Hey You
Birds overhead caused Féli to lift his head, ears perking upward. Now they could make an interesting meal… if only he could catch them. Perhaps, the older man mused, he could try tracking them down to where they would rest. But who knew how long that would take with the current season? No, perhaps he’d better stick to fish… or continue on his way in hopes of finding some other morsel to nibble upon.
“It’s growing late… going to have to make a decision soon.” He didn’t really want to bed down by the water… but perhaps getting a meal out of the river would make that worth it. He carefully crossed towards the water, lowering his head first to drink. The whole while his body was alert, ears staining to catch the sound of anyone who might be trying to sneak up upon him.
As soon as he caught his friend's trail he followed it, despite the unease he felt at whatever conversation might unfold. His scent trailed along a long stretch of river, winding gently through the landscape. It was a frigid day, and a gentle breeze caused his fur to stand on end as a shiver temporarily took hold of him. He'd never been a huge fan of the colder seasons, but the weather here was mild enough that it caused little real annoyance.
He caught sight of his friend from a far distance. Hardly even far enough to see him at all, but too far to catch any details. His pace increased, ears flicking as he drew closer to his friend, making no effort to silence his pawsteps. He knew Feli would hear him, regardless of whether he tried to disguise the sound of his approach or not. A slight grin tugged at his lips as he dipped his head in greeting as he got without earshot. "Hanging out with all your friends?" he quipped playfully, his grin widening as he closed the distance between them.
“Been a while, though. I hope that this land finds you well.” His silvery-gray eyes shifted towards the other male, head cocking slightly to the side. “I was hoping to run into you here, though I hadn’t necessarily expected it to be so soon.” Félicien let out a soft chuckle. “Seems the world works in mysterious ways. Tell me, friend, what have you been up to as of late?”
He paused for a moment after Felicien spoke. "It.. has," he started carefully, eyeing him and wondering how much success his mentor had been having here, in all regards. Mostly in business, if he was being honest. "Things have been somewhat quiet." He shifted his weight from one side of his body to the other, musing over what he ought to share. "Though," Zephyr started, clearing his throat, "I have ran into some.. characters from my past, you could say." He watched his friend, wondering how he might react.
“Characters from your past, hmm?” Féli closed his eyes, giving a soft sigh. “I take it there is more you’re reluctant to tell me about these meetings?” He opened his eyes again, flicking one ear back. There was definitely more to be said, though how much his friend was willing to share on his own was to be seen.
"Mmm," he murmured thoughtfully, ears flicking as he turned his head. His gaze found his reflection, rippling in the river's unstable current, hardly recognizable at all. "I ran into Asha recently. Then Caelum. Guess she's still alive." His voice was somber, and only mildly disinterested. Their initial meeting had been.. quite difficult, to say the least. It seemed like she wanted to see him again, but how could he be certain? He shifted his weight on his front paws. Maybe she was gone for good this time. He fell silent, unsure what else to share since he hadn't quite decided how he felt about any of it.
“You guess she’s still alive… so you didn’t put an end to her yourself?” Félicien decided to look upon Zephyr then, trying to read his expression. There was still more to this yet, more than what the man knew. He furrowed his brow and was silent for a moment before he looked back towards the river, flipping his ears forward once more.
“Did you change your mind about what you want to do regarding her, Zeph?” The man asked, his voice becoming level once more. “If you need another paw to take care of her you know you only need to ask.” He was talking business now, his voice holding a serious note now. “Though it’s up to you what you wish to do with her…”
A slight frown tugged at his lips at the other man's words. "I.. didn't," he answered, a slight touch of hesitation in his voice. No matter what they'd discussed in the past, disposing of her hadn't ever truly crossed his mind, and even now the thought made his chest clench uncomfortably. "I think I can handle her on my own," he finally answered, though he wasn't quite sure what he meant. "Thanks for the offer though." It was difficult to hide the angst he felt, though his expression tightened as he eyed the river as well.
“Don’t know about you, but I’m feeling a bit tired. I was going to find somewhere to rest for the night. Would you care to join me?” The dark furred brute rose, swishing his tail thoughtfully back and forth. Right now there was not too much point in getting more riled up. If Zephyr changed his mind and wanted him to help with Caelum he’d let him know… and if not, well… It was up to Félicien to carry on about his own way.
He was grateful that his friend didn't press the issue. It was a conversation he wasn't ready to have, and likely one that wouldn't go well, either. He mimicked Felicien's movements, stretching his forelimbs in a slow motion in front of him. Resting did sound like a good plan, though, and Zephyr nodded stoically. "Rest sounds necessary," he sighed, realizing just then how tired he was. It'd been awhile since he'd rested at Felicien's side and he found himself grateful for the companionship again. "Let's go, then."
- exit -