Lost and Found

February 19, 2057
Nighttime - Full Moon


Ondrea made her usual rounds, though she was on four feet rather than the usual two. It made things easier, really. She was naturally closer to the ground and her sense of smell was even better in wolf form than in human.

Zander had been missing for more than a month, now. She knew the boy was alive, at least, because he had sent a bird with a note warning her not to trust squirrels. 'Because they're nutty.' The werewolf could almost hear the boy speaking the words.

Where had that boy gone, anyway? His brother didn't even know where he was, if the brief correspondence Drea had had with him was to be taken as truth.

Traveling the woods in a rough grid, the werewolf abruptly doubled back. And then she was following the fresh track, soon breaking into a run to catch up to the missing boy.

He didn't think he was missing. From the look of things in the forest, he had successfully distanced himself from everyone that may come across him, unconciously lacing his scent over and over again as to not be caught as easily. It was only a precaution. He doubted anyone would come looking. At least, Drea would - of this he was almost 100% sure - but just how long she could be looking was anyone's guess. She was not one to give up easily, but she also knew what a lost cause was.

Or she claimed to. Her opinion of him was as skewed as anyone elses. At least Julian had got it right.

He was told to leave, and so he did. It was as simple as that. There was no hidden agenda, no plead for more attention. His friend had told him that everyone would be much happier if he was gone, so he had walked and he had not stopped, even when his shoes had started to wear and his legs had gotten so tired that they had stopped feeling altogether. He had walked to what had seemed like the end of the earth, turned, and started a new direction.

Even in his solitude, he was not alone. The animals helped hide him, asking him questions and accompanying him on his journey. It was nice to have someone to talk to. There was a fox that liked to pad along side him and chat, for just a while, while her kits slept in their hollow. She had told the best stories.

Briefly, his mind wandered to Lisette - surely she was worried? But Julian had said that she would be angry at him, once he told her about being friends with Drea, and visa versa. He did not understand that at all, but Julian was the expert on these things, so it was Julian he would believe.

Currently he had decided to rest, finding a rock to rest on while the creek soothed his aching feet. He would continue once they stopped stinging, his shoes on the shoreline. It felt much better to be walking barefoot, but his aunt had often yelled about how it was improper to tread barefoot anywhere that was not home. Even though she could not see him, he tried to respect her. She was as close to his mother as he would ever get.

He cocked his head to the side, looking over his shoulder as his eyes searched the shadows. He was bathed in moonlight, clear as day to anyone wishing to see him. It made him slightly uncomfortable to be so exposed, but the forest had never harmed him before, and he doubted it would do so now.

"Is someone there?" He called cheerfully. "The water's nice."

Ondrea burst from the treeline, checking her speed only so that the boy wasn't slammed into the ground when she launched at him and knocked him from his perch. Giving him a short warning growl, she gave him a once over. He appeared to be in one piece.

Turning back to face him, the wolf placed a moderately sized paw on his shoulder, baring her teeth in annoyance. //You had better have a damn good reason for up and disappearing, Alexander Dawson, or by Morgana, I swear I will maul you! Do you have any idea how many people are worried? Your brother didn't even know you were missing! Do you know, if he hadn't posted you a package, no one would have even known how to contact him?//

//What the HELL were you thinking?!//

The sound of pounding claws was met with excitement, rather than fear or wariness. Paws had yet to hurt him either. He opened his arms wide in an attempt to catch the wolf that launched herself - for undoubtably she was female - at him, not that he succeeded in doing more than having himself pinned.

"Hello." He greeted with a smile, one that faltered at the wolf's expression, almost falling to troubled before he heard her voice. "Ondrea!" He cried happily. "Hello friend! How are you? I-" He paused, his face falling into a mask of confusion, and then sadness. "I'm not missing I'm right- Oh. I'm not supposed to talk to you anymore." He frowned, working his way through his own flawed logic before her words distracted him.

"No!" He exclaimed, shoving her off him and moving away. "You shouldn't have told Damian! What if he worries? There's nothing wrong! I was only listening to-" He stopped talking abruptly, suddenly unsure, something at the back of his mind suggesting an idea he wasn't ready to cope with yet. Surely Julian wouldn't have-

"I only wanted to make everyone happy." He murmured, shoulders hunching in defeat. "He- he said that if I left, everyone would be happier."

Ondrea gave an incredulous snort. //How am I? How AM I?// her tone was sharp. //I'm tired and cranky because I have spent every night of last several weeks looking for someone who decided it was a bloody brilliant idea to go wandering off in the dead of winter!//

//You're not suppose to-// If Ondrea had been speaking as a person, she'd have been sputtering in fury and incredulity. As it was, she trailed off into a somewhat vicious and non-translatable growl. The wolf allowed the boy to push her aside. //'What if he worries?' Shouldn't you have thought of that before you went traipsing off in the woods?//

//THAT IS A LOAD OF BLOODY SHITE!// Ondrea shouted, accompanied by such fierce growling that someone unable to see the scene would think someone was getting viciously attacked by the wolf. //Your friends were worried about you! The teachers, your brother - your being gone didn't make people happier, it made them worried sick! How can someone so smart, act like such a bleeding moron?//

//Who was it, then? Who told yo-// There was more non-translatable utterances from the werewolf as she went through a round of wolf curse-words.

//Julian is guilty of the same idiocy you're exhibiting, just his own special brand. He doesn't like sharing his friends. He has a jealous streak a mile wide because he thinks everyone is going to leave him.// The wolf grumbled discontentedly. //I should just bite you, anyway. Might make me feel better.//

"HOW WAS I SUPPOSED TO KNOW THAT?!?!" He shouted right back, raising his voice for the first time he could remember in years. "I'VE NEVER-" His voice disappeared, and he sat on the ground, as suddenly as if his legs had simply stopped working. "I've never been missed before." He murmured, tugging at the grass with his fingers as his accent thickened. "No one's ever cared whether I come back or not. No one's ever asked where I went, or if I got hurt, or how long it would be until I returned. How was I supposed to know that it would go noticed? It is... almost strange to think about." Something bubbled up from his throat, suspiciously like a laugh, but nowhere near as happy as one should be. "Father always rewarded me with the closest blunt object. At least I knew I was there then." He blinked, a sigh whooshing out of him and he grinned. "But I will not dwell on it. It is unimportant, yes? I am sorry for worrying you."

He opened his arms, wanting a hug, but not knowing how to ask for one. "Does that mean I can go back tomorrow morning?"

//The bastard should be mauled,// Ondrea opined, but let the subject rest. Really, what else was there to be done?

Still grumbling a bit, mostly because such agitation took even longer to cool in wolf form, Ondrea moved close enough to let the boy wrap his arms around her. She sat, ears rotating a bit at a foreign sound.

//You are sorely mistaken if you think I won't drag you back, otherwise,// Ondrea informed him. //And for the record, if you pull such a stunt again, I really will bite you - and not in a pleasuring sense, either.//

She gave a sigh. //Can we get to the whole 'you're a werewolf' thing, yet? Clearly, you're not overly bothered, but it's still not a favorite topic of mine.//

It was with a tangible happiness that he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close and curling up with her. He buried his face in her fur, humming softly in contentment as he was met with the scent of wolf, the change only sharpening Ondrea's original scent, rather than changing it. For the longest time it seemed as if he would ignore her words altogether in the face of just holding her close, basking in the familiarity of her presence. The realization that he'd felt alone until she'd gotten there was odd - he had not been alone, the animals had kept him company - but it would seem his furry friends were no longer enough.

He laughed softly at that, 'not in a pleasurable way', grinning at the fact that a few months ago he wouldn't have known there was a pleasurable way to get bitten.

He pulled away slightly, staring her in the eyes and cocking his head to the side. "You've always had the soul of a wolf." He informed her, looking genuinely knowledgable. "When the full moon comes, it pulls it to something more dominant. It is more natural than those who keep their souls inside."

Had she been human, Ondrea would have given the boy a wry grin. Instead, she settled for half-sitting on him.

It bemused her, the way that some people seemed so blind to all that they were and had to offer. Zander had an undeniably simply way of viewing of the world, but it was a beautiful simplicity, like a priceless gem after all the imperfections had been cut away. That was Zander's magic - and the boy didn't even have a clue.

Julian, too, was guilty of similar - and the werewolf would most certainly be giving him an earful once school was back in session. At the moment, however, Ondrea was just glad that her friend was alright. Though...

//Aren't you cold?// she asked, lifting her head to give him a reprovingly glance. //You're shoeless and it's still winter. Are you trying to catch your death of cold?//

"What do we tell the god of death?" He asked her, snuggling closer. "Not today." He answered himself, grinning. "Besides, you are quite warm yourself. I didn't notice the cold much anyway. I was walking. I only took off my shoes to rest my feet." Running his fingers through her fur, he laid his head against her, smiling softly.

"You worry to much. I am not going to get myself killed, you know." He informed her softly. "I do have some sense, if you believe that at all."

//I have a winter coat on,// Ondrea remarked dryly. If the girl wasn't generally one to enjoy physical contact, she might have protested to being practically petted. As it was, she rather enjoyed both physical intimacy and having her hair played with, so the fingers running through her fur were welcome.

The werewolf scoffed. //It's not your having sense that I doubt,// she responded. //It's whether you know where to allocate it. Sometimes, I do find myself wondering.//

//We should be heading back soon. I want to reach my clothes before I change. Wandering the woods naked in winter isn't my idea of a good time.//

"Watching that sounds like a good time to me." The words were barely out of his mouth before his cheeks were aflame, and he was sputtering out an apology. "I didn't mean-" but he did. "It supposed to-" but it did. He stopped talking, looking at the snowy ground and biting his lip. "If you must get clothes, I suppose we can go. I would loan you mine, should... such things happen." His blush brightened, and he shook his head. How... odd for him to be not only thinking of... that but for him to voice it?

And he had a girlfriend. Did that count as cheating?

Frowning slightly, he debated standing, frowning. "Where are your clothes at?"

Ondrea gave an amused bark at the boy's embarrassment, amber eye glittering mischief. //Grown up some during your wandering, have we?// she teased. She rose to her paws and gave her coat a brief shake.

//Let's go, nature boy. My clothes are in a clearing about twenty minutes west.//