So what now? (Katydid50 x 5Bulletproof-Marshmellows)

[5Bulletproof-Marshmellows]

Elenore looked down at her daughter. She had no idea what was going on beside the fact that she was in pain. Noticing her let go of her arm though, she returned Daniel's look. What had she gotten into this time? It was a bigger deal than her usual fights, and she was sure it had happened outside of school otherwise she would have gotten a call. She hoped that it wasn't what she was thinking. She didn't know what she would do then. Elenore was about to ask her what had happened but then Deserai spoke. What in the world was she talking about? Looking at her youngest child and then the oldest, she then noticed the eagle that was around the girl's neck. Her eyes flickered back up to Grace's face.

She looked at Daniel just as he reached for her necklace. She was about to move away but he grabbed hold of it. Her hand grabbed hold of the leather string, pulling it back towards her. She didn't want him touching it, something that held a lot of value to her. Her eyes locked with Daniel's though they were filled with anger. Why couldn't he take the hint to back off? She wasn't going to let him get mixed into this. Once he let go of the necklace, she hid it behind the fabric of her shirt.

Elenore watched the two. This wasn't going to be good. She shook her head before looking at the two younger ones. It was obvious that they didn't want to leave. She couldn't leave Grace with Daniel here because they would explode, but she didn't want the other two to be alone either. All in all this was a sticky situation. If anyone tried to get anything out of Grace, she just locked up. That much she knew. What the necklace had to do with anything, she wasn't sure.

The fact that he knew what Wolf's sewing looked like didn't cross her mind until he said it, her gaze didn't waver though. How could someone have a specific type of sewing anyway? She didn't know but really, that wasn't the problem at hand. She needed to get out of here. Her mother wasn't exactly doing anything to help either. Hearing Daniel's order, she narrowed her eyes. "No." Her voice was cold. He could yell at her younger siblings but there was no way she was going to let him tell her what to do.

"Screech? Wolf?" she blinked, a bit shocked. Wolf and Grace would surely not get along. How in the world had she met them anyway? She flipped through her memories before hearing Daniel's words once more. Of course Grace wasn't going to comply. "Grace, sit down," she told her, gently placing a hand on her shoulder. "Whatever is going on, there's no way you're going to be able to hide it for long, especially when you're in pain." Her voice was calm, despite the fact that on the inside she was a bit of a wreck. To her dismay she didn't sit, the girl still had a fixed glare on Daniel.  

[Katydid50]

When he'd taken hold of the necklace, Grace grabbed hold of the leather. Daniel's eyes locked with hers. The anger was unmistakable. She was downright pissed. His own expression challenged her to fight him outright. She wouldn't stand a chance if she tried to physically push him away. He let go of the necklace when he was finished. The moment he had, she shoved it into her shirt.

When he told Grace to take off her jacket, he wasn't surprised that she refused. Even still, his eyes narrowed and he could feel the anger rolling in his stomach. If Grace hadn't been injured, he would have forced her to take off the jacket. As it was, he didn't want to risk injuring her further.

Elenore was obviously confused. She said the names as though she'd never heard them before and she looked out and out shocked. He himself wasn't. Wolf was a wanderer. He'd never taken well to boundaries, physical or societal. He had probably been wandering one of the neighboring properties, probably Rose's, and come across Grace. Though, why neither of them had said anything about meeting, he wasn't sure. Her injury probably had something to do with it. If Wolf had done that stitching, he would have had to do it at home which means that Leaf would have met her and Screech had definitely met her, judging from the totem on her neck. Why hadn't anyone said anything?

Finally, Elenore stepped into action. But, instead of listening to her mother, Grace continued to glare at him. When it became clear that she had no intention of doing as she was told, he glared back. His hands curled into fists at his side and his jaw clenched. Grace was going to get into big trouble one day, but he was determined that it not be from him. So, he took a few deep breaths and forced his muscles to relax. "Grace, you have three options available to you," he said as calmly as he could. "You can tell us what happened, I can go over to Leaf's and get him to tell me what happened, or I can just forget about finding out what happened altogether and just call a paramedic to look you over. Which do you want? Me personally, the last one is starting to look extremely preferrable." He was tired of her attitude and it was one thing to ignore an instruction from him but she had no business ignoring one from her mother.  

[5Bulletproof-Marshmellows]

She could see that he was boiling with anger as well. They didn't get along and only time would tell until things finally boiled over the top. Of course sitting down wouldn't have been that hard but she didn't want Daniel here. What did it matter to him if she injured or not? She just want him out. Or rather she wanted to leave this place. Besides, what would happen if she told them? One thing was for sure, Wolf wouldn't be pleased. Would he talk to her again? She didn't know. Why did she even care? Her gaze moved away from Daniel for a moment before she took a step back.

Hearing the supposed options that she had, she looked back at him, her eyes narrowed briefly before she finally sat down. Waiting for him to finally finish, after all she could see that it was difficult for him to speak calmly, or as calmly as he could manage at the moment. Letting out a sigh, she moved her hand back to her arm slowly, making sure the muscle didn't move as she moved her arm onto her lap. "I'm fine. The door just slammed into me." Her voice was a bit calmer as well. There still was no way she was going to tell him what had happened.

"It's nothing to worry about. It will heal soon enough," she told her mother, looking over at her, not acknowledging Daniel now. She didn't care what he thought at this point.

Elenore frowned. "If you were doubled over like that from just the door hitting you, it's got to be worse than a bruise," she told her before sitting next to her daughter. "I don't know what happened," she paused for a moment, "but I do want to make sure you're going to be alright." Grace hid pain well, and even when she was sick she rarely let her know. "At least let me see what's hurting you so bad."

At this point Grace was torn, she knew her mother cared and she certainly didn't want to hurt her. Lowering her head, she ran her fingers through her hair and shook her head. "No," her voice was soft. "I'll be fine. I promise," she told her, her eyes look down at her knees. She wanted Daniel to leave but at this point it was obvious that he wasn't going to. Zipping up her jacket, she didn't look back up.  

[Katydid50]

At least, Daniel had to admit to himself, Grace had the sense to sit down after all. He was still stewing with anger but listing the options out in front of her gave Grace the choice to make the right decision. She pulled her arm into her lap, careful, he noticed, not to move it too much. Instead of coming clean like he'd hoped, she continued to say that she was fine. He snorted aloud when she said it was because the door had hit her. It was obviously not from a door. She was in too much pain.

Grace turned her attention to her mother, completely ignoring him. She insisted that it was nothing. Elenore spoke outloud what he was thinking but managed to do it much calmer than he would have. Daniel crossed his arms over his chest as Elenore joined her daughter on the bed. She managed to speak so calmly, so patiently. He had been told that mothers were usually better with their children than fathers. He'd had no personal experience either way but he could see it now. Then again, he was hardly Grace's father. He wasn't even her step-father. Not yet.

But, no matter how calmly Elenore spoke, Grace continued to deny that anything was seriously wrong. At least this time when she spoke, it was calm, too. It wasn't hard or defiant like when she had spoken to him. As if to make her point, she zipped up her jacket and he sighed. He ran a hand over his hair. "Well, alright then," he said. "I guess I'll be calling the paramedics." He wasn't about to back down. That was one thing he had learned about dealing with people, whether children or adults. If you backed down once, you would continue to back down in the future. A person had to stand their ground and not bend.

Slipping out of the room, he headed down the hall to the living room where the phone hung on the wall. He didn't want to get anyone else involved but he would if he had to. Grace was hurt and wouldn't let them help. Something had to be done before it got worse. What if her injury got infected? What if her arm was broken? It could not heal properly and she could very easily end up crippled in that arm. He didn't want that for her.  

[5Bulletproof-Marshmellows]

Hearing that Grace said that she would be fine, she couldn't help but sigh. The girl was defiant like no one else. Where she got that trait from, she wasn't completely sure. Of course she was stubborn, but not as stubborn as her. How to convince her to let them know what was going on? If it had to do with Wolf, why was it so hard to tell them? She doubted that he had threatened her not to tell them. She didn't have to whole picture here and it was starting to get under her skin. Why hadn't Leaf said anything? He must know what it was like to raise a stubborn child, after all Wolf was his son. Elenore was about to speak once more but Daniel beat her to it.

Glancing up at Dan when he said he was going to call the paramedics, she narrowed her eyes but didn't say anything. There was no way she was sticking around for when they got there. Once Daniel left the room, she felt her mother's arm wrap around her.

"Is it really bad enough to have the paramedics come?" she asked her, her voice soft. There was no response from Grace. Sighing, she kissed her forehead before leaving the room to go find Daniel. Honestly, she thought the situation could be handled without others coming. Finding him by the phone, she slowly made her way over to him. "She would have given in soon enough," she told him, leaning against the wall, hoping that he wouldn't dial the number. If anything, it would make things worse. Grace hated anything to do with hospitals.

As soon as her mother left the room, she knew that she had to book it. Getting up, she winced and picked up her spare sneakers. Slipping her feet into them as quickly as possible, she then went to the window. Luckily it didn't have a screen yet. Opening it, she climbed up onto Nicholas' bed and swung herself out. Of course her arm was still in pain but it wasn't as bad as it had been. Taking in a deep breath, she looked around before making a run for it to the forest, cradling her arm as she moved. For now she would stay there.. that is until some time had passed and then she'd make her way over to Aunt Rose's. Hopefully she wouldn't make her go back. It really was the last thing she wanted to do.  

[Katydid50]

Daniel hesitated in picking up the phone. Despite his threat, he really didn't want to call the paramedics. He hated anyone professional and despised hospitals. He himself only went to one when it was a life or death matter. Anything less and he would get Micheal or Leaf to patch him up. Hospitals meant paperwork and paperwork meant questions that needed to be answered and he hated both.

Before he could pick up the phone, Elenore appeared beside him. He hoped she was about to tell him that Grace had caved but no such luck. He huffed, annoyed and frustrated. "You're sure of that? I don't want to call them but what choice do I have? Until I know whatever injury she's hiding, I have to assume it's the worst case scenario. What if she's cut herself and it's gotten infected? I've seen scratches become gangrenous. People loose limbs that way. People die from gangrene, Elenore." He would know. He'd seen it. "I don't want to scare you but until we know what we're facing, we have to be prepared for anything."

Before he could say anything more, the sound of a window opening caught his attention. He frowned before hurrrying from his spot to the kids' bedroom doorway. The room was empty. The window was open. Grace was gone.


Wolf stepped carefully, moving slowly through the forest. Snow had fallen during the night and still fell lightly. Tracks of squirrels, rabbits and deer littered the ground. Hunting in the winter would have been easy if not for the lack of prey. Kneeling down, he examined a trail of deer prints before looking back up. It was close. The prints were fresh.

It wasn't long before Wolf spotted the doe. Good thing, too. They were out of meat. Slipping the bow from his back, he lifted it and set an arrow into place. He breathed slowly and deeply, moving into a better position while trying not to startled the deer. Finally, the path was clear. He lifted the bow, pulled back the string and released. The arrow hit home. The deer went to jump away only to collapse to the ground. Rushing over, he knelt beside the dead animal. He placed a hand on it's side, murmured a brief prayer of thanks for a successful hunt and slipped the bow back into place on his back. He grabbed hold of the arrow lodged in the deer's side and broke it off near the head. He replaced the shaft in his quiver and began to lift the animal onto his shoulder only to pause at the sound of distant footsteps.  

[5Bulletproof-Marshmellows]

She nodded her head. Grace could put up a fight but in the end, with her anyway, she caved. Hearing what he had to say next though, she couldn't hep but let the worry show up on her features. Putting her back against the wall, she lowered her head. What had Grace gotten into that involved the small family of three? It would have meant that she had been gone for a while. A night perhaps.

Hearing the window open, she glanced at Daniel but he was already moving towards the bedroom. She already realized what had happened. Grace had run off. A shaky sigh left her as she moved over to one of the chairs to sit down. The only thing that was good about this was that Grace wasn't in the city. There she could run into whoever she always gotten into fights with. Here.. She didn't want to think about who or what she could run into. Hopefully the girl would just go to her Aunt's place. There she knew she would be safe.

Looking back over her shoulder just as she reached the tree line, she didn't see anyone going after her. Stopping for a few moments to catch her breath, she leaned up against a tree. So far the heat that came off of her from running kept her warm but she knew soon enough that would wear off and the cold would get to her. Getting sick now would be the worst. Returning to her run, she guessed the best thing she could do was go about thirty feet into the forest and then move towards Aunt Rose's place after she got a break.

Stopping once she reached the place she wanted, she leaned against a tree though she didn't let go of her arm. Sliding down a little bit, she winced. Letting her eyes wander for a moment to see if she was near anything, she then spotted a big ball of fur up ahead. Or maybe it was just skins. Wait. That meant only one thing. It was Wolf. She almost groaned out loud. Really? She wasn't quite sure if she was glad or disappointed in seeing him. What was she supposed to tell him if he came over? He could completely ignore her after all. Lowering her head, she sighed, her breath visible in the cold air.  

[Katydid50]

Daniel couldn't believe it. Grace was gone. He ran a hand over his face. Great. What were they going to do now? Turning away, he saw Nicholas poking his head out of the kitchen. He couldn't let on how worried he was. Nicholas was scared enough as it was. "Well," he said. "Looks like your sister's done a runner. Guess that means more eggs for us." Because, really, Nicholas, Deserai and Elenore needed to eat.

Daniel headed into the kitchen and filled up three plates. He set Nicholas and Deserai at the table, telling them to start and he'd be right back. He headed for the living room, leaning against the doorway with his arms crossed. "I made up a plate for you. You need to eat, for the baby as well as yourself." He paused, looking down at the floor before straightening and walking over to her. "She will go to her aunt's, right? She's not stupid but she's not from around here either. It's not safe, especially not for an injured person, to hang around in the forest without knowing your way around it and it's predators." Again, he didn't want to scare her but he just wanted to know whether or not he should be prepared to go after Grace.

The footsteps grew closer and just as Wolf thought the person was about to appear, they stopped. He frowned. Leaving the deer, he crept closer until the person was in sight. He almost tripped over himself in surprise, though he wasn't sure why he was surprised.

Straightening up, he walked over to where she was hunched over, sitting with her back against a tree and cradling her arm. He didn't need to be told that she was in pain. He could see it in her face and her posture. The wound wasn't healing like it was supposed to. Perhaps she was pushing herself too hard. Perhaps it was infected deep in the muscle where signs could not be seen. As he continued to look her over, he frowned at her thin clothing. That jacket would not keep her warm for long. He himself wore a thick coat of buckskin and bearskin boots.

"You should not be here," he said. "You are injured and predators will smell in miles away." He had seen plenty of cougar tracks recently. The last thing he needed, or wanted, was for her to get caught by a cougar. It was an encounter she would not survive. "Why are you here? Why are you not with your family in your new home?" He didn't really care what her reasons were so long as she went back. She couldn't be out there alone and he had to get the deer back to his own home.  

[5Bulletproof-Marshmellows]

Following after Nicholas, she stood near him, she honestly didn't know what was going on. Grace hadn't looked to happy.. well none of them had. Hearing that Grace was gone though, she frowned. Where had she gone without them? Asking questions now didn't seem like the best the after the reaction she had gotten earlier, so she simply stated quiet. Once there was food on the table, she went over and sat down. She was hungry after all.

Hearing Daniel's voice, she then looked over at him. Her appetite had disappeared but she knew that he was right. Biting her lower lip once more, she then lowered her head as he walked over to her. "Yeah, she will," she said before slowly standing. "I'll give Rose a call," her words were soft. She'd go over to the table after that. Walking over to where the phone was, she dialed her Aunt's number. She knew it was early still but the woman was always up early. Her and Deserai had that in common.

It rang once before she answered. "Hello?"

"Hey, I know it's early and everything but Grace should show up over at your house soon. She ran off." Elenore hoped that she wouldn't question her too much.

"What? Why? What happened?" There was worry in her voice.

"I'll explain later, I just wanted to let you know," she told her before swallowing. "Have to go to work soon, just give me or Daniel a call when she shows up." She agreed that she would before the two said their good byes. Hanging up the phone, she ran her fingers through her hair before going to the table to join the kids and Daniel. It made her realize that Grace hadn't even had anything to eat today.

Seeing Wolf's boots in front of her, she glanced up at him before looking away. Predators. Great. Whatever, she'd be gone soon enough. "I'll be leaving soon," she told him. Hearing his questions though, she shot him a glare before moving to stand. "That place, is not my home." She leaned back against the tree. "They found out about my injury," she told him after a few moments. He had a right to know about that since Daniel would probably try and talk to Leaf. He already knew that it had involved Screech and Wolf, and she wasn't sure what Leaf would tell him.  

[Katydid50]

Daniel was relieved to hear that Elenore thought Grace would go to Rose's but what if she didn't? He stood back as Elenore stood up and walked over to the phone. As she spoke with Rose, he half hoped that Grace was already there but he knew it was a false hope. No one, not even Grace, could move that fast on foot. At the instruction for Rose to call when Grace showed up, Daniel decided that if Rose didn't call within a couple of hours, he would go looking for Grace. He wanted to give the girl the opportunity to come home on her own but what if she got caught by a cougar or the wolf pack? Or what if she took a turn for the worst? There was only so long he would allow himself to wait.

Not waiting around to here their goodbyes, Daniel headed for the kitchen. Nicholas had gotten through a large portion of his food and still kept shovelling it in. Daniel couldn't help himself. Despite the tense situation, he smiled. Plating up some food for himself, he sat at the table, waiting until Elenore had come into view before he started eating.

Wolf raised an eyebrow at Grace's comment that she was leaving soon. He debated whether or not to ask her where she intended to go, whether or not he would get an actual answer, before asking why she wasn't at home. At the words she practically spat at him, he frowned. Before he could snap back, she told him that her family had found out about her injury. He inhaled sharply before blowing it out again. "Should I be worried about Daniel coming after me with a shotgun?" Despite his words, he wasn't worried about that in the slightest. Daniel understood that, out there, accidents happen and at least Grace had not been terribly injured.

"So how did they find out?" he asked. "And should I be worried about your mother coming after me with a shot gun?" He didn't know Grace's mother at all, except for the little time he'd spent around her the previous night. She seemed like a nice woman but appearances could be deceiving.

Shaking his head, Wolf walked back over to where the deer lay and heaved it up across his shoulders. Ignoring the blood that trickled from its side and soaked into his shirt, he looked back over at Grace. Deciding that he had to at least ask, he said, "It's a fair distance to any other property from here. Where is it that you intend to go?" Perhaps he could get her to go home with him. Leaf could go and get Daniel and, between the four of them, they would be able to make Grace see sense. She was not well enough to be wandering the forest and her injury needed further care.  

[5Bulletproof-Marshmellows]

As Elenore reached the table she could see that Nicholas and Deserai had already started to eat. Honestly, she was glad that they were doing well despite everything that had happened. Grace would hopefully be well in due time. She just hoped that things would settle down between Daniel and Grace, find some kind of solution. Grace required a lot of patience.. but then again, perhaps they could find a different common ground. It would be horrible if she got put into the middle of it though. She doubted it would happen since they both cared for her.

He didn't seem too happy with the way she replied, but at this point, she didn't care what he thought. Okay, maybe she did, just a little bit, but it didn't matter. Hearing his question, she raised an eyebrow. "Probably not," she answered. She knew she would probably get the worst of it when she came back, if she came back. Taking in a deep breath, she looked to her right, there was nothing but trees. Roads would have been nice, at least then she'd know where to go.

She didn't really want to tell him that she had been doubled over in pain because of a door slamming into her. "I was in pain. Daniel noticed. Then Deserai pointed out the totem. And they came to their own conclusions. I doubt they think that you were the one that injured me," she told him, scoffing a little. Hearing the question about her mother, she couldn't help but chuckle at the idea of her mother with a shotgun. "No," she shook her head.

Watching him heave a deer onto his shoulders, she sighed. He was leaving. "My Aunt's place." As soon as she figured out which direction that was in. She guessed she could also go left or right way and then go back out of the forest. Shivering a bit now since she had been standing there for a good minute or so, she knew she had to get moving soon and yet she didn't want to be to first one to turn their back on this... conversation? Lowering her head, she put her hands into her pockets carefully.  

[Katydid50]

Well, at least Grace didn't think Daniel was some gun-toting redneck, which a lot of people did. Wolf had managed to listen in on more than one conversation by the farmers' wives in the area. The farmers themselves didn't seem to have an opinion on Daniel beyond 'Hardworking loner'. Their wives, however, had varying opinions but all of them involved a gun, for some reason Wolf hadn't yet grasped.

When he questioned how her family had found out, Wolf listened patiently before frowning. "So they don't know what happened?" Well, that made the issue of the shotgun irrelevant. But, then, why was she out there? Many times his father had patched him up without ever finding out how he'd been injured in the first place. "That does not explain why you are out here instead of at your home-" He didn't care if she didn't consider it her home. That was what it was now. "-being cared for by your family."

Deciding that he really had to get moving if he didn't want the smell of the deer to attract unwanted attention, Wolf lifted the deer onto his shoulders before turning back to Grace. Hearing that she was heading for her aunt's, he shook his head. "Stae twes, you are in no condition to travel so far. To even attempt it would be pure foolishness. You are not strong enough and Melk Elish, he smells weakness. He will hunt you down and kill you before you even realize he is there. No, you will come back to my father. He will see to your wound." And hopefully go grab Daniel before she tried to do something stupid.

Without waiting for her to respond, he turned and started heading back towards the cabin. He paused after several yards, looking back to make sure that Grace was, indeed, following him.  

[5Bulletproof-Marshmellows]

"Nope." They didn't know, and they wouldn't know unless Leaf told Daniel. She didn't know what would happen then. Besides making sure that her wound was alright, there really wasn't a whole lot that could happen. Grace wasn't about to explain how she and Daniel had butted heads. That wasn't his business. Besides, she had left because he was going to call the paramedics since she didn't want to show them her wound. Wolf didn't know of her hatred for people that worked in hospitals, she preferred he didn't find out either.

Hearing him insult her, she gave him a glare. He never missed an opportunity. Besides, it wasn't that far right? A mile or two? There was no point with arguing him about that though since she wasn't too familiar with the layout of the land. Raising a brow when he said Melk Elish, she knew it was a predator, but which one exactly? Did it really matter? Probably not. She could head back to the road and just follow it. She doubted that there was a serious chance of her getting run over. At the invitation, or maybe even order, she wasn't quite sure with him at this point, she bit her lip. What if Daniel showed up? There was no way she'd be able to run off without getting completely lost.

Letting out a soft sigh, she guessed that she had gotten into enough trouble today, walking back with Wolf, despite how annoying he was at times, was most likely the best choice she had. Grace followed after he looked back, not coming close but close enough so that she could reach him if something happened. Knowing her luck, they would run into another bear. Weren't they in hibernation this time of year? Or was it too early? If she planned on sticking around here, she really needed to start figuring this things out.  

[Katydid50]

Wolf could understand Grace not wanting to let her family know how she had gotten wounded in the first place but not showing them the wound at all? It was pure foolishness. There was nothing for her to be gained by hiding it from them, especially since they already knew about it. Perhaps it was some white issue but, then, would Daniel have made such a fuss? He didn't think so. Daniel never had in the past when he had been watching over a young Wolf. He decided it was just Grace.

Wolf didn't miss the way Grace glared at him when he called her 'stae twes', even though he had used a conversational tone, saying it as he would her name. But, it did amuse him, how annoyed she got when she did not even know the meaning of the words. She would have been even more angered if she had. It would truly be a sight to see when she finally did find out, and he had no doubt that she would.

Luckily, Grace had the sense to follow Wolf as he started back in the direction of the cabin. The walk was not such a great distance and he could have gotten there quickly, even with the deer, but he slowed his pace for Grace, much like he had the night she was injured. He glanced back every now and then, trying to judge how she was fairing. She seemed to be holding her own. That, or she was good at hiding such things.

Not five minutes after they had started back, Wolf stopped dead. In the distance, a faint echo. Anyone else would mistake it for a woman's scream but he knew better. He tilted his head, trying to judge how far away it was and from what direction it came. Satisfied, he sighed. "Melk Elish," he said. Glancing back, he explained, "So long as we do not seek him out, he will not bother us this day. He has made his kill and will eat his fill." Without another word, he continued walking.

The cabin had not changed much since Grace's last visit. Now that it was day, Batlo, their tall-but-stout-for-his-height paint horse was out in the corral, munching on a bale of hay. The horse looked up briefly when they stepped into the clearing before going back to his meal, undisturbed by the smell of blood in the air. Smoke trickled out of the chimney above and the door to the barn was partially open.

Wolf adjusted the deer on his shoulders before looking back to Grace. "Go inside. I will be in shortly," he told her before heading for the barn.  

[5Bulletproof-Marshmellows]

They walked. She trailed after him, not too happy about it but it wasn't the worst thing that could happen. Facing the paramedics was her living nightmare. She never liked them, and never would. It was a fear that she had not been able to get over since she was child. Wolf's family was nice enough. She felt bad for leaving abruptly last time. Speaking of which, she had planned on giving a picture to Screech but there was no way she was returning to her room for that. She really hoped he was doing alright though from what she remembered, she knew that was a far fetched wish.

Hearing a faint echo, she almost ran into Wolf, not realizing he had stopped. She was a few inches from him, and then slowly took a step back. She still wasn't comfortable with him that close. The blush across her cheeks proved that. Hearing him speak in his native language, she frowned. He knew perfectly well that she didn't understand him. Meeting his eyes briefly when he glanced back, she then looked in the direction the echo had come from. His golden eyes...

She wasn't really listening to what he was saying. She blamed that on the pain in her arm though another part of her knew perfectly well that wasn't the full reason. Her eyes looked back at him when he started walking, she then followed after, being more alert and careful this time. There was no way she wanted to trip into him. To have him hold her again. Or touch her. Or be near her. Her thoughts went off on a quick paced train and she forced it to a halt. No. No. No.

No. This wasn't happening. It wouldn't happen. Shaking her head, she then looked around. They had reached his home. Seeing the horse, she couldn't help but smile. She had always loved animals, though they had never been able to afford one. She sometimes fed the stray cats that she found. Giving them bits and pieces of her school lunch or breakfast. She wanted to go up to it, but the stinging pain in her arm reminded her that there were other things that needed to be taken care of.

Hearing Wolf, she glanced at him. Biting her lip, she looked at the door before slowly walking up to it. Reaching it, she knocked on it three times gently before opening it and stepping inside. The warm air caressed her freezing skin and she couldn't help but relax. The temperature difference almost hurt. Closing the door behind her, she looked around, searching for a living soul.