Starts out on the borders; later he'll be escorted to the Howling Caverns. Forward dated to the ninth, maybe?

It took long enough, but Barrett finally worked up the moxie to visit the mountainside pack. He marched dutifully westward; he was on a mission to see the mother of his children, and maybe the little pipsqueaks themselves. The teen only had a vague idea of how much time these things took, only that it seemed way too short. To think, to go from an agglomeration of fluids to walking, talking lifeforms in less than a season! (Well, he was daft when it came to child development... but he knew they wouldn't be particularly mobile or communicative yet.) Still, he had a hunch Naniko might appreciate a delivery. She expected little from him, but he wouldn't show up completely empty handed.

A diversion in the Dampwoods postponed his arrival by a good four hours, but he claimed a great prize for his efforts. After much tracking, stalking, and chasing, he managed to take down a small doe. He had every intention of giving her the entire thing as an offering—but alas, the exertion left him ravenous, and the taste of warm blood proved irresistible. He chowed down on a meaty haunch, but was careful to leave the most nutritious parts for the Angela. At any rate, it gave the Halfling enough energy to drag the carcass to the base of Halcyon—and here he downshifted to the Natural form and called out for an escort. With the scent of a fresh kill permeating the air, he doubted he'd have to wait very long. Meanwhile, he made some attempt to look presentable and clean the blood from his chest and paws.

There! Clean as a whistle. He had just finished smoothing his fur into place when the sounds of a two-legged luperci lumbering closer caught his attention. The boy hunched down submissively—but making himself look small wasn't exactly remarkable, given the gargantuan stature of the male that came to meet him (not to mention the size discrepancy that came with their assumed forms). For a split second, he mistook the onyx giant as Jazper; but no, common sense assured him, there was no reason for Ghita's mate to be here. And sooner than later, he was able to sort out the older wolf's unique scent from the bloody aroma of the fallen deer. He could swear—it smelled like this guy spent a fair bit of time with Naniko!

Barrett stole a quick glance at the werewolf's face for reference, then stared pointedly off to the left, exposing the tender flesh covering his jugular. His tail flopped twice to further emphasise his good intentions, and he did not speak until the other addressed him. I'm here to see Naniko, he stated evenly; his tone wasn't presumptuous or demanding, but spoken with a kind of cool conviction—he knew he was in the right coming here... she'd invited him, after all. The whole mistaken identity thing had been a blow to his moxie, but he was a reactive wolf and recovered his nerves quickly—fast enough that nothing had registered on the surface, anyway.

Is she... doing alright? he wondered, peering up at the Tuyul's folded arms.

Something he said or did seemed to strike a chord within the older male. The mottled adolescent's ears flattened at the scathing rebuke, half in automatic apology (for he was a guest here), half in annoyance. His question had been misunderstood. He already knew of Naniko's indifference to the whole affair, and he also knew that unfortunately, the birthing process wasn't always without complications. But still, he said nothing and his expression stayed neutral. Obviously she had survived the ordeal; and really, the stranger had a point. She had been down this road before. She had the support and expertise of an entire pack behind her; Anathema's medics wouldn't let anything ill befall their Alpha.

His ears twitched forward as the burly male spoke again. Once more, the scarlet-eyed wolf's words left a bad taste in his mouth. What was the sense in wasting food? And was that jab about his inferiority really necessary? All this fuss... and yet the wolf turned to lead him inside, just the same. Barry held back a sigh, nodded, and rose lightly to his feet, padding whisper-quiet after the nameless biped. He was frustrated, but he knew better than to run off his mouth at someone who was, at present, nearly four times his size.

And as he moved, his mind cleared, and selfish thoughts preoccupied him less—he realised something. That her scent mingled strongly with his; that he was taking care of her. Was... was he jealous? His lemon eyes widened as he beheld the back of the giant's head; oh god, were they mates? Why were all these women already involved with guys so much bigger than him?! A new-found sense of gratitude washed over him. He would gladly put up with a sour attitude if the alternative was getting torn apart, limb by limb. Whether or not his conclusions were correct, the sentiment they left behind was pretty powerful. Thank you then, he said quietly, sincerely. .. for everything. And then he lapsed into a flustered silence once more.

Barrett, as a general rule, was very comfortable in his own skin. He was perceptive and reactive enough to get out of dodge long before things ever really went sour; failing that, he was pretty good at turning on the charm and wheedling his way out of trouble. And if nothing else, he did have a year of quality training under his belt--even if at the moment he was a little out of practise. Thing was, he wasn't exactly the sort to try and push his luck. And as spacey as he could be at times, when push came to shove, he was relatively well grounded. He knew he had nothing on Ravesque; even if they were the same age and possessed similar experience, the giant could overtake him through brute strength alone. And god forbid the whole pack come swooping down on him--the boy would be fucked. Without Naniko to call them off, he guessed most wouldn't stop and ask questions, especially this far into the territory. So as he marched right on into the lion's den, the gravity of the situation started to weigh on him and he didn't like it.

Still, his breath came steady and his movements were fluid. The meditations he'd learnt in Taijitu were paying off. With remarkable effort, he paid attention to exactly which way they had come and stayed mindful of possible escape routes. One eye never left Ravesque; if the pitch black wolf's body language became aggressive, Barrett would bolt in an instant. He had nothing to gain by staying here and fighting. Fortunately, just when the Tuyul's stony silence became excruciating, Naniko materialised out of nowhere like an Angel. His head bowed again and his tail swung limply betwixt his legs, but outright he said nothing. He stood off to the sideline, doing his best to look small, and watched the lovers' exchange from a distance that felt much further than it really was. Stiff-legged and clearly malcontent, "Ravesque" stalked off into the forest (his name only gleaned from Naniko's expression of gratitude). The boy heaved a quiet sigh of relief as the red-eyed male departed. How much different he must have looked to her now--tired and distressed, older somehow, but full of resolve and stubborn optimism.

At long last, he seemed to unfreeze from his place--both mentally and physically. He cast her a cheesy smile to signal it was no big deal and that no explanation was necessary. And then he moved forward, more enthusiastically now, and offered some submissive kisses to the underside of her chin. Invited or not, he was a guest here and he knew he'd do well to remember it. Were it not for his patience, fortitude, and passivity, he supposed he might be in much greater trouble already. Yeah; I just wanted to see how you were, he spoke at last. I'm sorry I didn't come sooner. I left a deer at the borders, in case you're interested later, he added quietly, in case Ravesque was still in earshot.

Barry nodded quietly and padded after her, keeping to her left and a step or two behind as she lead the way. His gait--and their proximity--was a far cry from the skulking shuffle that characterised the first leg of his journey; he'd kept at least two or three metres behind Ravesque at all times. Ever respectful, his ears were held at half-mast, his tail dangled loosely, and he was careful not to smother her, but it was obvious he was much more comfortable. He studied the mountainous terrain with casual interest; his mind felt free to wander.

It was the words she used to excuse Ravesque's sour attitude which tumbled around in his mind. One of his teachings echoed along with it: he imagined how frustrating his appearance must have been for the step-father. Barrett was a dead-beat; he'd taken all of the fun and none of the responsibility. Most tragic of all, he doubted it would ever change. He wasn't trying to impose on their family, and he had no intention of disrupting their daily lives. He wouldn't be a home wrecker. It was probably for the best. Just the same, instinct forbade him to forget the matter entirely--it was natural to concern oneself with the welfare of your own flesh and blood, even if only in passing.

A frown drew over his face as he weighed each side of the argument against the other. At length, he spoke. Look, Naniko... I don't want to complicate things for you or the kids, he began. But I saw how poorly my uncle reacted when my grandpa showed up out of nowhere, too. He wasn't sure where he was going with this; he hoped she knew. In a way, it made sense--she was older than him, undoubtedly wiser, and if nothing else, she deserved a say in this anyway (probably even more than he did). I'd like to see them--and you--at least once in awhile. Maybe once or twice a season? I'd like them to have a chance to know me, but I'll trust your judgement on whether or not that's a good idea, he concluded. He didn't know what he wanted her to say, but having the heavy thoughts off his mind was liberating. They would figure this out together.