Time we became friends

Something wrong when it was in regards to Rudy?  Ah, did he know just how easy an assumption that would be to make?  Rudy imagined up a list of needs and none of the things he couldn’t get himself were things that Ulric could make happen, at least not right now. “I’m alright,” even as Rudy said it he imagined the answer was a stretch but there was nothing Ulric could do in the areas he wasn’t alright.  

Rudy thought of offering the man congratulations on his own rise up in rank but such words never even started to leave his mouth.  The realization struck the wolf he was staring at had taken his mom’s position.  Ulric wouldn’t be in charge right now if mom wasn’t sick and dying.  Ulric was where Rudy wanted to be by a terrible tragedy.  Suddenly the friendly youth felt an urge to get angry that was totally unexpected.  No, he wasn’t alright but Rudy was a good liar.

“Well, there’s a lot more work ahead of us,” Rudy just threw out the first thing he could think to say to hide his inner thoughts and unreasonable anger.  Ulric hadn’t asked for any of this, it wasn’t his fault.  Emotions and logic were waging a war while Rudy kept a calm demeanor on the outside though his muscles weren’t as agreeable.  His muscles would start to tense and Rudy would make them relax and then on their own accord they’d tighten again.  Stupid body, he couldn’t control it all the way and talk at the same time.  

“So, I’m hoping to find some other wolves that want to help put more work into hunting.  We can train at being a better team.  Mom was,” the words choked off, it had been the wrong thing to say.  Mom was one who did a lot of the pack hunting.  Mom was the one who trained him.  Rudy’s eyes started to grow rounder as the notion he might have gone a step too far.  Ah hell, he’d come here planning to be calm and friendly, and instead his emotions were all over.  “So, uh,”  When did he ever have to say ‘uh’? Like a damned idiot. “I just –“ His eyes glanced up to the roof he’d spotted Ulric eyeing, “So, planning to let some light in and keep it like that, or are we closing it up again?”  It was a safer topic.  His mind was running from thoughts of mom as surely as a small pup would flee a giant bear.

Rudyard Carpathius