When spring comes

He was coming off of a solo patrol, and his stride was steady, the ground eating trot taking him across the plains to the wooded hill that hid his family den within its belly. Even if she had called for him during his patrol, he wouldn’t have cared. Zuriel was his sister, after all, and even if she weren’t, he would still have dropped the patrol without a moment of hesitation to come to the call.

Even so, as he slid into the wintery shade of the trees, following the well worn path toward the dens, hoping for a rest, he spotted his sister’s silvery patterned form, sitting at the end of the ravine. It didn’t take a mind reader to see the restlessness in her face. He met her with a big grin and a gently rough snuggle of his muzzle and head as he drew near, tail wagging happily before his hips dropped, rump firmly plopping to the ground hard enough to slap his heavily furred tail to the ground as he grinned down at her. “What’s on your mind, sis? You look ready to burst.”