Passage of Courtship 2/2 - Internal Instinct

Not good.

Very not good.

His day hadn't started out too badly. The sun rose, he crawled out the makeshift den he'd dug under a large fallen tree the night before and caught himself a 'coon for breakfast. He could have had fish, there were a lot in the stream, but he was not a very good fisher. After his breakfast, he decided to explore the area a little more. Ulfrheim as a whole was a new place for him, and it would be some time before he could see it all. Father'd always said that in order to find who you truly are, you need to first understand the world around you. Eros knew his home, had spent his youth playing and hunting there. At first, he'd been sad and nervous about leaving. But ever since the auroras and that female he;d met that night, Ulfrheim seemed to have more appeal than before.

He still didn't know if Fenrir was helping him. He wasn't sure what to believe, but he was going to try.

That wasn't to say trying was easy. He'd met another male a few nights ago. He was friendly if a bit chatty, the complete opposite to Eros' quiet and reserved nature. Though... when he thought about it, Eros wouldn't mind meeting him or the female again. But today was a new day, and Eros was going to take full advantage of it. He was feeling good about everything and ready to tackle the day and whatever came up, head held high.

That was this morning.

Things took a turn toward interesting after nightfall. Eros had been heading back to the den he'd dug out when he heard it. It was soft sound, muffled by the surrounding pines, a sound he'd almost ignored. He contemplated for a moment, but eventually, curiosity demanded that he investigate. He pressed deeper into the forest, and he heard the sound again. The young Felvarg pricked his ears and listened carefully, there it was again. It almost sounded like... like someone was in pain. Eros wasn't sure what he should do.

Should he call out to them?
Should he try to find them?

...should he just leave? No. No, that was not an option. He was raised better than that. He might be very good at interacting with others, but he wasn't just going to let someone suffer. He heard the noise again, that pain-filled noise, and started towards it the best he could. The pines distorted the sound, making it hard to pinpoint exactly, so he used his nose. What greeted him was the metallic smell of blood. Eros swallowed thickly. It was another Felvarg for sure, and they might need help. Following the smell led him to a small clearing in the pines, the grass here was softer and there were more bushes scattered around. Eros poked his head into the clearing carefully. An injured Felvarg could be a dangerous Felvarg, and Eros didn't want to end up hurt himself. He looked left, then looked right, and that when he saw her.

The black female looked as though she'd been trying to blend in with the shadows of the bush behind her. He looked over her frame carefully. She didn't appear to be hurt, but she was just laying there, breathing heavily, her tail twitching uncomfortably.
Oh...
Oh!

Dear Fenrir, why him?

He couldn't leave this female alone, someone else might find her, and not be as kind as him. Carefully, he stepped into the clearing, making sure the female would see him, but her eyes were closed against the pain. "Um... hi..." He said softly, and she lifted her head, ears back and fear in her eyes. Eros' tail curled under him and he put his ears back. He had no idea what to do. "Who are you?" she snarled.
"E-Eros," he said. "A-Are you o-okay?" Wow. What a good question Eros. Sure she's fine, just in pain that you can't possibly imagine. He swallowed nervously and walked a little closer. She wasn't snarling anymore, but she still looked nervous about him. He noticed a small dark shape against her belly, a new pup. "I-is this your first litter?"

It must have been a question she wasn't expecting, and it took her moment before she nodded. She opened her mouth, but she was interrupted by the pain, and she winced and tensed her body. Eros found himself moving closer, wanting to help, but not know what to do. He couldn't just stand here helplessly, could he?

"Stay?" He looked down at her face, confused. "I don't want to be alone."

The silver 'varg swallowed nervously and nodded. He walked around the female to lay behind her and watched the clearing for anyone who would try to harm this new mother or her pups.