a little R&R

She was older and bolder now. With autumn's arrival, Theory was one season closer to a year old - then she'd be able to... what, exactly? The young Destruction wasn't sure, but it felt important. A whole year alive. What a wonderful thing.

After the fire, she had kept her distance from the thicket for a long time. There were nights she still woke up sweating, feeling as if smoke was choking her lungs. Since her mother was never coming back, having left her soul up on the peak of some lonely mountain, Theory had taken up permanent residence in Shaye's den. It felt good to be taken under someone's wing, especially someone so wise and accomplished. Discord had been sown among her siblings as they all dealt differently with Tana's passing. It was nice to be out on her own, not wrestling with any large or important questions.

Today was as good a day as any to return to the thicket. Finally, the ground didn't smell charred and the air was clear of smoke. Theo closed her eyes and breathed deeply, relishing the clean air. "Oh!" She exclaimed, opening her eyes. "I didn't see you there! Hello, I'm Theory," she greeted Benedict warmly. He smelled strongly of Abaven. In retrospect, she realized that she had spent so much time these past few months entwined in her family troubles, that she had hardly met any other wolves in the pack. Now that the thicket was healing and Tana was gone, it was time to begin some new growth of her own.