Through the Fire and the Flame we Carry On

He limped along with tattered auds tipped back towards his skull, but not flattened. His dark tail curled loosely between his legs instead of tightly to his belly. Miss Shaye had birthed some wonderful girls, and he was reluctant to abandon them. Even for a few moments. Sure, Miss Shaye was with them, and a wonderful mother, but he worried for all three. There was something.. strange about the relationship between the alpha pair and their offspring. It was strained, tenuous and new. Thus, he kept as close to the den as possible while the children were still whelping. He was eager to help, and eager to please. A perfect little servant. With snow dusting the ground, he felt the need to collect food and furs. Warm the mother, warm the young. Perhaps, if he remembered, warm himself.

He spotted the titanic form of Rhyme just ahead, looming over a sharpened deer antler. Odd. Reluctantly, the male slunk forward. His demeanour shifted, and he morphed into a more timid creature. He peered around the massive male, wondering what might be so important. The smell of rot lingered, ever so faintly. The musty aroma of loam, recently overturned. Silence reigned, the male struggled still to speak without being addressed first. One cautious step forward, so that his shoulder nearly brushed against Rhyme's left thigh, and he kept his head low between his shoulders in a submissive stance.