Sleepy Fox Hollow If only I could unbreak your heart

Etienne slid into the packlands smelling of riverwater and soil. He had been so overcome with everything. A bath had been in order. He was tired and his paws ached, but he was home. As long as @Anselm still allowed him to stay.

He had done nothing to garner the mountain breds disfavor, but one was never sure with Anselm. Etienne's nose prickled at the scent if both @Dusty Rose and his sister @Suzu .

He looked around with golden eyes trying to discern if either one was still here. But all 3 scents were weak? Had Anselm abandoned the hollow? No he wouldn't, surely?

And with that thought an ache bloomed in his chest.

being vague. Tags for reference or to join whatever you wish :)

She wasn't sure when the grump had left- but she did as he had requested and had not only buried the sea urchins deep enough that she felt their stink would never reach the topsoil, but she had tidied herself up as well. She found some cedar shavings from where a beaver had gnawed through the part of a tree, and had rolled in them to imbue the fresh scent in her coat. Fresh pinesap was too sticky to be used as a perfume, but she found that if she took a dried out chunk from a tree and crushed it, that it turned into a fine, fresh-smelling powder. This, she found, was useful. 

She sought something else as a gift for Etienne, and happened across some bluebird feathers left behind in an impression in the snow. A hawk must have trounced it, she thought- but the three feathers she found were beautiful, bright and blue. She wished she had brought him something more practical- some aloe, perhaps, or something from one of the medicine stashes in Sapphique- but she had placed the food at a higher value. 

She stashed the feathers and began to patrol in Anselm's stead when she caught Etienne's scent on the air. Picking up a jog, she cut through the glade so that she could meet him- excited to see the look on his face when he realized she'd come to visit.

Etienne was currently fretting over going to look for Anselm or stay. But his paws smarted and he knew if he didn't stop. Clean them and apply new medicine. He would get a terrible infection.

The black feather from the girl still lay at his throat tightly wound in the finer hairs there. He bent his head to sniff at his paws. No infection yet, but the scabs had broken and he was bleeding again. Though not heavily.

A sound was coming. It walked to heavily to be Anselm. And the scent was pine and sea?

A tilt to his head and he grinned as he saw his sister coming towards him. Suzu!

Golden eyes lit up and he swept his tail. His pain momentarily forgotten and Anselm's absence pushed back.

His face lit up when he saw her and she smiled giddily. "Dere's my favourite Etiiii," She said, eyes dropping to notice the feather he had tangled in his fur. Her eyes shone- perhaps her bluebird feathers hadn't been a bad choice at all, if this was how he was fashioning himself nowadays. 

Her tail waved from flank to flank as she greeted him with soft, affectionate chuffs, though when she looked down to his paws she noticed that they were bleeding. "Oh my poor brot'er- what 'appened to your feet?" She asked, reaching out to try and fish one of his feet toward her with her own paw so she might see the injury better.

A low chuff of laughter. Dere be my favorite, Suzu.

He hadn't been putting feathers in for long.

Girl gave dem to me for 'ealing 'er. I toug't dey fit best dere.

A grin as he looked her over. Laying his muzzle alongside her shoulder. He would hug her, but she moved before he could.


He didn't move back far when she reached for his paws. And he knew going against Suzu never worked. So he allowed her to pull them closer.

I broke dem on ice. It 'urts sometimes Suzu to see Granme's face on my own. It is part of w'y i be leavin' dey looked at me so sad.

He frowned as he stared at them. But slammin' dem into ice was not my best moment.

He could never lie to Suzu. And the truth came rolling out in such a flash. And he had hated holding that from her for so long.

He will get there next round!

He'd stuck around, not trusting Anselm to pass on his message. And in all his slinking, he'd picked up the scent of what he thought must be Etienne's seafaring sister. He'd been trying to intercept her but had never quite managed it — but the coywolf was all to happy to press his luck as soon as Anselm left the territory.

And it must've been a good idea, because Dusty Rose very quickly got very lucky. He came across Etienne's trail almost as soon as he crossed the borders, and it was fresh.

Dusty picked up the pace, wary of running into others but confident he could smooth-talk his way around anyone who wasn't Anselm.