SOLO DESTRUCTION-LOIRE THERE IS VERY LITTLE LEFT OF ME AND IT'S NEVER COMING BACK After a few hours spent in the early morning chasing rabbits and voles, the young Destruction had gorged himself fairly well on whatever he'd managed to catch. This left him feeling rather satisfied with himself by the time he settled down in the shade at the edge of the thicket, hiding away from the heat of the day. With the sun at its highest point, it just felt better to lounge just beyond its reach. Sprawled out on his side, the pallid male was lazily blinking at the twinkling water of the rapids that he could only barely see from his spot. This would be the perfect time for a nap, really. What was there to do, besides take the opportunity that was all but handed to him? The chirping birds flitting through the branches all around him were a gentle, insistent ambiance. He forced himself to roll up onto one elbow, blinking slowly against the glare of the sun against the rolling plains beyond the thicket. As a breeze stirred the grasses, they rolled like water in long motions almost designed to lull unsuspecting viewers to sleep. Alright, maybe it was time for a nap. Just a short one.. Even as he was laying there, propped up on one elbow, his eyes were falling shut against his will. "Speech" thoughts "others"

It was a pleasant day so far and Corvus was content to enjoy a day of leisure time. These sorts of days were more plentiful lately, as the cold that had held the lands in its grasp for so long seemed to fade. It was hardly the warmest summer he remembered but he had few complaints. He was alive and well and so was Twig, and his family was not just surviving, but prospering. The youngest of Abaven's youth were growing old enough to do things on their own without being supervised and though the thought of them embarking into the world alone did spark some wariness in the protective Destruction, he was always glad to see the pack's young growing into themselves and figuring out who they were. At first being around them had hurt, though he'd never let it show - they reminded him of what could've been, what had been taken from him and Twig.

Still, he'd always had a soft spot for kids and as they grew older he found that his grief had lessened. To an onlooker it'd be impossible to even spot, especially now as he trudged through the thicket, shaking loose a few stray burrs from his forelimbs. Not far ahead he saw the figure of someone, visibly as a soft breeze parted the grasses. Letting out a bark of greeting he loped forward, regretting it as soon as he noticed that it was Solo and he was drifting to sleep. Oops, too late to take it back now. "Hey, sorry, didn't see you were napping," he apologized with a soft chuckle as he strode forward a few more steps.

SOLO DESTRUCTION-LOIRE THERE IS VERY LITTLE LEFT OF ME AND IT'S NEVER COMING BACK A loud bark, rather close to where he was settled. It shocked him out of his stupor, and very nearly clean out of his skin. He couldn't stifle the yelp that escaped him, nor the wild look in his eyes as he whipped his head around to see Corvus headed his way. "Hey, sorry, didn't see you were napping," the older man apologized, though Solo shrugged it off. He blinked the shock from his eyes, and rolled up onto his hip so he wasn't being quite so rude by talking to Corvus while he was laying down. " 's all good, I was trying not to nap." he admitted sheepishly, a half smile finding its way to his dark lips. The pale boy glanced around for a moment, searching for.. something. "What are you doing out here, is there something going on?" he questioned, after his brief search turned up no results. Corvus was a pretty high status wolf, surely he wouldn't be out here talking to a kid just by coincidence. The man had better things to be doing with his time, no doubt. "Speech" thoughts "others"

Oh geeze, the kid had been sound asleep after all. Corvus grimaced a bit, ears flattening apologetically as he took a few steps closer to him. He didn't seem too disturbed by the interruption but Corvus still felt bad for startling him like that. "I know that feeling. Can be hard to resist a good nap when it's peaceful like this," he admitted with a chuckle. The weather was comfortable today and the thicket was quiet, a nice reprieve from the constant sound of the rapids, especially with the higher waters lately from the melting snow. He didn't blame him at all for sneaking off to accidentally get some rest.

Corvus returned the smile with a grin of his own. "No, not really. I just smelled your scent going out this way and decided to say hi," he admitted, sounding a bit sheepish himself. He knew there was no reason to feel weird about approaching packmates, let alone family, but he didn't want to bother anyone - just wanted to make sure everyone knew they could count on him if they needed anything. Corvus was loyal, above all else. Caring for his pack meant everything to him, and since he and Twig's loss he couldn't help but feel even more responsible for the kids here. Not just their safety, but making sure they had someone to talk to if they needed. "We could do something if you wanted. To stay awake, I mean. Unless you'd rather be alone," he offered, giving a shrug. Corvus didn't want to bother Solo if he didn't want the company and he certainly didn't want the boy to feel like he owed him his presence. He wasn't that sort of wolf.

SOLO DESTRUCTION-LOIRE THERE IS VERY LITTLE LEFT OF ME AND IT'S NEVER COMING BACK A very strange, subconscious part of Solo's mind was truly shocked that the Blackthorn had simply decided to come visit. A deep rooted feeling that he wasn't worth the time and energy of the visit, though he couldn't voice the strange feeling that bubbled in his chest at those words. Regardless, his ears perked when Corvus said "We could do something if you wanted. To stay awake, I mean. Unless you'd rather be alone," and he offered up a lopsided smile. Shaking out his pelt a little, the pale youth let the last dredges of weariness escape with a wide yawn. "Sounds great to me, I don't really like being lazy." he said with a small smile, and rose the rest of his way to his paws. It was strange to notice that he wasn't too much smaller than the older male, and still growing. He was still getting used to the concept of being grown, and not a tiny pup toddling around the whelping den just playing at adulthood. "I was wondering if I could ask for some help with my training, actually. I was hoping to take up patrolling the borders soon, but I'm not sure how that works." he admitted a bit bashfully, the dark mask upon his features hiding some of the blush that rose to his cheeks. The alabaster boy wasn't a fan of being found lacking in any respect, or relying on others for help. However, the rational part of his brain was aware that it was completely fine to ask others for help, and Corvus was certainly one of the best wolves to ask about this task, specifically. "Speech" thoughts "others"

Making sure Abaven's youth was well-adjusted and prepared for the future was an important task in his mind, even if it was one he didn't necessarily know how to accomplish. Teaching them the basics of survival was important but at the age Solo was now, it wasn't like he could just teach him how to chase mice - he already knew these things. He was going to come into adulthood soon enough and he'd have to be tasked with the more monotonous things that came with it. Like.. patrolling, which Solo brought up. Corvus nodded in understanding, giving him another small grin.

"I'd be happy to help you. Patrolling is boring sometimes, but also pretty important. Gives me time to clear my mind too," he admitted. His morning patrol was one of the only things that had gotten him out of his den after Twig's miscarriage and he found himself valuing that precious time spent on reflection. Sometimes the monotony of traveling the same path each day was soothing in itself, too. "Let's go patrol a bit then," Corvus twisted his head to the side in a small gesture as he started back the way he'd came. "It's pretty straightforward, really. I like to set a path to follow each day to make sure nothing's out of order. Make sure all the scents you come across are familiar, and if they're not try to figure out where they came from. Make sure you're not calling everyone for a new member you haven't met yet, or maybe a visitor," he explained.

THERE IS VERY LITTLE LEFT OF ME AND IT'S NEVER COMING BACK

A small nod and a friendly smile eased some of the anxiety that came with admitting his own shortcomings, and the pale boy found himself flashing a lopsided smile in response. "I'd be happy to help you. Patrolling is boring sometimes, but also pretty important. Gives me time to clear my mind too," Corvus admitted, and Solo gave a quiet hum of interest. His dark tipped tail swished lightly against his hocks in excitement at the prospect of getting to learn something new. "Let's go patrol a bit then," the Blackthorn offered with a tip of his skull in the direction he'd just come from. The alabaster yearling moved to join him, keeping up with his steady gait that was only a little slower than a trot. Not so fast that they might miss something, but quick enough that they could cover some ground fairly easily. "It's pretty straightforward, really. I like to set a path to follow each day to make sure nothing's out of order. Make sure all the scents you come across are familiar, and if they're not try to figure out where they came from. Make sure you're not calling everyone for a new member you haven't met yet, or maybe a visitor," the man began to explain as they walked. These were not things that Solo had previously considered, but now that they were out in the open he found himself understanding it all.

If he noticed a strange scent, before calling for backup, he ought to trace it to the source, instead of potentially rallying the warriors over a new member who he hadn't met yet. Made sense, no point in stressing everyone over a false alarm. "Should I start with a small area to patrol, so I can get familiar with the routine first?" he asked next, glancing over to the ruddy male at his side.

"Solo"

Solo seemed eager to accompany him, and Corvus was pleased. Even if he wasn't the most extroverted of wolves, he preferred spending time with his family and packmates above all else. Any opportunity to teach was a welcome one to him and he'd make the most of it, even if he had little to offer besides his company. Sometimes that was enough, though he hoped he could teach Solo at least something new today. The younger male moved to join him, Corvus slackening his pace so that they were walking alongside each other. "A lot of patrolling is pretty situational," he continued to explain as they walked. "You should be able to think quickly and decide what the best course of action is, depending on what's going on. Waking up the pack in a panic for no reason won't go over well with some - but sometimes the false alarm might be better than risking anyone's safety, you know?"

Not that Abaven had those situations arise often, but he wanted Solo to be prepared just in case. His question earned an excited nod. "Yeah, that's a good idea until you're more familiar with the route. Eventually you'll find a path you like. Things have been quiet lately anyway but it's important to keep an eye on things anyway, even if it seems monotonous. Good time to see if can find signs of any prey animals moving through the area," Corvus added. It was far from a glorious job but it had to get done. It served a purpose as much as any other task that was delegated within the pack, and personally he was happy to help out wherever he could, no matter what the job was.