wake me up
So many emotions flooded the yearling's body. Quite literally, too; he felt his limbs quivering ever so slightly and his heart pounding inside his chest as he pulled himself close to Kangi as she began to cry. He wasn't quite sure whether he was happy or sad or a strange mixture of the two, but he was too concerned with making sure Kangi stopped crying to worry about his own emotions. "I'm happy, too," he nearly whimpered, continuing to lap somewhat frantically at her cheeks, as though the tears would never stop unless he helped rid her cheeks of them. She seemed to freeze, almost like she was going to back away, but instead leaned into him. Perhaps she liked the affection? He knew he did, though it felt strange too, and made him shiver and laugh nervously. She returned the affectionate gesture, leaning over to lick his cheek in return. He smiled, finding it hard to keep what felt like a silly grin from taking over his features. "Maybe some day," he said, his voice small and unsure. He doubted that they would return, and he wasn't sure he would be overjoyed if they did, now that he had resigned to them abandoning him for good. 'At least you made a friend to help you out,' she said, and he nodded agreement. "Yeah," he said eagerly, tail waving behind him. He didn't catch that she might be unsure of Euphrosyne; he was too caught up in being excited to see her to really notice these subtle cues. "You need to meet her. You'll like her," he assured her quickly, leaning to place another kiss on her cheek. But this time he felt even more bashful about it, and pulled away, ducking his head down to stare quietly at his forepaws for a moment. However, she did not seem excited about the idea of staying in a pack. He wasn't sure if he'd meant permanently, or just for a visit. "Oh..." he said softly, resignedly. A quiet sigh left his lips and his eyes welled with tears of confusion. Maybe she was a little upset that he'd just left without finding her? He really hoped not. "I don't know much about it. The leader... King.. is a little tough, but he seems okay. Treats Euphrosyne well." He didn't want to mention that he hadn't felt particularly liked by him. "I know he will like you." How could he not? She was so pretty!
Then she asked him something that truly confounded him. He had never considered being a rogue .. not at all. "I never thought of that," he said softly, feeling like he was suddenly torn between Kangi and Euphrosyne; even if she hadn't meant to pose the question in such a way. A soft whine escaped his throat, despite his efforts to stifle the noise. "I don't know... I like being in a pack. I don't feel so afraid when I'm surrounded by others. I spent weeks alone, and it made me too sad..." He sighed, not sure what she was getting at. He didn't want to leave Kangi alone, but he'd already committed to living with Euphrosyne, and he did like her... she'd helped him greatly over the last season, from hunting to simply getting over the loss of his parents. |
