Sleepy Fox Hollow From outside of time

Elfie enjoyed an early lunch with a small pika he had caught. It was a small victory for him, because it had been a while, since he had hunted on his own and been successful. Headaches had not bothered him much either and daydream figures (as he called them) sometimes entered his vision, but now they were just scintillating transparent images without sound or smell or sense of presence. 

He found that they were easier to ignore, if he was busy and focussed on something else. Like hunting or tracking, or seeking green plants for Maegi. Yes, that he was going to do after he finished his meal. Maybe he could find more moss - she had been so happy about it the last time. Or... hmmm... he paused mid-chew, wrapped in a memory of warm summer day and a little, well-cared for flower garden. The boy closed his eyes and held his breath, wishing to keep the vivid image in his mind longer.

The wolves that bolstered Diaspora's ranks were far from strangers at this point, but that didn't mean Stag knew them. He had spent more time outside of Diaspora than within as of late. Somedays he was tracking his mother's frequent departures. Other days, he was playing make believe in his own kingdom of snow where everything was stable and safe. Today, however, found Stag within the territory -- and close to one of the 'newcomers' too. 

Standing on a snow covered rock, Stag watched the wolf he had identified as being close to his age, chew something between his paws. Stag briefly entertained the idea of trying to snare a piece of the meal for himself - but there was no one to protect him if this wolf reacted violently, and he wasn't exactly in a fighting mood.

Striding towards the boy on lean limbs Stag did his best to appear as if he was casually just in the vicinity - and not outright interested - that Elfie happened to be in. He cleared his throat and paused some distance away, eyeing the wildfire pelt of the stranger with interest. What's your name?

Elfie's contemplation was interrupted by the arrival of Salvador Dali Weird-Elephant wolf and he stared at the gangly boy for a good while, trying to decide, whether his dreamscape world was a tad bit better than this real-life version of a young chap that had not quite grown in the shoes of a grown up wolf. Or - to put it more accurately - growth spurt happened to different parts of the body at uneven rates. Elfie was not aware that he was undergoing a similar change. 

"Elfie," he replied to the inquiry and leaned forward to sniff the scent aura of the other youth. "What is yours?" he asked.

Salvador Dali Weird-Elephant wolf stood awkwardly before Elfie, not sure how to present himself in such affairs. He was a rather secluded child - he wasn't sheltered, but it went without saying there were many social customs he was not necessarily accustomed to.

So he stood still while Elfie inspected him, tentatively raising his own snout in answer. Once he felt this ritual was completed he visibly shifted his weight backwards, hung between standing and sitting -- ultimately deciding to stand -- a movement that had him half-hunched and absurded looking, giving those storky legs.

While Elfie's coat was a far cry from the brilliance it would be in summer splendor, it was still the brightest thing Stag had seen a wolf wear. He was magnetized by it, and stared at his packmate's pelt rather blatantly. Stag had come from a world of whites and greys - this redfire was something entirely different. Knowing he better look away soon lest his interest be misconstrued, Stag adverted his gaze and mumbled: "do you want to play?"

It was a good thing that Stag felt just as awkward by the encounter as Elfie did, which gave the latter more confidence and inclination to be friendly towards the Diasporan boy. Invitation for a game sounded interesting, his face lit up in cheerful expectation and it was as if he was going to suggest something any moment, but... the light went away, his brow furrowed in concentration and then too it was gone. He had wanted to suggest a game only to realize that he did not know any.

"What do you want to do?" he asked Stag, not wishing to tell him about his crazy head. It was enough that Maegi and Mahler knew. He did not wish children his age to know this as well.

Stag held his breath as he waited for an answer. On the one hand, he was old enough (and so was Elfie) that play was something only children did.. but on the other, he was a boy - that drive to play would always be within him. It would shape and define him someday as a man, when play turned into practice.

He paused as he saw a brief shadow take Elfie's expression: he was not quite equipped to handle that, and instead looked around them as if he too had forgotten what games were fun. After a beat his gaze landed upon a stick. "Have you played hide-and-go-stick?" His tail began to wag excitedly as he explained, luckily for Elfie, who may not have remembered or known of the game at all. "One of us is the seeker, the other the hider. The hider takes the stick and has to hide it somewhere. The seeker gives the hider a headstart of a minute or so - no peeking! And then, after the seeker done counting, he has to go find the stick and the hider! But he has to find the stick first, then he has to chase down the hider." His cheeks flushed with excitement as he explained his game, some of which was borrowed -- with adaptations, of course.

Elfie tried to follow Stag's train of thought, but lost him right, when there was "hide, stick and seek" too many. Therefore by the time his young comrade had finished his explanation, the boy had a baffled expression with a slight crease in the middle of his forehead, indicating that he still tried to think about, what he had been told.

He, however, soon realized that, if he took too much time thinking, the other one would lose interest. Therefore he nodded eagerly in agreement. "Okay, you start and I do... what?" he asked.

Stag's tail waved behind him in excitement, only to lull when he read in Elfie's expression a look of pure confusion. He faltered, glancing about them as if to draw explanation from their surroundings -- but his gaze snapped back to Elfie in interest, as the boy queried the next step of their game.

"You take this stick. Hide it, then hide yourself." Stag had decided it would be easier if Elfie just learned the rules of the game by doing - he thrust the stick towards Elfie's paws, and then playbowed with an excited whine. "I'll count!!" He circled once and then laid on the ground, placing his paws over his eyes to show in good faith he absolutely would not peek.

Elfie had not expected to be given the lead role and, when Stag had got in the weird position and begun to count, he did not move right away. Instead he sat and observed the other boy curiously, wondering, if he too had some kind of headache and only moments later remembering that - hey - he had a job to do. 

Which set a wave of panic - he grabbed the stick, looked around nervously, took few unsure steps in one direction then in the other and on the third take he almost lost the stick completely. He did not know, where to hide the stick, let alone hide himself. The counting did not help to make him feel much better either.

Finally he dashed off without looking around much, tripped over some rocks and tumbled down a steep slope. He slammed on the ground with an "oof", the stick left his jaws and continued it's fall down, while Elfie remained perched on the edge and was watching it move away with horror-struck eyes. Darn, darn, darn! He could not even play a game right!

"ninety seven.. ninety EIGHT.. NINETY NINE...

ONE HUNDRED!! READY OR NOT, HERE I COME!!

" Stag bellowed, lurching to his feet and setting on Elfie's course immediately. He hadn't covered his ears, so he had heard the clatter as Elfie struggled with what to do - and he was cheating a bit now, because Elfie's prints were clear in the snow.

He didn't even have to use his nose!

Stag grinned to himself, pleased as punch. This was gonna be easy.

That grin fell from his face as he came around the corner and saw Elfie, about thirty meters from him, tumbling down the slope. He watched horrified as the boy finally stopped -- but the stick kept going.

Stag didn't care much for the stick anymore. He slid carefully down the scree, making his way with caution as pebbles and snow shifted underneath him. "Are... you okay?" He ventured, hovering over Elfie with a concerned look on his face. This was not how hide and go stick/seek was supposed to go.

"Yeah, yeah, I am okay, but look - what are we going to do about the stick?" Elfie disregarded Stag's concern about himself and wanted to hear the latter's opinion of the problem at hand. "I did not mean to throw it down there, I swear," he explained, hoping that his new-found friend would not hold a grudge against his for this mishap.

"Was that a special stick?" he asked very seriously, because he knew, how protective Mou was of his treasure chest and did not think any less of people, who put value in things that were neither practical, nor edible.

His newfound friend seemed okay. Stag gave him a precursory once over, mimicing the way his mother often visually inspected him any time he managed to get hurt or fall. Deciding Elfie was at least visually okay, with all limbs present and accounted for, Stag sighed in relief and looked down at the stick.

It hadn't been a special stick to him, so he just shrugged and grinned at Elfie. "We can find another." He suggested, already turning around to make his way back up the slope. "We can play another game if you want."

Elfie felt immensely relieved that Stag did not seem to care much about the lost stick. Later on, when he would begin to notice the sore spots, where he had hit his ribcage and joints, he would understand, why. His newfound friend suggested another game for them to play and, though the russet fellow was not sure, if he wished to fail another proposed activity, but then the thought of Stag going off and finding someone better to play with was not very pleasant either. He realized that, while he found comfort in Maegi's and Mou's company, he still missed someone his age to befriend.

So - he decided to leap at this opportunity. "What do you want to play now?" Elfie asked, ready to do anything that Stag offered, as long as it did not involve sticks or him falling off the edge of the cliff.

Stag slowed as Elfie jumped ahead, seemingly having put their rough-and-scrape adventure behind them. Stag was relieved his newfound friend seemed okay -- that descent down the slope had been rocky at best, no pun intended.

He slowed as he thought about what they'd play next, his face scrunched in concentration. It'd have to be something that didn't require much running - he was amazed Elfie was as game as he was, considering. "Oh! I know!" His ears flew up - he had the perfect idea. "I SPY!"

Well, Elfie probably was not "as game as Stag was", but he was certainly glad that his newfound friend was easy enough to impress and made happy. Plus, enthusiasm was contagious and he had been starved for a good fun.

So, while he had no idea, what this "I SPY" game was all about, he smiled and wagged his tail appreciatively, eager to find out, what the rules were and how the game had to be played. "What do I have to do?" he asked.

Stag hid his surprise that Elfie didn't know this game either -- what, did no one ever play with him? That dark thought was fleeting - Stag was already scanning their environ for good things to espy.

"It's easy!" Stag boasted, pausing as he recalled he had made similar claims for his last game, which had not been so easy for Elfie. "You don't gotta move or anything." He added quickly, still wildly amazed the boy was not more hurt. "It's like this. I will go first. First I pick something that we both can see around us. Then I drop little clues, and you have to guess. So pretend I was picking that tree over there --" Stag pointed at the sorry sapling about six meters from them. "I would say.. I spy something crooked!! And then you would have to look around, and see what it is and guess. If you can't guess, I can give more clues - then once you guess, it is your turn."

He situated himself, having already picked what his 'spy' item was while they were talking. It was a large boulder, about twenty meters south of them. Its' face was glittering in the sunlight, and it was the perfect size to catch some zz's. "I spy something .... " Stag deliberately looked elsewhere as to not give Elfie any contextual clues: "something grey and brown, and big."

Elfie would not have minded, if the game had involved him moving around again. That fall had been neither the first nor the last he had gone through and had not been half as scary to him as it had looked like to Stag. But staying at the same place was fine with him also. He listened patiently to the description, nodded eagerly and then cast his glance around at, what Stag might have spied on. 

His eyes did not fall upon the said boulder, but there were plenty mountains and cliffs around that looked very similar. "Rocks?" he made his first guess and hoped that he had got it right.

Stag knew his first pick was rather simple - but given Elfie was new to this game, it made sense to him even as a child to stick to the basics. His ears flew forward as Elfie guessed appropriately -- already! Damn, he was a quick study.

"Yes," he answered with a cheeky smile, making sure he wasn't looking at the rock. "but which one??" After all, it couldn't be THAT easy.

"Any?" Elfie shrugged - unlike Stag he did not see any difference between this rock and that or the particular one he was so adamant at not looking at. "Does it matter?" he asked, feeling a little confused and therefore needing some guidance. "There are a lot of them. We... we are standing on a rock now too," he explained.

Stag hoped his mark would be easy, but he learned rather quickly that not everyone thought the way he did.. Including Elfie. In Elfie's case, it might just be that his noggin had been banged up recently -- either way, Stag's brow furrowed as he tried to guide them back on track.

"Yeah! You gotta pick the one I'm looking at." Stag said, pointedly then sliding his gaze towards the particular rock he had spied earlier.. Surely, Elfie wouldn't miss it this go-around, and next time, Stag would know to pick something a bit less ubiquitous for his more literal-minded friend.

Elfie did miss that "go-around", he was too busy focusing on Stag's face, as if intensifying the intensity of staring could somehow hatch the right answer from the other wolf's head. You guessed it - it did not. 

"Well, it could still be any rock," he continued to argue. "You could have looked at one and then you could have decided for a different one. I have no way of proving... which rock you chose." In other words - there were far too many.

From his point of view - there were already a dozen boulders within his view. Why would it be any different for Stag?

Stag blinked rather stupidly at Elfie, very much imitating the 'white-man-blinks' gif -- was Elfie insinuating he would lie?

The boy brushed his indignity aside. Maybe Elfie didn't know him well enough to know that Stag was many things, but not a fibber. "Well, that'd be cheating - and you're not supposed to cheat!" The boy insisted, wondering if there was some better way to show Elfie that he wasn't taking him for a ride.

Stag looked at the boulder rather pointedly again, surprised Elfie had missed it the first time. "Maybe we should try something else."

"I am not saying you are cheating, but... uh... oh..." Elfie reeled away from that assumption, the last thing he wished was to insult Stag and have him go away. He had been just pointing out to the possible pitfalls of the game. That had been all. "Nevermind," he sighed.

He forgot momentarily about the fact that they were still playing and observed Stag's stiff and pointed stare at nothing particular in the distance. This made Elfie concerned, he followed the fellow's gaze then back at the boy and had not the slightest idea, what was wrong. Maybe Stag had some head troubles too that he did not wish to talk about.

"Okay," he nodded, when another game was suggested. "Like what?"

'Cue 800' was also overlooked. Stag looked at Elfie in disbelief - had he he hit his head harder than he thought?

What could they play instead, that didn't require too much movement or, mental acuity...?

"..Simon Says?" Stag finished, thinking that like the other games, Elfie would have no idea what that was. He was already examining the rules, and mentally going over the instructions so they came out loud and clear and simple.

"Says what?" Elfie asked, looking around again to see, if there was any Simon around that he could have probably missed. None jumped out from behind the rocks or seemed to be hiding in the sparse bushes further ahead. 

"Is he a pack mate or something?" he inquired, looking positively concerned now, because he did not recall being introduced to any such person.