Chapter Text
“Where did you learn my language, Nothwulf? I thought they spoke another in Nagxia.”
Vermillion fire lit up the little camp, beating back shadows into the dense forest and tinting all surroundings delicately orange. The features of Ysena and his two wolves’ faces were outlined amber. Nothwulf stared into the flames, pondering the question.
“Never.” he answered, truthfully, “I didn’t know I could speak it, before.” He knew by how his adoptive father stared down at him that this was hardly an adequate answer to the question. He rubbed the white scales on his arms as he pieced together a suitable continuation in his mind.
“Ever since I was younger I could understand things very well... Even if I never heard a word before, I know what it means, or if someone is crying or something and it’s hard to hear them I know what they’re saying. I didn’t know that would let me speak another language, though...” He pulled his knees towards his chest, looking at the leaf littered autumn ground. “People always told me that’s weird.”
“That is odd, little pup... that is odd.” Ysena lifted his calloused hands out towards the fire, and smiled. His smile nearly was as warm as the fire. “Odd isn’t bad, though. That’s a great talent. Maybe one wasted in this lonely wood.”
“I like it here.”
“So do I, pup, so do I. Yet it is not unheard of to leave. If you ever did... you would do very well, I think. Not just because of that, no... you’re a bright child” He breathed deep of the smoky air. Nothwulf watched his movements. “But then, what would I know of the outside world, hm?”