Laying sprawled out on his side, the brute's eyes closed as he gave into the feeling of exhaustion. He'd been wandering for days, insomnia filling him with an insatiable restlessness. Finally his mind appeared to give up the fight for wakefulness and Valentine, utterly spent, crashed upon the spot. He didn't care where he was or if it was sheltered, all he cared about was the opportunity to rest. His breathing deepened, mind drifting off as he began the descent into paradise. The world of endless possibilities was before him, coaxing him closer with each passing second. He moved towards dream world without hesitation or fight. "Speaking" Thinking

Clutching a weed between his teeth, the boy began the journey back to his new home with a spring in his step. Since recuperating from the journey, the boy had spent every waking minute exploring. Already he'd amassed a collection of trinkets; an assortment of oddly shaped/colored rocks and feathers, leaves and twigs. The plant in his mouth, while special, was not going to be joining his collection. No, it had a greater purpose. Shtiya was convinced it held magical properties. It was capable of curing anything, but there was a catch; it only worked if you used it exactly right and if you didn't it could kill you. For this very reason, the boy handled the plant with the utmost care. It was held in a featherlight grasp, the dirt that had once held it in place removed with meticulous precision. The boy froze as an awful roaring sound reached his ears. In seconds it petered out, ending in a drawn out whistle. What the heck was that? It brought the image of a huge bear dying to mind and Shtyia, slightly fearful, didn't know what to make of it. The sound repeated itself, the odd, rumbling noise followed by a whistle. From there it came and went like clockwork; the cycle repeating itself every few seconds. His fear waning, Shtiya crept closer, peering around a rock formation. ""

Having drifted off, Valentine's jaw had gone slack in sleep. His lips hung laxly, but remained closed unless pressure was applied. Upon inhaling through his nose, the brute's soft palette and uvula would vibrate, creating a deep, growling sound. When it was time to exhale, the air was pushed through his mouth, resulting in his upturned cheek billowing out before the pressure was enough to pry his lips open. The air would rush through the small opening and create a soft whistle. A explosion of air through his nose caused the brute to stir, his limbs stretching out in front of him. The need for sleep was too great to rouse him completely, though, and in seconds his breathing returned to normal. "Speaking" Thinking

Peering around the rock, the boy's gaze landed on the giant's sleeping form. Oh, wow! He was huge! Hands down, the sleeper was the biggest wolf he'd ever seen. Shtiya's fear left him and was replaced with an insatiable curiosity. Using what little self control he had, Shtiya crept up on the brute, stopping just short of touching one of his paws. He ogled it, staring with round eyes at the massive paw. It was almost the size of his head! How did this big guy walk around, his paws had to be really heavy! The brute's proportions blew the little boy's mind. Until now, he'd had no idea that wolves could even get that big. A whistle from the brute's mouth drew Shtiya's gaze away from his paws. He watched the giant's lips puff out and then deflate and was struck with a brilliant scheme. Moving to stand in front of the brute's face, the boy lowered his head and used the plant in his mouth to gently brush the other wolf's nose. ""

The child's gentle touch disrupted the brute's sleep pattern. He snorted through his nose, mouth snapping shut, and then rumbled to himself. Valentine whimpered fretfully as he wrestled between rising and settling back into sleep. The cobalt prince stretched, his back arching and his legs rising as he straightened them out. His ears flicked, twitching as imagined insects harassed him. With a slow release of breath, the brute's limbs sank back to the ground and he stilled. For several seconds he didn't make a sound and then as sleep claimed him once more, he drew in a deep, ragged breath. "Speaking" Thinking

As the brute began to stir, Shtiya panicked. He was waking! Holding in a squeal, the boy, still clutching the plant, took off running in the direction he'd come. He ran until he was around the corner, skidding to a halt and listening for sounds of pursuit. His heart pounded in his ears, the sound impossibly loud. He strained to hear around it, trying desperately to detect footfalls. Another roar from the brute brought the boy creeping back. He slowly peeked around the rock formation. The sleeping giant laid in the exact same place he'd been in when Shtiya had brushed his nose. The desire for mischief pushed him forward, egging him on as he slithered towards the big wolf. Reaching him, Shtiya once more took up position at the brute's head. He leaned down over the giant, studying the dots on his face. Staring at him, the boy began to wonder what all he could get away with. ""

Blissfully unaware of the wilted plant hanging over his face, Valentine snoozed on. His lips ballooned out, the bubble popping to allow a whistle to escape. Beneath the peaceful countenance, a dream world raged. The most beautiful creature was smiling at him and his whole being lit up with a warm recognition. The angelic brute glided towards him, stopping once they were inches apart. His snowy lips parted, speaking sweet words that sent the dream Valentine's heart into a beating frenzy. The other grew serious, his eyes soft. Hesitantly, he reached out to brush muzzles and immediately, the ache in Valentine's chest left him. He felt so peaceful, so thoroughly saturated with love and understanding. Nothing could take this feeling from him.... Back in the real world, the little plant toting boy crept up to stand between his massive forelimbs, his scrawny neck outstretched in an attempt to reach the sleeping brute's shoulder... "Speaking" Thinking

Standing between the brute's massive paws, Shtiya looked down at the weird scabby wound on his upturned forelimb. It was so weird! The mark almost looked like a tree, or the work of a wood insect. The latter thought gave him pause. Had a bug chewed those trails into the giant's skin? Were there really bugs like that? That was so gross! His ears flicked back. That was scary too. What if a bug jumped on him and started chewing on him like that? Would it get under his skin and eat him from the inside? He shuddered at the thought and tried to push it out of his mind. Thinking about scary things killed his joyful mood. Thinking about bugs that would hurt him wasn't any fun, it was time to get back to playing with the sleeping giant. Shtiya had a game in mind. Stretching up on his toes, the boy leaned out over the brute's shoulder. Watching his face for signs that the giant was stirring, he leaned down and carefully placed the plant on the scarred shoulder. The moment the weed left his jaws, the boy sucked in a deep breath and held it, his eyes locked on the brute's face with hawkish precision. Would it wake him? ""