Eyes of amethyst blinked open slowly as his heartbeat quickened. "No!" he shouted before he realized he'd only been dreaming. Breathless, he gasped for air. A sigh escaped him when he finally sucked in enough air to expel. Slowly he stretched his paws outward as far as they would go without disturbing Miliani. Somehow, she'd managed to sleep through his earlier exclamation and he didn't want to wake her now. He knew he had some investigating to do here in Imperium, and it would be so much easier to do without having to worry about his sister. When he'd finished stretching he rolled onto his belly and curled his back legs before extending them and pushing himself upward. His front limbs stiffened to hold his weight as he slipped out of the den and into the... lack of sunshine. Well, that was not a good omen. The skies were dark and full of clouds, and in the distance he swore he heard a rumble of thunder. This didn't deter him, though, and he picked up a gentle trot - moving in the direction of the stream Valentine had showed him the day before. A he neared it he heard another distant rumble of thunder which sought to cover up the gentle trickle of the stream. As he lowered his head the loose skin bunched up near where his jaws fused together due to the lack of significant muscle and fat. Though he was right around six months of age and should technically be half of his adult size, he was far behind due to his emaciation. An ear flickered back as he drank his fill of water. Someone or something was moving behind him. In an instant his head shot up and he twisted it back, tail flagging up almost like a deer's would do when frightened. "Who's there?" he queried, with a far more demanding voice than his starved figure could possibly back up. "Speech,"

Concern for the two refugee children had altered the King's nightly routine. Each time he circled the border and come close to where they were staying, Valentine had veered off the beaten path to make sure all was right with the pair. Even though it was morning and well past the time he usually took to crash, the brute had decided to make one last trip out to their densite. When he got there he was surprised to find a fresh trail leading away from it. Good. At least one had risen. On a whim the King followed the trail and soon the sound of babbling water reached his ears. Before he could sight the boy, a small but commanding voice reached his ears. "I am," he answered simply as he rounded the foliage that stood between them. "Talk" "You" Think

Head and neck twisted in an uncomfortable angle against his right shoulder, he decided it was best to shift and face whomever or whatever was approaching him. As he twisted around he was met with the voice of the king, and his head instantly dropped an inch or two out of respect. "Sorry sir, I didn't know it was you." If he had, he'd have never spoken so disrespectfully. He didn't know the man and certainly didn't want to get on his bad side so quickly after being offered asylum. "There's a storm coming," he offered for lack of anything better to discuss. Didn't adults like to talk about weather patterns and shifts in the wind? He could scarcely remember his mother talking to anyone else, but he did remember her warning them about oncoming storms and how to get out of nasty weather. Previously flagged tail relaxed a bit and wavered placidly between his back legs as his amethyst gaze studied the cobalt king. "Speech,"

The moment the boy saw who was walking up on him, he shrank back. While Valentine hadn't really done anything more than approach, he couldn't help the pang of guilt that struck him. It hadn't been his intention to scare and while he could appreciate the benefits of cutting an imposing figure, he kind of wished there was an off switch for situations like these. "Don't apologize," he said gently, "It's quite alright, you did nothing wrong." The boy went on to state that a storm was approaching and as if to add weight to his statement, a crack of thunder sounded. Valentine's ears pricked and his gaze swept heavenward for a second. He didn't like storms. The idea of getting struck again was unappealing to say the least. "Sure sounds like it. We might need to take cover here shortly." "Talk" "You" Think

He couldn't have orchestrated his declaration any better as a loud clap of thunder quickly followed his warning about the storm. Shaw personally wasn't fearful of the storm, or worried about trying to escape it quickly. Actually, he rather liked storms, but he didn't imagine anyone else felt the same way about them as he did. The Imperator suggested finding shelter soon enough and Shaw nodded. It couldn't hurt to miss one good storm if it meant knowing just a little bit more about the man responsible for his safety and security. "I don't know my way around yet," Shaw started, hinting that he wouldn't be of any assistance in knowing where a suitable shelter would be. The only thought he had to offer was the den Valentine was letting he and Miliani stay in, but that likely wouldn't be big enough for all three of them unless they laid on top of one another. Charcoal dipped muzzle lifted upward as he gazed at the sky, watching the clouds roll and tumble over one another in their chaotic dance. It was beautiful mixed with the occasional rolls of thunder and flashes of lightning. "Where do you go when it storms?" he inquired, genuinely curious. "Speech,"

Oh, how he hated storms. They set his fur on end and made it impossible not to clench his teeth. Valentine swore he could feel the electricity in his fur, almost as if being struck by lightning had linked him to bad weather. His skin felt charged and it sent shivers down his spine. The boy would state that he didn't know where to go yet and then follow that statement with the question,"Where do you go when it storms?" Um. Well... Valentine would be lying if he said he casually meandered to any one particular spot. If a storm crept up on him and there was no time to get to his den he slunk under the nearest bush or whatever and sulked until it was safe to wander about again. BUT, that wasn't really something one shared with someone you wanted to respect you, now was it? "Depends on how close the storm is and how bad I think it's going to be. Any low laying cover will do." His thoughts went back to the moor and he parted with the advice, "Avoid trees if at all possible." His eyes lit on a large, downed tree whose crown kept the trunk suspended above the ground by several feet. Shrugging, he said, "That would work, I suppose, but I think we'll be alright long enough to find a better place." Something occurred to him then. "Unless you'd like to wait out the storm with your sister?" He was perfectly capable of finding his own shelter and if the boy would rather stay with someone he knew, Valen would understand. "Talk" "You" Think

He didn't want to pry, but the King seemed unusually unnerved by the presence of a storm. Perhaps he'd had a bad experience, or perhaps he was among the many that just plain disliked them. Whatever the case, Shaw would have to try to keep his excitement in check. He, after all, loved storms. Valentine explained that his choice for cover differed depending on the specifics of how close the storm was and how bad it might be. However, trees were never a good choice. Shaw knew that much. Valentine then offered to let him stay with his sister, if he wanted. Shaw shook his head (perhaps more violently than he'd intended). "If I go back now she'll just wake up, it's better if I let her sleep." Truth be told, he'd been with her for days now and as much as he loved her - the boy wanted and needed a break. Miliani was needy to begin with, and when she was sick she was a bit of a pain. He liked taking care of her, but not every second of the day. There were important things to be done, like forging a bond with a few of the pack members harboring them. An ear flickered back, suddenly realizing that he may have presented himself as a burden upon the King. "But I can go somewhere on my own, if you need to do something else." He didn't want Valentine thinking that he couldn't even find shelter on his own. He was capable of a great many things, and finding shelter was rather low on the list. Thunder continued to rumble and roll in the distance, the claps getting closer together - and closer to them. He had yet to see any direct lightning strikes, so that meant they had at least a little time to escape the onslaught if and when they decided to. "Speech,"

"If I go back now she'll just wake up, it's better if I let her sleep." Valentine dipped his head slightly at this statement. Made sense. Shaw seemed to care deeply for his sister and his careful consideration was noted and approved of. "But I can go somewhere on my own, if you need to do something else." The King shook his head dismissively before parting with the words, "Nah, I'm not in a hurry and I don't mind the company." Besides, this was the perfect opportunity to get to know the little guy better. His ears flicked as another -closer- roar of thunder sounded, but he smothered the rise of unease that came with it. Pushing past it, he queried, "So tell me, Shaw, have you given any consideration as to what you and your sister will do next?" Valentine had no problem with them staying in Imperium until they were well so long as they minded themselves, and if it suited them, they could probably make a home out of it. "Talk" "You" Think