Winter Moon

Alarik was relieved to know that he hadn't been the one to cause this man so much pain and distress. He had no idea what the root cause of such strong and terrible emotions could be. He didn't want to pry, but that compassionate side of him still sought to understand. What could have happened to wound this man so deeply and irreparably?

He stammered again, really struggling with it this time. But just like before, Alarik waited patiently until at last he said his thanks. "Don't mention it," he said with a smile. "I'm happy to help."

The stranger introduced himself, saying that his name was Spider. "Huh," he chuckled, wagging his tail in a friendly way. "That's a cool name. Nice to meet you, Spider." He was still relieved to know that the man, Spider, was feeling better. He wanted to ask some questions, but was afraid of triggering more negative emotions, so he held himself back. They'd just have to find something else to talk about... hmm...