Lithium

Torin slept through that night, unawares of the tragedy that would await him once the sun started it's slow ascent. Slowly Torin would extracate himself from his mate and the pile of puppies that were his sleeping children. The man would pull himself out into the early morning, stretching and yawning. A dull scent reached him and Torin finished shaking his pelt out and allowed his mind to start working on the smell. He frowned slightly as he realized it was the scent of his sister. Had Jewell tried to visit him last night?

His frown deepening Torin started to follow his sister's trail, curious as it lead towards his father's den, wondering what could have drawn her towards the man she was most afraid of. He spotted the telltale colors of his sister and his father. He picked up his pace fearing the worst. Though nothing could prepare him for what he'd find, his father curled around Jewell's form.

"Dad?" He asked tentativley, unsure what could ever draw his father to hold his adoptive sister so tenderly. "Jewell?" He settled onto his haunches at the side of his sister where his father wasn't blocking her. He tentatively reached out his muzzle to nose at her and was alarmed to find his sister long since cold and he stared wide eyed for a moment, his mind not comprehending what he was observing. Finally he moved forwards, falling more than anything, his face pushing into his sister's fur and a rattling breath finally escaped him as the reality of what he'd stumbled upon settled onto him. He wasn't crying, not yet, simply feeling the familiar numbness of grief settling over him.