I don't care

The two resonated in more ways than they knew.  Kichi very much missed Al or, he had until he’d buried his pain between neutrality and anger.  He’d labeled Al his best friend and trusted guardian.  Nothing could have touched Kichi when he was with Al.  

Her words also had some influence.  The very scar on his face came from Kichi trying to prove himself.  With the belief his parents had been killed from an Elk the boy had spent a portion of his childhood scared to hunt anything.  Of course, his first attempt was to sneak off alone and try to hunt an elk.  It had been a harsh lesson but Kichi had learned guts alone wouldn’t keep someone alive.  Al had chased it down later and they’d had a good meal from it.  Kichi would kill an elk alone someday, and once it was down the elk would suffer a slow death.

Kichi let out a slow sigh of resignation of accepting her presence and seemed to let go of some of his bluster.  Tense muscles relaxed a bit as he acknowledged her statement,  “I guess I can understand that.” All too well.  He didn’t really want to understand anyone or remember a version of himself that had been far more alive than he felt now.  “Do you plan to see if you can find it farther in the forest?” It was a bad idea.  Kichi doubted she’d care considering he hadn’t when he’d made his own attempt.  The boy was a year old but even more relaxed he spoke as if he was the adult telling the kid.  He’d been raised to believe he was better than others and so even having to question his life that much came naturally.  

Kichi would have once defended his pride and tried to show off how great he was.  Who cared?  “Do you at least have friends nearby in case you got in trouble?”  Al had been able to find Kichi and take him home after his stupid failed attempt but did she have that back up?  That also would let him know if she had friends he needed to worry about.  The boy hadn’t spoken with anyone in some time and deny it as he might speaking to another wolf did draw a bit more life into him.  It was making him think instead of focusing on his misery.