The silvery gray pup sighed sadly as she laid outside of the den she shared with her family, gazing blankly out toward the rest of the territory. Her vibrant, green gaze looked out at the wolves meandering through the pack lands, going about their day, doing their tasks. Jendai rested her head on her paws, her ears folding back against her skull. Why did life have to be so weird and hard to figure out? She just didn't understand. She felt an ache in her chest as she thought about her father and the last day she had seen him. He had worked with her on her fighting, giving her tips and pointers on the one thing she really wanted to do. She had to fight the soft whine that threatened to form in her throat as she thought about it, missing him dearly and feeling lost without him around. She suddenly stood up, her sorrow turning to anger as it often did. She paced back and forth, frustrated with her life, with her still captive father, with everything. Just as suddenly as she began she stopped, looking down at her forepaws with a sigh. Slowly she was beginning to learn that anger wouldn't fix her problems, but it was just so hard not to be when there was nothing she could do to fix the problem. Speech Thought Others

The morning had just started and Silent was out and about. She had left the den of her four pups to search for breakfast. They were at an age where she knew they could look after each other and call for help if they needed it. Her trust in them was like her love: it didn't know no bounds for her babies. Each pup's face appeared in her mind as she focused on the rabbit that was nibbling on sprouting grass. She licked her lips and with a silent bound, she scooped up the little animal and snapped its neck in the process. Success lit up her eyes and she made her way back to her den. It wasn't long before she heard the holding back of a whine. Ears immediately perked up and she increased the speed in her pace to get home faster. Silent's senses were much more sensitive when it came to her children. She was able to know if there was a change in their auras, which any mother could witness to. The only thing that was unknown for the moment was which baby. Well, that didn't take long to figure out, either. Her emerald eyes found Jendai's form pacing back and forth in front of their home. Bronze was on her mind again and it made Silent's heart break. She sped up the last few steps between her and the den, lowered her catch for breakfast and scooped up her daughter. Her ebony black form swirled around Jendai like a snake, wrapping her up in the warmth of her body and the love that oozed from her actions. Silent nuzzled Jendai's cheek and neck before offering licks of love and attention across her face. "Jendai..." she softly said as her large tail curled around the girl's form. "Tell me what's on your mind, my dear...You look troubled." Even though her mother knew exactly why she was upset, Silent still needed her daughter to voice what was so upsetting. "talking"

One moment she was alone, the next she was wrapped in warmth. Jen had been so distracted that it seemed like her mother had appeared out of nowhere. The black fea dropped the rabbit she had been carrying to curl around the silver pup, showering her with all kinds of affection. It was just enough to jarr Jendai out of the funk she had fallen into, making her blink up at her mother, their matching green eyes meeting. Jen reached up, affectionately bumping the top of her muzzle agaisnt the darker fea's chin, her little tail wagging. "Tell me what's on your mind, my dear...You look troubled." Jendai peered up at her mother, hesitating before sighing and looking down at her paws. With the comfort of her mother's warm fur there to help her, she explained, "I was just thinking about dad and missing him and stuff and how he helped me with my fighting..." Her gray-tipped ears folded back against her skull again and her shoulders pulled in, making the already naturally small girl look even smaller. "I miss dad a lot... I want to be a warrior, like dad! But I can't, I'm too small, but he would play fight with me anyway and I liked it a lot..." Her bright green eyes sparkled with tears and she buried her face in Silent's fur to hide them. Speech Thought Others

She could feel the warmth of Jendai's tears against her black fur and the skin that prickled beneath her ebony coat. It made her heart ache even more when Jendai spoke of Bronze not being there. She missed her beloved with every fiber of her being, but she knew that the bond Jendai had with her father was a different kind of love. They were of the same blood, the blood that kept the young girl's siblings close to her like glue. Silent's job was to make sure they stayed that way, even during Bronze's temporary absence. That was what she kept telling herself..it was only temporary. The black Dame pressed her daughter closer into her body, curling her tail around the light gray frame beside her. She caressed a black paw around Jendai's haunches and closed her eyes as she spoke. "I know you miss your father, Jendai. To have him taken against his will and ours as well was heartbreaking...Even though he is not here right now, he still loves you with his whole heart and is thinking about you and our family every minute of every day." Silent spoke as if she knew exactly what Bronze was doing at that moment. It's funny, because most would speculate that because they were in different parts of Ala, it was impossible. But see, the impossible never was a challenge for Silent and Bronze. They were too much in sync with each other to have someone's ignorance waver their beliefs. Silent opened her green eyes and lowered her gaze to the six-month-old pup. Adoration, hope, and love all mixed together in her eyes shimmered to Jendai's opts and she gently sighed. "The memories you made with your dad are the special ones and I know they mean a lot to you. Hold onto them, my dear, and they will help you get through this rough patch we are in." She curled her tail around the girl's frame even tighter and snugly squeezed her. "Your father is a survivor and so are you...You remind me so much of him, it's uncanny!" Her smile appeared and it made her eyes brighten. "talking"

Jendai blinked open her eyes a peered up at her mother, listening intently to everything she said and not doubting a word of it. The look in Silent's matching green gaze when she opened her eyes again brought a little smile to Jendai's muzzle and her words made her smile even wider. Just the thought of reminding someone of her father made her day and completely turned around her attitude. If she was that much like Bronze, maybe she could be a warrior like him one day too! The gray pup's tail wagged behind her as she reached up to give Silent's cheek an affectionate lick, looking up at her with the same hope and love that glimmered in her mother's gaze. "You mean it? I'm really like dad?" She wriggled with happiness at the thought. As she looked up at her mother, she realized that without her she'd still be angry at everything and too upset to even play. It suddenly dawned on her that maybe fighting wasn't the only thing that was important. Maybe sometimes being loving and kind was important too. Jendai smiled and added, "I hope I'm like you too, mom. I want to be like both of you." She buried herself in Silent's warm fur with a happy sigh. "I love you, mom." Speech Thought Others

Her smile widened at the reaction Jendai displayed. The black female was happy to see her daughter brightening up physically and emotionally, only because she resembled Bronze. Silent didn't blame Jendai for being excited about that. Bronze was a remarkable wolf and had been through so much, he was one of the best role models for their children. She gently laughed and squeezed her daughter closer to her side, not wanting to let her go. When Jendai said that she wanted to be like her as well, it made Silent's heart soar. She had never heard such sweet words come from a pup like that; she was happy to hear it from one of her own. Silent gave her a reassuring nuzzle and lick on her left cheek before replying to Jendai's words. "You will succeed by being like both of us, my dear," she said, words filled with a hint of emotion. "Whatever you put your mind to, you will do well. It is all about the drive and how bad you want something." She lowered her head to her daughter's right ear and whispered, "I love you too, Jendai. You mean so much to me -- more than you will ever know." "talking"

What Silent said really struck a chord with the young girl. What she said about doing well at whatever she put her mind to and that it all depended on her drive to do it gave Jendai a lot of hope that one day she could be a warrior like she wanted to be. She would just have to try harder. Then she could help protect the pack like her dad did. Her tail thumped against the ground and she snuggled into her mother's fur happily, soaking up all of the love and attention she could. Thoughts of her missing father still lingered in her mind and every time he drifted across her consciousness that pang of sadness from missing him bothered her. But, in a way, it was good because even though he wasn't there she liked thinking of him and remembering him. Always the curious pup, Jendai looked up at her mother curiously and asked, "How did you and dad meet?" Not that she would ever admit it, but Jendai was naturally a romantic and silently wondered if it was love at first sight. Speech Thought Others

Silent further embraced the affectionate actions Jendai gave her without complaining. She knew that her daughter wouldn't be as small as she was then and it made her heart break. For each moment the young girl gave her, Silent would suck it up and get as much love from it as she could. There was nothing in this world she loved more than the bonds she had with her children and beloved husband. What Jendai asked made Silent's ears immediately perk. She knew that her children would want to know such things some time, but not right then. It had caught the black female off guard and she wasn't prepared for the story that would begin to unfold. A gentle sigh escaped her lips and her smile remained on them as she moved around Jendai to guide her in the direction of a nearby tree. Slowly, she lowered herself to the ground between two large roots and waited for the black and silvery babe to lay next to her before speaking. "That, my dear, is a large can of worms I will not hesitate to open for you." She laughed gently and her eyes sparkled for effect. Silent wrapped her tail around Jendai's frame as she began. "A long, long...long time ago, your mom and dad were pups, just like you and your littermates. We didn't know the other existed, but that changed later down the road. I was born to my mother, whose name was Split. Her mother, Ocean, was the Healer for the pack we were a part of and I was raised in this pack until I grew to be an adult. That is for later, though." She lightly petted the girl's haunches with her tail as she continued. "Your father was raised by the Betas of our pack. Their names were Aradcor and Light. That's why Faolan's middle name is Aradcor...after your grandfather. Anyway, your daddy wanted to be like his father: strong, proud, and able to take care of his family. It was something that he prided himself keeping true to as he grew up. One day, I was out exploring and found a silvery chain in the ground. I thought it was so beautiful, I wanted to keep it as my own treasure. I wore it on my neck for what seemed like ages, until the day I met your father. He looked very sad, so I went to ask him what was wrong." Another light sigh escaped from her lips. "Aradcor had gone on a hunt without him and had taken his brother, Scudge. It broke your dad's heart and he was beside himself with grief. So, I did what I thought would help: I gave him my necklace and told him to keep it for me. That way, he wouldn't have to worry about being left out again. We started to hang out after that day, and soon, we were inseparable. It was like that until we were old enough to realize what true love was...I think, even when we met that day as children, we knew what we shared was more than just a friendly chance of meeting." The black female was far from being short of breath, and with that in mind, her emerald eyes searched Jendai's own as she asked, "Would you like to know more? Or is that enough from your old mother?" She gently chuckled again, memories of being with Bronze among the willows as teenagers rising in her mind's eye. "talking"