A Realm of Adventure Beneath the Canopy

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His coat of russet felt warm on his skin as the morning sun peeked over the horizon. It seemed to even glow against its touch as he strolled along, weaving between the trees of a forest he had spent the past few hours killing time in. A goofy smile strung across his lips as a freshly snagged hare hung comfortably between his jaws, a snack he would indulge in shortly. Relishing the warmth of the morning, Dante felt peaceful — the most peaceful he had felt in quite a long time, for once able to awaken from a night not plagued by nightmares. He hummed at the fleeting thought but averted his attention to something else to distract himself from lingering on the idea.

With the sun crept higher in the sky, Dante decided to hunker down for the time being, as he could practically feel the soil absorb the radiating heat from above. Glancing around he spotted a fallen log, its roots ripped entirely out of the ground where it once grandly stood. He approached it and set his hare down, somewhat tucking it into the cool dirt slightly beneath the log to protect it from the growing heat. Taking one more glance around his quiet surroundings he laid down—belly face down, hind legs sprawled out behind him—placing his chin on the log. It was imperative for him to conserve his strength, especially now, as the days had grown hotter and water sources scarcer. But he couldn’t deny the unfathomable boredom that weighed him down more than the actual temperature. He inhaled heavily through his nose, his goofy grin having dropped to an unimpressed, childish frown as his reddish eyes lazily rolled left and right in an attempt to keep himself occupied.

The chirping of birds filled his ears, and before he could be lulled off, a curious rustling jolted him back to alertness. His body remained still but his eyes grew wide as they darted to the direction of the rustling. Through the brush he saw yet another hare hunched over, searching diligently along the ground. How lucky, Dante thought as he relaxed, but he felt no inclination to seize it. Whether a product of laziness or exhaustion, he didn’t have the willpower to move. He was too comfortable. So instead he resorted to simply observing it do its hare thing, and after a minute or so he felt a little spark of fondness well up in his chest. Ironically enough, he had almost completely forgotten about the hare corpse at his side.

The calmness of the moment went as quickly as it came. A chorus of rustling sliced the silence, coming not too far away from where the hare perked up curiously from within the bush. Dante perked up as well after realizing the rustling was coming towards him. He squinted his eyes to get a better view between the trees but to no avail. Just as he was about to try and get a closer look, though, a wolf suddenly barreled through the brush, scaring the poor hare, which fled with hidden briskness. Dante watched as the wolf, who looked to be around his age, nearly hit the ground, but what gave him pause—and stopped him from jumping to his paws —was the prominent grin on the stranger’s face. The stranger of cream and brown had a twig in his mouth and seemed to have been running. Running from someone? Chasing something? Dante hadn’t a clue, but despite the shift in the atmosphere, he remained situated where he laid, sprawled out, chin still on the log. The only difference in his countenance was his eyes that had widened again. There was no trying to muster a nonchalant expression; not with movement as swift as the stranger’s.

The young man blinked stupidly for a few seconds, completely dumbfounded at what to do. He sensed no immediate malice and thus lost almost all motivation to move. There was a knot in his throat that wouldn’t budge, even after clearing his throat. After a few more seconds he began to feel the pressure to say something, anything.

“Uh. Hi.” The words fell faster than he could process them. Well, that’s that, he thought with defeat before finally bringing himself to sit upright, the log serving as the only thing between him and the stranger. “Are you… okay? You took… quite a tumble.” Great observation. Dante had no reason to feel as awkward as he felt, but he did his best regardless to give the stranger a sympathetic smile and humored glint of his eyes.

Zawki

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Dante’s reddish eyes flitted from the stranger to the trees behind him, a brow curving curiously upwards. He doubted it but a protective—er, self-preservative inclination urged him to determine why the stranger had been running, whether it was just because, or a means to escape. Dante didn’t want for, should the answer be the latter, the stranger to have brought his pursuer directly to him. However, there was no denying that he wanted the stranger to be safe regardless of him being just that. Concern eclipsed his eyes, the fine lines of his face tightening with concentration as he focused for a few silent moments. Though, the stranger’s voice brought him back to the present as he confirmed that he was okay with a nervous laugh. It seemed he felt no less awkward about the situation the two were abruptly thrust into. All Dante felt he could do was smile apologetically and keep his posture loose, even pushing his back forward in an lavish stretch. He sighed with relief, visibly relaxing once he heard a subtle, fulfilling pop in his spine.

"Sorry if I disturbed you, by the way. I didn't think I would run into anyone else out here." The stranger’s tone was friendly and his words prompted Dante’s apologetic smile to turn more casual. He shook his head with a hum. “No need to apologize. If anything, I owe you one, for interrupting your morning jog.” His smile widened and the tips of his pearly canines peeked from beneath his lip. “A little warm for one, is it? Unless… you were running from something?” He asked in good nature, but the second question slipped out before he could stop it. Oh well, at least with a direct question he could have his suspicions quelled, even if they mostly already were. He leaned back on his haunches a bit to get more comfortable, trying to settle into the patch of admittedly dry ground he occupied. There was no helping it, this drought, but fortunately, Dante was well-equipped to adapt.

The stranger asked if Dante happened to have seen a hare in the area before adding a playful comment about mealtime. His ear twitched as it fell to the side upon his realization of the hare carcass beside him, of which his gaze fell on. Oh yeah. It was his turn to laugh nervously; he could tell the stranger was trying to pinpoint the direction the hare fled but was confused in the crossfire of scents created by Dante’s catch tucked behind the log. “You just missed him,” he jested in reference to the hare. His nose instinctively pointed towards where it disappeared, offering the stranger a hint if he were so inclined to take it. “But…” he paused while grabbing the carcass and placing it on top of the log in full display. “If you’re exhausted from your run, I offer you a better solution. My apology, if you will.” His smile remained intact as he stood, picking up the carcass and stepping over the log to meet the stranger halfway. He placed it down, even making an effort to take his eyes off the other male in a show of trust.

“Two's better than one, right?” His tail wagged slightly. He would make sure to step back if the stranger advanced forward.

Zawki

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"It's not like you could have known I would come hurtling through a bush into this exact spot." Dante chuckled along with the stranger and hummed in acknowledgment. He was pleased to have found good company—or, at least, good company found him. The image of the stranger falling almost chin first into the ground flashed through his mind at the mention of him hurtling through the bush, and Dante’s tail swished with amusement. The stranger went on to explain how… an angry squirrel? Was chasing him? Now that was curious. The russet male’s head cocked to the side, his expression practically imploring the other to elaborate. He was tempted to ask what he had done to provoke a squirrel of all creatures, and though something had been chasing him, it was nothing Dante needed to worry about. But, the stranger’s demeanor shifted, prompting him to pause his entertaining thoughts. "No... I wasn't being chased. I just felt the need to stretch my legs and go for a run, but as you can see, it didn't quite go to plan." Before he could think to stay cool and nonchalant, a snort of delight left his nose. So that was it. He tried to stifle a laugh but was unsuccessful, too far into a good mood to quiet himself. “Is that so? Heat or not, a run is always nice, and... plans are meant to be ruined,” his tone was matter-of-fact but clearly faux. “But an angry squirrel? I’ve never heard that one before.” he teased. He had definitely heard and conjured his fair share of excuses, but one about an angry squirrel was especially creative, and, to his enjoyment, wasn't entirely unbelievable.

The stranger lit up at Dante’s offer, a feeling of satisfaction welling up in his chest. He asked if Dante was sure, to which he exaggerated a firm nod. He said they should share it, which had been the russet male’s intention all along, and he returned his playful grin. He copied the stranger’s movements, laying down, and sprawled his hind legs out behind him like before, resting on his belly with his forepaws crossed. He let the other male have his share first, his own fluffy ears twitching in content in response to the filling sounds of the birds overhead. “Indeed they are, I can always welcome a turn of fate,” he mused whimsically. He had no solid plans on making acquaintances with anyone, but he would never pass on the opportunity to expand his corner.

The brown male introduced himself as Axel. At last, Dante had a name to put to his face, one quite unique. “Axel,” he tested on his tongue, ensuring he could correctly enunciate the syllables. Axel asked for his name, to which he promptly responded, “Call me Dante.”

As he watched his new friend peck away at his offering, a question crossed him, and he wondered if Axel belonged somewhere. He hadn’t noticed a lingering scent of a distinct pack, he realized, so he presumed he was a loner like himself. He didn’t know the land very well, but knew for certain there were packs who inhabited it. He couldn’t be sure so he was compelled to ask anyway; even if his presumption was true, perhaps Axel had intel on them. “I am new around here, so forgive me for assuming, but are you a loner like myself?”

Zawki

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"I don't think I've ever heard a name like that before. I like it." said Axel in response to Dante giving his name. The russet male’s tail instinctively wagged at his words as it swept away at the dry forest floor, collecting loose dirt and debris. “Likewise, my friend. I guess that makes us two of a kind, huh?” he followed up heartily.

Axel continued, confirming Dante’s assumption with an edge of surprise in his voice. He grinned at this, proud that he had managed to guess correctly, not that there was much of a shadow of doubt in his mind otherwise. He commented on the weather, at which Dante nodded in agreement, his expression softening into something more solemn or wistful. He had never known the weather to be so volatile, for he had the luxury of living in higher elevations where the temperature was often more consistent, even if the passing seasons prompted two extreme ends of the spectrum.

"Where I'm from, sometimes it would snow really heavily. Then, when the snow melted, the floodwater from the mountains would make the rivers really fast and exciting." said Axel excitedly. The feeling was contagious as Dante immediately perked up at the mention of his homeland, and observed how it made him feel. “Whoa, that’s awesome! I come from the mountains—” a forepaw lifted as he gingerly shook it towards the other male, a boastful, playful smile on his muzzle, “—not to brag or anything, but they were some really big mountains.” He tried to contain the true, jesting smile hiding under the facade of pride, but to no avail.

“But really! I lived next to this massive waterfall that always grew tenfold after the winter.” The comment may or may not have been exaggerated but the excitement to share a piece of himself was overwhelming, especially now that it felt warranted. “Though… the winter runoff always made the water all the more cold and painful to drink.” His brow tensed at the thought, and like muscle memory, the nerves in his mouth near his teeth ached. He laughed regardless, partly to entertain Axel but also in hopes that he could resonate with him.

The russet male noticed his friend pause mid-bite and his eyes lowered to the care carcass that had already been forgotten a second time. He noticed Axel’s awkward smile, then heard his nervous laugh, to which he snickered at. It was evident to Dante that he had eaten a little over half of the carcass, which the other nudged forward, and he smiled sympathetically. “Guess you were hungry,” Dante teased. Without skipping a beat he took a nibble from it and felt a part of his body relax, but he perked up again as a new thought reached him. He looked at his brown eyes, his own bright with renewed light. “What if we tracked down that other hare? I could use a bit of a run, myself.” His words were half true, as deep down he felt he would be more content lounging in the shade, but engaging in something adrenaline-inducing with someone new sounded appealing to the puckish male. “What do ya say, Axel? Care to indulge with me in a hunt?”

Zawki

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Dante basked in the wonderment that showed on Axel’s face at his stories, a proud but genuine smile on his face. He made a quip about wet fur in the winter, causing an exaggerated wince to form. “I’ll pass,” he laughed, “I take pride in my northern heritage but I was simply not shaped for the fury of winter." There was a whimsical tune in his voice as he reminisced. “Besides, winter in the mountains was brutal!”

At the proposal of a hunt, Axel perked up, mentioning how he could stretch his legs some more. Dante agreed internally. He had done nothing but lounge around all morning, wasting away it felt like. With the heat of the oncoming day becoming more and more prevalent, working up a rewarding sweat would ease the young male’s innate worries about being useless, even if he had all the time in the world now, all to himself. Distracted by his friend’s play bow, he copied him in preparation. "Come on, let's go!" he urged, the words increasing Dante’s heart rate without skipping a beat.

When Axel bounded off, he caught up quickly, nearly passing him when he paused to ensure Dante was keeping up. But Dante remained just a hair behind him as they tracked their target, the scent of hare still fresh in his nostrils. His friend spoke about how he and his brother used to track animals together in their youth. There was a moment where Dante didn’t say anything and proceeded on, but there was a very brief hesitation in his actions that he quickly covered up. “Yeah, my brother and I would do the same thing, in a way, but with our training.” His voice was rather soft, unlike before. “We were in the same division growing up, where we learned military tactics and strategies.” His words almost didn’t feel like his own as he spoke; like they really didn’t correlate with what Axel was saying. He sounded uplifted, but there was an undeniable sinking feeling in his chest, the wounds still fresh in his soul and, though unnoticeably, his body.

Dante inhaled with his surprise as Axel perked up, challenging him. The russet male smirked. “Guess I don’t have a choice, then. You’re on,” he joked, his mood turning in an instant. “But first, how about, whoever kills it gets first dibs on it.” he proposed. Might as well make things a little interesting. Picking up the pace Dante moved along, nose glued to the ground once more, feeling reinvigorated as the breeze hit his face. He missed this; not just the adrenaline half but having the incentive to simply move.

Not a second later the scent of hare grew stronger, which centered his straying mind as his quick but admittedly loose movements became tighter automatically. With a pointed smile at his friend, Dante took off, wasting no time in pursuing their target that crested the horizon just beyond the trees. His approach was a little less than stealthy; the shrewd hare sensed the looming threat and fled. His veins pumped as he maneuvered along seamlessly through the twists and turns, and it appeared as though the prize was his. But, at the last ever possible moment, right as he was poised to lunge—completely going for it—a precariously misplaced twig on slick ground foiled him. Down he went.

Zawki

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Dante continued along, indulging in his task, listening to Axel as he spoke about his brother and himself. He could resonate with the disparity between the brothers’ strengths. Between his and his own brother’s, he had always been the stronger one. It had always been that way, so much so that his family labeled him a prodigy because of it. He always thought it to be an exaggeration that never failed to humble him in the best way, but even then he strove to live up to the title, even if that meant leaving his brother behind. An involuntary chuckle bubbled from within his throat as he recalled back to just a mere few months ago. His reddish eyes turned to study the other male’s profile momentarily, just in time to catch his mischievous smile. His brow furrowed curiously, as he returned a mischievous smile of his own. So Axel knocked his brother unconscious once? Dante hummed in amusement, trying to envision it.

Raising his head, breaking away from the trail, Dante bumped his shoulder against Axel’s playfully. “Strength can manifest in even the smallest of bodies. I’m very proud.” he teased with delight, sniffling dramatically as his eyes secretly sparkled with mischief. Chills surged across his skin, making his fur prickle. He hadn’t felt this invigorated and simply… uplifted in what felt like ages. Aside from time spent recuperating and healing, he had been forced off of his feet and, consequently, away from others. Axel was the first soul he’d interacted with since leaving his homeland. What a welcoming sign, it was.

Dante’s eyes widened upon hitting the ground but for once it wasn’t at his own expense. Why was Axel approaching him and not chasing after the hare? Why did he stop? It was getting away! He wasted not a second in scrambling to his paws again but paused as he heard Axel play his earlier words right back at him. A scoff came to him naturally along with a playful roll of his eyes. “I’m fine but why didn’t you go after the hare? You totally could have gotten it!” He practically whined, drawing out the last few vowels and looking towards the direction where the hare scampered away. “I won’t move from this spot until y—” a tickle forming along his back had him involuntarily coiling up to aggressively shake out his fur. After thoroughly finished he cleared his throat, straightened his posture, and feigned a serious expression at the other male.

Inhale. “I won’t move from this spot until you do. You get a five-second start. It’s only fair!” He would stand his ground on this. He blundered his opportunity.

Zawki

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Dante squinted his eyes playfully in mock suspicion as he noticed Axel’s tail sway faster at his reprimand. He scoffed in response to his comments, turning away momentarily for dramatic flair. “No kidding. Guess the ground can’t resist us young, spry men, huh?” He giggled, his own tail moving gently with the wind. There was a little bit of lingering pain in his upper body but his attention was elsewhere as the adrenaline nulled any concern for his wellbeing. Since he had mentioned it, a game of tag did sound exciting, and judging from both of their stubbornness it was looking more and more like the hare would get to live to see another dawn.

“Uh oh. This is dangerous, having two stubborn people work together.” Dante sighed and shook his head before laughing at his friend who sat down. So that’s how it’s going to be. His eyes traveled back towards where the hare fled, unable to see it through the forest foliage, not even hear the sounds of its thumping feet. It was gaining distance on them and even though they could easily catch up with it, he no longer felt hungry, and it seemed Axel’s hunt drive was diminishing as well, but it was evident to him that they both wanted to continue running, at the very least. So he turned to the other male with a sparkle in his eyes, one less mischievous. “Well, since we’re both resolute, why don’t we do something more mindless? But with what just happened though I'll probably regret suggesting that." He laughed again. "I wouldn’t mind taking you up on that offer.”

Zawki