ONE OF TWO. - razor

Chapter Twelve

Many moons felt to have risen and sunken into the hills by the time that, one morning, upon seeing Tighnari and asking his daily, "Today, I can go out?" the response was finally a yes.

Razor had stilled upon processing the break in routine, not having fully anticipated being given the go ahead and feeling strangely at a loss then that he could actually freely leave. What was he even to do outside? He could bask in the sunlight, he could watch pretty butterflies, he could look for bloomed flowers to donate to Collei's collection. He could do almost anything he wanted.

"Just make sure to not stray too far, alright? Stay in the area," Tighnari's warning words followed him out of the hut until Razor waved back at the man, who watched him with a subtle smile, before he shut the latter's door closed.

For a number of seconds Razor merely stood at the edge of the hut's narrow terrace, eyes tracing the moving figures of all the residents and researchers below, rising to follow the swirl of wind that shuffled hanging branches and leaves, and squinting up at the warmth and radiance of the sun in a near cloudless blue sky. His hair – unbrushed and growing long enough to tickle at the bare skin on the back of his knees – whisked around him, and he deeply breathed in the humid air carrying scents of nature.

Collei was on patrol duty that day, if he recalled her schedule correctly; even if she weren't, Razor felt as though a walk alone would have been preferable at the time. Decided, he began to make his way down the wooden bridge, its edges enforced and entwined by curling wood and looped with moss-covered vines. Some Rangers greeted him warily, others with sincere relief at his healthy emergence, and while he couldn't bring himself to verbally reply to any of them, they didn't seem to mind.

He hoped he hadn't frightened them or worried them too much.

"Oh, Razor! Over here!"

The boy's head lifted at the sound of the call, immediately setting his sights on Amir surrounded by a pack of dogs in the distance ahead of him, and he picked up his speed into a light jog until he reached him. He did his best to not mind the uncommon soreness of his tendons and the ache in his muscles that retaliated at the effort, a remnant effect of his days unwell.

"Good morning! You're looking as fresh as a zaytun peach!"

Razor harrumphed, nodding with a smile tugging at his lips.

"Morning."

Meanwhile, the dogs drew nearer to him, sniffing and encircling him until one gave a satisfied yip and began to nudge at his legs, mouth falling open and tail happily wagging.

"You got their approval quickly, huh?" Amir commented jovially, hands on his hips, "That's Sag biting at your shorts, by the way."

"The leader?"

Amir gave a mild look of surprise at Razor's ironically sure-sounding question, but ended up huffing a laugh in response.

"I guess you would be the one to know these things. Yes, he's their leader, so to speak."

Razor nodded and blinked down at the excitable dogs vying for his attention, and he felt his hands itch to touch their fur and cuddle them. They brought to mind the wolf pups he'd help care for each coming of spring, when the chill's bite had weakened to licks and the grass was alive and high.

"You can pet them if you want," Amir spoke up, having taken note of the poorly masked longing in the boy's eyes, "They seem to like you already."

Crouching down onto one knee, Razor's hands began their cycle of rubbing behind each dog's ears, scratching under their chins and behind the edges of their jaws. They made continuous sounds of satisfaction and their tails only swished faster, some urging others out of the way to receive more affection. Razor giggled as a tongue lapped at the side of his face and teeth tugged at his poncho, and Amir merely watched the scene for a minute or so prior to talking again.