Run Boy Run

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eet were pounding into the earth propelling him as quickly as he could make them go. Almost there, almost there! Valerian’s ears lay flat against his head and he moved swiftly, keeping himself close to the ground for maximum speed. He could hear angry yelling behind him of his assailant, but the tree line was just up ahead. All he had to do was reach it, and he would be in the clear!

Once he hit the undergrowth, he dodged and weaved around trees with his small yet stocky form. He nearly flew past the establishment Sage worked at when his breath caught. Shit! If the bastard stopped there, the herbalist’s apprentice would surely be doomed to a good beating. Valerian took a hard left, his paws scrabbling to catch purchase on the ground to wheel himself around.

When he finally leapt into the grove, his eyes flickered around wildly until he spotted his twin. “Get down!!” He hissed as he leapt on top of Sage and bowled him into the undergrowth, urging him to be quiet until the threat passed them by.

@Sage

art and code by Yahtzee-Penguiduck

THREAD TITLE MUSE

S

ilence. Sage reveled in it. The boy could hear the leaves of the trees fluttering against one another, the branches rubbing together in the wind. A short gust passed his face, carrying with it the sweet scent of flowers that were in the early stages of bloom. The herbalist was taking the day off, and had only tended his garden that morning, keeping the shop closed for the day. It was the perfect day for it too. The sun was warm, but not balmy, and the gentle breeze kept the day from getting too hot.

Waking from a nap, the smoky pelted boy opened his eyes, only to squint them together again. One of the layers of logs had slipped from the top of the hut and the mid day sun filtered through. Groaning lightly, he stood and wandered outside, lowering himself into a bow to stretch out his back, his tail lifting high as he yawned. Sage padded out into the forest, searching for a loose log or two that he might use to repair the hole in the roof when a low, rhythmic thumping reached his ears.

With ears perked up, Sage stood still, his tail held stiff behind him, nostrils flaring as he searched for the source of the commotion. A moment passed before a familiar scent touched his nose and his face fell but it did not last long. Words were spoken as a similarly colored figure crashed into his side, knocking him sideways into a bush. Winded, and with his slightly larger twin on top of him, Sage wheezed, rage building inside of him. The thundering of footsteps soon passed and the boy twisted, kicking his back legs to remove his twin.

"What in the freaking fae flaps is wrong with you? What did you do this time!" He screamed, stomping his two front paws in frustration.

@Valerian

art and code by Yahtzee-Penguiduck

W

hen Sage started screaming he panicked and threw flailing paws at his mouth to try to shut him up even after it sounded like the footsteps faded. “Shhhshhhhshshhhshhh!” He had half a mind to bowl the smaller twin over again and stand on his muzzle to keep him quiet. “Hold it down! You do realize we sound the same, don’t you?” Valerian hissed, sharing in the irritable mood of his brother.

His ears perked and he poked his head out of his hiding spot, peering this way and that until it truly seemed like the threat had long passed them by. He let himself flop backwards onto his back with a long groan of a sigh. “Sage…my advice to you…never sleep with a married woman…and if you do, just don’t get caught…” He exhaled, laying there and staring up past the canopy of the trees as he tried to catch his breath.

@Sage

art and code by Yahtzee-Penguiduck

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aws rained down on him, forcing his head downwards as his twin hissed at him, imploring him to shut up. With Valerian's attention temporarily averted over the side of the bush, Sage struggled against the paws that held his maw shut, trying to free himself of his larger brother.

At last the pressure disappeared, Valerian rolling off him with a sigh that was echoed by Sage's own growl of frustration. "When would I ever take your advice, you prat?" The boy huffed and began crawling out from under the bush. "She must have been pretty damn important to have so many men hunting your worthless ass down."

art and code by Yahtzee-Penguiduck

"O

y! If you want to keep yer head, I suggest you do take all the advice I have to give you." Valerian retorted with a snort from where he lay, closing his eyes as he let the tension slip out of his body. He groaned and clicked his tongue, cracking one eyelid to peer over at his younger brother. "To be frank with you, I didn't expect to be gunned down by not only her husband, but her two brothers and her father."

He sat up until he was seated on his haunches, twigs and leaves protruding from where they stuck out of his mess of a coat. Valerian offered a weak smile that turned into a cringe as he cleared his throat. "Youuu might want to avoid the East side of town...at least for a while...heh..." He stood up and shook his pelt, a bit of grime and at least one of the twigs falling from it. "I intended to get out of there without being detected, but the good 'ole boys returned from their hunting trip early to find us all snuggled the morning after...thank fuck it wasn't during..."

@Sage

art and code by Yahtzee-Penguiduck