1 x 1 with Fern

[Boomer]

"L-lie?" whimpered Alessa, "Oh no, I can't lie... s-she'll hurt me." Alessa meant her mother would hurt her and not Mrs. Potter. The girl then looked around for a few moments. "We can keep going..." she murmured, "It's okay." The pup wanted to keep going; she didn't want to ruin their adventure. Alessa wanted to please everyone.

[fern fawn]

[ • Birch • ]

Birch watched her with confusion, as well as a little worry. "She'll hurt you? Who? If you're talking about the adults at the orphanage, they can be mean, but I've never seen them hurt anyone." He didn't even take into consideration that it could be someone not from the orphanage. The canine gave a small shrug, deciding they could figure out the torn dress ordeal at another time. With a nod, he began walking once more, glancing back to make sure that she was following.

[Boomer]

OOC: Ah, for some reason, your reply just now showed up for me.
BIC:
"M-my mother..." she whispered, pinning her ears back. The girl continued to walk with Birch down the path. She knew that the farther they walked, the more in trouble they would be in if they got caught. She held tightly onto Scarlett. "H-how much farther are we walking?" she asked. The pup pushed some of her matted hair out of her face.

[fern fawn]

(A lot of my posts yesterday had to be approved, so my last reply might have been included in that.)

[ • Birch • ]

He gave a small frown at her answer, looking back to her, but decided not to ask further. The pup assumed that's why she had been brought here, and he was old enough to know when something was a touchy subject. "Well, nobody will hurt you here. I'll make sure of it." It was a big promise for such a small canine, but he meant it. "We're almost there." Just a few moments after he spoke, a wide smile spread across his muzzle. "Here!" he announced, walking quicker down the small slope that led to the location. It was a small, quiet stream, with a rocky bottom and a wide variety of plant life. It really wasn't much, but it was one of his favorite spots. He'd catch frogs and salamanders, or just pad through the shallow water.

[Boomer]

Alessa smiled a little at the boy's promise. "T-thank you." she said quietly, "T-that's s-sweet of you." She felt a lot better about being at the orphanage now; she had someone to help protect her. As they reached the stream, Alessa awed at how beautiful and calming it was out here. "I'm going to sketch this..." she whispered. The pup looked around, trying to take in as many details as she could.

[fern fawn]

[ • Birch • ]

He smiled at her answer, stepping into the chilly water of the steam and bending down to drag his paw through the small rocks that lay at the bottom. "You can draw?" he questioned, perking his ears and looking back towards her. Of course, anyone could draw, but most were as advanced as he was and could only draw very simple things. His tail wagged steadily behind him as he straightened back up, walking a few steps downstream.

[Boomer]

Alessa stayed out of the water as she followed Birch. "Yes, I can..." she said softly, "I like to draw scenery pieces the most. I could show you my book when we get back." The pup felt warm and fuzzy inside; she didn't get to share her art with a lot of people. The girl hugged Scarlett as she carefully walked along the side of the stream. She didn't want to go into the water and have Birch see her burn scars. Alessa hated it when people would stare at her. "Do you like drawing?" she asked.

[fern fawn]

[ • Birch • ]

Every once in awhile, Birch would bend down to pick up an interesting looking rock, but then toss it back into the stream. "I'd like that." he replied, curious about her drawings. He shook his head at her question, eyes focused on the stream up ahead. "No, they never look good."

[Boomer]

"I could teach you, if you wanted to learn..." she offered. Alessa watched him as he would pick up various rocks and toss them back into the water. The pup looked up at the trees as she heard different birds calling out to each other. "Are there any other spots you know of?" she asked, "I'm curious to see them all..." Alessa was wondering just how many places Birch knew about; she thought he must've been here for a while in order to learn of all of these hidden places.

[fern fawn]

[ • Birch • ]

He thought over her offer, giving a small hum. "Maybe, I don't know though." Birch wasn't a great learner, he grew bored of doing the same thing for too long. He walked back to Alessa's side and out of the shallow water, giving a nod. "Of course! There's lots, but I'm not so sure you'd like some of them." Kids being kids, many of the locations the orphans had found were creepy and/or dangerous. It added to the thrill of exploring them. They all shared their hidden spots, or would be followed were they trying to keep them a secret.