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He was wandering aimlessly, and he knew it. The long-legged, haggard wolf had taken turn after turn after turn for hours, and barely knew where he was. Phobos wasn't even sure if he was still on his brother's lands, and when he realized that, he stopped, looking behind him.

He needed to head back.

Sticking his nose in the air, he tried to catch the breeze, catch some hint of where he was, but the whisper of wind was so light, and the trees so thick, it couldn't reach him.

He dipped his nose to the ground, trying to keep panic from rising, but when he couldn't catch any trace of smell off the fresh layer of snow over the hard pack, he started to pace, a whine falling from his maw.

A twig snapped in the distance and he jumped, whirling around with a growl, his ears flattened to his skull. "Who's there?!"

Phobos heard the timid voice and spotted the femme a few moments after, eyes widening in surprise.

No wonder she had been making so much noise . . .

His growls ceased as quickly as the had started, and he shifted one paw so that it crunched in the snow, giving her some bearing as to where he was. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to snap. I'm a little frustrated," he added, peering around him again. Phobos was almost positive he needed to head east to get pack to the den.

"Are you lost?" he asked, and immediately felt like a jerk. What a thing to ask a blind wolf, he scolded himself.

A low whine left his throat and he moved a bit closer, enough for her to catch his scent. He could see how badly she shivered, and the rumblings of her stomach could only be from hunger, but he didn't know what to do.

Again, he glanced around, wishing his brother would somehow stumble upon him and determine what to do with the femme.

But seeing as Deimos wasn't here . . .

"My brother is the alpha of these lands. I could . . . take you to him? Get you something to eat, perhaps . . . "

Usually the haggard wolf walked without a sound, moving as quietly as possible through the forest, but he made his footsteps purposefully noisy, crunching his claws in the snow so that he wouldn't frighten her by seeming to appear next to her out of nowhere. He sniffed her coat, his eyes taking in her dark colors. Though it was a little dirty now, he could just imagine how her fur shined when she could clean.

He wondered if it was hard for her to do that now . . .

"My name is Phobos . . . "

Smiling softly, he cocked his head to one side. She was a proud female, he could tell by her voice. He wondered how much it irked her to be blind and unable to do much.

For a brief moment, he was glad that she couldn't see him; his fur was enough to give anyone a fright.

"Venda," he repeated, liking how the name rolled off his tongue. "That's a pretty name. And Deimos won't care. He's really a big softy," he added, choosing to keep his worry over someone taking advantage of his brother's kind heart to himself.

Then she asked about water, and he felt himself blush. Curse his nose for getting him lost. "Um, well. You see . . . " He flattened his ears to his skull in embarressment. "I can't . . . I don't really . . . smell things well. My nose just . . . doesn't work."

It was true. Ever since puppyhood, it was as if someone had shoved cotton tufts up his nose, and now he couldn't really smell anything unless it was disgustingly obvious and particularly foul.

"That's why I'm . . . uh, lost too," he finally admitted, hanging his head. What a wolf he was, being scent blind and getting lost on his own homelands.

Phobos' smile grew, though he felt somewhat saddened that she couldn't see how much he appreciated her offer. But that had been his same though: her smell, and his sight? They made the perfect team.

Looking over her shoulder, he narrowed his eyes and peered through the trees, trying to spot anything he might recognize. In the distance, he thought he saw a landmark his brother had shown him, a huge, ancient pine that was dead at the very top, but he'd have to get a closer look before he would know for sure.

Hoping he wasn't invading her personal space too much, he nudged her shoulder gently with his muzzle. "Alright. Just stay by my side, and we should get there in no time," he said softly, making sure she would be able to hear the smile in his voice.

At her words, Phobos looked up, realizing that he had been wandering inside his own head, his body on autopilot as it maneuvered the two of them through the trees. Blinking, he looked upward, realizing that he recognized their location.

His tail started to wag, whapping gently against hers.

"I know where we are know," he murmured softly, leaning close enough so that their sides touched. It was a way to keep her aware of his position, although, if he were to be truthful to himself, he liked having a reason to be close to her. There was something about her that seemed to pull at him, but he shook his head, not wanting to tread down that path right now. It could be a painful one in the long run, mostly for him . . .

Remembering that he desperately needed a bath, he hoped that she didn't sniff too closely . . .

Suddenly, a quick movement caught his eye, and he whirled, seeing a rabbit frozen ahead of them, one foot outstretched, it's chest moving rapidly with its heavy, frantic breathing.

Venda is still hungry, he thought to himself, and that was all it took for him to make up his mind. "Don't move, please," he whispered, giving her a reassuring lick on the cheek before lunging forward, his claws digging deeply into the soft dirt.

For as bedraggled as he looked, he was swift. The startled rabbit didn't have a chance.

So hungry was he that he almost completely forgot about Venda as he snapped the creature's neck with his strong jaws.

Almost.

Taking the plump rabbit, he walked slowly back to her, his head and tail high as pride surged through him.

"Hungry?" he asked, though it came out muffled by fur and flesh. After making sure that she heard him, he moved closer, setting the warm little body by her feet and nudging it towards her. Then he sat on his haunches, waiting patiently, perfectly content to watch her.

Honestly surprised by her response, he dipped his head, his ears falling back in pleased embarrassment. Thinking about his near starved form, he wondered if she could sense how haggard he was. But he had been hungry most of his life. The pains of his belly no longer affected him to such extent, but he could plainly hear hers growling with renewed vigor at the scent of fresh blood. There was barely enough rabbit there to ease her hunger pangs, let alone to share with him.

"Please," he said softly, "my brother will have food for me later. I'm not even hungry," he added, hoping she would take the meat. In all honesty, when he had seen the rabbit, his own hunger had been the last thing on his mind. Making Venda happy had been the first.

Again, that thought belonged on a path best left untrodden.

But, to ease her feelings, he added, hoping she could sense the smile he tried to put into his words, "If you want, you can share with me later."