[Poggio]

Because his sister was heavy with child, it was up to him to dawn the Red cloak and make deliveries. It was just was well since he could only burn tasteless breads and sweets. This time his basket was full of goodies for his grandmother that lived across the forest. Tightening his grasp on the basket he walked into the woods. He was brave enough to not need a hunter, after he had done it before. So long as he followed the path he was fine. About midway through his journey he paused to nourish himself, it was then he saw an apple tree. AS long as he could still see the path. He followed the trail of fruits picking from various trees till he came to a river and feasted there.

He was minding his own business picking mushrooms when an opportunity arose and his ear picked up on the sound of some one munching on apples by the path. Standing from the patch he slunk through the trees to see if the one eating fruit was a hunter or prey.

He added a bit of his grans food to his stomach, uncorking the wine and gingerly taking sips to wash down the food. The apples left a lasting sweet taste in his mouth. Soon he started to indulge becoming lethargic to his duties, enjoying the sun and the sounds of nature.

The crunching ceased before he arrived though no sound of leaving feet met his ears. Once he was within smelling range his nose found the sweetness of wine, bread and soap, he grinned. This was no hunter and though it did not smell like a child there was no hint either of gunpowder or old blood to call it a hunter. Slinking from the bushes he found himself in front of a sleeping man with the face of a near child only just coming off. As the eyes opened he tilted his head and remained still as the man-boy blustered and asked if he were a man or beast, he bowed. "You may call me the marvelous meticulous, fantastical Miiiister growl. I was just picking mushrooms for my dinner when I heard the a sound and came to see what it was."

The utter ridiculousness of the name made him laugh, though he kept the bread pointed at the man beast. Unsure he took a cue from the ragged man and curtsied. “Good day to you sir... You may call me Red.” Watching it seemed harmless simply staring , until he scratched his oddly pointed ear. “Mr. Growl...” He inched closer breaking off a piece of the bread. He reached out and offered it to him.

Daintily reaching forward he nipped off a bit of the bread. It tasted nasty but he swallowed it all the same and gracefully moving one leg forward, folded himself down into a sitting postition. This one was not very bright or else poorly educated and those sorts both lent well to his giving the impression of being something tame. "Hello Boy-red, scritch me behind the ears and I will give you a bit of good advice."

Impressed with the mans flexibility he clapped at the little show. The request was an odd feeling both foolish and curious he walked forward to oblige. At first he thought his eyes were deceiving him. When he reached to stroke the side of the mans head he found nothing. Trailing up along the side of his scalp to the area where the mans fingers once scratched, he felt the brush of feathery fur. .Flinching, his fingers continued to curiously trail up the edge of the cartilage. Doing as he would with a dog he stroked both the ear and the base while gently adding his nail.

The man boy, or more boy since the voice matched the face more than the body, still seemed nervous and so he rolled his shoulder and carefully tipped his head to bring the hand under his chin, "Thank you boy-red, If you go just a bit further from the path you will come across sweet berry bushes."

He bit his bottom lip as he scratched. He had already come so far. Checking the shadow of the trees against the moss he saw that he still had daylight yet to travel. Sweet berries would have made a great pie, and his grandmother made the best pie. The man beast before him seemed to know the woods well. "Mr Growl... will you take me back to the path if I go to get the berries?"

As the scratching ceased he pulled free of the hand and nodded. “Yes, I can do that for you.” Standing he bowed once more, “I live to serve.”

The rise was sudden and he found himself falling backwards to make way for the man. Another bow made him grin once more and this time he offered his hand to his guide. “Thank you Mr. Growl, please lead the way.”

[littl3chocobo]

offering a hand out he helped pull the boy up and led him to the edge of the brush, not bothering to look back he slipped through and started towards the patch. if the little morsel followed him it was meant to be and his mushrooms would not be needed, if he human turned away he would have stew as he usually did

pog;
he stopped just shy of the thicket and looked back, slowly he pushed forward and found a grove of berries that made him gasp. delightedly he started picking some of the plumpest juiciest ripe berries he could find. every so often he would test one himself. the darkened fingers, sweetened with nectar, offered berries to both the basket and the man

cho
he hated blackberries all nastiness and seeds but he let the dark fingers push them past his lips even if he did spit each one out once the hand was away. they stayed there and picked fruit until the sun was starting just past the midday mark. smiling widely he sidled up close to the boy, "boy-red, it is getting late, you really should get going, it is only a couple hours if you are going to hurst but much longer if you are going the other way. if you do not hurry it would be dark by the time you made it home again"

[littl3chocobo]

pog;
the tongue was soft, warm, and sent tingles through his fingers as the man ate. pulling back he licked clean what the man missed. time passed until he heared him and realized he was right. he jumped and quickly left to gather his things, only then did he realize he did not know the way, "mister growl, can you lead?"

cho;
again he nodded and taking the plump dark fingers carefully led the boy back to the pathway, "of course the berry patch is a secret between you and i. it would not do if everyone knew and came and ate up all the fruit, right?"

pog;
nodding vigorously he grinned and pulled the hand close, "you and me~" he skipped happily alongside the man-beast, "i promise." he bumped into the body

cho;
the reply was both enthusiastic and devoid of all suspicion and grinning broadly he allowed himself to be pulled along down the path for a while towards hurst. after a bit he politely inquired if the boy was coming or going

pog;

[Poggio]

He did not want to go back to the path but he followed regardless and once he had gotten to the trail he looked down its long path. He was reluctant to let go of the wolf. "Will you travel with me? Show me more things in the woods?... until we get the other side?"

[littl3chocobo]

he nodded through his saliva and could not open his mouth to speak until he swallowed, "why of course, it is lonely here in the woods and nice to have company." he knew of a place just a little farther down where they could cross the water safely and there he could eat his morsel without worry of dogs. taking the hand he started to lead the boy only to hear the sound of the very creatures and feeling his hair rise he let go, "oh! -uh, i just forgot, -uh, i left my oven burning, i must, um- go extinguish it to keep my humble home from burning! bye, boy!" hearing the sounds of dogs grow louder he bounded off to the opposite side of the road t find a safe place to hide. where there were dogs there was a hunter

[Poggio]

He didn't have much to say to the odd behavior before Mr. Growl was gone. Left alone he encountered a herd of hunting dogs and the man he knew to be one of the best hunters in town. Begrudgingly he accepted the escort the man offered. It was not the commapny he sought but better then darkness. Once he was in the safety of the old womans house he spent a jolly night with her. They feasted on both the berries and the other basket goodies until he fell asleep under a quilt by her hearth. The next morning he left taking dried meats and other things back with him into the woods.

In his hurry to hide he lost his mushrooms and nearly his basket and so that night he had nothing. When the morning came his stomach woke him and he set out to find breakfast even if it meant he had to swallow his pride and catch mice while they slept in their burrows.

It was around midday when he idly plucked through his basket. He started to munch on a piece of dried turkey and as he chewed he tore chunks of the meat off and tossed them down, wondering if birds were cannaibals. About midway he stopped wondering if he could find the delicious berry patch one more. He started to trail off the path again, looking for sweets.

There seemed to be no end to his strange bout of luck for almost as soon as he crossed the path to get to the field to the mice he liked best he heard a familiar sound. Quietly he slunk nearly to where the morsel from before was sitting "Boy?"

He was nearly dozing when the sound of a voice jolted him out of his laze. Looking around he blinked wearily wondering if it was the hunter or if it was mr. Growl. Hearing no hounds he cleared his throat and answered. "Yes?" There was another question to ask if he were alone and once it was answered. the strange man beast came forth from his bushes. He grinned and reaching into his basket he offered the man a piece of his jerky.

[littl3chocobo]

the offering halted him and though the spice of it made his nose itch he took it obediently. when the taste of meat not bread came to his tongue however he perked up. the smell of it cloaked that it was good to eat from his nose and wanting to know if there was more he sidled close and tried not to seem too obvious as he peered into the basket, "did your grandmother like her bread?"

[Poggio]

He crept closer as the other the man beast peered under the cloth. “Yes she did. She... well she always criticizes my father, the more and loudly the better she likes it, the same with pies, though she swears no one can out do her.” He tugged his basket back a little and removed the cloth, “would you like some biscuits and meat?”

[littl3chocobo]

he could care no less than he already did about biscuits but more of the meat seemed like a fine idea. pushing aside his thoughts of eating the boy he nodded and was rewarded with more of the spiced meat by the soft plump fingers

[Poggio]

Once more it tickled to have the pink tongue lash against this tips. He could not help but look onwards mystified. His free hand reached out and scratched the strange mans ears once more. “You know Mr growl you could always come to the village with me and see what its like.” He offered. “or do you have your own village?”

[littl3chocobo]

doing his best not to cringe at the thought of the gutting that would await him at the village he shoot his head, "i live alone in my little cottage in the woods. i like the quiet......would you care to see~?"

[Poggio]

He looked at the sky, then looked at Mr growl, and between the two of them he assumed he had time for a little tour. He grinned and nodded vigorously. "yes mr growl." He picked up what was left of the meal and stuffed it back into the basket.

[littl3chocobo]

as they walked hand-in-hand back to his home he was fed little bits of meat which suited him just fine. he was fed until after they crossed the creak and were nearly to his home. slyly he smiled as he licked his chops, "shall we go in?"

(fed him half and he will molest, fed him all of it and he will let you go. the cottage is a bit rundown and rather dreary, it is two rooms and the only furniture is a chair an old broad creaky bed, a three-legged stool and a large pot)

[Poggio]

He had ran out of the dried meats that was suppose to be for him and licking his fingers he was not sure what else he could offer Mr growl. He felt something slightly wet against his hand and jumped a little only to realize it was the strange mans nose oddly against his fingers. He continued to walk as a ramshackle hobble came into view and this time a lick with a slight pinch jolted him from his steps. “Mr Growl? Is that your house?”

[littl3chocobo]

it was hard to restrain himself when the other stopped feeding him and a lap at the boy's fingers were not met with any revulsion or fear. picking up the hand with his own he lapped off the spiciness and the bit of meat grease that was left behind though when the question was asked he broke away to look up, "indeed, this is where i live. come in boy-red"

[Poggio]

One last look backwards down the path he had come before he stumbled forward. “Mr Growl I am not sure this is such a good idea. I have never been this far away from the path.” He said looking down at the eager face. He smiled and touched the ears . “As long as you promise to lead me back.”