caged bird sings, [open]

[Thessaly]

It had been a year since Thessaly had left her home, and nearly six months since she had even traversed the thin pass that connected the pack lands and the Kingdom. Her duties rarely sent her into the high lands, but the forests surrounding the Kingdom were growing scarce with food. It was an unusual happening, but this spring had come late. Though life was normally accustomed to the late snows and cooler springs, it wasn’t this prepared; snows had barely receded from the Kingdom’s lands, and nestled between walls of mountains, their land often got the burden of the higher ground’s climate.

Thessaly came alone to the Old Sycamore, despite the fact that she had a regiment to accompany her. It wasn’t that she was confident in her abilities alone, just that she felt more at peace when she was by herself. She had never been a very social dog – despite loving embraces and getting waited on by her mother, she had been neglected by both her father and her other siblings. Both of her brothers were too busy fighting each other and practicing to become soldiers to take the time to tussle with their sister. Her father was too busy training his sons to become these solders to notice her – always being a little sexist; he ignored the fact that she had just as much potential as the males of the family. Not only that, but her mother too had thought females were there only to supply the next generation of soldiers for the battlefield.

The Overseer had little to do with her squadron of soldiers – most of the ones put into her group realized within weeks that she was a very disinterested wolf – and her aloof personality could sometimes, if not always, present her as odious. There were many wolves that came to the conclusion that she was bitter towards the world, though no one knew of her resentful past, mainly because she was impartial towards most everyone that she met. She paid attention to few, and there were less than few that she was actually courteous to. Wolves living outside of the Kingdom were scrutinized more, which often led the common folk to believe that she was too pompous over her position of Overseer. She had grown to ignore most of these assumptions, as one would imagine considering her detached personality.

Now, sitting alone, she felt welcomed by the ancient tree. The lengthy boughs above her head provided a shade from the sun and the rustle of leaves were a sweet lullaby to the day. The day was quiet except for the occasional bird in the tree. So far, she had not seen a single deer – boar would be too difficult to hunt on her own – or smaller animals, like martens or rabbits. A few miles off from the old sycamore, there was a small set up of farms that wolves rarely approached for food, but she was neither that desperate nor that stupid. She decided a rest would recuperate her sense and then she would try the forested edges of Mount Draknyr. She would, of course, have to remain off the grounds of the Draknyrians – no matter her superior rank, hunting on pack grounds was forbidden by the King.

Her job today was to go hunting. The Novus tax was not due until the end of spring – much less known than the ever popular Resda, as it was only implemented a year ago – so she did not have the duty of collecting payments just yet. The King had created a myriad of taxes for the common folk, but the Novus tax ( as it was rightly named ) only came around every Spring when there were newborns running around. For every four newborn prey animals you caught, one would go to the Kingdom. Due to the large influx of soldiers joining the King’s cause, the need for easier food had grown. Soldiers, though they could hunt, rarely did so. Thessaly was merely an exception because her company was running low on food. With no tax reserves to draw meals from, she needed to go and hunt for herself.

[ℓ ι α ♥]

it wasn't that he didn't respect the king. he just thought the old wolf had a few screws loose. how he handled power was certainly interesting, forcing peasants to hunt for him and his noblemen. it was a disgraceful thing, to say the least. what kind of lazy ass couldn't hunt for their self? though donovan had failed to contribute paying the recent resda, he had the excuse of being a newcomer that hadn't known any better. he doubted it would be an acceptable reason why he hadn't, but couldn't see there being a terrible punishment for not paying resda. maybe consistently, there would be one, but he had only recently came under the king's power. surely there would be leniency for him. otherwise, donovan couldn't find himself caring about whatever it was they would do to him. he had trouble caring about anything lately. his sister, lluvy, had been an exception to that. she had always been so close to him, unlike his other siblings roland and china. perhaps he should have brought lluvy here with him, though he knew she would have never wanted to come with him, and even if she had, she would have been the king's greatest rebel. it was probably best that she was wherever she was. nonetheless, he did miss her fiery spirit and disrespectful demeanor. when he had occasional bouts of pessimism, he could always count on his sister to scold him for showing even the slightest signs of not being a confident wolf.

donovan lay beside a rocky outcropping that ran through the meadow, shielding himself from being seen from anyone on the other side. his vintage gold eyes flashed open, gazing across the green field. the warm spring sun felt relaxing, his muscles eased and smokey gray fur flat across his lean body. he yearned for a pack to become apart of, the life of a loner was, quite frankly, a lonely one. he had lived as one his entire existence, and was far too tempted for a change. he couldn't imagine where he'd possibly find one, was the only problem. of course, it didn't matter right now. he could worry about settling down at a different time. right now, an unfamiliar scent was being carried along the breeze. from what he could tell, it was a female younger than himself. standing up, he looked across the outcropping to see a dark brown fae, almost black. she had a messy, almost masculine appearance to her, making her look rugged. he personally found it attractive. uneasily his ears flickered backwards, studying the female more closely. was this a tax collector? he couldn't know for sure, but hopefully it would not be. if it was, then.. whatever happened would happen. putting one paw on a rock that jutted out of the side of the wall, donovan elegantly heaved himself to the other side, landing with ease. he was curious who this wolf was, and whether she would be a problem for him.

[Thessaly]

Thessaly’s ears flickered to the side, catching the sound of grass rustling underfoot and something definitive of breathing. Her head was quick to turn, thinking it might be something she could chase down. Instead, as her nose inhaled, she caught the familiar scent of canine. As her eyes focused in on the wolf, she took note of everything that may come into handy later. Her looked strong – most loners had to be or else they wouldn’t survive – and was definitely older than her, if only by a year. She could tell by the way his body looked – he had fully matured, unlike her who was still considered a young adult. She did not feel frightened of his presence, however, sure of her skill in fighting enough to keep a dominant stance as he slowly approached.

She gave a single wary snarl in his direction before questioning him. It was a regulatory response, despite her normal tendency to stray from communication.

“Have you offered your services to the King yet, Loner?” Even loners had to pay taxes, independent as they were. Though King Javon understood that not all loners would be able to be corralled for their payments, he attempted to round up each and every one of them. As an Overseer, it was Thessaly’s job to interrogate every wanderer she met. The lack of pack scent on his hide let her know who she was dealing with – Raglans, Amicans and Dryaknyrians all had a very characteristic scent that tagged onto each of their members, as with any wolf pack. Even the loyal members of the Court had developed some sort of authoritative scent on them. Most noblemen were distinguishable by the distinct stony, moldy scent that the castle carried with it.

If he gave her the typical autonomous response, she would have to take him with her on the hunt. Not necessarily detaining him, but more so making sure that he paid his dues to the King. She had never seen the King as aristocratic or selfish; King Javon was the one making sure the lands stayed free of crime and hardship, so it was only fair that he be repaid some sort of respect. Respect, for Thessaly, came in many different forms. King Javon simply decided that he wanted to be repaid with free food for his loyal soldiers. The soldiers had jobs of their own to do, regulating the Kingdom and Kroat, they did not have time to go hunting for themselves. Though she saw the luxury of complimentary meals manifesting itself into selfishness and gluttony amongst some of the soldiers, there were always those like her – those who saw the purity of the King’s acts as he worked to rid Kroat of its more sordid characters.

[ℓ ι α ♥]

the female was surprisingly bold, from what he would have guessed from her. of course, he should have avoided judging her. females could be such a wily species, sly, arrogant, and rude. though they could come off as innocent and harmless, donovan knew better than to trust such helpless acts. you could never trust anything with curves. looking her over again, he was once again intrigued by her build. as young as she was, he would have expected her to lack the hardy muscle she had. but she carried the scent of power, and so must have come from the king. it shouldn't be surprising that she was stockier built. a battle with her could prove to be interesting, and he was almost wistful for one to happen, just to see her skills put to the test. he wasn't one to encourage violence, however, and would just have to wait and see if she was a hostile one. from her expression, she didn't exactly look too pleased. unless that was just how she always looked. “Have you offered your services to the King yet, Loner?” typical. of all wolves he could have met, she came off as a loyal king follower. not that he wasn't one, he preferred keeping to the neutral side of things. while this was a chance for him to aggravate her by showing disrespect, he chose the latter. "services? no, i have not. what exactly is it that the king is asking for again?" a herd of deer, please and thank you. donovan hadn't exactly meant for the smartass remark, it was just what usually came out of his mouth. whether she was a sensitive one and had caught it or not, he would find out.

breathing in the air, he didn't catch the scent of other wolves. good. if this female was backed up by others, he'd have to watch himself. while he had no reason to fear what would happen to him for not paying resda, he still would prefer to not be escorted to the king for trial and punishment. just oh so unnecessary, especially when it was such a pointless tax. why did he not have wolves specifically trained to hunt for him? forcing his wolves to give up their catch irked donovan. then again, donnie didn't know much of the king or his kingdom. he couldn't say he disliked the king as of yet, but he didn't have any reason to respect him either. it seemed he had strong followers, so perhaps he should give the king a chance, and overlook his strange ways of making sure his power was known. if he got wolves to do what he wanted to, didn't that make a good leader? in some cases, yes. donovan held still, locking eyes with the female and waiting for her response. her show of dominance was also surprising, but it was possible she was highly ranked. or just thought that loners were beneath her.

[Thessaly]

He was a smart one, hm? Despite his snarky retort, Thessaly’s eyes remained pallid amber – not a spark of any emotion, it seemed. She had always been the one to remain aloof in any situation. Her emotions, if any, were detached and meditative. Her position in any conversation was usually in the background, except for rarities like this one where it was a one on one experience. She had never been one to be arrogant or avaricious and the only reason she was flung so quickly through the ranks was because of her ability to bend under the King’s rule. She felt a need to please her superiors, but had never demanded an excessive amount of power. It was the perfect concoction for any general in command of a squadron. She decided to ignore his smartass remark, focusing instead on the objective. She was not here to play games with him, she was here for business.

“Perhaps you’ve heard of the Resda. The King’s kindness needs to be repaid in full, and you will help me. We’re going to go hunting and then you will be in good terms with King Javon.” She spoke sharply, as if reprimanding a child. Coming from such a young wolf – barely old enough to have children herself – it may have sounded odd, but she had been chastising her recruits for so long that it came naturally to her now. As a child, she had always been scolded by her father – her mother had spoiled her beyond belief – so perhaps part of her angst in dealing with the less mentally mature came from her father’s constant berating.

She stalked a few paces closer to him, taking a harder look at his physique. He seemed leaner than most males she had met, but then again, milling around buff soldiers all day could skew one’s vision of variety. Even if he was better built for speed than strength, he had to have some sort of skills in hunting and fighting. Loners were made to look after themselves, and if you could not hunt for yourself then it was an imminent death. She was positive that he would come in handy for her. She looked past the materialistic whims of most females, focusing on his pros and cons in survival rather than any rouge charm he possessed. She was here to feed the King’s soldiers and he was here to pay his dues; this was not a time of friendly chatter, it was a time of business.

She threw common formalities out the window as she took a few more slinky steps towards him. When she was done observing him, she slipped past him with a brusque nudge to his shoulder to beckon him to her side. While there was rarely meat to find on the Battlefield, there were often warrens where one could find families of rabbits if you looked hard enough. Thessaly had only been to the pack lands of Kroat twice before, and only once before to go hunting. While she didn’t necessarily know her way around, she knew the basic survival instincts of the wolf. The best place to look for prey was in tall grasses, so she staled towards the taller meadows; the knee-high grass came up to her elbows, and was further from the ancient sycamore tree.

[ℓ ι α ♥]

donovan couldn't help a full out smirk crossing his maw. lluvy would have loved this female. he could see them having become the closest of friends, after ripping out a couple mouthfuls of fur. because of how she reminded him of his sister, he instantly liked the gruff wolf. she knew how to get shit done, that was for sure. her stony expression was curious. what could possibly be going through that head? whether she was ticked with him already or was used to such respect, donovan couldn't tell. either way, he was impressed with her demeanor. this was someone he would be tempted to mess with, and experiment how far they could go before breaking. she was surely not an idiot, and would avoid inevitable injury from him. but the thought of getting under her skin and seeing some true emotion from the female was a humorous thought. his amusement towards the female was by far overly visible.

“perhaps you’ve heard of the resda. the king’s kindness needs to be repaid in full, and you will help me. we’re going to go hunting and then you will be in good terms with king javon.” hm, interesting. he was silent for a few brief moments, considering what she had said. "and you shall return it to him, yes? excellent. i don't see why the king's noble must also pay the resda, however. i'd think your services would be enough to repay such kindness." he said with brows raised, tail swishing once to the side. he stood taller than the smaller female, and was overall larger than her. yet she was not afraid to near him, studying him. it was almost uncomfortable, being so closely looked at and observed. narrowing his eyes, he gazed at her unapprovingly, even though his approval was no matter to her. donnie distantly wondered what she saw. she abruptly nudged his shoulder, and began to walk away. seeing it smarter to just follow the female and make her happy, he trotted alongside her. the grasses carried old scent of rabbit, mixed with the occasional fresh scent. he instinctively tensed his body, his steps quiet and light on the ground. breaking away from her side, he remained multiple lengths away from her, but still far enough to not run into her. body lowered, he crept along the tall grass, eyes alert for movement. a rabbit scent nearby was fresh, but knowing rabbits, it was always difficult to tell whether they were already far off or not. donovan was in luck to look ahead and see the pear shaped body of a rabbit, tucked under a canopy of brambles. it had obviously already seen him, eyes wide as it stared in shock. huffing irritably, he tensed his back legs, focusing on the body before pushing forward with legs, jaws outstretched. the second he pushed forward, the rabbit exploded out of the brambles, far too slow. donnie's fangs clamped on the lower half of the rabbit, it letting out a shrill scream. his golden eyes sparked frustration as he cut off the scream as quickly as he could, the split second death cry hopefully not alerting much of the prey.

[Thessaly]

“It is my duty.” The answer was simple, clear cut and to the point. There was no mistaking the hard edge to her tone when she responded, however. It was a striking display of emotions from the normally impartial female, but his response insinuated that she was going beyond the call of duty for something she didn’t need to do. She had always been a loyal soldier of the King, and knew that with her loyalty there came certain obligations she would have to abide by. One of them, of course, was hunting for herself when the Resda was not supplying the right amount of nutrition for the court. At a time like this, it was her food that she was catching, not the soldier sleeping in the next room over; not the prisoner in the dungeons below; it was not even the King’s food. It was hers.

She did not speak further with him, turning her eyes away from his own to scout ahead for any signs of prey. She had to focus on her mission, else come back empty handed. Whatever the male caught would be his to give to the soldiers of the Kingdom and would be placed in the cellars until rationed amongst the Court. Though she had a hard time tolerating the male’s comment, she managed to grind her teeth to keep from back lashing.

When he caught his hare, she did not feel the bittersweet desire to out best him – she was too big for any signs of immaturity – so she planned to ignore him in case he decided to gloat over his prize. From his quirky responses earlier, it seemed like just the thing he would do to get on her nerves. She had to remain placid, for it would not be long before they went their separate ways. After today, she doubted she would even see him again. He, a loner, and she, a loyal Overseer to the King, rarely mixed. Unless he decided to devote his life to King Javon and join the army, it was unlikely that they would ever cross paths. This day, she thought, was a lucky moment of fate for the two of them.

The scent of blood, perhaps, overexcited her, because the moment she saw a flash of something brown among the tall weeds, she was quick to jump on the chance of catching her prey. She crouched low in an instant, instinctually getting into a hunter’s crouch to stealthily crawl after whatever lay hidden in the grass. As she snuck closer, though, she came to realize that the flash was just a flower, flapping in the Transylvanian breeze. She snorted, shaking her head in disappointment. She would have to watch more closely next time, and use her nose before her eyes. She inhaled sharply, catching the scent of rabbits both old and new before honing in on the closest one. Her acute eyes pinpointed the rabbit’s location, staring down a small hole in the side of a sloping hill. A warren. She went a few steps closer before placing herself downwind from the rabbits cooped up in their home. And then, it was merely a waiting game. By sitting close enough, she would be able to ambush them when they crawled out in search of food. She was content to wait.

It was a good five minutes before any sign of activity showed up. A nose came first, twitching back and forth in a constant worry of something standing on its doorstep. But Thessaly, being the observant type and situating herself downwind was unlikely to be scouted by the rabbit’s sensitive nose. A little while later, the head popped out and slowly, ever so slowly, the rabbit crawled its way out of the burrow. She watched it carefully, waiting patiently for it to get far enough away from the den so it couldn’t scurry back inside. The time seemed to tick by like a snail, but Thessaly had the patience to wait for her prey to come to her. And so many more minutes later, she decided to attack. Her spring was sudden, and her bulky weight proved its worth. She didn’t lift herself very high, instead projecting herself in a horizontal leap towards the rabbit. Her muscular legs took her down on the hare almost as quickly as she had reacted and after a blood-curdling squeal from her prey, Thessaly turned to show the stranger her catch.

[ℓ ι α ♥]

donovan was given the impression that this female was not the most intelligent out there. if he didn't know any better, he would think she was brainwashed, or had practiced saying such things in the reflection of a stream. snorting, he picked up the bloodied hare. donovan trotted in the direction of where the female had last been. he only took a few brisk steps before he stopped, deciding to not risk ruining a catch of hers. she had disappeared in the undergrowth. dropping the rabbit at his feet, he licked the blood from his maw. it sent a knot in his stomach. he hadn't noticed his hunger until tasting the rabbit blood, one of his favorite meals. it would be stupid of him to take even a bite of the rabbit, not when this resda tax thing could be paid off right now so he wouldn't have to worry about it for awhile. still, he swiped his tongue across his lips once more, savoring the taste. after this pesky female left, he'd have to hunt for himself. he thought about hunting for another rabbit now, while he waited, but decided against it. it was too risky - she probably wouldn't hesitate to take both his rabbits back for the king, though one would have been caught for himself. hopefully she would be gone soon. her company was welcome, he had to admit. being a loner, he didn't usually run into wolves, and even if he did, there was rarely any conversation. the fact that she was an attractive wolf made it even more rare the occasion, though she had the personality of a porcupine. but again, he was reminded of lluvy. she was so much like her, that female. what was her name again? donovan realized he didn't know it. asking her would probably be unrewarding, considering how he had been treating her. it was surprising someone like her hadn't snapped at him yet. he knew how to get his sister to snap, this female seemed to work similarly. the temptation to irk her was steadily rising as he yearned for a situation to rekindle fond memories with his sister. she was sure to not appreciate it, however. and if she was to report him, if she could do that, then it would not be in his favor.

finally she appeared out of the brush, holding a rabbit. about time, he thought, but kept quiet. this seemed to be where the two would depart, and for some reason this bothered him. whether it was just his loneliness in an outcry, or his fascination with the female, he wasn't sure. hoping she wouldn't consider it stupid for him to ask when he had previously been rude to her, he asked the question that had been bothering him. "what is your name, miss?" his large eagle eyes blinked as he gazed at her.

[Thessaly]

When Thessaly returned to the male’s side, she saw him wiping the blood from his lips. She realized now that if he happened to be hungry, he would be highly tempted to eat his own catch right then and there. Never one to come back from a mission empty-handed, the mud-colored wolf was quick to snap up his kill and throw it into a pile with her own catch. Now, it was safely across an invisible line of formality that meant if he crossed it, she would likely not allow it. She would no longer have to worry about hounding him to pay his taxes, and would likely never cross paths with him again. One loner down, many more to go.

She did not know why she stood and stared at him for a moment – the same, dull expression that was typically void of all emotion – as if expecting him to say something to her. Perhaps it was his earlier comments that made her wait, and now she was just staring him down to see if he would try anything snarky again. Her lips almost curled into a show of aggression but he was already speaking before she could try to intimidate him into keeping it shut. The question, however normal between most strangers, caught Thessaly off guard. She did not expect such a strange turn of character for him, and for a moment the only thing she could do was stare him down. She was conflicted, wondering if she should hand over her name. There was no way they would meet again, unless one of them proposed a planned meeting – and that, to say the least, was one of the last things Thessaly wanted to see happen.

“Commander.” She paused for a moment, still pondering the thought of giving this male her name. What would it hurt? “Commander Thessaly.”

[ℓ ι α ♥]

he couldn't stop a humorous smile when she quickly snatched his rabbit after noticing his jowl licking. the resda must have been more important than he figured it to be, for she was one to take it very seriously. it was almost admirable, her loyalty at such a young age. when he was that old, he had more important things on his mind rather than loyalty, such as besting his siblings. it had been just how he was back then, try to impress mom while she was still around. maybe then she wouldn't leave, but it was inevitable that she would eventually. there really wasn't much to keep them together in the first place, if he was to be completely honest. they just weren't the tight-knit kind of family, even if they tried to be. maybe if their dad had been someone different, things could have been different too, and he would have strung them together. that could have been nice. one of those happy families that you hear about in stories. yeah, it could have been. but life was a bitch, and most wolves got the short end of the stick. it seemed everyone had their own sob story to share, some worse than others, some a fairytale compared to the war stories of elders. maybe donovan should be grateful for the past he had, for the family he had, though they hadn't lasted very long. with surprise, he realized that the last wolf he had spoken to was lluvy. had it really been that long? it was a wonder he hadn't forgotten how to converse.

the female actually gave off the impression that she was shocked by his question. alright chica, he may not be a submissive pansy, but he was raised to have gentleman qualities. in some situations, that was. commander? commander of what, the tax? he was tempted to ask, but instead a thick awkward silence consumed them. thessaly was her name. the sound fitted her, he thought, and had been a right choice. she did in fact look and act like he would imagine a thessaly to act. donovan glanced to the side, watching a butterfly flutter past the two. looking back at her, he replied. "donovan." he said, brows raised as he watched her. he itched to say something else, something else to make her stay even if for a while longer. just a few more moments of conversation would surely keep him from insanity. "i'll respect your dedication, but i don't understand your reason for it. he seems to be a damned lunatic." he said, watching her carefully. it was his opinion on the wolf, and if she remained her calm self it wouldn't surprise him. but perhaps she would enlighten him.

[Thessaly]

As a child, when others were fighting their siblings for attention from mom and pop, Thessaly, as usual, remained the silent observers of her two brothers. They were constantly under the eye of their father as he trained them, but only one could come out on top in the end. They were the ones besting each other for top dog, but Thessaly had always had the upper advantage. Stuck in the flowery shadows of her mother’s embrace, Thessaly would often observe her brothers – their tactics, their faults, and the basics of fighting – sponging the information as though she were being taught straight from her father’s mouth. Even at an early age, Thessaly had been the silent observer of everything. She never spoke up, until the day she told her father she wanted to be a soldier. Unless she needed to prove herself, Thessaly did not speak up. And she did not need to prove herself to this stranger… Donovan.

It was, of course, when he started speaking out against the King that Thessaly had to step in. As one of his Overseer’s, she had to defend him. She was loyal to him, and therefore when he was demoralized, so was she.

“You obviously know nothing. You do not live in the castle, you have never fought for your honor, you have never listened to him speak. You cannot base your accusations on falsehoods and rumors, so I suggest you hold your tongue.” Her eyes narrowed a she watched him, lip drawing back into a passive display of aggression. She did not need to listen to him babbling on about how horrible her King was… her King. No, not just her King, their King. While Javon worked to keep the land safe for loners like him, he found some rumor to cling to so he could label the King as a lunatic. To her, the only madman in this situation was Donovan. Her lip descended over her teeth and in a flash, her head whipped down to pick up the two rabbits. Using the rabbits as an excuse to leave him with silence, she flicked her head in an agitated farewell.

It was a prompt leave, but then again, he had been the one who started with the remarks. He just couldn’t hold his tongue.

[ℓ ι α ♥]

the scruffy female was not pleased. donovan felt like he had been testing her, seeing how to push her buttons to make the best results. insulting the king she was so obsessed with was definitely the trick. she had nothing to back her story up, however. “you obviously know nothing. you do not live in the castle, you have never fought for your honor, you have never listened to him speak. you cannot base your accusations on falsehoods and rumors, so i suggest you hold your tongue.” he almost found it funny, how assuming she was being. she didn't know if he had fought for his honor or not, or if he had heard the king speak, or previously lived in the castle. or even whether he was basing what he said on rumors. the only thing she knew was his name, donovan, and that he was a loner. he was strangely irked that she was being so judgmental of him, but maybe when she was ticked off, the words flew out of mouth before she could get a hold of them. "perhaps it is all you've been raised to believe. pity." he muttered softly as she picked up the rabbits, and quickly fled.

he had actually expected her to lash out at him physically. but no, his hopes for that were futile. though she was a commander who was incredibly loyal to what she felt to be right, right after her king was insulted she left. it was disappointing, in many ways. donovan, being a male, wouldn't object to any excuse to touch a female. of course, it was different with thessaly. she was just too much like lluvy, he wouldn't have feelings for someone like that in the first place. even being friends with her would be too weird, too full of memories that he wasn't sure he could always take. turning in the other direction, donovan trotted briskly away. sometimes it was just better to be alone.

ooc; donnie leaves.