burn in the afterthought

can't smell the roses

"An army?" she murmured in surprise. It was hard to imagine any pack that treated their home like a battleground, but Shaye had told her enough about the other lands that it didn't seem impossible. She mulled it over for a while, then considered Shaye's reply to her question. Theory laughed quietly, offering Shaye a big, shy smile. "Both aunties? That's wonderful!" Briefly, Theory wondered how Eulogy had conceived. The woman reminded her terribly of Tana, and since her mother's death, Theo had kept her distance. It was too much to bear.

"Come winter, when I turn one, can we make visits to all of the packs?" She inquired seriously, wagging her tail at the idea. A diplomatic expedition would be just the thing to kick off her next year of life. They had done so much talking about these other lands that she desperately wished to visit them and learn more from their cultures. "Maybe I could spend a season with one of our allied packs - I could help! And learn," she said earnestly, unable to quell the fierce wagging of her tail at the idea. Adventure!

when they wilt in my hands