HOME | DD

Description
Featuring: Hawthorn
Location: Beyond the Domain [ Several Years Ago ]

CW | Sads. Sads.

"But why?" He had asked, voice cracking around the edges as he sat in her shadow, the forlorn shade from the trees ascending over them in long, ghastly waves. He shivered, and he watched the strange lady who just... stared at him. Defiance flooded him, but his eyes felt hot despite the bitter frost. "Why can't we go back?" The crack morphed into a gorge, and he sucked in a hot breath as she regarded him with the very chill that surrounded them both so, so far from where he should be.

"Because." She said. "It is no longer an option."

Mouse droppings! Hawthorn wanted to swear, but he thought of his mom— she would be so disappointed. His lips pursed, and he let loose a little snarl that turned into a sob before he rammed his head into her side. They'd been walking for so many moons, and he tried so hard to have faith, but now he saw it clearly. Withe had no intention of taking him home. Not now, not ever. And his family... oh, his brothers and sisters! Would he ever see them again? Hawthorn trembled, and despite the intense sadness that coiled in his belly, he could not cry. Withe was unmoving, uncaring, and he could feel her ribs poking out from behind her silvered pelt where his head brushed against the fur. For just a moment he thought she leaned against him, but his eyes were so screwed shut that he couldn't tell if it was real or not. "I want to go home." The boy rasped, and the last bits of debris tumbled from his tongue and into the snow below. He was heart broken.

"Home is where you rest your hide. This is home, and in a few more days, it will be by a moon-shaped lake to the East of us."

Hawthorn sniffed. Withe's tail had curled around him, and he tried to understand her. How could a wolf be so caring and cruel at the same time? He wanted to hate her, but without her he really would be dead. Another sniff. "But I want Aryn. My paws hurt. I'm hungry. I'm cold and tired and—"

"Are you done?" Withe's clipped, high tone drew Hawthorn's gaze, and he noted the way her own eyes looked. For just a moment, she too looked... sad. For herself, or him? These thoughts were not present in the boy's mind, but one day he would understand. He would get it, and Withe's calloused personality would fuel him in ways unfathomable. Hawthorn nodded, sniffed one final time, then wiped his nose with a thoroughly frosted paw. "Good." She gestured to the burrow behind her. "...Go. Sleep if you are tired. I will find us food."

He swallowed. "And tonight... we move on?"

"We move on." She repeated, and Hawthorn trembled as he rose to his paws, towards one home of hundreds, towards the dark that would shelter his heart from further bludgeoning by her thoughtless words. He collapsed, and when he could no longer sense Withe lurking nearby, he hugged himself close and fell into fitful sleep. He dreamt of Aryn that morning.

One day it would be more than just a dream.

He just had to believe— and move on.

Description
Featuring: Hawthorn
Location: Beyond the Domain [ Several Years Ago ]

CW | Sads. Sads.

"But why?" He had asked, voice cracking around the edges as he sat in her shadow, the forlorn shade from the trees ascending over them in long, ghastly waves. He shivered, and he watched the strange lady who just... stared at him. Defiance flooded him, but his eyes felt hot despite the bitter frost. "Why can't we go back?" The crack morphed into a gorge, and he sucked in a hot breath as she regarded him with the very chill that surrounded them both so, so far from where he should be.

"Because." She said. "It is no longer an option."

Mouse droppings! Hawthorn wanted to swear, but he thought of his mom— she would be so disappointed. His lips pursed, and he let loose a little snarl that turned into a sob before he rammed his head into her side. They'd been walking for so many moons, and he tried so hard to have faith, but now he saw it clearly. Withe had no intention of taking him home. Not now, not ever. And his family... oh, his brothers and sisters! Would he ever see them again? Hawthorn trembled, and despite the intense sadness that coiled in his belly, he could not cry. Withe was unmoving, uncaring, and he could feel her ribs poking out from behind her silvered pelt where his head brushed against the fur. For just a moment he thought she leaned against him, but his eyes were so screwed shut that he couldn't tell if it was real or not. "I want to go home." The boy rasped, and the last bits of debris tumbled from his tongue and into the snow below. He was heart broken.

"Home is where you rest your hide. This is home, and in a few more days, it will be by a moon-shaped lake to the East of us."

Hawthorn sniffed. Withe's tail had curled around him, and he tried to understand her. How could a wolf be so caring and cruel at the same time? He wanted to hate her, but without her he really would be dead. Another sniff. "But I want Aryn. My paws hurt. I'm hungry. I'm cold and tired and—"

"Are you done?" Withe's clipped, high tone drew Hawthorn's gaze, and he noted the way her own eyes looked. For just a moment, she too looked... sad. For herself, or him? These thoughts were not present in the boy's mind, but one day he would understand. He would get it, and Withe's calloused personality would fuel him in ways unfathomable. Hawthorn nodded, sniffed one final time, then wiped his nose with a thoroughly frosted paw. "Good." She gestured to the burrow behind her. "...Go. Sleep if you are tired. I will find us food."

He swallowed. "And tonight... we move on?"

"We move on." She repeated, and Hawthorn trembled as he rose to his paws, towards one home of hundreds, towards the dark that would shelter his heart from further bludgeoning by her thoughtless words. He collapsed, and when he could no longer sense Withe lurking nearby, he hugged himself close and fell into fitful sleep. He dreamt of Aryn that morning.

One day it would be more than just a dream.

He just had to believe— and move on.