SKILL: Vagabond

SOUTHEAST TO THE PATH OF ETERNITY

(Terrified)

What to do?

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ITEM (Nothing To Use!)

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ACT (No Enemy Present!)

---

RUN (Running Away!)

Health
15/15
Vagabond
0/30

Are YOU my mother?

Thread starter for Juniper1 c:

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HELP! HELP ME!

The little boy cried out, running as fast as his little legs could carry him across the grassy plain. He was terrified. More than terrified, but he did not know if such a word existed.

His trek from the shores of the Great Woodlands to the Spirited Highlands had not been one worth noting- Not many encounters, not many friends made. No big important lessons, nothing much taught. Of course, that did not set him up well for the lessons that life outside of a cave would have in store. That would explain why, perhaps, a wolf was running from a hare.

Southeast tumbled once more, hitting his side against a stiff rock and causing him to roll past it downhill, landing somewhat-neatly on his paws on a patch of leafy nonsense. Blinking, then spotting someone in the distance, the pup looked back in terror at the beast chasing him even still. LEAVE ME ALONE! -khuff, khuff!- GO AWAY! How was he meant to know that a burrow belonged to this thing? It didn’t look like it should live underground! And why was it so big!? He had seen similar things, but none as big as this one! He was lucky there was only the one, but it was STILL AFTER HIM!

Fleeing towards the distant figure, Southeast could feel the burn in his legs with each bound. Hopefully they would be of some help, and not just another big log. It wasn't like he knew what a log was, either. Anybody could have made that mistake, right?

ALL CODING AND CHARACTER ART ON THIS PROFILE ARE DONE BY MYSELF UNLESS STATED OTHERWISE.

Juniper had been surveying the rise for any useful plants that survived the frost. Their attention focused on the dormant, dead, or dying plants that dotted the rise. The trees closest to the golden glade had shed their leaves in massive piles. The few plants hardy enough to persist through the winter would be harvest only when absolutely needed. To pick their leaves and berries too early would simply encourage them rot, even if the colder weather would slow it. A deep furrow had set itself into their brow.

HELP! HELP ME!

The small wolf snapped her head in the direction of the shrill voice. The pitch setting her hair on end. Her heart skipped to realize just how young the voice sounded. Juniper's oaken gaze swept over the environment, searching for the one in need.

A small, tan figure streaked through the trees, and Juniper identified it as a boy racing towards her.

What's wrong?! Before she knew it, her voice had taken into the air. The fact that this boy was not of the rise did not matter in this instance. Fear oozed out of every breath and frantic movement the child made.

Juniper found that their arms had opened to receive the child in his flight, their gaze shifted to the land behind him to glimpse whatever he ran from.

SOUTHEAST TO THE PATH OF ETERNITY

(Terrified)

What to do?

---

ITEM (Nothing To Use!)

---

ACT (Choosing to Hide!)

---

RUN (Nowhere to Go!)

Health
15/15
No Skill in Progress
0/30

Are YOU my mother?

---

Solace. Comforted, if only by the fact that they promptly asked what was wrong, he yelped and ducked his head. Hare paws flew forward with sharp flat nails and an angered squeaking, Southeast avoiding the ferocious attack by a couple of hairs. Now was NOT the time for corny puns! Just about leaping into Juniper’s grasp, he whipped around with a growl at the Lagomorph that had stopped only some distance back, nose twitching. I said I was SORRY! With a wail, he flinched back and cowered beside them when it stomped its thin paws.

Looking up at the grey individual, his big, sad brown eyes pleaded for her to understand. I accidentally went to sleep in that thing’s cave and then it came back and started attacking me! Ears drooped, his gaze returned to it as it stood there, threateningly. Hopefully any movement from the larger wolf would scare this animal off, but he did not know if it would. It had chased him over at least one hill, and the fact that it was still standing around unnerved him. And these animals were everywhere? Oh no, oh no. And it Kh-KHHF! Kicked me! I thought these were nice and small and cute! Southeast had only ever seen rabbits on their side, or from a great distance, or half-eaten, or not-kicking-his-flank. Which meant he didn't exactly know they were different animals.

Juniper, as what looked to be an adult, probably had this situation under control and would handle it very soon. Assuming this, he stuck his tongue out at the hare in a teasing manner. (Have fun with that, stupid.) He had not stopped to consider how they did not know each other and yet here he was using them as a living shield, but it was suuurely fine. If they didn't want him there, they would deal with it after the hare, which would still be a net gain for the boy. Whatever made it go away.

ALL CODING AND CHARACTER ART ON THIS PROFILE ARE DONE BY MYSELF UNLESS STATED OTHERWISE.

The boy dove into her arms, readily taking the helping hand she offered. A paw curved around the boy's shoulders as the wolf looked down at the lost child. When her gaze lifted upward to assess the situation, Juniper could scarcely believe her eyes. She touched her wrist to her muzzle and sucked in her cheeks. Each movement designed to hide the ever growing smile that dared to twist her lips. She was at least successful in suppressing the laugh that bubbled up in her chest.

A rather angry, and frankly audacious, hare was the beast giving the boy a run for his money. Truthfully, they hadn't seen anything quite like it. Such boldness would usually get a prey animal killed for its trouble, but against a little boy, they supposed that even a hare could be a mighty adversary. Juniper knew well enough that even hares had claws that one shouldn't sneeze at. They found their gaze lowering back to Southeast, amusement playing across their face.

Oh, what trouble you have found, hm? Even small beasts protect their spaces.

Oakwood eyes lingered on the boy. His tan pelt was poorly kept, but his adult coat was starting to come in. Vestiges of pup fluff curled around his cheeks and throat, broken up by they growing guard hairs. He appeared both large for his age, but terribly underweight. A flash of guilt crossed Juniper's mind. As outlandish as the situation was, he did have every right be scared. This hare was simply a shining example of how individualistic some animals could be.

Oh yes, they can certainly be cute, but I think you've simply angered an oddball.

Juniper allowed her gaze to switch back to the hare. The animal seemed to be held at bay by her presence, and she could see in those dark, beady eyes its nerve was faltering. With a swipe of her tongue across her nose, Juniper pulled back her lips and gave the hare a nasty bark. For good measure she jumped to her feet, and, as she anticipated, the hare scampered off. Even the boldest of hares understood that a full grown wolf was a threat. It crossed her mind to give chase, to catch the hare so the boy may see that even the boldest of hares could be subdued, but she instead coughed politely and settled back on her haunches. The fearsome expression she had moments before replaced by one that conveyed her curiosity.

The hare is gone, but what were you doing crawling about in its burrow, have you no home to return to?

Where was this boy's family? He was not a druid's child, that much was certain. Wherever did he come from?

SOUTHEAST TO THE PATH OF ETERNITY

(Safe)

What to do?

---

ITEM (Nothing To Use!)

---

ACT (No Enemy Present!)

---

RUN (Nowhere to Go!)

Health
15/15
No Skill in Progress
0/30

Are YOU my mother?

---

If he had seen their face, he might have been a little insulted at the idea that his situation was at all funny. Have these animals not proven themselves to be formid-able opponents? Why would one be allowed to get so big? What if it ate a wolf? What then, humph! Thankfully, he was too busy staring down the hare to notice their attempt to stifle a smile and laugh.

He settled on all four paws, plopping down on the grass from his uneasy crouch and allowing himself to relax slightly. The hare did not seem like it would come any closer from now on, and Southeast could catch his breath that was still escaping him. A cough from a dry throat here, a wheeze from an out-of-shape pair of lungs there, and the wolf found it much easier to bark a reply. I GUESS, Looking back up at her, he supposed he had not thought they would defend it so aggressively. A simple prod in the side would have been ENOUGH.

They shared a moment of prolonged eye contact- at least he was staring into theirs with a look of bewilderment- examining the other. Their face was very cushy, very soft. Almost like Daiyu, but every wolf outside looked like Daiyu to him. At least, this one less so. Juniper did not have black in the right places either. It completely missed their head, as if there was a.. Beam of light, poking through the cracks of rocks behind them. He supposed the sun was more than a beam of light, but that did not explain how it made the black go away. And then there was.. So much fur. Southeast had never seen a wolf with so much fur. It was amazing to see how weird the wolves outside looked. They glanced away, and he followed their eyes back to the hare.

Oddball. He liked that word. You are an ODDBALL! The boy called, only to almost topple over when the packwolf rose to her feet so abruptly. He had not realized that he was letting her hold most of the weight of his body. He was that tired? He really could have used that nap, he’d been walking all night.. Thinking of being sleepy made him want to yawn, and yawning made him want to sleep. But he could not fall nose-first into the grass and then fall unconscious. It didn’t take a genius to know that that looked very bad. Brows lifted and his pupils lazily swung to the left to peer at Juniper, head tilted. Apparently, it took a genius to know that his situation was very strange, which he was not. Oh bother.

Puffing a small breath of air out of a drooping lip, head turned to respond. No. A very simple answer. I rolled out of a.. Tunnel, I think, and now I’m here. That sounded right, sounded like what he had been told. It was up to the mystery wolf to decide what they thought of it.

ALL CODING AND CHARACTER ART ON THIS PROFILE ARE DONE BY MYSELF UNLESS STATED OTHERWISE.

The menacing hare, now thoroughly sent off, scampered away over the hill. Its burrow free from intruders and its head still on its shoulder. What a lucky day for it. Even if it was being parroted at by the very boy it harassed.

Turning their gaze from the departing animal, Juniper gently nudged the boy to his haunches. An apology softening their eyes, accompanied by a guilty smile for having dropped the boy to the ground.

A tunnel? Juniper took a seat in front of the boy. Their brow knitted as they considered both the limited information he provided, and how they might explain to a child that he may never be able to go to his family again. A pang of sympathy weighed upon their heart, but first they had to be certain. Did the land look unfamiliar to you when you crawled out of the tunnel? Does the name "Mythris" sound familiar to you? Surely a parent would tell the boy the name of the land they stood upon. Speaking of... Are your parents with you?

It was a barrage of questions, and Juniper hated to thrust such a thing on the boy, but she needed to know where he came from. If she could return him home, she would.

SOUTHEAST TO THE PATH OF ETERNITY

(Safe)

What to do?

---

ITEM (Nothing To Use!)

---

ACT (No Enemy Present!)

---

RUN (Nowhere to Go!)

Health
15/15
No Skill in Progress
0/30

Are YOU my mother?

---

His eyes innocently followed their pawsteps, head swaying as Juniper circled in front. Hindpaws pulled close together,(but not quite beneath him) Southeast thought about what he had learned in his time being here. The tunnel he came out of was a very common thing to happen here, and it was not certain if anybody could ever go back. Not that he wanted to– there was nothing left for him back at home. Mouth opening, then closing as they fired off another couple questions, he grit his teeth. Like.. He tried to remember. It had been a few days since then, and everything here had demanded much more attention. Dark. Stony. I fell, and I fell out here. Nodding, that was what he understood.

Miffrizz. He’d never heard of it, no. It sounded.. Stupid. I lived in a cave, Miss. I don’t think anything out here is full-milly-air at alllll. Dragging out the last word, he gestured around at the general area. I, um! I know this is pasto (grass)! Patting the ground happily, his expression dropped as he thought of his next answer.

My mom.. Forced, awkward. She’s dead. My whole pack is. Forever. It brought him no pain to say it, but it didn’t feel good to think about. Hopefully Juniper would leave it at that. Standing with his tucked tail, the boy perked up some with a loud cough. But I–KHHFH KHHF– I walked all the way over here from the place back there, Pointing with a small paw, he looked into the distance. So I think I’m on the right track. Southeast. It would just kill him if he was still going the wrong direction. But this had to have been the way..

ALL CODING AND CHARACTER ART ON THIS PROFILE ARE DONE BY MYSELF UNLESS STATED OTHERWISE.

Juniper focused on the boy's explanation of his situation, and the circumstance that lead to it. Dark, stony. Yes that would track if he had lived in a cave, or even crawled out of a tunnel. It was the mention of him falling that pricked her ears. Juniper herself quite literally stumbled into Mythris. Stardust fell from the very sky. Such a strange occurrence was common here it seemed, although she silently prayed that the boy's arrival was more like her own than her packmate's.

I know this is pasto!

The boy spoke a word in a language unknown to Juniper. He clued them in with his gesture to the ground. Juniper had started to ponder how much the word sounded like "pasture", before their blood chilled with the child's next statement.

Dead? Juniper's voice was soft, her mouth opened slightly, but hung silently in an "o" shape. Her ears splayed.

The boy tried to move on from the grim revelation, and Juniper allowed this. It would be better to gather their thoughts on the matter before they addressed. Half-listening, the other half ruminating,  Juniper remained quiet as the boy continued to speak and then cough and sputter. Juniper shifted their attention from their thoughts fully to the boy.

Southeast? Hm... Juniper looked over her should to follow the direction the boy indicated he had traveled from. All things considered, he had come from the west. How far had the boy walked already?

I can agree that you've walked in an eastward direction. As I don't know where you've started, I can't say whether or not you've gone more northeast or southeast.

Oakwood eyes return to the boy with upturned brows.

Who told you to go southeast? Why is that they send you there, but not attend you? It is dangerous for a pup to wander the world alone. There are far greater threats to you than that hare was. That hare may have given you a mean cut, but there are animals far bigger than you or I that would see you as a meal.

They couldn't just let the boy continue on this way, but Juniper had a duty to the rise. They had to tend to the blue turtlehead crop, to cultivate the growth of those rare flowers. Then there was the added element that the seasons would be changing. This boy would be susceptible to the elements. The cold wind and the winter snow. Those natural hazards would kill the boy, even if predators wouldn't.

Would I be able to convince you to stop your traveling? If only for a time?

SOUTHEAST TO THE PATH OF ETERNITY

(Anxious)

What to do?

---

ITEM (Nothing To Use!)

---

ACT (No Enemy Present!)

---

RUN (Nowhere to Go!)

Health
15/15
No Skill in Progress
0/30

Are YOU my mother?

---

They repeated his statement about death and his lip stiffened again. Southeast didn’t know quite why it made him feel so bad to think about when they had been passing away the entire time they were locked in the caves- that was the point- but he had only recently met a few others whose responses told him that was not a normal thing here. The boy hoped nobody would end up sealed off again.

And then. She broke the news to him. There was a good chance he was still going the wrong way. Eyes widened, he stumbled back onto his hindqaurters. Floored by this information. Oh. Was more or less all he managed to say, the sudden weight of his mistake threatening to pull him down. It felt so much brighter out here than before. Uh-uhm, Moving on. My.. Mamá? (Mom) Or- Hermana.. (Sister) I don’t know what She was. She took care of me in the cave. If the young wolf did know, he hardly thought it would make a difference.

Looking up at her with a twinge of disappointment and honestly, worry, his eyes flicked over to the hill where the beast had run off to. Imagine something bigger and more mean-er and faster chasing him? No! He would not imagine that at all! She said- said that-KHHF-I would be safe there and the Daemons would not get me. She named me after it. Southeast to the Path of Eternity. Pausing thoughtfully, his expression darkened. Or was it.. of the Path to Eternity..? The boy did not recall. Oh, dear..

Learning, now, that he had no particular idea of where he was headed, he seemed backed into a corner. He liked corners to hide in, but this was a bad corner. It seemed just a little irresponsible of himself to keep on keeping on at this pace. Did Eternity even exist here? It was a different place.. What if he never found it?

The thought scared him. Okay. At least until I know that.. What did they call it? Haaaairr? Is gone. Watching Juniper’s expression for confirmation on his enunciation, he seemed resigned to the fact that he had few other options. Not now.

ALL CODING AND CHARACTER ART ON THIS PROFILE ARE DONE BY MYSELF UNLESS STATED OTHERWISE.