Purpose

Confusion spread through the boy. He was so... so confused! No one had ever said anything about curses being frozen in the north. He wasn't sure at all if he believed it but both of the wolves before him had said so. The child's brow furrowed hard, a look that should be far from a wolf his age. If curses were frozen here... why would he ever want to leave? He could be normal. He could actually be normal!

As Acere reached out and helped to steady Beat, the boys ears tucked back against his skull. Suddenly, he was rather embarrassed at his behavior. "I'm sorry. I just..." He couldn't even find the words at first, so he sputtered and choked out an explanation the best he could. "Everyone around me dies. Everyone important." He hunkered in on himself, his confidence clearly nonexistent. "I stay alone to keep others safe." He didn't want to be responsible for more deaths...

The wolves had given him an invitation to come back to their pack and rest. There would be food and warmth, Orca had said. At that, Beat's stomach gave a loud, complaining growl and he grinned sheepishly. The boy merely offered a nod to the pair, accepting their invitation. Not without manners, he stammered. "Th-thank you." His teeth had begun to chatter once more.