He was getting braver and braver each day. At least, he THOUGHT he was, and that was the most important part, yes? He wanted to be what he felt he should have been all along...if only things had been different. It was always a hard mental struggle. Some days were much better than others. Some days, he doesn’t even leave the den. Others, like today, he leaves and even gets close to the border.

He is curious, you see, and wants to venture out into the world beyond the fields, and beyond the swamps. He barely remembers getting here and what wonders...and terrors he could have seen and simply does not remember. The world is a dangerous place and his mind liked to repeat that to him over and over. On this day, he somehow had that be a bit more quiet as he wished to gaze out beyond the border of his sister’s pack.

He was on a bit of a hill near the border, and his mis-matched eyes were gleaming out towards the border beyond. The world seemed so vast and huge...how could anyone see it all? And what all is out there? As he thought such things he sees someone. It immediately catches his eyes and draws him in, but they go out of view.

Lazarus stands now, and moves towards the border. He hesitates for a moment, his white ears falling back. He gulps before pumping himself up. He can do it! Aster would be so proud of him if he greeted a stranger at the border! She does it all the time! And his sister Aster was like...the coolest ever. If she could do it, he could too...right? Right? Right! He puffs his red-touched chest and nods to himself.

He begins to march through the grass with his stocky form. He stared straight forward- pretty unnaturally, as if to focus himself and stay brave. Keep going! Keep going! March forward! Go to the border and greet them! His eyes were fixed until he gets to the point where he sees the female grooming herself now, her image more clear. She seemed to sparkle in the light, and he froze well before he could greet her. He pushes himself into the grass to hide himself, and slowly, he brings his head up with ears tucked onto his head to peer over the grass and look at her again. No, he was not hidden, yes she could see him, and likely noticed him marching awkward her way, but instinct told him to sit and...stare, perhaps she did not see him, and he could gain the courage to approach such a…intimidatingly pretty wolf. It was a different fear than before...not fear of her killing him, but a fear of…something else...that he cannot quite put his paw on yet.