Black and Blue

The interest that Bronze showed when Silent gave a slightly detailed description of her travels made her feel important. She had rarely been shown that her word was valued; with Bronze, it was as if faith had been silently added to her self-worth. Though Silent was a confident wolf, she was one of the many whose thoughts about herself could be the worst criticism. It was not often that it happened; Silent was a well-rounded girl, but not a lot of people knew that about the young lady. Even as that occasional fact tried to work its way into her brain, she pushed it away for later. Bronze filled her with a warm light, even if she didn't know what to label it.

His question about what kept calling her back remained unanswered for the moment. Instead, Bronze spoke of how he and his family had mainly stayed in the northern region of the continent, barely leaving for another hemisphere. When he strongly stated that the north was his home -- where he was born and where he would die -- Silent could only softly smile. "You have already made your choice about your future, Bronze...that is impressive, considering most wolves our age haven't made up their minds about what they want." Considering that they were only teenagers until their second birthday, Silent knew that their lives had only just begun.

As they continued to softly stroll along the massive trees, Silent grew quiet. For only a few seconds, she mulled over her thoughts until she was ready. "Telling me you are staying in the north helps me answer your previous question." Glancing at him from the side, she seemed to become slightly shy. "What keeps calling me back is not a 'what', but a 'whom'..." Her soft smile slowly grew as she let the words sink in before confessing, "I always come back to explore the north with the chance that I get to see you." Some would call it bold, others would call it gentle honesty. Silent's circle of friends was barely non-existent; Bronze was the only one she claimed.