skill: ranger 1/5

After finding Bee at last, his next objective was to find River. It had been too daunting to try to track Bee and find where she had ended up (though ironically, she'd found the rest of Avon before he had technically) while keeping River safe, he had been alone and he didn't know if he could keep the little buck out of sight when he wasn't right next to him. It scared him in some ways to consider how much longer he'd been gone than he meant - he had no idea how quickly deer tended to grow up. He'd never honestly stopped to think to much about it.

When he'd discussed what was going to happen with River, it felt.....it felt too jarring. He had traditionally just been more like an uncle figure, the friendly adult for fun stories and random knowledge about plants and life. Now though, it felt different. It felt.....it was harder than he expected to leave River behind, and he didn't know how many times he had stopped to look back at the little deer as if to memorize everything about him before he had left the Glade to search for the lost dove.

What if something had happened to him? What if he'd worried about Fox never coming back, or somehow been hurt, and what then? It wasn't as if he could communicate with him somehow. Foxglove had his face buried in the ground, focused purely on tracking the young buck. Was he a buck at that point? Was he still a fawn? Gods - it was already too long since he'd seen him, and how much had he grown? He drew in a deep breath and tried to settle himself, a little whine leaving his lips when he had found a recent enough trail he could track him.

He ignored the snow falling, ignored everything other than the prospect of finding River - he couldn't wait to see him again.

---

He was growing into a young buck now, his dark fawn colors were changing into a blend of light grey and earth the spots that once speckled his rump were long gone and his coat was thick for the winter. Atop his head, the annoying antlers still pushed through, covered in delicate velvet they were nothing but nubs atop his crown. Itchy and irritating each time they pushed against his skin.

Much of his time had been spent on the outskirts of the meadow he had followed the Avon wolves to, usually a social butterfly he did admit it got lonely. But he'd kept himself busy enough studying plants and herbs alike, trying to unbury them from the blanket of snow and discovering which ones grew best in the cold season and which ones receded until spring. River had his nose to the ground ─ as he often did, pawing at the frozen landscape trying unearth some lunch a blanket of snow settling upon his back.

But there was something ─ familiar on the horizon that pulled his attention from his stomach. Something red, and orange, the boys head swung up in a single swift motion. Satellite ears rotated forward as the wolf; or fox....wait ─ Fox?!

It couldn't be.

He had begun to wonder if he would ever return.

A strange feeling settled into his stomach, fear and anxiety about seeing the whisper of a man the fae had followed all those moons ago. River swallowed, hooves seemingly frozen to the ground and let him approach.

---

❝ speech ❞
notes

skill: ??

Foxglove wasn't new to having family. He was blessed with wonderful mothers - both fiercely protective and still insistent that their children could stand on their own. He had siblings he loved even when they butted heads and stepped on each other's tails, as siblings are apt to do. He was blessed. He had experienced a beautiful, loving, supportive family space where he felt comfortable and safe to find himself. So many others were not as lucky.

But somehow in taking River under his wing he'd gone from thinking not only of him as just....a child of Avon but there was a sensation in him where he felt possessive almost. River was not just theirs but his in a sense, and he wanted to find the boy and make sure that he was okay. He needed to be certain. Was that.....was that what his mothers felt? Did they still worry after him even after he'd been here for years now?

That had to be something about being a caregiver. Foxglove didn't know that he'd call himself a father - that wasn't his place to assume, anyway. It depended on River entirely.

When he finally crested a little slope and spotted the figure of a unique looking deer he was dumbfounded. To realize that it was River - the little tiny baby he'd found following him, it just left him breathless. If not for the frantic way his tail wagged to tell his happiness, it might have seemed like Foxglove froze entirely. And then his paws and his brain reconnected, and he was immediately crossing the distance between them. Look at you, His tone was breathy, barely able to keep himself from nuzzling against the boy - he didn't need to lean down now! What happened? Still, he sought to nuzzle against River's soft fur, chuckling gently. You're amazing!

After as far as he'd ranged and roamed he would have understood being rebuffed - it had been too long, and while his search had been valid it didn't make it any less difficult to understand. He'd been unable to find Bee only to have found her as he came to the Blushed Meadows - finding the lot of his pack struggling with their own problems. The winter had brought them a gaggle of puppies, and they were all blessed for their safe arrival and their growth. He had to think of River the same way too. He couldn't look at the time he'd lost since he could do nothing about it, but he could appreciate that River looked healthy and well.

---

Where River felt a slight uncertainty, nervous about coming face to face with the one who'd found him and then left him. Foxglove was quite the opposite and it quickly washed away the unease he felt moments ago. Fox beamed, his tail in a flurry of excitement as if no time had parted them at all and the young buck couldn't help the smile that found him in return.

He waited, allowing the red wolf to cover the distance between them and stop in breathy abandon as the effort took his breath "Look at you," the boy laughed as the wolf ─ who's height he now matched, except for the fact that River had a longer neck so his head stood higher pushed into his chest. The deer craned his head, wrapping around his caretaker in their brief embrace.

"You're amazing!" rounded ears turned back shyly, his bright teal eyes flickering away for half a heartbeat. ❝ You look good, too ❞ he mused, unsure what to say. ❝ How was your trip? I have...so much to tell you ❞ while River did stay away from the drama of the wolves; he had his own goals he was pursuing.

---

❝ speech ❞
notes

skill: ranger 2/5

How to even start - Fox had no idea. It felt like life got the better of him too many times when it came to the things he wanted and the things he needed. What he wanted rarely seemed to matter - Fate had other ideas, though. River's laughter was something he'd missed, and Foxglove let out a breathy sigh of relief at feeling the affectionate gesture returned to him. River almost seemed shy when he heard the compliment, those teal eyes darting away briefly. Too long, Fox admitted with little grimace. Not like he needed to say it, but it was his very first thought. It felt.....it felt hopeless, but I didn't want to just......just give up on her, either. Foxglove had struggled with the warring sensation. The longer he took the more he took from River. If he had just immediately turned around to return to Avon, then he would have just abandoned Bee.

It was....harder being alone, too. I couldn't find Bee - not until I came here. Which was just as unexpected. To know that she'd been just...taken from one place and put in another, he knew what that felt like. This world was something chaotic, something that he didn't truly understand, and he didn't know if it would be easy for anyone to really just accept. Have you been okay? He asked, giving River a good look over. He couldn't find any flaws or injuries, any real signs other than the fact that he was now alarmingly grown. I can't believe how big you are - and I'm sorry I've missed so much of it. He admitted. It was important for him to address the length of his absence. There was something he'd done when he'd taken River under his wing - he'd promised that he'd be there to watch out for him and take care of him and here he was, he'd been gone for so long that it was almost like meeting all over again.

Tell me everything, I want to hear all about what you've been up to! He was eager, even if he didn't get to see it all.

skills: n/a
notes: n/a

---

"Too long," the young buck nodded in agreement his short fluffy tail twitching with the joy of their reunion. "It felt.....it felt hopeless, but I didn't want to just......just give up on her, either." teal eyes would drift slightly, falling as he reached the compassion so deeply embedded in his young soul. ❝ I get it, ❞ he offered quickly, the words came off a little shorter than he'd intended, but phrasing wasn't his specialty yet. His youth showing. "It was....harder being alone, too. I couldn't find Bee - not until I came here."

❝ You found her, then? ❞ he inquired, ears pricking forward. "Have you been okay?" ❝ Oh! Yes I've been well...admittedly I haven't socialized with the pack much but I keep busy ❞ his eyes would dance thoughtfully toward the heart of the meadows, he had met one though - one of the leaders young children. Who thought he was impressively soft. "I can't believe how big you are - and I'm sorry I've missed so much of it" ❝ Hey, that's ok - ❞ he was quick to push it aside. "Tell me everything, I want to hear all about what you've been up to!"

❝ Honestly not much ─ I - I spend most of my time trying to learn about herbs and plants, but uh...my antlers are coming in and man is that annoying ❞ he expressed with a sigh laced with a chuckle. ❝ You wouldn't believe how itchy these things are ❞ not something Fox could exactly teach him about the young buck was unfortunately on his own.


❝ speech ❞

skill: ranger 3/5

It was ironic, perhaps just a cruel jab of fate, that Fox had been gone so long. It wasn't his intention, but that didn't make it any less true - far too long was putting it mildly. The tone was ignored, to be honest, Fox was too excited to really think anything of it. His attention span wasn't capable of being tethered. It still struck him how much River had grown. And all that Fox had managed to do was get leaner without the benefit of the pack. Ironically, as I was coming back! I hadn't even gotten settled back in when I came across her. It was a relief to know that River was safe, and Bee was safe, and so was the rest of Avon Odyssey. I'm surprised you haven't tripped over any of those little sprouts running around. He said with a laugh. Fable had given him a quick rundown, but he had no idea the faces that matched to the names. He'd probably have to hear a few more times how to pronounce them properly.

Foxglove had crossed the terrain, going near and far, ~~wherever you are~~ in what had felt like an endless and hopeless endeavor. He shook his head when River tried to just dismiss the very genuine feelings. Okay, no - your feelings are valid. So don't swallow them down. He instructed. He rarely was so direct but it was important. He needed to be sure that River heard him, absorbed it, put it to practice. Too often they expect us to just....well. Pardon the pun but buck up and just ignore when we feel bad. And that isn't fair to you, feel your feelings, minun Pikku Rakkauteni (my little love) But he couldn't exactly call him 'little' anymore, not when River had sprouted so high so quickly.

Fox's gaze snapped back to the antler's as River mentioned them, a little smile settling on his face. Have you tried rubbing them on trees? Fox asked curiously. This was when it was truly hard because Fox had no experience with antlers after all. Whenever I can't get to my worst itchy spots, finding a good tree is the best helper. It unfortunately wasn't like Fox could just groom the itches away. You might want to visit those woodlands, I came across a lot of scents of deer and some elk maybe? I honestly am not sure. It felt important still that River had what he needed in the ways that he might not be able to supply.