Share the pain

Rudy was snapped from his thoughts as he heard Tika approach.  What Rudy had decided he wasn’t in the mood for was now the situation he was in, talking.  A weak smile that never touched his eyes flicked towards, old habits battling inner anger.  “Tika,” a simple statement of name to acknowledge her.

She’d come a good ways from the young pup they had found.  He remembered the small scared Tika that had first been brought to the pack and acknowledged she had grown in size and confidence.  Sure, she wasn’t brimming with it but she spoke openly and certainly wasn’t shivering shyly away either.  That was good.  Rudy should have really been happy with the thought but all it came with was a sort of dullness.

Her bit of snarl wasn’t lost on him emphasizing she also was upset.  Who wouldn’t be?  Rudy felt protective of Tika most of the time but right now as he looked at her and heard the suggestion of a spar he wanted to start the fight with a lunge right away. “Sure, but, let's move a bit farther away from the entrance.” Rudy didn’t state it as a question just a fact before he ran away out into the prairie.  No distractions of others coming and going this way hopefully.  He assumed Tika would follow and suddenly it was easier to be patient.  He’d even wait till she attacked to start the fight.  Knowing the fight was here, knowing he could fight something, someone, let him be patient for her to come at him.  Rudy would win, he refused to lose.

Rudyard Carpathius