Crafting snares and futures

Head hanging low, Fern feels Rudy put his muzzle under her chin and lift. Aqua eyes met his gentle soft golden gaze and the gray girl feels her body shift to lean into his frame slightly. It has been so long since she tried something new and Fern has always been her own worst critic. His words are gentle and encouraging, boosting the girl’s confidence without being critical. Her smaller body instinctively leans a little more into Rudy, drawing comfort from the touch as well as his words. Nodding her head, Fern watches Rudy tighten the braids as he continues to speak. She tries not to put too much of her weight into him, afraid she might throw him off balance.

Because of the closeness of their bodies, Fern feels Rudy’s tail sway happily. She also feels when he stops the movement and sees the sadness play across his face. It strikes Fern that he might be self-conscious about his bobbed tail. Since Rudy is building her confidence, Fern decides to try and return to the favor. Leaning her head back, Fern licks his cheek, saying, “Thanks Rudy. I always doubt myself. But I want to learn.” Placing a paw over his for a moment, her tail wags happily against the ground, touching his short tail.

Patting his paw, Fern sits up straight, looking to the stubborn stripes of leathers. Huffing determinedly, she once more takes them between her paws and starts to braid. It is slow and tedious but Fern takes her mind off the frustration by saying, “You know, my mom had a companion. His name was Rigel. He was a great horned owl. I wonder what happened to him.” Brows knit together, concentrating on her work. Many annoyed grumbles at herself can be heard.

Needing to distract herself, Fern allows words slip to out as she continues to braid, “You know, I really like your tail Rudy. Sure, it was long and cool before but now it is short and adorable. Gives you more character. I like it. You should wag it more, show it off.” She tries to make it sound nonchalant, as if this is a normal part of any conversation. The last thing she wants to do is make Rudy even more self-conscious about it. Truth is, Fern loves Rudy’s tail and the fact that it is attached to her favorite wolf in the world.

Time passes and it is slow process, but, Rudy’s help and guidance, Fern is finally able to sit back, the leather braided together. Smiling proudly to Rudy, Fern’s tail thumps the ground as she says, “So, what’s next fearless leader?”


"Fern"