Winter Moon

After several good, deep breaths, the stranger seemed to be feeling a little better. He looked less anxious and distressed, but those emotions had really only been replaced with exhaustion. Still, he seemed to be in a better state of mind. He still struggled to speak eloquently, but Alarik didn't mind that. Just as he didn't mind when the man asked for a second time who Alarik was. Surely after feeling so distressed and panicked, he couldn't be expected to remember the name of a man he just met. And Alarik knew his name could be a bit of a mouthful.

"Alarik," he said gently. The Xanilov part wasn't important right now. This man had probably never heard of the surname belonging to his family. "I'm sorry if I upset you earlier, I really didn't mean to," the boy said, still staying close to keep the man safe from the cold and biting wind.