[PRP] More than Friends (Rain x Sparrow)

[Kyrieko]

The night had been cold. And briefly windy. There was the possibility of a storm moving through the forest. But it had yet to actually arrive. Just its winds had been present. And the heavy feeling of moisture in the air. Rain Song never really minded the rain, but last night she'd been nervous. A feeling she hadn't really suffered from as much more recently. Her friends that were becoming like family were to thank for that! Yet in the night, she'd felt so lonely, even though there had been other wolves curled up tightly with her.

When the morning came, that loneliness was still there. It made the caretaker frown and try to work through it. Her mind was unsettled by something. That had been what made her so anxious and nervous during the wind.

Yet before she could really work it all out in her mind, Rain caught sight of Sparrow. Instantly her mood brightened and the shewolf dashed off to meet him, tail wagging excitedly.

"Sparrow! How are you? Would you like to go for a walk? At least while the weather is nice?" She felt guilty for asking so many questions. But she greatly enjoyed his company. And always felt so calm around him. Like she did with the other caretakers. But there was a stronger emotion there too. She just didn't know what it was.

Pandora Talie

heart

 

[Pandora Talie]

It was a lovely morning. Sparrow stretched languidly upon rising. The sky was now a pleasant hue of blue and a nice breeze gently tugged on his tan coloured fur. This was a stark contrast to the bitter windstorm that he had suffered last night. The winds had howled so loudly that he was certain that no one had rested well or maybe it was just in his little hollow of a rock.

Being a healer, Sparrow keeps a small space separate from his fellows. Drying and preparing various herbs and other concoctions requires concentration: the kind that is typically difficult to maintain with others present. And so, he quietly grinds and measures dried leaves to mix with water to make a therapeutic draught. With that out of the way, he inspects and turns some of the things set out to dry and heads off for a stroll.

He isn’t far out of his nook before he is ambushed by a familiar face. “My dear Rain Song good morning!” He presents her with a beaming smile. “I woke up still alive so one can say I’m doing great. And how are you? Did you sleep well with the nasty winds?”

“Oh that reminds me, I had a visitor fly in last night and hit me in the face!” Sparrow fished in his bag for a moment before presenting her with a daisy between his toes, “I’m not busy, was there anywhere in particular that you wanted to go?”

Kyrieko

gaia_sakura emotion_bigheart

 

[Kyrieko]

Her tail wagged eagerly at his greeting, ears perky and alert. She was glad that he seemed to have survived the wind from the night. His question made her ears drop a little, that shyness creeping up. It was hard, sometimes, for her to admit when something scared her. But with Sparrow, she didn't mind it as much.

"I am doing much better, now that the winds have died down. I'm afraid they did keep me up for a portion of the night, though." There! Not quite saying she had been frightened by them. See? She was getting better at this socializing thing! "It was just so loud." She added, giving her fur a little ruffle and shake to rid herself of the memory of it.

Curiosity pulling her out of the memory of huddling tightly in a ball against the wind from last night, Rain blinked at Sparrow before a pleasant little laugh escaped. "Oh what a inconsiderate visitor!" She smiled, that shy and bashful demeanor taking over again as she accepted the daisy. No one had ever given her such a sweet little gift! She wasn't sure quite what to say, and latched on to the fact he wasn't busy.

"I-I didn't have anywhere in particular in mind. Maybe.... just a walk around? See what sort of damage came about from last night?" While waiting for his response, she carefully managed to tuck the little daisy against her ear.

"Unless, there was somewhere you wanted to go?" She added shyly as an afterthought, trying to be polite!

Pandora Talie

 

[Pandora Talie]

“For someone who never slept well you look radiant,” well that was bold. He gulped, quickly facing away from her, tail dropping in embarrassment. Sparrow then awkwardly looked around at the scenery, searching for something to use as a distraction but failed and turned back towards her. After clearing his throat, he attempted to speak again. His mouth felt like all moisture was sucked out and his heart was all a flutter, “A walk sounds lovely!” He managed. The wind gusted behind him as if pushing him forward. Another awkward moment passed but now he had an idea, “I know the perfect place to go.” He moved to lead the way.

Kyrieko

I did it! lol So sry for the delay D;

 

[Kyrieko]

If it had been possible to see through her lovely khaki fur, Rain Song's cheeks would have been quite crimson. He'd called her radiant! She couldn't help ducking her head a little to try and "hide" her blush. Or her tail from tucking under shyly. But... it had been so sweet! And her poor heart thudded. She wasn't sure if it was all from the shy feeling she got. Or because it had been Sparrow that said it.

Her blue gaze glanced back at him when he spoke, head lifting. Yes. A walk! "I-I'm glad! And please, lead the way then." She may have babbled the last bit a little too fast, falling in to step behind him. With the awkward moment starting to pass (and being hidden behind Sparrow) Rain managed to ease her hunched muscles and raise her head, eyes looking around as she easily followed the handsome wolf before her.

"Did your flowers and herbs survive the night too?" She asked with a little more of her spark, just wanting to hear Sparrow speak.

Pandora Talie

 

[Pandora Talie]

The dopiest grin split Sparrows face end-to-end. He was more than pleased that she seemed to share his feelings. Oh! She asked me a question, “Most of them,” he replied, “some of the less hardy ones will need to be cut and dried, though.” He thought about that for a moment, but it wasn’t a huge deal. He had stowed away what he thought could be damaged before the storm, and the rest was largely inconsequential.

As they walked, they spotted some damage from the wind, here and there. Thankfully, everyone was fine. Many of the more exposed and aged trees were felled, and some might think that a bad thing. “As these trees rot and break down, they make nice homes for various critters,” he noted, “and mushrooms.” He winked. It appeared that most places weren’t greatly affected, however.

It was autumn, and the leaves were discarding their green coats for other hues, so Sparrow had decided to take her to a place where he knew there to be maple trees. In lieu of your standard yellow coloration, these featured a vibrant shade of red. Completing the effect, a small brook trickled through the stand. “These are some of my favorites,” he said, “and not just for their colour. A clever individual figured out that boiling the sap of these trees makes it a thick and sweet treat. Have you tried it?”

Kyrieko

 

[Kyrieko]

The more they walked and talked, the more Rain found herself relaxing and not being controlled by her bashful nature. She greatly enjoyed Sparrow's company! Sought it out when she was feeling the beginnings of a panic attack. And generally just wanted to be around him. Which set off a whole slew of other feelings that made her cheeks burn again.

"O-Oh. I'm so glad you didn't lose much of your stock." He was so good with the plants and things he gathered to use for healing and caring for their pack.

He... he winked at her! Rain quickly looked away, not able to hide the smile that caught her.

Listening to his commentary, Rain found herself walking beside him, not behind, looking at the damage from the wind. But also seeing the wisdom of his words. Squirrels that were taking advantage of a broken branch, creating a new den. Birds picking at the fallen debris to use for nest building. "Even with such a terrible windstorm... there is new life blossoming." She murmured in fascination.

There was an almost audible gasp from Rain as the sight of the maple leaves looked almost like fire glistening. Their vibrant hue spectacular compared to the shades around them. It was quite lovely, this area.

"T-Tried what?" Rain felt her head duck down a little and tail curl under. Oh gracious, he'd been talking to her. And she hadn't heard him... "U-umm... I'm sorry... I don't think I have?" She'd also forgotten how close she'd been walking to him, so ducking her head almost brushed against him. Which only made her all the more shy. He smelled really good though... like... home.

Pandora Talie

My poor sweet submissive girl ; o ;

 

[Pandora Talie]

“Oh! You have to try it,” plants excited Sparrow probably a little more than most wolves. “I plan on attempting to make a batch when the sap begins to run again.” As Rain Song inched ever closer, he suddenly realized, perhaps it isn’t the plants at all today.

After their tour, he led her up a high, rocky outcrop, overlooking the stand of maple trees and the rest of the wooded valley below. It was a bit of a steep climb, and the ground gave way in a couple of sections. But despite this and his frayed nerves, it was worth it. As the culmination of the day’s sights, this view was something to behold. As far as the eye could see there were colors, and if colors were sounds this would be a cacophony. The landscape below ran the whole gamut from simple brownstone and black earth to stalwart evergreens, patches of fallen red, and mottled yellow leaves. Excellent, he thought with a smile.

Kyrieko

 

[Kyrieko]

She managed to nod her head in agreement, taking a tiny step to the side and putting a few extra inches between them. "I... I would love to try it! A-And... maybe watch how it's made?" While she would never be a skilled healer as Sparrow was, she did greatly enjoy learning about his art. And assisting when she could.

As they began moving again, she felt that too tight feeling of shyness ease, ears perking up again out of curiosity. Where was Sparrow taking her now? The terrain they traveled was a little challenging, but being the agile wolf she was, this was one area she seemed to do fairly well in.

When they reached their next destination, there was no denying that the khaki wolf liked the view. She momentarily forgot all about the reasons why she had been feeling shy, standing with a surprising amount of courage right at the ledge, gazing out over the landscape below.

"It's... so beautiful!" She exclaimed, tail wagging as she glanced over at Sparrow. "I didn't even know such a view was hidden out here."

Pandora Talie