afternoon, a pair of wolves made their way determinedly through the taiga.
 
They had made good ground, except for the last hour or so, wherein Thade had begun lagging behind his caretaker, @Wintersbane, despite insisting that he could go on, and (more importantly) wanted to go on. It seemed that his only concern was getting back to Sagtannet, but a couple of small meals, a quick washing, and a little bit of sleep after weeks of slow deterioration did not exactly make for a young wolf fit to long distances. Loathe as the badger-marked boy was to admit.
 
They were just crossing the threshold of a damp, verdant pine forest, when he finally spoke up. Winnersbane? he croaked, tiredly huffing out his words. I think I wanna stop now. It wasn’t an ideal place to stop — not yet deep enough in the woods to have come across any decent shelter — but Thade had no real concept of such things; all he knew was what he wanted in the moment. And at this moment, he wanted to lie down.
 
Which is exactly what he did — fwump — right down in the grass still wet from morning dew.

I still want to continue our other thread for a bit longer, but I figured it wouldn't hurt to start another ;)

there wasn’t a time when wintersbane had asked thade if he needed to stop and rest, that thade responded in protest, in which wintersbane believed him. sure, he was old enough that he should be able to make the trip as easily as wintersbane himself but the boy was gaunt with malnutrition and neglect and the rabbits wintersbane and thade caught were not enough to undo months of damage. it would take months, wintersbane suspects, to get thade back to a healthy weight and coat sheen.

for all of the tundrian’s doubts, though, the boy does a fairly good job of keeping up …until he doesn’t. wintersbane peers out of the corner of his eye as he notices thade lagging behind. knowing that he would probably be met with the same protests as before, wintersbane mashes his lips into a terse line to keep himself from fussing and asking the damned question again. thade appears to be very stubborn …a trait he no doubt got from his mother.

the dewy grasses tangle ‘round his ankles as he pushes thru them, only pausing to turn back to thade when he calls out to him; an inquisitive hmm? humming in the depths of his throat. i think i wanna stop now. wintersbane fights to keep the relief off his expression, watching as the boy then, promptly, plants himself on the ground. good. wintersbane rumbles his approval, backtracking; and lowers himself into a sphinx-like position before the boy, a keen eye watching the neutral landscape behind thade. it’s a not a bad thing y’know. to take a rest.

But I don’t wanna rest, Thade insisted once more, though this time with less vigor. He didn’t bother to remind Wintersbane what he did want, but the assertion was still there in his viridian gaze. Rest is just makin’ ev’rythin’ take longer, he complained, unable to understand why his body simply could not keep up with the demands of his mind. Would it always be like this? Would he ever be as strong as a wolf like the former Eisen?
 
That reminded him. Why aren’t you Eisen no more? he asked, out of the blue.

it's not always about what we want, thade, wintersbane tells him in a gentle tone. our bodies need rest. rest is how our bodies heal when we are injured or sick; rest is how we remain strong. though, unfortunately, rest only soothes and heals the physical ailments. it doesn't tend to the mental or spiritual ...but wintersbane does not divulge this information to his young, temporary ward. i'll let you on a little secret it's taken me far too long to learn, wintersbane murmurs with a small, coy smile, leaning his muzzle slightly towards the boy as if he were about to offer thade a great and prized secret. it's better to take the longer paths then it is to take the shorter paths. which was the easiest way wintersbane could think to translate 'patience is a virtue'.

like the whole rabbit warren vs. rabbit den debate, wintersbane had been hoping by not bringing up sagtannet that he might avoid the question thade inquires of him now. it brings a rise of shame to wintersbane's cheeks; a flush hidden by the plush fur there. well, some time ago, i took a trip to the coast. i was attacked by a bear there and spent some time out of the wilds healing and repaying the kindness of the pack that found and healed me. lying didn't exactly seem like the best thing to do. except i didn't tell mahler or wylla where i went. wylla, your mother, feels that sagtannet has no use for me and i am no longer welcome there.

a punishment that would've impressed his mobster father, no doubt.

the same punishment he'd found waiting for him even in teaghlaigh were it still around. let it be never be said that wintersbane was a not man, not gentleman enough to accept the consequences of his actions.

A full immersion into Wintersbane’s company had done wonders for Thade’s vocabulary in just a few days’ time. The foundling had learned many terms, and gotten away with asking more questions than he ever could have hoped for, which in turn made him more relaxed; open to the male’s opinion of the world. He could suppose rest was useful — he certainly needed it now — but that didn’t mean he couldn’t still hate it.
 
Thade huffed slightly, drawn out of his moodiness only by the warrior’s clandestine demeanor. His tail wiggled a little, and he scooched closer to hear this secret:
 
…better to take the longer paths…
 
He was disappointed, if only because he didn’t understand it at first. For him, it was impossible that such a statement could be true. Not when being faster had always been necessary; not when the whole point of growing up almost felt like an inescapable need to become the strongest, fastest creature there was. He was especially motivated to become stronger, and no part of that included taking a longer path.
 
The boy wanted to refute his guardian, but something about the way Wintersbane had revealed this advice gave him pause. Why would it be obvious if it was also supposed to be a secret? Maybe there was something to consider here… though Thade was quick to put it out of his head. His brain felt nearly as depleted as his body, and he couldn’t find the energy to decipher it now.
 
When they moved on to the adult’s demotion — which ended up being more of an extended absence turned expulsion — the badger-marked child made a face. Does… does that mean we’re not packmates? The implication of this would be world-shifting.

thade is rather silent as wintersbane speaks, letting him in on his secret, though uncertainty wavers in the quirk of the tundrian’s lips as he contemplates whether thade believes him. children didn’t often believe their elders — he certainly hadn’t. it was something that thade would come to learn with time, or perhaps he wouldn’t. wintersbane couldn’t say where the boy’s life would take him or what lessons it would teach. still, he tries to impart his wisdom in the little bit of time he has with the boy, even if it doesn’t make much sense.

thade’s question, as they shift to wintersbane’s expulsion from his own pack, draws a soft twitch to the tundrian’s lips then, previously terse; now sorrowful. as if the apologetic expression might soothe the harsh reality of the truth. but he cannot lie and he cannot pretend that wylla hadn’t been right in her harsh judgement. he wouldn’t have tolerated it …so why should his previous co-leaders? still, he’d held onto a small spark of hope; a star that has since died out. yes. that is what it means. he eventually speaks solemnly, glacial gaze watching the boy carefully for his reaction.

Wintersbane is not my packmate.

Remember what happened the last time you trusted a non-packmate?
 
Thade’s stare narrowed, studying his rescuer for the first time with any real scrutiny — or uncertainty. He was surprised to find how easy it was to wash away his bright and shiny impression of Wintersbane, revealing a tarnished, crude ogre beneath the silvery gleam of a knight’s helm.

You know he’s not taking you to Sagtannet.

You know that don’t you?
 
What he had once considered as proud, heroic features were now frighteningly scarred, and crisscrossed with jagged shadows of bad omens. Where there had once been a reassuring gaze, reminding him of a clear blue skies and better days, he now saw daggers of ice, piercing down to his very soul. Controlling him, manipulating him, leading him astray.

He imagined that he could now see the wolf’s dark hooded head for what it was: another disguise, hiding his true identity.

Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!

You’re letting it happen to you again!
 
Horror spread molasses-slow across Thade’s face, and fear laced his limbs, rooting him firmly to the spot. A pit formed in his stomach, bringing with it the sensation of nausea. Where are you taking me? the frog in his throat managed to croak out. 

His chest heaved. Up and down. Up and down. Faster and faster. This isn’t the way is it?

the change is startling; and confirms to wintersbane that the poor boy has been thru more than any child should ever have to endure. there is distrust in him now, glinting hard in the boy’s expression. perhaps, some part of him, wintersbane thinks, hadn’t fully trusted him to begin with. and yet; wintersbane cannot help but feel gutted all the same. pain flashes across his scarred visage. i’m taking you home, to sagtannet. wintersbane speaks, trying to make his deep rasp smooth and assuring. i’m not going to hurt you, thade; and i’m not taking you anywhere other than your home. wintersbane will repeat it as much as he needs to.

it’s ok. you’re ok. please calm down. wintersbane pleas softly with the boy. wylla and i’s inability to see eye to eye has nothing to do with you. i promise you: this is the way. i’m taking you to sagtannet. but the tundrian does not blame the boy for being cautious — though thade isn’t entirely forthcoming of what hell he’s endured during his time away from home does not mean that wintersbane cannot see the veins of damage in the nuances.

i was once like you, wintersbane admits. i was taken from my home, but unlike you, i never came across anyone to take me home. i never saw them again. i won't let that happen to you. ok, it wasn't explicitly true but since he disowned his sister mallaidh, he no longer considered her family and thus doesn't count those ( often aggressive ) encounters.

Adrenaline had temporarily washed away Thade’s exhaustion — as he rose to all fours and trembled on the spot like a newborn fawn — but no part of him could decide on which way to run. He took a step back, opening a chasm between himself and the intimidating sphinx before him.
 
“I’m taking you home to Sagtannet.”
 
His ears pulled back, and his expression morphed into one of unreserved accusation. Liar! The changeling backed away even more, despite the flood of reassurances gushing forth from Wintersbane in an effort to soothe him. But the bell could not be unrung. He could not imagine that this wolf’s kindnesses had been anything other than a ploy to deceive him, because Mother had done the very same things.
 
Except…
 
“I promise you: this is the way.”
 
Mother hadn’t been this kind or gentle. If Wintersbane was tricking him, he was using far more honey than Thade was accustomed to. His verdant green eyes were bulging, and it was clear that he was a hair’s breadth away from bolting. But, how… How do I know you’re t-tellin’ the truth?
 
I was once like you…
 
Thade couldn’t help but to listen. His ears slowly unfolded, and he stood a little straighter as if reconsidering his next move. He no longer seemed prepared to spring away, but the weight of doubt remained rooted upon his face. It was hard to imagine a wolf of Wintersbane’s immense size being taken by anyone, though he supposed the male had not always been so prominent.

You... never saw your familie again? he echoed quietly, knowing that this was a fate he wanted to avoid at all costs. I don’t… know what to do now. His voice trailed away. He stared at the ground between Wintersbane’s feet; his expression falling completely blank.