Chapter Text
Adrian stepped out into the cold evening air, gazing at the scene before him. The people of Danesti, still awake and preparing for the night ahead. He wondered, for a moment, how he got here when just days ago he’d convinced himself he’d be alone forever.
He shook the thoughts off, taking a step down the stairs to offer his help when a bark rang out, making him pause. He scanned the clearing, confused until he spotted the beast. An abnormally large brown wolf bounding towards the castle, entirely ignoring the people shouting at it as it passed them.
Adrian descended the stairs, stopping at the end and kneeling down as the wolf slid to a stop a few feet from him, barking at him again.
“You’re quite bold, what are you looking for?”
Adrian hummed, stretching a hand out to the wolf. He watched as it completely ignored his hand, walking right up to him with a grumbling noise. Adrian set his hand on it’s head, watching with an amused smile as its tail began to wag.
He stood and began to shoo the creature off, but it seemed to have other plans and bolted for the castle, walking inside like it owned the place. Adrian frowned, following it inside.
The wolf’s nose turned up, twitching as it sniffed the air. Whatever it was smelling, it followed, heading for the back of the castle where Adrian considered his private residence. Adrian sped up to catch it, shouting after it
“stop it! Go back outside!”
The wolf shoved its way through doors until it found its way to the kitchen, and by the time Adrian had walked through the door it had already knocked the basket of fish he’d caught earlier onto the floor, making an oily and bloody mess of the floor as it scarfed the meat down.
Adrian crossed his arms, giving the wolf a displeased look.
“Really? Not even two minutes here and you’re already eating my food…. Reminds me a bit of someone.”
He shook his head, this wolf wasn’t that man, he shouldn’t compare them. Though the similarities were a bit amusing.
Adrian went to grab a cloth, so he could clean the mess of fish guts off the floor, but once again found himself having to chase after the wolf as it bolted from the room further into the castle. He followed it down halls, mumbling to himself.
He frowned as it sat down in front of a bedroom door, pawing at it.
“No, you’re not allowed in that room. That’s for someone else.”
The wolf turned its head to look at him, but didn’t move from its spot. Instead it whined, and pawed at the door again. Adrian sighed, walking over to it.
“That room is not for you…. Come, you can stay a night in my room if you must.”
The wolf tilted its head at him, but seemed satisfied enough and stood, brushing past him and walking towards the room down the hall.
“How do you know where you’re going?…. Strange beast.”
Adrian followed it into his room, watching as it jumped up onto his bed, laying down with a loud sigh. He cried a little inside at the idea of the dirt it must be getting all over his clean linens, but allowed it to stay. It was only one night.
He walked to the bed, sitting down behind the wolf and gently petting through its coarse fur.
“It might be nice to have company for a night…. It’s been a long time since I last did.”
He laughed bitterly, watching the wolf’s bright blue eyes shift up to him.
“My friends have not been here in a long time, off galavanting across the country…. The last guests I had… left their mark you could say.”
He didn’t realize he was crying until the wolf flinched from the tear drop hitting its nose. It craned its neck up, licking Adrian’s cheek. He chuckled bitterly
“I miss them…. I wish they’d come back and stay, for good this time…. How selfish I must sound.”
He laid back against the bed, staring up at the ceiling
“I’m talking to a wolf…”
It stood with a groan, readjusting itself to lay against Adrian’s side with its head on his chest. With a quiet yawn, it closed its eyes.
Adrian scratched behind its ears, smiling a bit
“Thank you for listening. Good night.”