I'm Superman, and I'm here to save you

@Abimelec 

^^ Steady had left @Valette to herself for a bit after deciding to head to the river just north of her circle of stones. It started to rain just before he got here, and he almost turned back. Too much rain would wash away Valette's scent and then he'd have a hard time tracking her down again. But, he was counting on her not to run too far. He tried his best not to be some overbearing male, but it was hard when he didn't know if she trusted him. Would she take the opportunity to lose him?

 Maybe this was a test of sorts to see just how much effort she put into getting away from him. Instead of turning back, Steady made it to the watering hole by mid-morning. The rain hadn't let up yet, and even though it wasn't a downpour, he knew it had gone on long enough that any scent of her would be long gone and impossible to follow. 

 His stress levels were high when he finally lowered his muzzle to drink from the lake. His eyes glanced around as his tongue lapped up the water. Not many were around, as they were probably seeking shelter from the rain. It didn't bother him like it might others. His fur would be plenty thick enough to keep him warm, even if it was cold, but it wasn't. The rain provided a nice cooling effect from the warmer days that came with spring. 

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Abimelec awoke as soon as he felt the rain against his fur. It sent his brain in a state of panic to feel it against his toes and bleeding into his fur. It felt like before - when was before? At that, his head goes blank save for him scrambling to stand up on shaking too-small legs. He feels like a newborn doe, a child only first learning to stand. It feels wrong. Something in him demands that he's supposed to be bigger that he's shrunk somehow, but that wouldn't make any sense! His reasonable side says maybe he's just had a bad dream, and that he's feeling the residual feelings from that, only, Abimelec didn't remember dreaming. The boy blinked. He didn't remember much of anything, actually.

Thunder rang overhead and the boy's head swooped to lift up, up and up some more to peer into the sky, only there was nothing. A voice his brain said was good and familiar, normal. So he took no mind to it and ran to the nearest place he could, tripping over a stray tree branch in the process. Dumb small legs! His head screamed, but Abimelec picked himself up after a childish yelp and kept going.

Only to splash right into more water with a screech.

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PP approved

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^^ The thunder above didn't phase the black wolf at all. In fact, it energized him. He drew from it as if it was a life force. He liked that it could drown out his own thoughts without effort. It didn't last long enough for his liking, though.

 A yelp caught his attention, and his head jerked up while his eyes searched for the source. At first, he didn't see anything, but the splashing of the lake water was hard to miss. It was a pup, and it looked disoriented. Steady was up and racing towards him, his legs sending water in every direction as he ran through the shallows. It was only a few moments until he reached the boy, and he opened his jaws instinctively to grab his scruff. The struggling youngster didn't make it easy for him to drag him to shore, but when they were finally back to dry land, he released him. Hey, you alright? he asked, looking him over. He didn't seem really hurt, but it was odd to Steady that he just splashed into the water like that.

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Abimelec was too busy splashing in the depths (it wasn't even deep) to notice the stranger approaching at a speed he might have thought meant he was going to get attacked if he noticed. Instead, just as he was about to give up and let the water overtake him, a stranger snatched him by the scruff and he instinctively moved to snap his teeth. He only met air, and he was left on the ground wheezing like the life was just taken out of him. The boy flattened himself to the ground, keeping his neck to the grasses below just in case before the voice hit his ears. Instead of melting into the floor, the boy's head whipped around to blankly stare at his savior. Abimelec didn't know how big the wolf was, but based on where the sound came from... Something told him it was a grown-up. Like I should be. He blinked again, dispelling the thought as soon as it came. Instead, his foggy eyes watched at the stranger without a feeling in them despite his previous wailing.

Abimelec only just willed himself to stand. His legs were still shaking, to the point he nearly fell over. He still felt too small, too thin - not muscled enough. He felt like he didn't belong. It still made no sense. None of it did - he huffed at the stranger. He didn't want to talk. Abimelec didn't want to know what his voice sounded like. Would it be high-pitched? It should, for someone his age. At least, for someone he thought his age was. Wrong! His thoughts screamed at him again. Why was it wrong? His stomach itched. Abimelec whined.

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^^ At first, the boy flattened himself to the ground, but as soon as Steady spoke, his whipped his head around to face him. That's when Steady noticed his eyes and the speckled dirt on his face. He couldn't do anything about the eyes, but he lifted his paw in an attempt to "wipe" the dirt off. Only, it didn't come off. Whoops, sorry, he said with a chuckle. 

 The pup tried to stand, and Steady lifted a leg over his back to help steady him, not realizing the boy didn't want his help at all. The whine concerned him. Are you hurt? he asked, expecting an answer.

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Abimelec growled at the stranger when a paw came to stabilize him. Teeth flaring but not going to bite considering the paw held his mouth closed. As soon as the paw left his face Abimelec tried to scramble away only for it to come back. It gave him something to lean on and make sure he wasn't going to fall over, but the touching was bad. He growled again but didn't move to bite - not yet. There was a question of injury, and Abimelec opened his mouth, closed it with a click, and then shook his head no.

He attempted to move to itch that scar - only he couldn't reach with the paw around his side.

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^^ The growl and flaring of the teeth made Steady smile. Tough little guy, he was and Steady admired that. He shook his head to Steady's question, so it was good he wasn't hurt. But, when the pup shifted, Steady saw a glimpse of the scar on his abdomen.

 Concern took over his expression, and he lowered his head to get a better look. What happened there? he asked as he removed his leg from around the boy and sniffed at the scar. He couldn't smell blood, so he didn't think it was recent. But, the pup was so young, how and when did he get such a scar? A maternal instinct swept through Steady, one that said he wouldn't allow anyone to hurt him again.

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When the other wolf moved, Abimelec was able to get enough space to bite at the scar with his teeth to scratch it. He didn't even realize there was something on his skin until his tongue lapped over it and there was something puffy there. Whatever it was, it itched and he just had to scratch it. Of course, eventually that started to hurt, and the boy couldn't unless he wanted to taste his own blood. He didn't, so he stopped that the moment it came to mind. The question made Abimelec turn to gaze at the stranger with sightless eyes. What? Get what? Why was the stranger so worried? He shrugged, mostly trying to get the answer for himself. What was right there?

He knew there was some weird bubbly spot, and his skin kind of felt weird, sense of touch muted, but that was about it. There were things the boy wanted to know, too, like where he was, how he got here - but he wasn't going to ask them. He didn't want to hear his own voice - the sounds he made revealed enough. He was going to sound weird and wrong, the answer had to be to not talk at all, right? Either way, it was just going to make the stranger's job harder. Abimelec noticed the leg missing from around his body, and backed up a few paces only for the wind to blow and for him to growl at it.

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^^ The pup seemed intent on licking and nibbling at the scar on his stomach, which told Steady it might not be as old as he first thought it was. Healed on the outside, but maybe not fully on the inside. Hey, now, if you don't leave it alone, it'll bleed, he said, trying to gently nudge the boy's muzzle with his own to get him to stop. 

 The boy's reaction to the wind has Steady confused all over again. The rain had let up to a light drizzle, and Steady could see his face better. Looking at his eyes, they didn't look normal. It wasn't anything Steady had ever seen before. Can you see me? he asked. 

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Abimelec stood and let the rain and wind make noise for him. The stranger was still asking questions, ones Abimelec wasn't going to answer with words. Still, the kid was almost thankful to the stranger for getting him out of the water... He didn't drown. The stranger didn't let him drown - that meant something didn't it? It also didn't seem like the stranger was looking for anything - who would? A kid wouldn't be able to gift the stranger with much, if anything it showed the stranger was worried for him. Abimelec couldn't fathom why.

He still shook his head in a no.

Abimelec could most certainly not see a single thing. And yet it felt so right.

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^^ The pup shook his head no, confirming that he could not see anything. No wonder he had just ran into the water like he did, Steady mused silently to himself. He should have been able to smell it, but with the rain, it was probably difficult to discern which was which. 

 Alright, then, he said, moving away from that part of the conversation. Why don't we go find a place to get you out of this rain, and I'll hunt down something to eat for you? Pups were always hungry, weren't they? Steady didn't know where his parents were, but if the pup was like everyone else around here, he most likely woke up without them here. It was the only story Steady had heard so far. 

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Abimelec would have noticed the water if it wasn't raining - he wouldn't have panicked if it wasn't raining, even. But Steady didn't know that, nor could he control the weather to get the kid to relax more. Still, Abimelec thought the stranger was being nice enough. And without a reason, and well, if his baby teeth meant anything it would be that he wasn't safe alone. He still felt weird small. Something told him he should be bigger, and every time Abimelec realized he was a kid he felt worse. But why? He couldn't remember being older than this it made no sense. Lots of things made no sense about himself. So he chose to rely on the stranger - at least while he was being nice.

He knew what food meant, and he knew what shelter was. That would be good. Better than waiting in the rain to see how long it would take for the whole place to flood. He shivered at the thought of the water overtaking the place, and then nodded to Steady.

Okay.

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^^ The pup seemed to take a few moments to think about Steady's offer. Steady was relieved when he finally nodded his head in favor of finding shelter and food. Good, he said, and turned to face the direction he wanted to go. Uhh, he paused before proceeding. You can grab on to my tail or follow along beside me. He hoped he wouldn't regret telling a pup he could chomp on his tail, but if it made following easier, he would endure. 

 He took it slow and steady away from the lake until he found a patch of woods. Walking through the trees, he found a hole in the ground, and paused. He lowered his head to breathe in the air, and found that the den hadn't been used in some time. Perfect! There's a den, just in front of me, that you can go into to get out of the rain. Sit tight in there, and I'll go find you something to eat, he instructed, then waited to see if the pup would go in. 

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At the offer to bite the other wolf's tail, Abimelec suddenly felt very amused as he waited for the fur to brush his muzzle. He then chomped that shit. To Steady's security, pup teeth weren't exactly the strongest, but Abimelec could attest to them being little needles (from biting at that itchy scar). He could feel himself smirking like a little shit behind the fluff of Steady's tail. He might have laughed, too, if he wasn't actually afraid of losing the other wolf. Wait no. He's not afraid. Definitely not afraid. Never been afraid in his life! With a little pup-growl (mostly at himself), Abimelec allowed Steady to lead the two of them somewhere getting less drenched. The boy could tell it was the forest - occasionally roots brushed up against his shaky paws and his sides would brush against a tree. Just after that, Steady mentioned the den.

Abimelec felt his way around Steady with the confidence of someone who knew what he was doing. That is to say, he kind of did. Somehow. He instinctually knew how to find his way around to get to where he was going, but the boy wasn't going to complain about that fact. It was another thing that felt right. Instead, he turned and shook all of the water off of his pelt (hopefully hitting Steady with some of it. Abimelec liked being a little shit). He lowered himself onto his haunches, feeling the packed dirt under his paws. An old den - it was obviously used for something. But it didn't smell like anything. Or was it the rain? Either way, Abimelec turned around to gaze with blank eyes and a blank face. As if he could see what was laying in the depths of the den. There was no noise except for the rain, wind, and breathing of the two wolves so he deemed it safe enough. It didn't seem like Steady was leaving him to be eaten. He was worried about drowning in here though... Even if the den would 100% be safe from said thing.

He opened his mouth to answer again, facing Steady now. Only it closed with another click! Instead he nodded. No words.

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^^ Steady's jaw flexed tightly shut when the pup chomped down on his tail. He almost thought the boy did it on purpose, but he said nothing. The move to the den was uneventful, thankfully, but Steady still occasionally turned his head to look back at the pup to make sure he was alright. 

 He watched patiently as the pup entered and sat down in the den. When he opened his maw, Steady thought he might finally say something, but he snapped it shut instead and gave a nod. Alright then, I'll be back in a jiff, he said, and then turned to trot off in search of some food.

 He wasn't really sure how long he was gone; waiting for his target to come out of the ground had taken a bit, but he returned nonetheless with a fat marmot hanging from his jaws. Thankfully, the rain had finally let up by the time he got back to the den and laid the offering at the opening. I'm back, he called out, in case the pup hadn't heard his arrival. Turning, he walked back a few feet and laid on the ground, not caring that it was wet, and waited for the boy to eat. 

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While he was waiting, Abimelec nearly left the den multiple times. It wasn't that Steady took too long, but he still was gone for enough time for the boy to worry about being abandoned there. Especially when he heard the rain stop and the drip-dropping of leftover wetness falling off of the plants. He was cold, and tired, and really really hoped that nice stranger didn't leave him here by himself. At least until he could figure out why he felt so weird, why nothing was right and why he knew his voice would sound like a child's despite him knowing he is a child. Why would being a child make him feel strange? He didn't remember ever having grown up.

The steps coming closer and closer to the den had his ears flicking upwards, his teeth showing, and his hackles raising against his back. The boy made no sound, stilled, he needed to figure out if it was someone that would eat a child. If it was a dangerous animal looking for a snack, or the owner of this den. Maybe Steady tricked him - maybe - The sound of prey dropping in front of the opening had him flinching. The scent of the stranger had him coming closer, peering out, and staring at him for a short moment. Stupid. Abimelec was stupid for assuming anyone would come to hunt him down. Not when... Not with the rain masking most scents, or washing away anything that lingered before .

Abimelec then moves to crunch at the meal offered to him.

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Steady settled in to the spot he had chosen, his eyes wandering around the area to look for potential dangers. The wind had stilled since the rain stopped, but the birds and other creatures of the forest hadn't yet begun making all of their individual noises. That would make it easier to hear someone approaching. 

He let his mind wander, too, while the child ate. He wondered where @Valette was, what she was doing. He had not sought her out since she had spoken such harsh words to him. While his memory didn't include specific events from their past, he knew in his heart that she had never spoken to him like that before. He supposed he understood; at least he was trying to. She didn't remember him, so he was this stranger that professed his love for her and stalked her around. Still, he was wounded by the words. 

His gaze went to the child as he replayed their interaction thus far in his mind. Wondering aloud, he asked, Can you speak? His voice was soft, non-judgmental. Maybe the child was simply a quiet one and didn't feel the need to. But, if Steady was going to return him to where he should be, he needed to know where that was.
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Abimelec let the silence sit, the only sounds were his less-than-pretty chewing noises while he ate the meal Steady got for him. He wasn't going to talk anyway, too worried about what his voice sounded like. Plus, the dark male was a stranger even if Abimelec was trusting him with his life. Steady easily could leave him behind and not think about the pup again. Abimelec knew that, but he also knew that most wouldn't just leave a kid behind to fend for themselves. At least not one that wasn't old enough to travel alone.

When the question hit his ears, Abimelec paused mid-chew. Turning his head in the vague direction of the sound, he nodded, not caring at all about the wetness of the blood on his maw. He then turned back to the meal as if nothing happened. He couldn't really see Steady anyway.

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The kid turned his head, nodded, and then turned back to his meal. Steady extended his neck ever so slightly, and waited. If the kid could talk, then he thought he would take the opportunity to do so then. But, evidently, as the crickets chirped around them, that wasn't going to happen. Alrighty. Different approach. Do you have a name, ooorrrr, something I could call you? he asked. If not, Steady might just take it upon himself to make something up. If the kid didn't like it, he could just tell him so.
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He was done with the meal now, red mostly licked off of his maw. He didn't bother making any noise in the silence, it was nice - just sitting with the quiet rustles of grass and the drip-drops of the plants after rain. One white ear twitched when Steady spoke again. More questions. This one, Abimelec was almost compelled to answer. Almost. He did not want to hear the sound of his own voice. Instead of using words, he nodded again.

There was no way he could tell Steady his name without speaking, was there? He stood abruptly, turning and shifting on his paws awkwardly. I really don't want to do this.

"A-" he cuts himself off abruptly, growling at his voice. High-pitched pup voice.

"Abimelec." After that he promptly shuts his mouth with a click, only offering another unhappy grumble.

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When the pup stood abruptly, Steady's neck retreated back and his eyes widened in surprise. He hadn't expected the pup to move so quickly. Had Steady upset him? Jaws opened, and the pup made a sound. Oh! He was going to tell Steady his name! Steady tried to keep a neutral expression, worried that any sort of excitement might scare the pup into silence. 

Abimelec, was said finally. Abimelec, Steady repeated cautiously. Alright then, he added. It was obvious that the pup did not like talking, and so Steady would do his best not to press for verbal answers. I was thinking we would travel westwardly, see if we can find your parents, he explained. He didn't really expect any opposition to those plans.
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Abimelec waited for Steady to have some kind of reaction to his voice, whether it be positive or negative. None of it came, and he was left wondering if that was good or bad. At least the man guiding him didn't seem upset by the fact that he sounded like a kid. Is a kid, somehow. Abimelec knows he should be bigger, not this small, not this gangly, he should have muscle and should be as large as a wolf can be. Only, he isn't, and all of his strength is gone. It's not going to stop him from building that back up in the future, once he knows Steady won't be mother-henning him over something like that. If the man sticks around.

When Steady mentions his parents, Abimelec physically recoils. Not by much, just a few steps back and a pup-growl from his throat. As if to say absolutely not! He has no idea why he's reacting this way, but he is, and the boy thinks it must be a bad idea to go looking for them. He doesn't understand why though. Pups should love their parents, Abimelec has no memories of dislike, but his brain is supplying him with too many feelings he can't understand. He relays them as bad and it feels right enough for the boy to know something must be wrong with them. Or something must of happened. He growls again.

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At the mention of finding his parents, the child recoils as if he was being physically attacked then and there. Steady's eye widened in surprise at such a reaction. It was obvious this pup didn't want to be found by those particular wolves. Or not, he said carefully. Was it his place to find his parents? Not as much as it was to simply protect and care for Abimelec. At least that's what Steady's moral compass decided on. 

Very well, he said, as if that would be the end of finding the pup's parents. And it would be, unless the pup himself spoke up otherwise. At least that means we don't have to travel all around the country side. We can stay here for a bit, he explained, thinking of the silver lining of the situation. Steady could steer his energy into hunting instead of walking around to new areas. He eyed Abimelec a bit, watching for a reaction to the new plan.
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Abimelec, as a pup, doesn't have much control over his own body. He realizes this after the fact. At least, something tells him he should have more control. Either way, it seems like his reaction has thrown Steady up for a loop. He can't see it, but from the tone of voice the man sports, Abimelec is sure he's surprised the wolf. It gives him a sudden satisfied feeling, a feeling of power a pup his age should not have. Only, it does not last long as Steady starts offering things again.

They won't have to find his parents, and they won't have to travel all over the land. The latter option, despite his pup-legs already hurting at the idea, seems almost fun. He could learn something from it, but his pup brain can't comprehend what - so he simply nods at Steady's assertion of their new plan.

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Abimelec seemed to relax when Steady gave in. Not that Steady would have really put up a fight. It was such a strong reaction, and Steady would not bring himself to ever put someone else in a danger that they perceived. So, they would stick around here for awhile. He was unaware the child might have thought it an adventure to continue on a journey with no destination in mind. Steady's brain was focused on the business at hand, instead of the fun that might be had. 

He relaxed his body, hoping the boy would follow suit. After traveling, and hunting, Steady could use a good rest and he gently closed his eyes. He would not really sleep, however. His head would remain upright, and his ears would listen for sounds, both from Abimelec and from any that might come around them. He would figure out his next step later.
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