What does family mean?

Walk | "Talk" | think

Rudy had been putting serious thought in something for the last day, at least when he wasn’t thinking of hunting and fighting and Art and training and future goals and well ok so a few things went around in his mind.  However, for the day another portion of his mind had been on their new ‘brother’ Grimshaw.  How could he accept the pup as a part of the family when he seemed to do all he could to avoid being part of the family?  It wasn’t right! Instead of just inwardly snarling about it, or whining to their mom’s, maybe the right action was just to tell Grim straight up he was being an ass.  Seemed a good plan.

So when he spotted Grimshaw close to the den while no one else appeared to be at home Rudy strode up to him.  Rudy was one who loved to sneak up and spy or pounce on other wolves, especially pouncing on the other pups, but today it was a composed stride forward to make this look important, at least that’s how he was trying to pull it off.  It’s hard to look important when still a cute puppy.

“Hey.  Grimshaw?”  The words were kept cautiously neutral, biting back the inner irritation he felt just seeing the wolf.  Grim probably imagined himself superior the way he tried to avoid doing anything with them.  It was like he thought they had fleas the way Grim never wanted to play with most of the family.

“Got time for a talk?” Got time for me or gonna try and just walk off?  Building irritation had settled in on the adopted pup’s mannerisms.  Rudy just couldn’t accept this guy as family until he acted like it.  Rudy was pretty certain he was right about this, but his desire to prove himself as mature kept him from running to his mom’s about his frustration.  No, with his maturity he could fix things himself.  He’d have Grim see reason.