The spot they found seemed familiar, though he could not place it. It even seemed like the same distance from the creek. He left Mr Growl to start the fire, and walked over to the water. Once again he dipped his head in. Closing his eyes he could almost see Mr Growl... licking himself, though he was sure that people could not do that. It was something else that made him cough and gag and turn red. He shuddered filling his canteen and returning to Mr Growl. He looked through his basket to get the bread and other meats for them to eat.

he had started the fire by the time the boy came back and though he tried not to notice it was easy enough to see he was jittery about something. feeling uncomfortable himself he stirred the lightly burning kindling to get it hotter

He stood in various spots, until he came to loom by the fire. Once he did so it seemed that Mr growl was about to say something, when Red gathered his courage to ask the man for a favor. "Mr Growl? I can not sit down with out this rubbed between my legs... can you help me put some on?" Bending down slowly he plucked the jar from his basket.

the request made no sense to him and the sharp smell of it could just be made out even from in a jar but he was willing to oblige and standing up took the proffered jar, "what do i do?"

Taking off his cloak to lay on it. The boy lay with his rump exposed to the air along with his thighs. "Use your fingers and rub some between the muscles, and... um..." He was not sure how to politely say his exit. "The hole area." He ventured.

the oddity of the request confused him though he did not argue and opening the jar was met with a burning smell that made his nose hurt and his eyes water. he quickly closed the lid and looked over only to find the boy had pulled down his pants. the absurdity of it was enough to make him question the human's intentions. with the jar still closed he came over and crouched down just off of the boy red's shoulder and cocked his head, "boy, how will this," he nodded down at the jar, "and that," he peered over to the exposed hind, "make you sit when you've sat many times before?"

He gasped and swallowed. "Mr Growl,... we ... " He admitted "had sex. afterwards I could not sit. My grandmother made that medicine to help." He said blushing hard and looking away.

Blinking he woke to see he was warm and comfortable but not in his bed. A quick glance at around and he found that it had already fallen past dusk. Before he could raise himself. It seemed that Mr Growl as at his side offering him a basket of wild fungus. He looked at the wolf. "Mr Growl what is this?"

the boy red did not wake even after being carried back to his home and laying him out he ate his own portion of the food and set the rest down on the only plate he owned before sliding the boy's basket under the bed and fetching his own. it took him several hours but when he returned the other was waking and coming to his side he put the basket by the boy's side, "you have fed me i am doing the same for you. mushrooms for soup"

He watched Mr Growl and then looked at the fungus. It made him wonder if he could even eat such a thing. He pushed the blankets fully off his body. "... Thank Mr Growl, that is very kind of you ... though I will be more then happy to add to the pot." He found his basket with all of his own uneaten goods, though he noticed half was missing. "I have chunks of dried meat if you like?"

he would and nodding he moved away though before he moved to stoke the fire from it's slumber he asked the question that had occurred to him in the forest when he was still gathering the treats, "aren't you missed boy-red? the hunter will be out looking for you soon. those that stray from the path always invite the hunter"

He shook his head, moving so that he could set up. He grinned. "My granny sent a pigeon explaining that I was hurt and that she did not know when I would return. My family thinks I am a simpleton so they will not question it." He was not sure why Mr Growl was always afraid of being found. Maybe he had fallen in line with an outlaw. "We have time, Mr Growl."

it was a believable lie even to his knowing ears and twitching them he offered the boy red a look, "your granny is such a wise one, i would think you were a crippled simpleton too. you know little about being safe and much about getting lost. you lost yourself picking mushrooms and spent the night resting in a tree, you did not realize it was so late..... i think i may grow fond of your company if there is not worry of assault when i keep to your side"


(he is telling yours the lie he should use and saying that if he won't get in trouble he'd be happy to be your friend)

He laughed. "Mr Growl you are not in danger of assault. I am not sure why you keep thinking that." He moved the blankets and walked up to the hearth. Crouching down he looked at the fire and took Mr Growls hand. "You are already my friend. I would not let him harm you with out harming me." He said warming himself now by the light of Mr Growls fire. "Now this soup needs more then mushrooms do you have herbs?"

the conversation was changed easily enough though he had to admit he did not and the boy red, with only the lightest wobble in his step, found his basket and emptied the mushrooms into it before taking the now-empty one and heading for the door. he found himself offering a smile as one was given to him before the pale child left his home

Outside he found his cloak wafting in the breeze and put it around his shoulders. It smelled of earth, fish and something he could not put his fingers on. Staying with in the sight of Mr Growls house, he was able to pick out certain things in the moonlight. Chard stalks, onions, herbs a and carrot and radish by sheer luck. When he returned he was amused his hands where as dirty as Mr Growls. "Do you have a knife? I can cut the stuff I found."

he had gotten wood for the fire while the boy was out and put it both in and near the fire to cook with and scrubbed out the banged up old pot he kept for the mushrooms. when the boy came back it was with a whole basket of things that did not smell of food though he tried to ignore the suspicion he would have to eat some and offered a nod

He looked around and rather then going out for water he filled the pot with what was left from his canteen. He added a piece of meat to boil in the flavor while the water rose to temperature. "How long have you been living here?"

he was busy watching the pink strip lay there and begin to bubble when the question was asked but looked up to reply, "i was born here as was my mother and her's before though i do not know of either"

He looked around the shack. It looked well loved and well lived. Red started to wonder what Mr and Mrs Growl senior looked like. As his eyes traveled he realized there were no books and he started to wonder how Mr Growl passed the time. "What do you do for fun?"

"fun?" it was not the first time red had spoken of it but he was still lost and feeling no more need to charm the human he spoke plainly, "you have notions that i don't understand and rarely know anything of, what purpose is fun?"

He blinked at Mr. growl. "you know the stuff you do to amuse yourself, when you have nothing better to do, entertain yourself?" He stared at Mr growl wandering if the man did any of that.

the human did not understand his question so he felt no need to elaborate and instead did as he would have for a stranger's sake, "then you my little dear are 'fun', you are what i do when i am wishing to be entertained"

He laughed at Mr.Growl. "I am?" Quietly Red stirred the stew thinking of more questions. He tried it. It was time to add more vegetables. He started to stir in silence.

he watched as the outside went from greenish gray to dark and the soup went from food to something only the boy red would eat. he thought about digging up some of the meat the other gave him but that was best stored with his efforts going towards more of the baconmeat still in the basket

Red realized there were no bowls. Even worse it made him realize that Mr Growl truely was alone in the hobbled shack. He pulled the pot off the fire so it could cool between him. "I do not have a spoon, but I have bread and meat." He said with a wide grin. He sprang up from his spot and pulled his basket closer to them. While the stew settled, he pulled out one of hte loafs of bread. It was still springy and he soaked it in the soup before eating it. Doing the same to another chunk he offered it to Mr Growl.

there was no will in him to vomit after the boy red had left, or more, away from since the other would likely stay the night, and under the claim of not being hungry refused the bread with the claim that the human looked hungry enough all the same to need more than half

There was no lie to the words for as soon as he ate one bite, he did not stop till the loaf was nearly gone. "I am sorry Mr Growl." He whiped his mouth with the back of his hand. He tried to eat more slowly but could not.

even given the time spent together and the food offered it was still hard not to think of the boy red as a meal with the rosy little mouth stuffing itself full. looking away he gazed at the fire and pretended he was not hungry

Red had moved closer to Mr. Growl. The food was having its usual effect of making him sleepy now that he was full to the brim. The soft fur of the mans coat was nice to snuggle against and with out his cloak it was warm. He laid his head on Mr Growl shoulder. "Thank you."

he had not reply for that though he could hear it in the human's voice there was no need for one and the remark was simply an alternative to the 'good-night' greeting and so, saying nothing as he had all night he allowed the other to fall asleep against him before the fire thought to put itself out and he could carry the boy back to the bed

He was woken, earlier then he would have liked. groggily he gathered his dry clothes and with the help of Mr growl he made his way back to the path. By lunch he was at the outskirts of his town. It seemed only the dogs had taken a notice to his presence, while the rest of his family did not even see him slip into his room. Once his family did find out he was home his ears rang from their worried abuses and curious questions. With his sisters belly getting bigger it became harder to escape into the woods to see Mr Growl. This time it was nearly 3 weeks of being pint up in his town. Not only did he have to make a new basket but his step brother was determined to teach him how to hunt properly and take care of himself during his walks since he would not beable to.

(XD he left his basket behind so all the meat and balm is still with Mr Growl. This time he will have a small bow and arrow since his brother did not trust him with a gun. He can shoot small animals and he is carrying the usual dried meats and bacon if he encounters mr growl. )

the food was gone from the basket and from the jar behind the house and he had been back to hunting for days though with the days warmer he was able to get baby hares in their burrows and snakes from the rocks in the fields so he did not starve and as was the case in the spring and fall he grew fat. it was on one of these excursions he ran across the hunter though before he was away completely he caught the voice of the boy red. he was not sure why he felt betrayed by what he knew was inevitable

He was following some kind of tracks until he saw something move in the bush. The creature moved away fast but he was some what on its heels. It wasn't until he saw that the fur was dark and it was not a deer that it was in fact Mr Growl that he stopped and laughed. "MR GROWL?" He called sure to scare away anything he could have possibly hunted. He scampered close to the man. "Mr Growl! Mr Growl! my brother taught me to hunt, he says I can protect my self... MR GROWL" He was flushed with happiness until his feet missed a step and he landed on the ground.

only a couple days after the last time he encountered the boy red he did so again. it was the lack of hunter, or so that is what he figured it to be, that encouraged him to draw near enough though it was a poor idea as the other realized he was there and gave chase. he gained distance as he ran from years of outpacing the dogs but only until he heard his name. slowing for no reason he could fathom he nearly let the human catch him when a crash and a cry alerted to him that he would not be followed anymore. circling around but warily he got close enough to see the red cape and flush face and to smell cooked meats and bread, "congratulations little hunter. have you caught any wolves yet? the hunter should teach you to be silent when hunting your prey"

"Wolves? No and I am not hunting things, it is mostly to protect myself from bears and wolves though I haven't encountered either." He looked up at Mr Growl. "You don't like it? Its only because my brother can't come into the woods after me any more. It is too hot and my sister is very needy." He managed to push himself up to his knees. "I snuck you some more stuff this time though, bacon, ham, lambs meat."

he was not sure he trusted the boy's bait though i had never proven itself to be poison before. carefully he came over and minding where the soft hands were at all times offered to help him up, "you are very kind but i have done nothing to deserve such kindness. why are you here? more errands for your granny or have you gotten lost just to get found?"

He laughed and more of his red crept into his cheeks. "If it is both can we have fun? It is summer and ripe for berries and fish. I am sure my granny will not mind a delay if she reaps the benefits. Besides.." His smile deepend. "I can't seem to stay in the woods with out thinking about you Mr Growl."

sincerity and something else though it was not deceit more, something extra like an unknown smell was in those words and feeling as much comforted by it as nervous he decided to entertain the youth's wishes and they walked arm-in-arm to go find treats for the basket while cooked slivers of meat were pulled out to have now. as they walked the boy red chatted and he was content to listen as the other spoke of domestic things he did not understand or care for and in return glutted on the bits of meat offered by pale fingers

He only noticed Mr. Growls silence each time he offered him some meat. It seemed that this time they found a spot closer to the stream to have their picnic and Red was prepared. He brought out a quilted blanket for them to rest on. He showed Mr Growl his bow, and after many attempts was even able to catch them a plump wild turkey. He plucked the feathers off the turkery while the other made the fire.