Shadewood Whiskey on the bed

For @Reiner <3
Set for like 1 day after this thread

Z hovered near the borders, glancing sporadically to the lands outside the territory, a sad longing in his ocean gaze. It was the hundredth time he had thought about bolting since agreeing to stay here. He could probably run now; there didn't appear to be anyone around. Most importantly, he didn't see any sign of his menacing keeper, and that gave him even more hope that he could actually disappear. He walked slowly as if his intentions were innocent, every few steps strategically placing him closer to the edge of the territory, and maybe once he was close enough to the outside, he would have enough nerve worked up to switch his thoughts of running into actual running; that's what he did best, anyway. When things got too messy, he took off. It was easier that way for everyone, really. They would all see that soon enough.

❤

Little did the fox know, the Bull lurks upon Shadewood's borders more often than not. Within its clutches, there is little for Reiner to do. Certainly, he could lounge by the water as most retired men would dream of doing. His King, for example, would no doubt be doing so right now with a feast and women surrounding him. Nonetheless, the Bull finds such a life boring. He patrols the Keep, or he leaves to scout the lands beyond it.

Returning from one such adventure, the Bull strides into the Keep. His stomach still hungry despite catching lazy seabirds near the coast. Long legs, however, abruptly halt. His head keeps aligned with his shoulders, neutral in posture as he stares down the once trespasser. Much too close to the borders. The Bull slowly raises a questioning eyebrow; 'What do you think you're doing,' written clear as day on his face.

He had just started to think he might actually make it to the borders when the dark man suddenly appeared. Z jumped a little and froze in his path. Damn. At his keeper's expression, he gave an exasperated sigh. Relax, I was just exploring, he lied, rolling his eyes and shaking his head a little. He turned from Reiner and began walking again as if he really had just been exploring, hoping his lie would be bought and the frightening man would leave him alone. But then a thought struck him, and he whirled back around, face indignant. So, What? I can just never leave? he asked. The thought made his heart begin to race. He clearly hadn't thought all of this through very well, which was really no surprise. But he needed the ocean; it was the only thing that kept him whole--well as whole as he could probably ever be. He had never been away from the water's calming presence for more than a few days in his entire life, and the thought of spending an indefinite amount of time away from it now made panic wash over him. He swallowed hard at the feeling, unable to ignore the similarities between this and his time as a prisoner. At least then he had still been near the ocean, and he still came away as a scarred, useless ghost. What would happen to him now?