"We run, because we live."
...Huh.
Yelp's paws kept their rhythm beside Ochir's, brushing through the grass as the wind rolled over the plains. Running had always just been running Nothing more. It got you somewhere faster, it caught dinner, and it got you out of trouble. He'd never really stopped to think there was any reason to do it beyond that.
If running is living...
His stride shortened without him meaning it to.
...Then what was I doing back home?
The thought came so fast it almost stole the breath from his lungs. He'd spent seasons sleeping in. Wandering the same handful of areas until he could've walked them blind, never too far from the den. There was always tomorrow. Tomorrow he'd go farther. Tomorrow he'd try something new. But then tomorrow turned into next week. Next week into next season.
The wind shoved at his shoulder, ruffling through his coat, and he looked up before that thought could sink its teeth in any deeper. The plains just kept going on and on, rolling hills of stretching so far ahead they blurred into the sky. No trees waiting to snag his fur. No roots lying in wait to trip him. Just open ground. Enough of it that it was almost dizzying.
His chest swelled with another breath.
Maybe... he kinda understood what Ochir meant.
"So," A grin tugged at the corner of his mouth as he glanced over. "If runnin' means we're alive," His tail flicked behind him. "walkin' or standin' around's gotta be a death sentence here, right?" A laugh escaped him, a little breathless from the pace they kept. "My old home didn't have places like this." His gaze drifted back toward the horizon. "It was pretty much all forest. You could run if you wanted, but," A quick pause as they crested another rise together. "Five steps if you're lucky. Then you're havin' bark and your own teeth for breakfast 'cause some tree came outta nowhere." Maybe that was a slight exaggeration. Just a little. "I can't say I ever saw anybody run just 'cause they felt like it." His ears flicked thoughtfully. "Not like y'all do."
Ochir's next question drew a thoughtful hum. "My name, huh?" He'd never really thought about it before. "As far back as I remember, I was just... Yelp." His nose scrunched as he searched through memories he hadn't touched since he was barely off milk. "Don't really remember all the nitty-gritty." A few more strides passed, tongu clicking to the roof of his mouth as he recollected. "Oh! My parents wanted a girl first." He smiled to himself. "They'd been dead set on callin' her... uh..." What was it again? "Yelba?" Yeah. That was it. "Yeah, Yelba, But they got me instead."
The grin lingered for another second before slowly fading. "...Huh." His ears tilted back as the thought caught up with his mouth. "They really did just lop the end off."A snort escaped him. "Damn." He looked over at Ochir, amusement lighting his eyes, "Y'think that's lazy or they were just overly committed or something?"
After a while, Yelp spoke up again without being all jokey. "Ive been wondering somethin'." His gaze stayed ahead. "How'd you and Maral get separated?" He hesitated, wondering if he'd brought up something too personal. "When I first got here she always seemed kinda, like. I dunno. A little bit sad." Not exactly miserable looking. But enough that it made him concerned. He had been too caught up in his life spiral he never had the chance to ask her about it. "I figured she was homesick at first but then you showed up, and. well, I dunno. " A small smile found its way back onto his face glancing toward Ochir. "I guess it makes sense now."
Ochir
...Huh.
Yelp's paws kept their rhythm beside Ochir's, brushing through the grass as the wind rolled over the plains. Running had always just been running Nothing more. It got you somewhere faster, it caught dinner, and it got you out of trouble. He'd never really stopped to think there was any reason to do it beyond that.
If running is living...
His stride shortened without him meaning it to.
...Then what was I doing back home?
The thought came so fast it almost stole the breath from his lungs. He'd spent seasons sleeping in. Wandering the same handful of areas until he could've walked them blind, never too far from the den. There was always tomorrow. Tomorrow he'd go farther. Tomorrow he'd try something new. But then tomorrow turned into next week. Next week into next season.
The wind shoved at his shoulder, ruffling through his coat, and he looked up before that thought could sink its teeth in any deeper. The plains just kept going on and on, rolling hills of stretching so far ahead they blurred into the sky. No trees waiting to snag his fur. No roots lying in wait to trip him. Just open ground. Enough of it that it was almost dizzying.
His chest swelled with another breath.
Maybe... he kinda understood what Ochir meant.
"So," A grin tugged at the corner of his mouth as he glanced over. "If runnin' means we're alive," His tail flicked behind him. "walkin' or standin' around's gotta be a death sentence here, right?" A laugh escaped him, a little breathless from the pace they kept. "My old home didn't have places like this." His gaze drifted back toward the horizon. "It was pretty much all forest. You could run if you wanted, but," A quick pause as they crested another rise together. "Five steps if you're lucky. Then you're havin' bark and your own teeth for breakfast 'cause some tree came outta nowhere." Maybe that was a slight exaggeration. Just a little. "I can't say I ever saw anybody run just 'cause they felt like it." His ears flicked thoughtfully. "Not like y'all do."
Ochir's next question drew a thoughtful hum. "My name, huh?" He'd never really thought about it before. "As far back as I remember, I was just... Yelp." His nose scrunched as he searched through memories he hadn't touched since he was barely off milk. "Don't really remember all the nitty-gritty." A few more strides passed, tongu clicking to the roof of his mouth as he recollected. "Oh! My parents wanted a girl first." He smiled to himself. "They'd been dead set on callin' her... uh..." What was it again? "Yelba?" Yeah. That was it. "Yeah, Yelba, But they got me instead."
The grin lingered for another second before slowly fading. "...Huh." His ears tilted back as the thought caught up with his mouth. "They really did just lop the end off."A snort escaped him. "Damn." He looked over at Ochir, amusement lighting his eyes, "Y'think that's lazy or they were just overly committed or something?"
After a while, Yelp spoke up again without being all jokey. "Ive been wondering somethin'." His gaze stayed ahead. "How'd you and Maral get separated?" He hesitated, wondering if he'd brought up something too personal. "When I first got here she always seemed kinda, like. I dunno. A little bit sad." Not exactly miserable looking. But enough that it made him concerned. He had been too caught up in his life spiral he never had the chance to ask her about it. "I figured she was homesick at first but then you showed up, and. well, I dunno. " A small smile found its way back onto his face glancing toward Ochir. "I guess it makes sense now."
Ochir