Sleepy Fox Hollow take me down the dusty side

tags for reference, just to kind of...assume he's adjusting to life in paleo. if anything needs to be edited let me know! <3
i used the notes off of wylla's profile and then went kinda vague for other stuff :)

when he did not keep to himself, sad and sorting through emotions, he found he liked to shadow @Wylla. her hunting lessons proved helpful even as the winter seemed to settle upon them harshly. small game burrowed or rested and each time he learned something knew about how to flush them out.

then he followed when she patrolled. more so he plucked the land behind her trail. searched for plants that might have survived still, or anything that could distract him for more than five minutes. a keen eye might have seen how he tried to fill a void with her presence.

yet he also did his best to nurture the friendship he had with @Emmerich. always keen to do whatever the other boy did. happy to follow him too on patrols, or be shown all the best spots in paleo. once more seemingly filling a void. regardless he welcomed every distraction that he could find.

still he would be alone every night — nothing could change that part — just like he would be tonight.

it mattered not if the hollow had a wonderful view. that he could gaze upon all the stars and the moon, thinking that his family might be looking at it too. a thought that he flipped between finding it comforting and finding it even more alienating.

Softly and thoughtfully, Emmerich found Siku in a moment of contemplation. The white-hooded boy wasn’t sure if he should approach, but he had brought a gift to his young friend and he thought that it might lift his spirits.

Siku, the boy with yellow eyes greeted. His tail waved behind him. Emmerich approached the pale figure and placed a fat vole at his paws. A smile found his features. I brought this for you. You have been patrolling with mama and you should keep your strength.

But patrolling was something that guardians and warriors did. When Siku had joined them, he had expressed that his goals were not to be a soldier. Emmerich had wondered where his hopes and dreams were. He wondered if he could pull more from his friend, now that he had a chance to settle into his new home.

Vill you tell me about vhat you vant? Vhat did you like to learn, Siku?

Emmerich settled into a seated position, close to the pale fur of the other boy.

oh, no. i —

he felt hot in the face. flushed to hear that emmerich thought he had been properly patrolling. siku had only been a dutiful shadow!

i liked to learn about healing. plants. it's why, um, i've been following wylla. his ears fell flat some and he refused to touch the gift. feeling as if he hadn't deserved it. it feels safer if i look for things behind her patrol trail...

Siku appeared worried, soft in his mannerisms. Emmerich did not want him to feel like a burden in Paleo. He enjoyed the company of the other boy, no matter their differing interests. The young guardian might have taunted Isa for her love of plants and greenery, but he would never say such things to Siku. The speckled boy was like a treasure, to Emmerich. 

Nudging the prey closer to the other figure, Emmerich smiled. 

My papa is very skilled with herbs. He is a smart man. Vould you care to meet him? I do not know much about herbs, Siku… but I vish to learn more from you. 

Was this enough to pull the boy from his fretting? The white-hooded pup was not certain. It felt as though Siku was waiting to be told that he had done something wrong.

emmerich still wished him to have the meal, even with the truth of his work.

it was one of the grandest shows of care he could have thought of. his face grew bashful and his tail tapped the cold earth behind him. he would not reject the other boy's gift.

oh! yes, um, to both. he laughed softly. embarrassed and flattered all at once! i didn't get to learn too much before...coming here. but i know basics about healing and a few plants. it felt good to talk about the things he cared about.

what do you want to learn?

You vill teach me!

Emmerich waved his tail with encouragement. It would be good to have a friend that could share new things with him. Mahler had tried. The gargoyle had managed to touch Isa with his knowledge, far more than he had with the pale-headed son. It was not because he thought the subject to be poor. The young wolf had merely wished to deviate from his sister’s interests – a show of uniqueness.

My sister is good with herbs and she listens to our papa vhen he teaches these things. I vant to be a guardian. I like to patrol and to meet new faces at the border. It makes me feel I am keeping my home safe.

Emmerich hoped that he wouldn’t turn Siku away with talk of these things. The life of a guardian was like that of a soldier. The speckled boy had fled from that life, leaving Mereo and its culture behind him. The young man did not want Siku to think that he couldn’t share his interests, too.

he felt cherished in a unique way.

i could teach you while you patrol. point out the plants on the paths! it would benefit them both. siku would get to learn more about the things that grew, both natural and planted, within paleo. while emmerich could continue his work as a guardian.

would you...want to?

100 for you! >w<

It seemed that Siku might have been warmed up to the idea of sharing his knowledge about plants. Emmerich delighted in the other boy’s shift in demeanor. He wanted the pale figure to feel that Paleo could truly be his home, that he could flourish and grow with his passions.

The timidity of his question was shocking to Emmerich. The white-hooded boy tilted his head curiously and squinted his yellow eyes at Siku. How many times had he been told that his interests weren’t for sharing? Who had made him so uncertain about his intelligence?

I vant nothing more. Please, let’s go. Ve vill find the plants of Paleo and you vill teach me their power, he answered confidently. A gentle nudge was offered to Siku’s shoulder.

<333
maybe a fade? ofc something new sometime for these brothers

he was reassured both physically and verbally.

his tail nervously wiggled behind him with some sense of excitement. okay. he managed to meekly croak out as his heart thumped against his chest.

admittedly siku would not have a very long list of things he could point out, but at least he'd have some to share.

I will make us a new one! <3

Siku agreed and Emmerich was warmed by it.

The young guardian nudged at his speckled brother and motioned for their path. They would have a nice walk, he thought. They would discover some of the best places in Paleo. If Siku could find some quiet nooks where he could study what he enjoyed, there would be no doubt that he would find happiness in their home. It would become a place of comfort.

Emmerich did not hurry the other boy. He was quiet and considerate. He listened and asked questions when he was given the chance. The yellow-eyed wolf found that he liked the time he spent with the other boy. It brought him closer to his family.