Safe, right? Completely hidden, unseen, it was just a matter of wai— Oh… Oh no.

Just as Aiden was beginning to feel secure in his hiding spot, thinking the red stranger was still oblivious to his presence, something changed. The realization came instantly, the moment those honey-brown eyes connected with his own – he’d been spotted. The boy sunk lower into the snow under red wolf’s gaze, large, white ears falling back against his head in nervous anticipation.

The wolf darted out of the cavern, it’s focus directly and singularly on Aiden. Eyes wide, the pup’s fur bristled in alarm along his spine, but he didn’t have time to flee. He didn’t have the time, and he knew it was pointless. Sure, he was a gangly, stilted youth, but the full-grown stranger still had the advantage over stride. And he’d acted first. All Aiden could do was shrink back defensively as the stranger dashed forward.

Aiden remained rooted to the spot – whether out of fear or acceptance, he wasn’t sure – even as the wolf came to a stop a few paces away, but his body language spoke volumes of his discomfort. Fur puffed out despite the gathering snow trying to weigh it down, tail tucked, and small frame leaning as far away from the red wolf as it could without lifting a paw, Aiden wanted to hope for the best but could only assume the worst. But the stranger’s voice was kind enough, and his question was…harmless.

“Um…” It took the pup a couple seconds to process the fact that, no, the stranger was rushing up for an attack. He’d totally been expecting that outcome, but… Well, he wasn’t going to complain. Large ears unpinning from his skull for a moment, they still remained humbly laid back, and the boy gave a small swallow before answering the strangers question. “Not exactly?”

It wasn’t a lie. Sure, Aiden didn’t really know where he was, but he also wasn’t trying to get anywhere is specific. As far as he knew, he’d have to have a destination in mind in order to be lost. He was just…wandering. He might have explained that, too, but all the words seemed to come up short as the stranger stepped forward, and all the boy could do was pull his head back another inch or so as the red wolf spoke up once more.

Being safe and warm sounded almost too good to be true, and Aiden was just beginning to explore that thought before he heard the rest of the stranger’s words. His mom? But..

“My—,” Aiden began to answer, only for his tongue to fail him as the red wolf crept and leaned over him with open jaws. Ducking his scruff out of the way, the boy quickly backed up a few paces and lifted himself out of his crouch to stand tall – or as tall as a young boy could while still leaning away from the strange wolf with a great deal of uncertainty – on his gangly legs and over-sized paws. “My mother’s gone,” he said simply, having long accepted that fact. “And I can walk.”

Much as he didn’t want the stranger’s teeth anywhere near his scruff, Aiden wasn’t running away, either. Now, he’d been taught better than to be so liberal with his trust, but, so far, this wolf hadn’t shown any ill will toward him. Aiden really couldn’t speak for the relative safety of hanging around strange wolves, but, in all honesty, the promise of warmth made him inclined to give it a try. He just…didn’t want to be carried. He was nearly a year old, this was a complete stranger, and…yeah. He could walk.