triskehale | (no subject)

Derek is on a run through the woods, following a trail that he wore into the earth himself. He could follow it with his eyes closed, which is why he's so surprised to suddenly find it blocked by a strange, squat little cabin that he couldn't see or smell until he was suddenly right in front of it. He has to skid to a halt to avoid crashing into the side of it, and he cautiously walks around to the front of the small structure. It looks a little like something out of a fairytale, like a place that shouldn't exist outside the pages of a children's book.

This is Darrow, so it isn't like a building suddenly showing up is anything particularly out of the ordinary, but Derek is annoyed to find it so close to what the wolf considers his territory, blocking the path that he made himself. He definitely isn't about to inspect it closer, no matter how piqued his curiosity may be, but as soon as he turns away from it he hears a voice calling for help from within. It sounds like a child and while it's suspicious, Derek finds that he can't ignore it.

It doesn't occur to him to let anyone know where he is as he climbs up onto the porch. The place smells like cookies and peppermint and he breathes in deeply as he steps over the threshold. Inside there's no child in need, nothing at all except for a sensation like cool water running down his body and washing away all of his memories, clearing his mind of everything he knows, everyone he loves.

A growl comes up from his throat as he feels his face shift into his beta form, eyes a blazing red as his memories are replaced with something new. He tries, but he can't shift back. He's stuck like this, the cruel result of an enchantress' curse. His feet take him back through the woods to the cursed summer chateau where he's meant to spend the rest of his days with dwindling hope that it will ever be broken.

The chateau is surrounded by an eternal winter and as soon as Derek steps into the snow, vines close the opening behind him and he knows that he won't be able to leave again. He isn't sure how he even got out in the first place, but now he's home.

"There you are, sir!" Derek looks over at the tall, narrow bookcase that serves as the head of household as it toddles over to him, rocking back and forth on worn corners as the small books that serve as its eyes widen in surprise. "What is it that you're wearing? Those are not clothes befitting a prince. My word, where did you even find them? Up to the bedroom with you. Change for dinner, young man."

Derek rolls his eyes with a growl, claws clicking over the ornate doorknob as he lets himself inside. The house is large and quiet, and Derek stares up at the ornate staircase as he heaves a weary sigh. He's been here for years, cursed to be stuck in this form, and time is running out for someone to come and break the spell.

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Barry follows with a strange, light feeling in his chest that surely doesn't belong in a prison. With its warm glow and rustic wooden walls, some days it's difficult to remember that's what this place is, especially with such good company. Barry tries to remember he's supposed to be unhappy, but the truth is, he's excited about running. He's excited, too, to see how his skills compare to a werewolf's, and maybe even a little excited to see what happens if he gets caught.

"I'd ask for a head start," he says when they step into the snow outside. "But I don't need it." Barry grins cheekily and takes off, hitting a hedge or two in his quest to reach the deepest part of the maze.

Derek feels almost bereft when Barry is suddenly no longer by his side, replaced instead by a gust of cool air that rushes by him. There's the sound of cracking branches and Derek laughs, bouncing on his toes a little as he prepares to follow him.

"Don't go busting through my hedges!" Derek calls out, trusting that Barry will hear him. And then he goes quiet, slipping out of his shoes so that he can pad silently through the snow. It's cold against his bare toes, but it's worth the trade off. Barry has his speed, but Derek has other ways of finding him. There's the vaguest scent trail, one Derek might not even have noticed it if he hadn't become so attuned to Barry's scent during his time here, and Derek follows it as quietly as he can.

It's thrilling, in a way. He's been stuck as a wolf for years but he hasn't had the occasion to really put his senses to work like this. He can hear Barry's heart somewhere up and to the left, smell the cinnamon-lightning scent of him. He's close, and Derek holds his breath as he inches closer to his hiding spot.

Barry honestly has no idea where he is within the maze. Every hedge looks like the same snow covered, pokey leaved hedge, and he just has to trust that if he sees Derek, he can still run away in time. It's thrilling to run just for the sport of it, with no villains before or behind him. Just Derek. Barry bounces on his toes and, for no reason that he can pinpoint, thinks of chasing after Iris and pulling at her pigtails.

She'd screamed and smacked at him, but the both of them were laughing, because Barry never did it hard enough to hurt. He just liked to see her laugh. Barry smiles, enjoying the memory until he sees - or thinks he sees - something from the corner of his eye. Barry tenses, then shrieks aloud and runs when the dark smudge explodes into motion -

- of flapping wings. "Aw, for real?" Barry asks, slowing.

Derek can hear the bats, but he has long since learned to tune out the chittering and rustling of wings. They seem to enjoy the dark solitude of the hedge maze, full of places to hide and rest, at least until Barry's shriek startles them enough to send them flying. Barry slows to a halt in front of the still quivering bush, distracted by the small creatures that make their way to a sprawling oak tree across the grounds.

It's the perfect opportunity. Derek holds his breath and silently creeps around the corner, taking advantage of Barry's confusion to spring forward and wrap his arms around Barry's waist from behind. There's a mound of dry, dead leaves and Derek gently tackles Barry down into it, twisting him as they fall so his back lands in the soft pile of leaves. Derek lets his palms meet the ground on either side of Barry's shoulders, looming over him with a smug grin. It hasn't even registered yet how very close they are, legs entwined as they catch their breath.

"Caught you," he breathes out, eyes glowing red as he smiles excitedly. His lips feel stretched too thin, and he realizes how long it's been since he's smiled like this. It's been years since his life has been defined by anything but fire and curses, and now Barry has come to remind him that he's still alive.