Fox's Glade Bass

They pressed on slowly, reaching the glade when the first lights were climbing over the mountains. Swordfish was tired and worn but he had maintained a better pace than the wounded @Germanicus. The man had stopped talking. He seemed intent to trudge on in thoughtful silence. The redtail boy would not oppose or seek to push him. He had believed the wounds were the cause of his coldness. 

There’s a place here, Kvarsheim. They’re hunters’n such. Traders too, maybe. Close with the clan. It’s just over there, he tossed his snout toward the hollow in the distance. They had made better progress than expected. Swordfish wondered if they could reach the healers by nightfall.

kvarsheim. a place of hunting and trading.

trading.

the stormcloud of belen hung low over his heartstrings and the imperator considered qiao of akashingo. how did she find such a den of iniquity palatable?

"you will find in the world that trading can carry a dire cost." the man pointed with his muzzle toward the place lilitu had sought. "that used to be ursus. they were a cult of bear-worshippers. all their strength was taken in blood."

the hollow was close and his heart raced to know it. germanicus glanced toward shardik. "we should rest here for an hour. it will give us the strength to proceed beyond nightfall."

Germanicus sought to rest in the glade for a short time. He said it would give them strength to journey into night. The boy was not in dire need of the healers. His rest and recovery had taken place primarily in Sapphique. It was only the wild that reminded him how tender he was, how easy it had been to nearly kill him. 

Alright, rest it is, he drawled in agreement. 

Curiosity won over in a moment. 

What’r ya doing out here, Germanicus? No healers in- er- the name of his pack was so easily lost in Swordfish’s mind. Mereo. Pink tongue swiped at his snout. His cheeks were warm to have almost forgotten it.

she can be just a cameo unless noticed :3

she wandered the glade more frequently. especially after meeting the mountain boyman here. she did not know why she wished so badly to see him again!

but here was two wolves.

one younger, one older. neither one seemed rather hale. why had they come to the glade? why were they crossing so close to kvarsheim?

her heart trembled in her chest.

ope edited for bjarna :D

the yellowsun gaze was contemplative over the boy shardik but otherwise closed.

"i did someone a great wrong more than once. i seek him to make it right. his name is crowfeather." it had been so long since he had said the name. now fennec had held it, now this young questioner had heard it as well.

he felt as if his chest were a lightning-split oak and both their names were charred by his own selfishness.

"we have a fine healer in mereo." his throat constricted. "how far did you wander from home before you found the bear?"

a gambit. an assumption. germanicus knew nothing, only that shardik was young, that his eyes carried the weight of a much older man, that he had been struck hard enough to leave a permanent stamp of ursine wrath upon him.

once a boy came through his first battle, he would hold that look in his pupils forever. long after his flesh healed would that expression belong: the hard stare of one who has seen an impossible enemy approach and still did not comprehend how he still lived.

the sense of watchfulness sparkled around him. germanicus moved at once to his feet and gave a sharp look into the foliage. "show yourself."

*kisses Bjarna on her snoot*

 

Germanicus spoke the name of the three-legged man. Swordfish watched him with an inability to bring another question to his lips. 

Are you the reason he looks so sad? Are you the reason he walks on three legs instead of four? 

He’s there… Crowfeather. The Star of Riverclan. It sounded grander than it was, maybe. The man with three legs had not shone like a star. He radiated shadows, sadness, hurt. It was shocking that someone so pathetic could be capable of healing. He’s- 

The words caught in his throat. They were not alone. Swordfish’s ears pointed, sharp. His eyes flicked to the brush where the Mereo man had summoned a watcher.

crowfeather!?

riverclan?!

the thrumming of her heart grew stronger and sharper. why did they speak of these things! who were they! now one was speaking to her and she balked at it. shocked. stunned.

she must act now as a guardian! a barrier between these men and riverclan! for croo.

þú hræðir mig ekki.

but the tremble in her voice said otherwise.

two things happened at once.

the first was that shardik fairly sent the breath out of germanicus' lungs and for the first time since they had set out, the breadth of broken things inside the man became apparent.

the next was the small girl stepping from the shadows and speaking in some heathen language.

the gallop of the roman's heart in two directions was almost too much. he made a gesture of farewell, the attitude of a soldier sheathing his sword and raising his hands in supplication.

"kvarsheim?" he asked, yellowpaint eyes flicking over the downy child.

The pale wolf-thing made him uneasy. She didn’t look like anyone he had the pleasure of meeting. Her features were curious, peculiar. When she spoke, it was in a language that rattled him. 

Swordfish stepped back. 

Germanicus spoke the name of one of the nearby packs. 

The bear roared in his mind. Redtail tucked to his stomach. The hairs along his neck bristled.

and they knew her home!

it all screamed of danger to a girl who had lived in a comfortable bubble. well, comfortable enough.

go. she warned them with her trembling form.

way. she gestured back to where they had come from. her miniscule form attempted everything it could to look bigger.

icarus had brought news of this pack.

germanicus gestured to shardik. they would go another way.

under the eyes of the girl with the stiffened spine he led a tactical retreat, back the way they had come so that he and shardik might regroup.

I'm gonna make us another new one! ^^ MWAH! Love you both. <3

The girl was frightened, this was clear. Her voice spoke out to demand that they go away. Swordfish continued to stare at her. His eyes were pulled back by the man – Germanicus. He did not wish to speak to her further. He pulled backwards, away from where they intended to go. The redtail boy thought that it was foolish to cut back and extend their trip because of a scared girl!

The young seafarer did not argue, though. He cast her a heavy-lidded look and flattened his ears to his head in apology. Then, Swordfish turned to prowl after Germanicus. They’d find their way around without bothering the traders… if they must.