Come Softly, Come Swiftly

He’d been expecting her call; she’d told him it was coming. But it still made his heart leap in his chest to hear her low song thread its way through the trees; soft enough to leave the birds unafraid, but loud enough that he and the others could hear. He gave a gruff bark to add emphasis, before taking off at a quick trot. He was at his mother’s side within minutes, giving her shoulder a nuzzle before taking a seat beside her. No one else had gotten there yet. It didn’t surprise him; they would probably be guiding their father through the unfamiliar landscape, going at a blind wolf’s pace, and also protecting him against any sudden ambush.

The prospect of a war both frightened and exhilarated him. He was meant for fighting; meant to cut through those that would harm his family or take his land. He gave his vibrant coat a quick shake as Cinder waddled out of the undergrowth, a small duck in her jaws, it’s limp body dragging between her front legs, and an entirely annoyed expression on her feline face. The spikes in her fur, sandy red-brown darkened to wet points, said she’d taken a swim for this duck, and was already counting the licks it would take to get her fur back in order. She flashed him a haughty glance as she dropped the duck and settled between his front paws, already getting down to grooming, ignoring him as he gave a low chuckle.

"Bhuel ghabhtar, Cinder." He murmured, receiving a halfhearted rumble from the cat, though she didn’t slow her grooming. Regulus straightened and gazed out at the Estuary, leaning slightly to press a fraction of his weight into his mother’s shoulder. Like any good son, he would be at her side in all her endeavors.