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8 - Forest (Lager)

"And where are you off to?"

The golden furred goat shied away slightly from his accoster as his fight-or-flight instinct kicked in. It was hard to blame him. The grey-furred wolf towered over him; they would have done so even if they weren't standing on two legs, leant against an old tree tree with their arms crossed. Their long tail - far longer than a usual wolf-tail - wagged gently, tracing long arcs in the dirt behind them.

Lager noted that they didn't look hungry, at least. Or maybe they're just good at hiding it. The goat glanced a bit further up the path, where it wound around several trees and vanished out of sight. He knew this path like the back of his hand.

"Oh, nowhere really!" he replied quickly, trying not to stare too long into the wolf's golden eyes. He knew that could be taken for aggression. "I'm just on a jog, that's all."

He started jogging lightly on the spot again, laughing nervously.

"Do you come out here often?" the wolf was tracing a claw along the gnarled bark of the tree. Their demeanour seemed... flirtatious.

"Uh... yeah, most days," Lager said, although he mentally appended that with "Not anymore after today." He was not looking forward to having lost his route, but that would be better than getting...

"Very nice~!" The wolf leaned their upper arm against the tree. "You must know a lot of good places to jog, right? So do I. I bet I know some scenic routes that you haven't tried out."

"I know, yeah..." Lager kept glancing ahead of him, and back the way he came. Which would be the best place to run to if he needed to beat a hasty retreat? He was _pretty_sure he could outrun or evade them.

"Like this way!" The wolf leaned away from the tree and stepped aside. There was indeed a well trod divot of dirt snaking its way deeper into the green foliage, though little plants were encroaching on it from each side.

"Trust me. It's way nicer this way. You should give it a try. Live a little."

Something weird happened with the wolf's eyes - or at least Lager thought he saw something weird. Whatever it was, it was gone moments later.

"Anyway, gimme a shout if you get lost!" The wolf shrugged and stretched with a satisfied grunt. With one bound, they leapt up into the trees and out of sight. Lager watched them go. He was a little surprised to see that they'd left so abruptly.

Anyway, the path did look quite inviting, and he figured he could reduce his pace for a little stroll. He decided the wolf was trustworthy enough. Something about them made him feel at ease, all of a sudden.

Lager kept having to push leaves and branches out of his way as he explored. The colours seemed far more vibrant in the dark, dense woods. The green leaves seemed extra green, and the blue flowers that brushed against his legs were similarly beautiful. The sunlight through the trees gave everything a golden glow. It almost made him feel like he was in some deep exotic jungle rather than a bog-standard forest. It was kind of novel and exciting. The colours guided him off the beaten path, and he allowed himself to meander off the beaten path a little, and slip into an exploratory fugue.

That fugue was interrupted by the beep of his wristwatch. When he checked it, the goat realised that hours had passed. Looking around, he could see the light had faded. The greens began to seem less vibrant, and the forest seemed a little darker. Confusion settled over him, as well as a fair bit of panic.

"Oh crap..." his racing heart was slightly calmed when he remembered that he had someone who could help him out. That wolf... what was their name? He'd never thought to get it.

"Uh.... Wolf?" He called out, tentatively at first before allowing a slightly more full-throated bleat. "Wolf? Uh... Hello? You out th-"

A rustle from above him made him look up. The wolf dropped down right in front of him, towering over him once again.

"Eep!" Lager froze stock still, his green eyes vanishing into tiny black pinpricks. The wolf grinned a toothy, wide grin. The scent of their breath wafted over Lager. There wasn't a hint of meat, blood or death on it. A sweet smell in fact, a smell that implied this wolf's diet was comprised more of fruit than anything else.

"You okay there, li'l goalie?" The wolf asked.

"Uh... I guess so?" Lager laughed. "I'm just.... I kinda lost track of time..."

"That can happen. This place is pretty, but that makes it pretty easy to lose yourself for a little while. You still had a good time, right?"

"Yes, I did..." Lager took a little step back, just to give him some space and to keep his neck from straining too much. "But I'm ready to head back, I think. Do you know the way?"

"Sure I do." The wolf said. "But it's gonna take a while. You'd be much, much better off staying with me..."

Lager was going to suggest otherwise, but then the wolf's eyes did that funny thing again. They got all colourful all of a sudden, like the melting layers of some colourful piece of candy. They rippled with greens, blues and yellows in varying pretty hues. They reminded him of the leaves, the flowers and the sun. He felt that adventurous feeling come over him again. The colours danced to one side, then the other, and he swayed with them.

"Yessss..." the wolf crooned. "Staaaay with me. Jussst with me.... Wouldn't you rather sleep snuggled up in my warm soft arms than trudging all the way back to your boring old bed?"

"Uhn..." Lager nodded sluggishly. He wanted to smile. But his face felt so heavy. He couldn't manage it. He hoped staring at the pretty wolf's pretty eyes would make it easier. His neck was still hurting a little, though...

Something warm started to bind around his arms, and squeeze tightly. His feet left the soil and lifted him upwards, until he was eye to eye with the wolf. That was much better. Now he could smile.

"That's right, little sleepy goaty. You're so tired, and your feet are so sore, and you really don't want to make that long journey back. You're better off with me..."

Lager was pretty sure the nice wolf was right. He smiled and nodded.

A little lurch as they leapt into the trees threatened to wake him up. But he kept his eyes on the pretty whirls, and snuggled tightly into that squeezing tail.

"Yesss..." the wolf whispered a seductive, soporific hiss. "Jusst ressst with me. Sssink for me. Sssink into me...."

Lager draped over the wolf's stomach, staring into those eyes and that smiling snout. The cool wet nose nuzzled to his, and the tail give him a tighter squeeze, the tip tickling his chest. The wolf's pink tongue gave Lager's face a long lick, then another, then another. The repetitive grooming made Lager feel even sleepier, like his head was full of warm milk. It was easy to drift off, and his eyelids were getting heavier, so even though he wanted to keep staring, sleep felt like the better option.

"Sleep..." the wolf prompted him between licks. "Sleeeep.... Sssssleeeeeep... I promise you'll have the best rest of your life. You're gonna be so full of energy tomorrow. But for now... sleeeeep."

Lager smiled and sank into slumber, safe in the knowledge that he'd be there in the morning.