Hushed Willows i’m frightened more than usual lately

@Dorea or @Dakota
sorry this is suuuuper late. set in rose moor

in terms of socialization, aeryn has been doing a bit better. it wasn’t a huge improvement but it was a step at least. he wasn’t actively avoiding his family and he was out and about more. elysium had gained a few new faces at some point. their scents had stuck out amongst everyone else’s before, but had long since blended into the surroundings. he was not yet properly acquainted with them, but perhaps he’d catch a glimpse of them today. aeryn had ventured out farther than usual and he found himself in an unfamiliar field of flowers.

The little chubby black and white pup had run off again like usual, she didn't have a desire to stick close to the pack. Everyone who knew Dakota was coming to find they needed to keep an extra close eye on her, else they might find her half way across the continent by dinner time came around. Dakota knew her grand escapes upset her mother Chusi but Dakota wished her mother would understand this place wasn't what she wanted either. She flared her nostrils in a dramatic sigh as she walk, lifting a white colored paw to swat at the tall wild flowers standing in her way. It seemed everything got in her way of doing what she wanted...

this place was paradise to the young whelp. it was the perfect setting to melt into and waste away. the birds chirped away, the bugs hummed, the flowers swayed in the gentle summer breeze. what more could a boy ask for?

a fluttering sigh escaped his lips and to his surprise a more abrasive one followed. aeryn jumped back with a gasp, shocked to hear someone else amongst the red carpet. h-hey, who’s there?

Dakota hadn't been bothering to use her heightened senses to see if she was alone, and so when someone suddenly called out a frightened question she too was left startled. The puppy fell on her rump in surprise, whirling her head around before following where the voice had come from. Dakota pushed her head through the thick walling of roses, a few drooping over her head. She made a face. "I should be aaasking you ttthat fffirst!" Dakota demanded in her usual stutter, eyes narrowed into slits. Sure, she was being pushy but Dakota was tired of others corralling her back to the clan! Maybe he was sent to follow her... "Are you a ssspy?"

where did this voice come from? he could hear a soft thump coming from its direction, but he still couldn’t see anyone. the boy continued to scan the bed of roses with no luck. seemingly out of nowhere, a small head popped through the flowers, causing him to shriek again.

aeryn was able to process her question once he got over his initial shock. oh, no mam! i-i’m no spy. he blinked questionly a few times. i mean... i don’t think i am. what’s a spy?

Dakota stared at him with a critical look in her sea green eyes, looking him over once and twice before emerging from the sweet smelling foliage. The little wolfess lifted her head and tail in defiance, looking empowered for such a small pup. Dakota huffed, "If yyyou was a spy you sssure aaare a bad one." 

She sat onto her haunches, black fur still ruffled. Her scruffy head was tipped to the side, glancing at him with less fire to her face. "And I'm not a mmmam! Imma girl! Gggirl! And a spy is... um... whatever, it ain't iiimportant."

aeryn was shocked by how assertive this girl was. minnow was a determined little pup, but her spark did not match the raging fire that burned on this whelp’s tongue and soul. her tone demanded respect from him and he couldn’t help put duck into a slight bow.

oh, i’m sorry. i won’t call you mam anymore. but ‘girl’ didn’t seem like an appropriate title either. what’s your name? mine’s aeryn.