[ AW ] Grow In Shade

T

he sun shone down on him, his paws were covered in dirt that smeared over his face. Just another part of his daily routine, his early morning work in the little garden behind the raggedy shack he had built himself. It had been a work in progress for well over six months and he was proud of it. Using the closely packed trees, the male had stacked branches and logs into a semi-structure that provided a decent amount of protection from the rain and burning sun. Plenty of space for him and his gallivanting brother to share whenever he returned home.

With a content smile on his face, Sage picked up the conch shell that lay beside him and made his way to the lazy creek that twisted through the trees and refilled the empty shell with the cool liquid. Taking a moment to dip his paws in the frigid water, Sage found himself lost in thought, staring up at the fluffy white clouds that floated along above him.

In his mind's eye, he could see a man. Dark and royal, with piercing red eyes. The figure was familiar, and the sense of safety that came with it was welcomed by the smoky colored boy. He had no memory of ever actually meeting a wolf like this, but the image in his mind was as crystal clear as it had ever been. Sometimes he would wonder where the figure had come from, why it featured so prominently in his dreams, other times, like today, he would just bask in the feeling it brought him.

The boy slid to his belly, a dreamy smile stretching across his face. He could see the man, feel the way his body pressed against him, inky black fading into smoky grey. The way the warmth seemed to fend off the cold that emanated from the ground below him. The mischievous smile the prince would give him, igniting a strange, itching flame in his belly. To Sage, he smelt like warm stone, like the ocean on the peak of a summer's day. Like comfort. Like home. How he wished this prince would come and find him, because surely this was real. Surely his mind couldn't imagine all of this on it's own. Not when he could barely summon the memory of his mother's scent, or Rue's, or even his father's. But for right now, none of that mattered. For now, he just lay in the embrace of his prince, the conch shell that once balanced full of water spilled beside him. A lonely boy, lying by the creek, a single tear forging a path down his cheek.

art and code by Yahtzee-Penguiduck

E

verything seemed alive with the coming of spring. The air was warm and pleasant, filled with the sweet sounds of songbirds nestled way up high on pine branches. The verdant hue of her gaze matched the newly developing life all around her, as the season of new beginnings was upon them after a long, cold winter. And the smell of it all… Willow could scarcely contain her joy as she walked through the unknown lands, snout turning all about to take in the scents of wildflowers.


At one year old, Willow was now old enough to extend her circle of exploration to include the landscapes north of her Lowlander dwellings. The girl had for many months looked forward to exploring the Highlands, and she fully intended to bring a sibling or friend or two to see the pretty forest along with her.


Sometimes, though, she just liked to explore on her own, like today. You could never guess exactly what you will find, and fortunately for Willow, her adventures had been largely absent dangers. Her inexperience made the girl more bold than perhaps was advisable, but she had managed to remain safe (more or less) up until now.


She came across an unexpected sight in the evergreen woods: a carefully tended garden, one clearly designed by someone’s paw rather than a random product of nature. Finding a garden filled the teenager with glee. She had, after all, been found in a Lowlander garden nearly one year ago, when she was still just a wee baby. The tri-color youth ran a quick circle around the plot of land for good measure, though she did not see the being responsible for the garden. She could only assume the planter was someone who she would, naturally, get along with very well.


These were the thoughts swimming through her youthful mind as Willow stood beside the garden, hoping that if she just waited a few minutes, its caretaker would soon arrive to greet her. She hummed a cheerful little tune as she waited. It did not occur to her that the wolf she waited for could be someone bad.



@Sage

art and code by Yahtzee-Penguiduck

D

eep in his thoughts as he was, it took some time before the scent of the stranger came to Sage's attention. Snapping from his reverie he stood, shaking out his pelt and gathering the now-empty conch. Padding back, Sage eyed off the youngling that had wandered up to his garden. Her pelt was golden and stunning, and she stood humming, as if perfectly content with where she was.

Sage approached slowly, placing the conch down against the side of the hut and clearing his throat in an attempt to announce his presence. "Hello there! I'm afraid the shop isn't open today... But I can help you if you need something." Sage said, smiling gently at the girl. Looking her over, he wondered where her parents were, his father would never let him explore alone at her age. Based on her calm demeanor he did not think she was here for urgent care, for her or a loved one. So why was she out here, so far from dense society alone?

@Willow

art and code by Yahtzee-Penguiduck

T

here was no sign of fear in her features, no hint of apprehension in the way the young girl stood, alert and curious, as the stranger approached. It was lucky for Willow, though it did not occur to her that it was indeed good fortune that she found this brute instead of any other who would wish harm upon her. The male who tended to this lovely garden appeared just the way the girl had imagined: smiling with kindness, obviously a naturally gentle soul, much like her own mothers and like Willow herself. She had not stopped to consider that a gardener could be anything different than that.


And so, the yearling was not surprised to see him -- on the contrary, her tail began to wag behind her as if she were encountering an old friend, a bright smile spread across her darkened muzzle as she regarded him with enthusiasm as he spoke to her. Quickly, she shook her head to indicate that her arrival had not been so intentional as that. ”Shop? Oh, no, I’m not here to do any shopping,” she responded with a giggle. ”And I don’t need anything, at least, not that I know of!” She was innocence incarnate, with bright grass-green eyes that had never witnessed much strife in her year of life.


She looked away from the silvery stranger, back to his garden plot, and she announced: ”My name is Willow, and I love your garden!”



@Sage

art and code by Yahtzee-Penguiduck

H

er stance was confident and calm, something that seemed so old for such a young soul. Perhaps it was naivety that made her stand so sure before him, or maybe it was the fact that nothing about Sage even whispered negativity. All sunshine and smiles as he was.

Not here for the shop, she said. Sage furrowed his eyebrows for a moment, looking the girl over. His shack was deep enough into the woods that it wasn't often wandered upon by accident, it was often people following the river from the towns to find his establishment that would visit. He watched her speak, how her very words seemed to excite her. Green eyes, as green and pure as the herbs that grew in his garden moved over to the vegetation. "A budding gardener, Willow?" He asked, his voice light and friendly. He moved over to his garden and picked out some rosemary, laying it on a warm stone and grinding it to a near-paste. "Here, smell this. This is called rosemary. It can help when your tummy hurts if you eat a little of it. Mashed like this, you can apply it along with a root called turmeric to sore joints." He said with a smile, encouraging her to smell the herb. Maybe, just maybe, she could learn alongside him. Learn the practical use of the herbs and how to grow them.

@Willow Sorry it took so long bub <3

art and code by Yahtzee-Penguiduck