Haunted Wood another way out
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#1
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@Santiago Arcos - keeping it vague on the ursus front <3

Everything hurt. Clarence knew he probably shouldn't've gone with Valour to see Ursus, but he had, and they'd been just as savage as expected. His stomach was burning when he finally crossed the border, exhausted and achy. Were the wounds infected? He wasn't really sure. Still, he was grateful that the only damage he'd sustained was just the reopening of the lynx wounds. 

Still, ow. 

Fever warmed his fur, but it wasn't too bad yet. He was just tired, and hurting, and really wanted Santiago. Perhaps seeking out comfort was weak, but he hadn't really had much time to see him after the lynx attack in the first place. 

Clarence made his way toward the den, wobbling slightly on his feet.
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#2
Santi, perched on his thrown like the king he is, spots movement out of the corner of his eye. His ruined ears perk up and his face becomes deathly serious when his ghostly orbs meet the stumbling, limping form of the other male. His fucking mate is hurt. Instantly, he clambers down the rock staircase to his ledge and dashes towards the smaller.

Stopping just short of him, he quickly runs his cheek along the others then steps back to look at him. Sauntering over to the right to really take a look at him. He’s silent and the dead glare he looks at him with isn’t directed towards him, but to whoever or whatever did this to him.

All he says next is simple. “What the fuck happened?” 
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#3
Clarence hummed and pressed his muzzle against Santiago's for a moment before he pulled back. "Well, uh, the... big cat things that we fought? That was most of it." He paused then, concerned that Santiago would get angry, but shook it off rather quickly. He was nothing if not honest, after all. 

"I followed Valour to Ursus," he admitted, glancing off to the side. "One of them attacked and I jumped on him and it pulled the wounds back open." Red eyes flicked back up to Santiago's silver. "But they didn't actually hurt me."
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#4
He looks upon the smaller male, white fur stained in red. He nods when he references the lynx fight. He’s not as mad about that one but with the others next reply he feels his heart seize on his chest at the mention of Clarence going near Ursus.

He gives a heartless laugh that doesn’t reach his eyes. “Valour is a fucking idiot to go by himself.” He says matter-of-factly in a growl. Santiago knows that his Warlord but no intelligent leader would go to another packs grounds by themselves, especially a pack with their background. “Whatever he got, he deserves.” He finishes, brows furrowed and paces left and right languidly.

Then he looks back to Clarence, expression softer but still hard. “And you, I’m glad you helped, but you shouldn’t have gone either. It could have been way worse. They’re fucking ruthless.”

He sighs heavily and comes closer to the piebald boy, going toe to toe and craning his head around him in a type of hug. “I am glad you’re not injured, cariño.”
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#5
Clarence felt his ears press back to his head and his brows knitted together. Yeah, it might have been a bad idea to go on his own, but Clarence didn't think Valour was an idiot. And he certainly didn't deserve to be hurt because of it. The words made him uncomfortable and for the first time ever, he drew away from Santiago.

"Both of us are okay," he told him, a little hurt and possibly a tiny bit angry. "I don't think it was a good idea to go, either, but I couldn't let him go by himself. And... I don't need your permission." He was grown - grown enough, anyway, and he didn't want to be told what to do by his mate. Santiago was not his parent, and he needed to know that. 

Still, he wanted him, desperately, and hesitantly leaned against him when Santiago offered comfort. "I don't think they were that interested in me. Mostly Valour," he admitted.
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#6
Santiago’s brows furrow when Clarence moves away from his touch. He just gazes down to him. “I never said you needed my permission to do shit like that.” He says caustically, but with a little less venom laced into his voice.

When the male leans into him, he stands completely still. Tall appearance statuesque. Something about Clarence activity attempting to escape his affection makes something break within him. Even though the gesture is small and insignificant, he took it more to heart than he probably needs to. So, he doesn’t lean into his touch, but neither does he pull away. The monochromatic wolf shakes his head. “That was a horrible decision on his part that couldn’t have gotten him killed and put our pack in danger. Better yet, could have gotten you killed too. He needs to know that shit like that isn’t good to do.” He says it borderline emotionless, a hint of irritation lingers there still. Though his voice is softer it still holds enough base for the other to know he’s serious.
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#7
Maybe he deserved it - Santiago not showing him affection. He was the first one to pull away, after all. Still, it hurt, and Clarence stepped back again, tail drooping down between his legs. It wasn't even like he'd wanted to go to Ursus to begin with, but he couldn't let Valour go by himself. 

"Nobody made me do anything. If I had gotten killed it would have been my fault." A wave of numbness washed over him - one of those defense mechanisms he'd picked up in the cages. The equivalent of a human being hugging their own arms for comfort, he hunched in a bit, self-soothing. "Maybe it was a bad idea. I didn't say it was a good one. But he didn't ask me to go - I made that choice."
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#8
When Clarences form shrinks and his tail lies sadly between his legs, he feels something inside him. It’s a twisting, gut wrenching feeling that his him regretting pushing the smaller away. He came here looking for his affection after almost getting his ass handed to him by Ursus and Santiago treats him like this? The boy is just doing what he believes. He decides that it’s the fact that Clarence and Serem are the first for him to actually care about and his love for them is borderline aggressive. He will do anything to protect them.

Frustrated in his love for the piebald wolf he allows the other to speak. He can tell Clarence is putting up his walls and Santi doesn’t like it. 

In an attempt to mend the situation his face becomes soft. Eyes as sharp as a silver sword take on a softer edge. He steps forward once more and cranes his head down, nuzzling at the plume of the males neck and jaw. All he says is “I know, cariño. I’m sorry.” His voice easier than before, it’s smooth and calming.
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#9
At first, Clarence was a little put off by the change in mood, but the needy side of him won out and he leaned against Santiago, laying his head down on the older man's shoulder. His body - so tense and coiled from the several days of travel and multiple fights he'd been in recently - slowly began to relax. Perhaps he was being childish - needing comfort like this - but things had been difficult recently and he was so, so ready to rest.

"I'm sorry I was mean to you," he apologized, looking toward the ground by his mate's hind feet.
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#10
Santiago pulls back and shakes his head, a sweet smile on his maw. He feels bad for intentionally starting a fight with the poor boy. He’s been through a hell of a lot the last few days and Santi doesn’t make it any better by instigating anything. Even though he still doesn’t agree with the younger, his attempt at swallowing his pride is successful; it’s something he doesn’t do for anyone or anything, yet here he is.

“Don’t be sorry, lindo. I can handle it.” He chuckles down to him. “If you ever need to take out any aggression on me don’t be afraid to.” He jokes back and boops their noses together. 

Turning around he nods his head up to the ledge he calls his den. “Come, cariño. Lay with me.” He hums with hooded eyes and an easy expression.
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#11
Clarence shook his head immediately at the idea. "No, that's not fair for you. I don't want to be aggressive with you at all," he murmured, ears swiveling backward slightly. "You aren't aggressive with me." Still, he smiled a bit at the touching of their noses, tail giving a few easy sways behind him.

Oh, the ledge seemed so high up, and he was so tired. Still, Clarence was not one to say no to cuddling with his mate, so with careful steps and half concealed winces, he made his way to the top.

Once there, he flopped haphazardly onto the ground, rolling over to expose his tattered stomach. Still healing, especially after the run in with Ursus - the fur was tinged pink. He'd yet to get it off. 

"I'm sorry I scared you," he painted softly, looking over to the massive man. "I didn't mean to."
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#12
As Santiago begins walking to the ledge, he still tilts his head to the side to listen to the smaller. Then he turns to meet him fully. “I understand, cariño. Everyone has bad days.” As he ends his comment he gives the other a sweet smile. One the monochromatic wolf only saves for his mates. He hates seeming soft around others, so his sweet tone of voice and loving smiles are a rarity that he allows few to see. 

He allows Clarence to go up first, seeing the pain written al over his face heats him up with a horrid anger that makes him want to shoot his jaws into one, if not all, of the Ursus members. He follows him up, sure to stay close enough behind to be able to stable the piebald boy if he were to lose his balance.

Upon arrival to the comfortable ledge Santi calls home he chuckles when the other flops himself onto his back, simultaneously feeling horrible for laughing because he knows the smaller is in a fair amount of pain and is probably really fucking sore.

All of a sudden, Clarence is apologizing and Santi is already shaking his head. “No, no, no. It’s okay. You were doing what you thought was right, no?” He combats calmly with an easy smile. “You’re forgiven. That doesn’t mean I won’t admit to being just a tad bit scared that you could’ve gotten killed by Ursus.” He says gazing lovingly down to him. Coming to lay beside the other. “I know they would too.”
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