exhaustion. it dogs their steps, drags their every stride down as though rocks have been tied to their feet. a yawn bursts from between their teeth, cracking the bone of their jaw. they’re unsteady, stumbling slightly and entirely vulnerable – but every time they close their eyes…darkcoldhelpcan’tbreathehelp. Spider shakes their head furiously in an attempt to clear it. the nightmares had started so abruptly, weeks after their near-drowning; they were safe now, they were alive. so why were they waking up every night gasping for breath, convinced black water was still clogging the depths of their lungs? irritable with themselves, they trudge further into the thicket, grimacing when bristles grab at their fur. “speech”

Strai hadn’t made a habit of leaving the Vikings territory. And any time he had, the trips had been short. He wasn’t quite ready yet to push his luck with Vidarr. He knew he was already on thin ice with the Viking Demon and wanted to give no more reasons for his cold eyes to fall on the snowy pup.

The thicket territory especially wasn’t a place he was a big fan of. Not after that time he had gotten stuck in their thorny embrace. But he stalked the edges of the territory, before settling down to wait. His white coat blending into the snow as he set himself up to ambush any small prey that might emerge.


"Speech"

a flash of white catches their attention, but they’re so distracted they dismiss it at first as a stray rabbit hiding amidst the thorny underbrush. they cast it a disparaging glance - they’ve no interest in hunting right now - but do a double take when they begin to register a pair of tall ears, and the curve of a distinctly canine snout. curious, they approach at a tentative pace - not all strangers are friendly, as they’re beginning to realise - when a twig crunches under their paw, eliciting a violent flinch. on edge as they are, the sound is enough to startle them, and it’s at that moment that they find themselves face-to-face with the with wolf they’d been approaching. yelping in surprise, Spider trips over a second twig and falls back on their ass, chest rising and falling sharply with a sudden onslaught of adrenaline. worked up as they are, it takes a few moments for them to recognise the face in front of them - and when they do it’s with a flush of embarrassment. “Astraios?!” had he witnessed all that? "Speech"

He was low enough in the grass that he could only see the edges of the creature coming towards him. It was small, and dark. Likely a rabbit, and he was already coiling his hindlegs in preparation. The foolish creature was approaching closer, and closer. Oblivious to its approaching demise, until it stepped on a twig. In that moment of hesitation, Strai shot straight upwards.

Realising, even as he did, that this wasn’t prey, but wolf. In the wake of that understanding, came another. He knew this wolf. Too late, his momentum was pushing him forward as he pounced on the fallen wolf. He paused there, on top of Spider. Looking down at the smaller wolf, his eyes wide with surprise. “You're not a rabbit!” He said with disappointment.

"Speech"

there’s a flash of violet eyes, a rustle of movement, and then they’re on their back and blinking up at Astraios with wide pink eyes. being pinned in such an abrupt manner would ordinarily bother them - how rude! - but all it takes is one glance at Strai’s face and they’re bursting into giggles. “terribly sorry,” they splutter, eyes twinkling with mirth, “i must’ve left my cotton tail at home today.” after they’ve calmed considerably, they take proper stock of Strai’s face, noting the differences and similarities. he’s older than the last time they met, looking less like a pup and more like the teenager they’d soon both be. “what’s the big idea, anyway?” they complain, shoving gently with their forepaws in an attempt to get up. “is this payback for the time i kicked your ass?” "Speech"

Rather disgruntled, Strai sneered down at Spider. At least their deal was well and truly off. He didn’t have to go making any pretences now! But something had changed in Strai these last few weeks. He wasn’t quite as snappy and short tempered as he used to be. He still was, somewhat. But now he was well fed, had a dry place to sleep… and Delphi.

When Spider began to giggle, he stuck his tongue out at the smaller wolf, and released his grip on their shoulders. Or at least, he started to. At Spider’s words he had a change of mind, and pressed down harder instead. “That was a fluke, you’d never win now” He told Spider arrogantly.


"Speech"

Spider yelps as they're pressed back into the ground again, this time harder. they click their tongue, wiggling in discomfort, though they make no proper move to free themselves. "your temper hasn't improved, i see," they tease. at Strai's assertion, they give a considering hum and run an appraising eye over him. he's probably right, he probably would win - and not just because he's older now. there's something else that's new about him;  gone is the starving, desperate boy from the tree hollow, replaced with someone stronger, someone more...settled. still, Spider has never been very good at picking their battles. "oh yeah? and what do you want if you win this time?" after a moment's consideration, they had, "you know, i bumped into someone nearby who knew you." they raise both brows and add in a sing-song voice, curious as to Strai's reaction, "her name was Delphi. you know her?" "Speech"

Strai grinned at that, because the truth was, he had but he didn’t bother correcting Spider. He eased his grip when Spider yelped, holding them gently to the earth now. His expression turned thoughtful at Spider’s question. What did he want? “Say, that shiny new dagger would be a neat prize” he said conversationally, then his thoughts halted in their tracks.

Once again, he was digging his paws tighter into Spider, locking them beneath him. His expression darkened. “If you had anything to do with her tail, I will kill you.” He said, emphasising the words slowly. He wanted Spider to fully understand him. He lowered his head so it was inches above Spider's, his eyes locking onto the smaller pups.

"Speech"

for the first time since they'd met, Spider's expression turns cold. they begin to wriggle in earnestness now, trying to throw the bigger boy off. "don't touch that," they hiss, a new venom entering their voice. then they freeze, surprised at their ability to even make that sound. they've never heard themselves so...furious. "my Dad gave me that," they continue, quieter, a touch of apology in their voice; they hadn't meant to snap, hadn't realised they even had that particular sensitive spot. "it was a gift. from Bas." hopefully Strai was still intimidated by Bas and would back off now; they weren't above getting Bas involved if he tried anything. what was the point of having a big scary Dad if you couldn't take advantage of it? their thoughts are disrupted by Strai's reaction to Delphi's name, eliciting a squeak of true alarm. real fear courses through them, and they churn their hind legs in a desperate attempt to throw him to the side. "i...don't know what you're talking about!" they protest, gritting their teeth. this boy was crazy; they couldn't believe they'd actually played tag with him! younger them had had a death wish! "what tail? i didn't even notice her tail!" it might've been bobbed, but their memory was fuzzy...and why did Strai think they'd done it, anyway?! "do i look like i just go around...ngh...cutting people's tails off?!" "Speech"

Having a dagger heirloom from his mother - he knew the importance of such things, and wouldn’t take it just for fun. He might be an ass, but he wasn’t that much of an ass. If Spider had anything to do with hurting Delphi however, that changed things. He would be quite happy to take the dagger and carve Spider up with their own gift. Even the thought of the wolf that had hurt Delphi, that had left physical and mental scars on her… he could feel the rage thrumming in his blood.

Spider spoke of their innocence, and they were so small. Surely there was no way they could overpower Delphi? He loosened his grip again, trying to get a handle on his temper. “If you didn’t notice it, how did you know it was cut off?” he asked. He had no qualms with holding Spider, trapped beneath him until he was satisfied with their answers.


"Speech"

Spider begins to relax as Strai does; he seems to believe them, to their immense relief - and he's not eyeing their dagger anymore like it's a shiny new toy. "well, it was a pretty shoddy job," Spider reasons, trying to sound as earnest as possible. they can't believe they're actually entertaining these accusations; they aren't a murderous villain who just goes around maiming people! "so i figured she couldn't have been...born that way." worried that they've insulted her - Strai is clearly very touchy when it comes to this Delphi girl - they hasten to add, "she was really nice! she gave me some berries; i'd never had them before." couldn't Strai see they were on the same side? both huuuge number one Delphi fans, no tail stealing going around here! and then, because they're unable to hold their tongue and apparently maybe do have a death wish after all: "are you guys...um...ya know?" they waggle their brows suggestively and make a few kissy faces for good measure. ex-Mum had taken them aside a few weeks before they'd abadoned them and explained, ahem...things...so they were pretty familiar with that kind of stuff. come to think of it, they'd probably been a bit young for that particular talk. a+ parenting, as usual. "Speech"

Strai let out a huffed sigh and - finally - released his grip on Spider. Leaning back so the other wolf could get up if they so wished to. “Alright, I guess it probably wasn’t you. I promised her I would help find the wolf that did it…” He said, trailing off and then shaking his head. Had he said that bit out loud?

Leaning back on his hunches, he made a face as Spider made kissy noises and asked him if he and Delphi were… No! Well, maybe? But no! He scowled again. “Were, uhh… roommates.” He said. Why were they getting into this? Feeling a sudden urge to change the topic, he nudged his muzzle in the direction of Spider’s knife. “So, Bas got you that?” He clarified.

"Speech"

finally, Strai backs off, allowing them to get their feet. "thankyou," they huff, drawing the word out with deliberate exaggeration. "boy, you sure are heavy. maybe lay off the rabbits, hm?" they lift a paw to bump against his shoulders, should he allow it. "ooh, so you're gonna hunt down the tail-thief? sounds fun! let me know if you guys need help." he probably won't take them up on that, but Spider is a good friend - unlike some people - and friends help each other. at the mention of their dagger, they perk right up, flashing a brilliant grin. this is their very favourite topic. "yeah, look!" tail wagging furiously, they drag the dagger slowly out from its sheath and turn the blade so it catches the light. the words Spider Fatalis  glint from its smooth surface. "Bas and Hazel adopted me," they whisper, voice tinged with awe. "they made me a Fatalis. and you wanna know something else?" they lean in as close as Strai will let them, voice dropping further as they're about to divulge some huge secret. "i'm gonna use it to become a warrior." "Speech"

Strai, who still remembered what it was like to be starving, scowled again at Spider. It was so easy to scowl at this wolf, sometimes it seemed like everything they said was annoying. He stared at the paw that was thumped against him, his eyebrow twitching in a way that said ‘move it or lose it’ but a smirk shadowed his expression.

“Sorry, it’s a friends-only expedition” cold but he couldn’t help but poke at Spider. After all, the wolf had attempted to force friendship upon him. Delphi had earned it, through… much strife and doubt.

He looked at the dagger when it was shown, and found his expression flickering as Spider mentioned being adopted. Bas wasn’t their real father? He hadn’t known that. Jealousy was a bitter thing, but he pushed it down. “Guess you can say you have parents that chose you then, right?” He said, unlike his own…

"Speech"

Spider's mouth falls open in faux shock, eyes bugging out with copious dramatics. "excuse you? we're friends! we're totally friends." seriously, how did Strai have a friend? he was so prickly! it made Spider want to rethink their (generally positive) first impression of Delphi; surely you had to have a few screws loose to get him to actually like you. they fall quiet as Strai observes their dagger, puffing up in pride. but then they deflate a little, expression going solemn. "yeah...i guess so." they offer a weak smile, and add in a smaller voice, "wasn't so sure they would...choose me, that is. Mum - the first one - kind of...skipped out on me."[/b] they shrug, trying to dismiss the memories. none of it mattered now - and besides, Strai was probably the last one who'd be sympathetic, anyway. "do you want to hold it?" they whisper, noticing a flicker of something in his eyes. jealousy, maybe? it's there and gone in a flash, so they can't be sure. they lift it up tentatively, relishing it's weight. "you just have to be really gentle." "Speech"

That was pretty much the reaction he was looking for, and he watched as the tiny pup puffed up with indignation. “Are we?” He asked, unsurprised that was the route Spider would take. “Prove it.” How Spider would do that? He had no idea, but it would be no doubt either fascinating or annoying to see.

He shrugged at Spider’s words, uncertain how to proceed. “Sounds like you got a second chance, not everyone gets that.” He settled on, not sure if the words were comforting in any way.


“Sure” He said, reaching out a paw and taking the knife. He handled it gently, feeling the weight and balance of it. It was well made, much like his own. He felt a pang at its loss. Vidarr had confiscated it when he had kidnapped him and made him Thrall. “It’s a good blade. A warrior's blade.”


"Speech"

prove it? Spider furrows their brow, thinking carefully. how were they supposed to prove their friendship? "i'm letting you hold my blade," they settle on, giving a decisive little nod. "and only friends are allowed to hold it - ergo, we're friends." it made perfect sense to them; surely Strai couldn't argue with such sound logic? and then he calls it a warrior's blade. Spider beams, eyes lighting up with joy. a flush of happiness warms them, and they shoot Astraios a pleased smile. so maybe he'd pinned them to the ground, threatened to steal their dagger and accused them of removing a girl's tail...he really wasn't so bad after all. "thanks," they whisper, eyes reflecting the sheen of the blade. "hey...wanna go kill something with it?" "Speech"

There was definitely logic to be found there. If it was in his control, he would only allow friends to touch his mothers blade. “Alright, maybe we are friends. probationary friends.” He warned Spider, turning the blade over to hand it back to the smaller wolf. Besides, it seemed he wasn’t going to get rid of Spider easily. The pup seemed to have followed him all the way to the Vikings, after all.

Spider looked far too pleased. How did the pup bounce back to enthusiasm so easily? It seemed like nothing phazed them for more than five seconds. He could probably knock them out, and they would be up again moments later, forgiving and cheerful. Sheesh. Some wolves had stable parents (Granted, adopted) and it showed.

“Sure! Maybe a rabbit?” he said, grinning at the way their meeting came right back around to rabbits. Fine. Fine. Spider was growing on them. Like fungus.


"Speech"

yesss! victory!! they can work with probationary friends! this is progress! this is friendship! “you’ve got it!” Spider agrees, trying to remain casual on the outside and not like they’re internally doing a pirouette. “probationary friends it is.” but they know the two of them will be best friends any day now - Spider is just too likeable to remain on probationary very long. at the mention of rabbits, they give a vigorous nod. “sure!” Spider agrees, bouncing eagerly on the tips of their toes. “just as long as you don’t mistake me for one again!” they poke out a teasing tongue, then begin scenting the air as Bas has taught them. it doesn’t take long for them to catch wind of something, and they shoot Strai a conspirator’s grin. “i reckon there’s one just over there,” they murmur, lowering their voice - mostly for the drama, really. it’s fun to whisper. ”it’s down south of us a little. smell it?” they wait a beat, then add, “how do you wanna play this?” "Speech"

Strai only sighed at their predictable enthusiasm. At least they knew who he was, that he was prickly. It wasn’t likely to catch them by surprise any time soon. Moving on, since that seemed the only sensible course of action, he was happy to talk about rabbits. He was (predictably) hungry, and his rabbit hunt had already been disturbed by Spider’s appearance.

“But you're so short and bouncy, just like a rabbit. What if I do?” He asked, keeping his voice genuine in the hopes they would struggle to realise he was teasing. Annoyingly, Spider caught the scent of rabbit first.

Following their lead (which, yes, irked) he sniffed the air, and found the scent they had located. “Rabbits are fast. One of us should skirt around it and chase it towards the other.”

"Speech"