Veluchasm Collection

Bourbon very much wanted to see something new today. Roy, not so much, even if he'd been the one to follow her out in the middle of the woods just to wait around and be some animal's snack. The camp they'd made was shoddy, half-there, and nothing would come to the bait because they'd know the rixixi were just sitting there. Surely they'd be smelled miles off, or hunted and eaten, or, or—

"Lighten up!" Bourbon didn't care about being quiet, nudging Roy's shoulder with enough force to make him lean. "Nothing's going to eat us."

He can only scoff at her. "Says the person with wings."

"I know you know that I can't take off here. Too many trees."

A sigh heaves out of Roy as he plants his paws on his knees, staring out into the dark. There's something out there, he knows it.

"And would you re-lax? Nothing's going to eat you."

Snap!

Roy's paw flies out on its own before he can think, planting in front of Bourbon as he jumps to his feet. "Hold on."

"What? There's nothing—"

"Shut up!" Bourbon's head snaps back as she blinks owlishly. That worked. Mouth left agape, all she can do is watch as Roy slinks around the fire and takes a burning piece of wood for a torch, hesitantly jutting it out before him to the woods.

A pair of wide, yellow eyes stare back. "Shit." Slowly backing away, Roy glances back at Bourbon with fear dripping from his form as the beast emerges from the brush.

It takes all Bourbon can manage to not laugh. Why's he being so dramatic? Even under attack, she's calm as ever, and Roy bares his teeth back at her. "What—"

And the little warg barks up at the rixixi, no fear at all as it strolls right into their camp.

Bourbon can't hold back her laughter any more, just as the little blue beast walks into her waiting paws, eagerly seeking out pets. "Friendly guy, isn't he?" Roy scowls to her, huffs, and sits as he chucks the wood back to the fire. "Who's a good puppy, whooo's a good pup—"

"We could've gotten killed, Bourbon!" Roy's anger snaps like lightning.

She glares back, searching over the warg's neck for a dull rope tied about its neck. "Why would it have killed us if it wasn't someone's pet? It's fine, it's probably from the nearby village."

"Nearby village— ugh. Yeah. Probably."

Roy sulks back on the temporary chunk of wood he's using as a seat. "Y'don't have to be so worked up," Bourbon tries to remedy the mood, "It's good we didn't get some... big thing, right? I bet this guy ate all our bait anyways. Bad choice to not want to go so far, but, y'know. 's not like I wasn't playing it safe, either."

"You were..?" Roy lifts his head, his glare losing its strength.

Bourbon's already back to playing with the puppy, letting up as it growls at the touch to its side. "You were worried. 'm not gonna get myself killed. Who'd ride back to the ship with you?"

He's silent.

"That's the deepest thing I've heard from you in weeks."

Bourbon's grin is wide as she guffaws, scaring the warg and jolting it to attention. "C'mon. I'm a deep person. I'm so deep that dogs love me— hey." There's not enough love as the warg scoots away from Bourbon with wide, wide eyes on her. It's close enough for Roy to reach out and pat, earning him a confused growl as it wheels its attention onto him.

"We should probably get this guy home."

Bourbon sighs, deflating a little as she beckons it closer again. "Can't we have a few more minutes?"

"Nope." Roy stands up slowly, making towards his pack to pull out travel snacks of jerky. "Someone's missing their pet. Why they'd want to keep one of those is beyond me, but, it needs to get back home. You can pet it there." When he's turned back to facing Bourbon, she's already lugged the poor thing up in her arms and wrapped it safely with her wings. "Or you can just carry it. Alright."

"Well, I'd hate if I worried my best friend."

"Ha ha. Very fable-y. Make sure to write that one down." Roy gives Bourbon a tired smile as he scoops up a flashlight and heads back the way they came, courtesy of a compass in hand. "C'mon."

Bourbon's quick at his heels. "You know, sometimes I can't tell if you're joking or not..."