This... is incredibly awkward...

Alfred looks over to the wolf tailing him only two steps behind. The wolf glares back at him and he looks away again. But...

He stops, turning to the wolf and reaching into one of the pouches on his belt.

"Wait, before we go any further. Your hurt..." He says, eyeing the bleeding wound. He pulls the only bandages he has out and steps forward, but the wolf growls, making him stop.

'And who's fault is that?'

He raises his hands, hoping to calm the beast, "Yeah, I know. But you can't keep walking around like that. Here, let me help." He tries approaching again, but the creature only becomes more defensive, it's growls increasing.

'Like I need help from you!A human.' Even if it says this, Al can see it wincing in pain as it moves.

"But you'll bleed out like that! And what am I going to do? You broke my sword, I'm basically defenceless."

The wolf huffs, wincing again.

'Fine...'

Smiling, Al quickly moves over. He looks the wound over first, it's deep, but he never hit anything vital it seems. He's not sure if he should be happy or sad about that. So instead, he picks up some of the fresh snow and rubs it in the wound to clean it. The beast flinches and growls at the touch.

"Sorry, but I gotta clean it."

'With snow?' It drawls at him, 'That is not how you clean a wound.'

"Well yeah, but I don-" He starts to say, but the wolf ignores him, lying down.

'This, is how you clean a wound.' The wolf snarks, bending round, it starts to lick the wound clean.

"Ah." With all it's talking into his head, he somehow forgot that this is a wolf, a big dog really if he thinks about it. Of course that's how it'd think to tend to it's wounds. Once done it looks back round at him.

'See?' Al nods, not wanting to annoy it by telling it how unclean a tongue is. But, sure enough, the blood, dirt and melting snow are all gone and, he does have to admit, it does look better now. But still, he can see it's still bleeding, if only slightly now.

"Alright, you cleaned it. Now will you let me wrap it?"

A huff is the only reply he gets. Taking that as a yes, he gets to work.

XoxoxoxoxoxoX

Well, now he feels at least a little less guilty. But he had to use all the bandages he had just to make the wrapping fit around it's large body. On the plus side though...

"Sweet! It's still here!" In all the excitement, he had almost forgot about the antelope. Though covered in snow, it's emerald horns are still visible.

"Alright. Time to make camp for the night." He decides. The sun is going down fast, and he's found his kill again, so this is the prefect place to spend the night.

'Camp?' The voice asks, sounding confused as the wolf eyes the antelope.

"Yeah, you know. Make a fire and settle in for the night, get some sleep." He explains of handedly as he drags the antelope out of his trap and over to a tree.

'You plan to sleep? Out here, in the open?'

"Well, where else am I gonna sleep?" He asks as he sets to clearing away the snow by the tree's roots and building a fire from the sticks he finds.

'A cave preferably, but a borrow would be acceptable if big enough.'

"Well you can go find a borrow but I'm staying right here."

Pulling the flint stones he always carries out, he starts the fire, bathing in it's warmth.

"Aaaahhh. Much better." He looks up to see the wolf watching him warily, "What?"

'You created flames with out casting...'

Al blinks at that, coming to a realisation. The wolf... it doesn't know what a camp is, or making fires without magic...

"You... you've never been around humans before have you?"

'Of course not! Why would I want to hang around such filthy creatures as you?!' It grumbles, but Al get's the feeling it's embarrassed about it's lack of knowledge of the human realm, which, actually says a lot.

"Are you...from the Quivering mountains?" That would certainly explain a thing or two.

'So What if I am?' The wolf huffs, pawing at the carcass.

"That's amazing..." He's awed, the mountains are one of the hardest places to live, no human has ever been beyond the foot hills and lived. Tales of great beast living there used to fill his childhood. But... that does raise the question...

"But, if your from the mountains, why are you here?" The wolf huffs, glaring at him.

'Whatever you know of the mountains human, assume that it is wrong. They are hell to all that live there.' It turns away from him, taking a large bite out of the antelope.

"Wha- Hey! That's mine!" He tries to pull it away, but the beast sinks it's teeth in and holds it down with it's paws, ripping it's frozen mouthful free. White face smeared with blood, it smirks at him.

'No, you promised me food and this,' it presses it's paw down on the carcass, 'is food.'

Well, there goes his plan to sell most of it at the market on his next trip to town. He shrugs.

"Guess we can share." But the beast growls at him when he reaches for the thing.

'No, this is mine.'

"Hey, Hey come on now! I said I'd feed you, I didn't say I'd give you everything. Besides, I'll not eat anywhere near what you will." But the wolf doesn't relent, so he tries a different tactic.

"Look, I'm hungry too you know, and if I die of starvation, you won't get all the food I promised you." That seams to work as the beast lets up on it's hold of his kill.

Quarrel sorted, the pair settle in, Alfred using a small knife to cut pieces free and cook them over the fire, while the wolf settles for the far more brutal approach of tearing it apart, piece by piece. It wasn't kidding about being starving. In the end he had a little over a shoulder to himself, while he watches the wolf strip the carcass down to the bones, and even those it munched on. He was at least able to salvage the horns, pure emerald and, thankfully, inedible. But they'll fetch a nice price at the market.

Snow and fur soaked in blood, the wolf looks quite pleased as it lies down, cleaning itself. So this is going to be his life now? Sharing the majority of his trap kills with a seriously hungry wolf. Great...

"Hey, so do you have a name? I mean if I'm gonna be stuck with you for the winter, I'll need something to call you other than Wolf." It looks over at him, looking surprise by the question.

'Yes.' The voice floats through his mind, which he's somehow already become accustomed to, 'Under the full moons light, I was named Arthur.'

Alfred blinks, falling back to lean heavily against the tree, steadying himself. He's not sure why, but if felt like something, just, passed through him. A power he's never felt before, now pulses beneath his skin, flowing through his veins.

'And you human? Do you have a name?'

"Yes." He gasps out. Something inside him is telling him to answer. Almost like an...urge...pulling at the edges of his consciousness, he's almost too aware as he gives his answer.

"By the setting sun, I was named Alfred Feral Jones the third, first son of Jacob, heir to the house of Kalmora."

He gasps, the power within him growing impossibly strong, pulsating, his heart races, it's too much! He falls to his side, across from him he sees Arthur too, stumble even as he's lying down, as if a force has shoved him across the snow. He watches, feeling strangely not in control of his body as he reaches out, the wolf doing the same. Hand and paw touch, a light of brilliant blue and shining green mix, then, darkness...

Authors notes: I'm back! And I didn't die so that's a plus. Thanks for being patient, now expect a lot more updates from here on out.

But aww, look they're getting along, wonder how long that'll last. And can I just say, I love wolf Arthur, he's so snarky. But, a pact has been made, whether Alfred realises it or not (probably not...)

R & R people.

Until next time, stay awesome!