take your dad to work day

"Right? I never thought I'd hate winter this much. It used to make me grateful for the change of the season... but this one has just made me bitter," she sighed. Every time she glanced at him over her shoulder it seemed like new threads of silver and white appeared. Time marched relentlessly onward. As much as she tried to ignore it, she couldn't cast off the lightening of his fur as a trick of the light any longer. His age was now apparent. There was no use denying it. Soon she'd ask him to step down from the beta position - maybe even today. Theo wanted him to rest, finally have a moment to bask and enjoy his second (third?) chance at family. "Alright, just a bit further now and I think we're good to turn around. I've just about seen enough. It looks like it's melting well enough and soon - " her words caught strangely in her throat as a dark shape moved ahead in the grass. It was a queer sensation that ran through her body: ice water pouring through her veins, then a feeling like deja vu. Or staring off the edge of a cliff with your claws just barely curved over the precipice. "Is that... Noir? Or?" she said softly, almost too quiet for Rhyme to hear unless he was right by her side. He had the right build. The dark coloring. Even the curve of his muzzle and slope of his forehead were achingly familiar. Theo just couldn't quite place it. "Hello?" she called out. It echoed around the empty, spindly forest. Who are you?